Handwritten letter, 'Dear Saul,' undated — on the boat, the sale of negroes, and the parish in 'these hot times' (page 1)
Book 1, Page 83
Transcription
A handwritten letter, page 1 of multiple, in brown ink on plain paper, in a hurried sloping cursive.
Dear Saul
yours per mail Recd. and as you have not acknowledged a letter enclosing some orders and shall probably want some money for our sale tomorrow [will?] send some [concern?] about the boat — [must?] purchase a few mules now without much. Below is a list of the orders, and an[other?] object is the balance of fillies [&?] [bridles?] [with?] the heavy half of the stock boy’s baggage. I do think that the [D?] would do better gave some Sale silver home for than $350, and should like [really?] to sell a few families if the purchasers would come and see them. Although not indisposed from any scruples to our negroes, it has always been repugnant to me to sell & [more?] so to divide families.
We are in a great Muck in our parish at present in these hot times, candidates aiding to and pro Beggar [Bryan?] support, and even try
forcesome of your Charlestonian tactic[s] to cover that our inabilities; for they got the old man in & I some how in the scrape and brought him up amongst us — rather [hate?] [bork?] but I get some good by it, hearing from the old people. Mr Ben brought me a few the [even?] medal and having taken someforam better and do not know as I shall obey your orders to come down as soon as expected. He
AI Notes
Page 1 of a handwritten letter beginning ‘Dear Saul,’ written in brown ink in a hurried cursive. The writer reports that yours per mail has been received but the writer has not acknowledged an earlier letter enclosing some orders; expects to want money for a sale tomorrow; lists what is to be sent (the balance of fillies/bridles and the heavy half of the stock boy’s baggage); says he should like to sell a few families if the purchasers would come and see them, since although not indisposed from any scruples to our negroes, it has always been repugnant to him to divide families; complains of the ‘hot times’ in the parish with candidates aiding to and pro support, and ‘Charlestonian tactics’ brought to bear on local inabilities. Mr Ben brought him a few of the evening’s medicines and he is better. Several words remain uncertain owing to the rapid hand. Letter continues onto the next scan.
Letter continues on next page.
The signature on the continuation page (084) identifies the writer as T. Gourdin, of the planter-merchant Gourdin family of St. John’s Berkeley parish — seated at Pineville and Richmond Plantation on the upper Santee. The writer’s stated reluctance to “divide families” by sale, set beside the matter-of-fact catalogue of orders and livestock, is characteristic of how the Lowcountry planter class rationalized the slave economy on the eve of the Civil War — accepting the institution while disavowing its most visibly cruel practices.