Pittman Family Site |
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The roots of the Pittman Family run deep. |
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History |
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The "Middle Passage" was the journey of slave trading ships from the west coast of Africa, where the slaves were obtained, across the Atlantic, where they were sold or, in some cases, traded for goods such as molasses, which was used in the making of rum. However, this voyage has come to be remembered for much more than simply the transport and sale of slaves. The Middle Passage was the longest, hardest, most dangerous, and also most horrific part of the journey of the slave ships. With extremely tightly packed loads of human cargo that stank and carried both infectious disease and death, the ships would travel east to west across the Atlantic on a miserable voyage lasting at least five weeks, and sometimes as long as three months. Although incredibly profitable for both its participants and their investing backers, the terrible Middle Passage has come to represent the ultimate in human misery and suffering. The abominable and inhuman conditions which the Africans were faced with on their voyage clearly display the great evil of the slave trade.
Onto the auction blocks came two brothers 12 and 18 years of age. They were sold to the “Pittman’s of the Pittman plantation in Virginia. They worked on the plantation until the Pittman’s decided to sell them four years later.
They were taken to St. Louis, Missouri where they were subsequently sold at the old Court House Building. The Court House Building was located along the Mississippi River Front area on the Corner of Market and Broadway. The two brothers were separated at that point both going in different direction.
John Pittman was bought by the “Stevens” of the Stevens Plantation in Noxubee County, Mississippi. The land was full of Blackfoot and Choctaw Native Americans. Slaves were required by law to use the surname of their slave owner. John appealed to the owners his desire to keep the last name of Pittman and was given permission to do so. On the Stevens Plantation John worked as a cotton picker and performed other tasks he was commanded to do. John met Virginia Cole and married her. Out of this union seven children were born. Those children were John Jr., James, Milton Sr., Grant, Julie, Savannah, and Emily. Julie married a Frencher; Savannah married a Young
The Pittman’s worked as slaves on the Stevens Plantation until and even after the Civil War. They were given a few acres of land, most of them stayed on as sharecroppers.
Milton Pittman Sr. was born right after Slavery was abolished. He was raised on a farm in Noxubee County, Mississippi. The Farm was located in the Macon area of Baptist and Sweet Potato Hill. When Milton Sr. was in his early twenties he met and married Amanda Roby. Milton Sr. and Amanda had ten children. Those children were Landon, Edward, Milton Jr., Grant, Carrie, Mamie, Mary, James, Amanda and Dough.
Throughout the early generation of Pittman’s our African blood has constantly been mixed with that of the Choctaw and Blackfoot Native Americans. This was no more self evident than in the marriage of two brothers, Landon and Milton Jr. Pittman who married two sisters Carrie and Mary Ella Moore. Carrie and Mary Ella Moore’s mother Virginia Grey was a full blooded Blackfoot Native American. Virginia died at an early age and the Moore sisters Nancy, Mary Ella, Carrie and including Brother Walter was raised by their Stepmother Lucinda. Today, there are no less than seven generation of Pittman’s who spread out over seventeen states in the United States of America
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Contact us: planningcommittee@pittmanfamilysite.com |