Plot Summary [1]
Henry Townsend is born a slave, but dies as a prosperous slave owner, leaving his widow Caldonia a significant legacy to deal with. Like his father Augustus, Henry is extraordinarily talented and uses his gifts to buy his freedom. Unlike his father, Henry accepts that slavery is legal and purchases a number of slaves from his ex-master William Robbins, the first of whom, cruel Moses, he makes overseer. The revelation of this situation causes a break between father and son, healed only as Henry nears death.
Robbins, the largest and most powerful landowner in Manchester County, Virginia, is unhappily married to a white woman and involved for the second time with a slave, whom he comes to love dearly. He dotes on his black children, providing for their education from a black female teacher, Fern Elston, which connects them with Henry and Caldonia during their student years. Robbins also provides ongoing advice to Henry on the obligations and demands of slave owning, and controls who will serve as sheriff in the county.
John Skiffington becomes sheriff after his long-tenured predecessor disappoints Robbins. John, a fervent Bible reader, is personally determined not to hold slaves, but dedicated to maintaining a social institution he believes both civil and divine laws bless and guarantee. He and his wife, Winifred, are given Minerva as wedding present by his cousin Counsel. They feel Minerva will fare worse in any situation other than remaining with them, and they treat her as a daughter. As Minerva nears adulthood, John is ashamed and fearful to find himself lusting after her.
John's duties are few in this peaceful county until slaves begin disappearing from Caldonia's plantation. John suspects that the overseer Moses is involved, as indeed he is. Moses is determined to marry his widowed mistress and sends his wife and son away, in the company of the crazy slave Alice. The sheriff suspects Moses has murdered them and organizes an intensive search. John's fortunes further decline when his slave patrols illegally strip Augustus of his freedom and sell hip to a wandering speculator. Finally sold on the Georgia/Florida border, Augustus is murdered by his new master as he begins the long walk back north. Moses oversteps his bounds with Caldonia, realizes his plans have failed, and he also takes flight.
Realizing Robbins has lost faith in him, the sheriff discovers where Moses must be hiding, and while trying to shake off the agony of a toothache in order to do his sworn duty, he sets off with his deputy/cousin to Mildred's home. Moses is there, taken in by Mildred, who stands with a rifle and refuses to surrender him. Pain prevents John from keeping his usual calm, civil demeanor, and he lashes out at the poor widow Mildred. John accidentally shoots Mildred dead, and is in turn gunned down by Counsel, who believes he has found the treasure that will restore his lost fortunes. Moses surrenders to Counsel, who intends to blame the two dead people for each other's murder. Moses is taken back to town, and savagely hobbled by the patrollers en route, to prevent him from ever wandering off again. Moses lives out his declining days cared for by the new overseer's cripple wife, for whose miscarriage he is responsible.
Robbins's white and black daughters meet after he suffers a stroke. Winifred and Minerva move to Philadelphia, but there they become parted. Caldonia remarries and remains with Robbins's black son, Louis Cartwright, on the plantation. Caldonia also learns from her brother Calvin, who has moved to Washington, D.C., that Celeste, Jamie, and Alice did not perish in the Manchester woods as many people thought, but are flourishing in the big city on the eve of the Civil War. Alice, no longer a crazy woman, has created two magnificent pieces of art depicting life in Manchester County and on the Townsend plantation.
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