twelve o'clock
Reader , when you take into consideration the fact , that amongst the slave population no safeguard is thrown around virtue , and no inducement held out to slave women to be chaste , you will not be surprised when we tell you that immorality and vice pervade the cities of the Southern States in a manner unknown in the cities and towns of the Northern States . Indeed most of the slave women have no higher aspiration than that of becoming the finely-dressed mistress of some white man . And at Negro balls and parties , this class of women usually cut the greatest figure . At the close of the year , the following advertisement appeared in a newspaper published in Richmond , the capital of the state of Virginia : -- `` Notice : Thirty-eight Negroes will be offered for sale on Monday , November 10th , at twelve o'clock , being the entire stock of the late John Graves , Esq. . The Negroes are in good condition , some of them very prime ; among them are several mechanics , able-bodied field hands , ploughboys , and women with children at the breast , and some of them very prolific in their generating qualities , affording a rare opportunity to any one who wishes to raise a strong and healthy lot of servants for their own use . Also several mulatto girls of rare personal qualities : two of them very superior . Any gentleman or lady wishing to purchase , can take any of the above slaves on trial for a week , for which no charge will be made . ''