Actually, yes, he could write a note "to whom it may concern." A wise slave would ask for something more permanent in case he lost the piece of paper or someone accused him of forgery. I've found many manumissions memorialized in the deed books for the county. > Well, my query is for any legal types out there who might tell me >how to find out what the papers were like that were given to freed slaves by >their masters before emancipation? Where would a master go to obtain these >papers. My ancesters were in TN about 1861 and freed their 12 slaves. He >couldn't just write a note "to whom it may concern", could he?