Summary

An enslaved African man, Biron of the Bambara nation, is interrogated by the Superior Council for having run away from his enslaver and for resisting his recapture. This record highlights not only the violence of the French system of slavery, but also the limited rights afforded to enslaved people as well as the legal apparatus to enforce that enslavement while it was being developed in Louisiana.

Transcription
Translation

Transcription (French, diplomatic)

[feuille 1 recto] [digital 2]

[Marginalia:]

10 Juillet 1728
Interrogatoire
dunégre Biron
—

[Corps:]

N.⁰ 328
Lan mil Sept Cent Vingt huit Le dix^e joure
de juilles Deux heures de Relevee Par Devan
nous antoine Bruslé Conseiller au Conseil
Superieur de la Province de la Louisianne et___
a la Req^[uê]te du procureur general du Roy demd
et accusateur a eté amené au greffe densa___
personne par quatre fusiliers de Garde Le
nomme Biron negre accusé a leffet destre
Interogé auql a eté proceede ainsy que lensuite
et attendu ql ne parle pas francaise Luy avons
Nommé doffice Lenommé Samba Negre Bambara
Chretein Leql apres Serment par luy faites
de nouse Raporter fidellement Les Reponces
du dit Biron sur les demandes que nous luy
ferons
Interrogé de son nom, domicile, et que lest___
son maitre et son agé
a dit senommer Biron negre Bambara et por
rest le S^r Soubannie
Interroge pourquoy jl a fait Maronz Souvent
Lynterprette nouse a Raporté ql dit quel est___
que quoy ql Travaille a Ceql luy est ordonné
son maitre ne laisse pas que de Et fut___
souvent fouettes
Interrogé a quel dessin Il sest jetté Sur le
fusil de son maitre Lors ql leur Ramener___
dans sa maison
Lyntrepette nouss a Raporté ql dit quil___
nesestsaisy du fusil parceql Craignoit___
que son maitre ne tirast sur luy et que ces___
ne toit pas dans Le dessin de senservir___
Contre son maitre et quen se saisisst du fusil
il etoit casse

[Signé:] Bruslé

[f. 1 verso] [dig.3]

Lecture faite a Lynterprette du presente
Interrog^[atio]n Leql Layant Raporté au dit
Biron nous a Raporté ql a dit quil
Contient Verite qly a pusisste et ne Savent
Signer ny luy ny lautre de ce ynterpelle
sur lord^[onnan]ce

[Signé:] Brusle [Rubrica, Bruslé]
[Signé] Rossard Greffier

Du 17 juillet 1728
Le Conseil ony les Con^[s]eil du proc general du
Roy declare Led Biron Negre accuse et Commandu de
Maronnage pour Reparan de quoy sera fouetté
par Lexecuteur de la haute juystice au pied de
La potence avis a luy de plus lavenir de plus
faire le Maron soubien plus grande peines

[Signé:] Perrier
[Signé:] Delachaise
[Signé:] Brusle [Rubrica, Bruslé]

[Marginalia]:

Je requiers pour Le roy que le^d[it] Biron Soit fouette
au pied De lechelle et renvoyé
a Son maitre avec deffenses De recidiver sous peine de punition corperelle a la
nlle orleans le dix sept juillet mil sept cent vingt huit

[Signé:] Fleuriau

Translation (English, modern)

[page #1] [digital 2]

[Marginal note:]

July 10, 1728
Interrogation
of the nègre, Biron
—

[Body:]

No. 328
[In] the year one thousand seven hundred twenty- eight [on] the tenth day of July [at] two o’clock in the afternoon, before us, Antoine Bruslé, advisor to the Superior Council of the Province of Louisiana, and at the request of the Attorney General of the King, plaintiff and accuser, were brought to the notary in person by four riflemen of the guard. The named nègre, Biron, the accused, for the purpose of being interrogated as to what has been carried out, and given that he does not speak French, we have appointed ex officio the named nègre, Samba Bambara, Christian, afterwhich [an] oath [was] taken by him to report faithfully to us the responses [given by] the said Biron upon the requests we will make of him.

[When] asked of his name, address, and who is his master and his age, he said his name, Biron, Bambara nègre, and for the rest was Sieur Soubaigne.

[When] asked why he often ran away, the interpreter reported to us that he said it is that he does whatever work that is ordered [by] his master, never leaves, and that [he] is often whipped.

[When] asked to why he threw himself at the gun of his master when he brought him backto his house, the interpreter reported to us that he said that he grabbed the gun because he feared that his master was going to shoot his gun at him and thatit was not in [his] plan to use it against his master, and when he grabbed the gun it was broken [anyway].

[Signed:] Bruslé

[p. #2] [dig.3]

Reading made to the interpreter of the present interrogation who, having reported it to the said Biron, reported to us that he said that it contains the truth that there is. And not knowing how to sign, neither him nor the other one, of this questioning, [accordingly] under the law.

[Signed:] [Antoine] Bruslé [Rubric, Bruslé]
[Signed:] [Michèl] Rossard, Notary

On July 17, 1728
The Council of the Attorney General of the King declares the said Biron nègre accused and arrested for Marronage for reparation of which [he] will be whipped by the Executioner of the High Justice at the foot of the gallows, [giving] notice to him that [any] future acts of going maroon [will] incur greater penalties.

[Signed:] [Étienne] Périer
[Signed:] [Jacques] Delachaise
[Signed:] [Antoine] Bruslé [Rubric, Bruslé]

[Marginal note]:

I require [on behalf of] the King that the said Biron be whipped at the foot of the ladder and sent back to his master with the prohibition to reoffend under penalty of corporal punishment. At New Orleans [on] the seventeenth of July, one-thousand seven-hundred and twenty-eighty

[Signed:] [François] Fleuriau