Beginning in 1727, members of the county militia were selected to be patrollers. Eventually, all enslavers were supposed to be patrollers, although men served in the place of female enslavers.
Patrollers broke up large gatherings of enslaved people, searched the homes of enslaved families, apprehended fugitives from slavery, monitored passes, and could punish enslaved individuals. In practice, they questioned free as well as enslaved individuals and asked to see free papers to prove individuals' free status. Some enslavers welcomed the help of the patrollers, while others did not want other people on their land. The records tend to be more concerned with the patrollers than with those who were patrolled. There are three types of records: accounts, appointments, and reports.
