Slave Population & Deaths

Slave Population and Deaths. . , In 1833, a cholera epidemic sweeping the region struck Federal Hill. During a celebration of John Rowan Sr.'s son William Rowan, water contaminated with cholera was served to the Rowans and to slaves resulting in the deaths of many slaves and 8 members of the Rowan family. Records indicate that there are two possible locations that the enslaved of Federal Hill were likely interred. In 1842, a hired slave named Isaac was killed in an accident while cutting timber. Isaac was documented as having been buried in a coffin in the woods pasture located southwest of Federal Hill. It's possible that other slaves were buried in the same location. Many of the Rowan slaves were Catholic and were baptized at St. Joseph Cathedral in Bardstown, Kentucky. Due to their Catholic faith, it's plausible that many have been interred in the Catholic slave cemetery in Bardstown. The exact location of the gravesites of the enslaved people at Federal Hill is not currently known. The highest recorded number of slaves John Rowan Sr. owned at one time was 39, Research indicates that John Rowan Sr. owned at least 54 slaves during his lifetime. , (list of slaves owned by the Rowans)