The Louisiana planter who moved 200 slaves to Texas to escape the Union in 1863

John Hampden Randolph’s slavery relocation to Texas

In March 1863, John Hampden Randolph led one of the Civil War’s largest forced relocations.

He packed 18 ox-drawn wagons with 200 enslaved people from his Nottoway Plantation and set off on a grueling 450-mile trek to Texas.

Union troops were closing in, so Randolph moved his human property west to keep growing cotton for the Confederate cause. He wasn’t alone.

British traveler Arthur Fremantle noted roads "alive with negroes" being run to Texas. In fact, over 32,000 enslaved people were forced into Texas during the war years.

The story of this traumatic mass exodus comes alive at Nottoway Plantation, where remaining structures tell this overlooked chapter of American history.

Sugar Baron Built a Huge Plantation Empire in Louisiana

John Hampden Randolph moved from Virginia to Louisiana in 1841 and switched from cotton to sugar cane.

He built the fancy Nottoway mansion from 1857-1859, a massive 53,000-square-foot home with 64 rooms that showed off his wealth.

His land grew to include four connected plantations: Nottoway, Blythewood, Forest Home, and Bayou Goula.

By 1860, Randolph owned 155 slaves and 6,200 acres in Iberville Parish, making him one of the richest sugar planters around.

Union Ships Took New Orleans and Threatened Plantations

Federal forces grabbed New Orleans in April 1862, putting Louisiana plantations at risk. The Union navy blocked southern ports, making it hard to ship cotton and get supplies.

As Union troops moved inland, planters across Louisiana started moving their property west for safety. Many enslaved people saw the approaching Union forces as a chance for freedom and tried to escape to Federal camps.

Randolph watched with worry as Union gunboats patrolled the Mississippi River near his land.

Randolph Planned a Huge Move to Texas

March 1863 forced Randolph to make a tough choice: stay and risk losing his workforce or run west. He chose to flee and set up a big operation to move about 200 enslaved field hands to Texas.

His caravan included 18 ox-drawn wagons and 92 mules to carry people and goods. Randolph gathered slaves from all his plantations for the trip.

The group packed 60,000 pounds of bagged sugar and costly sugar-making gear.

Hundreds of Enslaved People Forced to Walk 450 Miles

The convoy left Louisiana plantations for the long trip to Texas in spring 1863.

Workers loaded wagons with a portable vacuum pan, copper clarifiers, and other sugar mill parts needed to restart production.

British traveler Arthur Fremantle saw this firsthand and wrote that the road was "alive with negroes" moving to Texas.

Randolph’s group joined many planters rushing to save their human property from Union forces by running west across the Sabine River.

The Journey Brought Hardship and Pain

The 450-mile trip covered rough land with bad roads and little food. Most enslaved people walked the whole way while wagons carried equipment and supplies.

Sick or weak folks sometimes rode in wagons, but space was tight since Randolph put his sugar equipment first. The forced march meant weeks of walking through harsh conditions for the 200 people taken from their homes.

Many families got split up during this messy move.

Texas Became Home to Thousands of Moved Slaves

Randolph rented 1,200 acres near Anderson in Grimes County, Texas, where he set up his new business. The area turned into a hotspot for Louisiana planters looking for safe places to keep enslaved workers.

He quickly put people to work growing cotton and processing the sugar he brought along.

Grimes County filled with refugee planters from Louisiana, Arkansas, and Mississippi, all bringing enslaved workers with them. Local Texans sometimes disliked the newcomers who competed for scarce wartime supplies.

The State Filled With People Running From Union Forces

Tax records show at least 32,000 enslaved people came to Texas from other states between 1860-1864, though some counts reach 51,000.

Confederate General Magruder later claimed 150,000 refugees entered Texas, but historians think this number was too high. The moved enslaved people faced awful conditions in strange surroundings far from home.

Some tried to escape during the chaos of the move, while others lacked the strength or chance after the long journey.

Cotton and Sugar Growing Continued Despite War

The Texas operation let Randolph keep growing crops for the Confederate cause even as Union forces took over his Louisiana lands.

Texas became key for supplying the Confederate army after Union troops controlled the Mississippi River by mid-1863. Planters like Randolph put enslaved workers to use building Confederate forts across Texas.

Some goods still made it to market through Mexico, avoiding the Union blockade of Gulf ports and providing money to refugee planters.

Freedom Finally Came After Two Years in Exile

The Confederate surrender in April 1865 ended both the rebellion and slavery. News of freedom reached Texas on June 19, 1865, a day now known as Juneteenth.

Randolph’s moved workers learned of their freedom after spending two years in forced exile in Texas. For these people, freedom came while they were far from their Louisiana homes and communities.

The war’s end left them free but facing huge challenges in rebuilding their lives.

Former Slaves Made Tough Choices After Freedom

Some newly freed people chose to return to Louisiana with Randolph when he went back to rebuild his plantations. Others stayed in Texas to start fresh lives away from their former owner.

Randolph offered work contracts to his former enslaved workers who returned to Louisiana.

Many took these jobs despite the trauma of their forced move, often because they had few other options or wanted to reunite with family members still in Louisiana.

The Texas Exodus Shows the Brutal Reality of Slavery

The forced relocation of 200 people from Randolph’s plantations stands as one of the Civil War’s most traumatic mass movements of enslaved people.

It shows how far slaveholders would go to keep control of the people they claimed as property. The two-year exile tore apart families and communities that had formed on Louisiana plantations.

Even as Union victories mounted and slavery’s end seemed likely, planters like Randolph used their power to move people hundreds of miles against their will.

Visiting Nottoway Plantation, Louisiana

Nottoway Plantation at 31025 Highway 1 in White Castle was where John Hampden Randolph forced around 200 enslaved people to evacuate to Texas in March 1863 during the Civil War.

The main house burned down completely on May 15, 2025, with the fire cause still unknown.

Some outbuildings and gardens remain on the Mississippi River grounds, but you should check if tours are available before visiting.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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