On this day, Feb. 17, 1865, Black people took over what I believe is one of the most important pieces of property in the history of this country.

This is literally my favorite story of all time.

A thread.

In 1676, a wealthy English farmer establised a farm on swampland in Charleston, SC. He tried to grow fruit as he had on his plantation in Barbados. It failed. Vegetables failed. So did. silkworms. But he noticed his enslaved people weren't very hungry.

They had been eating rice.

Enslavers raided the West African “Rice Coast” for Africans who BUILT the plantations and engineered the complex levees and dams needed to grow the "Carolina Gold" rice. 100 yrs, later Charleston was the 4th largest city and the wealthiest city in all of the American colonies

By 1750, Charleston had the highest per capita income in America. 40% of every enslaved person who ever entered this country came through Charleston Harbor. In the 5 years before the Revolution, Charleston human-trafficked more Africans than ALL OF THE OTHER COLONIES COMBINED

That's why, in 1741, Samuel Perreneau bought 617 acres at the intersection of the Ashley River, the Wappoo Creek, and the Stono River on James Island.

He was across the river from Charleston. Sam's prime real estate eventually went to his granddaughter, Elizabeth Lightwood.

But the craziest thing about SC is that, for MOST of SC's existence, Black people OUTNUMBERED whites. It was the "slave capital of the world."

But it wasn't just their labor. Remember, they were the ones who FIGURED OUT the thing that made this country wealthy.

So, which city do you think King George was concerned about?

On June 28, 1776, one week before 56 white boys signed the 1776 letter notifying King George that America was finished with being Britain's sidepiece, 2900 British soldiers and sailors attacked Chucktown.

So many white boys came out of the countryside, the British were forced to retreat. Plus it was June in SC. You know how hot it is?

But the British had an idea.

Remember when I told you about whites being outnumbered in SC? I wasn't bragging on white people's enslaving powers

Three years later the British came back to Charleston issued the Phillipsburg Proclamation, promising freedom to every Black person who fought for the King.

Nearly 25,000 Black people freed themselves. The British formed the "Black Pioneers," an all-black military unit.

Man, the Black Pioneers were clean AF! They didn't want that British redcoat BS. They wore Black uniforms, three-cornered hats, & green coats embroidered with the words: “Liberty to Slaves.”

why?

They were from CHUCKTOWN! They had style!

Also, black & green is camoflauge-ish.

But the British needed a place to mount their attack. Luckily, the formerly enslaved dudes knew a place.

On Valentine’s day, 1780, British forces found a plot of land just outside the city, to mount the 2-year offensive that would become known as the Siege of Charleston.

British Headquarters was at the Lightwood property, at the intersection of the Ashley River, the Wappoo Creek, and the Stono River in Charleston County, SC.

Luckily, after the Revolutionary war, the Lightwoods got their property back and had no problem restocking it.

Even though they couldn't run their farm, they didn't even lose any money during the siege. How?

Well, the family also owned "shipping interests."

They were human traffickers. People buyers. Slave runners. Or, as some Africans called them: "White people."

In 1851, William Wallace McLeod purchased the property. By then, it was 914 acres of high ground and 779 of marshland. If you're wondering, it's the size of TWO Central Parks or the size of Harlem.

And in 1860, McLeod purchased a six-year-old enslaved girl named Leia

Leia was tied to a rope and walked behind McLeod's wagon from Charleston to James Island. They were blindfolded so they wouldn't run away. They were barefoot and her feet were bleeding.

She was the 74th enslaved person at McLeod to labor under the threat of violence.

Some people argue that a small number of white people owned slaves.

Well, on James Island, there were 193 white people and 1,533 enslaved people. Slaves actually could leave the plantation. They maintained that balance of power was because ALL the white people were violent.

In SC, it was your RESPONSIBILITY as a white person.

McLeod wasn't growing rice. He was growing more Sea Island Cotton than anyone on James Island. Sea Island Cotton is different. You don't stoop down to pick it. The stalks are as tall as any man, with flowers the size of a fist

How did he know how to plant it?

SHEEEIT... He didn't know shit. But he had an enslaved man named Pompey "Hardtimes" Dawson who knew everything about Sea Island COtton. Pompey had a son named Will. Will HATED being a slave bc His feet never healed from his journey, so he limped.

People were scared of Will, though. He wasn't mean but he did crazy stuff like look white people in the eyes and say "yeah" instead of "yessuh." They said: "that nigguh be looking at the sky too much."

Will could understand the stars.

They KNEW he was gonna "steal hisself."

Every Sunday afternoon, when enslaved people from other plantations came to the McLeod farm for church, Leia would stare at the faces to see if she recognized any. She didn't.

Leia heard her mom had been sold to the Rivers plantation.

It was 2 miles away

Will loved Leia. She was like his little sister. He was 23 and she was 8. She was basically an orphan so he looked out for her. even taught her how to use the stars but warned her not to let people see her looking up

She woke up early to "get things" for kitchen ladies

Will helped his dad. So when the Confederate Army fired on Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, Leia, Will and Hardtime were the first to see it.

Then, On May 25, 1862, Union navy ships arrived just as Confederate soldiers were searching for a location for a hospital & headquarters

Guess where they choose to put it?

A property, at the intersection of the Ashley River, the Wappoo Creek, and the Stono River in Charleston County, SC — McLeod Plantation.

Late that night, you could see cotton stalks moving. Something was going on. Will was looking at the sky

On May 25th 1862, Will Dawson and 8 other Black people—Syphax, Beck, Tony, Ben, York, Molly, Rose and her fourteen-month-old child — emancipated themselves from McLeod

Leia was too young to see above the cotton and Will had two bad feet. Can you imagine what he must have felt?

Leia stayed.

The Emancipation Proclamation didn't free Leia. The end of the Civil War didn't.

On February 17, 1865 the Confederates fled the McLeod and Charleston. Who were they running from?

Massachusetts 54th and 55th regiments, two all-black units were looking for a HQ

Guess where they chose: An estate located at the intersection of the Ashley River, the Wappoo Creek, and the Stono River in 1851

Leia was free.

Then General Sherman issued Special Field Orders No. 15 Contrary to popular belief, it didn't grant EVERY slave "40 acres and a mule"

It was only for: "The islands from Charleston south, the abandoned rice-fields along the rivers for thirty miles back from the sea, and the country bordering the Saint Johns River, Fla... At Beaufort, Hilton Head, Savannah, Fernandina, Saint Augustine, and Jacksonville ..."

Now some people think this never happened.

It happened on James Island.

Slaves actually got their 40 acres (no mule though) & farmed them on their own for a year.

How?

Well, to disburse the property, the government created the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen and Abandoned Lands.

And of course they had to put one in the "Slave Capital of the World."

Where?

August 11, 1865, the Freedmen’s Bureau set up their Charleston regional office at an estate located at the intersection of the Ashley River, the Wappoo Creek, and the Stono River.

McLeod Plantation

And guess what happened? Thousands of formerly enslaved people flocked to McLeod and WOULD NOT LET WHITE PEOPLE ON THE ISLAND,

See, the

Between March 17, 1865, and January 27, 1866, 208 formerly enslaved families got titles to their property.

38 of those families were from McLeod.

Of course, the government reversed the order.

But guess what happened?

Some of the formerly enslaved had made enough money by then to BUY their property, which was in the Freedman Bureau's order. Some of the plantation orders let the freedmen keep their property.

Why?

Well, there were TOO MANY BLACK PEOPLE ON JAMES ISLAND.

Plus the white planters DIDN'T ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO PLANT SHIT. Who was gonna run their plantations?

By 1870, the plantations had been returned to the white owners except one.

An estate at the intersection of the Ashley River, the Wappoo Creek, and the Stono River.

McLeod

William W. McLeod had died during the Civil War. He had buried his valuables so no one ever saw his will. His heirs wouldn't get it back until 1871- Five years after the civil war.

By 1880, Formerly enslaved people owned 10 of James Island.

By 1900, 42% of Black Charlestonians owned land. Leia stayed on McLeod and worked for 3 generations of McLeods.

No one knows what happened to 8 of the 9 escapees.

We know what happened to 1

On May 26, 1862, the USS Pembina had a new sailor. After a year, he transferred

He worked on the Wabash until the end of the war. They said he could navigate by the stars.

His name was William Dawson, son of Hardtime Dawson

How do I know all of this?

Well, Will's wife had to go through a LOT to get his pension for his kids after he died.

They accused her of cheating on Will. And to prove she wasn't guilty, she had to get damn near ALL of the formerly enslaved people to give statements.

I have the entire file

Hardtime Dawson had a small farm on James Island and grew his own sea island cotton.

He opened a bank account at the Freedman's bank

Leia's story was easy. She married Peter Brown and had a daughter named Lizzie. Lizzie's oldest daughter was named Edna but they called her Mattie. When Leia's husband died, she moved in with Lizzie and would tell Lizzie stories about her life.

Now, THIS IS THE IMPORTANT PART:

For anyone who believes slavery was a long time ago. PLEASE remember this:

Edna Mattie Richardson, the grandaughter of Leia Brown, was ALIVE AND WELL until 2012

She would listen to her grandmother Leia until daybreak

Now here are some pics

Leia lived in a cabin like this:

This is an actual cabin at Mcleod. The families of Formerly enslaved people rented it and lived there until 1990

When Annie Dawson's pension rejection was reversed

William McLoud Dawson's service