When Elisha Felton made out his will in 1854, he made no mention of enslaved people. Rather, after making several cash bequests, he directed that the remainder of his property be sold. Felton, who lived in the White Oak area, died in 1858, his son William Felton and James Barnes handled his estate of Elisha Felton. Estate records reveal that Felton and Barnes sold three women at two sales in the liquidation of the elder Felton’s estate..

At a sale held 22 October 1858, Felton and Barnes sold Piney and Louezer to Rubin Felton and Patrick Byrum.

At a sale held 19 March 1859, Esther, who was either very elderly or disabled, was sold for $68.75 to Byrum.

Elisha Felton Estate File, Wilson County, N.C., U.S. Wills and Probate Records 1665-1998, http://www.ancestry.com.