(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION) Holladay James Letter describing his

Sale 2503 - Lot 23

Price Realized: $ 312

?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price

Estimate: $ 500 - $ 750

(SLAVERY AND ABOLITION.) Holladay, James. Letter describing his servant in detail for a sale advertisement. Autograph Letter Signed to William Langhorne of Portsmouth, VA. One page, 13 x 8 inches, with address panel on verso marked "paid 6" in manuscript; toned, lightly soiled, moderate wear with slight loss of text, folds reinforced with tape on verso. Suffolk, VA, 13 January 1820

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Discusses an advertisement for the sale of a slave: "Since writing to you the other day, I observed my Negro girl advertised in the Beacon as a good cook, which has caused one application for her but she is as perfectly ignorant of that art or acquirement as she can well be. Consequently you will be good enough to have it corrected. She is however, altho young, uncommonly stout & very uncommonly likely, a pretty good house servant, and indeed extraordinarily so for her practice, sews very well, and is one of the best washers & ironers in the state. I cannot take less for her than what I before mentioned $500, but she ought to command more, and would much more but for these difficult & embarassing times." He goes on to arrange for the recipient to investigate a specific buyer.