Administrative Information

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Preferred Citation

Slave Trade Letters to William Crow, Accession #12890, Special Collections, University of Virginia Library, Charlottesville, Va.

Acquisition Information

These letters were purchased by the University of Virginia Library from the Robert Siegel Auction Galleries on December 22, 2003.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of seventeen original letters and seventeen typed transcripts of those letters, 1835-1842, to William Crow, a slave trader residing in Charlestown, Jefferson County, [West] Virginia, and all discuss the interstate slave trade or various financial aspects of the trade. The letters are chiefly from Thomas B. Jackson, Richmond, Virginia, and Newton Boley, New Orleans, Louisiana, but also include William D. McGuire, Snicker's Ferry, Frederick County, Virginia, N.A. Hinkle, Snickersville, Loudoun County, Virginia, and J. & S. Cosby Company, Richmond, Virginia.

The letter from William D. McGuire, November 20, 1835, discusses hiring his slave, Lewis, for the next year for eighty-five dollars. N.A. Hinkle notifies Crow of the availability of a twelve year old "fine black boy" for sale by a friend of his, September 24, 1836. J. & S. Cosby Company reports that their market for slaves had been slow until recently but that demand and prices had improved, citing the sale of a man for $675.00 at auction on the date of the letter, September 24, 1837. They further report that "likely young men" were selling for between $600 and $675 and "likely girls 15 & 20 years of age" for between $500 and $550.

Thomas B. Jackson writes that the Richmond slave market prices are doing better than those in Baltimore, Maryland, and he advises Crow to bring his young boys and girls to sell in Richmond, with tall young field fellows bringing from $1025 to $1050 and tall field girls for about $800. He also mentions the slave dealer Goodwin and Templeman in Richmond, and some other traders who are buying for the Alabama market (January 31, 1837). Jackson notifies Crow that the prices for slaves in Richmond has fallen and no one seems interested in buying at this time, although McCargo and Purvis had sold all of their slaves (October 9, 1839).

Another letter from Jackson, December 15, 1839, reiterates the bad condition of the slave market in Richmond where a good field hand was purchased by Mr. Jones for $770 and a good field girl for $600, and he says other states such as Georgia, Louisiana, and South Carolina are faring no better. Tobacco prices and other crops are also lower.

Newton Boley, Vadalia, Louisiana, informs Crow that he has not sold any of his slaves except for Easter for $700 but hopes to sell more in January or February and that their physical condition is "only tolerable well but none of those dangerous" (December 22, 1837). In his second letter, January 22, 1838, Boley reports from New Orleans that he has sold Bill, Walker, and Martha, receiving $900 a piece for the men but having to pay a two percent brokerage fee and $774 for Martha without the fee. He also notes that most of the New Orleans slave trade is conducted through brokers.

Boley assures Crow that he has insured the fifteen slaves on the bill of lading sent to him, says that The Orleans has not yet arrived, has sold Patrick and Minor for $1700 leaving six slaves on hand (February 21, 1841). He also reports in a separate letter, February 25, 1841, that The Orleans arrived safe yesterday and that he was able to sell Priscilla, Moses and Lewis for [$2225 ?] leaving only Charles, Sam, and one other on hand. Boley has sent to Crow a draft equal to the total amount of $22,150 for all the slaves he has sold (March 24, 1841).

He also urges Crow to buy as many slaves as he can to resell during the summer because "I think there is more Capital than negroes and they will trade for a small profit." The slave Reuben was sold for $700. Boley advises Crow not to offer anything for sale in Maryland (March 26, 1841).

He reports about the slave mutiny on The Creole and the murder of John Hewel who was with McCargo's slaves. McCargo had [?] in number on the ship, Lockett and Lumpkin forty-three, Johnson twenty-three, Hagan nine, and Hatcher eight which were lost on the voyage. The mutineers sailed to Nassau, a city on the Bahamas, where nineteen were imprisoned for the murder of Hewel and the others set at liberty by the British government (December 3, 1841).

Boley writes he is not impressed with the latest group of slaves sent to him by Crow but will do what he can with them on the New Orleans market. He also urges that if he has any more at home to send them immediately for sale and not to buy any more without better prospects (February 7, 1842). He reports the sale of Lucy and her children for $1,000 which was a low sale in his opinion (February 11, 1842). Times are hard on the New Orleans market and he is unable to sell the three brothers even at $650 dollars apiece. Boley warns Crow that he will lose money on any sales (April 7, 1842). He lists all of the slaves he has sold for Crow and the prices that they brought and urges him not to sue Tanner for payment on his note but allow him to wait until his first sugar crop to pay (May 1, 1842).

With the collection is a note on the letters' provenance tracing them and an old pair of handcuffs [not present] to a house in Charlestown, W. Va. that was demolished for the construction of a gas station in 1932. At the time of their discovery the letters were examined by the historian Frederic Bancroft.