Summary

In 1726, a Bambara man named Biron arrived in Louisiana from Senegambia on the slave ship Aurora. For the next two years, he frequently resisted his enslavement. When he ran away in 1728, he was pursued by his enslaver, Jean Sougaine, who almost killed him while trying to recapture him.

Transcription
Translation
Notes

Transcription (French, diplomatic)

[feuille 1 recto] [digital 2]

[Marginalia:]

8 Juillet 1728 Declaration et Plainte par Le S.^r Soubaigne Contre Biron negre

[Corps:]

N.0 327 Est Comparu au greffe du Conseil Superieur de la province de la Louisianne S.r Jean Soubaigne hab.^[itan]t dem.^[euran]t a Chantilly lequel nous a dis et declaré qu’il a un negre nommé Biron provenant de la cargraison du V.^[aisse]au L’aurore,¹ lequel a fait plusieurs fais le maron et entre autre hyer a midy Il___ Sabsenta, et le declarant ayant eté avertis par___ Ses autres negres decet abSence, Il courut apres et la’yant ríncontré presque a moitié chemin de cette rille assis dans les Cannes, et l’ayant apercus jl Sen fuit dans la profondeur dubois, et layant appellé plusieurs fois n’ayant pas Voulu renir aluy il luy tira a coupper dû un coupde fussil pour létonner Seulement et lo’bliger a S^e rendr^e ce quil ne Voulu faire, au contraire jl courut___ encore plus fort, le declarant ayant fait un___ circuit dans le bois le trouva par terre et lorsqu’il lapercut jl Sesauva encore et encourant jl___ trouva une Canne qui le fis tomber par terre, le declarant pour le’mpescher de Serelever le Coucha enjoüe et luy dis ques’jl remuoit qu’il estoit mort cela obligea le^d[it] Negre de Se Rendre avec luy a la maison, et y’etant le declarant appella un Negre pour metre lemaron aux fers jl Sauta sur son fuss’il___ Du que Il Se Rendit le maitre, le declarant ~

[f. 1 verso] [dig.3]

tenant Saisir Son fusjl et le negre, en attendant le Secour de Ses autres negres jl luy osta de crainte qu’il ne tira Sur luy dont et de quoy Il fait la presente declaration fait a La N^[ouve]lle orleans le huitieme Juillet mil Sept Cent Vingt huit, et a Signé

[Signé:] Soubaigne

Translation (English, modern)

[page #1] [digital 2]

[Marginal note:]

July 8, 1728
Declaration
and Complaint by
The Sieur Soubaigne
Against Biron, nègre

[Body:]

No. 327
Having appeared before the notary of the Superior Council of the Province of Louisiana, Sieur Jean Soubaigne, habitant living at Gentilly,² said and declared to us that he has a nègre named Biron, obtained from the cargo of the ship, the Aurora, who has often gone maroon, among them yesterday at midday. He [Biron] was absent, and the declarant, being warned by his other nègres of this absence, he ran after [him], and having met him almost halfway to this city sitting in the canefield, and after seeing him, he [Biron] fled deep into the woods, and after calling him several times, [and him] not wanting to come [return] to him, he [Soubaigne] fired a shot at him [Biron], just to shock him and force him to surrender, which he did not want to do. On the contrary, he [Biron] ran again even faster. The declarant, after having made a lap around the woods, found him on the ground, and when he [Biron] saw him, he ran away again, and while running he found a reed [with his foot] that made him fall to the ground [again].
The declarant, to prevent him from getting up, took aim at him and told him that if he moved again he was dead. That obliged the said nègre to return with him to the house, and while there the declarant called a[nother] nègre to put the maroon in irons. He [Biron] moved quickly at his [Soubaigne’s] gun [grabbing it] at which [time] he [Biron] made himself [his] master. The declarant,
~

[p. #2] [dig.3]

holding his gun at the nègre, while waiting for help from his other nègres, left from him lest he shoot him [Biron], of whom and of what he [Soubaigne] makes the present declaration. [It was] done at New Orleans [on] July 8th, one-thousand seven-hundred twenty-eight, and signed,

[Signed:] [Jean] Soubaigne

Notes