[ENSLAVEMENT & ABOLITION]. Letter from a southern slave trader describing the transportation of enslaved persons from Virginia to auction markets in the Deep South, 1820.

Stampless cover from "L.[?] Daly" addressed to Mr. William Townes of Boydton, [Mecklenburg County], Virginia. Union District, South Carolina. 28 March 1820. 2pp, 6 1/2 x 8 in. (dampstaining affecting text, chipping at edges, toning).

Writing to Townes for the first time since his departure from Mecklenburg County, Daly describes his trip from Virginia through North Carolina and on to South Carolina, a journey undertaken to find the best market for the group of Townes's enslaved workers. Daly writes, in part: "The cause of my delay [in writing] has been principly [sic] in order to ascertain the price of Negroes so far as I could. Which I do assure you from the opportunities I have had as yet to learn the prospect is remarkably Gloomy....The Girl Hannah was taken sick in two days after I left home....To be candid with you sir she was damned hard bargain she has never walked any since taking sick but some what mended. I am somewhat at a loss sir to know whether I shall sell her for a sound Negro or not.... Judy & youngest child will be dull sale she is a tremendous ugly Negro. The Negroes will not be sold in South Carolina for the prices you spoke of. I believe they may in Georgia. I shall start to Georgia in two more days and assure you the best exertions will be made for your Interest.... Six hundred dollars for Judy & children is the most I have been offered as yet. Charles will sell well & [is the] most saleable Negro I have...."

William Wade Townes (1791-1879) was a wealthy and influential Mecklenburg County businessman and owner of the plantation "Occoneechee." The 1830 U.S. Federal Census indicates that he enslaved 39 persons, while just a decade later that number had jumped to 160. The rise of cotton production in the Lower South and the end of the transatlantic slave trade in 1808 created a burgeoning market for the sale of enslaved labor. Hoping to maximize profits, Virginia enslavers like Townes sold enslaved people to meet the increasing demand for labor, often relying on slave traders to transport enslaved men, women, and children to urban centers in the Lower South for sale. This domestic slave trade yielded devastating consequences for enslaved persons, often resulting in the permanent separation of African American families.

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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.

American Historical Ephemera and Photography, Featuring African Americana

[ENSLAVEMENT & ABOLITION]. Letter from a southern slave trader describing the transportation of enslaved persons from Virginia to auction markets in the Deep South, 1820.

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