What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?: Great Auction Sale of Slaves, at Savannah, Georgia, March 2d & 3d, 1859 — John Shaqi
What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?: Great Auction Sale of Slaves, at Savannah, Georgia, March 2d & 3d, 1859Doesticks, Q. K. Philander
History
What Became of the Slaves on a Georgia Plantation?: Great Auction Sale of Slaves, at Savannah, Georgia, March 2d & 3d, 1859
Doesticks, Q. K. Philander
Slave trade -- United States; Slavery -- Georgia
In another hour I see Dorcas in the long room, sitting motionless as a
statue, with her head covered with a shawl. And I see Jeffrey, who goes
to his new master, pulls off his hat and says: "I'se very much obliged,
Mas'r, to you for tryin' to help me. I knows you would have done it if
you could--thank you, Mas'r--thank you--but--its--berry--hard"--and
here the poor fellow breaks down entirely and walks away, covering his
face with his battered hat, and sobbing like a very child.
He is soon surrounded by a group of his colored friends, who, with an
instinctive delicacy most unlooked for, stand quiet, and with uncovered
heads, about him.
Anson and Violet, chattels Nos. 111 and 112, were sold for $250 each,
both being old, and Anson being down in the catalogue as "ruptured and
as having one eye." Violet was sold as being sick. Her disease was
probably consumption, which supposition gave rise to the following
feeling conversation between two buyers:
"Cheap gal, that, Major!"
"Don't think so. They may talk about her being sick; it's no easy
sickness she's got. She's got consumption, and the man that buys her'll
have to be a doctrin' her all the time, and she'll die in less than
three months. I won't have anything to do with her--don't want any half
dead niggers about me."
THE MARKET VALUE OF AN EYE.
Guy, chattel No. 419, "a prime young man," sold for $1,280, being
without blemish; his age was twenty years, and he was altogether a
fine article. His next-door neighbor, Andrew, chattel No. 420, was his
very counterpart in all marketable points, in size, age, skill, and
everything save that he had lost his right eye. Andrew sold for only
$1,040, from which we argue that the market value of the right eye in
the Southern country is $240.
AN UNEXPECTED MARRIAGE.
When the family of Mingo, consisting of his wife, two sons and a
daughter, was called for, it was announced by the auctioneer that
chattel No. 322, Dembo, the eldest son, aged 20, had the evening before
procured the services of a minister, and been joined in wedlock to
chattel No. 404, Frances, and that he should be compelled to put up
the bride and groom in one lot. They were called up, and, as was to be
expected, their appearance was the signal for a volley of coarse jokes
from the auctioneer, and of ribald remarks from the surrounding crowd.
The newly-married pair bore it bravely, although one refined gentleman
took hold of Frances's lips and pulled them apart, to see her age.
This sort of thing it is that makes Northern blood boil, and Northern
fists clench with a laudable desire to hit somebody. It was almost too
much for endurance to stand and see those brutal slave-drivers pushing
the women about, pulling their lips apart with their not too cleanly
hands, and committing many another indecent act, while the husbands,
fathers and brothers of those women were compelled to witness these
things, without the power to resent the outrage.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account