[SLAVERY & ABOLITION]. A letter from Dr. Conway D. Whittle (1809-1891) offering to sell 24 enslaved persons to the firm Davis Deupree & Co. of Richmond, Virginia. Mecklenberg County, Virginia. 2 November 1860.

2pp, folio, 5 3/4 x 7 1/2 in. (creasing, approx. 1 in. tear at bottom center fold, paper opposite of center vertical fold has been removed but does not affect letter content).

Dr. Conway Davies Whittle, the son of a prominent Virginia merchant and businessman, was raised on a plantation near Whittle's Mill in Mecklenberg County, Virginia. The 1860 US Federal Slave Schedule indicates that Whittle enslaved 24 men, women, and children, the exact number of persons he offers to sell in this letter from November of the same year. Addressed to "Davis, Deupree & Co.," a Richmond firm founded expressly to engage in the slave trade, Whittle's letter states in part: "By your card in the Richmond Whig, I see you offer to buy '50 to 100 negroes.' I wish to sell those I own, 24 in number & save one, a woman of fifty nearly, all are under thirty years of age...." Whittle continues by describing the gender, ages, and complexions of those he enslaved, as well indicating that sixteen were "good hands," that "Fanny, the woman of fifty" cooked and washed, and that among the group there were carpenters, shoemakers, and "3 who ditch very well." The letter concludes with questions about the prices for buying and selling the enslaved individuals, and a request that he receive a response without delay.

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Ms. Horstman has spent over a decade specializing in historic photography and Americana at auction. During her tenure, she has overseen several notable single owner auctions, including property from the inventory of celebrated Americana and antique arms expert Norm Flayderman. During her time with the firm, she has maintained an active membership in the Daguerreian Society. Ms. Horstman holds an MA in Art History from the University of Cincinnati and a BA in Art History from The Ohio State University.

African Americana

[SLAVERY & ABOLITION]. A letter from Dr. Conway D. Whittle (1809-1891) offering to sell 24 enslaved persons to the firm Davis Deupree & Co. of Richmond, Virginia. Mecklenberg County, Virginia. 2 November 1860.

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