The second volume of the set (see Item 531) covers more families from the early counties of Virginia's Lower Tidewater and Southside regions. With an index in excess of 10,000 names.

Free blacks in antebellum America lived in a twilight world of oppressive laws and customs designed to suppress their mobility and their integration into civil society. Free blacks were free only to the extent of white tolerance in their community or town. They were at the mercy of the lowest members of the dominant race who could punish them on a whim. They were, in the words of a 19th century European traveler to America, "masterless slaves." Nonetheless, many successful and even prominent blacks emerged from the mire of oppressive laws and general public disdain to realize major achievements. Though excluded from the political process, from education, and from most professions they became preachers, teachers, missionaries, contractors, artisans, boat captains, and wealthy entrepreneurs. Members of this twilight social and legal class, which numbered nearly a half million by 1860, made great accomplishments against strong opposition in the first half of the 19th century. The history of America and of American slavery is woefully incomplete without their story.

Herein is a story of nine generations of Callahams beginning in Old 96 District, later Pendleton Co. SC. John and Mary (Stinson?) Callaham produced seven or eight children in Pendleton Co. Their John Jr. and Elizabeth (Dobbins) migrated to Jennings Co., IN. Later John & Eliz. migrated again to Cass Co, IN. Elizabeth gave birth to 11 children in IN. Seven remained nearby in Cass and Fulton Counties. Four children migrated. Lucinda ended in Ohio. Their two youngest sons-Alexander Washington and Andrew Morton-settled in Topeka, KS. Robert Crowe, while farming in Kansas, enlisted in the Civil War. He and his wife Jane (Thompson) produced seven sons. Chapters tell about those sons. Three sons migrated West. William Robert to WA. James Pressley & Charlie Independence to CA. Author's genealogical research into his lineage and lineages of Other Callahams in SC and VA is in appendices.

Previous editions titled: Genealogical books in print