In 1850 and again in 1860, the U.S. government carried out a census of slave owners and their property. Jack F. Cox's transcription of the 1850 slave owners' census is arranged in alphabetical order according to the surname of the slave owner and gives his/her full name, number of slaves owned, and the county of residence. It may be just possible that more persons with slave ancestors will be able to trace them via other records (property records, for example) pertaining to the 37,000 slave owners enumerated in this new volume.