Lists of Other Known African American Postal Employees, 1800s 

Employees at Post Office Department Headquarters in Washington, DC
	
Employee	Title(s)	By	To About	
Abrahams, Horace B. 	Laborer, Blank Agency; Watchman	circa 1877 	1885	
Anderson, Gillespie B.  	Messenger, Blank Agency; Clerk	circa 1877	1885 	
Archer, Wyatt	Assorter, then Clerk, Auditor of the Treasury	1879	1881	
Barnes, Joseph T.	Laborer, Blank Agency	7/10/1878	1881 	
Beckley, Rosier D.	Temporary Clerk; Clerk	circa 1875	1881	
Black, William H.  	Clerk	1881	1887 	
Bond, John H.	Laborer, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger	1881	1887	
Branson, John W.	Laborer	circa 1875	1887	
Brown, Abraham Lincoln	Messenger	1897	1897	
Bruce, H. C.  	Assistant Messenger	7/30/1881	1882	
Camper, H. G.	Laborer, Blank Agency	12/31/1880	1883	
Cardoza, Francis L.	Clerk, Auditor of Treasury	1879	1883	
Carroll, David	Laborer, Blank Agency	1881	1883	
Clark(e), Daniel	Laborer; Fireman	12/8/1876	1911 or later	
Coleman, W. G.	Laborer, Blank Agency; Clerk 	1881	1885	
Cromwell, John W.	Clerk, Auditor of Treasury	1879	1883	
Crowner, John A.  	Assistant Messenger; Messenger, Blank Agency; Laborer	4/30/1881	1887	
Davis, Nathaniel	Temporary Laborer; Laborer	7/30/1881	1885	
Green, John P.	Postage Stamp Agent	8/2/1897	circa 1905	
Hamilton, John	Temporary Messenger; Laborer	circa 1871	1887	
Hamlet, George B.(1)	Post Office Inspector; Inspector-In-Charge; Chief Post Office Inspector	5/19/1897	8/18/1900	
Hardy, Daniel	Laborer, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger	1879	1889	
Howard, Wesley 	Laborer; Assistant Messenger	circa 1871	1901	
Hughes, Philip	Temporary, Blank Agency; Laborer	1879	1889	
Jackson, Richard J.	Laborer, Blank Agency	6/4/1881	1881	
Janefer, James Edward	Watchman, Blank Agency; Laborer	circa 1875	1889	
Jasper, James L.	Laborer, Blank Agency; Mail Messenger Service  	12/30/1876	1895	
Jones, Algernon S.	Laborer, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger	12/1/1880	1885	
Kell(e)y, Nicholas	Messenger, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger	circa 1877	1899	
Kennedy, James	Postal Inspector	circa 1882	2/1884	
King, Mortimer	Laborer, Blank Agency	5/22/1876	1881	
Lee, Ella P.	Temp. Employee, Auditor of Treasury	1880	1881	
Levitt, Robert 	Laborer, Blank Agency; Laborer	6/26/1874	1885	
Lightfoot, Henry	Laborer, Blank Agency	11/1/1881	1883	
Lowry, Alfred	Watchman, Division of Topographer	12/1/1880	1885	
Marshall, Lewis W.	Laborer, Blank Agency	1879	1885	
Matthews, William E.	Clerk	1879	1881	
Mays, J. W.	Laborer	4/19/1881	1882	
McKenney, Charles M.	Laborer, Blank Agency; Watchman, Office of Postmaster General	7/1/1880	1911 or later	
Moore, Henry	Temporary, Blank Agency; Laborer	1879	1885	
Morrison, Solomon N.  	Laborer; Clerk	circa 1873	1893	
Myers, Isaac	Postal Inspector	3/7/1870	1879	
Page, Horace 	Laborer	circa 1873	1885	
Parker, James H. S.	Laborer, Blank Agency; Clerk	circa 1877	1881	
Parris, George W.	Temporary Laborer, then Watchman	1877	1880	
Plummer, Henry V.	Laborer; Watchman	circa 1871	1883	
Proctor, George	Driver, Mail Wagon	5/1892	2/1893	
Ridgley, Mrs. Eliza 	Laborer	circa 1869	1885	
Robinson, Edward J.	Assistant Messenger; Clerk	circa 1871	1889	
Ross, James 	Temporary, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger	2/17/1881	1911 or later 	
Ross, Traverse	Laborer, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger; Usher; Custodian of Seal; Clerk	circa 1877	1907	
Smith, Henry C.	Watchman, Division of Topographer; Watchman	circa 1873	1883	
Smith, William 	Laborer; Assistant Messenger	1881	1885	
Sprigg, Richard	Laborer, Blank Agency	11/29/1880	1881	
Stevenson, Hannibal A.  	Laborer, Blank Agency;  Assistant Messenger	ca. 1875	1887	
Thornley, George W.  	Messenger, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger; Clerk	7/24/1874	1887	
Trice, Washington S.	Laborer, Blank Agency	12/31/1877	1887	
Walker, John	Laborer, Blank Agency; Assistant Messenger	7/1/1880	1893	
Waring, William	Clerk, Auditor of Treasury	1879	1895	
Williams, H. H.  	Assistant Messenger	10/22/1881	1882	
Wood, Abram	Laborer, Blank Agency	1881	1885	
Young, Samuel	Laborer, Blank Agency	1877	1881	

Railway Mail Service Employees(2)
	
Employee	Title(s)(3)	Route or City/State	By	To About	
Belcher, Lucius C. 	Route Agent	Augusta to Macon GA	10/18/1870	1897	
Boulding, Benjamin R.	Railway Postal 
Clerk	Norfolk to Danville VA	1893   	1903  	
Boyd, Henry	Mail Route Messenger; Railway Postal Clerk	Selma AL to Pine Apple MS; Selma AL to Meridian MS; Selma to Mobile AL; Birmingham to Mobile AL; Montgomery to Selma AL	6/14/1873
	8/20/1920	
Burns, Edward 	Railway Postal Clerk	Redding to Sacramento CA; 
Sacramento to San Francisco
CA	8/31/1891
	1895	
Chesnut(t), Dallas	Mail Route Messenger; Route Agent	Weldon to Wilmington NC	1873	1901	
Childs, John W.	Railway Postal Clerk	New York NY to Pittsburgh PA	2/6/1880	1889	
Clay, Henry	Local Agent	Indianapolis IN	9/4/1877	1889	
Cox, Wayne W.	Railway Postal Clerk	Birmingham AL to Greenville MS	6/30/1890	1905	
Crump, John K.(4)	Route Agent	Saint Louis MO to Little Rock AR	5/21/1878	1891	
Davis, William H.	Mail Route Messenger	Athens to Belton GA	1877	1880	
DeJarnette, Robert W.	Route Agent	Montgomery AL to New Orleans LA	10/30/1869	1/28/1888	
Duke, Jesse C.(5)	Railway Postal Clerk	Montgomery to Selma AL	1883	1885	
Few, Julius Caisar	Route Agent; Mail Route Messenger	DuPont to Albany GA	1/20/1875	6/15/1886	
Fordham, John H.	Route Agent	Wilmington NC to Charleston SC	2/12/1877	12/24/1887	
Gibson, John 	Route Agent	Raleigh NC to Norfolk VA	3/9/1875	6/1/1886	
Gibson, William H.(6)	Route Agent	Louisville KY to Cincinnati OH	1871	1871	
Goldsby, Joseph H.	Route Agent	Selma to Montgomery AL	1875	7/30/1885	
Gray, James H.	Local Agent	Evansville IN	1877	1887	
Handy, W. H.	Railway Postal Clerk	Pittsburgh PA	1880	1883	
Holcombe, Charles B.	Route Agent	Richmond VA to Charlotte NC	1/21/1880	1905	
Holloway, John	Route Agent	Wilmington to Charlotte NC	1875	1881	
Iney, Thomas	Route Agent	Alabama, route unknown	1874	9/1874	
Jackson, Thomas A.	Route Agent	Minneapolis MN to Sparta WI	1875	1881	
James, C. C.	Railway Postal Clerk	Kansas City MO to Pueblo CO	1879	6/25/1886	
Jones, Carter L.	Route Agent	Norfolk to Lynchburgh VA	1875	1881	
Jones, Henry	Route Agent	Macon to Brunswick GA	1875	1883	
Kelso, Samuel L.	Local Agent	Lynchburg VA	1871	1880	
Kennedy, Henry B.	Route Agent	Charlotte NC to Augusta GA	6/19/1874	3/11/1887	
Lightbourn, A. C.	Route Agent; Mail Route Messenger	Live Oak to Chattahoochee FL	1875	7/23/1885	
McCary, Robert	Route Agent	Indianapolis to Vincennes IN	1875	1881	
Montgomery, Norman	Route Agent	Wilmington NC to Charleston SC	11/10/1876	1911 or later	
Parks, William	Local Agent	Indianapolis IN	1877	1885	
Pleasant, Louis M.  	Route Agent; Mail Route Messenger	Dupont to Albany GA	1869	1881	
Pleasants, William H.	Mail Route Messenger	Lynchburg to Danville VA	1875	10/14/1885	
Prioleau, Aaron P.	Railway Postal 
Clerk	Elloree to Pregnalls SC;
Fayetteville NC to Bennettsville
SC; Hamlet NC to Pregnalls 
SC	4/20/1889	1902	
Randolph, John Jr.	Route Agent	Goldsborough to Morehead City NC	3/28/1870	7/8/1886	
Scott, Rudolph B.	Route Agent	Chicago to Danville IL	1879	1880	
Sherman, John H.	Mail Route Messenger 	Jacksonville to Chattahoochee FL	1874	1881	
Simmons, Caesar	Route Agent	Mobile AL to Meridian MS	2/20/1875	5/6/1885	
Stevens, Alfred T. 	Route Agent	Wilmington NC to Charleston SC	1877	1879	
Stevens, W. N. (7)	Route Agent	Lynchburg to Norfolk VA	1872	1872	
Stuart, William A.	Railway Postal Clerk	East Radford VA to Kenova WV	12/10/1892	3/2/1896	
Taylor, John E. 	Route Agent 	Wilmington to Charlotte NC	1877	1880	
Thompson, Jacob	Route Agent	Florence to Columbia SC	1/25/1876	1911 or later	
Walker, James H.	Local Agent	Terre Haute IN	1875	3/24/1886	
Wallace, Charles S.	Route Agent	Little Rock to Van Buren AR	6/6/1878	5/14/1885	
Wallace, George	Route Agent	Macon to Brunswick GA	1877	3/18/1886	
Wallace, Moses R.	Railway Postal Clerk	Richmond VA to Charlotte NC	1880	7/26/1886	
Washington, Abram T.	Route Agent	Mobile AL to Meridian MS	1/25/1873	1903	
White, Richard H. 	Route Agent	Savannah to Millen GA	1875	1881	
Williamson, Scott	Route Agent	Greenville to Columbia MS 	1875	1887	

U.S. Mail Carriers, Contractors, and Others(8)
	
Name	Position	City	State	By	To About	
Clayton, Sol	U.S. Mail Carrier	Clayton	AL	1880	unknown	
King, Norris	U.S. Mail Carrier	Clayton	AL	1880	unknown	
Gilbert, Bragg	U.S. Mail Carrier	(Franklin Co.)	AL	1880	unknown	
Holnus, John 	U.S. Mail Carrier	Helena	AR	1880	unknown	
Murry, Anderson	U.S. Mail Rider	Red Fork 	AR	1880	unknown	
Patterson, C.	U.S. Mail Carrier	Brevard	FL	1880	unknown	
Wright, Peter	U.S. Mail Carrier	Brevard	FL	1880	unknown	
Martin, William	U.S. Mail Carrier	Lake City	FL	1880	unknown	
Edwards, Nelson/Ned	Mail Messenger	Tallahasee	FL	1879	1881	
Mack, Henry	U.S. Mail Carrier	Waynesboro	GA	1880	unknown	
Branch, Nathan	Messenger	Evanston	IL	1891	at least 1899	
Bowen, Alexander	Mail Messenger	Forrest Hill	MS	1877	1881	
Wright, Clemm	U.S. Mail Carrier	Sardis	MS	1880	unknown	
Strickland, Calvin	U.S. Mail Carrier	Raleigh	NC	1880	unknown	
Hoopes, Gabriel	U.S. Mail Carrier	River	NC	1880	unknown	
Oates, Joseph	U.S. Mail Sub-Contractor	Shelby	NC	1880	unknown	
Griffin, Robert	U.S. Mail Carrier	Conwayboro	SC	1880	unknown	
Atkinson, Frank	U.S. Mail Driver	Georgetown	SC	1880	unknown	
Morgan, Anthony	U.S. Mail Carrier	Marion	SC	1880	unknown	
Bowden, Henry	U.S. Mail Carrier	Henderson	TX	1880	unknown	
Walker, John	U.S. Mail Carrier	Hicksford	VA	1880	unknown	
Johnson, James D. 	Mail Route Contractor, Route # 4466	Petersburg	VA	1871	circa 1875	
Lewis, Fleming	U.S. Mail Carrier	Saint Peters	VA	1880	unknown	

 

Endnotes:

1. George B. Hamlet was appointed as a Post Office Inspector on May 19, 1897, as Inspector-In-Charge of the Washington Division on July 8, 1897, and as Chief Post Office Inspector on August 3, 1897. He was demoted back to a regular inspector November 25, 1898, and resigned on August 18, 1900, while under investigation. 
2. The Railway Mail Service employees listed may have also worked in other capacities and on routes other than those noted.  Further information on these individuals may be available at the National Archives and Records Administration in the records of the Railway Mail Service, part of the Records of the Post Office Department, Record Group 28.
3. Initially, Railway Mail Service route agents sorted and distributed pouches of mail en route, mail route messengers performed a similar function on shorter runs, and local agents were stationed at railroad crossings and in larger towns to receive pouches of mail delivered by train and sort them for connecting railroad lines and nearby Post Offices.  By 1878, the distinctions in job function had blurred; beginning in 1882, all employees of the Railway Mail Service were called railway postal clerks.  
4. John K. Crump previously served as a clerk at the Saint Louis Post Office.
5. Jesse C. Duke previously served as a clerk at the Selma Post Office. 
6. According to the February 1, 1871, issue of The New York Times, William H. Gibson was assaulted by the KKK a few days after his transfer from the Lebanon Branch Railroad to the Louisville, Lexington, and Cincinnati line. 
7. W. N. Stevens may not have served.
8. The U.S. Mail carriers/riders/drivers/sub-contractors listed do not appear in postal records; they were likely employed by mail contractors. Information on most of these employees was found in the 1880 U.S. census. 

HISTORIAN
UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE
OCTOBER 2017