Transcript of Court Document Regarding the 
Sale of Slaves from Grenada in Georgia, 1801 
 
United States 
 
State of Georgia 
 
To whom those present shall come 
Greetings 
 
Be it known on this 26th Day of August in this year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and 
one, and in the twenty-sixth year of American Independence, before us Richard W. Stites a 
public notary in and for the state aforesaid by lawful authority duly admitted commissioned and 
sworn residing in the city of Savannah personally came and appeared Hector Mitchell of said 
city who being by us duly and solemnly sworn maketh oaths and doth expose and say that 
appears by the books of Messrs Gairdner and Mitchell late of this place Merchants of which this 
appears hath the charge that sometime in the year one thousand and seven hundred and ninety 
seven, a parcel of Negroes was picked up at sea in a boat belonging to the ship General Nichols 
from Grenada and brought into the port of Savannah and that Gairdner and Michell who agents 
for John and James McBurney of the aforesaid island of Grenada to whom the said several 
Negroes slaves belonged and that the said several Negroes in number about thirty six were put in 
[jail] and there detained for some time, when they were all or in part delivered by an ordinance of 
the City Council of Savannah to David Garvin to be authorized thereby the same become his 
property on the sole condition of his transporting and carrying them without the limits and 
jurisdiction of this state: and the said appeared Hector Mitchell believeth the Negroes hereinafter 
mentioned viz Baptiste, Gilbert, Peters, Edward, Louis and John Louis six of this number 
delivered as aforesaid, to he aforesaid David Garvin who afterwards sold those to one John 
Kinnaird and that the said John Kinnaird to those to whom he has sold or may sell the aforesaid 
 
Negro slaves is or are just and lawful owner or owners, those of Hector Mitchell. 
 
In Faith and Testimony of the truths where of I have set my hand and affixed my Notarised Seal 
at the City of Savannah this day and year before written. 
 
Court Attestor. 
Richard W. Stites