The auctioneer brought up Joshua's Molly and family. He announced that
Molly insisted that she was lame in her left foot, and perversely would
walk lame, although for his part, he did not believe a word of it. He
had caused her to be examined by an eminent physician in Savannah,
which medical light had declared that Joshua's Molly was not lame, but
was only shamming. However, the gentlemen must judge for themselves and
bid accordingly. So Molly was put through her paces, and compelled to
trot up and down along the stage, to go up and down the steps, and to
exercise her feet in various ways, but always with the same result, the
left foot _would_ be lame. She was finally sold for $695.
Whether she really was lame or not no one knows but herself, but
it must be remembered that to a slave a lameness, or anything that
decreases his market value, is a thing to be rejoiced over. A man in
the prime of life, worth $1,600 or thereabouts, can have little hope
of ever being able, by any little savings of his own, to purchase his
liberty. But let him have a rupture, or lose a limb, or sustain any
other injury that renders him of much less service to his owner, and
reduces his value to $300 or $400, and he may hope to accumulate that
sum, and eventually to purchase his liberty. Freedom without health is
infinitely sweeter than health without freedom.
And so the Great Sale went on for two long days, during which time
there were sold 429 men, women and children. There were 436 announced
to be sold, but a few were detained on the plantations by sickness.
At the close of the sale, on the last day, several baskets of champagne
were produced, and all were invited to partake, the wine being at the
expense of the broker, Mr. Bryan.
The total amount of the sale foots up $303,850--the proceeds of the
first day being $161,480, and of the second day $142,370.
The highest sum paid for any one family was given for Sally Walker and
her five children, who were mostly grown up. The price was $6,180.
The highest price paid for a single man was $1,750, which was given for
William, a "fair carpenter and caulker."
The highest price paid for a woman was $1,250, which was given for
Jane, "cotton hand and house servant."
The lowest price paid was for Anson and Violet, a gray-haired couple,
each having numbered more than fifty years; they brought but $250
a-piece.