SANKOFA'S SLAVERY DATA COLLECTION

(Lawyer) Woodson Plantation

Location: 75 miles southwest of Richmond, Lunenburg Co., VA
Constructed: ----

History: According to the slave narrative of ex-slave William Branch, Lawyer Woodson's property consisted of two large plantations, situated across the road from one another.

William Branch
William Branch was a slave on the Woodson plantation until he left with invading Union troops in 1861, during the beginning of the Civil War. He was 11 years old when he was taken to Washington, D.C. to work as a house servant for Frank Cayler. In 1870, Branch went to Baltimore, MD to enlist in the United States Armed Forces. In his narrative, Branch details his service in the Army, where he engaged in battles with Native Americans in Texas and concludes "I'd rather be in d army dan a plantation slave."

Associated surnames: Branch, Woodson

Associated Free White Names

• Lawyer Woodson: owner

Associated Black Slave Names

1850: Slaves of Lawyer Woodson
From "Voices From Slavery" by Norman R. Yetman, 2000

• William Branch: born May 13, 1850
• Note: according to William Branch's narrative, Woodson owned a total of 75 slaves

Agriculture

• tobacco, cotton

Description of Associated Architecture

• Main house: large white house built from lumber with a shingled roof; home of Lawyer Woodson
• Slave quarters: a long row of log houses with shingled roofs

Other People Researching This Plantation

• ----

RESOURCES

• Yetman, Norman R. Voices From Slavery: 100 Authentic Slave Narratives. Dover Publications Inc. 2000.