Description:

Slavery

Slave Purchase Via Check Drawn by Davis, Deupree & Co, 1863

 

Check drawn from "The Traders Bank" in the city of Richmond, from the firm Davis Deupree & Co. Dated "Oct 13, 1863," for the amount of "2375," written also as "Twenty three hundred + seventy five." 7.5" x 2.5" on light blue paper, with the cancellation cross slice to the center of the check. Verso blank. Accompanied by a copy of a letter addressed to Davis Deupree & Co, dated "Aug 21st, 1860," a copy of the same firm's advertisement in the local papers, and a typed list of other documents that at one time accompanied the check all of which related to slavery, 8.5" x 11." All near fine.

 

Davis, Deupree & Co was founded "as a Co-partnership for the Purpose of Selling Negroes, at Private and Public Sale, on Commission." Located at Odd Fellow Hall in Richmond, Virginia. Their banking firm extended credit exclusively for that purpose and regularly advertised themselves in The daily dispatch. (Richmond [Va.), An example of their advertisement  can be found in the Library of Congress, Chronicling America: Historic American Newspapers, (and of which we also included a photocopy for review).

 

American slavery was big business. On the eve of the Civil War, four million slaves produced cash crops—cotton, tobacco, and rice—that were exported at high prices. In addition to the crops they raised, slaves themselves were commodities to be bought, sold, bred, and borrowed against. A variety of service industries supported the slave economy including dealers, insurance companies, and shippers.

 

This check is one such chilling example of the buying and selling of Slaves. Accompanied by a copy of an accompanying letter from Wm. Taylor to Messrs Davis Deupree & Co, the letter makes reference to the firms "credit" that they offer for the purchase of "negros," but in this case, have revoked "all letters of credit heretofore given to me to draw on your firm for the purchase of negroes. " The letter continues “ … Now gentleman all I reflect on you for, is, you ought to have informed me of the fact when I left Richmond. I according to your request made arrangements to move to Louisberg for the purpose of representing the interest of your house & employed three agents there to let me know where negroes were for sale & paid them in advance for work; but I intend to buy negroes now any where I can get them …. Furthermore I intend to bring you the first lot I take down which will be as soon as the market gets better … and what have you done with the family I left at Mr. J. Houstons? …

Wm Taylor”

 

A sobering set of documents, depicting the absolute matter-of-factness, the emotionally unencumbered, and completely impartial view on the everyday life of the buying and selling of slaves.


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