SAM was mentioned in the 1774 Prince William County will of John Peyton. John bequeathed Sam to his son George Peyton to be his after the marriage or death of his mother, Seth Peyton. Seth was living in 1779 and her son George had relocated to Culpeper County.

Valentine Peyton, born in Virginia, left a will in Lincoln County, Kentucky, 26 December 1831, and bequeathed "Edmund Peyton, to him Zuritha Peyton, my negro girl, and to Maria Peyton my negro girl Martha."

HANNAH, GEORGE, DOSH, AGGY and JOHNSON ~ In 1781/2 John Peyton of Culpeper County, bequeathed to his daughter, Nancy Peyton, a young slave woman named Hannah. On 19 April 1795, Nancy made a gift deed of Hannah, George, Dosh and Aggy, four slaves which had come from her father's bequest, to her sons, John, Benjamin and Isaac Payton (Culpeper County, Virginia Deed Book RR, page 120). There is a death record in Rappahannock County dated December 1862 of Johnson, son of Aggy, who was owned by B. Peyton. After the war, Benjamin Peyton's house superintendent was a black woman, who may have been Aggy. Benjamin Peyton's plantation in Rappahannock County is now "Peyton Farms", a development of 300 acres, off Route 621 a few miles southeast of Washington, Virginia.

In an 25 August 1785 bill of sale, Prince William County, Virginia, "Valentine Peyton, Jr, John Peyton, Burr Peyton, Harrison Peyton and Cuthbert Peyton and John Peyton Harrison, for the sum of £50, conveyed to Valentine Harrrison 2 negro children, viz., 'Nan & Pegg,' and also one roan horse."

GEORGE, ELIZA, DOLLY and PHILLIS ~ On the 1820 Census of Albemarle County, Jacob and Milly Powell owned 1 male slave aged 14-26. In 1830 they owned 4 slaves. In 1840 the Powell family had 3 slaves in Saint Anne's Parish. In 1853 Jacob Powell's slave, George, died in Albemarle County at the age of 40. In 1854 and 1855 in Saint Anne's Parish, Albemarle County, his slave Eliza gave birth to daughters, Dolly and Phillis.

On the 1860 Slave Census of Buckingham County, Virginia, Littleberry M. Powell owned 4 slaves. On 20 December 1860 there is recorded the death of overseer L. M. Powell's slave, MILLY, the daughter of SALLY.

On 5 May 1802, Thomas Turk Sr., age 92, and a resident of Augusta County, Virginia, made a Deed of Gift of his slave VIOLET to the children of his deceased daughter, Margaret Rhea.

LOUISA was the servant of Hiram King Via (1812~1893). In 1858 Louisa gave birth to a daughter in Fredericksville Parish, Albemarle County, Virginia.

MANUEL lived to be 100 years of age. He was born in 1755 at Virginia's capital, Williamsburg. He died 1855 in Albemarle County. He was at least 85 years of age when he came into the care of Thomas C. Via (l785~1875) of Moorman's River, so he had probably been a long and faithful servant of Thomas' forebears.

In America, enslaved Africans learned the story of the exodus from Egypt and set their own hearts on a promised land of freedom. Enslaved Africans discovered a suffering Savior and found he was more like themselves than their masters. Enslaved Africans heard the ringing promises of the Declaration of Independence and asked the self-evident question: Then why not me?

Their moral vision caused Americans to examine our hearts, to correct our Constitution, and to teach our children the dignity and equality of every person of every race. By a plan known only to Providence, the stolen sons and daughters of Africa helped to awaken the conscience of America. The very people traded into slavery helped to set America free.

~~President George W. Bush, from a speech on Goree Island, Senegal, 8 July 2003.