Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation

MSS 16719, Dixon Evans to James Evans about his murder of an enslaved person, Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library, University of Virginia Library.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

This collection was purchased from L & T Respess Books by the Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia Library on 2 July, 2019.

Content Description

Autographed signed letter from Dixon Evans to his brother James Evans in Fayetteville, North Carolina with his acccount of his shooting, and killing an unnamed enslaved person from Marion, South Carolina. The enslaved person was trying to obtain food from the dairy and smokehouse. Dixon Evans was being sued by Nathaniel Evans who was the owner of the enslaved person. Dixon Evans blames the enslaved person for Dixon's own murderous actions.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Enslaved laborers
• enslaved persons
• letters (correspondence)

General

Content warning: material is offensive. The purpose of this note is to give users the opportunity to decide whether they need or want to view these materials, or at least, to mentally or emotionally prepare themselves to view the materials.

The letter from Dixon Evans tries to justify his killing of an enslaved person. The unnamed person was trying to obtain food from a dairy and smokehouse and was shot and killed by Evans. Nathaniel Evans wanted to sue Dixon Evans for compensation for the loss of his enslaved laborer. Dixon Evans blamed the enslaved person for his own murderous actions.