Silas Omohundro’s Ledger Book

Pages from a ledger book maintained by Silas Omohundro record the fees he earned for housing slaves between February 14 and July 24, 1857. As part of his business as a Richmond slave trader, Omohundro operated a boarding house for out-of-town slave traders, and a jail where enslaved men, women, and children were confined while awaiting sale. Under the heading "Transient Custom," he lists the fees he charged for housing slaves, some of whom were kept for two weeks or longer, as well as medical costs for a slave named Jinny, and other miscellaneous expenses.