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