. ▁ ▁An x ious ▁buy ers ▁from ▁Virginia , ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Carolina , ▁Georgia , ▁Alabama , ▁and ▁Louisiana ▁desc ended ▁upon ▁Sav ann ah ▁in ▁hopes ▁of ▁getting ▁good ▁de als . ▁ ▁It ▁was ▁known ▁that ▁the ▁Butler ▁plant ations ▁had ▁slaves ▁who ▁were ▁sk illed ▁tr ades men , ▁e . g . ▁sh oe ▁making , ▁co oper age , ▁black sm ith ing , ▁car p entry , ▁machine ▁operators . ▁ ▁The ▁buy ers ▁pok ed , ▁pin ched , ▁and ▁fond led ▁the ▁slaves . ▁ ▁They ▁also ▁opened ▁their ▁mouth s ▁inspect ing ▁their ▁teeth . ▁ ▁S la ves ▁were ▁also ▁exam ined ▁for ▁" rupt ures " ▁or ▁defect s ▁on ▁their ▁bodies ▁that ▁might ▁affect ▁their ▁product ivity . ▁ ▁Four ▁hundred ▁and ▁thirty - six ▁persons ▁were ▁advert ised ▁in ▁the ▁sale ▁catalog ue , ▁but ▁only ▁four ▁hundred ▁and ▁twenty - n ine ▁were ▁sold . ▁ ▁Those ▁not ▁sold ▁were ▁either ▁ill ▁or ▁disabled . ▁The ▁majority ▁of ▁those ▁sold ▁were ▁rice ▁and ▁cot ton ▁field work ers ; ▁others ▁were ▁sk illed ▁co op ers , ▁car pent ers , ▁sho em akers , ▁black sm ith s , ▁and ▁cook s . ▁ ▁The ▁two - day ▁sale ▁n ett ed ▁$ 3 0 3 , 8 5 0 . ▁The ▁highest ▁bid ▁for ▁a ▁family , ▁a ▁mother ▁and ▁her ▁five ▁grown ▁children , ▁was ▁for ▁$ 6 , 1 8 0 . ▁The