The Cameron family of Orange County was one of antebellum North Carolina's wealthiest families and among its most prolific enslavers.

Paul C. Cameron was the son of Duncan Cameron. He was born in 1808 at Stagville plantation near Durham, North Carolina. Although he studied law, Paul was more interested in agricultural reform. In 1843 he inherited his uncle's share of the family's estate, and he inherited most of his father's property in 1855.

Paul used his enormous wealth to expand his family's fortunes, purchasing plantations in Mississippi and Alabama. The document on this page is an excerpt of records he kept about the costs of setting up a new plantation in Greene County, Alabama.

In the first (left) column is a description of each item. The second column is some type of measurement, but it is unclear from the document what Cameron was recording. The last column is the total cost.

On the eve of the Civil War, Paul Cameron and his siblings enslaved more than one thousand people and owned nearly thirty thousand acres of plantation land in Orange, Wake, Person, and Granville counties, as well as plantations in Alabama and Mississippi.

Memorandom of Expenses to Alabama

November 1844

1st

This Book

1/-

.10

[illegible] & Tanners Oil

12/6

1.25

2 1/4 Bushels corn at Tates (?)

4/1

.90

Fodder

6/6

.65

Cabbage

2/6

.25

2nd

Coffee mill at Boon

6/6

.65

220 lbs Hay

5/-

1. 10

Cabbage

3/-

.30

3rd

Tin Buckets for Caroline

3/9

.37 1/2

4 tin pans

18 3/4 &         

.75

wash pans

2/6

.25

Bushel turnips

2/6

.25

2 1/2 Bushels Corne

5/-

1.25

8 dozen fodder

2/1

1.60

mending mule collor

2/6

.25

2 gallons whiskey

6/-

1.20

4

3 Bushels Corne

5/1

1.50

200 lbs hay

5/-

1.00

5

poper shoe tacks

1/-

10

3 1/2 bushels corne

5/-

1. 75
   

15. 47

8 dozen fodder

2/6

2.00

Crosing bridge at Atkin 4 waggons

  

3.00

75 foot

  

3.75

6

5 bushels corne

5/-

2.50

7 dozen fodder

2/6

1.75

1 1/2 gallons whisky

5/-

75

7

5 Bushels corne

5/-

2.50

7 dozen fodder

2/6

1.75

8

Ferry at Catawba 64 foot

6/4& c

4.00

25 bushels maze

5/-

12.50

9

5 bushels corne

5/-

2.50

7 dozen fodder

2/6

1.75

10

Ferry at Broad River 4 waggons

  

3.00

70 foot single horse

  

4.43 3/4

5 bushels corne

5/-

2.50

7 dozen fodder

2/6

1/75

cabbage

2/6

.25

11

5 bushels corne

6/3

12 1/2

200 lb fodder

7/6

2.50
     

73.28 3/4

12th

5 bushels corne

5/-

2.50

200 lb fodder

7/6

1.50

13

3 barrels corn

    

25 dozen fodder

1/3

3.12 1/2

14

25 bushels meal

2/6

8.75

15

whisky to drench mule

1/3

12 1/2

16

5 bushels corne

5/-

2.50

7 dozen fodder

2/-

1.40

ferry at Sennica River

  

4.72 1/2

17

Ferry at Tugalow River

  

4.72 1/2

8 dozen fodder

2/-

1.60

18

5 bushels corn

4/-

2.00

85 bunches fodder

1¢

.85

5 bushels corne

4/-

2.00

5 quarts brandy

2/6

1.25

19

5 bushels corn

4/-

2.00

95 bunches fodder

1 ¢

.85

20

5 bushels corne

3/6

1. 75

170 lbs. fodder

5/-

.85

2 bushels cleaned oats

2/6

.50
     

127.78 3/8

List of Property on the Plantation Greene Co Alabama Dec 1846

  • 110 Slaves. Men 31 Boys. 12. Women. 28 - Girls 10 - children 29
  • 4 Horses
  • 25 Mules
  • 160 hogs
  • 10 2 horse ploughs
  • 22 1 horse ploughs
  • 10 1 horse Bull [illegible]
  • 3 Wagons and gear
  • 7 Doz weeding hoes
  • 8 Sythe Blades & cradles
  • 9 cutting knives
  • 16 axes out. 6 in
  • 10 Mattocks and cane hoes
  • 24 pair trace chains
  • 21 halter chains
  • 21 head cattle
  • 1 piece of bagging 5 coil rope
  • 57 hats 5 caps 25 pair shoes q old stock on hand-over

P. L. Cameron, Memorandum of Cash Received and Disbursements on account of Plantation in Greene Co. Alabama for 1846

November 1846 Cash advanced by D. Cameron

$1000.00

December 1845 Cash advanced by Jastt. Stewart & Co     

325. 00

My draft to Char. Lewelly on Jastt Stewart & Co

100. 00

My order to Jastt. Stewart & Co, in favor Jas H. Ruffin

50.00

Cash advanced by P. C. Cameron

125.20
 

$1600.20    

*The order for $50 in favor of Jas H. Ruffin is cash loaned in June to Lewelly an is accounted for as cash to me, and makes a part of the disbursements

Money paid by Paul C. Cameron in Connection with the plantation in Greene Co. Ala winter of 1845 & 6

Expenses out to Columbia $ 10. Augusta $16. 75 Atlanta $7 Cheraw [?]13 Montgomery $2.50, Selma $3. Greensboro $8

  

Plantation $1 Meals, lodging and Porterage $12 -

$69.00

Cash Paid collector of Green Co. Taxes on Land & Slaves 1845

87.47

Cash  Paid Garner & Whitel Negro Clothing

47. 83

Cash Paid Barrow and Mead 2 bills Groceries 

57. 75

Cash Paid O Mazange 2 bills Hard ware / see bills

37. 66

Cash Paid Carter & Robinson Medicines

3. 55

Cash Zigs and Barney. Hard ware

52.43

Cash Paid W. C. Oliver freight and S. B. Victoria

5.50

Cash Paid Toal bridge 5$ cabbage sud $ 1 Candles & blacking

$2

Cash Paid for a Coru Negroes for good work $1 Part of / 2

9.05

Cash paid  5ty Shoe Thread - $2.50 S B Warrion freight

$6.87

Cash Paid Charly Lunellzen oversees for 1845 

600.00

Cash Paid Dr. Wm Pricy his bill 

126.75 

Expenses at Mobile $20 Expenses horse - $60

80.00
 

$1142.40

 

Primary Source Citation: 

Cameron Family Papers, Collection # 133, Series 2.1.1 Box 88 Folder 2012. Southern Historical Collection, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Credit text

Cameron, Paul. Folder 2012: 1844: Scan 71 [1844 Memorandom of Expenses]. Folder 2012, Document Case 88, Cameron Family Papers, 1757-1978 (Collection ID: 00133). Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Accessed Jan. 23, 2026.

Citation

Cameron, Paul. Folder 2012: 1844: Scan 71 [1844 Memorandom of Expenses]. Folder 2012, Document Case 88, Cameron Family Papers, 1757-1978 (Collection ID: 00133). Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Accessed Jan. 23, 2026. From ANCHOR. Library of NC.