Lucy Battle (1805-1874)
Lucy Battle, married to judge and law professor William Horn Battle, was another active faculty wife. Lucy took on considerable household management responsibilities because her husband frequently traveled for court appearances. The Battles owned slaves whom they used for household labor and also rented to others. Lucy dealt with her slaves in a businesslike way, discussing their health, hiring rates, and tasks in letters to her husband. When one of their slaves had a child, she informed her husband that his estate had just increased in value.