Thinking About Lists and Long Sentences

The Hanging Tree

Run away, or Stolen, one very likely new tree; Virginia-born, imported from Gambia,  Mundingo country, Ibo country, Native of Africa, Island of Antigua, some years in the West Indies,  in the ship Yaminarew; named AARON or ALIAS or AMY or BACCUS or BILLY or BOB or BONNA or BONNAUND or CORNELIUS or DEADFOOT or DICK or DINAH or GIBB or HARRY PERFUME or HENRY PERFUME or HUMPHREY or ISAAC BEE or JACK or JAMES or JEM or JUDE or JUPITER or LUCY or NICK or PEG or PETER or PHIL or ROBIN or SAM or SCOTLAND or SHARPER or STEP or STEPHEN or SUKEY or WILL; about forty, about 28, about 26, about 35, about 25, about 30, 22, 44, twelve, 12 or 14, twenty, 27, 19, between eighteen and nineteen, about 16, 15 or 16, two and twenty Years of Age; about four feet eight, five Feet five, 5 feet 5 or 6, 5 feet 6, 5 feet 7, 5 Feet seven or eight, 5 feet 8 or 9, 5 feet 9, 5 feet 9 or 10 Inches,  or 6 feet high boy, man, girl, fellow, lad, Wench, Negro Fellow, negro man,  Negro Boy, Negro Man Slave, Mulatto Man Slave, Mulatto Lad, Mulatto Fellow, dark mulatto, mulatto slave, Mulatto Man, Mulatto Wife, mulatto girl, mulatto wench of a long visaged, down look, very black, very dark, a yellow, yellowish, clear, remarkable light Complexion, handsome, well looking, a very honest, agreeable Countenance, a dimple in each cheek when he smiles;  speaks quick broken English, understands no English, cannot speak so as to be understood in English, can speak Scotch, sings Scotch songs, talks French, slow of speech, a bewitching and deceitful Tongue, a mild soft Way of speaking, very talkative when he gets any strong drink, can read pretty well, can read and write, can read but do not know that he can write, seldom if ever speaks the truth, brisk, sensible, artful, cunning, obliging, ingenious, active, genteel, subtle, sly, rogue, impudent, when taxed for committing any fault she is apt to cry, or swear and with dreadful curses upon himself even when guilty; has been much whipped, a Scar over the Right Eyebrow, several Scars in his Face, 3 small strokes on each side of his face, Country Marks, several Scars on his Head, a Scar over one of his Eyes, Scar under his left Eye, scar on his upper lip, scar on the wrist of his right hand, several scars on his back from a severe whipping, a large scar on one of her elbows, a scar on one of his Hands, several other scars in her face, a small piece taken out of one ear, burned when young, the thumb of his left hand burned off, a remarkable stump of a thumb, the right knee bent in more than the left, a Sore on his right Leg, a sore on one of his shins, a film over one of his eyes, all a little pitted with the smallpox, branded in his Hand, branded S on the cheek and R on the other, marked on each Cheek IR, the Letters very dull, one of his fore Teeth much decayed, a very remarkable Set of Teeth, which ride one above the other, has lost some of his fore teeth, has lost one eye by some accident, has lost two Joints off two of his Fingers on his right Hand, one of his little fingers is crooked, his Fingers much marked by being often cut, many fresh Marks on his Back; small Waist, tall, short, low of stature, slim, clean-limbed, broad shoulders, very large, stout, of small stature, proportionately made, well-set, well made, strong made, thick, Bow Legs, knock-kneed, flat Feet, gray Eyes, dark eyes, remarkably large feet, grey Hairs, hair trimmed, hair grown to a prodigious length, long black hair, short dark hair, straight Hair, Hair of the Negro Kind, hair kept very high and well-combed, short Hair curled close to Head, a very large black Beard, dresses and shaves tolerably well, a good butcher, Carpenter, cooper, currier, carter, Driver, Founder, Hostler, Miller, plowman, sailor, shoemaker, Stone Mason, Waiting Man, Waiter; understands breaking oxen, Gardening, the Hoe and Axe; can spin, weave, sew, iron, plow, pretends to make shoes; stole 3 pounds Cash, thirty or forty Shillings in Silver Money, a Brass Medal, a fine Damask Table-Cloth, fine Scot Linen, a white Holland Shirt, a Silk Handkerchief, sundry Clothes such as crop Negroes usually wear, a petticoat, a Tarlton plaid gown, his wife’s clothes, an Osnabrug shirt, an old Virginia Cloth Waistcoat, a new Negro Cotton Jacket, a Pair of old Check Trousers, breeches, new shoes, black knit stockings, a new felt hat, an old bay horse very gray about the head, a Gentleman’s horse, an iron pot, a narrow axe, a handsaw, an old smooth bore gun, a gun of an uncommon large size, a fiddle; may perhaps change his Course from Northward to Southward, is supposed to have a pass, will endeavor to pass as a freeman or free Woman, has been gone for eight years, or three or four years, or six weeks, lived in Charleston, was only landed in the country three days, was going toward Matopony River, or into South Carolina, Charlestown, or Philadelphia, on the Chicahominy—lurking about the skirts of that swamp, or North Carolina, in the neighborhood, near Blanton’s Ferry, Mecklenburg County, on board some Vessel, some ship, from among the Indians, on Pamunkey River, in Norfolk, the Frontiers of Virginia as he frequently talked of that City; has a Brother, several brothers and sisters, a wife, a mother; I make no doubt, It’s probable, It is imagined, I have some reason, I do hereby caution, I do hereby promise I branded him, and I likewise had his hair cut off, and the Brand, as I am informed, is scarcely perceivable, and he thinks he has a Right to his Freedom, and he has been endeavoring My Slaves to go with him, and she went away without the least provocation, and a small piece taken out of one ear by accident, but which I cannot recollect, I am afraid.

Most of the language is taken from “Runaway Slave Advertisements 1745-1775: A Selection”

http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/pds/maai/enslavement/text8/virginiarunawayads.pdf