The slave censuses were taken for purposes of representation — the Southern states could claim three-fifths of their slave populations in determining Congressional apportionment.  Slaves were counted by number rather than name and differentiated according to age, sex and color.  In 1860, the government recognized only three classifications of race: White, Black and Mulatto.  The latter term technically referred to a person with mixed Anglo and Negro ancestry, but physical appearance often overruled genetics.  Anyone who was not perceivably White or Black was deemed Mulatto.

In 1860, slaves who had reached the age of 100 years were allowed special recognition on the census.  They could be listed by name, and a short biographical sketch could be included.  Slaveholders also had to report the number of slave houses on the property.

Slaves were enumerated at the same time but on a different form (schedule) than the "free" population.  Therefore, householders and slaveholders were recorded generally in the same order on both censuses.  This is important for researchers because enumerators sometimes spelled names differently (e.g., Reynolds vs. Runnels, Robertson vs. Robinson, etc.) as they switched between forms.  An accurate identification often can be made simply by comparing the two schedules and the order in which the individuals appear.  The amount of personal property recorded by householders on the "free" schedule also can provide clues.  Those who owned slaves tended to report considerably more wealth than those who did not.  A head-of-household index for the 1860 U.S. census is available here.

The 1860 Fayette County Slave Schedules were graciously transcribed by Judy Myrick Miller.  The page numbers below reflect the order that they appear in the original records.  Corresponding page numbers where slaveholders can be found on the U.S. census are included with each listing.  Corrections are always welcomed.