When
Telem Plato died in 1863, he left a considerable estate—considerable considering
the time and circumstances. He was, after all, the son of an enslaved coachman
and Virginia was on the verge of rebellion, with plans to put Yankees and black people in
their place.
The personal property inventory
(household goods and furniture, farm implements, livestock) ran to four pages and
its sale brought $974.12. According to the record of the 17 Mar 1866 estate sale,
purchasers included Robt Plato, Ann V. Plato, Telem Plato, Mack Plato,
Elisabeth Plato, and Nancy Plato. The Coachman’s grandchildren had taken, or
been given, the surname “Plato,” at least for a while, though they would soon go
back to “Tapscott.”
