Bound in Béxar County: Slavery in San Antonio

A.G Goodloe and his family moved to Texas In 1855. They purchased property and set up on the Ciablo creek, having brought with them many enslaved people. One of the primary source documents shared further down this page features a bill of sale for several enslaved people, the last bill of sale found for the Goodloes in 1860. The following is a link to an article shared stating that a woman named Lisa Jackson found out she was related to those people bound and sold by Goodloe.

Texas woman traces family genealogy to last slave sale in Bexar County. (2024). Retrieved August 25, 2025, from https://spectrumlocalnews.com/tx/south-texas-el-paso/news/2024/06/30/bexar-county-genealogy-records

The following image is from the East Texas Digital Archives. It is a image of a runaway slave ad placed in the San Antonio Daily Herald. It is alerting readers to another column containing an ad and just mentioning the reward is at $200. 

An interesting fact is that the man Wiley whom Goodloe is reporting as a runaway in 1859 is likely the same 2 yr old boy, Wiler, whom Goodloe included in an 1841 bill of sale. The deed for that purchase can be seen in the last section on this page. 

George59(Article) . (1859, August). San Antonio Daily Herald. Accessed August 24th, 2025 https://digital.sfasu.edu/digital/collection/RSP/id/9467/rec/1

The following image is a very detailed advertisement for two freedom seekers, George and  Wiley. George and Wiley are both described in great detail including the horses they may riding, the clothes they are wearing and features of their faces. He barely offers $100 dollar reward for each man and that's only if they are found as far as Mexico showing how little he valued them. Another notable thing in this add is how Goodloe made sure to say "They had some acquaintance with Mexicans at the San Jose Mission, also at Panamaria" and that they would help them to Mexico showing the distrust between the white enslavers and Mexicans in Bexar County because of their different views on slavery. 

George59(Advertisement)(a). (n.d.). San Antonio Daily Herald. https://digital.sfasu.edu/digital/collection/RSP/id/9468/rec/1

The following image is from the Béxar County Tax Records - 1856. It is the first time that shows A.G. Goodloe, then written as Goodlaw, is listed. He appears as enslaving 13 African Americans valued at $7,800. One can also notice in this image that Goodloe's property on Ciablo was valued at $8,000, meaning he held almost equal value in land and enslaved people. His enslaved people are likely undervalued.  

Bexar County Tax Records—1856 . (1856). Bexar County ; Texas County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-WFCH-3?wc=M638-S36%3A161392201%2C161392002%26cc%3D1827575&lang=en&i=16&cc=1827575

By 1860, Goodloe is listed as enslaving 10 African Americans valued at $5,900. This is also likely to be an instance of undervaluing property given in a bill of sale that same year, Goodloe paid $1000 for just one 40-year old man.

Bexar County Tax Records—1860 . (1860). Bexar County ; Texas County Tax Rolls, 1837-1910. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-WF46-F?wc=M638-NTL%3A161392201%2C161399401%26cc%3D1827575&lang=en&i=21&cc=1827575

In Edgar Johnson's book, African Americans in the Béxar County Texas Deed Records 1823-1865, Goodloe first appears in 1841 on page 20. He was not listed in the 1850 or 1860 Slave Schedules. In this deed, his brother, Robert Goodloe, is setting up some enslaved property to provide for the expenses of AG Goodloe's minor-age children. The original "bill of sale" originated in Alabama, but they re-recorded it here in Béxar County. John F. Pride was serving as overseer of the following enslaved people to provide money for the underage children. The arrangement was that when each child would came of age or married, they would receive their share of the enslaved property. 

"PATSEY aged about 35 years, a girl by the name of AILSEY aged about two years, a boy by the name of WILER aged about two years, a girl named MALINDA aged about six years, and a boy by the name of Joe aged about 14 years". Doing this, one can assume, was a way of Goodloe to shelter his enslaved property from creditors and also generate a profit to finance Goodloe's kids and for each child to receive their "property". 

Doing this, one can assume, was a way for Goodloe to shelter his enslaved property from creditors in addition to generating a profit to finance Goodloe's kids and safeguard to each child their future "property".
 

Johnson, Ed. (2022). African Americans in the Béxar County Texas Deed Records 1823-1865. Independently published. 

Goodloe appears one other time in Johnson's book on page 78. He is listed as the purchaser of a man named Ralph of about 40 years for $1,000  in August of 1860. This bill of sale shows that for almost 20 years Goodloe was purchasing and selling enslaved individuals in Béxar County. He paid top dollar in 1860 for an older gentleman. 




Bill of Sale - Ralph. (1860). Retrieved September 7, 2025, from https://bexar.tx.publicsearch.us/doc/12404412

Johnson, Ed. (2022). African Americans in the Béxar County Texas Deed Records 1823-1865. Independently published.