Fairfax, John Walter (1828–1908), papers, 1863–1937. 15 items. Mss1F1613a. Microfilm reel C596.
Fairfax served as assistant adjutant and inspector general on the staff of Confederate general James Longstreet. Collection includes a letter, 28 March 1865, from General Robert E. Lee to Longstreet concerning the raising of local and special commands and the recruitment of African American soldiers in the Confederacy (item 4).

Fairfax County, Court, papers, 1742–1793. 12 items. Mss4F1613d.
Include a summons, 1755, issued by Peter Wagener, clerk of court in Fairfax County, summoning William Gladdin to court concerning a slave girl, Easter.

Fant, John M., account book, 1847–1848. [204] leaves. Mss5:3F2178:1.
This ledger records accounts of Fant, of Fauquier County, as a labor contractor with the Rappahannock Company concerning the construction and operation of a portion of the Rappahannock Canal. It includes accounts with laborers and service providers and concerns, in part, the use of hired slave labor.

Farmer, Charles Willson, record book, 1762–1887. [24] pp. Mss5:5F2295:1.
Kept on the Farmer family plantation near Jetersville in Amelia County, this volume contains birth and death records for 100 male and female slaves born between 1762 and 1864.

Farmers Bank of Virginia, records, 1812–1853. 19 items. Mss3F2298a.
The Farmers Bank of Virginia was headquartered in Richmond with branches in Petersburg, Fredericksburg, Lynchburg, Norfolk, Winchester, Danville, Farmville, Wytheville, and Charlottesville. Included in this collection is the minute book of the bank's board of directors, dated 16 September 1841 to 14 March 1853. The board spent a fair amount of time overseeing the collection of debts in Mississippi and Louisiana. The sales of land and slaves in those areas were the primary accounts supervised by the bank.

Faulkner family papers, 1737–1954. ca. 12,000 items. Mss1F2735aFA2.
Papers of merchants and lawyers of a Berkeley County (now W.Va.) family. Located in box 44 is a folder labeled "Slaves" containing a record of hirings for an unspecified year, several hiring out agreements, 1830s–1860, and bills of sale for slaves from Maryland, 1855–1858. The hiring agreements are specific about clothing provisions. Some have tax clauses, and one allows for a deduction for a slave to visit his wife every other Saturday. Some of the agreements are unexecuted. One bill of sale does not guarantee soundness of mind or body.

Fauquier County, register of free blacks, 1817–1865. 340 pp. Mss4F2742a2. Microfilm reel C431.
This register records names, identification features (such as scars), heights, ages, complexions, and how freed (birth, manumission, by will of owner) for free African Americans in Fauquier County from 1817 until the close of the Civil War.

Fendall, Philip Richard (1794–1868), papers, 1810–1863. 26 items. Mss2F3525b.
Chiefly correspondence of this Alexandria resident and secretary of the Virginia Colonization Society. Include a deed, 1825, to Alfred Lee for the slave Henry Tate, with a note on the back from Lee explaining his religious mission in returning his claim against Tate to Fendall.

First African Baptist Church, Richmond, Va., minute book, 1841–1857. ca. 295 pp. Mss5:8Bx6440:1. Photocopy.
The minutes of this church record financial summaries, baptisms, deaths, and status (free or slave) of its members. The discussions of disciplinary measures detail various aspects of members' lives. The church was consulted about the propriety of allowing separated members to remarry on a case-by-case basis. The church also attempted to buy one of its leaders when his master's guardian was faced with selling him (pages 47, 77: he ended up in Massachusetts). The church also established its own relief fund, the Poor Saints Fund. The photocopy is incomplete, with the most significant gap occurring from August 1852 to October 1856 (pages 208–283).

Fitts, James Henry (1836–1861), commonplace book, 1849–1862. [41] leaves. Mss5:5F5684:1.
This volume records slave births, deaths, and sales compiled by this resident of Warren County, N.C., and Mecklenburg County, Va. Also, includes a list of slaves owned by the estate of James Henry Fitts.

Fitzgerald, Elie Maury (Werth) (1878–1955), correspondence, 1950. 4 items. Mss2F5763b. Typescript copies.
Correspondence concerning Richard Lee (b. 1875), a servant in the Lee household. See also entry for "Ex-Lee Houseboy Honored Here," (number 289).

Fitzgerald, John (1805–1878), papers, 1835–1878. 103 items. Mss1F5764b.
This collection consists primarily of the business and personal papers of John Fitzgerald of Nottoway County. An affidavit, ca. 1858, concerns the health and pregnancy of a slave woman named Malvina. Two lists compiled in 1859 concern slaves on several plantations, while a list of 1868 indicates fees to be paid to African American harvest workers (section 6).

Fitzgerald, John (1805–1878), papers, 1838–1873. 23 items. Mss1F5764c. Photocopies.
Collection contains slave lists, 1852–1864, primarily giving only names, although several indicate ages, and one identifies several family groups of mothers with children. An 1856 hiring bond specifies that David, a carpenter, not be worked in the fields and provides for taxes, runaway fees, and sickness.

Fitzhugh, Henry, account book, 1749–1787. 209 pp. Mss5:3F5785:1. Photocopy.
In addition to scattered entries for the hiring out of slaves, manufacture and purchases of shoes, stockings, and other clothing for slaves, and slave purchases, this volume also includes an incomplete list of names with dates of birth and some family relationships for his Fairfax County bondspeople.

Fleet, William (1759–1833), letter, 1798. 1 p. Mss2F6247a1.
Letter, 25 March 1798, written at Hill Park in Essex County, to James Webb, briefly noting that something needs to be done about the slaves who are not involved in planting crops.

Fleming, William (1736–1824), list, 1787. [2] pp. Mss2F6297a2. Photocopy.
List of taxable property owned by William Fleming in Chesterfield County prepared by John Farmer, commissioner, 9 March 1787. Includes list of slaves.

Fletcher, John E. (1837?–1906), papers, 1857–1931. 314 items. Mss1F6353c.
This collection consists of the business records of a teacher, merchant, and lumberman of Greene and Page counties. Sections 8 and 10 include bonds, 1859–1861, of Henry G. Dulany and William L. Childs for the hiring of slave laborers. The text of each bond provides details of service and care of the slaves.

Foesee, Mrs. Rebecca, list, 1818–1852. 1 p. Mss2F6862a1.
List, 1818–1852, no location given, of seven slaves, with months and years of birth.

Fontaine, William Spotswood (1810–1882), letter, 1861. 1 p. Mss2F7344a1.
Letter informing Hite Brown that Fontaine will send Nat and Billy to help dig fortifications at Gloucester Point.

Fontaine family papers, 1760–1892. 929 items. Mss1F7345a.
A Buckingham County lawyer's papers form the nucleus of this collection. Walter Lloyd Fontaine (1787–1860) provided legal services for David Ross (1740?–1817), David Ross (d. 1821), and the younger Ross's wife, Julianne.

Correspondence, 1815–1819, with the Rosses concerns the status of Julianne's slaves from North Carolina who were captured and freed by the British (section 1). Additional documentation on the subject appears in sections 14 and 19.

A number of deeds are also in the collection: Charles Scott's 1842 request to exchange Peyton and Peter for two different slaves (section 3); an 1808 deed to Fontaine for two slave women and their children (section 25); and an 1842 deed to Fontaine for Louisa and her two children (section 11). Abolitionism and the voting of the state legislature concerning a compromise on slavery is the focus of an 1836 letter of Archibald Austin (section 1).

Ford, Abner Dawson (b. 1830), papers, 1863–1864. 60 items. Mss1F7501a.
This collection consists of letters written by Abner Dawson Ford while serving as a private in Joshua J. Shoemaker's [formerly Marcellus N. Moorman's] Virginia Horse Artillery, Confederate States Army. Included in the collection is a letter dated 23 January 1863 to his wife, Mary Jane "Mollie" (White) Ford, concerning Ford's desire to secure a substitute for military service through the sale of land and slaves.

Fort family papers, 1806–1827. 23 items. Mss1F7755a.
This collection concerns the Fort Family of Halifax County, N.C. Section 1 contains a receipt, 1818, issued to Ricks Fort (of Halifax County, N.C.) for the purchase of a slave at the estate sale of Wilson W. Carter. Section 2 includes deeds concerning the purchase or gift of slaves, 1806–1827, to Ricks Fort; and an account book, 1825–1827, of the medical practice of Doctor Matt C. Whitaker (of Halifax County, N.C.), concerning, in part, Ricks Fort and the care of slaves.

Foster, Adam, letters, 1847. 8 pp. Mss2F8111a. Typescript copies.
Letters, 9–20 January 1847, written by a northerner while visiting Mathews County, describing details of daily life on local plantations, from living arrangements for the household staff and servants, to clothing and rations, to the value of various types of laborers.

Fredericksburg, death records, 1853–1896. 1,500 items. Mss3F8726c.
An index on printed cards completed by hand and compiled from the official register maintained by city officials. Include detailed information on the deceased, including cause of death, location, date, age, occupation, race, and family information. Officials also noted if the deceased was a former slave.

Fredericksburg, School Board, records, 1901–1941. 1,500 items. Mss3F8726b.
These printed forms, completed by hand, provide detailed information on families of school-age children including parents' birthplace, occupation, address, and so forth. Records also include information on race and note if a parent was formerly a slave.

Freedmen's School, City Point, records, 1868. 2 vols. Mss4F8757b.
Records, 5 February to 29 May 1868, kept by Esther Smith, providing names, ages, subjects and levels, and attendance of students. Also include a list of night school students.

French, Sarah Scarborough Butler Henry (1808–1873), papers, 1847–1870. 13 items. Mss2F88992b.
This is a collection of Sarah French of Fenton plantation, Warrenton, Va., and New York, N.Y. Included is a list of slaves for hire at Brenton, Fauquier County.

French family papers, 1861–1985. 102 items. Mss1F8875a.
This collection concerns members of the French family of Halifax County, Va., and Chattanooga, Tenn. Section 1 contains receipts issued to Marcellus French (1831–1919), including an account with his free African American servant, Kit Bowman.

Friend family papers, 1792–1871. 18 items. Mss1F9156a. Microfilm reel C251.
Collection consists mostly of volumes containing the writings of Charles Friend, planter, of White Hall plantation in Prince George County. His diary, 1841–1846 (section 1), is filled with daily details of life and work on the plantation. Just in front of the 1841 entries, several "sick lists" provide names, dates, ailments, and lengths of confinement. In his account book, 1839–1869 (section 4), pages 280–296 contain slave lists, including name, age, and value, with notations of deaths, sales, and accounts for hired slaves. A commonplace book, 1792–1860 (section 5), of Benjamin Carter Minge Friend contains detailed notes pertaining to the disputation of the 1788 will of Richard Eppes. These notes include lists of the slaves belonging to William Christian and John Gilliam.

Frying Pan Spring Baptist Church, Fauquier County, records, 1791–1908. 7 pp. Mss4F9494a1.
Records of the Frying Pan Spring Baptist Church, Fairfax County, and Occoquan and Quantico Baptist churches, Prince William County, edited in 1946 by Flossie C. McNicol. The records include minutes of church meetings, lists of members (including slaves), and birth, death, and baptismal data.

Fulks, Claiborne G., diary, 1849–1851. 138 pp. Mss5:1F9575:1.
Most of the entries concern carpentry work in Amherst, Nelson, and Bedford counties and Lynchburg and daily weather conditions. On page 62 are notes concerning the sale of two slaves.

Fulton, William Mayo (d. 1853), letterbook, 18381844. 686 pp. Mss5:2F959:1.
Consists of letters written during Fultons military service as captain of Company B in the 2nd Dragoons, later U.S. Riflemen. Most of the correspondence was written from various forts in Florida during the Second Seminole War (18351842). While the majority of letters focus on supply needs and personnel issues, some make reference to three African American guides and interpreters: Sampson, Sandy, and Titus. Sampson and Sandy are among those listed as missing and supposed killed after the Indian attack on the trading post on the Caloosahatchee River on July 23, 1839 (pages 4952). There is some doubt in Fultons letters as to whether Sandy was loyal or a traitor in collaboration with the Indians (pages 7071). The letters describe looking for Indian tracks and confusing them with Negro tracks (pages 4, 121, 124). The letters voice suspicion that African Americans were trading with the Indians, and captured Indian women were to serve as witnesses against Col. Hansons Negroes (pages 154–156, 161, 163, 165). Several letters testify to the employment of Titus as a guide and interpreter for the army and the difficulty in procuring payment for his services (pages 4344, 69, 179, 217218). Captain Fulton was a resident of Richmond before and after his military service.

Fulton, William Mayo (d. 1853), papers, 1819–1865. 42 items. Mss2F9599b.
Within the papers of this Richmond lawyer are a number of deeds and deeds of trust. In section 9, two deeds of trust, dated 1849 and 1850, relate to five slaves. Section 10 contains an 1823 deed for five slaves. In section 11 is an 1851 affidavit of Jones Allen of Richmond in which he releases his claim to four slaves to Charles Zeuer.

Funsten, David (18191866), papers, 1851–1868. 51 items. Mss1F9665a.
Records of an Alexandria lawyer and soldier in the 11th Virginia Cavalry Regiment. Include a letter, 15 August 1862, of his daughter, Mary Catherine Funsten, in part concerning the hiring out of the slave Clara and the capture of a runaway slave (section 1).

Updated June 4, 2009