A large percentage of my mother's ancestors owned slaves in the antebellum South...perhaps half of the 'head of households'. I only found two direct ancestors who ever owned more than 12 slaves. The last one died in 1863 and left a will that awarded two slaves (a male and female) to each of his 10 adult children and the remainder to his wife. According to the 1860 census, none of the three sons were slaveowners. I always doubted those slaves were split up.

Today, near that small former East Texas community, there are at least two dozen black people named Darden(there were no slave owners named Darden). My family who survived, named Durdin, moved away shortly after the War. I have joked with my cousins about the Dardens being family. Might not be a joke afterall.