T.A. Granger’s account of the gruesome accidental death of a man on a Wilmington & Weldon Railroad trestle near Black Creek incidentally reveals the presence of an African-American laborer, an unnamed brakeman who likely was enslaved by the railroad company.

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State of North Carolina, Wilson County}

The examination of T. A. Granger taken before me  A. H. Aycock Coroner of the county aforesaid this 5th day of April 1859 at Black Creek Depot in the county aforesaid upon the body of a man (name unknown) then & there lying dead to wit; The said T. A. Granger maketh oath that he was on the Train going North on the night of April 4th 1859 an the Wilmington & Weldon Rail Road that while crossing Black Creek Trestle work he heard the whistle blow for brakes I amediately Sprung to the brake and locked the brook on the choach I was on Knowing there was something the matter more then common by the the Engineer giving the Signal for Brakes Midway the trestle work after the train was stoped the Engineer in form the conductor that he had killed a man on the truss the Engineer Bagage Master conductor & my self and one of the Brake man (Negro) went back to see if we could find the man after going some hundred yards we found him hanging across the rail his hed was & his arms completely mashed to pieces by the train pasing over him the train was then backed to the place of accident and the body taken on the platform of the Coach and brought to Black Creek and placed on the platform at the depot Sworn to before me the day & year above written T.A. Granger

A.H. Aycock cor

Coroner’s Records, Miscellaneous Records, Wilson County Records, North Carolina State Archives.