New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-29
The Richest slavel,oldar.

writer in the Richmond Whig gives an
account Of gentleman in Virginia, who is the
richest man in that State, and the largest slave
holder in the Union, and perhaps IN the world,
unless the serfs of Russia be considered as
slaves He says:
Samuel Hairston, Of Pittsylyania, is the gem
tleman. When / was in his section, year or
two ago. he was the owner of between 1900 and
17e0 slaves, in his own right, having but little
while before taken a census. He has also
prospective right to about 1000 slaves more
which are now owned by his mother -iri-iaw.
Mrs, X. Hairston. he having married her only
child. He now has the management Of them,
which makes the number of his slaves reach
near 5000. They increase at the rate Of near
100 every year; he has to purchase large plan
tations every year to settle them on. large
number of his plantations are in Henry and
Patrick counties, Virginia He has large es- 4
tates in North Carolina His landed property
IN stocks, alone is assessed at $500, 600 His
wealth is differently estimated at from So, ,000,-
900 to rs 900 900; and should think it was
nearer the latter. You think he has q hard
lot. but assure you Mr.. Hairston manages all
his matters as easy as most persons would an
estate Of 10000. He has 0yerseers who are
compelled to give him a written statement of
what has been made and spent on each planta-
tion. and his negroes are all clothed and fed
from MS own 0omesrlc manufacture and raising
his own tobacco crop. which is Immensely large,
as 50 much clear gain every year, besides bis
increase in negroes which is . fortune Of ITSELF
And now for his residence. j have Travelled
over fifteen States of this Union, and have never
seen anything comparable to his yard and
garden, except some Of them in the Mississippi
delta, and none of them equal to it. Mrs, !
Hairston has been beautii ying it for years; and
good old minister, in preaching near the place,
and describing Paradise said, 6 it was as beauti-
ful as Mrs Hairstonss; = or as a friend who had
visited Washington city for the first time. re-
marked, that the public grounds we're nearly |
ais handsome as Samuel Hairston's. He is a
plain, nnassuming gentleman, and has never
made any noise in the world. though he could
vie with the Bruces, the McDonough's and
Astor's; and it is strange, that while theirl
wealth is coextensive with the Union, he is not
known 100 miles from home. / believe he isnow I
the wealthiest man in the Union, as Wm. b \
Astor is only worth ahout "a 600 600, and the |
estates Of city people are vastly overrated while
Dir Hairston can show the property that will |
bring the cash at any moment.
Mr.. Hairston was raised within few miles Of
where he now lives, in Henry county. He has
several brothers, who are pretty we'll to do in
the world. One of them, Marshal Hairston, of
Henry, owns more than 700 negroes Robert |
HaIston, who now lives in Mississippi, near
1000, and Harden Hairston, who has also moved I
70 Mississippi. about 600 slaves. George Hairs /
ton, of Henry, has given most all Of his property
to his children, reserying only about $50 slaves
for his own use. This, believe, is correct
statement Of the circumstances Of the Hairston
family.