summaryrefslogtreecommitdiff
diff options
context:
space:
mode:
Diffstat
-rw-r--r--.gitattributes3
-rw-r--r--18485-8.txt10853
-rw-r--r--18485-8.zipbin0 -> 222537 bytes
-rw-r--r--18485-h.zipbin0 -> 233126 bytes
-rw-r--r--18485-h/18485-h.htm11267
-rw-r--r--18485.txt10853
-rw-r--r--18485.zipbin0 -> 222518 bytes
-rw-r--r--LICENSE.txt11
-rw-r--r--README.md2
9 files changed, 32989 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6833f05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.gitattributes
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+* text=auto
+*.txt text
+*.md text
diff --git a/18485-8.txt b/18485-8.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..af2c6b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18485-8.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10853 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery
+in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves
+ Georgia Narratives, Part 4
+
+Author: Work Projects Administration
+
+Release Date: June 1, 2006 [EBook #18485]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Robert Fry and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by the
+Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[TR: ***] = Transcriber Note
+[HW: ***] = Handwritten Note
+
+
+
+SLAVE NARRATIVES
+
+A Folk History of Slavery in the United States
+From Interviews with Former Slaves
+
+TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY
+THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT
+1936-1938
+ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT
+WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
+FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
+SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
+
+Illustrated with Photographs
+
+
+WASHINGTON, 1941
+
+
+
+
+VOLUME IV
+
+GEORGIA NARRATIVES
+
+PART 4
+
+
+
+
+Prepared by
+the Federal Writers' Project of
+the Works Progress Administration
+for the State of Georgia
+
+
+
+INFORMANTS
+
+Telfair, Georgia 1
+Thomas, Cordelia 11
+Thomas, Ike 25
+Toombs, Jane Mickens 29
+Town, Phil 37
+ [TR: In the interview, he's named Phil Towns.]
+
+Upson, Neal 48
+
+Van Hook, John F. 71
+Vinson, Addie 97
+Virgel, Emma 115
+
+Walton, Rhodus 123
+Ward, William 128, 132
+Washington, Lula 134
+Willbanks, Green 136
+Williamson, Eliza 148
+Willingham, Frances 151
+Willis, Adeline 161
+Willis, Uncle 168
+ [TR: Willis Bennefield in combined interview.]
+Winfield, Cornelia 176
+Womble, George 179
+ [TR: Also called Wombly in the interview.]
+Wright, Henry 194
+
+Young, Dink Walton 205
+
+
+COMBINED INTERVIEWS
+
+[Excerpts from Slave Interviews]
+Adeline 212
+Eugene 213
+Mary 215
+Rachel 216
+Laura 216
+Matilda 217
+Easter 218
+Carrie 219
+Malinda 219
+Amelia 220
+
+[Four Slaves Interviewed by Maude Barragan, Edith Bell Love,
+ Ruby Lorraine Radford]
+Ellen Campbell 221
+Rachel Sullivan 226
+Eugene Wesley Smith 230
+Willis Bennefield 235
+ [TR: Uncle Willis in individual interview.]
+
+[Folklore]
+Emmaline Heard 245
+Rosa and Jasper Millegan 251
+Camilla Jackson 254
+Anna Grant 255
+Emmaline Heard 256
+
+
+COMPILATIONS [Richmond County]
+
+Folklore 261
+Conjuration 269
+Folk Remedies and Superstitions 282
+Mistreatment of Slaves 290
+Slavery 308
+Work, Play, Food, Clothing,
+ Marriage, etc. 355
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+[TR: The interview headers presented here contain all information
+included in the original, but may have been rearranged for readability.
+Also, some ages and addresses have been drawn from blocks of information
+on subsequent interview pages. Names in brackets were drawn from text of
+interviews.]
+
+[TR: Some interviews were date-stamped; these dates have been added to
+interview headers in brackets. Where part of date could not be
+determined -- has been substituted. These dates do not appear to
+represent actual interview dates, rather dates completed interviews were
+received or perhaps transcription dates.]
+
+[TR: In general, typographical errors have been left in place to match
+the original images. In the case where later editors have hand-written
+corrections, simple typographical errors have been silently corrected.]
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+GEORGIA TELFAIR, Age 74
+Box 131, R.F.D. #2
+Athens, Ga.
+
+Written by:
+Miss Grace McCune
+Athens, Ga.
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens, Ga.
+
+and
+Mrs. Leila Harris
+Augusta, Ga.
+[Date Stamp: APR 29 1938]
+
+
+"Yes chile, I'll be glad to tell you de story of my life, I can't tell
+you much 'bout slav'ry 'cause I wuz jus' six months old when freedom
+come, but I has heared quite a lot, and I will tell you all I kin
+'member 'bout everythin." Said old "Aunt" Georgia Telfair, who lives
+with her son to whom her devotion is quite evident. Both "Aunt" Georgia
+and the little home show the excellent care that is given them.
+
+"My pa," she said, "wuz Pleasant Jones, an' he b'longed to Marse Young
+L.G. Harris. Dey lived at de Harris place out on Dearing Street. Hit wuz
+all woods out dar den, an' not a bit lak Dearing Street looks now.
+
+"Rachel wuz my ma's name. Us don' know what her las' name wuz 'cause she
+wuz sold off when she wuz too little to 'member. Dr. Riddin' (Redding)
+bought her an' his fambly always jus' called her Rachel Riddin'. De
+Riddin' place wuz whar Hancock Avenue is now, but it wuz all in woods
+'roun' dar, jus' lak de place whar my pa wuz. Atter dey wuz married ma
+had to stay on wid de Riddin' fambly an' her chilluns b'longed to de
+Riddin's 'cause dey owned her. Miss Maxey Riddin' wuz my brudder's young
+Missus, an' I wuz give to her sister, Miss Lula Riddin', for to be her
+own maid, but us didn't git to wuk for 'em none 'cause it wuz jus' at
+dis time all de slaves got sot free. Atter dat my pa tuk us all wid him
+an' went to farm on de old Widderspoon (Witherspoon) place.
+
+"It wuz 'way off in de woods. Pa cut down trees an' built us a log
+cabin. He made de chimbly out of sticks an' red mud, an' put iron bars
+crost de fireplace to hang pots on for to bile our vittuls an' made
+ovens for de bakin'. De bes' way to cook 'tatoes wuz to roas' 'em in de
+ashes wid de jackets on. Dey ain' nothin' better tastin' dan ash-roasted
+'tatoes wid good home-made butter to eat wid 'em. An 'us had de butter,
+'cause us kep' two good cows. Ma had her chickens an' tukkeys an' us
+raised plenty of hogs, so we nebber wuz widout meat. Our reg'lar Sunday
+breakfas' wuz fish what pa cotch out of de crick. I used to git tired
+out of fish den, but a mess of fresh crick fish would sho' be jus' right
+now.
+
+"Us always kep' a good gyardan full of beans, corn, onions, peas an'
+'taters, an' dey warn't nobody could beat us at raisin' lots of greens,
+'specially turnips an' colla'd greens. Us saved heaps of dry peas an'
+beans, an' dried lots of peaches an' apples to cook in winter. When de
+wind wuz a howlin an' de groun' all kivvered wid snow, ma would make
+dried fruit puffs for us, dat sho' did hit de spot.
+
+"When I wuz 'bout eight years old, dey sont me to school. I had to walk
+from Epps Bridge Road to Knox School. Dey calls it Knox Institute now. I
+toted my blue back speller in one han' and my dinner bucket in de other.
+Us wore homespun dresses wid bonnets to match. De bonnets wuz all made
+in one piece an' had drawstrings on de back to make 'em fit, an' slats
+in de brims to make 'em stiff an' straight. Our dresses wuz made long to
+keep our legs warm. I don't see, for to save me, how dey keeps dese
+young-uns from freezin' now since dey let 'em go 'roun' mos' naked.
+
+"Our brush arbor church wuz nigh whar Brooklyn Mount Pleasant Church is
+now, an' us went to Sunday School dar evvy Sunday. It warn't much of a
+church for looks, 'cause it wuz made out of poles stuck in de groun' an'
+de roof wuz jus' pine limbs an' brush, but dere sho' wuz some good
+meetin's in dat old brush church, an' lots of souls foun' de way to de
+heb'enly home right dar.
+
+"Our reg'lar preacher wuz a colored man named Morrison, but Mr. Cobb
+preached to us lots of times. He wuz a white gemman, an' he say he could
+a sot all night an' lissen long as us sung dem old songs. Some of 'em I
+done clar forgot, but de one I lak bes' goes sorter lak dis:
+
+ 'I want to be an angel
+ An' wid de angels stan'
+ A crown upon my forehead
+ And a harp widin my han'.'
+
+"Another tune wuz 'Roll, Jordan Roll.' Little chillun wuz larnt to sing,
+'How Sweetly do de Time Fly, When I Please my Mother,' an' us chillun
+sho' would do our best a singin' dat little old song, so Preacher Cobb
+would praise us.
+
+"When I jined de church dere wuz 35 of us baptized de same day in de
+crick back of de church. While Preacher Brown wuz a baptizin' us, a big
+crowd wuz standin' on de bank a shoutin' an' singin', 'Dis is de healin'
+Water,' an', 'Makin' for de Promise Lan! Some of 'em wuz a prayin' too.
+Atter de baptizin' wuz done dey had a big dinner on de groun's for de
+new members, but us didn't see no jugs dat day. Jus' had plenty of good
+somethin' t'eat.
+
+"When us warn't in school, me an' my brudder wukked in de fiel' wid pa.
+In cotton plantin' time, pa fixed up de rows an' us drap de seeds in
+'em. Nex' day us would rake dirt over 'em wid wooden rakes. Pa made de
+rakes hisse'f. Dey had short wooden teef jus' right for to kivver de
+seed. Folkses buys what dey uses now an' don't take up no time makin'
+nothin' lak dat.
+
+"In dem days 'roun' de house an' in de fiel' boys jus' wo' one piece of
+clo'es. It wuz jus' a long shirt. Dey didn't know nothin' else den, but
+I sho' would lak to see you try to make boys go 'roun' lookin' lak dat
+now.
+
+"Dey hired me out to Mr. Jack Weir's fambly when I wuz 'bout fo'teen
+years old to do washin', ironin', an' cleanin' up de house, an' I wukked
+for 'em 'til I married. Dey lemme eat all I wanted dere at de house an'
+paid me in old clo'es, middlin' meat, sirup, 'tatoes, an' wheat flour,
+but I never did git no money for pay. Not nary a cent.
+
+"Us wukked mighty hard, but us had good times too. De bigges' fun us had
+wuz at candy pullin's. Ma cooked de candy in de wash pot out in de yard.
+Fust she poured in some home-made sirup, an' put in a heap of brown
+sugar from de old sirup barrel an' den she biled it down to whar if you
+drapped a little of it in cold water it got hard quick. It wuz ready den
+to be poured out in greasy plates an' pans. Us greased our han's wid
+lard to keep de candy from stickin' to 'em, an' soon as it got cool
+enough de couples would start pullin' candy an' singin'. Dat's mighty
+happy music, when you is singin' an' pullin' candy wid yo' bes' feller.
+When de candy got too stiff an' hard to pull no mo', us started eatin',
+an' it sho' would evermo' git away from dar in a hurry. You ain't nebber
+seed no dancin', what is dancin', lessen you has watched a crowd dance
+atter dey et de candy what dey done been pullin'.
+
+"Quiltin's wuz a heap of fun. Sometimes two or three famblies had a
+quiltin' together. Folkses would quilt some an' den dey passed 'roun' de
+toddy. Some would be cookin' while de others wuz a quiltin' an' den when
+supper wuz ready dey all stopped to eat. Dem colla'd greens wid cornpone
+an' plenty or gingercakes an' fruit puffs an' big ole pots of coffee wuz
+mighty fine eatin's to us den.
+
+"An' dere warn't nothin' lackin' when us had cornshuckin's. A gen'ral of
+de cornshuckin' wuz appointed to lead off in de fun. He sot up on top of
+de big pile of corn an' hysted de song. He would git 'em started off
+singin' somethin' lak, 'Sallie is a Good Gal,' an' evvybody kept time
+shuckin' an' a singin'. De gen'ral kept singin' faster an' faster, an'
+shucks wuz jus' flyin'. When pa started passin' de jug 'roun' dem
+Niggers sho' nuff begun to sing loud an' fas' an' you wuz 'bliged for to
+'low Sallie mus' be a Good Gal, de way de shucks wuz comin' off of dat
+corn so fas'. Dey kep' it up 'til de corn wuz all shucked, an' ma
+hollered, 'Supper ready!' Den dey made tracks for de kitchen, an' dey
+didn't stop eatin' an' drinkin' dat hot coffee long as dey could
+swallow. Ain't nobody fed 'em no better backbones, an' spareribs, turnip
+greens, 'tato pies, an' sich lak dan my ma set out for 'em. Old time
+ways lak dat is done gone for good now. Folkses ain't lak dey used to
+be. Dey's all done got greedy an' don't keer 'bout doin' nothin' for
+nobody else no more.
+
+"Ma combed our hair wid a Jim Crow comb, or cyard, as some folkses
+called 'em. If our hair wuz bad nappy she put some cotton in de comb to
+keep it from pullin' so bad, 'cause it wuz awful hard to comb.
+
+"Evvybody tried to raise plenty of gourds, 'cause dey wuz so handy to
+use for dippers den. Water wuz toted from de spring an' kept in piggins.
+Don't spec' you ebber did see a piggin. Dats a wooden bucket wid wire
+hoops 'roun' it to keep it from leakin'. De wash place wuz nex' to de
+spring. Pa fixed us up a big old stump whar us had to battle de clo'es
+wid a battlin' stick. It tuk a sight of battlin' to git de dirt out
+sometimes.
+
+"If you turned a chunk over in de fire, bad luck wuz sho' to come to
+you. If a dog howled a certain way at night, or if a scritch owl come in
+de night, death wuz on de way to you, an' you always had to be keerful
+so maybe bad spirits would leave you alone.
+
+"Pa built us a new kitchen, jus' lak what de white folkses had dem days.
+It sot out in de back yard, a little piece of a way from our house. He
+made it out of logs an' put a big old chimbly wid a big fireplace at one
+end. Benches wuz built 'roun' de sides for seats. Dere warn't no floor
+in it, but jus' dirt floor. Dat wuz one gran' kitchen an' us wuz mighty
+proud of it. [HW: p.4]
+
+"My w'ite folkses begged me not to leave 'em, when I told 'em I wuz
+gwine to marry Joe Telfair. I'd done been wukkin' for 'em nigh on to six
+years, an' wuz mos' twenty years old. Dey gimme my weddin' clo'es, an'
+when I seed dem clo'es I wuz one proud Nigger, 'cause dey wuz jus' lak I
+wanted. De nightgown wuz made out of white bleachin' an' had lots of
+tucks an' ruffles an' it even had puff sleeves. Sho' 'nough it did! De
+petticoat had ruffles an' puffs plum up to de wais' ban'. Dere wuz a
+cosset kiver dat wuz cut to fit an' all fancy wid tucks an' trimmin',
+an' de drawers, dey sho' wuz pretty, jus' full of ruffles an' tucks
+'roun' de legs. My dress wuz a cream buntin', lak what dey calls serge
+dese days. It had a pretty lace front what my ma bought from one of de
+Moss ladies. When I got all dressed up I wuz one mo' gran' lookin'
+bride.
+
+"Us got married in de new kitchen an' it wuz plum full, 'cause ma had
+done axed 76 folkses to de weddin'. Some of 'em wuz Joe's folkses, an'
+us had eight waiters: four gals, an' four boys. De same Preacher Brown
+what baptized me, married us an' den us had a big supper. My Missus,
+Lula Weir, had done baked a great big pretty cake for me an' it tasted
+jus' as good as it looked. Atter us et all us could, one of de waiters
+called de sets for us to dance de res' of de night. An' sich dancin' as
+us did have! Folkses don't know how to dance dat good no mo'. Dat wuz
+sho' nuff happy dancin'. Yes Ma'am, I ain't nebber gonna forgit what a
+gran' weddin' us had.
+
+"Next day us moved right here an' I done been here ever since. Dis place
+b'longed to Joe's gran'ma, an' she willed it to him. Us had 15 chillun,
+but ain't but five of 'em livin' now, an' Joe he's been daid for years.
+Us always made a good livin' on de farm, an' still raises mos' of what
+us needs, but I done got so po'ly I can't wuk no more.
+
+"I'se still tryin' to live right an' walk de narrow way, so as I kin go
+to Heb'en when I dies. I'se gwine to pray for you an' ax de Lawd to
+bless you, for you has been so good an' patient wid me, an' I'se sho'
+thankful my son sont you to see me. You done helped me to feel lots
+better. Good-bye, an' God bless you, an' please Ma'am, come back to see
+me again."
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE
+
+CORDELIA THOMAS, Age 80
+130 Berry Street
+Athens, Ga.
+
+Written by:
+Grace McCune [HW: (white)]
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+Leila Harris
+Augusta
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+
+
+A long, hot walk over rough, hilly roads brought the visitor to
+Cordelia's place just after the noon hour of a sweltering July day, and
+the shade of the tall water oaks near the little cabin was a most
+welcome sight. The house stood only a few feet from a spur of railroad
+track but the small yard was enclosed by a luxurious green hedge. Roses
+predominated among the many varieties of flowers in evidence on the
+otherwise drab premises.
+
+A dilapidated porch across the front of the residence had no roof and
+the floorboards were so badly rotted that it did not seem quite safe to
+walk from the steps to the front door where Cordelia stood waiting.
+"Come right in, Missy," she invited, "but be keerful not to fall through
+dat old porch floor." The tall, thin Negress was clad in a faded but
+scrupulously clean blue dress, a white apron, and a snowy headcloth
+crowned by a shabby black hat. Black brogans completed her costume.
+Cordelia led the way to the rear of a narrow hall. "Us will be cooler
+back here," she explained. Sunlight poured through gaping holes in the
+roof, and the coarse brown wrapping paper pasted on the walls was
+splattered and streaked by rain. The open door of Cordelia's bedroom
+revealed a wooden bed, a marble-topped bureau, and a washstand of the
+Victorian period. A rocker, two straight chairs, a small table, and a
+trunk completed the furnishings of the room and left but little space
+for its occupant to move about.
+
+"I'se jus' a mite tired," Cordelia stated, "'cause I jus' got back from
+de courthouse whar dem welfare 'omans done gimme a sack o' flour and
+some other bundles what I ain't opened up yit, but I knows dey's got
+somepin in 'em to holp me, 'cause dem folks is sho' been mighty good to
+me since my rheumatiz is been so bad I couldn't wuk enough to make a
+livin'. De doctor, he say I got de blood presser. I don't rightly know
+jus' what dat is, but it looks lak somepin's a-pressin' right down in my
+haid 'til I feels right foolish, so I reckon he's right 'bout it a-bein
+de blood presser. When I gits down on my knees it takes a long time for
+me to git straight up on my feet again. De Lord, He's done been wid me
+all dese years, and old Cordelia's goin' to keep right on kneelin' 'fore
+Him and praisin' Him often 'til He 'cides de time has come for her to go
+home to Heben.
+
+"I was borned on Marse Andrew Jackson's plantation down in 'Conee
+(Oconee) County, twixt here and High Shoals. Marse Andy, he owned my
+Mammy, and she was named Em'ly Jackson. Bob Lowe was my Daddy, and he
+b'longed to Marse Ike Lowe. The Lowe plantation was nigh whar Marse
+Andy's was, down der in 'Conee County. 'Cause neither one of deir
+marsters wouldn't sell one of 'em to de other marster, Mammy had to stay
+on de Jackson plantation and Daddy was kept right on wukin' on de Lowe
+place atter dey had done got married. Marse Bob, he give Daddy a ticket
+what let him go to see Mammy evvy Wednesday and Sadday night, and dem
+patterollers couldn't bother him long as he kept dat ticket. When dey
+did find a slave off his marster's plantation widout no ticket, it was
+jus' too bad, for dat meant a beatin' what most kilt him. Mammy said dey
+didn't never git my Daddy, 'cause he allus had his ticket to show.
+
+"I don't ricollect much 'bout days 'fore de big war ended 'cause I was
+so little den, but many's de time I heared Mammy and Daddy and de other
+old folks tell 'bout dem times. Us chillun had de bestes' time of
+anybody dem days, 'cause dey didn't 'low us to do nothin' but jus' eat
+all us could and play de rest of de time. I don't know how it was on
+other places, but dat was de way us was raised on our old marster's
+plantation.
+
+"De cracks of de log cabins whar de slaves lived was chinked wid red mud
+to keep out de cold and rain. Dere warn't no glass in de windows, dey
+jus' had plank shutters what dey fastened shut at night. Thin slide
+blocks kivvered de peepholes in de rough plank doors. Dey had to have
+dem peepholes so as dey could see who was at de door 'fore dey opened
+up. Dem old stack chimblies what was made out of sticks and red clay,
+was all time gittin' on fire. Dem old home-made beds had high posties
+and us called 'em 'teesters.' To take de place of springs, what hadn't
+never been seen 'round dar in dem days, dey wove heavy cords lengthways
+and crostways. Over dem cords dey laid a flat mat wove out of white oak
+splints and on dat dey put de homespun bed ticks stuffed wid wheat
+straw. Dey could have right good pillows if dey was a mind to pick de
+scrap cotton and fix it up, but dere warn't many of 'em keered dat much
+'bout no pillows.
+
+"Slaves didn't do no cookin' on our place 'cause Marster fed evvybody up
+at de big house. Missy, I ain't never gwine to forgit dat big old
+fireplace up dar. Dey piled whole sticks of cord wood on it at one time,
+wid little sticks crossways under 'em and, let me tell you, dat was a
+fire what would cook anything and evvything. De pots hung on swingin'
+racks, and dere was big ovens, little ovens, long-handled fryin' pans,
+and heavy iron skillets wid tight, thick lids. It sho' was a sight de
+way us chillun used to make 'way wid dem ash-roasted 'taters and dat
+good, fresh butter. Us chillun had to eat supper early 'cause all
+chillun had to be in bed 'fore dark. It warn't lak dese days. Why Missy,
+chilluns now stays up 'most all night runnin' 'round dese parts.
+
+"Marster was sho' good 'bout seein' dat his Niggers had plenty to eat
+and wear. For supper us et our bread and milk wid wooden spoons out of
+wooden bowls, but for dinner dey give us veg'ables, corn pone, and
+'taters. Marster raised all de sorts of veg'ables what dey knowed
+anything 'bout in dem days, and he had big old fields of wheat, rye,
+oats, and corn, 'cause he 'lowed dat stock had to eat same as folkses.
+Dere was lots of chickens, turkeys, cows, hogs, sheep, and some goats on
+dat plantation so as dere would allus be plenty of meat for evvybody.
+
+"Our Marster evermore did raise de cotton--lots of it to sell, and
+plenty for clothes for all de folkses, white and black, what lived on
+his place. All de cloth was home-made 'cept de calico for de best Sunday
+dresses. Chillun had to spin de thread and deir mammies wove de cloth.
+'Fore de end of de war, whilst I was still so little I had to stand on a
+box to reach de spinnin' wheel good, I could spin six reels a day.
+
+"Chillun was happy when hog-killin' time come. Us warn't 'lowed to help
+none, 'cept to fetch in de wood to keep de pot bilin' whar de lard was
+cookin'. Our Mist'ess allus had de lard rendered in de bigges' washpot,
+what dey sot on rocks in de fireplace. Us didn't mind gittin' de wood
+for dat, 'cause when dem cracklin's got done, dey let us have all us
+could eat and, jus' let me tell you, Missy, you ain't never had nothin'
+good 'less you has et a warm skin cracklin' wid a little salt. One time
+when dey was renderin' lard, all us chillun was crowdin' 'round close as
+us could git to see which one could git a cracklin' fust. Mist'ess told
+us to stand back 'fore somebody got burnt; den Mammy said she was gwine
+to take de hides off our backs 'bout gittin' so close to dat fire, and
+'bout dat time somebody 'hind me gimme a quick push; and in de fire I
+went. Marster grabbed me 'most time I hit dem red coals, but one hand
+and arm was burnt so bad I had to wear it in a sling for a long time.
+Den Marster laid down de law and told us what he would do if he cotch us
+chillun hangin' 'round de fire whar dey was cookin' lard again.
+
+"Folkses said our Marster must have a powerful sweet tooth on account of
+he kept so many bee hives. When bees swarmed folkses rung bells and beat
+on tin pans to git 'em settled. Veils was tied over deir haids to keep
+de bees from gittin' to deir faces when dey went to rob de hives.
+Chillun warn't never 'lowed to be nowhar nigh durin' dat job. One day I
+sneaked out and got up close to see how dey done it, and dem bees got
+all over me. Dey stung me so bad I couldn't see for days and days.
+Marster, he jus' fussed and said dat gal, Cordelia, she was allus whar
+she didn't b'long. Missy, I ain't never wanted to fool wid no more bees,
+and I don't even lak honey no more.
+
+"Slaves all went to church wid deir white folkses 'cause dere warn't no
+Nigger churches dem days. All de preachin' was done by white preachers.
+Churches warn't nigh and convenient dem days lak dey is now and dey was
+such a fur piece from de plantations dat most of de folkses stayed all
+day, and dem meetin' days was big days den. De cooks was told to fix de
+bestes' dinners dey could git up, and chillun was made to know dey had
+better mind what dey was 'bout when dey was in de meetin' house or it
+was gwine to be made mighty hot for 'em when dey got back home. Dat was
+one thing our Marster didn't 'low no foolin' 'bout. His Niggers had to
+be-have deyselfs at de meetin' house. 'Long 'bout August when craps was
+laid by, dey had brush arbor meetin's. White folks brought deir slaves
+and all of 'em listened to a white preacher from Watkinsville named Mr.
+Calvin Johnson. Dere was lots of prayin' and shoutin' at dem old brush
+arbor 'vival meetin's.
+
+"Dey had campmeetin's too. De old Freeman place was whar dey had some of
+dem fust campmeetin's, and Hillsboro, Mars Hill, and Bethabara was some
+of de other places whar Marster tuk us to campmeetin's. Missy, you jus'
+don't know nothin' 'bout 'citement if you ain't never been to one of dem
+old-time campmeetin's. When folkses would git 'ligion dey would holler
+and shout a-testifyin' for de Lord. Atter de meetin' dey dammed up de
+crick and let it git deep enough for de baptizin'. Dey dipped de white
+folkses fust, and den de Niggers. You could hear 'em singin' a mile away
+dem old songs lak: _On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand_,--_Roll, Jordan
+Roll_,--_All God's Chilluns is a-goin' Home_, and--_Whar de Livin'
+Waters Flow_. I jus' can't 'member half of dem good old songs 'cause my
+mem'ry ain't good as it used to be." Here Cordelia paused. She seemed
+oblivious to all around her for several minutes, and then she suddenly
+smiled. "Lordy, Missy," she began, "if I could jus' call back dem days
+wid our good old Marster to look atter us and see dat us had what us
+needed to eat and wear and a good comf'table cabin to live in, wouldn't
+dis be a happy old 'oman? Lots of de other old folks would lak it too,
+'cause our white folkses day sho' did take good keer of deir slaves.
+
+"Did you ever hear of dem logrollin's? On our place dey spent 'bout two
+whole days cookin' and gittin' ready. Marster axed evvybody from fur and
+nigh, and dey allus come 'cause dey knowed he was gwine to give 'em a
+good old time. De way dey rolled dem logs was a sight, and de more good
+corn liquor Marster passed 'round, de faster dem logs rolled. Come
+night-time, Marster had a big bonfire built up and sot lots of pitchpine
+torches 'round so as dere would be plenty of light for 'em to see how to
+eat dat fine supper what had done been sot out for 'em. Atter supper,
+dey danced nigh all de rest of de night. Mammy used to tell us 'bout de
+frolics next day, 'cause us chillun was made to go to bed at sundown.
+Come day, go day, no matter what might happen, growin' chillun had to be
+in bed at deir reg'lar time, but Mammy never forgot to tell us all 'bout
+de good times next day.
+
+"Mammy said dem cornshuckin's meant jus' as much fun and jollification
+as wuk. Dey gathered Marster's big corn crap and 'ranged it in long,
+high piles, and sometimes it tuk sev'ral days for dem cornshuckers to
+git it all shucked, but evvybody stayed right dar on de job 'til it was
+finished. At night, dey wukked by de light of big fires and torches, den
+dey had de big supper and started dancin'. Dey stopped so often to swig
+dat corn liquor Marster pervided for 'em dat 'fore midnight folkses
+started fallin' out and drappin' down in de middle of de dance ring. De
+others would git 'em by de heels and drag 'em off to one side 'til dey
+come to and was ready to drink more liquor and dance again. Dat was de
+way dey went on de rest of de night.
+
+"Corpses! Buryin's! Graveyards! Why, Miss, dere warn't nigh so many
+folkses a-dyin' all de time dem days as dere is now. Folkses lived right
+and was tuk better keer of and dere warn't so much reason for 'em to die
+out den. When somebody did die, folkses come from miles and miles around
+to de buryin'. Dey give de slaves de same sort of funerals de white
+folkses had. De corpses was washed good all over wid hot water and
+home-made soap, den dey was dressed and laid out on de coolin' boards
+'til de cyarpenter man had time to make up de coffins. Lordy, Missy,
+ain't you never seed no coolin' board? I 'spects dey is all gone now
+though. Dey looked a good deal lak ironin' boards, only dey had laigs to
+stand on. Lots of times dey didn't dress de corpses, but jus' wropped
+'em in windin' sheets. Dem home-made, pine coffins didn't look so bad
+atter dey got 'em painted up and lined nice. Dey driv de wagon what had
+de corpse on it right slow to de graveyard. De preacher talked a little
+and prayed; den atter de mourners had done sung somepin on de order of
+_Harps [HW: Hark?] From De Tomb_, dey shovelled in de dirt over de
+coffin whilst de preacher said comfortin' words to de fambly of de daid.
+Evvy plantation had its own graveyard wid a fence around it, and dere
+was a place in it for de slaves 'nigh whar deir white folks was buried.
+
+"Honey, didn't you never hear tell of Dr. Frank Jackson? He was sho' a
+grand doctor. Dr. Jackson made up his own medicines and toted 'em 'round
+wid him all de time. He was close kin to our Marse Andy Jackson's
+fambly. All dem Jacksons down in 'Conee was good white folks.
+
+"Us stayed on wid Old Marster for a little while atter de war was over,
+and den right away Mammy died and Daddy hired me out to Mrs. Sidney
+Rives (Reaves?). I 'spects one reason she was so mighty good to me was
+'cause I was so little den. I was nigh grown when I left her to wuk for
+Dr. Palmer's fambly. All his chillun was little den and I was deir nuss.
+One of de best of his chillun was little Miss Eunice. She is done growed
+to be a school teacher and dey tells me she is still a-teachin'. It
+warn't long atter my Daddy died dat I left de Palmers and started
+wukkin' for Mr. Dock Dorsey's fambly. If dere ever was a good Christian
+'oman in dis here old world it was Miss Sallie Dorsey, Mr. Dock Dorsey's
+wife. She had been Miss Sallie Chappell 'fore she married Mr. Dorsey.
+Miss Sallie tried to git evvybody what stayed 'round her to live right
+too, and she wanted all her help to go to church reg'lar. If Miss Sallie
+and Marse Dock Dorsey was livin' now, dey would pervide for Old 'Delia
+jus' lak dey used to do. All deir chillun was nice. Miss Fannie and Miss
+Sue, dey was extra good gals, but somehow I jus' can't call back de
+names of dem other ones now. Dey all had to be good wid de sort of mammy
+and daddy dey had. Miss Sallie, she was sick a long time 'fore she died,
+and dey let me wait on her. Missy, I tell you de gospel truth, I sho'
+did love dat 'oman. Not long 'fore she passed on to Heben, she told her
+husband dat atter she was gone, she wanted him to marry up wid her
+cousin, Miss Hargrove, so as he would have somebody to help him raise up
+her chillun, and he done 'zactly what she axed him to. All of my own
+white folkses has done died out, and Old 'Delia won't be here much
+longer. One of de Thorntons here--I forgits which one--married up wid my
+young Mist'ess, Rebecca Jackson. Her gal got married up wid Dr. Jago, a
+horse-doctor. A insurance man named Mr. Speer married into de Jackson
+fambly too. He moved his fambly from here to de mountains on account of
+his son's health, and I jus' los' track of 'em den.
+
+"Lordy, Chile! What you want to know 'bout my weddin' for, nowhow? Dere
+ain't never gwine to be no more weddin's lak dey had back dere in dem
+times 'cause folkses thinks dey got to have too much nowadays. When
+folkses got married den dey was a-thinkin' 'bout makin' sho' 'nough
+homes for deyselfs, and gittin' married meant somepin sort of holy.
+Mammy said dat most times when slaves got married dey jus' jumped
+backwards over a broomstick whilst deir Marster watched and den he
+pernounced dat dey was man and wife. Now dey is got to go to de
+courthouse and pay out good money for a license and den go git a
+preacher or somebody lak a jestice jedge to say de marriage words over
+'em.
+
+"Me and Solomon Thomas had to go buy us a license too, but us didn't
+mind 'bout 'puttin out 'dat money cause us was so much in love. I wore a
+pretty white dress and a breakfast shawl, and atter us had done went to
+de preacher man's house and got married, us come right on here to dis
+very house what had b'longed to Solomon's daddy 'fore it was Solomon's.
+Us built two more rooms on de house, but all de time Solomon lived us
+tried to keep de place lookin' a good deal lak it was de day us got
+married.
+
+"Atter Solomon died, I sold off most of de land to de railroad for de
+right of way for dat dere track what you sees out dere, and it sho' has
+made plenty of wuk for me to keep dat soot what dem engines is all time
+a-spittin' out cleaned off my things in de house. It draps down through
+dem big holes overhead, and I can't git hold of no money to have de roof
+patched up.
+
+"Me and Solomon, us had 11 chillun, but dey is all daid out but three.
+One of my boys is in Baltimore and another boy lives in Louisiana
+somewhar. My gal, Delia, she stays over in de Newtown part of Athens
+here. She would love to help her old Mammy, but my Delia's got chillun
+of her own and she can't git nothin' to do 'cept a little washin' for de
+white folkses, and she ain't able to pervide what her own household
+needs to eat. Dem boys of mine is done got so fur off dey's done forgot
+all 'bout deir old Mammy.
+
+"When us fust got married, Solomon wukked at Mr. Orr's cotton house, and
+he stayed dere a long time 'fore he went to wuk for Mr. Moss and Mr.
+Levy. All dem white folks was good to me and Solomon. I kept on wukkin'
+for de Dorseys 'til us had so many chillun I had to stay home and look
+atter 'em. Solomon got sick and he lay dere sufferin' a long, long time,
+but Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy seed dat he didn't want for nothin'. Even
+atter Solomon died dem good white mens kept on comin' out now and den to
+see if me and Solomon's chillun had what us needed.
+
+"Solomon, my Solomon, he went out of dis here world, in dat dere room
+whar you sees dat old bed, and dat is perzactly whar I wants to be when
+de Blessed Lord lays his hands on me and tells me to come on Home to
+Glory. I wants to be toted out of dat room, through dis hall and on out
+to de graveyard jus' lak my man was. I knows dat evvything would be done
+nice jus' lak I wants it if Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy was a-livin' 'cause
+dey was both Masons, and members of de Masons is all done swore a oath
+to look atter deir own folkses. Dey said Solomon and his fambly was lak
+deir own folkses, Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy did. Most of de folkses, both
+white and black, dat I has knowed and loved has done gone on over de
+Jordan, out of dis world of trouble, and it will be happy days for all
+of us when us meets again in de place 'of many mansions' whar dere won't
+be nothin' for none of us to pester ourselfs 'bout no more.
+
+"All of my life, I'se had a great desire to travel, jus' to go evvywhar,
+but atter all dese years of busy livin' I 'spects all de trav'lin' I'll
+ever do will be on de road to Glory. Dat will be good enough for me
+'cause I got so many more of 'em I loves over dar dan is left here."
+
+As the visitor passed out of earshot of Cordelia's cabin the last words
+she heard from the old Negress were: "Good-bye again, Missy. Talkin' to
+you has been a heap of consolation to me."
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist-2
+Ex Slave #105]
+Alberta Minor
+Re-search Worker
+
+FOLKLORE
+EX-SLAVE--IKE THOMAS
+Heidt Bridges Farm near Rio Georgia
+Interviewed
+
+September 4, 1936
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed or meaning was significantly changed, it has been noted.]
+
+
+Ike Thomas was born near Monticello in Jasper County on the Thomas
+plantation. His mother and father were sold when he was a little boy,
+and "Missus" Thomas, in picking her house boy, took Ike to raise for a
+carriage boy. She picked her little niggers by the way they wore their
+hats. If they set them on the back of their heads, they grew up to be
+"high-minded", but if they pulled them over their eyes, they'd grow up
+to be "sneaky and steal".
+
+Mrs. Thomas let him sleep on a trundle bed pulled out at night and put
+under her bed in the day and fed him under the table. She'd put a piece
+of meat in a biscuit and hand it down to him and warned him if they had
+company not to holler when he was thru so he'd touch her on the knee but
+his mouth was so big and he'd eat so fast that he "jes kep' on teching
+her on the knee."
+
+During the war, when they got word the Yankees were coming, Mrs. Thomas
+would hide her "little niggers" sometimes in the wardrobe back of her
+clothes, sometimes between the mattresses, or sometimes in the cane
+brakes. After the Yankees left, she'd ring a bell and they would know
+they could come out of hiding. (When they first heard the slaves were
+free, they didn't believe it so they just stayed on with their "white
+folks".) [HW: Transpose to page 3.]
+
+If the negroes were mean or ran away, they would be chased by hounds and
+brought back for punishment.
+
+When still a young man, Ike ran away with a negro couple coming in a
+buggy to Blanton Mill near Griffin and worked for Mr. William Blanton
+until he died. After he had been here a while, he got married. His
+wife's people had the wedding supper and party. He was a fiddler so had
+to fiddle most all night then the next day his "white folks" gave him
+the food for the wedding dinner that he had at his own house.
+
+Ike says every seven [HW: 7] years the locusts come and its sure to be
+a short crop that "God sends all sorts of cusses" (curses) sometimes
+its the worms that eat the cotton or the corn or the bugs that eat the
+wheat. He doesn't believe in "hants" or "conjurin'". It seems Sid
+Scott was a "mean nigger", [HW: and] everyone was afraid of [HW: him].
+He was cut in two by the saw mill and after his funeral whenever
+anyone pass his house at night that could hear his "hant" going
+"rat-a-tat-tat-bang, bang, bang" like feet running.
+
+One night when Ike was coming home from "fiddlin'" at a white folks
+party, he had to pass Scott's house. Now they kept the cotton seed in
+half of the house and the other half was empty. When Ike got close, he
+made a racket and sure enough the noise started. "The moon was about an
+hour up" and he saw these funny white things run out from under the
+house and scatter. It scared him at first but he looked and looked and
+saw they were sheep that [HW: having] found a hole into the cotton seed
+would go in at night to eat.
+
+Before the war the negroes had a big celebration on the 4th of July, a
+big barbecue, ball game, wrestling matches, lots of music and singing.
+They had to have a pass from their Masters to attend and pay to get in.
+The "patta-roll" came by to see your pass and if you didn't have one,
+they'd whip you and send you home. [HW: When the Negroes first heard
+that they were free, they didn't believe it so they just stayed on with
+their white folks.]
+
+After he came to Blanton's, the Negroes could come and go as they
+pleased for they were free. Ike has been a member of several "Societies"
+but something has always happened to the President and Secretary or they
+ran off with the money so now he just has a sick and accident policy.
+
+Ike will be 94 years old next month. His hair is white, his eyes blurred
+with age, but he's quite active tho' he does walk with a stick.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist 1
+Ex-Slave #107]
+
+JANE MICKENS TOOMBS OF WASHINGTON-WILKES
+Age approx. 82
+
+by
+Minnie Branham Stonestreet
+Washington-Wilkes
+GEORGIA
+[Date Stamp: JAN 26 1937]
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+A story of happiness and contentment on a big plantation where there
+were "a heap of us slaves" is told by Jane Mickens Toombs who said she
+was "five er six years ole when de Wah come on (1860), or maby a lit'le
+ol'er."
+
+She is a bright old woman, well and spry despite the fact she "wuz
+conjured onst when I wuz young an' dat lef' me lame an' dis eye plum'
+out an' de t'other bad."
+
+When asked about the conjuring she said: "No'm, I don't 'zackly know how
+t'wuz, but enyhow somebody whut knowed how ter 'wu'k roots' got me lame
+on dis side, an' my eye out, jess kase I wuz a decent, nice lookin' gal,
+an' went on 'tendin' ter my business an' payin' dem no mind. Dat's de
+way dey done in dem days, jess jealous of nice colored niggers. Yassum,
+I wuz sick fer nigh on ter two years an' de doctuhs never knowed what
+ailed me. Dey done everything dey could, but I wuz conjured an' dey
+couldn't hep' me. A doctuh-man frum up yander in New Yalk cum down here
+ter see his folks, an' he tried to kure [HW: cyore] me, but doctuhs
+kain't [HW: kaan't] kure [HW: cyore] conjured folks, so I had ter lay
+an' suffer 'til de conjure wore out. Dem whut done dat knowed dey done
+me wrong, but I kep' trustin' in my Lawd, an' now dey's gone an' I'se er
+stumblin' roun' yit. No mam, I never knowed jess whut dey done ter me,
+but hit wuz bad, I kin tell yer dat, hit might nigh kilt me."
+
+Aunt Jane was born on the Gullatt Plantation on the line of Wilkes and
+Lincoln counties. Her Mother was Liza Gullatt and her father John
+Mickens who belonged to Mr. Augustus McMekin. "Yassum, my Pa wuz John
+'Mickens an' his Marster bought him in Alabamy. All de slaves whut
+belonged to de McMekins called dey selves 'Mickens. I wuz one of fifteen
+chillun an' cum er long in betweenst de oldest 'uns an' de youngest
+sum'ers. I wuz named fer my Mistess Jane Gullatt whut died. Young Marse
+George Gullatt choosed me out, dough, an' I'd er been his'en ef Freedom
+hadn't er come. You know dat's de way dey use ter do back in slavery
+time, de young Mistesses an' Marsters choosed out de little niggers dey
+wanted fer their'n."
+
+This is another case where the father and mother belonged to different
+families. The father had a pass to go and come as he pleased, although
+his family lived a little distance away. Jane said her father's master
+would have bought her mother if the War hadn't come on and they were set
+free.
+
+Jane told of the log cabins in the Quarters where all the negroes lived.
+She said they were all in a row "wid er street in de front, er wide
+street all set thick wid white mulberry trees fer ter mak' shade fer de
+chillun ter play in." They never had any punishment only [HW: except]
+switchings by their Mistess, and that was not often. They played dolls,
+"us had home-made rag dolls, nice 'uns, an' we'd git dem long grass
+plumes (Pampas grass) an' mak' dolls out'n dem too. Us played all day
+long every day. My Mistess' chillun wuz all growed up so jess us little
+niggers played tergether.
+
+"My Mother spun an' wove de cloth, an' dyed hit, but our Mistess made
+our clothes. My Grandma, Nancy, wuz de cook an' she fed all de little
+'uns in de big ole kitchen whut sot out in de yard. She had a tray she
+put our victuals on an Uh, Uh, whut good things we had ter eat, an' er
+plenty of everything! Us et jess whut our white folks had, dey didn't
+mak' no difference in us when hit cum ter eatin'. My Grandaddy looked
+atter de meat, he done everything 'bout dat, an' he sho' knowed how ter
+fix it, too.
+
+"De fust thing I recollects is bein' round in de kitchen when dey wuz
+makin' ginger cakes an' my Mistess givin' me de pan she made 'em in fer
+me ter sop hit out. Dey ain't nothin' whut smells good lak' de cookin'
+in dem days, I kain't smell no victuals lak' dat now. Everything wuz
+cooked on a big ole open fire place in one end of de kitchen. Dem good
+ole days done gone now. Folkes done got wiser an' wickeder--dey ain't
+lak' dey use ter be."
+
+At Christmas Santa Claus found his way to the Quarters on the Gollatt
+plantation and each little slave had candy, apples, and "sich good
+things as dat." Aunt Jane gave a glowing description of the preparation
+for the Christmas season: "Lawdy, how de folks wu'ked gittin' ready fer
+Chris'mus, fer three er fo' days dey stayed in de kitchen er cookin' an'
+er bakin'--daye wuz de bes' light bread--great big loaves baked on de
+fire place, an' cakes an' mo' good ginger cakes. Dey wuz plenty cooked
+up to las' er long time. An' another thing, dare want no cookin' on
+Sunday, no mam, no wu'k of no kind. My Mistess had de cook cookin' all
+day Fridays an' Saddays so when Sunday come dare wuz hot coffee made an'
+dat wuz all, everything else wuz cooked up an' cold. Everybody went to
+Church, de grown folks white and black, went to de preachin' an' den all
+de little niggers wuz called in an de Bible read an' 'splained ter dem.
+
+"Dare wuz preachin' down in de Quarters, but dat wuz at night an' wuz
+led by de colored preachers. I recollects one night dare wuz a service
+gwine on in one of de cabins an' all us wuz dare an' ole Uncle Alex
+Frazier wuz up a linin' off a hymn 'bout
+
+ 'Broad is de road dat leads ter Death
+ An' there an' here we travel.'
+
+when in come some mens atter a colored feller whut had stole some sheep
+an' hogs. Dey kotch 'im, but sho broke up de meetin'. In de hot summer
+time Uncle George Gullatt use ter preach ter de slaves out under de
+trees. Uncle George waz a kind of er preacher.
+
+"My Pa didn't 'low his chillun ter go 'roun'. No'm, he kep' us home
+keerful lak. Young folks in dem days didn't go all over de country lak
+dey does now, dey stayed at home, an' little chillun wuz kep' back an'
+dey didn' know no badness lak de chillun do terday. Us never even heared
+de ole folks talk nothin' whut we oughtn't ter hear. Us jess played an'
+stayed in a child's place. When we wuz sick de white folks seed dat we
+wuz 'tended to. Dey use ter mak Jerusalem Oak candy an' give us. Dey
+took de leaves of dat bush an' boiled 'em an' den use dat water dey wuz
+boiled in an' put sugar 'nough in hit ter mak candy. An dey used plenty
+of turpentine on us too--plenty ov hit, an' I believes in dat terday,
+hit's er good medicine."
+
+When asked about the War, Aunt Jane said she didn't remember much about
+it. "But dare's one thing 'bout hit I sho' does 'member, an' dat's my
+young Mistess Beckie's husband, Mr. Frazier, being off fightin' in de
+Wah, an' she gittin' er letter frum him sayin' he wuz comin' home sich
+an' sich er day. She wuz so happy she had all de grown slaves wu'kin'
+gittin' ready fer him. Den dey brung her er letter sayin' he had been
+kilt, an' she wuz in de yard when she read hit an' if dey hadn't er
+kotch her she'd ov fell. I 'members de women takin' her in de house an'
+gittin' her ter bed. She wuz so up sot an' took hit so hard. Dem wuz
+sho' hard times an' sad 'uns too. 'Course I wuz too small ter know much
+whut wuz gwine on, but I could tell hit wuz bad frum de way de older
+folks looked.
+
+"I recollects when dey say Freedom had cum. Dare wuz a speakin' fer de
+slaves up here in town in Barnett's Grove. Dat mornin' Ole Miss sont all
+de oldes' niggers to de speakin' an' kep' us little 'uns dat day. She
+kep' us busy sweepin' de yards an' sich as dat. An' she cooked our
+dinner an' give hit to us herself. I 'members de grown folks leavin'
+early dat mornin' in a great big waggin.
+
+"A while after de Wah, Pa took us over to de McMekins place an' we lived
+dare fer a long time. He died an' lef' us an' den us had ter do de bes'
+we could. Col. Tolbert hired me fer ter nuss his chillun an' I went over
+ter his place ter live."
+
+Aunt Jane said she isn't superstitious, but likes to see the new moon
+clear and bow to it for good luck. She said it is better to show it a
+piece of money, but as she doesn't always have money handy, she "jess
+bows to hit nice an' polite". She keeps up with the weather by her
+rheumatism and the cat: "Ef I has de reumatics I knows hit's gwine ter
+rain, an' when de cat comes 'round an' sets washin' her face, look fer
+rain, kase hit's er comin'. I've heared folks say dat hit's bad luck ter
+stump yo' lef' foot, but I don't know boud dat. But I tell yer, when I
+meets er cat I allus turns er round 'fore I goes on, dat turns de bad
+luck er way."
+
+When 19 years of age Jane married Albert Toombs. He belonged to the
+Toombs family of Wilkes county. Aunt Jane said Albert brought her many
+gifts while he was courting: "He warnt much on bringin' candy an'
+nothin' lak dat ter eat, but he brung me shawls an' shoes--sumpin' I
+could wear." They had four children, but only one is living.
+
+"When I wuz a growin' up", said Aunt Jane, "folks had ter wu'k." She
+worked on the farm, spun, wove, "done seamster wu'k" and knitted
+stockings, sox and gloves. She said she carded too, "an' in dem times ef
+a nigger wanted ter git de kinks out'n dey hair, dey combed hit wid de
+cards. Now dey puts all kinds ov grease on hit, an' buy straightenin'
+combs. Sumpin' dat costs money, dat's all dey is, old fashion cards'll
+straighten hair jess as well as all dis high smellin' stuff dey sells
+now."
+
+Aunt Jane likes to tell of those days of long ago. Her memory is
+excellent and she talks well. She says she is living out her Miss Jane's
+time. "Yassum, my Miss Jane died when she wuz so young, I specks I jess
+livin' out her days kase I named fer her. But I does miss dem good ole
+days whut's gone. I'se hungry fer de sight ov a spinnin' wheel--does you
+know whare's one? Things don't look lak' dey use ter, an' as fer whut we
+has ter eat, dare ain't no victuals ever smelled an' et as good as dem
+what dey use ter have on de plantation when I wuz a comin' on. Yassum,
+folkes has got wiser an' know mo' dan dey did, but dey is wickeder--dey
+kills now 'stid er conjurin' lak' dey did me."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 7
+Ex-slave #108]
+District 7
+Adella S. Dixon
+
+PHIL TOWNS
+OLD SLAVE STORY
+[Date Stamp: -- 8 1937]
+
+[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed, meaning was significantly changed, or the edit could not be
+clearly read, it has been noted.]
+
+
+On June 25, 1824, a son was born to Washington and Clara Towns who
+resided in Richmond, Virginia. This was the fourth child in a family
+which finally numbered thirteen. Phil, as he was called, does not recall
+many incidents on this estate as the family moved when he was in his
+teens. His grandfather and grandmother were brought here from Africa and
+their description of the cruel treatment they received is his most vivid
+recollection. His grandmother, Hannah, lived to be 129 years of age.
+
+Mr. George Towns, called "Governor" by all of his slaves as well as his
+intimate friends, moved to Georgia and settled at Reynolds in Taylor
+County. Here he purchased a huge tract of land--1350 acres--and built
+his new home upon this level area on the Flint River. The "big house," a
+large unpainted structure which housed a family of eighteen, was in the
+midst of a grove of trees near the highway that formed one of the
+divisions of the plantation. It was again divided by a local railway
+nearly a mile from the rear of the house. Eighty-eight slaves were
+housed in the "quarters" which were on each side of the highway a little
+below the planter's home.
+
+These "quarters" differed from those found in the surrounding territory
+as the size of the houses varied with the number in the family. The
+interiors were nicely furnished and in most instances the families were
+able to secure any furniture they desired. Feather mattresses, trundle
+beds and cribs were common and in families where there were many
+children, large fireplaces--some as many as eight feet wide--were
+provided so that every one might be [TR: 'able to keep' crossed out]
+comfortable in winter. A variety of cooking utensils were given and
+large numbers of waffle irons, etc., then considered luxuries, were
+found here.
+
+To consider only the general plan of operation, this plantation was no
+different from the average one in pre-civil war days but there was a
+phase of the life here which made it a most unusual home. "Governor" was
+so exceptionally kind to his slaves that they were known as "Gov. Towns'
+free negroes" to those on the neighboring farms. He never separated
+families, neither did he strike a slave except on rare occasions. Two
+things which might provoke his anger to this extent, were: to be told a
+lie, and to find that a person had allowed some one to take advantage of
+him. They were never given passes but obtained verbal consent to go
+where they wished and always remained as long as they chose.
+
+Phil Towns' father worked in the field and his mother did light work in
+the house, such as assisting in spinning. Mothers of three or more
+children were not compelled to work, as the master felt that their
+children needed care. From early childhood boys and girls were given
+excellent training. A boy who robbed a bird's nest or a girl who
+frolicked in a boisterous manner was severely reprimanded. Separate
+bedrooms for the two sexes were maintained until they married. The girls
+passed thru two stages--childhood, and at sixteen they became "gals".
+Three years later they might marry if they chose but the husband had to
+be older--at least 21. Courtships differed from those of today because
+there were certain hours for visiting and even though the girl might
+accompany her sweetheart away from home she had to be back at that hour.
+They had no clocks but a "time mark" was set by the sun. A young man was
+not allowed to give his girl any form of gift, and the efforts of some
+girls to secretly receive gifts which they claimed to have "found", were
+in vain, for these were taken from them. After the proposal, the
+procedure was practically the same as is observed today. The consent of
+the parent and the master was necessary. Marriages were mostly held at
+night and no pains were spared to make them occasions to be remembered
+and cherished. Beautiful clothes--her own selections--were given the
+bride, and friends usually gave gifts for the house. These celebrations,
+attended by visitors from many plantations, and always by the Towns
+family, ended in gay "frolics" with cakes, wine, etc., for refreshments.
+
+During the first year of married life the couple remained with the
+bride's mother who instructed her in the household arts. Disputes
+between the newlyweds were not tolerated and punishment by the parents
+was the result of "nagging". At the end of a year, another log cabin was
+added to the quarters and the couple began housekeeping. The moral code
+was exceedingly high; the penalty for offenders--married or single,
+white or colored--was to be banished from the group entirely. Thus
+illegitimate children were rare enough to be a novelty.
+
+Young Phil was in his teens when he began his first job--coach driver
+for "Gov." Towns. This was just before they moved to Georgia. He
+traveled with him wherever he went, and as the Gov. purchased a
+plantation in Talbot County, (the house still stands), and a home in
+Macon, (the site of Mt. De Sales Academy), a great deal of his time was
+spent on the road. Phil never did any other work except to occasionally
+assist in sweeping the large yard. The other members of this group split
+rails, did field work, spinning, tailoring and any of the many things
+that had to be done. Each person might choose the type of work he liked
+best.
+
+Opportunities to make cash money were plentiful. Some made baskets and
+did hand work which was sold and the money given the maker. A man or
+woman who paid Gov. Towns $150.00 might hire himself to the Gov. for a
+year. When this was done he was paid cash for all the work he did and
+many were able to clear several hundred dollars in a year. In addition
+to this opportunity for earning money, every adult had an acre of ground
+which he might cultivate as he chose. Any money made from the sale of
+this produce was his own.
+
+Recreation was not considered important so no provision was made in the
+regular routine. It was, however, possible to obtain "time off" at
+frequent intervals and these might be termed irregular vacation periods.
+Evening entertainment at which square dancing was the main attraction,
+were common. Quill music, from a homemade harmonica, was played when
+banjoes were not available. These instruments were made by binding with
+cane five to ten reeds of graduated lengths. A hole was cut in the upper
+end of each and the music obtained by blowing up and down the scale.
+Guests came from all neighboring farms and engaged in the "Green Corn"
+dance which was similar to what is now called Buck dancing. Near the end
+of such a hilarious evening, the guests were served with persimmon beer
+and ginger cakes,--then considered delicacies.
+
+"Gov." Towns was interested in assisting any one [HW: wanting to learn].
+[TR: Original reads 'desirous of learning.'] The little girls who
+expressed the desire to become "ladies" were kept in the "big house" and
+very carefully trained. The tastes of these few were developed to the
+extent that they excelled the ordinary "quarter" children and were the
+envy of the group at social affairs.
+
+Sunday was a day of Reverence and all adults were required to attend
+religious services. The trip was usually made in wagons, oxcarts, etc.,
+although the young women of the big house rode handsome saddle horses.
+At each church there was placed a stepping block by which they descended
+from their steeds. White and colored worshipped at the same church,
+constructed with a partition separating the two parts of the
+congregation but not extending to the pulpit. Professions of faith were
+accepted at the same altar while Baptismal services ware held at a local
+creek and all candidates were baptized on the same day. Regular clothing
+was worn at this service. Children were not allowed to attend church,
+and christenings were not common. Small boys, reared entirely apart from
+strict religious observances, used to slip away and shoot marbles on
+Sunday.
+
+The health problem was not acute as these people were provided with
+everything necessary for a contented mind and a robust body. [TR:
+original line: The health problem was not a very acute one as these
+people were provided with everything conducive to a contented mind which
+plays a large part in maintaining a robust body.] However, a Doctor who
+lived nearby cared for the sick. Two fees were set--the larger one being
+charged if the patient recovered. Home remedies were used for minor
+ills--catnip tea for thrash, tea from Samson Snakeroot for cramps,
+redwood and dogwood bark tea [HW: and horehound candy] for worms, [HW:
+many] root teas used [HW: medicinally] by this generation. Peach brandy
+was given to anyone suspected of having pneumonia,--if the patient
+coughed, it was certain that he was a victim of the disease.
+
+In these days, a mother named her children by a name [TR: unreadable]
+during pregnancy. [TR: original line: In these days, it was always
+thought best for the mother to name her children if the proper name for
+the babe was theoretically revealed to her during pregnancy.] If another
+name was given the child, the correct one would be so firmly implanted
+in his subconscious mind that he would never be able to resist the
+impulse to turn his head when that name was called. The seventh child
+was always thought to be exceptionally lucky, and [TR: unreadable HW
+replaces 'the bond of affection between the parents and this child was
+greater']. This belief persists today in many localities.
+
+Every family was given a weekly supply of food but this was more for
+convenience than anything else as they were free to eat anything their
+appetites called for. They killed chickens, ate vegetables, meats, etc.
+at any time. The presence of guests at the "quarters" roused Mrs. Towns
+to activity and she always helped to prepare the menu. One of her
+favorite items was chicken--prepared four different ways, in pie, in
+stew, fried, and baked. She gave full directions for the preparation of
+these delicacies to unskilled cooks. Pound cake was another favorite and
+she insisted that a pound of butter and a dozen eggs be used in each
+cake. When the meal was nearly ready, she usually made a trip to the
+cabin to see if it had been well prepared. The hostess could always tell
+without any comment whether she had satisfied her mistress, for if she
+had, a serving was carried back to the big house. Fishing was a form of
+remunerative recreation enjoyed by all. Everyone usually went on
+Saturday afternoon, but if only a few made the trip, the catch was
+shared by all.
+
+Sewing was no easy job as there were few small women among the servants.
+The cloth made at home, was plentiful, however, and sufficient clothing
+was made for all. Some persons preferred making their own clothes and
+this privilege was granted; otherwise they were made in a common sewing
+room. Ten yards was the average amount of cloth in a dress, homespun and
+gingham, the usual materials. The men wore suits of osnaburg and jeans.
+This was dyed to more durable colors through the use of [HW: with]
+indigo [HW: (blue)] and a dye made from railroad bark (brown).
+
+Phil believes that the screeching of an owl, the bellowing of a cow, and
+the howling of a dog after dark are signs of death because the [HW:
+immediate] death of a human being is revealed to animals, which [TR:
+illegible. 'in turn'?] warn humans. Though we may find some way to rid
+ourselves of the fear of the warning--the death will occur just the
+same.
+
+On nearly all plantations there were some slaves who, trying to escape
+work, hid themselves in the woods. [TR: original line: On nearly all
+plantations there were some slaves who did not wish to work,
+consequently, for this, or similar reasons, hid themselves in the
+woods.] They smuggled food to their hiding place by night, and remained
+away [HW: lost] in some instances, many months. Their belief in
+witchcraft caused them to resort to most ridiculous means of avoiding
+discovery. Phil told the story of a man who visited a conjurer to obtain
+a "hand" for which he paid fifty dollars in gold. The symbol was a
+hickory stick which he used whenever he was being chased, and in this
+manner warded off his pursuers. The one difficulty in this procedure was
+having to "set up" at a fork or cross roads. Often the fugitive had to
+run quite a distance to reach such a spot, but when the stick was so
+placed human beings and even bloodhounds lost his trail. With this
+assistance, he was able to remain in the woods as long as he liked.
+
+Snakes ware frequent visitor in the cabins of the "quarters". One
+morning while Betty, a cook, was confined to bed, she sent for Mrs.
+Towns to tell her that a snake had lain across her chest during the
+previous night and had tried to get under the cover where her young baby
+lay asleep. Mrs. Towns was skeptical about the size and activities of
+the reptile but sent for several men to search the house. They had given
+up the search when one chanced to glance above the sick woman's bed and
+there lay the reptile on a shelf. The bed was roped and moved to another
+part of the room and preparations made to shoot him. Quilts were piled
+high on the bed so that the noise of the gun would not frighten the
+baby. When all was ready Mrs. Towns asked the old man with the gun--
+
+"Daddy Luke, can you _kill_ the snake?"
+
+"Yessum, mistress," he replied.
+
+"Daddy Luke, can you _kill_ the snake?"
+
+"Yessum, mistress."
+
+"Daddy Luke, can you _kill_ the snake?"
+
+"Yessum, mistress."
+
+"Shoot!!"
+
+He took careful aim and fired. The huge reptile rolled to the floor.
+
+When the men returned to the yard to work near the woodpile, the mate
+was discovered by one of the dogs that barked until a log was moved and
+the second snake killed.
+
+[HW: In those days] small snakes were not feared and for several years
+it was customary for women to carry a tiny green snake in their bosoms.
+This fad was discontinued when one of the women was severely injured
+through a bite on her chest.
+
+Phil remembers when the stars fell in 1833. "They came down like rain,"
+he said. When asked why he failed to keep some, he replied that he was
+afraid to touch them even after they became black.
+
+[TR: The following paragraphs contain many crossouts replaced by
+unreadable handwritten edits, and will be indicated by: 'deleted words'
+replaced by ??.]
+
+Freedom was discussed on the plantation [TR: ??] for many years before
+the Civil War began. As contented as [TR: 'they' replaced by ??] were
+[TR: 'there was something to look forward to when they thought of'
+replaced by ??] being absolutely free. An ex-slave's description of the
+real cause of the Civil War, deserves a place here. It seems that
+Lincoln had sent several messages to Davis requesting that he free the
+slaves. No favorable response was received. Lincoln had a conference
+with Mr. Davis and to this meeting he carried a Bible and a gun. He
+tried in vain to convince Davis that he was wrong according to the
+Bible, so he finally threw the two upon the table and asked Davis to
+take his choice. He chose the gun. Lincoln grasped the Bible and rushed
+home. Thus Davis _began_ the war but Lincoln had God on his side and so
+he _ended_ it.
+
+One of Gov. Towns' sons went to the army and Phil was sent to care for
+him while he was there; an aristocratic man never went to the war
+without his valet. His [HW: Phil's] duty was to cook for him, keep his
+clothes clean, and to bring the body home if he was killed. Poor
+soldiers were either buried [HW: where they fell] or left lying on the
+field for vultures to consume. Food was not so plentiful in the [TR:
+'army' replaced by ??] and their diet of flapjacks and canned goods was
+varied only by coffee and whiskey given when off duty. All cooking was
+done between two battles or during the lull in a battle. John Towns was
+soon sent back home as they [HW: the officers] felt he was too [TR:
+'valuable a Southerner' crossed out] important to be killed in battle,
+and his services were needed at home.
+
+Near the close of the war, Sherman made a visit to this vicinity. As was
+his usual habit, he had [TR: 'obtained' replaced by 'learned'?] the
+reputation of Gov. Towns before he arrived. He found conditions so ideal
+[TR: 'that not one thing was touched' replaced by ??]. He talked with
+[HW: slaves and owners, he] went [TR: 'gaily' deleted] on his way. Phil
+was so impressed by Sherman that he followed him and camped with the
+Yankees about where Central City Park is now. He thought that anything a
+Yankee said was true. [HW: When] One [HW: of them] gave him a knife and
+told him to go and cut the first man he met, he followed instructions
+even though he knew the man. [HW: Later] Realizing how foolishly he had
+acted, he readily apologized and explained why. [HW: The Yankee soldiers
+robbed beehives barehanded and were never stung, they] seemed to fear
+nothing but lizards. Never having seen such reptiles they would run in
+terror at the sight of one. The Confederates never discovered this.
+
+After the close of the war they [HW: federal soldiers] were stationed in
+the towns to keep order. Union flags were placed everywhere, and a
+Southerner was accused of not respecting the flag if he even passed
+under one without bowing. Penalties for this offense were, to be hung up
+by the thumbs, to carry greasy [HW: greased] poles for a certain time,
+and numerous other punishments which caused a deal of discomfort to the
+victims but sent the soldiers and ex-slaves into peals of laughter. The
+sight of a Yankee soldier sent a Confederate one into hysteria.
+
+[HW: Phil says his fellow] slaves laughed when told they were free, but
+Gov. Towns was almost indifferent. His slaves, he said, were always
+practically free, so a little legal form did not [TR: 'add' replaced by
+??] much to them. Nearly every one remained there and worked for wages.
+
+For the past thirty-five years, Phil Towns has been almost totally
+disabled. Long life seems no novelty to him for he says everyone used to
+live longer when they honored their elders more. He has eighty-four
+relatives in Virginia--all older than he, but states that friends who
+have visited there say he looks more aged than any of them. His great
+desire is to return to Virginia, as he believes he will be able to find
+the familiar landmarks in spite of the changes that have taken place.
+
+Mr. Alex Block, of Macon, makes no charges for the old shack in which
+Phil lives; his food furnished by the Department of Public Welfare is
+supplemented by interested friends.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE
+
+NEAL UPSON, Age 81
+450 4th Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Miss Grace McCune [HW: (White)]
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+August 5, 1938
+
+
+Alternate rain and sunshine had continued for about 10 days and the
+ditches half filled with water, slippery banks of red clay, and the
+swollen river necessitating a detour, added to the various difficulties
+that beset the interviewer as she trudged through East Athens in search
+of Neal Upson's shabby, three-room, frame house. A magnificent water oak
+shaded the vine-covered porch where a rocking chair and swing offered a
+comfortable place to rest.
+
+"Good mornin', Miss," was the smiling greeting of the aged Negro man who
+answered a knock on the front door. "How is you? Won't you come in? I
+would ax you to have a cheer on the porch, but I has to stay in de house
+cause de light hurts my eyes." He had hastily removed a battered old
+felt hat, several sizes too large for him, and as he shuffled down the
+hall his hair appeared almost white as it framed his black face. His
+clean, but faded blue overalls and shirt were patched in several places
+and heavy brogans completed his costume. The day was hot and humid and
+he carefully placed two chairs where they would have the advantage of
+any breeze that might find its way through the open hallway.
+
+"Miss, I'se mighty glad you come today," he began, "cause I does git so
+lonesome here by myself. My old 'oman wuks up to de court'ouse, cookin'
+for de folkses in jail, and it's allus late when she gits back home.
+'Scuse me for puttin' my old hat back on, but dese old eyes jus' can't
+stand de light even here in the hall, less I shades 'em."
+
+When asked to tell the story of his life, he chuckled. "Lawsy, Missy,"
+he said. "Does you mean dat you is willin' to set here and listen to old
+Neal talk? 'Tain't many folkses what wants to hear us old Niggers talk
+no more. I jus' loves to think back on dem days 'cause dem was happy
+times, so much better'n times is now. Folkses was better den. Dey was
+allus ready to holp one another, but jus' look how dey is now!
+
+"I was borned on Marster Frank Upson's place down in Oglethorpe County,
+nigh Lexin'ton, Georgy. Marster had a plantation, but us never lived dar
+for us stayed at de home place what never had more'n 'bout 80 acres of
+land 'round it. Us never had to be trottin' to de sto' evvy time us
+started to cook, 'cause what warn't raised on de home place, Marster had
+'em raise out on de big plantation. Evvything us needed t'eat and wear
+was growed on Marse Frank's land.
+
+"Harold and Jane Upson was my Daddy and Mammy; only folkses jus' called
+Daddy 'Hal.' Both of 'em was raised right der on de Upson place whar dey
+played together whilst dey was chillun. Mammy said she had washed and
+sewed for Daddy ever since she was big enough, and when dey got grown
+dey jus' up and got married. I was deir only boy and I was de baby
+chile, but dey had four gals older'n me. Dey was: Cordelia, Anna,
+Parthene, and Ella. Ella was named for Marse Frank's onliest chile,
+little Miss Ellen, and our little Miss was sho a good little chile.
+
+"Daddy made de shoes for all de slaves on de plantation and Mammy was
+called de house 'oman. She done de cookin' up at de big 'ouse, and made
+de cloth for her own fambly's clothes, and she was so smart us allus had
+plenty t'eat and wear. I was little and stayed wid Mammy up at de big
+'ouse and jus' played all over it and all de folkses up der petted me.
+Aunt Tama was a old slave too old to wuk. She was all de time cookin'
+gingerbread and hidin' it in a little trunk what sot by de fireplace in
+her room. When us chillun was good Aunt Tama give us gingerbread, but if
+us didn't mind what she said, us didn't git none. Aunt Tama had de
+rheumatiz and walked wid a stick and I could git in dat trunk jus' 'bout
+anytime I wanted to. I sho' did git 'bout evvything dem other chillun
+had, swappin' Aunt Tama's gingerbread. When our white folkses went off,
+Aunt Tama toted de keys, and she evermore did make dem Niggers stand
+'round. Marse Frank jus' laughed when dey made complaints 'bout her.
+
+"In summertime dey cooked peas and other veg'tables for us chillun in a
+washpot out in de yard in de shade, and us et out of de pot wid our
+wooden spoons. Dey jus' give us wooden bowls full of bread and milk for
+supper.
+
+"Marse Frank said he wanted 'em to larn me how to wait on de white
+folkses' table up at de big 'ouse, and dey started me off wid de job of
+fannin' de flies away. Mist'ess Serena, Marse Frank's wife, made me a
+white coat to wear in de dinin' room. Missy, dat little old white coat
+made me git de onliest whuppin' Marse Frank ever did give me." Here old
+Neal paused for a hearty laugh. "Us had comp'ny for dinner dat day and I
+felt so big showin' off 'fore 'em in dat white coat dat I jus' couldn't
+make dat turkey wing fan do right. Dem turkey wings was fastened on long
+handles and atter Marster had done warned me a time or two to mind what
+I was 'bout, the old turkey wing went down in de gravy bowl and when I
+jerked it out it splattered all over de preacher's best Sunday suit.
+Marse Frank got up and tuk me right out to de kitchen and when he got
+through brushin' me off I never did have no more trouble wid dem turkey
+wings.
+
+"Evvybody cooked on open fireplaces dem days. Dey had swingin' racks
+what dey called cranes to hang de pots on for bilin'. Dere was ovens for
+bakin' and de heavy iron skillets had long handles. One of dem old
+skillets was so big dat Mammy could cook 30 biscuits in it at one time.
+I allus did love biscuits, and I would go out in de yard and trade Aunt
+Tama's gingerbread to de other chilluns for deir sheer of biscuits. Den
+dey would be skeered to eat de gingerbread 'cause I told 'em I'd tell on
+'em. Aunt Tama thought dey was sick and told Marse Frank de chilluns
+warn't eatin' nothin'. He axed 'em what was de matter and dey told him
+dey had done traded all deir bread to me. Marse Frank den axed me if I
+warn't gittin' enough t'eat, 'cause he 'lowed dere was enough dar for
+all. Den Aunt Tama had to go and tell on me. She said I was wuss dan a
+hog atter biscuits, so our good Marster ordered her to see dat li'l Neal
+had enough t'eat.
+
+"I ain't never gwine to forgit dat whuppin' my own daddy give me. He had
+jus' sharpened up a fine new axe for hisself, and I traded it off to a
+white boy named _Roar_ what lived nigh us when I seed him out tryin' to
+cut wood wid a sorry old dull axe. I sold him my daddy's fine new axe
+for 5 biscuits. When he found out 'bout dat, he 'lowed he was gwine to
+give me somepin to make me think 'fore I done any more tradin' of his
+things. Mist'eas, let me tell you, dat beatin' he give me evermore was
+a-layin' on of de rod.
+
+"One day Miss Serena put me in de cherry tree to pick cherries for her,
+and she told me not to eat none 'til I finished; den I could have all I
+wanted, but I didn't mind her and I et so many cherries I got sick and
+fell out of de tree. Mist'ess was skeered, but Marse Frank said: 'It's
+good enough for him, 'cause he didn't mind.'
+
+"Mammy never did give me but one whuppin' neither. Daddy was gwine to de
+circus and I jus' cut up 'bout it 'cause I wanted to go so bad. Mist'ess
+give me some cake and I hushed long as I was eatin', but soon as de last
+cake crumb was swallowed I started bawlin' again. She give me a stick of
+candy and soon as I et dat I was squallin' wuss dan ever. Mammy told
+Mist'ess den det she knowed how to quiet me and she retch under de bed
+for a shoe. When she had done finished layin' dat shoe on me and put it
+back whar she got it, I was sho willin' to shet my mouth and let 'em all
+go to de circus widout no more racket from me.
+
+"De fust school I went to was in a little one-room 'ouse in our white
+folkses' back yard. Us had a white teacher and all he larnt slave
+chillun was jus' plain readin' and writin'. I had to pass Dr.
+Willingham's office lots and he was all de time pesterin' me 'bout
+spellin'. One day he stopped me and axed me if I could spell 'bumble bee
+widout its tail,' and he said dat when I larnt to spell it, he would
+gimme some candy. Mr. Sanders, at Lexin'ton, gimme a dime onct. It was
+de fust money I ever had. I was plumb rich and I never let my Daddy have
+no peace 'til he fetched me to town to do my tradin'. I was all sot to
+buy myself a hat, a sto-bought suit of clothes, and some shoes what
+warn't brogans, but Missy, I wound up wid a gingercake and a nickel's
+wuth of candy. I used to cry and holler evvy time Miss Serena went off
+and left me. Whenever I seed 'em gittin' out de carriage to hitch it up,
+I started beggin' to go. Sometimes she laughed and said; 'All right
+Neal.' But when she said, 'No Neal,' I snuck out and hid under de
+high-up carrigge seat and went along jus' de same. Mist'ess allus found
+me 'fore us got back home, but she jus' laughed and said: 'Well, Neal's
+my little nigger anyhow.'
+
+"Dem old cord beds was a sight to look at, but dey slept good. Us
+cyarded lint cotton into bats for mattresses and put 'em in a tick what
+us tacked so it wouldn't git lumpy. Us never seed no iron springs dem
+days. Dem cords, criss-crossed from one side of de bed to de other, was
+our springs and us had keys to tighten 'em wid. If us didn't tighten 'em
+evvy few days dem beds was apt to fall down wid us. De cheers was
+homemade too and de easiest-settin' ones had bottoms made out of rye
+splits. Dem oak-split cheers was all right, and sometimes us used cane
+to bottom de cheers but evvybody laked to set in dem cheers what had
+bottoms wove out of rye splits.
+
+"Marster had one of dem old cotton gins what didn't have no engines. It
+was wuked by mules. Dem old mules was hitched to a long pole what dey
+pulled 'round and 'round to make de gin do its wuk. Dey had some gins in
+dem days what had treadmills for de mules to walk in. Dem old treadmills
+looked sorter lak stairs, but most of 'em was turned by long poles what
+de mules pulled. You had to feed de cotton by hand to dem old gins and
+you sho had to be keerful or you was gwine to lose a hand and maybe a
+arm. You had to jump in dem old cotton presses and tread de cotton down
+by hand. It tuk most all day long to gin two bales of cotton and if dere
+was three bales to be ginned us had to wuk most all night to finish up.
+
+"Dey mixed wool wid de lint cotton to spin thread to make cloth for our
+winter clothes. Mammy wove a lot of dat cloth and de clothes made out of
+it sho would keep out de cold. Most of our stockin's and socks was knit
+at home, but now and den somebody would git hold of a sto-bought pair
+for Sunday-go-to-meetin' wear.
+
+"Colored folkses went to church wid deir own white folkses and sot in de
+gallery. One Sunday us was all settin' in dat church listenin' to de
+white preacher, Mr. Hansford, tellin' how de old debbil was gwine to git
+dem what didn't do right." Here Neal burst into uncontrollable laughter.
+His sides shook and tears ran down his face. Finally he began his story
+again: "Missy, I jus' got to tell you 'bout dat day in de meetin' 'ouse.
+A Nigger had done run off from his marster and was hidin' out from one
+place to another. At night he would go steal his somepin t'eat. He had
+done stole some chickens and had 'em wid him up in de church steeple
+whar he was hidin' dat day. When daytime come he went off to sleep lak
+Niggers will do when dey ain't got to hustle, and when he woke up
+Preacher Hansford was tellin' 'em 'bout de debbil was gwine to git de
+sinners. Right den a old rooster what he had stole up and crowed so loud
+it seemed lak Gabriel's trumpet on Judment Day. Dat runaway Nigger was
+skeered 'cause he knowed dey was gwine to find him sho, but he warn't
+skeered nuffin' compared to dem Niggers settin' in de gallery. Dey jus'
+knowed dat was de voice of de debbil what had done come atter 'em. Dem
+Niggers never stopped prayin' and testifyin' to de Lord, 'til de white
+folkses had done got dat runaway slave and de rooster out of de steeple.
+His marster was der and tuk him home and give him a good, sound
+thrashin'.
+
+"Slaves was 'lowed to have prayermeetin' on Chuesday (Tuesday) and
+Friday 'round at de diffunt plantations whar deir marsters didn't keer,
+and dere warn't many what objected. De good marsters all give deir
+slaves prayermeetin' passes on dem nights so de patterollers wouldn't
+git 'em and beat 'em up for bein' off deir marster's lands. Dey 'most
+nigh kilt some slaves what dey cotch out when dey didn't have no pass.
+White preachers done de talkin' at de meetin'houses, but at dem Chuesday
+and Friday night prayermeetin's, it was all done by Niggers. I was too
+little to 'member much 'bout dem meetin's, but my older sisters used to
+talk lots 'bout 'em long atter de war had brung our freedom. Dere warn't
+many slaves what could read, so dey jus' talked 'bout what dey had done
+heared de white preachers say on Sunday. One of de fav'rite texties was
+de third chapter of John, and most of 'em jus' 'membered a line or two
+from dat. Missy, from what folkses said 'bout dem meetin's, dere was sho
+a lot of good prayin' and testifyin', 'cause so many sinners repented
+and was saved. Sometimes at dem Sunday meetin's at de white folkses'
+church dey would have two or three preachers de same dey. De fust one
+would give de text and preach for at least a hour, den another one would
+give a text and do his preachin', and 'bout dat time another one would
+rise up and say dat dem fust two brudders had done preached enough to
+save 3,000 souls, but dat he was gwine to try to double dat number. Den
+he would do his preachin' and atter dat one of dem others would git up
+and say: 'Brudders and Sisters, us is all here for de same and only
+purpose--dat of savin' souls. Dese other good brudders is done preached,
+talked, and prayed, and let the gap down; now I'm gwine to raise it. Us
+is gwine to git 'ligion enough to take us straight through dem pearly
+gates. Now, let us sing whilst us gives de new brudders and sisters de
+right hand of fellowship. One of dem old songs went sort of lak dis:
+
+ 'Must I be born to die
+ And lay dis body down?'
+
+"When dey had done finished all de verses and choruses of dat dey
+started:
+
+ 'Amazin' Grace, How sweet de sound
+ Dat saved a wretch lak me.'
+
+"'Fore dey stopped dey usually got 'round to singin':
+
+ 'On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
+ And cast a wishful eye,
+ To Canaan's fair and happy land
+ Whar my possessions lie.'
+
+"Dey could keep dat up for hours and it was sho' good singin', for dat's
+one thing Niggers was born to do--to sing when dey gits 'ligion.
+
+"When old Aunt Flora come up and wanted to jine de church she told 'bout
+how she had done seed de Hebenly light and changed her way of livin'.
+Folkses testified den 'bout de goodness of de Lord and His many
+blessin's what He give to saints and sinners, but dey is done stopped
+givin' Him much thanks any more. Dem days, dey 'zamined folkses 'fore
+dey let 'em jine up wid de church. When dey started 'zaminin' Aunt
+Flora, de preacher axed her: 'Is you done been borned again and does you
+believe dat Jesus Christ done died to save sinners?' Aunt Flora she
+started to cry; and she said: 'Lordy, Is He daid? Us didn't know dat. If
+my old man had done 'scribed for de paper lak I told him to, us would
+have knowed when Jesus died?" Neal giggled. "Missy," he said, "ain't dat
+jus' lak one of dem old-time Niggers? Dey jus' tuk dat for ign'ance and
+let her come on into de church.
+
+"Dem days it was de custom for marsters to hire out what slaves dey had
+dat warn't needed to wuk on deir own land, so our marster hired out two
+of my sisters. Sis' Anna hired to a fambly 'bout 16 miles from our
+place. She didn't lak it dar so she run away and I found her hid out in
+our 'tater 'ouse. One day when us was playin' she called to me right low
+and soft lak and told me she was hongry and for me to git her somepin
+t'eat but not to tell nobody she was dar. She said she had been dar
+widout nothin' t'eat for several days. She was skeered Marster might
+whup her. She looked so thin and bad I thought she was gwine to die, so
+I told Mammy. Her and Marster went and brung Anna to de 'ouse and fed
+her. Dat pore chile was starved most to death. Marster kept her at home
+for 3 weeks and fed her up good, den he carried her back and told dem
+folkses what had hired her dat dey had better treat Anna good and see
+dat she had plenty t'eat. Marster was drivin' a fast hoss dat day, but
+bless your heart, Anna beat him back home dat day. She cried and tuk on
+so, beggin' him not to take her back dar no more dat he told her she
+could stay home. My other sister stayed on whar she was hired out 'til
+de war was over and dey give us our freedom.
+
+"Daddy had done hid all Old Marster's hosses when de yankees got to our
+plantation. Two of de ridin' hosses was in de smokehouse and another
+good trotter was in de hen 'ouse. Old Jake was a slave what warn't right
+bright. He slep' in de kitchen, and he knowed whar Daddy had hid dem
+hosses, but dat was all he knowed. Marster had give Daddy his money to
+hide too, and he tuk some of de plasterin' off de wall in Marster's room
+and put de box of money inside de wall. Den he fixed dat plasterin' back
+so nice you couldn't tell it had ever been tore off. De night dem
+yankees come, Daddy had gone out to de wuk 'ouse to git some pegs to fix
+somepin (us didn't have no nails dem days). When de yankees rid up to de
+kitchen door and found Old Jake right by hisself, dat pore old fool was
+skeered so bad he jus' started right off babblin' 'bout two hosses in de
+smoke'ouse and one in de hen 'ouse, but he was tremblin' so he couldn't
+talk plain. Old Marster heared de fuss dey made and he come down to de
+kitchen to see what was de matter. De yankees den ordered Marster to git
+'em his hosses. Marster called Daddy and told him to git de hosses, but
+Daddy, he played foolish lak and stalled 'round lak he didn't have good
+sense. Dem sojers raved and fussed all night long 'bout dem hosses, but
+dey never thought 'bout lookin' in de smoke'ouse and hen 'ouse for 'em
+and 'bout daybreak dey left widout takin' nothin'. Marster said he was
+sho proud of my Daddy for savin' dem good hosses for him.
+
+[TR: 'Horses saved' written in margin.]
+
+"Marster had a long pocketbook what fastened at one end wid a ring. One
+day when he went to git out some money he dropped a roll of bills dat he
+never seed, but Daddy picked it up and handed it back to him right away.
+Now my Daddy could have kept dat money jus' as easy, but he was a
+'ceptional man and believed evvbody ought to do right.
+
+"Aunt Tama's old man, Uncle Griff, come to live wid her on our place
+atter de war was over. 'Fore den he had belonged to a man named
+Colquitt.[HW: !!] Marster pervided a home for him and Aunt Tama 'til dey
+was both daid. When dey was buildin' de fust colored Methodist church in
+dat section Uncle Griff give a whole hundred dollars to de buildin'
+fund. Now it tuk a heap of scrimpin' for him to save dat much money
+'cause he never had made over $10 a month. Aunt Tama had done gone to
+Glory a long time when Uncle Griff died. Atter dey buried him dey come
+back and was 'rangin' de things in his little cabin. When dey moved dat
+little trunk what Aunt Tama used to keep gingerbread in, dey found jus'
+lots of money in it. Marster tuk keer of dat money 'til he found Uncle
+Griff's own sister and den he give it all to her.
+
+"One time Marster missed some of his money and he didn't want to 'cuse
+nobody, so he 'cided he would find out who had done de debbilment. He
+put a big rooster in a coop wid his haid stickin' out. Den he called all
+de Niggers up to de yard and told 'em somebody had been stealin' his
+money, and dat evvybody must git in line and march 'round dat coop and
+tetch it. He said dat when de guilty ones tetched it de old rooster
+would crow. Evvybody tetched it 'cept one old man and his wife; dey jus'
+wouldn't come nigh dat coop whar dat rooster was a-lookin' at evvybody
+out of his little red eyes. Marster had dat old man and 'oman sarched
+and found all de money what had been stole.
+
+"Mammy died about a year atter de war, and I never will forgit how
+Mist'ess cried and said: 'Neal, your mammy is done gone, and I don't
+know what I'll do widout her.' Not long atter dat, Daddy bid for de
+contract to carry de mail and he got de place, but it made de white
+folkses mighty mad, 'cause some white folkses had put in bids for dat
+contract. Dey 'lowed dat Daddy better not never start out wid dat mail,
+'cause if he did he was gwine to be sorry. Marster begged Daddy not to
+risk it and told him if he would stay dar wid him he would let him have
+a plantation for as long as he lived, and so us stayed on dar 'til Daddy
+died, and a long time atter dat us kept on wukin' for Old Marster.
+
+"White folkses owned us back in de days 'fore de war but our own white
+folkses was mighty good to deir slaves. Dey had to larn us 'bedience
+fust, how to live right, and how to treat evvybody else right; but de
+best thing dey larned us was how to do useful wuk. De onliest time I
+'member stealin' anything 'cept Aunt Tama's gingerbread was one time
+when I went to town wid Daddy in de buggy. When us started back home a
+man got in de seat wid Daddy and I had to ride down in de back of de
+buggy whar Daddy had hid a jug of liquor. I could hear it slushin'
+'round and so I got to wantin' to know how it tasted. I pulled out de
+corncob stopper and tuk one taste. It was so good I jus' kep' on tastin'
+'til I passed out, and didn't know when us got home or nuffin else 'til
+I waked up in my own bed next day. Daddy give me a tannin' what I didn't
+forgit for a long time, but dat was de wussest drunk I ever was. Lord,
+but I did love to follow my Daddy.
+
+"Folkses warn't sick much in dem days lak dey is now, but now us don't
+eat strong victuals no more. Us raked out hot ashes den and cooked good
+old ashcakes what was a heap better for us dan dis bread us buys from de
+stores now. Marster fed us plenty ashcake, fresh meat, and ash roasted
+'taters, and dere warn't nobody what could out wuk us.
+
+"A death was somepin what didn't happen often on our plantation, but
+when somebody did die folkses would go from miles and miles around to
+set up and pray all night to comfort de fambly of de daid. Dey never
+made up de coffins 'til atter somebody died. Den dey measured de corpse
+and made de coffin to fit de body. Dem coffins was lined wid black
+calico and painted wid lampblack on de outside. Sometimes dey kivvered
+de outside wid black calico lak de linin'. Coffins for white folkses was
+jus' lak what dey had made up for deir slaves, and dey was all buried in
+de same graveyard on deir own plantations.
+
+"When de war was over dey closed de little one-room school what our good
+Marster had kept in his back yard for his slaves, but out young Miss
+Ellen larnt my sister right on 'til she got whar she could teach school.
+Daddy fixed up a room onto our house for her school and she soon had it
+full of chillun. Dey made me study too, and I sho did hate to have to go
+to school to my own aister for she evermore did take evvy chance to lay
+dat stick on me, but I s'pects she had a right tough time wid me. When
+time come 'round to celebrate school commencement, I was one proud
+little Nigger 'cause I never had been so dressed up in my life before.
+I had on a red waist, white pants, and a good pair of shoes; but de
+grandest thing of all 'bout dat outfit was dat Daddy let me wear his
+watch. Evvybody come for dat celebration. Dere was over 300 folks at dat
+big dinner, and us had lots of barbecue and all sorts of good things
+t'eat. Old Marster was dar, and when I stood up 'fore all dem folks and
+said my little speech widout missin' a word, Marster sho did laugh and
+clap his hands. He called me over to whar he was settin' and said: 'I
+knowed you could larn if you wanted to.' _Best of all, he give me a
+whole dollar._ [TR: 'for reciting a speech' written in margin.] I was
+rich den, plumb rich. One of my sisters couldn't larn nothin'. De only
+letters she could ever say was 'G-O-D.' No matter what you axed her to
+spell she allus said 'G-O-D.' She was a good field hand though and a
+good 'oman and she lived to be more dan 90 years old.
+
+"Now, talkin' 'bout frolickin', us really used to dance. What I means,
+is sho 'nough old-time break-downs. Sometimes us didn't have no music
+'cept jus' beatin' time on tin pans and buckets but most times Old Elice
+Hudson played his fiddle for us, and it had to be tuned again atter evvy
+set us danced. He never knowed but one tune and he played dat over and
+over. Sometimes dere was 10 or 15 couples on de floor at de same time
+and us didn't think nothin' of dancin' all night long. Us had plenty of
+old corn juice for refreshment, and atter Elice had two or three cups of
+dat juice, he could git 'Turkey in de Straw' out of dat fiddle lak
+nobody's business.
+
+"One time a houseboy from another plantation wanted to come to one of
+our Saddy night dances, so his marster told him to shine his boots for
+Sunday and fix his hoss for de night and den he could git off for de
+frolic. Abraham shined his marster's boots 'till he could see hisself in
+'em, and dey looked so grand he was tempted to try 'em on. Dey was a
+little tight but he thought he could wear 'em, and he wanted to show
+hisself off in 'em at de dance. Dey warn't so easy to walk in and he was
+'fraid he might git 'em scratched up walkin' through de fields, so he
+snuck his Marster's hoss out and rode to de dance. When Abraham rid up
+dar in dem shiny boots, he got all de gals' 'tention. None of 'em wanted
+to dance wid de other Niggers. Dat Abraham was sho sruttin' 'til
+somebody run in and told him his hoss had done broke its neck. He had
+tied it to a limb and sho 'nough, some way, dat hoss had done got
+tangled up and hung its own self. Abraham begged de other Nigger boys to
+help him take de deid hoss home, but he had done tuk deir gals and he
+didn't git no help. He had to walk 12 long miles home in dem tight
+shoes. De sun had done riz up when he got dar and it warn't long 'fore
+his Marster was callin': 'Abraham, bring, me my boots.' Dat Nigger would
+holler out: 'Yas sah! I'se a-comin'. But dem boots wouldn't come off
+'cause his foots had done swelled up in 'em. His marster kept on callin'
+and when Abraham seed he couldn't put it off no longer, he jus' cut dem
+boots off his foots and went in and told what he had done. His marster
+was awful mad and said he was a good mind to take de hide off Abraham's
+back. 'Go git my hoss quick, Nigger, 'fore I most kills you,' he yelled.
+Den Abraham told him: 'Marster I knows you is gwine to kill me now, but
+your hoss is done daid.' Den pore Abraham had to out and tell de whole
+story and his marster got to laughin' so 'bout how he tuk all de gals
+away from de other boys and how dem boots hurt him dat it looked lak he
+never would stop. When he finally did stop laughin' and shakin' his
+sides he said: 'Dat's all right Abraham. Don't never let nobody beat
+your time wid de gals.' And dat's all he ever said to Abraham 'bout it.
+
+"When my sister got married, us sho did have a grand time. Us cooked a
+pig whole wid a shiny red apple in its mouth and set it right in de
+middle of de long table what us had built out in de yard. Us had
+evvything good to go wid dat pig, and atter dat supper, us danced all
+night long. My sister never had seed dat man but one time 'fore she
+married him.
+
+"My Daddy and his cousin Jim swore wid one another dat if one died 'fore
+de other dat de one what was left would look atter de daid one's fambly
+and see dat none of de chillun was bound out to wuk for nobody. It
+warn't long atter dis dat Daddy died. I was jus' fourteen, and was
+wukin' for a brick mason larnin' dat trade. Daddy had done been sick a
+while, and one night de fambly woke me up and said he was dyin'. I run
+fast as I could for a doctor but Daddy was done daid when I got back. Us
+buried him right side of Mammy in de old graveyard. It was most a year
+atter dat 'fore us had de funeral sermon preached. Dat was de way
+folkses done den. Now Mammy and Daddy was both gone, but old Marster
+said us chillun could live dar long as us wanted to. I went on back to
+wuk, 'cause I was crazy to be as good a mason as my Daddy was. In
+Lexin'ton dere is a rock wall still standin' 'round a whole square what
+Daddy built in slavery time. Long as he lived he blowed his bugle evvy
+mornin' to wake up all de folkses on Marse Frank's plantation. He never
+failed to blow dat bugle at break of day 'cep on Sundays, and evvybody
+on dat place 'pended on him to wake 'em up.
+
+"I was jus' a-wukin' away one day when Cousin Jim sent for me to go to
+town wid him. Missy, dat man brung ne right here to Athens to de old
+courthouse and bound me out to a white man. He done dat very thing atter
+swearin' to my Daddy he wouldn't never let dat happen. I didn't want to
+wuk dat way, so I run away and went back home to wuk. De sheriff come
+and got me and said I had to go back whar I was bound out or go to jail.
+Pretty soon I runned away again and went to Atlanta, and dey never
+bothered me 'bout dat no more.
+
+"De onliest time I ever got 'rested was once when I come to town to see
+'bout gittin' somebody to pick cotton for me and jus' as I got to a
+certain Nigger's house de police come in and caught 'em in a crap game.
+Mr. McCune, de policeman, said I would have to go 'long wid de others to
+jail, but he would help me atter us got der and he did. He 'ranged it so
+I could hurry back home.
+
+"'Bout de best times us had in de plantation days was de corn shuckin's,
+log rollin's and syrup cookin's. Us allus finished up dem syrup cookin's
+wid a candy pullin'.
+
+"Atter he had all his corn gathered and put in big long piles, Marster
+'vited de folkses from all 'round dem parts. Dat was de way it was done;
+evvybody holped de others git de corn shucked. Nobody thought of hirin'
+folkses and payin' out cash money for extra wuk lak dat. Dey 'lected a
+gen'ral to lead off de singin' and atter he got 'em to keepin' time wid
+de singin' de little brown jug was passed 'round. When it had gone de
+rounds a time or two, it was a sight to see how fast dem Niggers could
+keep time to dat singin'. Dey could do all sorts of double time den when
+dey had swigged enough liquor. When de corn was all shucked dey feasted
+and den drunk more liquor and danced as long as dey could stand up. De
+logrollin's and candy pullin's ended de same way. Dey was sho grand good
+times.
+
+"I farmed wid de white folkses for 32 years and never had no trouble wid
+nobody. Us allus settled up fair and square and in crop time dey never
+bothered to come 'round to see what Neal was doin', 'cause dey knowed
+dis Nigger was wukin' all right. Dey was all mighty good to me. Atter I
+got so old I couldn't run a farm no more I wuked in de white folkses'
+gyardens and tended deir flowers. I had done been wukin' out Mrs. Steve
+Upson's flowers and when she 'come to pay, she axed what my name was.
+When I told her it was Neal Upson she wanted to know how I got de Upson
+name. I told her Mr. Frank Upson had done give it to me when I was his
+slave. She called to Mr. Steve and dey lak to have talked me to death,
+for my Marse Frank and Mr. Steve's daddy was close kinfolkses.
+
+"Atter dat I wuked deir flowers long as I was able to walk way off up to
+deir place, but old Neal can't wuk no more. Mr. Steve and his folkses
+comes to see me sometimes and I'se allus powerful glad to see 'em.
+
+"I used to wuk some for Miss Mary Bacon. She is a mighty good 'oman and
+she knowed my Daddy and our good Old Marster. Miss Mary would talk to me
+'bout dem old days and she allus said: 'Neal, let's pray,' 'fore I left.
+Miss Mary never did git married. She's one of dem solitary ladies.
+
+"Now, Missy, how come you wants to know 'bout my weddin'? I done been
+married two times, but it was de fust time dat was de sho 'nough 'citin'
+one. I courted dat gal for a long, long time while I was too skeered to
+ax her Daddy for her. I went to see her evvy Sunday jus' 'termined to ax
+him for her 'fore I left, and I would stay late atter supper, but jus'
+couldn't git up nerve enough to do it. One Sunday I promised myself I
+would ax him if it kilt me, so I went over to his house early dat
+mornin' and told Lida, dat was my sweetheart's name--I says to her: 'I
+sho is gwine to ax him today.' Well, dinnertime come, suppertime come,
+and I was gittin' shaky in my jints when her Daddy went to feed his hogs
+and I went along wid him. Missy, dis is de way I finally did ax him for
+his gal. He said he was goin' to have some fine meat come winter. I axed
+him if it would be enough for all of his fambly, and he said: 'How come
+you ax dat, boy?' Den I jus' got a tight hold on dat old hog pen and
+said: 'Well, Sir, I jus' thought if you didn't have enough for all of
+'em, I could take Lida.' I felt myself goin' down. He started laughin'
+fit to kill. 'Boy,' he says, 'Is you tryin' to ax for Lida? If so, I
+don't keer 'cause she's got to git married sometime.' I was so happy I
+left him right den and run back to tell Lida dat he said it was all
+right.
+
+"Us didn't have no big weddin'. Lida had on a new calico dress and I
+wore new jeans pants. Marster heared us was gittin' married dat day and
+he sont his new buggy wid a message for us to come right dar to him. I
+told Lida us better go, so us got in dat buggy and driv off, and de rest
+of de folkses followed in de wagon. Marster met us in front of old Salem
+Church. He had de church open and Preacher John Gibson waitin' der to
+marry us. Us warn't 'spectin' no church weddin', but Marster said dat
+Neal had to git married right. He never did forgit his Niggers. Lida
+she's done been daid a long time, and I'se married again, but dat warn't
+lak de fust time."
+
+By now, Neal was evidently tired out but as the interviewer prepared to
+leave, Neal said: "Missy, I'se sho got somepin to tell my old 'oman when
+she gits home. She don't lak to leave me here by myself. I wish dere was
+somebody for me to talk to evvyday, for I'se had sich a good time today.
+I don't s'pect it's gwine to be long 'fore old Neal goes to be wid dem I
+done been tellin' you 'bout, so don't wait too long to come back to see
+me again."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Georgia]
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+JOHN F. VAN HOOK, Age 76
+Newton Bridge Road
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
+Area 6
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+Area Supervisor of
+Federal Writers'
+Project--Areas 6 & 7,
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+Dec. 1, 1938
+
+
+John F. Van Hook was a short, stout man with a shining bald pate, a
+fringe of kinky gray hair, kindly eyes, and a white mustache of the Lord
+Chamberlain variety. His shabby work clothes were clean and carefully
+mended, and he leaned on a cane for support.
+
+John was looking for the "Farm Bureau Office," but he agreed to return
+for an interview after he had transacted his business. When he
+reappeared a short time later and settled down in a comfortable chair he
+gave the story of his early life with apparent enjoyment.
+
+In language remarkably free of dialect, John began by telling his full
+name and added that he was well known in Georgia and the whole country.
+"Until I retired," he remarked, "I taught school in North Carolina, and
+in Hall, Jackson, and Rabun Counties, in Georgia. I am farming now about
+five miles from Athens in the Sandy Creek district. I was born in 1862
+in Macon County, North Carolina, on the George Seller's plantation,
+which borders the Little Tennessee River.
+
+"I don't know anything much, first hand, about the war period, as I was
+quite a child when that ended, but I can tell you all about the days of
+Reconstruction. What I know about the things that took place during the
+war was told me by my mother and other old people.
+
+"My father was Bas Van Hook and he married Mary Angel, my mother. Mother
+was born on Marse Dillard Love's plantation, and when his daughter, Miss
+Jenny, married Marse Thomas Angel's son, Marse Dillard gave Mother to
+Miss Jenny and when Little Miss Jenny Angel was born, Mother was her
+nurse. Marse Thomas and Miss Jenny Angel died, and Mother stayed right
+there keeping house for Little Miss Jenny and looking after her. Mother
+had more sense than all the rest of the slaves put together, and she
+even did Little Miss Jenny's shopping.
+
+"My father was the only darkey Old Man Isaac Van Hook owned, and he did
+anything that came to hand: he was a good carpenter and mechanic and
+helped the Van Hooks to build mills, and he made the shoes for that
+settlement. Thomas Aaron, George, James, Claude, and Washington were my
+five brothers, and my sisters were Zelia, Elizabeth, and Candace. Why,
+Miss, the only thing I can remember right off hand that we children done
+was fight and frolic like youngsters will do when they get together.
+With time to put my mind on it, I would probably recollect our games and
+songs, if we had any.
+
+"Our quarters was on a large farm on Sugar Fork River. The houses were
+what you would call log huts and they were scattered about
+promiscuously, no regular lay-out, just built wherever they happened to
+find a good spring convenient. There was never but one room to a hut,
+and they wern't particular about how many darkies they put in a room.
+
+"White folks had fine four-poster beds with a frame built around the top
+of the bed, and over the frame hung pretty, ruffled white curtains and a
+similar ruffled curtain was around the bottom of the bed; the curtains
+made pretty ornaments. Slaves had beds of this general kind, but they
+warn't quite as pretty and fine. Corded springs were the go then. The
+beds used by most of the slaves in that day and time were called
+'Georgia beds,' and these were made by boring two holes in the cabin
+wall, and two in the floor, and side pieces were run from the holes in
+the wall to the posts and fastened; then planks were nailed around the
+sides and foot, box-fashion, to hold in the straw that we used for
+mattresses; over this pretty white sheets and plenty of quilts was
+spreaded. Yes, mam, there was always plenty of good warm cover in those
+days. Of course, it was home-made, all of it.
+
+"My grandfather was a blacksmith and farmhand owned by Old Man Dillard
+Love. According to my earliest recollection my grandmother Van Hook was
+dead and I have no memories about her. My great, great grandmother,
+Sarah Angel, looked after slave children while their mothers were at
+work. She was a free woman, but she had belonged to Marse Tommy Angel
+and Miss Jenny Angel; they were brother and sister. The way Granny Sarah
+happened to be free was; one of the women in the Angel family died and
+left a little baby soon after one of Granny's babies was born, and so
+she was loaned to that family as wet nurse for the little orphan baby.
+They gave her her freedom and took her into their home, because they did
+not want her sleeping in slave quarters while she was nursing the white
+child. In that settlement, it was considered a disgrace for a white
+child to feed at the breast of a slave woman, but it was all right if
+the darkey was a free woman. After she got too old to do regular work,
+Granny Sarah used to glean after the reapers in the field to get wheat
+for her bread. She had been a favored slave and allowed to do pretty
+much as she pleased, and after she was a free woman the white folks
+continued to look after her every need, but she loved to do for herself
+as long as she was able to be up and about.
+
+"What did we have to eat then? Why, most everything; ash cakes was a
+mighty go then. Cornbread dough was made into little pones and placed on
+the hot rocks close to the fire to dry out a little, then hot ashes were
+raked out to the front of the fireplace and piled over the ash cakes.
+When thoroughly done they were taken out and the ashes washed off; they
+were just like cake to us children then. We ate lots of home-made lye
+hominy, beans, peas, and all kinds of greens, cooked with fat meat. The
+biggest, and maybe the best thing in the way of vegetables that we had
+then was the white-head cabbage; they grew large up there in Carolina
+where I lived. There was just one big garden to feed all the folks on
+that farm.
+
+"Marse George had a good 'possum dog that he let his slaves use at
+night. They would start off hunting about 10 o'clock. Darkies knew that
+the best place to hunt for 'possums was in a persimmon tree. If they
+couldn't shake him out, they would cut the tree down, but the most fun
+was when we found the 'possum in a hollow log. Some of the hunters would
+get at one end of the log, and the others would guard the other end, and
+they would build a fire to smoke the 'possum out. Sometimes when they
+had to pull him out, they would find the 'possum in such a tight place
+that most of his hair would be rubbed off before they could get him out.
+Darkies hunted rabbits, squirrels, coons, all kinds of birds, and
+'specially they was fond of going after wild turkeys. Another great
+sport was hunting deer in the nearby mountains. I managed to get a shot
+at one once. Marse George was right good about letting his darkies hunt
+and fish at night to get meat for themselves. Oh! Sure, there were lots
+of fish and they caught plenty of 'em in the Little Tennessee and Sugar
+Fork Rivers and in the numerous creeks that were close by. Red horse,
+suckers, and salmon are the kinds of fish I remember best. They were
+cooked in various ways in skillets, spiders, and ovens on the big open
+fireplace.
+
+"Now, about the clothes we wore in the days of the war, I couldn't
+rightly say, but my Mother said we had good comfortable garments. In the
+summer weather, boys and men wore plain cotton shirts and jeans pants.
+The home-made linsey-woolsy shirts that we wore over our cotton shirts,
+and the wool pants that we wore in winter, were good and warm; they had
+brogan shoes in winter too. Folks wore the same clothes on Sundays as
+through the week, but they had to be sure that they were nice and clean
+on Sundays. Dresses for the women folks were made out of cotton checks,
+and they had sunbonnets too.
+
+"Marse George Sellars, him that married Miss Ca'line Angel, was my real
+master. They had four children, Bud, Mount, Elizabeth, and, and er; I
+just can't bring to recollect the name of their other girl. They lived
+in a two-story frame house that was surrounded by an oak grove on the
+road leading from Franklin, North Carolina, to Clayton, Georgia. Hard
+Sellars was the carriage driver, and while I am sure Marse George must
+have had an overseer, I don't remember ever hearing anybody say his
+name.
+
+"Really, Miss, I couldn't say just how big that plantation was, but I am
+sure there must have been at least four or five hundred acres in it. One
+mighty peculiar thing about his slaves was that Marse George never had
+more than 99 slaves at one time; every time he bought one to try to make
+it an even hundred, a slave died. This happened so often, I was told,
+that he stopped trying to keep a hundred or more, and held on to his 99
+slaves, and long as he did that, there warn't any more deaths than
+births among his slaves. His slaves had to be in the fields when the sun
+rose, and there they had to work steady until the sun went down. Oh!
+Yes, mam, Marse Tommy Angel was mighty mean to his slaves, but Miss
+Jenny, his sister, was good as could be; that is the reason she gave my
+mother to her sister, Miss Ca'line Sellars; because she thought Marse
+Tommy was too hard on her.
+
+"I heard some talk as to how after the slaves had worked hard in the
+field all day and come to the house at night, they were whipped for
+mighty small offenses. Marse George would have them tied hand and foot
+over a barrel and would beat them with a cowhide, or cat-o'-nine tails
+lash. They had a jail in Franklin as far back as I can recollect. Old
+Big Andy Angel's white folks had him put in jail a heap of times,
+because he was a rogue and stole everything he could get his hands on.
+Nearly everybody was afraid of him; he was a great big double jointed
+man, and was black as the ace of spades. No, mam, I never saw any slaves
+sold, but my father's mother and his sister were sold on the block. The
+white folks that bought 'em took them away. After the war was over my
+father tried to locate 'em, but never once did he get on the right track
+of 'em.
+
+"Oh! Why, my white folks took a great deal of pains teaching their
+slaves how to read and write. My father could read, but he never learned
+to write, and it was from our white folks that I learned to read and
+write. Slaves read the Bible more than anything else. There were no
+churches for slaves on Marse George's plantation, so we all went to the
+white folks' church, about two miles away; it was called Clarke's
+Chapel. Sometimes we went to church at Cross Roads; that was about the
+same distance across Sugar Fork River. My mother was baptized in that
+Sugar Fork River by a white preacher, but that is the reason I joined
+the Baptist church, because my mother was a Baptist, and I was so crazy
+about her, and am 'til yet.
+
+"There were no funeral parlors in those days. They just funeralized the
+dead in their own homes, took them to the graveyard in a painted
+home-made coffin that was lined with thin bleaching made in the loom on
+the plantation, and buried them in a grave that didn't have any bricks
+or cement about it. That brings to my memory those songs they sung at
+funerals. One of them started off something like this, _I Don't Want You
+to Grieve After Me_. My mother used to tell me that when she was
+baptized they sung, _You Shall Wear a Lily-White Robe_. Whenever I get
+to studying about her it seems to me I can hear my mother singing that
+song again. She did love it so much.
+
+"No, mam, there didn't none of the darkies on Marse George Sellar's
+place run away to the North, but some on Marse Tommy Angel's place ran
+to the West. They told me that when Little Charles Angel started out to
+run away a bird flew in front of him and led him all the way to the
+West. Understand me, I am not saying that is strictly so, but that is
+what I heard old folks say, when I was young. When darkies wanted to get
+news to their girls or wives on other plantations and didn't want Marse
+George to know about it, they would wait for a dark night and would tie
+rags on their feet to keep from making any noise that the paterollers
+might hear, for if they were caught out without a pass, that was
+something else. Paterollers would go out in squads at night and whip any
+darkies they caught out that could not show passes. Adam Angel was a
+great big man, weighing about 200 pounds, and he slipped out one night
+without a pass. When the paterollers found him, he was at his girl's
+place where they were out in the front yard stewing lard for the white
+folks. They knew he didn't belong on that plantation, so they asked him
+to show his pass. Adam didn't have one with him, and he told them so.
+They made a dive for him, and then, quick as a flash, he turned over
+that pot of boiling lard, and while they were getting the hot grease off
+of them he got away and came back to his cabin. If they had caught Adam,
+he would have needed some of that spilt grease on him after the beating
+they would have give him. Darkies used to stretch ropes and grapevines
+across the road where they knew paterollers would be riding; then they
+would run down the road in front of them, and when they got to the rope
+or vine they would jump over it and watch the horses stumble and throw
+the paterollers to the ground. That was a favorite sport of slaves.
+
+"After the darkies got in from the field at night, ate their supper, and
+finished up the chores for the day, on nights when the moon shone bright
+the men would work in their own cotton patches that Marse George allowed
+them; the women used their own time to wash, iron, patch, and get ready
+for the next day, and if they had time they helped the men in their
+cotton patches. They worked straight on through Saturdays, same as any
+other day, but the young folks would get together on Saturday nights and
+have little parties.
+
+"How did they spend Sundays? Why, they went to church on Sunday and
+visited around, holding prayermeetings at one another's cabins. Now,
+Christmas morning! Yes, mam, that was a powerful time with the darkies,
+if they didn't have nothing but a little sweet cake, which was nothing
+more than gingerbread. However, Marse George did have plenty of good
+things to eat at that time, such as fresh pork and wild turkeys, and we
+were allowed to have a biscuit on that day. How we did frolic and cut up
+at Christmas! Marse George didn't make much special to do on New Year's
+Day as far as holiday was concerned; work was the primary object,
+especially in connection with slaves.
+
+"Oh-oo-h! Everybody had cornshuckings. The man designated to act as the
+general would stick a peacock tail feather in his hat and call all the
+men together and give his orders. He would stand in the center of the
+corn pile, start the singing, and keep things lively for them. Now and
+then he would pass around the jug. They sang a great deal during
+cornshuckings, but I have forgotten the words to those songs. Great
+excitement was expressed whenever a man found a red ear of corn, for
+that counted 20 points, a speckled ear was 10 points and a blue ear 5
+points, toward a special extra big swig of liquor whenever a person had
+as many as 100 points. After the work was finished they had a big feast
+spread on long tables in the yard, and dram flowed plentiful, then they
+played ball, tussled, ran races, and did anything they knew how to amuse
+themselves.
+
+"Now, Ladies," John said, "please excuse me. I left my wife at home real
+sick, and I just must hurry to the drug store and get some flaxseed so I
+can make a poultice for her." As he made a hasty departure, he agreed to
+complete the story later at his home, and gave careful directions for
+finding the place.
+
+A month later, two visitors called on John at his small, unpainted house
+in the center of a hillside cotton patch.
+
+A tall, thin Negress appeared in the doorway. "Yes, mam, John Van Hook
+lives here. He's down in the field with his hoe, digging 'taters." She
+leaned from the porch and called, "Daddy, Daddy! Somebody wants to see
+you." Asked if John was her father, she answered "No, mam, he is my
+husband. I started calling him Daddy when our child was little, so I've
+been calling him that ever since. My name is Laney."
+
+The walls of the room into which John invited his callers were crudely
+plestered with newspapers and the small space was crowded with furniture
+of various kinds and periods. The ladder-back chairs he designated for
+his guests were beautiful. "They are plantation-made," he explained,
+"and we've had 'em a mighty long time." On a reading table a pencil and
+tablet with a half-written page lay beside a large glass lamp.
+Newspapers and books covered several other tables. A freshly whitewashed
+hearth and mantel were crowned by an old-fashioned clock, and at the end
+of the room a short flight of steps led to the dining room, built on a
+higher floor level.
+
+"Now, let's see! Where was I?," John began. "Oh, yes, we were talking
+about cornshuckings, when I had to leave your office. Well, I haven't
+had much time to study about those cornshucking songs to get all the
+words down right, but the name of one was _General Religh Hoe_, and
+there was another one that was called, _Have a Jolly Crowd, and a Little
+Jolly Johnny_.
+
+"Now you needn't to expect me to know much about cotton pickings, for
+you know I have already told you I was raised in North Carolina, and we
+were too far up in the mountains for cotton growing, but I have lived in
+a cotton growing country for forty-odd years.
+
+"As to parties and frolics, I guess I could have kept those things in
+mind, but when I realized that being on the go every night I could get
+off, week in and week out, was turning my mind and heart away from
+useful living, I tried to put those things out of my life and to train
+myself to be content with right living and the more serious things of
+life, and that's why I can't remember more of the things about our
+frolics that took place as I was growing up. About all I remember about
+the dances was when we danced the cotillion at regular old country
+break-downs. Folks valued their dances very highly then, and to be able
+to perform them well was a great accomplishment. _Turkey in the Straw_
+is about the oldest dance tune I can remember. Next to that is _Taint
+Gonna Rain No More_, but the tune as well as words to that were far
+different from the modern song by that name. _Rabbit Hair_ was another
+favorite song, and there were dozens of others that I just never tried
+to remember until you asked me about them.
+
+"My father lived in Caswell County and he used to tell us how hard it
+was for him to get up in the morning after being out most of the night
+frolicking. He said their overseer couldn't talk plain, and would call
+them long before crack of dawn, and it sounded like he was saying, 'Ike
+and a bike, Ike and a bike.' What he meant was, 'Out and about! Out and
+about!'
+
+"Marriage in those days was looked upon as something very solemn, and it
+was mighty seldom that anybody ever heard of a married couple trying to
+get separated. Now it's different. When a preacher married a couple, you
+didn't see any hard liquor around, but just a little light wine to liven
+up the wedding feast. If they were married by a justice of the peace,
+look out, there was plenty of wine and," here his voice was almost
+awe-stricken, "even whiskey too."
+
+Laney interrupted at this stage of the story with, "My mother said they
+used to make up a new broom and when the couple jumped over it, they was
+married. Then they gave the broom to the couple to use keeping house."
+John was evidently embarrassed. "Laney," he said, "that was never
+confirmed. It was just hearsay, as far as you know, and I wouldn't tell
+things like that.
+
+"The first colored man I ever heard preach was old man Johnny McDowell.
+He married Angeline Pennon and William Scruggs, uncle to Ollie Scruggs,
+who lives in Athens now. After the wedding they were all dancing around
+the yard having a big time and enjoying the wine and feast, and old man
+McDowell, sitting there watching them, looked real thoughtful and sad;
+suddenly he said: 'They don't behave like they knew what's been done
+here today. Two people have been joined together for life. No matter
+what comes, or what happens, these two people must stand by each other,
+through everything, as long as they both shall live.' Never before had I
+had such thoughts at a wedding. They had always just been times for big
+eats, dancing, frolicking, and lots of jokes, and some of them pretty
+rough jokes, perhaps. What he said got me to thinking, and I have never
+been careless minded at a wedding since that day. Brother McDowell
+preached at Clarke's Chapel, about five miles south of Franklin, North
+Ca'lina, on the road leading from England to Georgia; that road ran
+right through the Van Hook place."
+
+Again Laney interrupted her husband. "My mother said they even had
+infare dinners the next day after the wedding. The infare dinners were
+just for the families of the bride and groom, and the bride had a
+special dress for that occasion that she called her infare dress. The
+friends of both parties were there at the big feast on the wedding day,
+but not at the infare dinner."
+
+"And there was no such a thing as child marriages heard of in those
+days," John was speaking again. "At least none of the brides were under
+15 or 16 years old. Now you can read about child brides not more than 10
+years old, 'most ever' time you pick up a paper.
+
+"I don't remember much, about what I played until I got to be about 10
+years old. I was a terrible little fellow to imitate things. Old man
+Tommy Angel built mills, and I built myself a little toy mill down on
+the branch that led to Sugar Fork River. There was plenty of nice
+soapstone there that was so soft you could cut it with a pocket knife
+and could dress it off with a plane for a nice smooth finish. I shaped
+two pieces of soapstone to look like round millstones and set me up a
+little mill that worked just fine.
+
+"We run pretty white sand through it and called that our meal and flour.
+My white folks would come down to the branch and watch me run the little
+toy mill. I used to make toy rifles and pistols and all sorts of nice
+playthings out of that soapstone. I wish I had a piece of that good old
+soapstone from around Franklin, so I could carve some toys like I used
+to play with for my boy."
+
+"We caught real salmon in the mountain streams," John remarked. "They
+weighed from 3 to 25 pounds, and kind of favored a jack fish, only jack
+fishes have duck bills, and these salmon had saw teeth. They were
+powerful jumpers and when you hooked one you had a fight on your hands
+to get it to the bank no matter whether it weighed 3 or 25 pounds. The
+gamest of all the fish in those mountain streams were red horses. When I
+was about 9 or 10 years old I took my brother's fish gig and went off
+down to the river. I saw what looked like the shadow of a stick in the
+clear water and when I thrust the gig at it I found mighty quick I had
+gigged a red horse. I did my best to land it but it was too strong for
+me and pulled loose from my gig and darted out into deep water. I ran
+fast as I could up the river bank to the horseshoe bend where a flat
+bottom boat belonging to our family was tied. I got in that boat and
+chased that fish 'til I got him. It weighed 6 pounds and was 2 feet and
+6 inches long. There was plenty of excitement created around that
+plantation when the news got around that a boy, as little as I was then,
+had landed such a big old fighting fish."
+
+"Suckers were plentiful and easy to catch but they did not give you the
+battle that a salmon or a red horse could put up and that was what it
+took to make fishing fun. We had canoes, but we used a plain old flat
+boat, a good deal like a small ferry boat, most of the time. There was
+about the same difference in a canoe and a flat boat that there is in a
+nice passenger automobile and a truck."
+
+When asked if he remembered any of the tunes and words of the songs he
+sang as a child, John was silent for a few moments and then began to
+sing:
+
+ "A frog went courtin'
+ And he did ride
+ Uh hunh
+ With a sword and pistol
+ By his side
+ Uh hunh.
+
+ "Old uncle Rat laughed,
+ Shook his old fat side;
+ He thought his niece
+ Was going to be the bride.
+ Uh hunh, uh hunh
+
+ "Where shall the wedding be?
+ Uh hunh
+ Where shall the wedding be?
+ Uh hunh
+
+ "Way down yonder
+ In a hollow gum tree.
+ Uh hunh, un hunh, uh hunh.
+
+ "Who shall the waiters be?
+ Uh hunh
+ Granddaddy Louse and a
+ Black-eyed flea.
+ Uh hunh, uh hunh, uh hunh."
+
+Laney reminded him of a song he used to sing when their child was a
+baby. "It is hard for me to formulate its words in my mind. I just
+cannot seem to get them," he answered, "but I thought of this one the
+other night and promised myself I would sing it for you sometime. It's
+_Old Granny Mistletoe_.
+
+ "Old Granny Mistletoe,
+ Lyin' in the bed,
+ Out the window
+ She poked her head.
+
+ "She says, 'Old Man,
+ The gray goose's gone,
+ And I think I heard her holler,
+ King-cant-you-O, King-cant-you-O!'
+
+ "The old fox stepped around,
+ A mighty fast step.
+ He hung the old gray goose
+ Up by the neck.
+
+ "Her wings went flip-flop
+ Over her back,
+ And her legs hung down.
+ Ding-downy-O, ding-downy-O.
+
+ "The old fox marched
+ On to his den.
+ Out come his young ones,
+ Some nine or ten.
+
+ "Now we will have
+ Some-supper-O, some-summer-O.
+ Now we will have
+ Some-supper-O, some-supper-O."
+
+"The only riddle I remember is the one about: 'What goes around the
+house, and just makes one track?' I believe they said it was a
+wheelbarrow. Mighty few people in that settlement believed in such
+things as charms. They were too intelligent for that sort of thing.
+
+"Old man Dillard Love didn't know half of his slaves. They were called
+'Love's free niggers.' Some of the white folks in that settlement would
+get after their niggers and say 'who do you think you are, you must
+think you are one of Dillard Love's free niggers the way you act.' Then
+the slave was led to the whipping post and brushed down, and his marster
+would tell him, 'now you see who is boss.'
+
+"Marse Dillard often met a darkey in the road, he would stop and inquire
+of him, 'Who's nigger is you?' The darkey would say 'Boss I'se your
+nigger.' If Marse Dillard was feeling good he would give the darkey a
+present. Heaps of times he gave them as much as five dollars, 'cording
+to how good he was feeling. He treated his darkies mighty good.
+
+"My grandfather belonged to Marse Dillard Love, and when the war was
+declared he was too old to go. Marse George Sellars went and was
+wounded. You know all about the blanket rolls they carried over their
+shoulders. Well, that bullet that hit him had to go all the way through
+that roll that had I don't know how many folds, and its force was just
+about spent by the time it got to his shoulder; that was why it didn't
+kill him, otherwise it would have gone through him. The bullet was
+extracted, but it left him with a lame shoulder.
+
+"Our Mr. Tommy Angel went to the war, and he got so much experience
+shooting at the Yankees that he could shoot at a target all day long,
+and then cover all the bullet holes he made with the palm of one hand.
+Mr. Tommy was at home when the Yankees come though.
+
+"Folks around our settlement put their darkies on all their good mules
+and horses, and loaded them down with food and valuables, then sent them
+to the nearby mountains and caves to hide until the soldiers were gone.
+Mr. Angel himself told me later that lots of the folks who came around
+pilfering after the war, warn't northerners at all, but men from just
+anywhere, who had fought in the war and came back home to find all they
+had was gone, and they had to live some way.
+
+"One day my father and another servant were laughing fit to kill at a
+greedy little calf that had caught his head in the feed basket. They
+thought it was just too funny. About that time a Yankee, in his blue
+uniform coming down the road, took the notion the men were laughing at
+him. 'What are you laughing at?' he said, and at that they lit out to
+run. The man called my father and made him come back, 'cause he was the
+one laughing so hard. Father thought the Yankee vas going to shoot him
+before he could make him understand they were just laughing at the calf.
+
+"When the war was over, Mr. Love called his slaves together and told
+them they had been set free. He explained everything to them very
+carefully, and told them he would make farming arrangements for all that
+wanted to stay on there with him. Lots of the darkies left after they
+heard about folks getting rich working on the railroads in Tennessee and
+about the high wages that were being paid on those big plantations in
+Mississippi. Some of those labor agents were powerful smart about
+stretching the truth, but those folks that believed them and left home
+found out that it's pretty much the same the world over, as far as folks
+and human nature is concerned. Those that had even average common sense
+got along comfortable and all right in Tennessee and Mississippi, and
+those that suffered out there were the sort that are so stupid they
+would starve in the middle of a good apple pie. My brother that went
+with the others to Tennessee never came back, and we never saw him
+again.
+
+"My father did not want me to leave our home at Franklin, North
+Carolina, and come to Georgia, for he had been told Georgia people were
+awful mean. There was a tale told us about the Mr. Oglethorpe, who
+settled Georgia, bringing over folks from the jails of England to settle
+in Georgia and it was said they became the ruling class of the State.
+Anyway, I came on just the same, and pretty soon I married a Georgia
+girl, and have found the people who live here are all right."
+
+Laney eagerly took advantage of the pause that followed to tell of her
+mother's owner. "Mother said that he was an old, old man and would set
+in his big armchair 'most all day. When he heard good news from the
+soldiers he would drum his fingers on his chair and pat his feet, whilst
+he tried to sing, 'Te Deum, Te Deum. Good news today! We won today!'
+Whenever he heard the southern armies were losing, he would lie around
+moaning and crying out loud. Nobody could comfort him then."
+
+John was delighted to talk about religion. "Yes, mam, after the war,
+darkies used to meet at each others' houses for religious services until
+they got churches of their own. Those meetings were little more than
+just prayermeetings. Our white folks were powerful careful to teach
+their slaves how to do the right thing, and long after we were free Mr.
+Tommy would give long talks at our meetings. We loved to listen to him
+and have him interested in us, for we had never been treated mean like
+heaps of the slaves in that neighborhood had.
+
+"One white man in our county needed the help of the Lord. His name was
+Boney Ridley and he just couldn't keep away from liquor. He was an uncle
+of that famous preacher and poet, Mr. Caleb Ridley. One day when Mr.
+Boney had been drinking hard and kind of out of his head, he was
+stretched out on the ground in a sort of stupor. He opened his eyes and
+looked at the buzzards circling low over him and said, sort of sick and
+fretful-like, 'Git on off, buzzards; I ain't dead yet.'"
+
+"The Reverend Doctor George Truett was a fine boy and he has grown into
+a splendid man. He is one of God's chosen ones. I well remember the
+first time I heard him speak. I was a janitor at the State Normal School
+when he was a pupil there in 1887. I still think he is about the
+greatest orator I ever listened to. In those days, back in 1887, I
+always made it convenient to be doing something around the school room
+when time came for him to recite or to be on a debate. After he left
+that school he went on to the Seminary at Louisville and he has become
+known throughout this country as a great Christian.
+
+"I started teaching in old field schools with no education but just what
+our white folks had taught me. They taught me to read and write, and I
+must say I really was a mighty apt person, and took advantage of every
+opportunity that came my way to learn. You know, teaching is a mighty
+good way to learn. After I had been teaching for some time I went back
+to school, but most of my knowledge was gotten by studying what books
+and papers I could get hold of and by watching folks who were really
+educated; by listening carefully to them, I found I could often learn a
+good deal that way."
+
+Laney could be quiet no longer. "My husband," she said, "is a self-made
+man. His educated brother, Claude, that graduated from Maryville School
+in Tennessee, says that he cannot cope with my husband."
+
+John smiled indulgently and continued: "We were in sad and woeful want
+after the war. Once I asked my father why he let us go so hungry and
+ragged, and he answered: 'How can we help it? Why, even the white folks
+don't have enough to eat and wear now.'
+
+"Eleven years ago I rented a little farm from. Mr. Jasper Thompson, in
+Jackson County. After the boll-weevil got bad I came to the other side
+of the river yonder, where I stayed 7 years. By this time most of the
+children by my first two wives had grown up and gone off up north. My
+first wife's children were Robert, Ella, the twins, Julius and Julia
+Anne, (who died soon after they were grown-up), and Charlie, and Dan.
+Robert is in Philadelphia, Ella in Cincinnati, and Dan is dead.
+
+"Fred, George, and Johnny, my second wife's children are all living, but
+are scattered in far-off places.
+
+"Everybody was powerful sorry to hear about Lincoln's assassination. At
+that time Jefferson Davis was considered the greatest man that ever
+lived, but the effect of Lincoln's life and deeds will live on forever.
+His life grows greater in reputation with the years and his wisdom more
+apparent.
+
+"As long as we were their property our masters were mighty careful to
+have us doctored up right when there was the least sign of sickness.
+There was always some old woman too old for field work that nursed the
+sick on the big plantations, but the marsters sent for regular doctors
+mighty quick if the patient seemed much sick.
+
+"After the war we were slower to call in doctors because we had no
+money, and that's how I lost my good right eye. If I had gone to the
+doctor when it first got hurt it would have been all right now. When we
+didn't have money we used to pay the doctor with corn, fodder, wheat,
+chickens, pork, or anything we had that he wanted.
+
+"We learned to use lots of herbs and other home-made remedies during the
+war when medicine was scarce at the stores, and some old folks still use
+these simple teas and poultices. Comfrey was a herb used much for
+poultices on risings, boils, and the like, and tea made from it is said
+to be soothing to the nerves. Garlic tea was much used for worms, but it
+was also counted a good pneumonia remedy, and garlic poultices helped
+folks to breathe when they had grippe or pneumonia. Boneset tea was for
+colds. Goldenrod was used leaf, stem, blossom, and all in various ways,
+chiefly for fever and coughs. Black snake root was a good cure for
+childbed fever, and it saved the life of my second wife after her last
+child was born. Slippery ellum was used for poultices to heal burns,
+bruises, and any abrasions, and we gargled slippery ellum tea to heal
+sore throats, but red oak bark tea was our best sore throat remedy. For
+indigestion and shortness of the breath we chewed calamus root or drank
+tea made from it. In fact, we still think it is mighty useful for those
+purposes. It was a long time after the war before there were any darkies
+with enough medical education to practice as doctors. Dr. Doyle in
+Gainesville was the first colored physician that I ever saw.
+
+"The world seems to be gradually drifting the wrong way, and it won't
+get any better 'til all people put their belief--and I mean by
+that--simple faith, in the Bible. What they like of it they are in the
+habit of quoting, but they distort it and try to make it appear to mean
+whatever will suit their wicked convenience. They have got to take the
+whole Bible and live by it, and they must remember they cannot leave out
+those wise old laws of the Old Testament that God gave for men
+everywhere to live by."
+
+Laney had quietly left the room, but as the visitors were taking their
+departure she returned with a small package. "This," she explained, "is
+some calamus root that I raised and dried myself, and I hope it comes in
+handy whenever you ladies need something for the indigestion."
+
+"Next time you come, I hope to have more songs remembered and written
+down for you," promised John.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+ADDIE VINSON, Age 86
+653 Dearing Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written By:
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Edited By:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens, Georgia
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+WPA Residency No. 6 & 7
+
+August 23, 1938
+
+
+Perched on an embankment high above the street level is the four-room
+frame cottage where Addie Vinson lives with her daughter. The visitor
+scrambled up the steep incline to the vine covered porch, and a rap on
+the front door brought prompt response. "Who dat?" asked a very black
+woman, who suddenly appeared in the hall. "What you want?... Yassum,
+dis here's Addie, but dey calls me Mammy, 'cause I'se so old. I s'pects
+I'se most nigh a hunnert and eight years old."
+
+The old Negress is very short and stout. Her dark blue calico dress was
+striped with lines of tiny polka dots, and had been lengthened by a band
+of light blue outing flannel with a darker blue stripe, let in just
+below the waist line. Her high-topped black shoes were worn over grey
+cotton hose, and the stocking cap that partially concealed her white
+hair was crowned by a panama hat that flopped down on all sides except
+where the brim was fastened up across the front with two conspicuous
+"safety-first" pins. Addie's eyesight is poor, and she claims it was
+"plum ruint by de St. Vitus's dance," from which she has suffered for
+many years. She readily agreed to tell of her early life, and her eyes
+brightened as she began: "Lawsy, Missy! Is dat what you come 'ere for?
+Oh, dem good old days! I was thinkin' 'bout Old Miss jus' t'other day.
+
+"I was borned down in Oconee County on Marse Ike Vinson's place. Old
+Miss was Marse Ike's mother. My Mammy and Pappy was Peter and 'Nerva
+Vinson and dey was both field hands. Marse Ike buyed my Pappy from Marse
+Sam Brightwell. Me and Bill, Willis, Maze, Harrison, Easter, and Sue was
+all de chillun my Mammy and Pappy had. Dere warn't but four of us big
+enough to wuk when Marse Ike married Miss Ann Hayes and dey tuk Mammy
+wid 'em to dey new home in town. I stayed dar on de plantation and done
+lots of little jobs lak waitin' on table; totin' Old Miss' breakfast to
+her in her room evvy mornin', and I holped 'tend to de grainery. Dey
+says now dat folkses is livin' in dat old grainery house.
+
+"Dat was a be-yootiful place, wid woods, cricks, and fields spread out
+most as fur as you could see. De slave quarters would'a reached from
+here to Milledge Avenue. Us lived in a one-room log cabin what had a
+chimbly made out of sticks and mud. Dem homemade beds what us slep' on
+had big old high posties wid a great big knob on de top of each post.
+Our matt'esses was coarse home-wove cloth stuffed wid field straw. You
+know I laked dem matt'esses 'cause when de chinches got too bad you
+could shake out dat straw and burn it, den scald de tick and fill it wid
+fresh straw, and rest in peace again. You can't never git de chinches
+out of dese cotton matt'esses us has to sleep on now days. Pillows? What
+you talkin' 'bout? You know Niggers never had no pillows dem days,
+leaseways us never had none. Us did have plenty of kivver dough. Folkses
+was all time a-piecin' quilts and having quiltin's. All dat sort of wuk
+was done at night.
+
+"Pappy's Ma and Pa was Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jacob. Day was field
+hands, and dey b'longed to Marse Obe Jackson. Grandma Lucy and Grandpa
+Toney Murrah was owned by Marse Billy Murrah. Marse Billy was a preacher
+what sho could come down wid de gospel at church. Grandma Lucy was his
+cook. Miss Sadie LeSeur got Grandma Lucy and tuk her to Columbus,
+Georgy, and us never seed our grandma no more. Miss Sadie had been one
+of de Vinson gals. She tuk our Aunt Haley 'long too to wait on her when
+she started out for Europe, and 'fore dey got crost de water, Aunt
+Haley, she died on de boat. Miss Sarah, she had a time keepin' dem
+boatsmens from th'owing Aunt Haley to de sharks. She is buried in de old
+country somewhar.
+
+"Now Missy, how was Nigger chillun gwine to git holt of money in slavery
+time? Old Marse, he give us plenty of somepin t'eat and all de clothes
+us needed, but he sho kep' his money for his own self.
+
+"Now 'bout dat somepin t'eat. Sho dat! Us had plenty of dem good old
+collards, turnips, and dem sort of oatments, and dar was allus a good
+chunk of meat to bile wid 'em. Marse Ike, he kep' plenty of evvy sort of
+meat folkses knowed about dem days. He had his own beef cattle, lots of
+sheep, and he killed more'n a hunnert hogs evvy year. Dey tells me dat
+old bench dey used to lay de meat out on to cut it up is standin' dar
+yet.
+
+"'Possums? Lawd, dey was plentiful, and dat ain't all dere was on dat
+plantation. One time a slave man was 'possum huntin' and, as he was
+runnin' 'round in de bresh, he looked up and dar was a b'ar standin'
+right up on his hind laigs grinnin' and ready to eat dat Nigger up. Oh,
+good gracious, how dat Nigger did run! Dey fetched in 'possums in piles,
+and dere was lots of rabbits, fixes, and coons. Dem coon, fox and
+'possum hounds sho knowed deir business. Lawsy, I kin jus' smell one of
+dem good old 'possums roastin' right now, atter all dese years. You
+parbiled de 'possum fust, and den roasted him in a heavy iron skillet
+what had a big old thick lid. Jus' 'fore de 'possum got done, you peeled
+ash-roasted 'taters and put 'em all 'round da 'possum so as day would
+soak up some of dat good old gravy, and would git good and brown. Is you
+ever et any good old ashcake? You wropped de raw hoecake in cabbage or
+collard leafs and roasted 'em in de ashes. When dey got done, you had
+somepin fit for a king to eat.
+
+"De kitchen was sot off a piece from de big house, and our white folkses
+wouldn't eat deir supper 'fore time to light de lamps to save your life;
+den I had to stan' 'hind Old Miss' cheer and fan her wid a
+turkey-feather fan to keep de flies off. No matter how rich folkses was
+dem days dere warn't no screens in de houses.
+
+"I never will forgit pore old Aunt Mary; she was our cook, and she had
+to be tapped evvy now and den 'cause she had de drapsy so bad. Aunt
+Mary's old man was Uncle Harris, and I 'members how he used to go
+fishin' at night. De udder slaves went fishin' too. Many's de time I'se
+seed my Mammy come back from Barber's Crick wid a string of fish
+draggin' from her shoulders down to de ground. Me, I laked milk more'n
+anything else. You jus' oughta seed dat place at milkin' time. Dere was
+a heap of cows a fightin', chillun hollerin', and sich a bedlam as you
+can't think up. Dat old plantation was a grand place for chillun, in
+summertime 'specially, 'cause dere was so many branches and cricks close
+by what us chillun could hop in and cool off.
+
+"Chillun didn't wear nothin' but cotton slips in summer, but de winter
+clothes was good and warm. Under our heavy winter dresses us wore
+quilted underskirts dat was sho nice and warm. Sunday clothes? Yes
+Mar'm, us allus had nice clothes for Sunday. Dey made up our summertime
+Sunday dresses out of a thin cloth called Sunday-parade. Dey was made
+spenser fashion, wid ruffles 'round de neck and waist. Our ruffled
+petticoats was all starched and ironed stiff and slick, and us jus'
+knowed our long pantalettes, wid deir scalloped ruffles, was mighty
+fine. Some of de 'omans would wuk fancy eyelets what dey punched in de
+scallops wid locust thorns. Dem pantalettes was buttoned on to our
+drawers. Our Sunday dresses for winter was made out of linsey-woolsey
+cloth. White ladies wore hoopskirts wid deir dresses, and dey looked lak
+fairy queens. Boys wore plain shirts in summer, but in winter dey had
+warmer shirts and quilted pants. Dey would put two pair of britches
+togedder and quilt 'em up so you couldn't tell what sort of cloth dey
+was made out of. Dem pants was called suggins.
+
+"All de Niggers went barfoots in summer, but in winter us all wore
+brogans. Old Miss had a shoe shop in de cellar under de big house, and
+when dem two white 'omans dat she hired to make our shoes come, us
+knowed wintertime was nigh. Dem 'omans would stay 'til day had made up
+shoes enough to last us all winter long, den dey would go on to de next
+place what dey s'pected to make shoes.
+
+"Marse Ike Vinson was sho good to his Niggers. He was de hanger, 'cept
+he never hung nobody. Him and Miss Ann had six chillun. Dey was Miss
+Lucy, Miss Myrt, Miss Sarah, Miss Nettie, Marse Charlie, and Marse Tom.
+Marse Ike's ma, Old Miss, wouldn't move to town wid him and Miss Ann;
+she stayed on in de big house on de plantation. To tell de truf I done
+forgot Old Miss' name. De overseer and his wife was Mr. Edmond and Miss
+Betsey, and dey moved up to de big house wid old Miss atter Marse Ike
+and Miss Ann moved to town. Stiles Vinson was de carriage driver, and he
+fotched Marse Ike out to de plantation evvy day. Lord! Gracious alive!
+It would take a week to walk all over dat plantation. Dere was more'n a
+thousand acres in it and, countin' all de chillun, dere was mighty nigh
+a hunnert slaves.
+
+"Long 'fore day, dat overseer blowed a bugle to wake up de Niggers. You
+could hear it far as High Shoals, and us lived dis side of Watkinsville.
+Heaps of folkses all over dat part of de country got up by dat old
+bugle. I will never forgit one time when de overseer said to us chillun,
+'You fellows go to do field and fetch some corn tops.' Mandy said: 'He
+ain't talkin' to us 'cause us ain't fellows and I ain't gwine.' Bless
+your sweet life, I runned and got dem corn tops, 'cause I didn't want no
+beatin'. Dem udder 'chillun got deir footses most cut off wid dem
+switches whan dat overseer got to wuk to sho 'em dey had to obey him.
+Dat overseer sho did wuk de Niggers hard; he driv' 'em all de time. Dey
+had to go to de field long 'fore sunup, and it was way atter sundown
+'fore dey could stop dat field wuk. Den dey had to hustle to finish deir
+night wuk in time for supper, or go to bed widout it.
+
+[HW sidenote: Beating]
+
+"You know dey whupped Niggers den. Atter dey had done wukked hard in de
+fields all day long, de beatin' started up, and he allus had somepin in
+mind to beat 'em about. When dey beat my Aunt Sallie she would fight
+back, and once when Uncle Randall said somepin he hadn't oughta, dat
+overseer beat him so bad he couldn't wuk for a week. He had to be grez
+all over evvy day wid hoalin' ointment for a long time 'fore dem gashes
+got well.
+
+"Rita and Retta was de Nigger 'omans what put pizen in some collards
+what dey give Aunt Vira and her baby to eat. She had been laughin' at a
+man 'cause his coattail was a-flappin' so funny whilst he was dancin',
+and dem two Jezebels thought she was makin' fun of dem. At de graveyard,
+'fore dey buried her, dey cut her open and found her heart was all
+decayed. De overseer driv dem 'omans clear off de plantation, and
+Marster, he was mighty mad. He said he had done lost 'bout $2,000. If he
+had kotched dem 'omans he woulda hung 'em, cause he was de hanger. In
+'bout two weeks dat overseer left dar, and Old Marse had to git him
+anudder man to take his place.
+
+"Sho! Dere was a jail for slaves and a hangin' place right in front of
+de jail, but none of Old Marster's Niggers warn't never put in no
+jailhouse. Oh God! Yes, dey sold slaves. My own granddaddy was made to
+git up on dat block, and dey sold him. One time I seed Old Marse buy
+four boys." At this point the narrative ceased when Addie suddenly
+remembered that she must stop to get supper for the daughter, who would
+soon be returning from work.
+
+The visitor called early in the morning of the following day, and found
+Addie bent over her washtubs in the back yard. "Have dat cheer," was the
+greeting as the old Negress lifted a dripping hand to point out a chair
+under the spreading branches of a huge oak tree, "You knows you don't
+want to hear no more 'bout dat old stuff," she said, "and anyhow, is you
+gittin' paid for doin' dis?" When the visitor admitted that these
+interviews were part of her salaried work, Addie quickly asked: "What is
+you gwine to give me?"
+
+When the last piece of wash had been hung on the line and Addie had
+turned a large lard can upside down for a stool, she settled down and
+began to talk freely.
+
+"No Ma'm, dey didn't low Niggers to larn how to read and write. I had to
+go wid de white chillun to deir school on Hog Mountain road evvy day to
+wait on 'em. I toted water for 'em kep' de fire goin', and done all
+sorts of little jobs lak dat. Miss Martha, de overseer's daughter, tried
+to larn me to read and write, but I wouldn't take it in.
+
+"No Ma'm dere warn't no churches for Niggers in slavery time, so slaves
+had to go to deir white folkses churches. Us went to church at Betty
+Berry (Bethabara) and Mars Hill. When time come for de sermon to de
+Niggers, sometimes de white folkses would leave and den again dey would
+stay, but dat overseer, he was dar all de time. Old man Isaac Vandiver,
+a Nigger preacher what couldn't read a word in de Bible, would git up in
+dat pulpit and talk from his heart. You know dere's heaps of folkses
+what's got dat sort of 'ligion--it's deep in deir hearts. De Reverend
+Freeman was de white folkses' preacher. I laked him best, for what he
+said allus sounded good to me.
+
+"At funerals us used to sing _Hark From De Tomb A Doleful Sound_. I
+never went to no funerals, but Old Marster's and Aunt Nira's, 'fore de
+end of de war.
+
+"When Old Marster went off to de war, he had all his slaves go to de
+musterin' ground to see him leave. He was captain of his company from
+Oconee County, and 'fore he left he had de mens in dat company bury deir
+silver and gold, deir watches, rings, and jus' anything dey wanted to
+keep, on Hog Mountain. Ha lef' a guard to watch de hidin' place so as
+dey would have somepin when dey come back home, den dey marched back to
+de musterin' ground dat was twixt de Hopkins' plantation and Old
+Marster's place. Uncle Solomon went along to de war to tote Marster's
+gun, cook for him, and sich lak. It warn't long 'fore old Marse was kilt
+in dat war, and Uncle Solomon fetches him back in a coffin. All de
+slaves dat went to de buryin' jus' trembled when guns was fired over Old
+Marster's grave. Dat was done to show dat Old Marster had been a
+powerful high-up man in de army.
+
+"Good Gracious! Dere didn't nary a Nigger go off from our place to de
+North, 'cause us was skeered of dem Yankees. Dere was a white
+slave-trader named McRaleigh what used to come to Old Marster's
+plantation to buy up Niggers to take 'em to de Mississippi bottoms. When
+us seed him comin' us lit out for de woods. He got Aunt Rachel; you
+could hear her hollerin' a mile down de road.
+
+"Oh! Good Lord! Dem patterollers was awful. Folkses what dey cotched
+widout no paper, dey jus' plum wore out. Old man John was de fiddler on
+our place, and when de patterollers cotched him dey beat him up de wust
+of all, 'cause him and his fiddle was all de time drawin' Niggers out to
+do dances.
+
+"If Old Marster wanted to send a massage he sont Uncle Randall on a mule
+named Jim. Sometimes dat old mule tuk a notion he didn't want to go; den
+he wouldn't budge. I ricollects one time dey tuk a bundle of fodder and
+tied it to Old Jim's tail, but still he wouldn't move. Old Marster kep'
+a special man to fetch and carry mail for de plantation in a road cyart,
+and nobody warn't 'lowed to go nigh dat cyart.
+
+"When slaves got in from de fields at night dey cooked and et deir
+supper and went to bed. Dey had done been wukin' since sunup. When dere
+warn't so much to do in de fields, sometimes Old Marster let his Niggers
+lay off from wuk atter dinner on Saddays. If de chinches was most eatin'
+de Niggers up, now and den de 'omans was 'lowed to stay to de house to
+scald evvything and clear 'em out, but de menfolkses had to go on to de
+field. On Sadday nights de 'omans patched, washed, and cut off peaches
+and apples to dry in fruit season. In de daytime dey had to cut off and
+dry fruit for Old Miss. When slaves got smart wid deir white folkses,
+deir Marsters would have 'em beat, and dat was de end of de matter. Dat
+was a heap better'n dey does now days, 'cause if a Nigger gits out of
+place dey puts him on de chaingang. [TR: 'Whipping' written in margin.]
+
+"Sunday was a day off for all de slaves on our plantation. Cause, de
+mens had to look atter de stock in de lot right back of de cabins. De
+'omans cooked all day for de next week. If dey tuk a notion to go to
+church, mules was hitched to wagons made lak dippers, and dey jigged off
+down de road. Us had four days holiday for Christmas. Old Miss give us
+lots of good things to eat dem four days; dere was cake, fresh meat, and
+all kinds of dried fruit what had been done stored away. All de Niggers
+tuk dat time to rest but my Mammy. She tuk me and went 'round to de
+white folkses' houses to wash and weave. Dey said I was a right smart,
+peart little gal, and white folkses used to try to hire me from Old
+Miss. When dey axed her for me, Old Miss allus told 'em: 'You don't want
+to hire dat gal; she ain't no 'count.' She wouldn't let nobody hire her
+Niggers, 'cept Mammy, 'cause she knowed Mammy warn't gwine to leave her
+nohow. On New Year's Day, if dere warn't too much snow on de ground, de
+Niggers burnt brush and cleared new ground.
+
+"When Aunt Patience led de singin' at cornshuckin's, de shucks sho'ly
+did fly. Atter de corn was shucked, dey fed us lots of good things and
+give us plenty of liquor. De way cotton pickin' was managed was dis:
+evvybody dat picked a thousand pounds of cotton in a week's time was
+'lowed a day off. Mammy picked her thousand pounds evvy week.
+
+"Dances? Now you's talkin' 'bout somepin' sho' 'nough. Old John, de
+fiddler man, was right dere on our plantation. Niggers dat had done
+danced half de night would be so sleepy when de bugle sounded dey
+wouldn't have time to cook breakfast. Den 'bout de middle of de mawnin'
+dey would complain 'bout bein' so weak and hongry dat de overseer would
+fetch 'em in and have 'em fed. He let 'em rest 'bout a hour and a half;
+den he marched 'em back to de field and wuked 'em 'til slap black dark.
+Aunt Sook was called de lead wench. If de moon warn't out, she put a
+white cloth 'round her shoulders and led 'em on.
+
+"Didn't none of Old Marsters chillun marry in slavery time, but Old
+Miss, she let us see a Nigger gal named Frances Hester git married. When
+I sot down to dat weddin' supper I flung de chicken bones over my
+shoulder, 'cause I didn't know no better. I don't 'member what gals
+played when I was little, but boys played ball all day long if dey was
+'lowed to. One boy, named Sam, played and run so hard he tuk his bed
+Monday and never got up no more.
+
+"I heared tell of Raw Haid and Bloody Bones. Old folkses would skeer us
+most nigh to death tellin' us he was comin'. Mankind! Us made for de
+house den. Missy, please mam, don't ax me 'bout dem ha'nts. I sees 'em
+all de time. Atter she had done died out, Old Miss used to come back all
+de time. She didn't lak it 'cause day wropped her in a windin' sheet and
+buried her by de doorsteps, but I reckon dey done fixed her by now,
+'cause she don't come back no more. Dere's a house in Athens, called de
+Bell House, dat nobody kin live in, 'cause a man run his wife from home
+and atter she died, she come back and ha'nted dat house.
+
+"Lawd have mercy! Look here, don't talk lak dat. I ain't told you before
+but part o' dis here yard is conjured. A man comes here early evvy
+mornin' and dresses dis yard down wid conjuration. Soon as I sot down
+here to talk to you, a pain started in my laigs, and it is done gone all
+over me now. I started to leave you and go in de house. Come on. Let's
+leave dis yard right now. Hurry!" On reaching the kitchen Addie hastily
+grasped the pepper box and shook its contents over each shoulder and on
+her head, saying: "Anything hot lak dis will sho drive dis spell away.
+De reason I shakes lak I does, one day I was in de yard and somepin
+cotch me. It helt fast to my footses, den I started to shake all over,
+and I been shakin' ever since. A white 'oman gimme some white soap, and
+evvy mornin' I washes myself good wid dat soap 'fore I puts on my
+clothes."
+
+Leaving the kitchen, Addie entered the front room which serves as a
+bedroom. "Lawdy, Missy!" she exclaimed, "Does you smell dat funny scent?
+Oh, Good Lawd! Jus' look at dem white powders on my doorstep! Let me git
+some hot water and wash 'em out quick! Now Missy, see how dese Niggers
+'round here is allus up to deir meanness? Dere's a man in de udder room
+bilin' his pizen right now. I has to keep a eye on him all de time or
+dis here old Nigger would be in her grave. I has to keep somepin hot all
+de time to keep off dem conjure spells. I got three pids of pepper most
+ready to pick, and I'se gwine to tie 'em 'round my neck, den dese here
+spells folkses is all de time tryin' to put on me won't do me no harm."
+
+Addie now lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I found a folded up
+piece of white paper under our back doorstep dis very mornin'. Bless
+your life, I got a stick from de kitchen quick and poked it in a crack
+in de steps and got it out 'fore I put my foots down on dem steps. I sho
+did."
+
+Here Addie reverted to her story of the plantation. "Old Marster was
+mighty good to his Niggers," she said. When any of 'em got sick Old Miss
+sont to town for him, and he allus come right out and fetched a doctor.
+Old Miss done her very best for Pappy when he was tuk sick, but he died
+out jus' de same. Pappy used to drive a oxcart and, when he was bad off
+sick and out of his haid, he hollered out: 'Scotch dat wheel! Scotch dat
+wheel!' In his mind, he was deep in de bad place den, and didn't know
+how to pray. Old Miss, she would say: 'Pray, Pete, Pray.' Old Miss made
+a heap of teas from diff'unt things lak pennyroyal, algaroba wood,
+sassafras, flat tobacco, and mullein. Us wore rabbits foots, little bags
+of asfiddy (asafetida), and garlic tabs 'round our necks to keep off
+mis'ries. I wishes I had a garlic tab to wear 'round my neck now.
+
+"One day Old Miss called us togedder and told us dat us was free as jay
+birds. De Niggers started hollerin': 'Thank de Lawd, us is free as de
+jay birds.' 'Bout dat time a white man come along and told dem Niggers
+if he heared 'em say dat again he would kill de last one of 'em. Old
+Miss axed us to stay on wid her and dar us stayed for 'bout three years.
+It paid us to stay dere 'stead of runnin' off lak some udder Niggars dat
+played de fool done. T'warn't long 'fore dem Yankees come 'long, and us
+hustled off to town to see what dey looked lak. I never seed so many
+mens at one time in my life before. When us got back to de plantation de
+overseer told us not to drink no water out of de well, 'cause somebody
+had done put a peck of pizen in dar. He flung a whole bushel of salt in
+de well to help git rid of de pizen.
+
+"Atter de end of de war, I went to wuk as a plow-hand. I sho did keep
+out of de way of dem Ku Kluxers. Folkses would see 'em comin' and holler
+out: 'De Ku Kluxers is ridin' tonight. Keep out of deir way, or dey will
+sho kill you.' Dem what was skeered of bein' cotched and beat up, done
+deir best to stay out of sight.
+
+"It was a long time atter de war was done over 'fore schools for Niggers
+was sot up, and den when Nigger chillun did git to go to school dey
+warn't 'lowed to use de old blue-back spellin' book 'cause white folkses
+said it larn't 'em too much.
+
+"It was two or three years atter de war 'fore any of de Niggers could
+save up enough money to start buyin' land, and den, if dey didn't watch
+dey steps mighty keerful, de white folkses would find a way to git dat
+land back from de Niggers.
+
+"What! Is I got to tell you 'bout dat old Nigger I got married up wid? I
+don't want to talk 'bout dat low down, no 'count devil. Anyhow, I
+married Ed Griffeth and, sho dat, I had a weddin'. My weddin' dress was
+jus' de purtiest thing; it was made out of parade cloth, and it had a
+full skirt wid ruffles from de knees to de hem. De waist fitted tight
+and it was cut lowneck wid three ruffles 'round de shoulder. Dem puff
+sleeves was full from de elbow to de hand. All dem ruffles was aidged
+wid lace and, 'round my waist I wore a wide pink sash. De underskirt was
+trimmed wid lace, and dere was lace on de bottom of de drawers laigs.
+Dat was sho one purty outfit dat I wore to marry dat no 'count man in. I
+had bought dat dress from my young Mist'ess.
+
+"Us had seven chillun and ten grandchillun. Most of 'em is livin' off up
+in Detroit. If Ed ain't daid by now he ought to be; he was a good match
+for de devil.
+
+"I reckon Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Jeff Davis done right as fur as dey knowed
+how and could. If dem northern folkses hadn't fotched us here, us sho
+wouldn't never have been here in de fust place. Den dey hauled off and
+said de South was mean to us Niggers and sot us free, but I don't know
+no diffunce. De North sho let us be atter dat war, and some of de old
+Niggers is still mad 'cause dey is free and ain't got no Marster to feed
+'em and give 'em good warm clothes no more.
+
+"Oh! You gits happy when you jines up wid de church. I sho don't want to
+go to de bad place. Dere ain't but two places to go to, Heaven and hell,
+and I'se tryin' to head for Heaven. Folkses says dat when Old Dives done
+so bad he had to go to de bad place, a dog was sot at his heels for to
+keep him in dar. No Mam, if it's de Good Lawd's will to let me git to
+Heaven, I is sho gwine to keep out of hell, if I kin.
+
+"Goodbye, Missy. Next time you comes fetch me a garlic tab to keep de
+conjure spells 'way from me," was Addie's parting request.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+EMMA VIRGEL, Age 73
+1491 W. Broad Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Grace McCune
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+Augusta, Ga.
+[Date Stamp: MAY 13 1938]
+
+
+Hurrying for shelter from a sudden shower, the interviewer heard a
+cheerful voice singing "Lord I'se Comin' Home," as she rushed up the
+steps of Aunt Emma's small cabin. Until the song was ended she quietly
+waited on the tiny porch and looked out over the yard which was
+attractive with roses and other old-fashioned flowers; then she knocked
+on the door.
+
+Dragging footsteps and the tap, tap of a crutch sounded as Aunt Emma
+approached the door. "Come in out of dat rain, chile, or you sho' will
+have de pneumony," she said. "Come right on in and set here by my fire.
+Fire feels mighty good today. I had to build it to iron de white folkses
+clothes." Aunt Emma leaned heavily on her crutch as she wielded the iron
+with a dexterity attainable only by long years of experience. Asked if
+her lameness and use of a crutch made her work difficult, she grinned
+and answered: "Lawsy chile, I'se jus' so used to it, I don't never think
+'bout it no more. I'se had to wuk all of my life, no matter what was in
+de way." The comfort, warmth and cheer of the small kitchen encouraged
+intimate conversation and when Aunt Emma was asked for the story of her
+childhood days and her recollections of slavery, she replied: "I was too
+little to 'member much, but I'se heared my Ma tell 'bout dem days.
+
+"My Pa and Ma was Louis and Mary Jackson. Dey b'longed to Marse John
+Montgomery, way down in Oconee County. Marse John didn't have no wife
+den, 'cause he didn't git married 'til atter de War. He had a big place
+wid lots of slaves. He was sho' good to 'em, and let 'em have plenty of
+evvything. De slave quarters was log cabins wid big fireplaces, whar dey
+done de cookin'. Dey had racks to hang pots on to bile and dey baked in
+ovens set on de harth (hearth). Dat was powerful good eatin'. Dey had a
+big old gyarden whar dey raised plenty of corn, peas, cabbages,
+potatoes, collards, and turnip greens. Out in de fields dey growed
+mostly corn, wheat, and cotton. Marster kep' lots of chickens, cows,
+hogs, goats, and sheep; and he fed 'em all mighty good.
+
+"Marster let his slaves dance, and my Ma was sho' one grand dancer in
+all de breakdown's. Dey give 'em plenty of toddy and Niggers is dancers
+f'um way back yonder while de toddy lasts.
+
+"Slaves went to deir Marster's meetin's and sot in de back of de church.
+Dey had to be good den 'cause Marster sho' didn't 'low no cuttin' up
+'mongst his Niggers at de church. Ma said he didn't believe in whuppin'
+his Niggers lessen it jus' had to be done, but den dey knowed he was
+'round dar when he did have to whup 'em.
+
+"Ma said when dey had big baptizin's in de river dey prayed and shouted
+and sung 'Washin' 'way my Sins,'--'Whar de Healin' Water Flows,' and
+'Crossin' de River Jerdan.' De white preacher baptized de slaves and den
+he preached--dat was all dere was to it 'ceppen de big dinner dey had in
+de churchyard on baptizin' days.
+
+"When slaves died, dey made coffins out of pine wood and buried 'em whar
+de white folkses was buried. If it warn't too fur a piece to de
+graveyard, dey toted de coffin on three or four hand sticks. Yessum,
+hand sticks, dat's what day called 'em. Dey was poles what dey sot de
+coffin on wid a Nigger totin' each end of de poles. De white preacher
+prayed and de Niggers sung 'Hark f'um de Tomb.'
+
+"Ma said she had a grand big weddin'. She wore a white swiss dress wid a
+bleachin' petticoat, made wid heaps of ruffles and a wreath of flowers
+'round her head. She didn't have no flower gals. Pa had on a long, frock
+tail, jim swinger coat lak de preacher's wore. A white preacher married
+'em in de yard at de big house. All de Niggers was dar, and Marster let
+'em dance mos' all night.
+
+"I was de oldest of Ma's 10 chillun. Dey done all gone to rest now
+'ceptin' jus' de three of us what's lef in dis world of trouble. Yessum,
+dere sho' is a heap of trouble here.
+
+"Atter de War, Ma and Pa moved on Mr. Bill Marshall's place to farm for
+him and dar's whar I was born. Dey didn't stay dar long 'fore dey moved
+to Mr. Jim Mayne's place away out in de country, in de forks of de big
+road down below Watkinsville. I sho' was a country gal. Yessum, I sho'
+was. Mr. Mayne's wife was Mrs. Emma Mayne and she took a lakin' to me
+'cause I was named Emma. I stayed wid her chilluns all de time, slep' in
+de big house, and et dar too, jus' lak one of dem, and when dey bought
+for dey chillun dey bought for me too.
+
+"Us wore homespun dresses and brass toed shoes. Sometimes us would git
+mighty mad and fuss over our games and den Miss Emma would make us come
+in de big house and set down. No Ma'am, she never did whup us. She was
+good and she jus' talked to us, and told us us never would git to Heb'en
+lessen us was good chillun. Us played games wid blocks and jumped de
+rope and, when it was warm, us waded in de crick. Atter I was big
+'nough, I tuk de white chillun to Sunday School, but I didn't go inside
+den--jus' waited on de outside for 'em. I never got a chanct to go to
+school none, but de white chilluns larnt me some.
+
+"Marse Jim was mighty good to de Niggers what wukked for him, and us all
+loved him. He didn't 'low no patterollers or none of dem Ku Kluxers
+neither to bother de Niggers on his place. He said he could look atter
+'em his own self. He let 'em have dances, and evvy Fourth of July he had
+big barbecues. Yessum, he kilt hogs, goats, sheep and sometimes a cow
+for dem barbecues. He believed in havin' plenty to eat.
+
+"I 'members dem big corn shuckin's. He had de mostes' corn, what was in
+great big piles put in a circle. All de neighbors was axed to come and
+bring deir Niggers. De fus' thing to do was to 'lect a gen'ral to stand
+in de middle of all dem piles of corn and lead de singin' of de reels.
+No Ma'am, I don't 'member if he had no shuck stuck up on his hat or not,
+and I can't ricollec' what de words of de reels was, 'cause us chillun
+was little den, but de gen'ral he pulled off de fus' shuck. Den he
+started singin' and den dey all sung in answer to him, and deir two
+hands a-shuckin' corn kep' time wid de song. As he sung faster, dey jus'
+made dem shucks more dan fly. Evvy time de gen'ral would speed up de
+song, de Niggers would speed up deir corn shuckin's. If it got dark
+'fore dey finished, us chillun would hold torch lights for 'em to see
+how to wuk. De lights was made out of big pine knots what would burn a
+long time. Us felt mighty big when us was 'lowed to hold dem torches.
+When dey got done shuckin' all de corn, dey had a big supper, and Honey,
+dem was sho' some good eatments--barbecue of all sorts--jus' thinkin'
+'bout dem pies makes me hongry, even now. Ma made 'em, and she couldn't
+be beat on chicken pies and sweet potato pies. Atter dey done et and
+drunk all dey wanted, Marse Jim would tell 'em to go to it. Dat was de
+word for de gen'ral to start up de dancin', and dat lasted de rest of de
+night; dat is if dey didn't all fall out, for old time corn shuckin'
+breakdowns was drag-outs and atter all dem 'freshments, hit sho' kept
+somebody busy draggin' out dem what fell out. Us chillun was 'lowed to
+stay up long as us wanted to at corn shuckin's, and sometimes us would
+git out and try to do lak de grown-up Niggers. Hit was de mos' fun.
+
+"Dey went huntin' and fishin' and when dey cotch or kilt much, dey had a
+big supper. I 'members de fus' time I ever cooked 'possum. Ma was sick
+in de bed, and de mens had done been 'possum huntin'. Ma said I would
+jus' have to cook dem 'possums. She told me how to fix 'em and she said
+to fix 'em wid potatoes and plenty of butter and red pepper. Den she
+looked at me right hard and said dat dey had better be jus' right. Dat
+skeered me so I ain't never been so I could eat no 'possum since den.
+Yessum, dey was cooked jus' right, but cookin' 'em jus' once when I was
+skeered cured me of de taste for eatin' 'possum.
+
+"Us chillun didn't git out and go off lak dey does dese days. Us stayed
+dar on de plantation. In winter us had to wear plenty of clothes, wid
+flannel petticoats and sich lak, and us stayed in by de fire. Big boys
+had clothes made out of jeans, but little boys wore homespun shirts. On
+hot days us jus' wore one piece of clothes, a sort of shirt what was
+made long and had a yoke in it.
+
+"Dey made me use snuff to cure my sore eyes when I was little, and I
+never could quit usin' it no more. When I was 'bout 15, Ma and Pa moved
+to Athens and I went to wuk for Mr. Joe Webb's fambly. I wukked for 'em
+for 30 years and raised all deir chillun. Dey was all mighty good to me
+and seed dat I had plenty of evvything. I would still be dar, but de old
+folkses all done died out and gone to dey rest and de younguns done
+married and lef' here.
+
+"I was wukkin' right in de house wid 'em when I 'cided to git married.
+Yes Ma'am, I sho' done had one swell elegant weddin'. Jus' evvything
+heart could ask for. I married at my Ma's house, but my white folkses
+was all right dar, and dey had done fixed de house up pretty wid flowers
+all over it. Dey give me my white flannel weddin' dress and it was sho'
+pretty, but dey warn't nothin' lackin' 'bout my second day dress. My
+white folkses bought dat too,--It was a bottle green silk. Lawsy, but I
+was sho' one dressed up bride. It was 8 o'clock dat night when de
+preacher got finished wid tyin' dat knot for me and Sam Virgel. My
+sister and her fellow stood up wid us and us had a big crowd at our
+weddin' supper. Dere was one long table full of our white folkses,
+'sides all de Niggers, and I jus' never seed so much to eat. My white
+folkses said dat Emma jus' had to have plenty for her weddin' feast and
+dey evermore did lay out good things for dat supper, and dem Niggers
+sho' did hide dat chicken and cake away lak dey hadn't never seed none
+before.
+
+"I wukked on for de Webbs 'til dey was all gone. De old folks is in
+Heb'en whar I 'spects to see 'em some day when de Lord done called me
+home. De younguns moved away, but I still loves 'em evvyone, 'cause dey
+looked atter old Emma so good when dey was here. Us never had no chillun
+and Sam done been gone to his res' long years ago. I'se jus' a-wukkin
+and a-waitin 'til I gits called to go too. I don't have plenty all de
+time now lak I used to, and nobody here looks atter old Emma no more,
+but I makes out.
+
+"I'se mighty glad it rained if dat's what sont you to my door. It's been
+nice to talk wid white folkses again. I wisht I had somepin' nice for
+you! Let me cut you a bunch of my flowers?" She carefully placed her
+iron on the hearth and hobbled out in the yard. The May shower had been
+followed by sunshine as she handed her guest a huge bouquet of roses,
+Aunt Emma bowed low. "Good-bye, Missy," she said, "please come back to
+see me."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 7
+Ex-Slave #110]
+Adella S. Dixon
+
+INTERVIEW WITH RHODUS WALTON, EX-SLAVE, Age 84
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+Ten years before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, a son was
+born to Antony and Patience Walton who lived in Lumpkin, Stewart County,
+Ga. When this son, Rhodus, was three weeks old, his mother, along with
+the three younger children, was sold. His father and the thirteen sons
+and daughters that she left behind were never seen again. His parents'
+birthplace and the name they bore before moving to the Walton home are
+unknown to Rhodus and he never was able to trace his family even after
+"freedom."
+
+The Walton plantation, home of Mr. Sam B. Walton who purchased his
+mother, was a very large one with the "Big House" on an elevation near
+the center. The majestic colonial home with its massive columns was seen
+for miles around and from its central location the master was able to
+view his entire estate.
+
+Approximately one block from the planter's home, the "quarters" were
+clustered. These were numerous loghouses with stick-and-clay chimneys in
+which the slave families dwelt. Each house was composed of one room
+sparsely furnished. The beds were corded with rope and as large families
+were stressed, it was often necessary for several members to sleep on
+the floor. There was an open fireplace at which family meals were
+prepared. Equipment consisted of an iron pot suspended by a hanger and a
+skillet with long legs that enabled the cook to place fire beneath it.
+Bread known as "ash cake" was sometimes cooked on the hot coals.
+
+The auction block was located not far from this old home. Here Rhodus
+Walton with other young children watched slaves emerge from boxcars,
+where they had been packed so closely that there was no room to sit, to
+be sold to the highest bidder. This was one of his most vivid
+recollections.
+
+As Rhodus' father did not come to this home with his family, he knows
+nothing of him. Except for brief intervals his mother worked in the
+house where cotton and wool were spun into thread and then woven into
+cloth from which the slaves' clothing was made. An elder sister nursed
+the master's smaller children. Rhodus' first duties were to drive the
+cows to and from the pastures and to keep the calves from annoying the
+milkers.
+
+His master was a very cruel man whose favorite form of punishment was to
+take a man (or woman) to the edge of the plantation where a rail fence
+was located. His head was then placed between two rails so that escape
+was impossible and he was whipped until the overseer was exhausted. This
+was an almost daily occurrence, administered on the slightest
+provocation.
+
+Saturday was the only afternoon off and Christmas was the only vacation
+period, but one week of festivities made this season long remembered.
+Many "frolics" were given and everyone danced where banjoes were
+available; also, these resourceful people secured much of their music
+from an improvised fiddle fashioned from a hand saw. Immediately after
+these festivities, preparations began for spring planting. New ground
+was cleared; old land fertilized and the corn fields cleared of last
+year's rubbish.
+
+Courtship began at a later age than is customary now but they were much
+more brief. Gifts to one's sweetheart were not permitted, but verses
+such as:
+
+ Roses are red,
+ Violets blue,
+ I don't love
+ No one but you
+
+were invariably recited to the loved one. Young negro men always
+"cocked" their hats on one side of their heads when they became
+interested in the other sex. Marriages were performed by the master.
+Common law situations did not exist.
+
+Serious illnesses were not frequent and home remedies compounded of
+roots and herbes usually sufficed. Queensy's light root, butterfly
+roots, scurry root, red shank root, bull tongue root were all found in
+the woods and the teas made from their use were "cures" for many
+ailments. Whenever an illness necessitated the services of a physician,
+he was called. One difference in the old family doctor and those of
+today was the method of treatment. The former always carried his
+medicine with him, the latter writes prescriptions. The fee was also
+much smaller in olden times.
+
+Food was distributed weekly in quantities according to the size of the
+family. A single man would receive:
+
+ 1 pk. meal on Sunday
+
+ 1 qt. syrup flour (seconds)
+
+ 3-1/2 lbs. meat Holidays--July 4th and Christmas
+ fresh meat.
+
+Peas, pepper grass, polk salad were plentiful in the fields. Milk and
+"pot likker" could be had from the big house when desired, although
+every family cooked for itself. Saturday afternoon was the general
+fishing time and each person might catch as many as he needed for his
+personal use.
+
+The slaves did most of the weaving on the plantation, but after the
+cloth was woven the problem of giving it color presented itself. As they
+had no commercial dye, certain plants were boiled to give color. A plant
+called indigo, found in the cotton patch, was the chief type of dye,
+although thare was another called copperas. The dresses made from this
+material were very plain.
+
+Walton believes in most of the old signs and superstitions because he
+has "watched them and found that they are true." The continuous singing
+of a whipporwill near a house is a sign of death, but if an iron is
+placed in the fire and allowed to remain there, the bird will fly away.
+
+When the news of the war finally reached the plantation, the slaves
+followed the progress with keen interest and when battles were fought
+near Columbus, and firing of guns was heard, they cried joyfully--"It
+ain't gonna be long now." Two of their master's sons fought in the
+Confederate Army, but both returned home before the close of the war.
+One day news came that the Yankee soldiers were soon to come, and Walton
+began to hide all valuables. The slaves were sent to the cemetery to dig
+very deep graves where all manner of food was stored. They were covered
+like real graves and wooden slabs placed at either end. For three days
+before the soldiers were expected, all the house servants were kept busy
+preparing delicacies with which to tempt the Yankees and thus avoid
+having their place destroyed. In spite of all this preparation, they
+were caught unawares and when the "blue coats" were seen approaching,
+the master and his two sons ran. The elder made his way to the woods;
+the younger made away on "Black Eagle" a horse reputed to run almost a
+mile a minute. Nearly everything on the place was destroyed by these
+invaders. One bit of information has been given in every interview where
+Northern soldiers visited a plantation, they found, before coming,
+whether the Master was mean or kind and always treated him as he had
+treated his slaves. Thus Mr. Walton was "given the works" as our modern
+soldiers would say.
+
+When the war ended the slaves were notified that they were free. Just
+before Rhodus' family prepared to move, his mother was struck on the
+head by a drunken guest visiting at the "big house." As soon as she
+regained consciousness, the family ran off without communicating with an
+elder sister who had been sold to a neighbor the previous year. A year
+later, news of this sister reached them through a wagoner who recognized
+the small boys as he passed them. He carried the news to the family's
+new residence back to the lost sister and in a few weeks she arrived at
+Cuthbert to make her home with her relatives.
+
+For the past 9 years Rhodus has been unable to work as he is a victim of
+a stroke on his left side; both sides have been ruptured, and his nerves
+are bad. He attributes his long life to his faith in God.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 5
+Ex-slave #111
+(Ross)]
+
+AN ACCOUNT Of SLAVERY RELATED BY WILLIAM WARD--EX-SLAVE
+[Date Stamp: 10-8-1937]
+
+
+In a small one-room apartment located on one of Atlanta's back streets
+lives William Ward, an ex-slave, whose physical appearance in no way
+justifies his claim to being 105 years of age. He is about five ft. in
+height with a rather smooth brown complexion. What hair he has is gray.
+He moves about like a much younger person. For a person of his age his
+thoughts and speech are remarkably clear.
+
+On a bright sunny afternoon in September this writer had an opportunity
+of talking with Mr. Ward and in the course of the conversation some very
+interesting things were learned regarding the institution of slavery and
+its customs. Ward took a dip of snuff from his little tin box and began
+his story by saying that he is the son of Bill and Leana Ward who were
+brought to this country from Jamaica, B.W.I. The first thing he
+remembers was the falling of the stars in 1833. From that time until he
+was 9 years old he played around the yard with other slave children.
+Then his parents were sent back to Jamaica by their master, the former
+Governor Joseph E. Brown. While he was in bondage he carried the name of
+his masters instead of Ward, his parents' name.
+
+From the age of 9 until he was old enough to do heavy work, he kept the
+master's yard clean.
+
+Although Mr. Brown owned between 50 and 75 slaves, he had no plantation
+but hired his slaves out to other men who needed more help but were not
+able to own as many slaves as their work required.
+
+Mr. Ward and his fellow slaves lived in one-room houses in the rear of
+the master's home. The furnishings consisted of a bed which was known as
+a "Grand Rascal" due to its peculiar construction. The mattress made in
+the form of a large bag was stuffed with hat and dried grass.
+
+At daybreak each morning they were called from these crude beds to
+prepare for the day's work. Breakfast, which consisted of white bacon,
+corn bread, and imitation coffee, was served before they left for the
+scene of their day's work. Incidentally the slaves under Mr. Brown's
+ownership never had any other form of bread than corn bread.
+
+This imitation coffee was made by putting corn meal in a pan, parching
+it until it reached a deep golden brown and steeping it in boiling
+water. At noon, dinner was brought to them in the field in wash tubs
+placed on carts drawn by oxen. Dinner consisted of fat meat, peas and
+corn bread. Often all laundry was done in these same tubs.
+
+The only time that this diet ever varied was at Christmas time when the
+master had all slaves gathered in one large field. Then several hogs
+were killed and barbecued. Everyone was permitted to eat as much as he
+could, but was forbidden to take anything home. When some one was
+fortunate enough to catch a possum or a coon, he had a change of food.
+
+On Sundays the slaves were permitted to have a religious meeting of
+their own. This usually took place in the back yard or in a building
+dedicated for this purpose. They sang spirituals which gave vent to
+their true feelings. Many of these songs are sung today. There was one
+person who did the preaching. His sermon was always built according to
+the master's instructions which were that slaves must always remember
+that they belonged to their masters and were intended to lead a life of
+loyal servitude. None of the slaves believed this, although they
+pretended to believe because of the presence of the white overseer. If
+this overseer was absent sometimes and the preacher varied in the text
+of his sermon, that is, if he preached exactly what he thought and felt,
+he was given a sound whipping.
+
+Mr. Brown was a kind person and never mistreated his slaves, although he
+did furnish them with the whip for infractions of rules such as
+fighting, stealing, visiting other plantations without a "pass", etc.
+Ward vividly recalls that one of the soundest thrashings he ever got was
+for stealing Mr. Brown's whisky. His most numerous offenses were
+fighting. Another form of punishment used in those days was the stocks,
+such as those used in early times in England. Serious offenses like
+killing another person was also handled by the master who might hang him
+to a tree by the feet or by the neck, as he saw fit.
+
+Few slaves ever attempted to escape from Mr. Brown, partially because of
+his kindliness and partically because of the fear inspired by the pack
+of blood hounds which he kept. When an escaped slave was caught he was
+returned to his master and a sound beating was administered.
+
+As far as marriage was concerned on the Brown estate, Mr. Brown, himself
+placed every two individuals together that he saw fit to. There was no
+other wedding ceremony. If any children were born from the union, Mr.
+Brown named them. One peculiarity on the Brown estate was the fact that
+the slaves were allowed no preference or choice as to who his or her
+mate would be. Another peculiarity was these married couples were not
+permitted to sleep together except when the husband received permission
+to spend the night with his wife. Ward is the father of 17 children
+whose whereabouts he does not know.
+
+At this point Ward began to smile, and when he was asked the cause of
+his mirth, he replied that he was thinking about his fellow slaves
+beliefs in conjuring one another. This was done by putting some sort of
+wild berries in the person's food. What he can't understand is why some
+of this black magic was not tried on the white people since they were
+holding the Negroes as slaves.
+
+Ward recalls vividly Sherman's march through Georgia. When Sherman
+reached the present site of Hapeville, he bombarded Atlanta with cannon,
+afterwards marching through and burning the city. The white residents
+made all sorts of frantic attempts to hide their money and other
+valuables. Some hiding places were under stumps of trees and in sides of
+hills. Incidentally Sherman's army found quite a bit of the hidden
+wealth. Slaves were never allowed to talk over events and so very few,
+if any, knew about the war or its results for them before it actually
+happened. At the time that Sherman marched through Atlanta, Ward and
+other slaves were living in an old mansion at the present site of
+Peachtree and Baker Streets. He says that Sherman took him and his
+fellow slaves as far as Virginia to carry powder and shot to the
+soldiers. He states that he himself did not know whether Sherman
+intended to keep him in slavery or free him. At the close of the war,
+his master, Mr. Brown, became ill and died later. Before His death he
+informed the slaves that they could remain on his property or go where
+they wanted to. Ward was taken to Mississippi where he remained in
+another form of slavery (Peonage System) for 40 years. He remembers when
+Atlanta was just a few hills without any buildings. Some of the
+buildings he worked on are the Herman Building and the original Kimball
+House, a picture of which is attached.
+
+He attributes his old age to his belief in God and living a sane life.
+Whenever he feels bad or in low spirits, a drink of coffee or a small
+amount of whisky is enough to brace him. He believes that his remedy is
+better than that used in slavery which consisted mainly of pills and
+castor oil.
+
+With a cheerful good-bye, Ward asked that the writer stop in to see him
+again; said that he would rather live in the present age under existing
+conditions than live in slavery.
+
+
+
+
+Driskell
+JWL 10-12-37
+
+[MR. WILLIAM WARD]
+
+
+Following is Mr. William Ward's description of the bed called "The Grand
+Rascal."
+
+"De beds dat all o' de slaves slept in wus called 'Grand Rascals'. Dey
+wus made on de same order as a box. De way dey made 'em wus like dis:
+dey took four strips of narrow wood, each one of 'em 'bout a foot wide,
+an' den dey nailed 'em together so dat dey wus in de shape of a square.
+Den dey nailed a bottom onto dis square shape. Dis bottom wus called de
+slats. When dis wus finished dey set dis box on some legs to keep it
+off'n de floor, an' den dey got busy wid de mattress. Dey took ol' oat
+sacks an' filled 'em wid straw an' hay an' den dey put dis in de box an'
+slept on it. Dere wusn't no springs on dese bunks an' everybody had a
+hard time sleepin'.
+
+"De real name of dese wus 'Sonova-Bitches' but de slaves called 'em
+'Grand Rascals' 'cause dey didn't want people to hear 'em use a bad
+word.
+
+"After Sherman come through Atlanta he let de slaves go, an' when he
+did, me an' some of de other slaves went back to our ol' masters. Ol'
+man Gov. Brown wus my boss man. After de war wus over Ol' man Gordon
+took me an' some of de others out to Mississippi. I stayed in peonage
+out dere fer 'bout forty years. I wus located at jes' 'bout forty miles
+south of Greenwood, an' I worked on de plantations of Ol' man Sara Jones
+an' Ol' man Gordon.
+
+"I couldn't git away 'cause dey watched us wid guns all de time. When de
+levee busted dat kinda freed me. Man, dey was devils; dey wouldn't 'low
+you to go nowhere--not even to church. You done good to git sumpin' to
+eat. Dey wouldn't give you no clothes, an' if you got wet you jes' had
+to lay down in whut you got wet in.
+
+"An', man, dey would whup you in spite of de devil. You had to ask to
+git water--if you didn't dey would stretch you 'cross a barrel an' wear
+you out. If you didn't work in a hurry dey would whup you wid a strap
+dat had five-six holes in it. I ain't talkin' 'bout whut I heard--I'm
+talkin' 'bout whut I done see'd.
+
+"One time dey sent me on Ol' man Mack Williams' farm here in Jasper
+County, Georgia. Dat man would kill you sho. If dat little branch on his
+plantation could talk it would tell many a tale 'bout folks bein'
+knocked in de head. I done seen Mack Williams kill folks an' I done seen
+'im have folks killed. One day he tol' me dat if my wife had been good
+lookin', I never would sleep wid her again 'cause he'd kill me an' take
+her an' raise chilluns off'n her. Dey uster take women away fum dere
+husbands an' put wid some other man to breed jes' like dey would do
+cattle. Dey always kept a man penned up an' dey used 'im like a stud
+hoss.
+
+"When you didn't do right Ol' Mack Williams would shoot you or tie a
+chain 'roun your neck an' throw you in de river. He'd git dem other
+niggers to carry dem to de river an' if dey didn't he'd shoot 'em down.
+Any time dey didn't do whut he said he would shoot 'em down. He'd tell
+'em to "Ketch dat nigger", an' dey would do it. Den he would tell 'em to
+put de chain 'roun dere neck an' throw 'em in de river. I ain't heard
+dis--I done seen it.
+
+"In 1927 I wus still in peonage but I wus back in Mississippi on
+Gordon's farm. When de levee broke in May of dat same year I lost my
+wife an' three chilluns. I climbed a tree an' stayed dere fer four days
+an' four nights. Airplanes dropped food an' when I got ready to eat I
+had to squeeze de water out of de bread. After four days I got out of de
+tree an' floated on logs down de river 'till I got to Mobile, Alabama,
+an' I wade fum dere to Palmetto, Georgia, where I got down sick. De boss
+mans dere called Gov. Harden an' he sent de Grady Hospital examiners
+down dere an' got me an' I been in Atlanta since dat time."
+
+
+
+
+Willie H. Cole
+10-8-37
+
+THE STORY OF AN EX-SLAVE
+[MRS. LULA WASHINGTON, Age 84]
+
+
+Mrs. Lula Washington was born a slave. She claims to be eighty-four
+years old.
+
+Mrs. Washington was confined to bed because of a recent accident in
+which she received a broken leg.
+
+She is the mother of twenty-three children of which only two are living.
+She lives in one room at 64 Butler St., N.E. with one of her daughters.
+Since the death of her husband several years ago she has been making her
+living as a dray-women, driving a mule and wagon.
+
+Following are some of the events she remembers. "Ah wuz born in
+Randolph, Alabama on de plantation of Marster John Terrell, de sixth
+child of my mammy and pappy".
+
+"When ah wuz six years old marster John sold me an' my sister, Lize and
+brother, Ben to Marster Charlie Henson."
+
+"Marster Charlie wuz good to his niggers.
+
+"He never whipped dem 'less dey done somethin' awful bad, like stealin
+chickens or slipping off de plantation without permission."
+
+"It wuz funny, de white folks would whipped de niggers for stealin' but
+if dey saw a hog in de woods, dey would make the niggers catch de hog an
+kill him an hide him under dey bushes. Den at night de niggers would
+hafta' go down to de spring, build a fire, heat water an skin de hog."
+
+"De man on de plantation next to us' shore wuz mean to his niggers,
+Marster Jim Roberts wus his name. He would take his niggers an strip
+there clothes to dere waist an' lay dem 'cross a barrel an beat dem 'til
+the blood run. Den he would pore salt water on de sore places."
+
+"Oh 'member one time he tied two wimmen by dere thumbs to a limb of a
+tree for blessin' out the missus."
+
+"Us had plenty to eat and plenty to wear, calico dresses an' brogan
+shoes. Sometimes dere misses would give the wimmen some of her old
+clothes".
+
+"All de niggers on Marster Charlie's plantation had to work in de field
+'cept Malindy Lu, a Mulatto nigger gal. Marster Charlie kept her in de
+house to take care of Missus Jane, dat wuz Marster Charlie wife."
+
+"One thing 'bout de mulatto niggers, wuz, dey thought dey wuz better
+than de black niggers. I guess it wuz 'cause dey was half white. Dere
+wuz a bad feelin' 'tween the mulatto slaves an de black ones."
+
+Asked, how did the slaves marry? She replied, "Ah jest don't 'member
+seeing any marry 'cause ah wuz so small. Ah wuz jest eleven years old de
+time of de war but ah' members hearing some of dem say dat when two
+slaves wanted to git married dey would hafta get permission from dere
+marster. Den dey would come 'fore de marster an' he would have dem to
+jump over a broom an den 'nounce dem married."
+
+"When de Yankees come thru" de white folks told us to go down to de
+swamp an hide cause dey would git us. When de war wuz over de white
+folks told us we wuz free."
+
+"Marster Terrell gave my mammy an pappy a oxcart an mule an a bushel of
+meal. Den my pappy an mammy come got me an my sister an' brother. Den we
+come from Randolph, Alabama to Georgia."
+
+"Sometimes I wish I wuz back in slavery, times is so hard."
+
+Mrs. Washington's chief concern now is getting her old-age pension.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+GREEN WILLBANKS, Age 77
+347 Fairview Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Sept. 19, 1938
+
+
+Fairview Street, where Green Willbanks lives is a section of shabby
+cottages encircled by privet hedges.
+
+As the visitor carefully ascended the shaky steps to his house a mulatto
+man, who was sitting on the veranda, quickly arose. "Good morning," he
+said, "Yes mam, this is Green Willbanks. Have a seat in the swing." The
+porch furniture was comprised of a chair, a swing, and a long bench.
+Green is tall, slender, and stooped; a man with white hair and grizzled
+face. A white broadcloth shirt, white cotton trousers, blue socks, and
+low-cut black shoes made up his far from immaculate costume.
+
+The old man's eyes brightened when he was asked to give the story of his
+life. His speech showed but little dialect, except when he was carried
+away by interest and emotion, and his enunciation was remarkably free
+from Negroid accent.
+
+"I don't mind telling you what I know," he began, "but I was such a
+little chap when the war ended that there's mighty little I can
+recollect about slavery time, and it seems that your chief interest is
+in that period. I was born on a plantation the other side of Commerce,
+Georgia, in Jackson County. My Ma and Pa were Mary and Isom Willbanks;
+they were raised on the same plantation where I was born. Ma was a field
+hand, and this time of the year when work was short in the
+field--laying-by time, we called it--and on rainy days she spun thread
+and wove cloth. As the thread left the spinning wheel it went on a reel
+where it was wound into hanks, and then it was carried to the loom to be
+woven into cloth. Pa had a little trade; he made shoes and baskets, and
+Old Boss let him sell them. Pa didn't make shoes for the slaves on our
+plantation; Old Boss bought them ready-made and had them shipped here
+from the West.
+
+"Me and Jane, Sarah, Mitchell, and Willie were the five children in our
+family. Oh! Miss, I was not big enough to do much work. About the most I
+done was pick up chips and take my little tin bucket to the spring to
+get a cool, fresh drink for Old Miss. Us children stayed 'round the
+kitchen and drunk lots of buttermilk. Old Miss used to say, 'Give my
+pickaninnies plenty of buttermilk.' I can see that old churn now; it
+helt about seven or eight gallons.
+
+"Our houses? Slaves lived in log cabins built the common way. There was
+lots of forest pine in those days. Logs were cut the desired length and
+notches put in each end so they would fit closely and have as few cracks
+as possible, when they stacked them for a cabin. They sawed pine logs
+into blocks and used a frow to split them into planks that were used to
+cover the cracks between the logs. Don't you know what a frow is? That's
+a wooden wedge that you drive into a pine block by hitting it with a
+heavy wooden mallet, or maul, as they are more commonly called. They
+closed the cracks in some of the cabins by daubing them with red mud.
+The old stack chimneys were made of mud and sticks. To make a bed, they
+first cut four posts, usually of pine, and bored holes through them with
+augers; then they made two short pieces for the head and foot. Two long
+pieces for the sides were stuck through the auger holes and the bedstead
+was ready to lay on the slats or cross pieces to hold up the mattress.
+The best beds had heavy cords, wove crossways and lengthways, instead of
+slats. Very few slaves had corded beds. Mattresses were not much; they
+were made of suggin sacks filled with straw. They called that straw
+'Georgia feathers.' Pillows were made of the same things. Suggin cloth
+was made of coarse flax wove in a loom. They separated the flax into two
+grades; fine for the white folks, and coarse for the Negroes.
+
+"The only one of my grandparents I can bring to memory now is Grandma
+Rose on my Pa's side. She was some worker, a regular man-woman; she
+could do any kind of work a man could do. She was a hot horse in her
+time and it took an extra good man to keep up with her when it came to
+work.
+
+"Children were not allowed to do much work, because their masters
+desired them to have the chance to grow big and strong, and therefore
+they had few opportunities to earn money of their own. I never did own
+any money during slavery days, but I saw plenty of ten cent greenbacks
+(shinplasters).
+
+"White children and slave children played around the plantation together
+but they were not allowed to fight. They had to be on friendly terms
+with each other.
+
+"What about our food? The biggest thing we had was buttermilk, some
+sweet milk, and plenty of cornbread, hog meat, and peas. As a rule we
+had wheat bread once a week, usually on Sunday. All kinds of fruits were
+plentiful in their seasons. Each slave family was permitted to have
+separate garden space, in fact, Old Boss insisted that they work their
+own gardens, and they raised plenty of vegetables. Grown folks had
+rabbits and 'possums but I never did get much 'quainted with them. We
+fished in the cricks and rills 'round the plantation and brought in lots
+of hornyheads and perch. You never saw any hornyheads? Why they is just
+fish a little bigger and longer than minnows and they have little horns
+on their heads. We caught a good many eels too; they look like snakes,
+but folks call them eels. I wasn't much 'quainted with them fish they
+brought from way down South; they called them mullets.
+
+"The kitchen was a separate log house out in the back yard. The
+fireplace, where the cooking was done, took up one end of the kitchen,
+and there was a rack acrost it to hang the cook-pots on for biling.
+Baking and frying was done in ovens and heavy iron skillets that sat on
+trivets so coals could be piled underneath, as well as over the lids.
+
+"The long shirts slave boys wore in summer were straight like a meal
+sack open at both ends, with holes in the sides for your arms to go
+through. You stuck your head in one end and it came out the other; then
+you were fully dressed for any whole summer day. These summer shirts
+were made of thin osnaburg. Our winter clothes were made of woolen cloth
+called merino. Old Boss kept enough sheep to provide plenty of wool and
+some mighty good food. Slave children had no extra or special clothes
+for Sunday; they wore the same kind of gowns, or long shirts, seven days
+a week. Old Boss provided brass-toed brogans for winter, but we never
+thought of such a thing as shoes to wear in hot weather.
+
+"My owners were Marse Solomon and his wife, Miss Ann Willbanks. We
+called them Old Boss and Old Miss. As I saw it, they were just as good
+as they could be. Old Boss never allowed nobody to impose on his slave
+children. When I was a little chap playing around the big house, I would
+often drop off to sleep the minute I got still. Good Old Boss would pick
+me up and go lay me on his own bed and keep me there 'til Ma come in
+from the field.
+
+"Old Boss and Old Miss had five children. The boys were Solomon, Isaac,
+James, and Wesley. For the life of me I can't bring to memory the name
+of their only daughter. I guess that's because we frolicked with the
+four boys, but we were not allowed to play with Little Miss.
+
+"It was a right decent house they lived in, a log house with a fine rock
+chimney. Old Boss was building a nice house when the war come on and he
+never had a chance to finish it. The log house was in a cedar grove;
+that was the style then. Back of the house were his orchards where fruit
+trees of every kind we knew anything about provided plenty for all to
+eat in season as well as enough for good preserves, pickles, and the
+like for winter. Old Boss done his own overseeing and, 'cording to my
+memory, one of the young bosses done the driving.
+
+"That plantation covered a large space of land, but to tell you how many
+acres is something I can't do. There were not so many slaves. I've
+forgot how they managed that business of getting slaves up, but I do
+know we didn't get up before day on our place. Their rule was to work
+slaves from sunup to sundown. Before they had supper they had a little
+piddlin' around to do, but the time was their own to do as they pleased
+after they had supper. Heaps of times they got passes and went off to
+neighboring plantations to visit and dance, but sometimes they went to
+hold prayer-meetings. There were certain plantations where we were not
+permitted to go and certain folks were never allowed on our place. Old
+Boss was particular about how folks behaved on his place; all his slaves
+had to come up to a certain notch and if they didn't do that he punished
+them in some way or other. There was no whipping done, for Old Boss
+never did believe in whipping slaves.
+
+"None of the slaves from our place was ever put in that county jail at
+Jefferson. That was the only jail we ever heard of in those days. Old
+Boss attended to all the correction necessary to keep order among his
+own slaves. Once a slave trader came by the place and offered to buy Ma.
+Old Boss took her to Jefferson to sell her on the block to that man. It
+seemed like sales of slaves were not legal unless they took place on the
+trading block in certain places, usually in the county site. The trader
+wouldn't pay what Old Boss asked for her, and Old Miss and the young
+bosses all objected strong to his selling her, so he brought Ma back
+home. She was a fine healthy woman and would have made a nice looking
+house girl.
+
+"The biggest part of the teaching done among the slaves was by our young
+bosses but, as far as schools for slaves was concerned, there were no
+such things until after the end of the war, and then we were no longer
+slaves. There were just a few separate churches for slaves; none in our
+part of the country. Slaves went to the same church as their white folks
+and sat in the back of the house or in a gallery. My Pa could read the
+Bible in his own way, even in that time of slavery; no other slave on
+our place could do that.
+
+"Not one slave or white person either died on our plantation during the
+part of slavery that I can bring to memory. I was too busy playing to
+take in any of the singing at funerals and at church, and I never went
+to a baptizing until I was a great big chap, long after slavery days
+were over.
+
+"Slaves ran off to the woods all right, but I never heard of them
+running off to no North. Paterollers never came on Old Boss' place
+unless he sont for them, otherwise they knowed to stay off. They sho was
+devils in sheeps' clothing; that's what we thought of them paterollers.
+Slaves worked all day Saddays when there was work to be done, but that
+night was their free time. They went where they pleased just so Old Boss
+gave them a pass to protect them from paterollers.
+
+"After slaves went to church Sunday they were free the rest of the day
+as far as they knowed. Lots of times they got 'em a stump
+speaker--usually a Negro--to preach to them. There were not as many
+preachers then as now.
+
+"'Bout Christmas Day? They always had something like brandy, cider, or
+whiskey to stimulate the slaves on Christmas Day. Then there was fresh
+meat and ash-roasted sweet 'taters, but no cake for slaves on our place,
+anyhow, I never saw no cake, and surely no Santa Claus. All we knowed
+bout Christmas was eating and drinking. As a general thing there was a
+big day's work expected on New Years Day because we had to start the
+year off right, even if there was nothing for the slaves to do that day
+but clean fence corners, cut brush and briers, and burn off new ground.
+New Years Day ended up with a big old pot of hog jowl and peas. That was
+for luck, but I never really knowed if it brought luck or not.
+
+"Well, yes, once a year they had big cornshuckings in our section and
+they had generals to lead off in all the singing; that was done to whoop
+up the work. My Pa was one of the generals and he toted the jug of
+liquor that was passed 'round to make his crowd hustle. After the corn
+was shucked the crowd divided into two groups. Their object was to see
+which could reach the owner of the corn first and carry him where he
+wanted to go. Usually they marched with him on their shoulders to his
+big house and set him down on his porch, then he would give the word for
+them to all start eating the good things spread out on tables in the
+yard. There was a heap of drinking done then, and dancing too--just all
+kinds of dancing that could be done to fiddle and banjo music. My Pa was
+one of them fiddlers in his young days. One of the dances was the
+cotillion, but just anybody couldn't dance that one. There was a heap of
+bowing and scraping to it, and if you were not 'quainted with it you
+just couldn't use it.
+
+"When any of the slaves were bad sick Old Boss called in his own family
+doctor, Dr. Joe Bradbury. His plantation hit up against ours. The main
+things they gave for medicine them days was oil and turpentine.
+Sometimes folks got black snakeroot from the woods, biled it, and gave
+the tea to sick folks; that was to clean off the stomach. Everybody wore
+buckeyes 'round their necks to keep off diseases for we never knowed
+nothing about asefetida them days; that came later.
+
+"When the Yankees came through after the surrender Old Boss and Old Miss
+hid their valuables. They told us children, 'Now, if they ask you
+questions, don't you tell them where we hid a thing.' We knowed enough
+to keep our mouths shut. We never had knowed nothing but to mind Old
+Boss, and we were scared 'cause our white folks seemed to fear the
+Yankees.
+
+"Old Boss had done told slaves they were free as he was and could go
+their own way, but we stayed on with him. He provided for Pa and give
+him his share of the crops he made. All of us growed up as field hands.
+
+"Them night-riders were something else. They sho did beat on Negroes
+that didn't behave mighty careful. Slaves didn't buy much land for a
+long time after the war because they didn't have no money, but schools
+were set up for Negroes very soon. I got the biggest part of my
+education in West Athens on Biggers Hill. When I went to the Union
+Baptist School my teacher was Professor Lyons, the founder of that
+institution.
+
+"When me and Molly Tate were married 50 years ago we went to the church,
+because that was the cheapest place to go to have a big gathering. Molly
+had on a common, ordinary dress. Folks didn't dress up then like they
+does now; it was quite indifferent. Of our 10 children, 8 are living now
+and we have 14 grandchildren. Six of our children live in the North and
+two have remained here in Athens. One of them is employed at Bernstein's
+Funeral Home and the other works on the university campus. I thanks the
+Lord that Molly is still with me. We bought this place a long time ago
+and have farmed here ever since. In fact, I have never done nothing but
+farm work. Now I'm too old and don't have strength to work no more.
+
+"I thinks Abraham Lincoln was a all right man; God so intended that we
+should be sot free. Jeff Davis was all right in his way, but I can't say
+much for him. Yes mam, I'd rather be free. Sho! Give me freedom all the
+time. Jesus said: 'If my Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.'
+
+"When I jined the church, I felt like I was rid of my burden. I sot
+aside the things I had been doing and I ain't never been back to pick
+'em up no more. I jined the Baptist church and have been teaching a
+class of boys every Sunday that I'm able to go. I sho am free from sin
+and I lives up to it.
+
+"I wonder if Molly's got them sweet 'taters cooked what I dug this
+morning. They warn't much 'count 'cause the sun has baked them hard and
+it's been so dry. If you is through with me, I wants to go eat one of
+them 'taters and then lay this old Nigger on the bed and let him go to
+sleep."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist 5]
+Josephine Lowell
+
+[HW: ELIZA WILLIAMSON]
+
+[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed or meaning was significantly changed, it has been noted.]
+
+
+Just a few recollections of life in slavery time, as told me by [TR:
+illegible] who was Eliza Taliaferro Williamson, daughter of Dickerson
+and Polly Taliaferro. My mother was born at Mt. Airy, North Carolina,
+near the Virginia line, and always went to school, across the line, in
+Virginia. Her grandfather was John Taliaferro, slave holder, tobacco
+raiser, and farmer. The Negro quarters were near the main or Big House.
+Mother said that great-grandfather would go to the back door each night
+and call every slave to come in for family prayer. They came and knelt
+in the Big House, while old marster prayed. Mother said it was like a
+camp-meeting when he died--wailing and weeping by the Negroes for their
+old Marster. She said the slaves had the same food that the white family
+had and the same warm clothes for winter. All clothing, bed sheeting,
+table linen, towels, etc. were hand woven. They raised sheep for wool,
+and flax for linen, but I don't know where they got the cotton they
+used. The work of the house and farm was divided as with a big family.
+Some of the women cooked, sewed, wove, washed, milked, but was never
+sent to the field. None of the Toliver family believed in women working
+in the field. When each of great-grandfather's children married, he or
+she was given a few slaves. I think he gave my grandfather, Dickerson
+Taliaferro, three slaves, and these he brought with him to Georgia when
+they settled in Whitfield County.
+
+My grandfather was a member of the Legislature from Whitfield County for
+two terms. He was as gentle with his slaves as a father would have been,
+and was never known to abuse one of them. One of his slaves, who was a
+small boy at the close of the War, stayed with my grandfather until he
+was a grown man, then after a few years away from home, came home to old
+Marster to die. This is the picture of good slave holders, but sad to
+say all were not of that type. [TR: deleted: 'See next sheet for'] a
+picture of horror, which was also told me by my mother. [TR: deleted:
+'The thought of it'] was like a nightmare to my childish mind.
+
+
+The Story of little Joe.
+
+[TR: deleted: 'Mother said there were'] two families lived on farms
+adjacent to her father. They were the two Tucker brothers, tobacco
+raisers. One of the wives, Polly, or Pol, as she was called, hated the
+family of her husband's brother because they were more affluent than she
+liked them to be. It [HW: Her jealousy] caused the two families to live
+in disagreement.
+
+Little Joe belonged to Pol's family, and was somewhere between ten and
+fourteen years old. Mother said Pol made Joe work in the field at night,
+and forced him to sing so they would know he wasn't asleep. He wore
+nothing in summer but an old shirt made of rough factory cloth which
+came below his knees. She said the only food Pol would give him was
+swill [HW: scraps] from the table--handed to him out the back door.
+Mother said Pol had some kind of impediment in her speech, which caused
+her to say 'ah' at the close of a sentence. So, when she called Joe to
+the back door to give him his mess of scraps, she would say, "Here, Joe,
+here's your truck, ah." Mother was a little girl then, and she and
+grandmother felt so sorry for Joe that they would bake baskets of sweet
+potatoes and slip [TR: 'to the field to give him' replaced with
+illegible text ending 'in the field']. She said he would come through
+the corn, almost crawling, so Pol wouldn't see him, and take the sweet
+potatoes in the tail of his shirt and scuttle back through the tall
+stuff where he might hide and eat it them.
+
+She had a Negro woman who had a baby (and there may have been other
+women) but this Negro woman was not allowed to see her baby except just
+as a cow would be let in to her calf at certain times during the day,
+[TR: 'then' replaced by ??] she had to go to the field and leave it
+alone. Mother said that Pol either threw or kicked the baby into the
+yard because it cried, and it died. I don't know why the authorities
+didn't arrest her, but she may have had an alibi, or some excuse for the
+death of the child.
+
+
+The Burning of the Tobacco Barn
+
+The [HW: other] Tucker brother had made a fine crop of tobacco that
+year, more than a thousand dollars worth in his big barn. Pol made one
+of her slaves go with her, [HW: when] and she set fire to the tobacco
+barn of her brother-in-law's barn, and not being able to get away [HW:
+unable to escape] before the flames [HW: brought] a crowd, she hid in
+the grass, right near the path where the people were running to the
+fire. She had some kind of stroke, perhaps from fright, or pure deviltry
+which 'put her out of business'. I wish I could remember whether it
+killed her or just made a paralytic of her, but this is a true story.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+FRANCES WILLINGHAM, Age 78
+288 Bridge Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Sadie B. Hornsby
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+Leila Harris
+Augusta
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+
+
+The interviewer arrived at Frances Willingham's address on a sultry July
+morning, and found a fat and very black Negress sweeping the sidewalk
+before the three-room frame house. There was no front yard and the front
+steps led up from the sidewalk into the house. A vegetable garden was
+visible at the rear of the lot. The plump sweeper appeared to be about
+five feet tall. Her wooly white hair was plaited in tiny braids, and she
+wore a brown print dress trimmed in red and blue. A strand of red beads
+encircled her short neck, and a blue checked coat and high topped black
+shoes completed her costume. Asked if Frances Willingham was at home,
+the woman replied: "Dis is her you is a-talkin' to. Come right in and
+have a seat."
+
+When Frances was asked for the story of her life, her daughter who had
+doubtless been eavesdropping, suddenly appeared and interrupted the
+conversation with, "Ma, now don't you git started 'bout dem old times.
+You knows your mind ain't no good no more. Tomorrow your tongue will be
+runnin' lak a bell clapper a-talkin' to yourself." "Shut your big mouth,
+Henrietta." Frances answered. "I been sick, and I knows it, but dere
+ain't nothin' wrong wid my mind and you knows it. What I knows I'se
+gwine to tell de lady, and what I don't know I sho' ain't gwine tell no
+lie about. Now, Missus, what does you want to know? Don't pay no
+'tention to dis fool gal of mine 'cause her mouth is big as dis room.
+
+"I was born way off down in Twiggs County 'bout a mile from de town of
+Jeffersonville. My Pa and Ma was Otto and Sarah Rutherford. Our
+Mist'ess, dat was Miss Polly, she called Ma, Sallie for short. Dere was
+nine of us chillun, me and Esau, Harry, Jerry, Bob, Calvin, Otto, Sallie
+and Susan. Susan was our half-sister by our Pa's last marriage. Us
+chillun never done much but play 'round de house and yards wid de white
+chillun. I warn't but four years old when dey made us free." Henrietta
+again interrupted, "See dere, I told you she don't know what she's
+a-talkin' 'bout."
+
+Frances ignored the interruption and continued: "Us lived in log cabins
+what had jus' one room wid a stick and mud chimbly at de end. Our
+bedsteads was made out of rough planks and poles and some of 'em was
+nailed to de sides of de cabins. Mattress ticks was made out of osnaburg
+and us filled 'em wid wheat straw in season. When dat was used up us got
+grass from de fields. Most any kind of hay was counted good 'nough to
+put in a slave's mattress. Dey let us mix some cotton wid de hay our
+pillows was stuffed wid.
+
+"My grandmas lived on another plantation. I 'members once Grandma Suck,
+she wes my Ma's mammy, come to our house and stayed one or two days wid
+us. Daddy's Ma was named Puss. Both my grandmas was field hands, but Ma,
+she was a house gal 'til she got big enough to do de cyardin' and
+spinnin'. Aunt Phoebie done de weavin' and Aunt Polly was de seamster.
+All de lak of dat was done atter de craps was done laid by.
+
+"No Ma'am, nobody never give slave chillun no money in dem times. I
+never had none 'til atter us had done been give our freedom. I used to
+see Old Marster countin' of it, but de slaves never did git none of dat
+money.
+
+"Our Old Marster was a pow'ful rich man, and he sho' b'lieved in givin'
+us plenty to eat. It warn't nothin' fine, but it was good plain eatin'
+what filled you up and kept you well. Dere was cornbread and meat,
+greens of all sorts, 'taters, roas'en-ears and more other kinds of
+veg'tables dan I could call up all day. Marster had one big old gyarden
+whar he kept most evvything a-growin' 'cept cabbages and 'matoes. He
+said dem things warn't fittin' for nobody to eat. Marster let Daddy go
+huntin' enough to fetch in lots of 'possums, coons, rabbits, and
+squirrels. Us cooked 'em 'bout lak us does now, only us never had no
+stoves den, and had to do all de cookin' in open fireplaces in big old
+pots and long handled skillets what had big old heavy lids. I'se seed Ma
+clean many a 'possum in hot ashes. Den she scalded him and tuk out his
+innards. She par-boiled and den baked him and when she fetched him to de
+table wid a heap of sweet 'taters 'round him on de dish, dat was sho'
+somepin good to eat. Daddy done his fishin' in Muddy Crick 'cause slaves
+wern't 'lowed to leave de plantation for nothin' lak dat.
+
+"Summertimes us wore homespun dresses, made wid full skirts sewed on to
+tight fittin' waisties what was fastened down de back wid buttons made
+out of cows and rams horns. Our white petticoat slips and pantalettes
+was made on bodices. In winter us wore balmorals what had three stripes
+'round de bottom, and over dem us had on long sleeved ap'ons what was
+long as de balmorals. Slave gals' pantalettes warn't ruffled and tucked
+and trimmed up wid lace and 'broidery lak Miss Polly's chilluns' was.
+Ours was jus' made plain. Grown folks wore rough brogans, but me, I wore
+de shoes what Miss Polly's chillun had done outgrowed. Dey called 'em
+Jackson shoes, 'cause dey was made wid a extra wide piece of leather
+sewed on de outside so as when you knocked your ankles 'gainst one
+another, it wouldn't wear no holes in your shoes. Our Sunday shoes
+warn't no diffunt from what us wore evvyday.
+
+[TR: HW sidenote: 'durable', regarding Jackson Shoes]
+
+"Marse Lish Jones and his wife--she was Miss Polly--was our Marster and
+Mist'ess. Dey sho' did love to be good to deir little Niggers. Dey had
+five chillun of deir own, two gals and three boys. Dey was: Mary, Anna
+Della, Steve, John, and Bob. 'Bout deir house! Oh, Missus, dat was
+somepin to see for sho'. It was a big old fine two-story frame house wid
+a porch 'cross de front and 'round both sides. Dere was five rooms on de
+fust floor and three upstairs. It sho' did look grand a-settin' back dar
+in dat big old oak grove.
+
+"Old Marster had a overseer but he never had no car'iage driver 'cause
+he loved to drive for hisself so good. Oh Lord! How big was dat
+plantation? Why, it must have been as big as from here to town. I never
+did know how many slaves Marster had, but dat old plantation was plumb
+full of 'em. I ain't never seed Old Marster do nothin' 'cept drive his
+car'iage, walk a little, and eat all he wanted to. He was a rich man,
+and didn't have to do nothin'.
+
+"Our overseer got all de slaves up 'fore break of day and dey had to be
+done et deir breakfast and in de field when de sun riz up. Dat sun would
+be down good 'fore dey got to de house at night. I never seed none of de
+grown folks git whupped, but I sho' got a good beatin' myself one time.
+I had done got up on top of de big house porch and was a-flappin' my
+arms and crowin' lak a rooster. Dey told me to come on down, but I
+wouldn't mind nobody and kept on a-crowin' and a-flappin', so dey
+whupped me down.
+
+"Dey had jails in Jeffersonville, but dem jails was for white folks what
+didn't be-have deirselfs. Old Marster, de overseer, and de patterollers
+kept de slaves straight. Dey didn't need no jails for dem.
+
+"I ain't never been to school a day in my life, 'cause when I was
+little, Niggers warn't 'lowed to larn to read and write. I heared Ma say
+de colored preacher read out of de Bible, but I never seed him do it,
+'cause I never went to church none when I was a chap. Colored folks had
+deir own church in a out settlement called John De Baptist. Dat's whar
+all de slaves went to meetin'. Chilluns was 'lowed to go to baptizin's.
+Evvybody went to 'em. Dey tuk dem converts to a hole in de crick what
+dey had got ready for dat purpose. De preacher went fust, and den he
+called for de converts to come on in and have deir sins washed away.
+
+"Our Marster sot aside a piece of ground 'long side of his own place for
+his Niggers to have a graveyard. Us didn't know nothin' 'bout no
+fun'rals. When one of de slaves died, dey was put in unpainted home-made
+coffins and tuk to de graveyard whar de grave had done been dug. Dey put
+'em in dar and kivvered 'em up and dat was all dey done 'bout it.
+
+"Us heared a plenty 'bout patterollers beatin' up Niggers what dey
+cotched off deir Marsters' plantations widout no passes. Sometimes dey
+cotched one of our Marster's slaves and sometimes dey didn't, but dey
+was all time on deir job.
+
+"When slaves come in from de fields at night de 'omans cleant up deir
+houses atter dey et, and den washed and got up early next mornin' to put
+de clothes out to dry. Mens would eat, set 'round talkin' to other mens
+and den go to bed. On our place evvybody wukked on Saddays 'til 'bout
+three or four o'clock and if de wuk was tight dey wukked right on 'til
+night lak any other day. Sadday nights de young folks got together to
+have deir fun. Dey danced, frolicked, drunk likker, and de lak of dat.
+Old Marster warn't too hard on 'em no time, but he jus' let 'em have dat
+night to frolic. On Sunday he give dem what wanted 'em passes to go to
+church and visit 'round.
+
+"Christmas times, chilluns went to bed early 'cause dey was skeered
+Santa Claus wouldn't come. Us carried our stockin's up to de big house
+to hang 'em up. Next mornin' us found 'em full of all sorts of good
+things, 'cept oranges. I never seed nary a orange 'til I was a big gal.
+Miss Polly had fresh meat, cake, syrup puddin' and plenty of good sweet
+butter what she 'lowanced out to her slaves at Christmas. Old Marster,
+he made syrup by de barrel. Plenty of apples and nuts and groundpeas was
+raised right dar on de plantation. In de Christmas, de only wuk slaves
+done was jus' piddlin' 'round de house and yards, cuttin' wood, rakin'
+leaves, lookin' atter de stock, waitin' on de white folks and little
+chores lak dat. Hard work started again on de day atter New Year's Day.
+Old Marster 'lowed 'em mighty little rest from den 'til atter de craps
+was laid by.
+
+"Course Marster let his slaves have cornshuckin's, cornshellin's, cotton
+pickin's, and quiltin's. He had grove atter grove of pecan, chestnut,
+walnut, hickor'nut, scalybark, and chinquapin trees. When de nuts was
+all gathered, Old Marster sold 'em to de big men in de city. Dat was why
+he was so rich. Atter all dese things was gathered and tended to, he
+give his slaves a big feast and plenty to drink, and den he let 'em rest
+up a few days 'fore dey started back to hard wuk.
+
+"I never seed but one marriage on Old Marster's plantation, and I never
+will forgit dat day. Miss Polly had done gimme one of little Miss Mary's
+sho' 'nough pretty dresses and I wore it to dat weddin', only dey never
+had no real weddin'. Dey was jus' married in de yard by de colored
+preacher and dat was all dere was to it.
+
+"Ma used to tell us if us didn't be-have Raw Head and Bloody Bones would
+come git us and take us off. I tried to see him but I never did. Grown
+folks was all time skeerin' chillun. Then us went to bed at night, us
+used to see ghosties, what looked lak goats tryin' to butt us down. Ma
+said I evermore used to holler out in my sleep 'bout dem things I was so
+skeered of.
+
+
+[HW sidenote: Home remedies]
+
+"White folks was mighty good and kind when deir slaves got sick. Old
+Marster sont for Dr. 'Pree (DuPree) and when he couldn't git him, he got
+Dr. Brown. He made us swallow bitter tastin' powders what he had done
+mixed up in water. Miss Polly made us drink tea made out of Jerusalem
+oak weeds. She biled dem weeds and sweetened de tea wid syrup. Dat was
+good for stomach trouble, and us wore elder roots strung 'round our
+necks to keep off ailments.
+
+"Mercy me! I'se seed plenty of dem yankees a-gwine and comin'. Dey come
+to our Marster's house and stole his good mules. Dey tuk what dey wanted
+of his meat, chickens, lard and syrup and den poured de rest of de syrup
+out on de ground. Atter de war was over Niggers got so rowdy dem Ku
+Kluxers come 'long to make 'em be-have deirselfs.' Dem Niggers and
+Kluxers too jus' went hog wild.
+
+"What did Niggers have to buy no land wid, when dey never had no money
+paid 'em for nothin' 'til atter dey was free? Us jus' stayed on and
+wukked for Old Marster, 'cause dere warn't no need to leave and go to no
+other place. I was raised up for a field hand, and I ain't never wukked
+in no white folks house.
+
+"Me I'se sho' glad Mr. Lincoln sot us free. Iffen it was still slav'ry
+time now old as I is, I would have to wuk jus' de same, sick or no. Now
+I don't have to ax nobody what I kin do. Dat's why I'se glad I'se free.
+
+"Now, 'bout my marriage; I was a-living in Putnam County at dat time,
+and I got married up wid Green Willingham. He had come dar from Jasper
+County. I didn't have no weddin'. Ma jus' cooked a chicken for us, and I
+was married in a white dress. De waist had ruffles 'round de neck and
+sleeves. Us had 17 chilluns in all, seven boys and 10 gals, dere was 19
+grandchillun and 21 great grandchillun. Dey ain't all of 'em livin', and
+my old man, he's done been daid a long time ago."
+
+Henrietta again made her appearance and addressed her mother: "Hush your
+mouth Ma, for you knows you ain't got all dem chillun. I done told de
+lady you ain't got your right mind." Frances retorted: "You shut up your
+mouth, Henrietta. I is so got my right mind, and I knows how many
+chillun of mine dere was. One thing sho' you is got more mouth dan all
+de rest of my chillun put together."
+
+The interviewer closed her notebook and took her departure, leaving
+Frances dozing in her chair.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist-1-2
+Ex-slave #114
+(Mrs. Stonestreet)]
+
+ADELINE WILLIS--EX-SLAVE
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+Who is the oldest ex-slave in Wilkes County? This question was answered
+the other day when the quest ended on the sunny porch of a little
+cottage on Lexington Road in Washington-Wilkes, for there in a straight
+old-fashioned split-bottom chair sat "Aunt" Adeline Willis basking in
+the warm October sunshine. She is remarkable for her age--she doesn't
+know just exactly how old she is, from all she tells and what her "white
+folks" say she is around a hundred. Her general health is good, she
+spends her days in the open and tires only on the days she cannot be out
+in her place in the sun. She has the brightest eyes, her sight is so
+good she has never had to wear glasses; she gets around in the house and
+yard on her cane. Her memory is excellent, only a time or two did she
+slowly shake her head and say apologetically--"Mistress, it's been so
+long er go, I reckon I done forgot".
+
+From her long association with white people she uses very little Negro
+dialect and always refers to her Mother as "Mother", never as Ma or
+Mammy as most Negroes do. This is very noticable.
+
+Her mother was Marina Ragan, "cause she belonged to the Ragans,"
+explained Aunt Adeline, "and she was born on the Ragan Plantation right
+down on Little River in Greene County" (Georgia). When Marina's "young
+Mistress" married young Mr. Mose Wright of Oglethorpe County, she took
+Marina to her new home to be her own servant, and there is where Adeline
+was born. The place was known as the Wright Plantation and was a very
+large one.
+
+Adeline doesn't remember her father, and strange to say, she cannot
+recall how many brothers and sisters she had though she tried hard to
+name them all. She is sure, however, there were some older and some
+younger, "I reckon I must er come along about the middle", she said.
+
+After a little while Aunt Adeline was living far back in the past and
+talked freely--with questions now and then to encourage her
+reminiscences, she told many interesting things about her life as a
+slave.
+
+She told about the slaves living in the Quarters--log houses all in a
+long row near the "white folks' house", and how happy they were. She
+couldn't remember how many slaves were on the plantation, but was sure
+there were many: "Yas'm, my Marster had lots of niggers, jest how many,
+I don't know, but there sho' was a sight of us". They were given their
+allowance of "rations" every week and cooked their own meals in their
+cabins. They had good, plain, home-raised things to eat--"and we was
+glad to get it too. We didn't have no fancy fixings, jest plain food".
+Their clothes were made by Negro sewing women out of cloth spun and
+woven right there in the Quarters. All the little dresses were made
+alike. "When they took a notion to give us striped dresses we sho' was
+dressed up. I never will forget long as I live, a hickory
+stripe--(that's what they called stripes in them days)--dress they made
+me, it had brass buttons at the wrist bands. I was so proud of that
+dress and felt so dressed up in it I jest strutted er round with it on",
+and she chuckled over the recollection of that wonderful dress she wore
+so long ago.
+
+When asked what was the very first thing she remembered, Aunt Adeline
+gave a rather surprising answer: "The first thing I recollect is my love
+for my Mother--I loved her so and would cry when I couldn't be with her,
+and as I growed up I kept on loving her jest that a-way even after I
+married and had children of my own."
+
+The first work she did was waiting in the house. Before she could read
+her mistress taught her the letters on the newspapers and what they
+spelled so she could bring them the papers they wanted. Her mother
+worked in the field: she drove steers and could do all kinds of farm
+work and was the best meat cutter on the plantation. She was a good
+spinner too, and was required to spin a broach of "wool spinning" every
+night. All the Negro women had to spin, but Aunt Adeline said her mother
+was specially good in spinning wool and "that kind of spinning was
+powerful slow". Thinking a moment, she added: "And my mother was one of
+the best dyers anywhere 'round, and I was too. I did make the most
+colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I recollect the
+prettiest sort of a lilac color I made with maple bark and pine bark,
+not the outside pine bark, but that little thin skin that grows right
+down next to the tree--it was pretty, that color was."
+
+Aunt Adeline thinks they were more fortunate than any other little
+slaves she knew because their marster had a little store right there
+where he would give them candy every now and then--bright pretty sticks
+of candy. She remembers one time he gave them candy in little tin cups,
+and how proud of those cups they were. He never gave them money, but out
+of the store they could get what money bought so they were happy. But
+they had to have whippings, "yas'um, good er bad we got them whippings
+with a long cowhide kept jest fer that. They whipped us to make us grow
+better, I reckon".
+
+Although they got whippings a-plenty they were never separated by sale.
+"No mam, my white folks never believed in selling their niggers", said
+Aunt Adeline, and related an incident proving this. "I recollect once my
+oldest brother done something Marster didn't like an' he got mighty mad
+with him an' said 'Gus, I'm goin' ter sell you, I ain't a-goin' to keep
+you no longer'. Mistress spoke up right quick and said: 'No you ain't
+a-goin' to sell Gus, neither, he's nussed and looked after all our
+oldest chillun, and he's goin' to stay right here'. And that was the
+last of that, Gus was never sold--he went to war with his young Marster
+when he went and died up there in the war cause he was homesick, so
+Marster come back and said."
+
+Aunt Adeline was surprised when asked if the Doctor ever was called in
+to see her or any of the slaves when they were sick back in slavery
+days--in fact she was a bit indignant as she answered; "_No mam_, I was
+born, growed up, married, had sixteen children and never had no Doctor
+with me 'til here since I got so old". She went on to say that her white
+folks looked after their Negroes when they were sick.
+
+They were given tonics and things to keep them well so sickness among
+them was rare. No "store-bought" medicines, but good old home-made
+remedies were used. For instance, at the first sniffle they were called
+in and given a drink of fat lightwood tea, made by pouring boiling water
+over finely split kindling--"that" explained Aunt Adeline, "was cause
+lightwood got turpentine in it". In the Springtime there was a mixture
+of anvil dust (gathered up from around the anvil in the blacksmith's
+shop) and mixed with syrup, and a teaspoon full given every morning or
+so to each little piccaninny as they were called up in the "white folks'
+yard". Sometimes instead of this mixture they were given a dose of
+garlic and whisky--all to keep them healthy and well.
+
+There was great rejoicing over the birth of a Negro baby and the white
+folks were called upon to give the little black stranger a name.
+
+Adeline doesn't remember anything about the holidays and how they were
+spent, not even Christmas and Thanksgiving, but one thing she does
+remember clearly and that is: "All my white folks was Methodist folks,
+and they had fast days and no work was done while they was fastin' and
+prayin'. And we couldn't do no work on Sunday, no mam, everybody had to
+rest on that day and on preachin' days everybody went to church, white
+and black to the same church, us niggers set up in the gallery that was
+built in the white folks' church for us".
+
+There wasn't any time for play because there was so much work to do on a
+big plantation, but they had good times together even if they did have
+so much to do.
+
+Before Adeline was grown her "young Mistress," Miss Mary Wright, married
+Mr. William Turner from Wilkes County, so she came to the Turner
+Plantation to live, and lived there until several years after the War.
+Adeline hadn't been in her new home long before Lewis Willis, a young
+Negro from the adjoining plantation, started coming to see her. "Lewis
+come to see me any time 'cause his Marster, Mr. Willis, give him a pass
+so he wasn't scared to be out at night 'count of the Patterollers. They
+didn't bother a nigger if he had a pass, they sho' did beat him." [HW: ?]
+
+When Adeline was fourteen years old she and Lewis married, or rather it
+was like this: "We didn't have no preacher when we married, my Marster
+and Mistess said they didn't care, and Lewis's Master and Mistress said
+they didn't care, so they all met up at my white folks' house and had us
+come in and told us they didn't mind our marryin'. My Marster said, 'Now
+you and Lewis wants to marry and there ain't no objections so go on and
+jump over the broom stick together and you is married'. That was all
+there was to it and we was married. I lived on with my white folks and
+he lived on with his and kept comin' to see me jest like he had done
+when he was a courtin'. He never brought me any presents 'cause he
+didn't have no money to buy them with, but he was good to me and that
+was what counted."
+
+Superstition and signs still have a big place in the life of this woman
+even after a hundred long years. She has outlived or forgotten many she
+used to believe in, but still holds fast to those she remembers. If a
+rooster crows anywhere near your door somebody is coming "and you might
+as well look for 'em, 'cause that rooster done told you". When a person
+dies if there is a clock in the room it must be stopped the very minute
+of death or it will never be any more good--if left ticking it will be
+ruined. Every dark cloudy day brings death--"Somebody leaving this
+unfriendly world today". Then she is sure when she "feels sadness" and
+doesn't know why, it a sign somebody is dying "way off somewhere and we
+don't know it". Yes, she certainly believes in all the signs she
+remembers even "to this good day", as she says.
+
+When asked about the war Aunt Adeline said that times were much harder
+then: "Why we didn't have no salt--jest plain salt, and couldn't get
+none them days. We had to get up the dirt in the smokehouse where the
+meat had dripped and 'run it' like lye, to get salt to put on
+things--yas'm, times was sho' hard and our Marster was off in war all
+four years and we had to do the best we could. We niggers wouldn't know
+nothing about it all if it hadn't a been for a little old black, sassy
+woman in the Quarters that was a talkin' all the time about 'freedom'.
+She give our white folks lots of trouble--she was so sassy to them, but
+they didn't sell her and she was set free along with us. When they all
+come home from the war and Marster called us up and told us we was free,
+some rejoiced so they shouted, but some didn't, they was sorry. Lewis
+come a runnin' over there an' wanted me and the chillun to go on over to
+his white folks' place with him, an' I wouldn't go--_No mam_, I wouldn't
+leave my white folks. I told Lewis to go on and let me 'lone, I knowed
+my white folks and they was good to me, but I didn't know his white
+folks. So we kept living like we did in slavery, but he come to see me
+every day. After a few years he finally 'suaded me to go on over to the
+Willis place and live with him, and his white folks was powerful good to
+me. After a while, tho' we all went back and lived with my white folks
+and I worked on for them as long as I was able to work and always felt
+like I belonged to 'em, and you know, after all this long time, I feel
+like I am their's."
+
+"Why I live so long, you asking? 'Cause I always been careful and took
+good care of myself, eat a plenty and stayed out in the good fresh open
+air and sunshine when I could--and then I had a good husband that took
+care of me." This last reason for her long life was added as an after
+thought and since Lewis, her husband, has been dead these forty years
+maybe those first named causes were the real ones. Be that as it may,
+Aunt Adeline is a very remarkable old woman and is most interesting to
+talk with.
+
+
+
+
+FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECTS
+Augusta-Athens
+Supervisor: Miss Velma Bell
+
+EXCERPTS FROM SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+UNCLE WILLIS
+[Date Stamp: APR 8 1937]
+
+[TR: Also in combined interviews as Willis Bennefield.]
+
+
+"Uncle Willis" lived with his daughter, Rena, who is 74 years old. "I
+his baby," said Rena. "All dead but me and I ain't no good for him now,
+'cause I kain't tote nothin'."
+
+When asked where her father was, Rena looked out over the blazing cotton
+field and called:
+
+"Pap! Oh--pappy! Stop pickin' cotton and come in awhile. Dey's some
+ladies wants to see you."
+
+Uncle Willis hobbled slowly to the cabin, which was set in the middle of
+the cotton patch. He wore clean blue overalls, obviously new. His small,
+regular features had high cheekbones. There was a tuft of white hair on
+his chin, and his head was covered with a "sundown" hat.
+
+"Mawnin," he said. "I bin sick. So I thought I might git some cotton
+terday."
+
+Willis thinks he is 101 years old. He said: "I was 35 years old when
+freedom declared." He belonged to a doctor in Burke County, who, Willis
+at first said, had three or four plantations. Later he stated that the
+good doctor had five or six places, all in Burke County.
+
+"I wuk in de fiel'," he went on: "and I drove de doctor thirty years. He
+owned 300 slaves. I never went to school a day in my life, 'cept Sunday
+school, but I tuk de doctor's sons four miles ev'y day to school. Guess
+he had so much business in hand he thought de chillun could walk. I used
+to sit down on de school steps 'till dey turn out. I got way up de
+alphabet by listenin', but when I went to courtin' I forgot all dat."
+
+Asked what his regular duties were, Willis answered with pride:
+
+"Marster had a ca'yage and a buggy too. My father driv' de doctor.
+Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed, and had to hitch up my horse and go
+five or six mile. I had a regular saddle horse, two pair of horses for
+ca'yage. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County. He made
+his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to Bath,
+wheh he had a house on Tena Hill. We driv' down in de ca'yage. Sundays
+we went to church when Dr. Goulding preach. De darkies went in de side
+do'. I hear him preach many times."
+
+Asked about living conditions on the plantation, Willis replied:
+
+"De big house was set in a half acre yard. 'Bout fifty yards on one side
+was my house, and fifty yards on de yudder side was de house o' Granny,
+a woman what tended de chillun and had charge o'de yard when we went to
+Bath." Willis gestured behind him. "Back yonder was de quarters, half a
+mile long; dey wuz one room 'crost, and some had shed room. When any of
+'em got sick, Marster would go round to see 'em all."
+
+As to church, Willis said:
+
+"I belongst to Hopeful Church. Church people would have singin' and
+prayin' and de wicked people would have dancin' and singin'." Willis
+chuckled. "At dat time I wuz a regular dancer! I cut de pigeon wing high
+enough! Not many cullud peoples know de Bible in slavery time. We had
+dances, and prayers, and sing, too. We sang a song, 'On Jordan's stormy
+banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye.'"
+
+"How about marriages?" Willis was asked.
+
+"Colored preacher marry 'em. You had to get license and give it to de
+preacher and he marry 'em. When de men on our plantation had wives on
+udder plantations, dey call 'em broad wives."
+
+"Did you give your wife presents when you were courting?" he was asked.
+
+"I went to courtin' and never give her nuthin' till I marry her."
+
+As to punishments, Willis said that slaves were whipped as they needed
+it, and as a general rule the overseer did the whipping.
+
+"When derky wouldn't take whippin' from de overseer," he said, "he had
+to ca'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin' de marster brush
+'em. Why, de darkies would whip de overseer!"
+
+Willis was asked to describe how slaves earned money for personal use,
+and replied:
+
+"Dey made dey own money. In slavery time, if you wanted four-five acre
+of land to plant you anything on, marster give it to you and whatever
+dat land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it
+any way you wanted. Still he give you somethin' to eat and clothe you,
+but dat patch you mek cotton on, sometimes a whole bale, dat money
+yours."
+
+Willis thought the plantation house was still there, "but it badly
+wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobuddy living in it now. It
+south of Waynesboro."
+
+"When de soldiers come thoo'," continued Willis, "dey didn't burn dat
+place, but dey went in dere and took out ev'yting dey want and give it
+to de cullud people. Dey kep' it till dey got free. De soldiers tuk de
+doctor's horses and ca'y 'em off. Got in de crib and tek de corn. Got in
+de smoke 'ouse and tek de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver
+in an iron chist. Dey tuk it 300 yards away to a clump o' trees and bury
+it. It tuk fo' men to ca'y it. Dere was money widout mention in dat
+chist! After de soldiers pass thoo' dey went down and got it back."
+
+"What did you do after freedom was declared?"
+
+Willis straightened up.
+
+"I went down to Augusta to de Freedman's Bureau to see if twas true we
+wuz free. I reckon dere was over a hundred people dere. De man got up
+and stated to de people: 'You all is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got
+no mistis and no marster. Work when you want.' On Sunday morning Old
+Marster sont de house gal and tell us to all come to de house. He said:
+
+'What I want to send for you all is to tell you dat you are free. You
+hab de privilege to go anywheh you want, but I don't want none o' you to
+leave me now. I wants you-all to stay right wid me. If you stay, you
+mus' sign to it.'
+
+I asked him:
+
+'What you want me to sign for? I is free.'
+
+'Dat will hold me to my word and hold you to yo' word,' he say.
+
+"All my folks sign it, but I wouldn't sign. Marster call me up and say:
+'Willis, why wouldn't you sign?' I say: 'If I is already free, I don't
+need to sign no paper. If I was workin' for you and doin' for you befo'
+I got free, I kin do it still, if you wants me to stay wid you.'
+
+"My father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My
+mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I say:
+'Den I kin go somewheh else.'
+
+"Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a month, other hands $10.00, and
+den on down to five and six dollars. He give rations like dey always
+have. When Christmus' come, all come up to be paid off. Den he calls me.
+Ask whar is me? I was standin' roun' de corner of de house. 'Come up
+here, Willis,' he say. 'You didn't sign dat paper but I reckon I hab to
+pay you too.' He paid me and my wife $180.00. I said: 'Well, you-all
+thought he wouldn't pay me, but I got my money too.'
+
+"I stayed to my marster's place one year after de war, den I lef' dere.
+Nex' year I decided I would quit dere and go somewheh else. It was on
+account o' my wife. You see, Marster bought her off, as de highes'
+bidder, down in Waynesboro, and she ain't seen her mother and father for
+fifteen years. When she got free, she went down to see 'em. Waren't
+willin' to come back. T'was on account o' Mistis and her. Dey bofe had
+chilluns, five-six year old. De chilluns had disagreement. Mistis slap
+my gal. My wife sass de Mistis. But my marster, he wuz as good a man as
+ever born. I wouldn't have lef' him for nobody, just on account of his
+wife and her fell out."
+
+"What did your master say when you told him you were going to leave? Was
+he sorry?"
+
+"I quit and goes over three miles to another widow lady's house, and mek
+bargain wid her," said Willis. "I pass right by de do'. Old boss sittin'
+on de pi--za. He say: 'Hey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say: 'I 'cided to
+go.' I wuz de fo'man' o' de plow-han' den. I saw to all de looking up,
+and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He come out to de gate.
+'tell you what I give you to stay on here. I give you five acre of as
+good land as I got, and $30.00 a month, to stay here and see to my
+bizness.'"
+
+Willis paused a moment, thinking back on that long distant parting.
+
+"I say," he went on, "'I can't, marster. It don't suit my wife 'round
+here. She won't come back. I can't stay.'
+
+"He turn on me den, and busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise
+up a darky dat would talk dat-a-way,' he said. Well, I went on off. I
+got de wagon and come by de house. Marster say: 'Now, you gwine off but
+don't forget me, boy. Remember me as you always done.' I said: 'All
+right.'"
+
+Willis chewed his tobacco reflectively for a few minutes, spat into the
+rosemary bush and resumed his story.
+
+"I went over to dat widow lady's house and work. Along about May I got
+sick. She say: 'I going send for de doctor.' I say: 'Please ma'am, don't
+do dat.' (I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him.) She say: 'Well,
+I gwine send fo' him.' I in desprut condition. When I know anything, he
+walk up in de do'. I was laying' wid my face toward de do', and I turn
+over.
+
+"Doctor come up to de bed. 'Boy, how you gettin' on?' 'I bad off,' I
+say. He say: 'see you is. Yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, whut you think of
+him?' Doctor say: 'Mistis, it mos' too late, but I do all I kin.' She
+say: 'Please do all you kin, he 'bout de bes' han' I got.'
+
+"Doctor fix up med'cine and tole her to give it to me.
+
+"She say: 'Uncle Will, tek dis med'cine. I 'fraid to tek it. 'Fraid he
+wuz tryin' to kill me. Den two men, John and Charlie, come in. Lady say:
+'Get dis med'cine in Uncle Will.' One o' de men hold my hand and dey gag
+me and put it in me. Nex' few days I kin talk and ax for somethin' to
+eat so I git better. (I say: "Well, he didn't kill me when I tuk de
+med'cine!')
+
+"I stayed dere wid her," continued Willis. "Nex' year I move right back
+in two miles, other side wheh I always live, wid anudder lady. I stay
+dere three year. Got along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef'
+dere wid $300.00 and plenty corn and hog. Everything I want, and three
+hundred cash dollars in my pocket!"
+
+It was plain that in his present status of relief ward, Uncle Willis
+looked back on that sum of money as a small fortune. He thought about it
+awhile, spat again, and went on:
+
+"Fourth year I lef and went down to anudder place near de Creek. I stay
+dere 33 years in dat one place."
+
+"Uncle Willis, did you ever see the doctor again?"
+
+"He die 'fore I know it," he replied. "I was 'bout fifteen miles from
+him, and by de time I year o' his death, he bury on plantation near de
+creek."
+
+Willis was asked about superstitions and answered with great
+seriousness:
+
+"Eve'ybuddy in de worl' hab got a sperrit what follow 'em roun' and dey
+kin see diffrunt things. In my sleep I hab vision."
+
+"Pappy, tell de ladies 'bout de hant," urged Aunt Rena from her post in
+the doorway, and Willis took up the story with eagerness:
+
+"One night I was gwine to a lady's store, ridin' a horse. De graveyard
+was 100 yards from de road I wuz passin'. De moon was shinin' bright as
+day. I saw somethin' comin' out of dat graveyard. It come across de
+road, right befo' me. His tail were draggin' on de ground--a long tail.
+He had hair on both sides of him, layin' down on de road. He crep' up. I
+pull de horse dis way. He move too. I yell out: 'What in de name o' God
+is dat?' And it turn right straight around and went back to de
+graveyard. I went on to de lady's house and done my shoppin'. I tell you
+I wuz skeered, 'cause I was sho' I would see it going back, but I never
+saw it. De horse was turrible skeered of it. It looked like a Maryno
+sheep and it had a long, swishy tail."
+
+Uncle Willis was asked if he had ever seen a person "conjured" and he
+answered:
+
+"Dey is people in de worl' got sense enough to kill out de conjur in
+anybuddy, but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say, if a person conjur
+you, you'll git somethin' in you dat would kill you."
+
+Asked to what he attributed his long, healthy life, Willis raised his
+head with a preaching look and replied:
+
+"I tell you, Missis, 'zactly what I believe, I bin tryin' to serve God
+ever since I come to be a man of family. I bin tryin' to serve de Lawd
+79 years, and I live by precept of de word. Until today nobuddy can turn
+me away from God business. I am a man studying my gospel, I ain't able
+to go to church, but I still keep serving God."
+
+
+[TR: Return visit]
+
+A week later Uncle Willis was found standing in his cabin door.
+
+"Do you want to ride to the old plantation to-day?" he was asked. His
+vitality was almost too low for him to grasp the invitation.
+
+"I'se mighty weak to-day," he said in a feeble voice. "I don't feel good
+for much."
+
+"Where is Aunt Rena?" he was asked. "Do you think she would mind your
+taking an automobile trip?"
+
+"She gone to town on de bus, to see de Fambly Welfare."
+
+"Have you had breakfast?"
+
+"I had some coffee, but I ain't eat none."
+
+"Well, come on, Uncle Willis. We'll get you some breakfast and then
+we'll take you to the plantation and take your picture in the place
+where you were born, 101 years ago."
+
+Uncle Willis appeared to be somewhat in a daze as he padlocked the cabin
+door, put on his "sundown" hat, took up his stout stick and tottered
+down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater with several layers of shirts
+showing at the cuffs. On the way he recalled the first railroad train
+that passed through Burke County.
+
+"I kinder skeered," he recollected. "We wuz all 'mazed to see dat train
+flying' long 'thout any horses. De people wuz all afraid."
+
+"Had you heard of airplanes before you saw one, Uncle Willis?"
+
+"Yes, ma'am. I yeared o' dem but you couldn't gimme dis car full o'
+money to fly. Dey's too high off de ground. I never is gwine in one!"
+
+Uncle Willis was deposited on the porch of one of the remaining slave
+cabins to eat his "breakkus," while his kidnapers sought over hill and
+field for "The big house," but only two cabins and the chimney
+foundations of a large burned dwelling rewarded the search.
+
+The old ex-slave was posed in front of the cabin, to one side of the
+clay and brick chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony, rearing
+his head up straight so that his white beard stuck out.
+
+The brutal reality of finding the glories of the plantation forever
+vanished must have been a severe blow for the old man. Several times on
+the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again at his cabin in
+the cottonfield, his vitality reasserted itself, and he greeted his
+curious dusky neighbors with the proud statement.
+
+"Dey tuk me when I was bred and born! I ain't ax no better time!"
+
+Willis' farewell words were:
+
+"Goo'bye! I hopes you all gits to Paradise!"
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist 1-2
+Ex-Slave #116]
+
+EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW
+
+CORNELIA WINFIELD, Age 82
+Richmond County
+1341 Ninth Street
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+BY: (Mrs.) Margaret Johnson--Editor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+Cornelia Winfield, 1341 Ninth Street, was born in Crawford, Oglethorpe
+County, Georgia March 10, 1855. Her father, being the same age as her
+master, was given to him as a little boy. They grew up together, playing
+games, and becoming devoted to each other. When her master was married
+her father went to his home with him and became the overseer of all the
+slaves on the plantation. "My father and mother wuz house servants. My
+marster served my father's plate from his own table and sent it to him,
+every meal. He had charge of the work shop, and when marster was away he
+always stayed at the Big House, to take care of my Missis and the
+children. My mother was a seamstress and had three younger seamsters
+under her, that she taught to sew. We made the clothes for all the house
+servants and fiel' hans. My mother made some of the clothes for my
+marster and missis. My mother was a midwife too, and useter go to all
+the birthings on our place. She had a bag she always carried and when
+she went to other plantations she had a horse and buggy to go in.
+
+"All the slaves on our place wuz treated well. I never heard of any of
+'em bein' whipped. I was ten years old when freedom come, and I always
+knowed I wuz to belong to one of marster's daughters. After freedom my
+father and mother worked on just the same for marster. When my father
+died, marster's fam'ly wanted him buried in the fam'ly lot but I wanted
+him to lie by my mother."
+
+Cornelia's husband was a Methodist preacher, and she lived with him to
+celebrate their Golden Wedding. During the last years of his life they
+lived in Augusta. For sixteen years she washed all the blankets for the
+Fire Department, and did some of the washing for the firemen. Cornelia
+is now 82 years of age, but her memory is good and her mind active; and
+she is extremely loquacious. She is quite heavy, and crippled, having to
+use a crutch when she walks. Her room was clean, but over-crowded with
+furniture, every piece of which has recently been painted. Of the
+wardrobe in her room Cornelia told the following story. "All the planks
+eny of our family was laid out on, my father kep'. When he came to
+Augusta he brought all these planks and made this here wardrobe. When
+the fire burnt me out, this here wardrobe was the only thing in my house
+that was saved."
+
+During the past summer she put up quantities of preserves, pickles and
+canned fruits. These she sells in a little shop-room adjoining her
+house, and when the weather permits, on the steps of the Post Office.
+
+Cornelia can read, and spends much of time reading the Bible but she
+learned to read after "Freedom." She is greatly interested to tell of
+the "best families" she has worked for and the gifts she has received
+from them.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 5
+Ex-Slave #117]
+E. Driskell
+Whitley
+1-20-37
+
+GEORGE WOMBLE
+EX-SLAVE
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+One of the relics of Slavery is George Womble. From all appearances Mr.
+Womble looks to be fifty-three years of age instead of the ripe old age
+of ninety-three that he claims. He is about five and one-half or six
+feet in height, weighs one-hundred and seventy-five pounds or more, and
+has good sight and hearing in addition to a skin that is almost devoid
+of any wrinkle. Besides all of this he is a clear thinker and has a good
+sense of humor. Following is an account of the experiences of Mr. Womble
+as a slave and of the conditions in general on the plantations where he
+lived:
+
+"I was born in the year of 1843 near the present site of what is now
+known as Clinton, Georgia. The names of my parents were Patsy and
+Raleigh Ridley. I never saw my father as he was sold before I was old
+enough to recognize him as being my father. I was still quite young when
+my mother was sold to a plantation owner who lived in New Orleans, La.
+As she was being put on the wagon to be taken away I heard her say: "Let
+me see my poor child one more time because I know I'll never see him
+again". That was the last I ever saw or heard of her. As I had no
+brothers or sisters or any other relatives to care for me my master, who
+was Mr. Robert Ridley, had me placed in his house where I was taught to
+wait tables and to do all kinds of house work. Mr. Ridley had a very
+large plantation and he raised cotton, corn, oats, wheat, peas, and live
+stock. Horses and mules were his specialty--I remember that he had one
+little boy whose job was to break these animals so that they could be
+easily sold. My job was to wait tables, help with the house cleaning,
+and to act as nurse maid to three young children belonging to the
+master. At other times I drove the cows to and from the pasture and I
+often helped with the planting in the fields when the field hands were
+rushed. Out of the forty-odd slaves that were held by the Ridleys all
+worked in the field with the exception of myself and the cook whose name
+was Harriet Ridley." Continuing, Mr. Womble says: "I believe that Mr.
+Ridley was one of the meanest men that ever lived. Sometimes he whipped
+us, especially us boys, just to give himself a little fun. He would tie
+us in such a way as to cause our bodies to form an angle and then he
+preceeded to use the whip. When he had finished he would ask: "Who do
+you belong to?" and we had to answer; "Marse Robert". At other times he
+would throw us in a large tank that held about two-thousand gallons of
+water. He then stood back and laughed while we struggled to keep from
+drowning."
+
+"When Marse Robert died I was still a small boy. Several months after
+his death Mrs. Ridley gave the plantation up and took her share of the
+slaves (ten in number) of which I was one, and moved to Tolbert County,
+Georgia near the present location of Talbottom, Georgia. The other
+slaves and the plantation were turned over to Marse Robert's relatives.
+After a few months stay in this place I was sold to Mrs. Ridley's
+brother, Enoch Womble. On the day that I was sold three doctors examined
+me and I heard one of them say: "This is a thoroughbred boy. His teeth
+are good and he has good muscles and eyes. He'll live a long time." Then
+Mr. Womble said: "He looks intelligent too. I think I'll take him and
+make a blacksmith out of him." And so to close the deal he paid his
+sister five-hundred dollars for me."
+
+According to Mr. Womble his new master was even meaner than the deceased
+Mr. Ridley. He was likewise a plantation owner and a farmer and as such
+he raised the same things that Mr. Ridley did with the exception of the
+horses and the mules. In all there were about five-hundred acres to the
+plantation. There were six children in the Womble family in addition to
+Mr. Womble and his wife, and they all lived in a large one-storied frame
+house. A large hickory tree grew through the center of the porch where a
+hole had been cut out for its growth.
+
+Mr. Womble says that his reputation of being an excellent house boy had
+preceded him, and so here too he was put to work in the master's house
+where he helped with the cooking, washed the dishes, cleaned the house,
+and also acted as nurse for the younger white children. In addition to
+this, he was also required to attend to the cows. He remembers how on
+one night at a very late hour he was called by the master to go and
+drive the cows from the pasture as the sleet and snow might do them more
+harm than good. He was so cold that on the way back from the pasture he
+stopped at the pig pens where he pushed one or two of them out of the
+spots where they had lain so that he could squat there, and warm his
+feet in the places left warm by their bodies. To add to his discomfort
+the snow and sleet froze in his long hair and this made him even more
+miserable than ever.
+
+Mr. Womble was asked to tell what time he had to arise in the morning to
+be at his day's work, and he replied that sometimes he didn't even go to
+sleep as he had to keep one hand on the baby crib to keep it from
+crying. Most of the time he got up at four o'clock in the morning, and
+went to the kitchen where he helped the cook prepare breakfast. After
+this was done, and he had finished waiting on the master and his family
+he started to clean the house. When he had finished this, he had to take
+care of the younger Womble children, and do countless the other things
+to be done around a house. Of the other slaves, Mr. Womble says: "None
+of them ever suffered from that disease known as "mattress fever". They
+all got up long before day, and prepared their breakfasts and then
+before it was light enough to see clearly they were standing in the
+field holding their hoes and other implements--afraid to start work for
+fear that they would cover the cotton plants with dirt because they
+could'nt see clearly due to the darkness." An overseer was hired by the
+master to see that the work was done properly. If any of the slaves were
+careless about their work they were made to take off their clothes in
+the field before all the rest and then a sound whipping was
+administered. Field hands also get whippings when they failed to pick
+the required three-hundred pounds of cotton daily. To avoid a whipping
+for this they sprinkled the white sand of the fields on the dew soaked
+cotton and at the time it was weighed they were credited with more
+pounds than they had actually picked. Around ten or eleven o'clock in
+the morning they were all allowed to go to the cook house where they
+were given dinner by the plantation cook. By one o'clock they were all
+back in the field where they remained until it was too dark to see
+clearly, and then they were dismissed by the overseer after he had
+checked the number of pounds of cotton that they had picked.
+
+The slaves knew that whenever Mr. Womble hired a new overseer he always
+told the prospect that if he could'nt handle the slaves his services
+would not be needed. The cook had heard the master tell a prospective
+overseer this and so whenever a new one was hired the slaves were quick
+to see how far they could go with him. Mr. Womble says that an overseer
+had to be a very capable man in order to keep his job as overseer on the
+Womble plantation because if the slaves found out that he was afraid of
+them fighting him (and they did sometimes) they took advantage of him so
+much so that the production dropped and the overseer either found
+himself trying to explain to his employer or else looking for another
+job. The master would never punish a slave for beating an overseer with
+his fists stated Mr. Womble.
+
+During rainy weather the slaves shucked corn, piled manure in the barns,
+and made cloth. In the winter season the men split rails, built fences,
+and dug ditches, while the women did the weaving and the making of
+cloth. These slaves who were too old to work in the fields remained at
+home where they nursed the sick slaves (when there was sickness) and
+attended to the needs of those children who were too young for field
+work. Those children who were still being fed from their mother's
+breasts were also under the care of one of these old persons. However,
+in this case the mothers were permitted to leave the field twice a day
+(once between breakfast and dinner and once between dinner and supper)
+so that these children could be fed.
+
+At times Mr. Womble hired some of his slaves out to work by the day for
+some of the other nearby plantation owners. Mr. Geo. Womble says that he
+was often hired out to the other white ladies of the community to take
+care of their children and to do their housework. Because of his ability
+to clean a house and to handle children he was in constant demand.
+
+The men worked every day in the week while the women were given Saturday
+afternoon off so that they might do their personal work such as the
+washing and the repairing of their clothing etc. The women were required
+to do the washing and the repairing of the single men's clothing in
+addition to their own. No night work was required of any of them except
+during the winter when they were given three cuts of thread to card,
+reel, and spin each night.
+
+There were some days when the master called them all to his back yard
+and told them that they could have a frolic. While they danced and sang
+the master and his family sat and looked on. On days like the Fourth of
+July and Christmas in addition to the frolic barbecue was served and
+says Mr. Womble: "It was right funny to see all of them dancing around
+the yard with a piece of meat in one hand and a piece of bread in the
+other.
+
+Mr. Womble stated further that clothes were given to all the slaves once
+a year. An issue for the men usually consisted of one or two pairs of
+pants and some shirts, underwear, woolen socks, and a pair of heavy
+brogans that had been made of horse hide. These shoes were reddish in
+appearance and were as stiff as board according to Mr. Womble. For
+special wear the men were given a garment that was made into one piece
+by sewing the pants and shirt together. This was known as a
+"roundabout". The women were given one or two dresses that had been made
+of the same material as that of the men's pants. As the cloth that these
+clothes were made of was very coarse and heavy most of them lasted until
+the time for the next issue. None of the clothing that the slaves wore
+was bought. After the cloth had been made by the slaves who did all the
+spinning and the weaving the master's wife cut the clothes out while the
+slave women did the sewing. One of the men was a cobbler and it was he
+who made all of the shoes for slave use. In the summer months the field
+hands worked in their bare feet regardless of whether they had shoes or
+not. Mr. Womble says that he was fifteen years of age when he was given
+his first pair of shoes. They were a pair of red boots and were so stiff
+that he needed help to get them on his feet as well as to get them off.
+Once when the master had suffered some few financial losses the slaves
+had to wear clothes that were made of crocus material. The children wore
+sacks after holes had been cut out for their heads and arms. This
+garment looked like a slightly lengthened shirt in appearance. A dye
+made from red clay was used to give color to these clothes.
+
+The bed clothing consisted of bagging sacks and quilts that were made
+out of old clothes.
+
+At the end of the week all the field hands met in the master's backyard
+where they were given a certain amount of food which was supposedly
+enough to last for a week. Such an issue was made up of three pounds of
+fat meat, one peck of meal, and one quart of black molasses. Mr. Womble
+was asked what the slaves did if their allowance of food ran out before
+the end of the week, and he replied in the following manner: "If their
+food gave out before the time for another issue they waited until night
+and then one or two of them would go to the mill-house where the flour
+and the meal was kept. After they had succeeded in getting in they would
+take an auger and bore a hole in the barrel containing the meal. One
+held the sack while the other took a stick and worked it around in the
+opening made by the auger so as to make the meal flow freely. After
+their bags were filled the hole was stopped up, and a hasty departure
+was made. Sometimes when they wanted meat they either went to the smoke
+house and stole a ham or else they would go to the pen where the pigs
+were kept and take a small pig out. When they got to the woods with this
+animal they proceeded to skin and clean it (it had already been killed
+with a blow in the head before they left the pen). All the parts that
+they did not want were either buried or thrown in the nearby river.
+After going home all of this meat was cooked and hidden. As there was
+danger in being caught none of this stolen meat was ever fried because
+there was more danger of the odor of frying meat going farther away than
+that odor made by meat being boiled." At this point Mr. Womble stated
+that the slaves were taught to steal by their masters. Sometimes they
+were sent to the nearby plantations to steal chickens, pigs, and other
+things that could be carried away easily. At such times the master would
+tell them that he was not going to mistreat them and that he was not
+going to allow anyone else to mistreat them and that by taking the above
+mentioned things they were helping him to be more able to take care of
+them.
+
+At breakfast the field hands ate fried meat, corn bread, and molasses.
+When they went to the house for dinner they were given some kind of
+vegetable along with pot liquor and milk. When the days work was done
+and it was time for the evening meal there was the fried meat again with
+the molasses and the corn bread. Mr. Womble says that they ate this kind
+of food every day in the week. The only variation was on Sunday when
+they were given the seconds of the flour and a little more molasses so
+that they might make a cake. No other sweetening was used except the
+molasses.
+
+As for Mr. Womble and the cook they fared better as they ate the same
+kind of food that the master and his family did. He remembers how he
+used to take biscuits from the dishes that were being sent to the
+masters table. He was the waiter and this was an easy matter. Later he
+took some of these biscuits and sold them to the other little boys for a
+nickle each. Neither the master or the slaves had real coffee. They all
+drank a type of this beverage that had been made by parching bran or
+meal and then boiled in water.
+
+The younger children were fed from a trough that was twenty feet in
+length. At meal time each day the master would come out and supervise
+the cook whose duty it was to fill the trough with food. For breakfast
+the milk and bread was all mixed together in the trough by the master
+who used his walking cane to stir it with. At dinner and supper the
+children were fed pot liquor and bread and sometimes milk that had been
+mixed together in the same manner. All stood back until the master had
+finished stirring the food and then at a given signal they dashed to the
+trough where they began eating with their hands. Some even put their
+mouths in the trough and ate. There were times when the master's dogs
+and some of the pigs that ran round the yard all came to the trough to
+share these meals. Mr. Womble states that they were not permitted to
+strike any of these animals so as to drive them away and so they
+protected their faces from the tongues of the intruders by placing their
+hands on the sides of their faces as they ate. During the meal the
+master walked from one end of the trough to the other to see that all
+was as it should be. Before Mr. Womble started to work in the master's
+house he ate as the other children for a short time. Some of the times
+he did not have enough food to eat and so when the time came to feed the
+cows he took a part of their food (a mixture of cotton seed, collard
+stalks, and small ears of corn) and ate it when night came. When he
+started working in the house regularly he always had sufficient food
+from then on.
+
+All the food that was eaten was grown on the plantation in the master's
+gardens. He did not permit the slaves to have a garden of their own
+neither could they raise their own chickens and so the only time that
+they got the chance to enjoy the eating of chicken was when they decided
+to make a special trip to the master's poultry yard.
+
+The housing facilities varied with the work a slave was engaged in on
+the Womble plantation according to Mr. Womble. He slept in the house
+under the dining-room table all of the time. The cook also slept in the
+house of her owner. For those who worked on the fields log cabins (some
+distance behind the master's house.) were provide [sic]. Asked to
+describe one of these cabins Mr. Womble replied: "They were two roomed
+buildings made out of logs and daubed with mud to keep the weather out.
+At one end there was a chimney that was made out of dried mud, sticks
+and stones. The fireplace was about five or six feet in length and on
+the inside of it there were some hooks to hang the pots from when there
+was cooking to be done.
+
+"There was only one door and this was the front one. They would'nt put a
+back door in a cabin because it would be easy for a slave to slip out of
+the back way if the master or the overseer came to punish an occupant.
+There were one or two small openings cut in the back so that they could
+get air."
+
+"The furniture was made by the blacksmith", continued Mr. Womble. "In
+one corner of the room there was a large bed that had been made out of
+heavy wood. Rope that ran from side to side served as the springs while
+the mattress was a large bag that had been stuffed with wheat straw. The
+only other furnishings were a few cooking utensils and one or two
+benches." As many as four families lived in one of these cabins although
+the usual number to a cabin was three families. There was one other
+house where the young children were kept while their parents worked in
+the fields.
+
+Most of the sickness on the Womble plantation was due to colds and
+fever. For the treatment of either of these ailments the master always
+kept a large can filled with a mixture of turpentine and caster oil.
+When anyone complained of a cold a dose of this oil was prescribed. The
+master gave this dose from a very large spoon that always hung from the
+can. The slaves also had their own home made remedies for the treatment
+of different ailments. Yellow root tea and black-hall tea were used in
+the treatment of colds while willow tea was used in the treatment of
+fever. Another tea made from the droppings of sheep was used as a remedy
+for the measles. A doctor was always called when anyone was seriously
+ill. He was always called to attend those cases of childbirth. Unless a
+slave was too sick to walk he was required to go to the field and work
+like the others. If, however, he was confined to his bed a nurse was
+provided to attend to his needs.
+
+On Sundays all of the slaves were allowed to attend the white church
+where they listened to the services from the rear of the church. When
+the white minister was almost through he would walk back to where the
+slaves sat and tell them not to steal their master's chickens, eggs, or
+his hogs and their backs would not be whipped with many stripes. After
+this they were dismissed and they all left the church wondering what the
+preacher's sermon meant. Some nights they went to the woods and
+conducted their own services. At a certain spot they all knelt and
+turned their faces toward the ground and then they began moaning and
+praying. Mr. Womble says that by huddling in this circle and turning
+their voices toward the ground the sound would not travel very far.
+
+None of them ever had the chance to learn how to read and write. Some
+times the young boys who carried the master's children's books to and
+from school would ask these children to teach them to write but as they
+were afraid of what their father might do they always refused. On the
+adjoining plantation the owner caught his son teaching a little slave
+boy to write.
+
+He was furious and after giving his son a severe beating he then cut the
+thumb and forefinger off of the slave. The only things that were taught
+the slaves was the use of their hands. Mr. Womble says that all the
+while that he was working in the master's house they still found the
+time for him to learn to be a blacksmith.
+
+When a male slave reached the age of twenty-one he was allowed to court.
+The same was true of a girl that had reached the age of eighteen. If a
+couple wished to marry they had to get permission from the master who
+asked each in turn if they wished to be joined as man and wife and if
+both answered that they did they were taken into the master's house
+where the ceremony was performed. Mr. Womble says that he has actually
+seen one of these weddings and that it was conducted in the following
+manner: "A broom was placed in the center of the floor and the couple
+was told to hold hands. After joining hands they were commanded to jump
+over the broom and then to turn around and jump back.
+
+"After this they were pronounced man and wife." A man who was small in
+stature was never allowed to marry a large, robust woman. Sometimes when
+the male slaves on one plantation were large and healthy looking and the
+women slaves on some nearby plantation looked like they might be good
+breeders the two owners agreed to allow the men belonging to the one
+visit the women belonging to the other, in fact they encouraged this
+sort of thing in hopes that they would marry and produce big healthy
+children. In such cases passes were given freely.
+
+All of the newly born babies were named by the master. "The only
+baptisms that any of us get was with a stick over the head and then we
+baptised our cheeks with our tears," stated Mr. Wombly.
+
+Continuing, Mr. Wombly stated that the slaves on the Womble plantation
+were treated more like animals rather than like humans. On one or two
+occasions some of them were sold. At such a time those to be sold were
+put in a large pen and then they were examined by the doctors and
+prospective buyers and later sold to the highest bidder the same as a
+horse or a mule. They were sold for various reasons says Mr. Womble. His
+mother was sold because she was too hard to rule and because she made it
+difficult to discipline the other slaves.
+
+Mr. Womble further reported that most of his fellow slaves believed in
+signs. They believed that if a screech owl or a "hoot" owl came near a
+house and made noises at night somebody was going to die and instead of
+going to heaven the devil would get them. "On the night that old Marse
+Ridley died the screech owls like to have taken the house away," he
+says.
+
+There was always a great amount of whipping on this plantation. This was
+practically the only form of punishment used. Most of them were whipped
+for being disobedient or for being unruly. Mr. Womble has heard his
+master say that he would not have a slave that he could not rule and to
+be sure that the slaves held him and his family in awe he even went so
+far as to make all of them go and pay their respects to the newly born
+white children on the day after their birth. At such a time they were
+required to get in line outside of the door and then one by one they
+went through the room and bowed their heads as they passed the bed and
+uttered the following words: "Young Marster" or if the baby was a girl
+they said: "Young Mistress". On one occasion Mr. Womble says that he has
+seen his master and a group of other white men beat an unruly slave
+until his back was raw and then a red hot iron bar was applied to his
+back. Even this did not make the slave submissive because he ran away
+immediately afterwards. After this inhuman treatment any number of the
+slaves ran away, especially on the Ridley plantation. Some were caught
+and some were not. One of the slaves on the Womble plantation took his
+wife and ran away. He and his wife lived in a cave that they found in
+the woods and there they raised a family. When freedom was declared and
+these children saw the light of day for the first time they almost went
+blind stated Mr. Womble.
+
+Mr. Womble says that he himself has been whipped to such an extent by
+his master, who used a walking cane, that he had no feeling in his legs.
+One other time he was sent off by the master and instead of returning
+immediately he stopped to eat some persimmons. The master came upon him
+at the tree and started beating him on the head with a wagon spoke. By
+the time he reached the house his head was covered with knots the size
+of hen eggs and blood was flowing from each of them.
+
+The slaves on the Womble plantation seldom if ever came in contact with
+the "Paddle-Rollers" who punished those slaves who had the misfortune to
+be caught off of their plantations without passes. In those days the
+jails were built for the white folks because the masters always punished
+the slaves when they broke any of the laws exclaimed Mr. Womble.
+
+Several years before the war Mr. Wombly was sold to Mr. Jim Wombly, the
+son of Mr. Enoch Wombly. He was as mean as his father or meaner, Mr.
+Wombly says that the first thing that he remembers in regard to the war
+was to hear his master say that he was going to join the army and bring
+Abe Lincoln's head back for a soap dish. He also said that he would wade
+in blood up to his neck to keep the slaves from being freed. The slaves
+would go to the woods at night where they sang and prayed. Some used to
+say; "I knew that some day we'll be free and if we die before that time
+our children will live to see it."
+
+When the Yankees marched through they took all of the silver and gold
+that had been hidden in the wall on the Womble plantation. They also
+took all of the live stock on the plantation, most of which had been
+hidden in the swamps. These soldiers then went into the house and tore
+the beds up and poured syrup in the mattresses. At the time all of the
+white people who lived on the plantation were hiding in the woods. After
+the soldiers had departed (taking these slaves along who wished to
+follow) Mrs. Womble went back into the house and continued to make the
+clothes and the bandages that were to be used by the Confederate
+Soldiers.
+
+After the slaves were set free any number of them were bound over and
+kept, says Mr. Womble. He himself was to remain with the Womble family
+until he reached the age of twenty-one. When this time came Mr. Womble
+refused to let him go. However, Mrs. Womble helped him to escape but he
+was soon caught one night at the home of an elderly white lady who had
+befriended him. A rope was tied around his neck and he was made to run
+the entire way back to the plantation while the others rode on horse
+back. After a few more months of cruel treatment he ran away again. This
+time he was successful in his escape and after he had gone what he
+considered a safe distance he set up a blacksmith shop where he made a
+living for quite a few years. Later one of the white men in that
+community hired him to work in his store. After a number of years at
+this place he decided to come to Atlanta where he has been since.
+
+Mr. Womble concluded by saying that he has been able to reach his
+present age because he has never done any smoking or drinking. An old
+lady once told him not to use soap on his face and he would not wrinkle.
+He accounts for his smooth skin in this manner.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 5
+Ex. Slave #118
+E. Driskell]
+
+SLAVERY AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF
+HENRY WRIGHT--EX-SLAVE, Age 99
+
+
+In Atlanta among that ever decreasing group of persons known as
+ex-slaves there is an old Negro man named Henry Wright. Although Mr.
+Wright is 99 years of age his appearance is that of a much younger man.
+He is about 5 feet in height; his dark skin is almost free of wrinkles
+and his head is thickly covered with gray hair. His speech and thought
+indicate that he is very intelligent and there is no doubt that he still
+possesses a clear and active mind.
+
+As he noisily puffed on a battered old pipe he related the following
+tale of his experiences in slavery and of conditions in general as he
+saw them at that time.
+
+Mr. Wright was born on the plantation of Mr. Phil House. This plantation
+was located near the present site of Buckhead, Ga. His parents were
+Henry Wright and Margaret House. In those days it was customary for
+slaves to carry the name of their owners. His father was owned by Mr.
+Spencer Wright and his mother was owned by Mr. Phil House. Both of these
+slave owners lived in the same district. His grandparents, Kittie and
+Anite House also belonged to Mr. Phil House and it was they who told him
+how they had been sold like cattle while in Virginia to a speculator
+(slave dealer) and brought to Decatur, Ga. where they were sold to Mr.
+House.
+
+Mr. Wright lived with his mother on the House plantation for several
+years then he was given to Mr. George House, the brother of Phil House,
+as a wedding present. However, he saw his parents often as they were all
+allowed "passes" so that they might visit one another.
+
+According to Mr. Wright, his master was a very rich man and a very
+intelligent one. His plantation consisted of about three or four hundred
+acres of land on which he raised cotton, cane, corn, vegetables and live
+stock. Although he was not very mean to his slaves or "servants" as he
+called them, neither did his kindness reach the gushing or overflowing
+stage.
+
+On this plantation there were a large number of slaves, some of whom
+worked in "Old Marster's" (as Mr. House was called) house and some of
+whom worked in the fields.
+
+As a youngster Mr. Wright had to pick up chips around the yard, make
+fires and keep the house supplied with water which he got from the well.
+When he was ten years of age he was sent to the field as a plow-boy. He
+remembers that his mother and father also worked in the fields. In
+relating his experience as a field hand Mr. Wright says that he and his
+fellow slaves were roused each morning about 3 o'clock by the blowing of
+a horn. This horn was usually blown by the white overseer or by the
+Negro foreman who was known among the slaves as the "Nigger Driver." At
+the sounding of the horn they had to get up and feed the stock. Shortly
+after the horn was blown a bell was rung and at this signal they all
+started for the fields to begin work for the day. They were in the field
+long before the sun was up. Their working hours were described as being
+from "sun to sun." When the time came to pick the cotton each slave was
+required to pick at least 200 lbs. of cotton per day. For this purpose
+each was given a bag and a large basket. The bag was hung around the
+neck and the basket was placed at the end of the row. At the close of
+the day the overseer met all hands at the scales with the lamp, the
+slate and the whip. If any slave failed to pick the required 200 lbs. he
+was soundly whipped by the overseer. Sometimes they were able to escape
+this whipping by giving illness as an excuse. Another form of strategy
+adopted by the slaves was to dampen the cotton or conceal stones in the
+baskets, either of which would make the cotton weigh more.
+
+Sometimes after leaving the fields at dark they had to work at
+night--shucking corn, ginning cotton or weaving. Everyday except Sunday
+was considered a work day. The only form of work on Sunday was the
+feeding of the live stock, etc.
+
+When Mr. Wright was asked about the treatment that was given the house
+slaves in comparison to that given the field slaves, he replied with a
+broad grin that "Old Marster" treated them much the same as he would a
+horse and a mule. That is, the horse was given the kind of treatment
+that would make him show off in appearance, while the mule was given
+only enough care to keep him well and fit for work. "You see," continued
+Mr. Wright, "in those days a plantation owner was partially judged by
+the appearance of his house servants." And so in addition to receiving
+the discarded clothes of "Old Marster" and his wife, better clothing was
+bought for the house slaves.
+
+The working hours of the house slave and the field slave were
+practically the same. In some cases the house slaves had to work at
+night due to the fact that the master was entertaining his friends or he
+was invited out and so someone had to remain up to attend to all the
+necessary details.
+
+On the plantation of Mr. House the house slaves thought themselves
+better than the field slaves because of the fact that they received
+better treatment. On the other hand those slaves who worked in the
+fields said that they would rather work in the fields than work in the
+house because they had a chance to earn spending money in their spare or
+leisure time. House servants had no such opportunity.
+
+In bad weather they were not required to go to the fields--instead they
+cut hedges or did other small jobs around the house. The master did not
+want them to work in bad weather because there was too much danger of
+illness which meant a loss of time and money in the end.
+
+Mr. House wanted his slaves to learn a trade such as masonry or
+carpentry, etc., not because it would benefit the slave, says Mr.
+Wright, but because it would make the slave sell for more in case he had
+"to get shet (rid) of him." The slaves who were allowed to work with
+these white mechanics, from whom they eventually learned the trade, were
+eager because they would be permitted to hire themselves out. The money
+they earned could be used to help buy their freedom, that is, what money
+remained after the master had taken his share. On the other hand the
+white mechanic had no particular objection to the slaves being there to
+help him, even though they were learning the trade, because he was able
+to place all the hard work on the slave which made his job easier. Mr.
+Wright remembers how his grandfather used to hire his time out doing
+carpentry work, making caskets and doing some masonry. He himself can
+plaster, although he never hired out during slavery.
+
+Clothing was issued once per year usually around September. An issue
+consisted mostly of the following: 1 pair of heavy shoes called "Negro
+Brogans." Several homespun shirts, woolen socks and two or three pairs
+of jeans pants. The women were either given dresses and underskirts that
+were already made or just the plain cloth to make these garments from.
+Some of their clothing was bought and some was made on the plantation.
+The wool socks were knitted on the plantation along with the homespun
+which was woven there. The homespun was dyed by placing it in a boiling
+mixture of green walnut leaves or walnut hulls. In the event that plaid
+material was to be made the threads were dyed the desired color before
+being woven. Another kind of dye was made from the use of a type of red
+or blue berry, or by boiling red dirt in water (probably madder). The
+house slaves wore calico dresses or sometimes dresses made from woolen
+material.
+
+Often this clothing was insufficient to meet the individual needs. With
+a broad smile and an almost imperceptible shake of his old gray head Mr.
+Wright told how he had worked in the field without shoes when it was so
+cold until the skin cracked and the blood flowed from these wounds. He
+also told how he used to save his shoes by placing them under his arm
+and walking barefooted when he had a long distance to go. In order to
+polish these shoes a mixture of soot and syrup was used.
+
+The young slave children wore a one-piece garment with holes cut for the
+head and arms to go through. In appearance it resembled a slightly long
+shirt. As Mr. House did not give blankets, the slaves were required to
+make the necessary cover by piecing together left over goods. After this
+process was completed, it was padded with cotton and then dyed in much
+the same way as homespun. After the dyeing was completed the slave was
+the owner of a new quilt.
+
+The food that the slaves ate [**TR: was] all raised on the plantation. At
+the end of each week each slave was given 3 lbs. of meat (usually pork),
+1 peck of meal and some syrup. Breakfast and dinner usually consisted of
+fried meat, corn bread and syrup. Vegetables were usually given at
+dinner time. Sometimes milk was given at supper. It was necessary to
+send the meals to the field slaves as they were usually too far away
+from the house to make the trip themselves. For this purpose there was a
+woman who did all the cooking for the field hands in a cook house
+located among the slave cabins.
+
+Mr. House permitted his slaves to have a garden and chickens of their
+own. In fact, he gave each of them land, a small plot of ground for this
+purpose. The benefit of this was twofold as far as the slave was
+concerned. In the first place he could vary his diet. In the second
+place he was able to earn money by selling his produce either in town or
+to "Old Marster." Sometimes Old Marster took the produce to town and
+sold it for them. When he returned from town the money for the sale of
+this produce was given to the slave. Mr. Wright says that he and all the
+other slaves felt that they were being cheated when the master sold
+their goods. Mr. House also permitted his slaves to hunt and fish both
+of which were done at night for the most part.
+
+Coffee was made by parching meal and then placing it in boiling water.
+To sweeten this coffee, syrup was used. One delicacy that he and the
+other slaves used to have on Sunday was biscuit bread which they called
+"cake bread."
+
+All children who were too young to work in the field were cared for by
+some old slave woman who was too old to go to the field. She did all of
+their cooking, etc. The diet of these children usually consisted of pot
+liquor, milk, vegetables and in rare cases, meat. Mr. Wright laughed
+here as he stated that these children were given long handled spoons and
+were seated on a long bench before a trough out of which they all ate
+like little pigs. Not a slave ever suffered the pangs of hunger on the
+plantation of Mr. George House.
+
+The houses or cabins of the slaves were located a short distance in the
+rear of "Old Marster's" house. These houses were usually made from
+logs--the chinks being closed with mud. In some cases boards were used
+on the inside of the cabin to keep the weather out, but according to Mr.
+Wright, mud was always the more effective. The floor was usually covered
+with boards and there were two or three windows to each cabin, shutters
+being used in place of glass. The chimney and fireplace were made of
+mud, sticks and stones. All cooking was done on the fireplace in iron
+utensils, which Mr. Wright declares were a lot better than those used
+today. For boiling, the pots hung from a long hook directly above the
+fire. Such furniture as each cabin contained was all made by the slaves.
+This furniture usually consisted of a wooden bench, instead of a chair,
+and a crude bed made from heavy wood. Slats were used in the place of
+springs. The mattress was made stuffing a large bag with wheat straw.
+"This slept as good as any feather bed" says Mr. Wright. Candles were
+used to furnish light at night.
+
+On this plantation each family did not have an individual cabin.
+Sometimes as many as three families shared a cabin, which of course was
+rather a large one. In this case it was partitioned off by the use of
+curtains.
+
+Besides having to take care of the young children, these older slaves
+were required to care for those slaves who were ill. Mr. House employed
+a doctor to attend his slaves when their cases seemed to warrant it. If
+the illness was of a minor nature he gave them castor oil, salts or
+pills himself. Then, too, the slaves had their own home remedies. Among
+these were different tonics made from "yarbs" (herbs), plasters made
+from mustard, and whisky, etc. Most illnesses were caused by colds and
+fevers. Mr. Wright says that his two brothers and his sister, all of
+whom were younger than he, died as a result of typhoid fever.
+
+Even with all the hardships that the slaves had to suffer they still had
+time to have fun and to enjoy themselves, Mr. Wright continued. At
+various times Mr. House permitted them to have a frolic. These frolics
+usually took place on such holidays as 4th of July, Christmas or
+"laying-by time", after the cultivating of the crops was finished and
+before gathering time. During the day the master provided a big barbecue
+and at night the singing and dancing started. Music was furnished by
+slaves who were able to play the banjo or the fiddle. The slaves usually
+bought these instruments themselves and in some cases the master bought
+them. "In my case," declared Mr. Wright, "I made a fiddle out of a large
+sized gourd--a long wooden handle was used as a neck, and the hair from
+a horse's tail was used for the bow. The strings were made of cat-gut.
+After I learned to play this I bought a better violin." Sometimes the
+slaves slipped away to the woods to indulge in a frolic. As a means of
+protection they tied ropes across the paths where they would be less
+likely to be seen. These ropes were placed at such a height as to knock
+a man from his horse if he came riding up at a great speed. In this way
+the master or the overseer was stopped temporarily, thereby giving the
+slaves time to scamper to safety. In addition to the presents given at
+Christmas (candy and clothing) the master also gave each family half a
+gallon of whisky. This made the parties more lively. One of the songs
+that the slaves on the House plantation used to sing at their parties
+runs as follows:
+
+ "Oh, I wouldn't have a poor girl,
+ (another version says, "old maid")
+ And I'll tell you the reason why,
+ Her neck's so long and stringy,
+ I'm afraid she'd never die."
+
+On Sundays Mr. House required all of his slaves to attend church. All
+attended a white church where they sat in the back or in the balcony.
+After preaching to the white audience, the white pastor turned his
+attention to the slaves. His sermon usually ran: "Obey your master and
+your mistress and the Lord will love you." Sometimes a colored preacher
+was allowed to preach from the same rostrum after the white pastor had
+finished. His sermon was along similar lines because that is what he had
+been instructed to say. None of the slaves believed in the sermons but
+they pretended to do so.
+
+Marriages were usually performed by the colored preacher although in
+most cases it was only necessary for the man to approach "Old Marster"
+and tell him that he wanted a certain woman for his wife. "Old Marster"
+then called the woman in question and if she agreed they were pronounced
+man and wife. If the woman was a prolific breeder and if the man was a
+strong, healthy-looking individual she was forced to take him as a
+husband whether she wanted to or not.
+
+When Mr. Wright was asked if he had ever been arrested and placed in
+jail for any offense while he was a slave he replied that in those days
+few laws, if any, applied to slaves. He knows that it was against the
+law for anyone to teach a slave to write because on one occasion his
+father who had learned to do this with the help of his master's son was
+told by the master to keep it to himself, because if the men of the
+community found out that he could write they would cut his fingers or
+his hand off. Horse stealing or house burning was another serious crime.
+On the House plantation was a mulato slave who was to have been given
+his freedom when he reached the age of 21. When this time came Mr. House
+refused to free him and so an attempt was made to burn the House
+mansion. Mr. Wright remembers seeing the sheriff come from town and take
+this slave. Later they heard on the plantation that said slave had been
+hanged.
+
+For the most part punishment consisted of severe whipping sometimes
+administered by the slaves' master and sometimes by the white men of the
+community known as the Patrol. To the slaves this Patrol was known as
+the "Paddle" or "Paddie-Rollers." Mr. Wright says that he has been
+whipped numerous times by his master for running away. When he was
+caught after an attempted escape he was placed on the ground where he
+was "spread-eagled," that is, his arms and feet were stretched out and
+tied to stakes driven in the ground. After a severe beating, brine water
+or turpentine was poured over the wounds. This kept the flies away, he
+says. Mr. House did not like to whip his slaves as a scarred slave
+brought very little money when placed on the auction block. A slave who
+had a scarred back was considered as being unruly. Whenever a slave
+attempted to escape the hounds were put on his trail. Mr. Wright was
+caught and treed by hounds several times. He later found a way to elude
+them. This was done by rubbing his feet in the refuse material of the
+barnyard or the pasture, then he covered his legs with pine tar. On one
+occasion he managed to stay away from the plantation for 6 months before
+he returned of his own accord. He ran away after striking his master who
+had attempted to whip him. When he returned of his own accord his master
+did nothing to him because he was glad that he was not forever lost in
+which case a large sum of money would have been lost. Mr. Wright says
+that slave owners advertised in the newspapers for lost slaves, giving
+their description, etc. If a slave was found after his master had
+stopped his advertisements he was placed on the block and sold as a
+"stray." While a fugitive he slept in the woods, eating wild berries,
+etc. Sometimes he slipped to the plantation of his mother or that of his
+father where he was able to secure food.
+
+He took a deep puff on his pipe and a look of satisfaction crossed his
+face as he told how he had escaped from the "Paddle Rollers." It was the
+"Paddle-Rollers" duty to patrol the roads and the streets and to see
+that no slave was out unless he had a "pass" from his master. Further,
+he was not supposed to be any great distance away from the place he had
+been permitted to go. If a slave was caught visiting without a "pass" or
+if at any time he was off his plantation without said "pass" and had the
+misfortune to be caught by the "Paddle-Rollers" he was given a sound
+whipping and returned to his master.
+
+When the Civil War began all the slaves on the House plantation grew
+hopeful and glad of the prospect of being set free. Mr. House was heard
+by some of the slaves to say that he hoped to be dead the day Negroes
+were set free. Although the slaves prayed for their freedom they were
+afraid to even sing any type of spiritual for fear of being punished.
+
+When the Yankee troops came through near the House plantation they asked
+the slaves if their master was mean to them. As the answer was "no" the
+soldiers marched on after taking all the livestock that they could find.
+At the adjoining plantation where the master was mean, all property was
+burned. Mr. House was not present for when he heard of the approach of
+Sherman he took his family, a few valuables and some slaves and fled to
+Augusta. He later joined the army but was not wounded. However, his
+brother, Phil House, lost a leg while in action.
+
+Mr. Wrights says that he witnessed one battle which was fought just a
+few miles beyond his plantation near Nancy's Creek. Although he did not
+officially join the Yankee army he cooked for them while they were
+camped in his vicinity.
+
+When freedom was declared he says that he was a very happy man. Freedom
+to him did not mean that he could quit work but that he could work for
+himself as he saw fit to. After he was freed he continued working for
+his master who was considerably poorer than he had ever been before.
+After the war things were in such a state that even common table salt
+was not available. He remembers going to the smokehouse and taking the
+dirt from the floor which he later boiled. After the boiling process of
+this water which was now salty was used as a result of the dripping from
+the meats which had been hung there to be smoked in the "good old days."
+
+After seven years of share-cropping with his former master Mr. Wright
+decided to come to Atlanta where he has been since. He attributes his
+ripe old age to sane and careful living. In any case he says that he
+would rather be free than be a slave but--and as he paused he shook his
+head sadly--"In those days a man did not have to worry about anything to
+eat as there was always a plenty. It's a lot different now."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 6
+Ex-Slave #119 v.3]
+
+"MAMMY DINK"
+[HW: DINK WALTON YOUNG], Age 96
+
+Place of birth:
+On the Walton plantation, near old Baughville,
+Talbot County, Georgia
+
+Date of Birth: About 1840
+
+Present residence:
+Fifth Avenue, between 14th and 15th Streets,
+Columbus, Georgia
+
+Interviewed: August 1, 1936
+
+
+Dink Walton Young, better known as "Mammy Dink", is one of the oldest
+ex-slaves living in Muscogee County. She was born the chattel of Major
+Jack Walton, the largest ante-bellum planter and slave-holder of Talbot
+County, a man who owned several hundred Negroes and ten thousand or more
+acres of land. As a child, "Mammy Dink" was "brung up" with the Walton
+white children, often joining and playing with them in such games as
+"Mollie Bright", "William Trembletoe", and "Picking up Sticks".
+
+The boys, white and black, and slightly older than she, played "Fox" and
+"Paddle-the-Cat" together. In fact, until the white boys and girls were
+ten or twelve years of age, their little Negro playmates, satellites,
+bodyguards, "gangs", and servants, usually addressed them rather
+familiarly by their first names, or replied to their nicknames that
+amounted to titles of endearment. Thus, Miss Susie Walton--the later
+Mrs. Robert Carter--was "Susie Sweet" to a host of little Negro girls of
+her age. Later on, of course, this form of familiarity between slave
+child and white child definitely ceased; but for all time there existed
+a strong bond of close friendship, mutual understanding, and spirit of
+comradeship between the Whites and Blacks of every plantation. As an
+example, Pat Walton, aged 18, colored and slave, "allowed" to his young
+master in 1861: "Marse Rosalius, youse gwine to de war, ain't yer?" and
+without waiting for an answer, continued: "So is Pat. You knows you
+ain't got no bizness in no army 'thout a Nigger to wait on yer an keep
+yer outa devilment, Marse Rosalius. Now, doen gin me no argyment, Marse
+Rosalius, case ise gwine 'long wid yer, and dat settles it, sah, it do,
+whether you laks it or you don't lak it." Parenthetically, it might be
+here inserted that this speech of Pat's to his young master was typical
+of a "style" that many slaves adopted in "dictating" to their white
+folks, and many Southern Negroes still employ an inoffensive, similar
+style to "dominate" their white friends.
+
+According to "Mammy Dink", and otherwise verified, every time a Negro
+baby was born on one of his plantations, Major Dalton gave the mother a
+calico dress and a "bright, shiny", silver dollar.
+
+All Walton slaves were well fed and clothed and, for a "drove" of about
+fifty or sixty little "back-yard" piccaninnies, the Waltons assumed all
+responsibility, except at night. A kind of compound was fenced off for
+"dese brats" to keep them in by day.
+
+When it rained, they had a shelter to go under; play-houses were built
+for them, and they also had see-saws, toys, etc. Here, their parents
+"parked dese younguns" every morning as they went to the fields and to
+other duties, and picked them up at night. These children were fed about
+five times a day in little wooden trough-like receptacles. Their
+principal foods were milk, rice, pot-licker, vegetables and corn
+dumplings; and they stayed so fat and sleek "dat de Niggers calt 'em
+Marse Major's little black pigs."
+
+The average weekly ration allowed an adult Walton slave was a peck of
+meal, two "dusters" of flour (about six pounds), seven pounds of flitch
+bacon, a "bag" of peas, a gallon of grits, from one to two quarts of
+molasses, a half pound of green coffee--which the slave himself parched
+and "beat up" or ground, from one to two cups of sugar, a "Hatful" of
+peas, and any "nicknacks" that the Major might have--as extras.
+
+Many acres were planted to vegetables each year for the slaves and, in
+season, they had all the vegetables they could eat, also Irish potatoes,
+sweet potatoes, roasting ears, watermelons and "stingy green" (home
+raised tobacco). In truth, the planters and "Niggers" all used "stingy
+green", there then being very little if any "menufro" (processed
+tobacco) on the market.
+
+The standard clothes of the slaves were: jeans in the winter for men and
+women, cottonades and osnabergs for men in the summer, and calicos and
+"light goods" for the women in the summer time. About 75% of the cloth
+used for slaves' clothing was made at home.
+
+If a "Nigger come down sick", the family doctor was promptly called to
+attend him and, if he was bad off, the Major "sat up" with him, or had
+one of his over-seers do so.
+
+Never in her life was "Mammy Dink" whipped by any of the Waltons or
+their over-seers. Moreover, she never knew a Negro to be whipped by a
+white person on any of the dozen or more Walton plantations. She never
+"seed" a pataroler in her life, though she "has heard tell dat Judge
+Henry Willis, Marses Johnnie B. Jones, Ned Giddens, Gus O'Neal, Bob
+Baugh, an Jedge Henry Collier rid as patarolers" when she was a girl.
+
+When the Yankee raiders came through in '65, "Mammy Dink" was badly
+frightened by them. She was also highly infuriated with them for
+"stealin de white fokes' things", burning their gins, cotton and barns,
+and conducting themselves generally as bandits and perverts.
+
+In 1875, the year of the cyclone "whooch kilt sebenteen fokes twixt
+Ellesli (Ellerslie) and Talbotton", including an uncle of her's. "Mammy
+Dink" was living at the Dr. M.W. Peter's place near Baughville. Later,
+she moved with her husband--acquired subsequent to freedom--to the Dr.
+Thomas D. Ashford's place, in Harris County, near Ellerslie. There, she
+lost her husband and, about thirty-five years ago, moved to Columbus to
+be near Mrs. John T. Davis, Jr., an only daughter of Dr. Ashford, to
+whom she long ago became very attached.
+
+When interviewed, "Mammy Dink" was at Mrs. Davis' home, "jes piddlin
+'round", as she still takes a pride in "waiting on her white fokes."
+
+Naturally, for one of her age, the shadows are lengthening. "Mammy Dink"
+has never had a child; all her kin are dead; she is 96 and has no money
+and no property, but she has her memories and, "thank Gawd", Mrs.
+Davis--her guardian-angel, friend and benefactress.
+
+
+
+
+Whitley,
+4-29-37
+Ex-Slave #119
+
+MAMMY DINK IS DEAD
+[HW: (From Columbus News-Record of Dec-8-1936)]
+
+
+Mammy Dink, who cooked and served and gained pure joy through faithful
+service, has gone to the Big House in the skies. She lacked but a few
+years of a hundred and most of it was spent in loving service. She was
+loyal to the families she worked for and was, to all practical intents,
+a member of the family circle. She was 94 or 95 when she passed
+away--Mammy was about to lose track of mere age, she was so busy with
+other things--and she was happily at work to within a week of her death.
+She was an institution in Columbus, and one of the best known of the
+many faithful and loyal colored servants in this city.
+
+Mammy Dink--her full name, by the way, was Dink Young--started out as a
+cook in a Talbot county family and wound up her career as cook for the
+granddaughter of her original employer. She was first in service in the
+home of Dr. M.W. Peters, in Talbot county, and later was the cook in the
+family of Dr. T.R. Ashford, at Ellerslie, in Harris county. Then, coming
+to Columbus, she was cook in the home of the late Captain T.J. Hunt for
+some 20 years.
+
+For the last 27 years she had been cook for Mrs. John T. Davis, just as
+she had been cook in the home of her father, Dr. Ashford, and her
+grandfather, Dr. Peters.
+
+Mammy, in leisure hours, used to sit on the coping at the Sixteenth
+street school, and watch the world go by. But her greatest joy was in
+the kitchen.
+
+The Davis family was devoted to the faithful old servant. A week ago she
+developed a severe cold and was sent to the hospital. She passed away
+Saturday night--the old body had given out. The funeral service was
+conducted yesterday afternoon from St. Philips colored church in Girard.
+She was buried in a churchyard cemetery, two or three miles out, on the
+Opelika road. The white people who were present wept at the departure of
+one who was both servant and friend.
+
+Thus passes, to a sure reward, Mammy Dink, whose life was such a
+success.
+
+[HW: Mammy Dink died Saturday night, Dec. 5th, 1936]
+
+
+
+
+COMBINED INTERVIEWS
+
+[HW: Dist 1-2
+Ex-Slave #24]
+
+FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECTS,
+Augusta-Athens
+Supervisor: Miss Velma Bell
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+EXCERPTS FROM SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+
+[ADELINE]
+
+"Aunt Adeline," an ex-slave of Wilkes County, Georgia, thinks she is
+"around a hundred." Her first memory is, in her own words, "my love for
+my mother. I loved her so! I would cry when I couldn't be with her. When
+I growed up, I kep' on loving her jes' that-a-way, even after I married
+and had children of my own."
+
+Adeline's mother worked in the field, drove steers, and was considered
+the best meat cutter on the plantation. The slave women were required to
+spin, and Adeline's mother was unusually good at spinning wool, "and
+that kind of spinning was powerful slow," added the old woman. "My
+mother was one of the best dyers anywhere around. I was too. I made
+colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I made the prettiest
+sort of lilac color with maple bark and pine bark--not the outside pine
+bark, but that little thin skin that grows right down next to the tree."
+Adeline remembers one dress she loved: "I never will forget it as long
+as I live. It was a hickory stripe dress they made for me, with brass
+buttons at the wrist bands. I was so proud of that dress and felt so
+dressed up in it, I just strutted!"
+
+She remembers the plantation store and the candy the master gave the
+Negro children. "Bright, pretty sticks of candy!" Tin cups hold a
+special niche in her memory. But there were punishments, too. "Good or
+bad, we got whippings with a long cowhide kept just for that. They
+whipped us to make us grow better, I reckon!"
+
+Asked about doctors, Adeline replied:
+
+"I was born, growed up, married and had sixteen children and never had
+no doctor till here since I got so old!"
+
+Plantation ingenuity was shown in home concoctions and tonics. At the
+first sniffle of a cold, the slaves were called in and given a drink of
+fat lightwood tea, made by pouring boiling water over split kindling.
+"'Cause lightwood got turpentine in it," explained Adeline. She said
+that a springtime tonic was made of anvil dust, gathered at the
+blacksmith's shop, mixed with syrup. This was occasionally varied with a
+concoction of garlic and whiskey!
+
+Adeline adheres to traditional Negro beliefs, and concluded her
+recountal of folklore with the dark prediction: "Every gloomy day brings
+death. Somebody leaving this unfriendly world to-day!"
+
+
+[EUGENE]
+
+Another version of slavery was given by Eugene, an Augusta Negro. His
+mother was brought to Augusta from Pennsylvania and freed when she came
+of age. She married a slave whose master kept a jewelry store. The freed
+woman was required to put a guardian over her children. The jeweler paid
+Eugene's father fifty cents a week and was angry when his mother refused
+to allow her children to work for him. Eugene's mother supported her
+children by laundry work. "Free colored folks had to pay taxes," said
+Eugene, "And in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to
+house. You couldn't go out at night in Augusta after 9 o'clock. They had
+a bell at the old market down yonder, and it would strike every hour and
+half hour. There was an uptown market, too, at Broad and McKinne."
+
+Eugene told of an old Negro preacher, Ned Purdee, who had a school for
+Negro children in his back yard, in defiance of a law prohibiting the
+education of Negroes. Ned, said Eugene, was put in jail but the
+punishment of stocks and lashes was not intended to be executed. The
+sympathetic jailor told the old man: "Ned, I won't whip you. I'll just
+whip down on the stock, and you holler!" So Ned made a great noise, the
+jailor thrashed about with his stick, and no harm was done.
+
+Eugene touched on an unusual angle of slavery when he spoke of husbands
+and wives discovering that they were brother and sister. "They'd talk
+about their grandfathers and grandmothers, and find out that they had
+been separated when they were children," he said. "When freedom was
+declared, they called the colored people down to the parade ground. They
+had built a big stand, and the Yankees and some of the leading colored
+men made addresses. 'You are free now. Don't steal. Work and make a
+living. Do honest work. There are no more masters. You are all free.' He
+said the Negro troops came in, singing:
+
+ "Don't you see the lightning?
+ Don't you hear the thunder?
+ It isn't the lightning,
+ It isn't the thunder,
+ It's the buttons on
+ The Negro uniforms!"
+
+
+[MARY]
+
+Mary is a tiny woman, 90 years old. "I'd love to see some of the white
+folks boys and girls," she said, smiling and showing a set of strong new
+teeth. "We had school on our plantation, and a Negro teacher named
+Mathis, but they couldn't make me learn nothin'. I sure is sorry now!"
+
+Mary's plantation memories, in contrast to those of slaves who remember
+mostly molasses and corn-pone, include tomato rice, chickens, baked,
+fried and stewed. "And chicken pies!" Mary closed her eyes. "Don't talk
+about 'em! I told my grand children last week, I wanted to eat some
+old-time potato pie!"
+
+They played "peep-squirrel," Mary remembered. "I never could put up to
+dance much, but none could beat me runnin'. "Peep Squirrel" was a game
+we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the men,
+and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a kildee
+bird, I was so little and could run so fast! They said I was married
+when I was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I had the finest
+kind of marrying dress that my father bought for me. It had great big
+grapes hanging down from the sleeves and around the skirt." Mary sighed.
+"I wish't I had-a kep' it for my children to saw!"
+
+
+[RACHEL]
+
+Rachel's master called his people "servants", not Negroes or slaves. "He
+de bes' marster in de worl'," said Rachel. "I love his grave!"
+
+Rachel nursed her aunt's children while the mother acted as nurse for
+"de lady's baby whut come fum Russia wid de marster's wife." The czarina
+was godmother for the ambassador's baby. "Marster bin somewheh in de
+back part o' de worl'." explained the old woman, "You see, he wuz de
+guv'nor. He knowed all de big people, senetras and all." Rachel laughed.
+"I was a old maid when I married," she said. "De broom wuz de law. All
+we hadder do was step over de broom befo' witnesses and we wuz marry!"
+
+
+[LAURA]
+
+"As far as I kin rekellec'," said Laura, "my mother was give." She could
+not remember her age, but estimated that she might be 75 years old. Her
+native dignity was evident in her calm manner, her neat clothing and the
+comfortable, home-like room. "Dey say in dem days," she continued, "when
+you marry, dey give you so many colored people. My mother, her brother
+and her aunt was give to young Mistis when she marry de Baptis' preacher
+and come to Augusta. When dey brought us to Augusta, I wuz de baby.
+Round wheh de barracks is now, was de Baptis' parsonage. My mother was a
+cook. I kin remember de Yankees comin' down Broad Street. Dey put up
+wheh de barracks is on Reynolds Street. Dey ca'yed me to de fairground.
+De man was speakin'. I thought it wuz up in de trees, but I know now it
+muster been a platform in bushes. Mistis say to me: 'Well, Laura, what
+did you see?' I say: 'Mistis, we is all free.' I such a lil' chile she
+jus' laugh at me for saying sich a thing. When I was sick, she nuss me
+good."
+
+Laura remembered a long house with porches on Ellis Street, "running
+almost to Greene," between 7th and 8th, where slaves were herded and
+kept for market day. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," she
+said, "and look in de mouf' at dey teeth. Den dey march 'em down
+together to market, in crowds, first Tuesday sale day."
+
+
+[MATILDA]
+
+In contrast to the pleasant recollections of most of the ex-slaves,
+Matilda gave a vivid picture of the worst phase of plantation life on a
+Georgia plantation. She had been plowing for four years when the war
+started.
+
+"I wuz in about my thirteen when de war end," she mumbled, "Fum de fus'
+overseer, dey whu-op me to show me how to wuk. I wuk hard, all de time.
+I never had no good times. I so old I kain't rekellec' my marster's
+name. I kain't 'member, honey. I had too hard time. We live in, a
+weather-board house, jus' hulled in. We had to eat anyting dey give us,
+mos'ly black 'lasses in a great big ole hogshead. When de war gwine on,
+we had to live on rice, mos'ly, what dey raise. We had a hard time.
+Didn't know we wuz free for a long time. All give overseer so mean, de
+slaves run away. Dey gits de blood-houn' to fin' 'em. Dey done dug cave
+in de wood, down in de ground, and hide dere. Dey buckle de slave down
+to a log and beat de breaf' outter dem, till de blood run all over
+everywhere. When night come, dey drug 'em to dey house and greases 'em
+down wid turpentine and rub salt in dey woun's to mek 'em hurt wuss. De
+overseer give de man whiskey to mek him mean. When dey whu-op my mother,
+I crawl under de house and cry."
+
+One of Matilda's younger friends, listening, nodded her head in
+sympathy.
+
+"When Matilda's mind was clearer she told us terrible stories," she
+said. "It makes all the rest of us thankful we weren't born in those
+times."
+
+Matilda was mumbling end weeping.
+
+"Dey wuz mean overseer," she whispered. "But dey wuz run out o' de
+country. Some white ladies in de neighborhood reported 'um and had 'um
+run out."
+
+
+[EASTER]
+
+"Aunt Easter" is from Burke County. Her recollections are not quite so
+appalling as Matilda's, but they are not happy memories.
+
+"Dey didn' learn me nothin' but to churn and clean up house. 'Tend day
+boy, churn dat milk, spin and cyard dat roll."
+
+Asked if the slaves were required to go to Church, Easter shook her
+head.
+
+"Too tired. Sometime we even had to pull fodder on Sunday. Sometime we
+go to church, but all dey talk about wuz obeyin' Massa and obeyin'
+Missus. Befo' we went to church, we had to git up early and wash and
+iron our clo'es."
+
+Easter's brother was born the day Lee surrendered. "Dey name him
+Richmond," she said.
+
+
+[CARRIE]
+
+Carrie had plenty to eat in slavery days. "I'd be a heap better off if
+it was dem times now," she said, "My folks didn't mistreet de slaves.
+When freedom come, de niggers come 'long wid dere babies on dey backs
+and say I wuz free. I tell 'em I already free! Didn't mek no diffrunce
+to me, freedom!"
+
+
+[MALINDA]
+
+Malinda would gladly exchange all worldly possessions and freedom to
+have plantation days back again. She owns her home and has a garden of
+old-fashioned flowers, due to her magic "growing hand."
+
+"I belonged to a preacher in Ca'lina," said Malinda. "A Baptis'
+preacher. My fambly wasn't fiel' han's, dey wuz all house servants.
+Marster wouldn't sell none o' his slaves. When he wanted to buy one,
+he'd buy de whole fambly to keep fum having 'em separated."
+
+Malinda and her sister belonged to the young girls. "Whar'ever da young
+Mistises visited, we went right erlong. My own mammy tuk long trips wid
+ole Mistis to de Blue Ridge Mountings and sometimes over de big water."
+Malinda said the slaves danced to "quills," a home-made reed instrument.
+"My mammy wuz de bes' dancer on de planteshun," asserted the old woman.
+"She could dance so sturdy, she could balance a glass of water on her
+head and never spill a drap!"
+
+
+[AMELIA]
+
+Amelia, like many of the old slaves in Augusta to-day, came from South
+Carolina.
+
+"I put on a hoopskirt one time," she said. "I wanted to go to church wid
+a hoop on. I such a lil' gal, all de chillun laugh at me, playin' lady.
+I take it off and hide it in de wood."
+
+Amelia remembered her young mistresses with affection. "Dey wuz so good
+to me," she said, "dey like to dress me up! I was a lil' gal wid a tiny
+wais'. Dey put corsets on me and lace me up tight, and then dey take off
+all dey medallion and jewelry and hang 'em roun' my neck and put long
+sash on me. I look pretty to go to dance. When I git back, I so tired I
+thow myself on de bed and sleep wid dat tight corset on me!"
+
+
+
+FOUR SLAVES INTERVIEWED
+by
+MAUDE BARRAGAN, EDITH BELL LOVE, RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD
+
+
+
+ELLEN CAMPBELL, 1030 Brayton Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1846.
+
+
+Ellen Campbell lives in a little house in a garden behind a picket
+fence. Ellen is a sprightly, erect, black woman ninety years old. Beady
+little eyes sparkled behind her glasses as she talked to us. Her manner
+is alert, her mind is very keen and her memory of the old days very
+clear. Though the temperature was in the high nineties she wore two
+waists, and her clothes were clean and neatly patched. There was no
+headcloth covering the fuzzy grey wool that was braided into innumerable
+plaits.
+
+She invited us into her tiny cabin. The little porch had recently been
+repaired, while the many flowers about the yard and porch gave evidence
+of constant and loving care to this place which had been bought for her
+long ago by a grandson who drove a "hack." When she took us into the
+crowded, but clean room, she showed us proudly the portrait of this big
+grandson, now dead. All the walls were thickly covered with framed
+pictures of different members of her family, most of whom are now dead.
+In their midst was a large picture of Abraham Lincoln.
+
+"Dere's all my chillun. I had fo' daughter and three 'grands', but all
+gone now but one niece. I deeded de place to her. She live out north
+now, but she send back de money fer de taxes and insurance and to pay de
+firemens."
+
+Then she proudly pointed out a framed picture of herself when she was
+young.
+
+"Why Auntie, you were certainly nice looking then."
+
+Her chest expanded and her manner became more sprightly as she said, "I
+wus de pebble on de beach den!"
+
+"And I suppose you remember about slavery days?"
+
+"Yes ma'm, I'm ninety years old--I wus a grown 'oman when freedom come.
+I 'longed to Mr. William Eve. De plantachun was right back here--all dis
+land was fields den, slap down to Bolzes'."
+
+"So you remember a lot about those times?"
+
+She laughed delightedly. "Yas'm. I 'longed to Miss Eva Eve. My missus
+married Colonel Jones. He got a boy by her and de boy died."
+
+"You mean Colonel Jones, the one who wrote books?"
+
+"Yas'm. He a lawyer, too, down to de Cote House. My missus was Mrs.
+Carpenter's mother, but she didn't brought her here."
+
+"You mean she was her step-mother?"
+
+"Yas'm, dat it. I go to see dem folks on de hill sometime. Dey good to
+me, allus put somepen in mah hands."
+
+"What kind of work did you do on the plantation?"
+
+"When I wus 'bout ten years old dey started me totin' water--you know
+ca'in water to de hands in de field. 'Bout two years later I got my
+first field job, 'tending sheep. When I wus fifteen my old Missus gib me
+to Miss Eva--you know she de one marry Colonel Jones. My young missus
+wus fixin' to git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she
+brought me to town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house.
+De rent was paid to my missus. One day I wus takin' a tray from de
+out-door kitchen to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food
+spill all over de ground. De lady got so mad she picked up a butcher
+knife and chop me in de haid. I went runnin' till I come to de place
+where my white folks live. Miss Eva took me and wash de blood out mah
+head and put medicine on it, and she wrote a note to de lady and she
+say, 'Ellen is my slave, give to me by my mother. I wouldn't had dis
+happen to her no more dan to me. She won't come back dere no more.'"
+
+"Were you ever sold during slavery times, Aunt Ellen?"
+
+"No'm. I wa'nt sold, but I knows dem whut wus. Jedge Robinson he kept de
+nigger trade office over in Hamburg."
+
+"Oh yes, I remember the old brick building."
+
+"Yas'm, dat it. Well, all de colored people whut gonner be sold was kept
+dere. Den dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale.
+Anybody fixin' to buy 'em, 'zamines 'em to see if dey all right. Looks
+at de teef to tell 'bout de age."
+
+"And was your master good to you, Auntie?"
+
+"I'll say dis fer Mr. William Eve--he de bes' white man anywhere round
+here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves. My boss would feed 'em
+well. He wus killin' hogs stidy fum Jinury to March. He had two
+smoke-houses. Dere wus four cows. At night de folks on one side de row
+o' cabins go wid de piggins fer milk, and in de mawnin's dose on de
+odder side go fer de piggins o' milk."
+
+"And did you have plenty of other things to eat?"
+
+"Law, yas'm. Rations wus given out to de slaves; meal, meat and jugs o'
+syrup. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de
+gyrden patch, and chickens. Marster buy eggs and chickens fum us at
+market prices."
+
+"Did the overseers ever whip the slaves or treat them cruelly?"
+
+"Sometimes dey whup 'em--make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup 'em on de
+bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men dey call
+drivers. If dey didn't done right dey dus whup you and turn you loose."
+
+"Did the Eves have a house on the plantation, too?"
+
+"No'm, dey live in town, and he come back and fo'th every day. It warn't
+but three miles. De road run right fru de plantachun, and everybody
+drive fru it had to pay toll. Dat toll gate wus on de D'Laigle
+plantachun. Dey built a house fer Miss Kitty Bowles down by de double
+gate where dey had to pay de toll. Dat road where de Savannah Road is."
+
+When asked about war times on the plantation Ellen recalled that when
+the Northern troops were around Waynesboro orders were sent to all the
+masters of the nearby plantations to send ten of their best men to build
+breastworks to hold back the northern advance.
+
+"Do you remember anything about the good times or weddings on the
+plantation?"
+
+She laughed delightedly. "Yas'm. When anybody gwine be married dey tell
+de boss and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, atter dey be
+married, she put on de white dress she be married in and dey go up to
+town so de boss see de young couple."
+
+"Den sometimes on Sadday night we have a big frolic. De nigger frum
+Hammond's place and Phinizy place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle
+place all git togedder fer big dance and frolic. A lot o' de young white
+sports used to come dere and push de nigger bucks aside and dance wid de
+wenches."
+
+"What happened, Auntie, if a slave from one plantation wanted to marry a
+slave from another?"
+
+She laughed significantly. "Plenty. Old Mr. Miller had a man name Jolly
+and he wanner marry a woman off anudder plantachun, but Jolly's Marster
+wanna buy de woman to come to de plantachun. He say, 'Whut's fair fer de
+goose is fair fer de gander.' When dey couldn't come to no 'greement de
+man he run away to de woods. Den dey sot de bloodhounds on 'im. Dey let
+down de rail fence so de hounds could git fru. Dey sarch de woods and de
+swamps fer Jolly but dey neber find him.
+
+"De slaves dey know whar he is, and de woman she visit him. He had a den
+down dere and plenty o' grub dey take 'im, but de white folks neber find
+him. Five hundred dollars wus what Miller put out for whomsover git
+him."
+
+"And you say the woman went to visit him?"
+
+"Yes, Ma'm. De woman would go dere in de woods wid him. Finally one
+night when he was outer de swamp he had to lie hidin' in de ditch all
+night, cross from de nigger hospital. Den somebody crep' up and shot
+him, but he didn't die den. Dey cay'ed his [TR: sic] crost to de
+hospital and he die three days later."
+
+"What about church? Did you go to church in those days?"
+
+"Yas'm, we used to go to town. But de padderolas wus ridin' in dem days,
+and you couldn't go off de plantachun widout a pass. So my boss he build
+a brick church on de plantachuhn, and de D'Laigles build a church on
+dere's."
+
+"What happened if they caught you off without a pass?"
+
+"If you had no pass dey ca'y you to de Cote House, and your marster
+hadder come git you out."
+
+"Do you remember anything about the Yankees coming to this part of the
+country?"
+
+At this her manner became quite sprightly, as she replied, "Yas'm, I
+seen 'em comin' down de street. Every one had er canteen on he side, a
+blanket on his shoulder, caps cocked on one side de haid. De cavalry had
+boots on and spurros on de boots. First dey sot de niggers free on Dead
+River, den dey come on here to sot us free. Dey march straight up Broad
+Street to de Planters' Hotel, den dey camped on Dead River, den dey
+camped on de river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place
+free. When dey campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey
+clo'es fer a good price. Dey had hard tack to eat. Dey gib us de hard
+tack and tell us to soak it in Water, and fry it in de meat gravy. I
+ain't taste nothing so good since. Dey say, 'Dis hard tack whut we
+hadder lib on while we fightin' to sot you free."
+
+
+
+RACHEL SULLIVAN, 1327 Reynolds Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852.
+
+
+We found Rachel Sullivan sitting on the porch of a two room house on
+Reynolds Street. She is a large, fleshy woman. Her handmade yellow
+homespun was baggy and soiled, and her feet were bare, though her shoes
+were beside her rocker.
+
+We approached her cautiously. "Auntie, we heard you were one of the
+slaves who used to live on Governor Pickens' place over near Edgefield."
+
+"Yas'm, Yas'm. I shore wus. He gin us our chu'ch--de one over yonder on
+de Edgefield road. No'm you can't see it fum de road. You has to cross
+de creek. Old Marster had it pulled out de low ground under de brush
+arbor, and set it dere."
+
+"And what did you do on the plantation, Auntie?"
+
+"I wus a nu's gal, 'bout 'leben years old. I nu'sed my Auntie's chillun,
+while she nu'sed de lady's baby whut come from Russia wid de Marster's
+wife--nu'sed dat baby fum de breas's I mean. All de white ladies had wet
+nusses in dem days. Her master had just returned from Russia, where he
+had been ambassador. Her baby had the czarina for a godmother."
+
+"And so you used to look after you aunt's children?"
+
+"Yas'm. I used to play wid 'em in de big ground wid de monuments all
+around."
+
+"Miss Lucy Holcome was Governor Pickens' second wife, wasn't she?"
+
+"Musta wus, ma'm."
+
+"And were you born on the plantation at Edgefield?"
+
+"I wus born at Ninety-six. Log Creek place was Marster's second place.
+Oh, he had plantachuns everywhere, clear over to Alabama. He had
+overseers on all de places, ma'm."
+
+"Did the overseers whip you or were they good?"
+
+"Overseers wus good. Dey better been good to us, Marster wouldn't let
+'em been nothin' else. And Marster wus good. Lawdy, us had de bes'
+Marster in de world. It wus great times when he come to visit de
+plantachun. Oh Lord, when de Governor would come--dey brung in all de
+sarvants. Marster call us 'sarvants', not 'niggers.' He say 'niggers wuk
+down in de lagoons.' So when de Governor come dey brung in all de
+sarvants, and all de little chillun, line 'em's up whar Marster's
+cai'age gwine pass. And Marster stop dere in de lane and 'zamine us all
+to see is us all right. He de bes' Marster in de world. I love his
+grave!"
+
+"Den he'd talk to de overseer. Dere was Emmanuel and Mr. DeLoach. He gib
+'em a charge. Dey couldn't whup us or treat us mean."
+
+"How many slaves did your Master have, Auntie?"
+
+"Oh, I don't know 'xactly--over a thousand in all I reckon. He had
+plantachuns clear over to Alabama. Marster wus a world manager! Lordy, I
+luv my Marster. Dere wus 'bout seventy plower hands, and 'bout a hunnard
+hoe hands."
+
+"Did your master ever sell any of the slaves off his plantation?"
+
+"No'm--not 'less dey did wrong. Three of 'em had chillun by de overseer,
+Mr. Whitefield, and Marster put 'em on de block. No ma'm he wouldn't
+tolerate dat. He say you keep de race pure. Lawdy, he made us lib right
+in dem time."
+
+"And what did he do to the overseer?"
+
+"He sont him off--he sont him down to de low place."
+
+"I guess you had plenty to eat in those good old days?"
+
+"Oh, yes ma'm--dey's kill a hunnard hogs."
+
+"And what kind of houses did you have?"
+
+"Des like dis street--two rows facin' each odder, only dey wus log
+houses."
+
+"Did they have only one room?"
+
+"Yas'm. But sometimes dey drap a shed room down if dere wus heap o'
+chullun.'
+
+"Did you have a good time at Christmas?"
+
+"Oh yas'm. No matter where Marster wus--crost de water er ennywhere he
+send us a barrel o' apples, and chestnuts--dey had chestnuts in dem
+days--and boxes o' candy. He sont 'em to 'Manuel and Mr. DeLoach to gib
+out."
+
+"So your master would sometimes be across the water?"
+
+"Lawdy, yas'm, he be dere somewhere in de back part o' de world. You see
+he wus gov'nur. He knowed all de big people--Mr. Ben Tillman and all--he
+was senetra."
+
+"Auntie do you remember seeing any of the soldiers during the war?"
+
+"Does I? Law honey! Dey come dere to de plantachun 'bout ten o'clock
+after dey surrender. Oh and dey wus awful, some of 'em wid legs off or
+arms off. De niggers took all de mules and put 'em down in de sand
+field. Den dey took all de wimmens and put 'em in de chillun's house.
+And dey lef' a guard dere to stand over 'em, and tell him not to git off
+de foot. You know dey didn't want put no temptation in de way o' dem
+soldiers."
+
+"What kind of work did some of the slave women do?"
+
+"Everything. I had a one-legged auntie--she was de seamster. She sew fum
+one year end to de odder. Anodder auntie wus a loomer."
+
+"And where did you go to church?"
+
+"We went to de Salem Chu'ch. Yas'm we all go to chu'ch. Marster want us
+to go to chu'ch. We sit on one side--so--and dey sit over dere. Dey wus
+Methodis'. My mother was Methodis', but dey gib her her letter when
+freedom come."
+
+"How about dances, Auntie? Did they have dances and frolics?"
+
+"Yassum, on Sadday night. But boys had to git a pass when dey go out or
+de Padderola git 'em."
+
+"So you had a happy time in those days, eh?"
+
+"Lawdy, yas'm. If de world would done now like dey did den de world
+wouldn't be in such a mess. I gwine on eighty-five, but I wish de young
+ones wus raise now like I was raise. Marster taught us to do right."
+
+"How many children have you?"
+
+"I had 'leben--seben livin now." Then she laughed. "But I wus ole maid
+when I git married."
+
+"I wus twenty years old! In dem days all dey hadder do to git married
+wus step over de broom."
+
+"Step over the broom. Didn't your master have the preacher come and
+marry you?"
+
+"Lawdy, no'm. De broom wus de law!" Then she laughed. "Jus' say you
+wanner be married and de couple git together 'fore witnesses and step
+ober de broom."
+
+"Do you remember when freedom came?"
+
+"Lawdy yas'm. Mr. DeLoach come riding up to de plantachun in one o' dem
+low-bellied ca'yages. He call to Jo and James--dem de boys what stay
+round de house to bring wood and rake de grass and sich--he sont Jo and
+Jim down to all de fields to tell all de hands to come up. Dey unhitch
+de mules fum de plows and come wid de chains rattlin', and de cotton
+hoers put dey hoes on dey shoulders--wid de blades shinin' in de sun,
+and all come hurrying to hear what Mr. DeLoach want wid'em. Den he read
+de freedom warrant to 'em. One man so upset he start runnin' and run
+clear down to de riber and jump in."
+
+
+
+
+EUGENE WESLEY SMITH, 1105 Robert Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852
+
+
+Eugene is 84 years old. He has thin features, trembling lips and a
+sparse beard. His skin is a deep brown, lined and veined. His legs
+showing over white socks are scaly. His hands are palsied, but his mind
+is intelligent. He shows evidences of association with white people in
+his manner of speech, which at times is in the manner of white persons,
+again reverting to dialect.
+
+Eugene stated that his father was a slave who belonged to Steadman Clark
+of Augusta, and acted as porter in Mr. Clark's jewelry store on Broad
+Street. His grandmother came from Pennsylvania with her white owners. In
+accordance with the laws of the state they had left, she was freed when
+she came of age, and married a man named Smith. Her name was Louisa.
+Eugene's "Arnt" married a slave. As his mother was free, her children
+were free, but Eugene added:
+
+"She had put a Guardian over us, and Captain Crump was our guardian.
+Guardians protected the Negro children who belonged to them."
+
+To illustrate that children were considered the property of the mothers'
+owners, he added that his uncle went to Columbia County and married a
+slave, and that all of her children belonged to her master.
+
+Mr. Clark, who owned Eugene's father, paid him 50¢ a week, and was angry
+when Louisa refused to allow her children to work for him.
+
+"He was good in a way," admitted Eugene, "Some masters were cruel to the
+colored people, but a heap of white people won't believe it.
+
+"I was too little to do any work before freedom. I just stayed with my
+mother, and ran around. She did washing for white folks. We lived in a
+rented house. My father's master, Mr. Clark, let him come to see us
+sometimes at night. Free colored folks had to pay taxes. Mother had to
+pay taxes. Then when they came of age, they had to pay taxes again. Even
+in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to house. They had
+frolics. Sometimes the white people came and looked at 'em having a good
+time. You couldn't go out at night in Augusta after 9 o'clock. They had
+a bell at the old market down yonder, and it would strike every hour and
+every half hour. There was an uptown market, too, at Broad and McKinne."
+
+Asked about school, Eugene said:
+
+"Going to school wasn't allowed, but still some people would slip their
+children to school. There was an old Methodist preacher, a Negro named
+Ned Purdee, he had a school for boys and girls going on in his back
+yard. They caught him and put him in jail. He was to be put in stocks
+and get so many lashes every day for a month. I heard him tell many
+times how the man said: 'Ned, I won't whip you. I'll whip on the stock,
+and you holler.' So Ned would holler out loud, as if they were whipping
+him. They put his feet and hands in the holes, and he was supposed to be
+whipped across his back."
+
+"I read in the paper where a lady said slaves were never sold here in
+Augusta at the old market, but I saw them selling slaves myself. They
+put them up on something like a table, bid 'em off just like you would
+horses or cows. Dey was two men. I kin rekellect. I know one was called
+Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculating. The other was named
+Wilson. They would sell your mother from the children. That was the
+reason so many colored people married their sisters and brothers, not
+knowing until they got to talking about it. One would say, 'I remember
+my grandmother,' and another would say, "that's _my_ grandmother," then
+they'd find out they were sister and brother.
+
+"Speculators used to steal children," said Eugene. "I saw the wagons.
+They were just like the wagons that came from North Carolina with apples
+in. Dey had big covers on them. The speculators had plantations where
+they kept the children until they were big enough to sell, and they had
+an old woman there to tend to those children."
+
+"I was a butler." (A dreamy look came into Eugene's old eyes.) "So I
+were young. I saw a girl and fell in love with her, and asked her to
+marry me. 'Yes,' she said, 'when I get grown!' I said, 'I am not quite
+grown myself.' I was sixteen years old. When I was twenty-one years old
+I married her in my father's house. My mother and father were dead then.
+I had two sisters left, but my brothers were dead too."
+
+"I quit butling when I got married. They was enlarging the canal here.
+It was just wide enough for the big flats to go up with cotton. They
+widened it, and I went to work on dat, for $1.25 a day. They got in some
+Chinese when it was near finished, but they wasn't any good. The
+Irishmen wouldn't work with niggers, because they said they could make
+the job last eight years--the niggers worked too fast. They accomplished
+it in about four years.
+
+"After working on the canal, I left there and helped dig the foundations
+of Sibley Mill. The raceway, the water that run from canal to river, I
+helped dig that. Then after that, I went to Mr. Berckmans and worked for
+him for fifty years. All my children were raised on his place. That's
+how come my boy do garden work now. I worked for 50¢ a day, but he give
+me a house on the place. He 'lowed me to have chickens, a little fence,
+and a garden. He was very good to us. That was Mr. P.J. Berckmans. I
+potted plants all day long. I used to work at night. I wouldn't draw no
+money, just let them keep it for me. After they found out I could read
+and write and was an honest fellow, they let me take my work home, and
+my children helped me make the apple grass and plum grass, and mulberry
+grass. A man come and told me he would give me $60 a month if I would go
+with him, but I didn't I couldn't see hardly at all then--I was wearing
+glasses. Now, in my 84th year, I can read the newspaper, Bible and
+everything without glasses. My wife died two years ago." (Tears came
+into Eugene's eyes, and his face broke up) "We lived together 62 years!"
+
+Asked if his wife had been a slave, Eugene answered that she was but a
+painful effort of memory did not reveal her owner's name.
+
+"I do remember she told me she had a hard time," he went on slowly. "Her
+master and misses called themselves 'religious people' but they were not
+good to her. They took her about in the barouche when they were
+visiting. She had to mind the children. They had a little seat on the
+back, and they'd tie her up there to keep her from falling off. Once
+when they got to a big gate, they told her to get down and open it for
+the driver to go through, not knowing the hinges was broken. That big
+gate fell on her back and she was down for I don't know how long. Before
+she died, she complained of a pain in her back, and the doctor said it
+must have been from a lick when she was a child.
+
+"During the war there were some Southern soldiers went through. I and
+two friends of mine were together. Those soldiers caught us and made us
+put our hands down at our knees, and tied 'em, and run the stick through
+underneath.
+
+"It was wintertime. They had a big fire. They pushed us nearer and nearer
+the fire, until we hollered. It was just devilment. They was having fun
+with us, kept us tied up about a half hour. There was a mulatto boy with
+us, but they thought he was white, and didn't bother him. One time they
+caught us and throwed us up in blankets, way up, too--I was about 11
+years old then."
+
+Asked about church, Eugene said:
+
+"We went to bush meetings up on the Sand Hill out in the woods. They
+didn't have a church then."
+
+Eugene's recollections were vivid as to the ending of the war:
+
+"The Northern soldiers come to town playing Yankee Doodle. When freedom
+come, they called all the white people to the courthouse first, and told
+them the darkies was free. Then on a certain day they called all the
+colored people down to the parade ground. They had built a big stand,
+and the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up and spoke,
+and told the Negroes:
+
+"You are free now. Don't steal. Now work and make a living. Do honest
+work, make an honest living to support yourself and children. No more
+masters. You are free."
+
+Eugene said when the colored troops come in, they sang:
+
+ "Don't you see the lightning?
+ Don't you hear the thunder?
+ It isn't the lightning,
+ It isn't the thunder,
+ But its the button on
+ The Negro uniforms!
+
+"The slaves that was freed, and the country Negroes that had been run
+off, or had run away from the plantations, was staying in Augusta in
+Guv'ment houses, great big ole barns. They would all get free provisions
+from the Freedmen's Bureau, but people like us, Augusta citizens, didn't
+get free provisions, we had to work. It spoiled some of them. When the
+small pox come, they died like hogs, all over Broad Street and
+everywhere."
+
+
+
+
+WILLIS BENNEFIELD, HEPHZIBAH, GA., Born 1835.
+
+[TR: "Uncle Willis" in individual interviews.]
+
+
+"Uncle Willis" lives with his daughter Rena Berrian, who is 74 years
+old. "I his baby," said Rena, "all dead but me, and I ain't no good for
+him now 'cause I can't tote nothin'."
+
+When asked where Uncle Willis was, Rena looked out over the blazing
+cotton field and called:
+
+"Pap! Oh--pappy! Stop pickin' cotton and come in awhile. Dey's some
+ladies wants to see you."
+
+Uncle Willis hobbled slowly to the cabin, set in the middle of the
+cotton patch. He wore clean blue overalls, obviously new. His small,
+regular features had high cheekbones. There was a tuft of curly white
+hair on his chin, and his head was covered with a "sundown" hat.
+
+"Mawnin," he said, "I bin sick. So I thought I might git some cotton
+terday."
+
+Willis thinks he is 101 years old. He said, "I was 35 years old when
+freedom delcared." He belonged to Dr. Balding Miller, who lived on Rock
+Creek plantation. Dr. Miller had three or four plantations, Willis said
+at first, but later stated that the good doctor had five or six places,
+all in Burke County.
+
+"I wuk in de fiel'," he went on, "and I drove de doctor thirty years. He
+owned 300 slaves. I never went to school a day in my life, 'cept Sunday
+school, but I tuk de doctor's sons fo' miles ev'y day to school. Guess
+he had so much business in hand he thought the chillun could walk. I
+used to sit down on de school steps 'till dey turn out. I got way up in
+de alphabet by listenin', but when I went to courtin' I forgot all dat."
+
+Asked what his regular duties were, Willis answered with pride:
+
+"Marster had a cay'age and a buggy too. My father driv' de cay'age and I
+driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixing to go to bed, and had to hitch up
+my horse and go five or six miles. I had a regular saddle horse, two
+pairs for cay'age. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County.
+He made his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to
+Bath, wheh he had a house on Tena Hill. We driv' down in de cay'age.
+Sundays we went to church when Dr. Goulding preach. De darkies went in
+de side do'. I hear him preach many times."
+
+Asked about living conditions on Rock Creek plantation, Willis replied:
+
+"De big house was set in ahalf acre yard. 'Bout fifty yards on one side
+was my house, and fifty yards on de udder side was de house of granny, a
+woman that tended de chillun and had charge of de yard when we went to
+Bath," Willis gestured behind him, "and back yonder was de quarters, a
+half mile long; dey wuz one room 'crost, and some had shed room. When
+any of 'em got sick, Marster would go round to see 'em all."
+
+Asked about church and Bible study, Willis said:
+
+"I belongst to Hopeful Church. Church people would have singin' and
+prayin', and de wicked would have dancin' and singin'. At dat time I was
+a regular dancer" Willis chuckled. "I cut de pigeon wing high enough!
+Not many cullud people know de Bible in slavery time. We had dances, and
+prayers and sing too," he went on, "and we sang a song, 'On Jordan's
+stormy banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye.'"
+
+"How about marriages?" he was asked.
+
+"Colored preacher marry 'em. You had to get license and give it to the
+preacher, and he marry 'em. Then de men on our plantation had wives on
+udder plantations, dey call 'em broad wives."
+
+"Did you give your wife presents when you were courting?" he was asked.
+
+"I went to courtin' and never give her nuthin' till I marry her."
+
+As to punishment, Willis said that slaves were whipped as they needed
+it, and as a general rule the overseer did the whipping.
+
+"When darky wouldn't take whippin' from de overseer," he said, he had to
+cay'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin' de marster brush
+'em. Why, de darkies would whip de overseer!"
+
+Willis was asked to describe how slaves earned money for personal use,
+and replied:
+
+"Dey made dey own money. In slavery time, if you wanted four or five
+acres of land to plant anything on, marster give it to you, and whatever
+dat land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it
+any you wanted to. Still he give you somethin' to eat and clothe you,
+but dat patch you mek cotton on, sometimes a whole bale, dat money
+yours."
+
+Willis thought the plantation house was still there, "but it badly
+wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobody living in it now. It
+seven miles from Waynesboro, south."
+
+"When de soldiers come thoo'," continued Willis, "dey didn't burn dat
+place, but dey went in dere and took out ev'thing dey want, and give it
+to de cullud people. Dey kep' it till dey got free. De soldiers tuk Dr.
+Millers horses and carry 'em off. Got in de crib and tuk de corn. Got in
+de smoke'ouse and tuk de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver
+in a iron chist. Dey tuk it 300 yards away to a clump of trees and bury
+it. It tuk fo' men to ca'y it. Dere was money without mention in dat
+chist! After de soldiers pass thoo, de went down and got it back."
+
+"What did you do after freedom was declared?"
+
+Willis straightened up.
+
+"I went down to Augusta to de Freedmen's Bureau to see if twas true we
+wuz free. I reckon dere was, over a hundred people dere. The man got up
+and stated to de people, "you is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got no
+mistis and no marster. Work wheh you want." On Sunday morning old
+Marster sent de house girl and tell us to all come to de house. He said:
+
+"What I want to send for you all, is to tell you you are free. You hab
+de privilege to go anywhere you want, but I don't want none of you to
+leave me now. I wants you-all to stay right wid me. If you stay, you you
+mus' sign to it' I asked him: "What you want me to sign for?, I is
+free." 'Dat will hold me to my word, and hold you to yo' word,' he say.
+All my folks sign it, but I wouldn't sign. Marster call me up and say:
+'Willis, why wouldn't you sign?' I say: 'If I already is free, I don't
+need to sign no paper. If I was working for you, and doing for you befo'
+I got free, I can do it still, if you want me to stay wid yo'.' My
+father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My
+mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I said:
+'Den I kin go somewhere else.' Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a
+month, other hands $10.00, and den on down to five and six dollars. He
+give rations like dey always. When Christmas come, all come up to be
+paid off. Den he call me. Ask whar is me? I wus standin' roun' de corner
+of de house. 'Come up here,' he say, 'you didn't sign dat paper, but I
+reckon I have to pay you too.' He paid me and my wife $180.000. I said:
+'Well, you-all thought he wouldn't pay me, but I got my money too.' I
+stayed to my marster's place one year after de war den I lef'dere. Nex'
+year I decided I wuld quit dere and go somewhere else. It was on account
+of my wife. You see, Marster bought her off, as de highes', and she
+hadn't seen her mother and father in Waynesboro for 15 years.
+
+When she got free, she went down to see 'em. Waren't willin' to come
+back. T'was on account Mistis and her. Dey bofe had chilluns, five-six
+years old. De chillun had disagreement. Mistis slap my girl. My wife
+sass de Mistis. But my marster, he was as good a man as ever born. I
+wouldn't have lef' him for anybody, just on account of his wife and her
+fell out."
+
+"What did your marster say when you told him you were going to leave?
+Was he sorry?"
+
+"I quit and goes over three miles to another widow lady house, and mek
+bargain wid her," said Willis. "I pass right by de do'. Old boss sitting
+on de pi-za. He say: 'Hey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say; 'I 'cided to
+go.' I was de fo'man of de plow-han' den. I saw to all de locking up,
+and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He come out to de gate. 'I
+tell you what I give you to stay on here, I give you five acre of as
+good land as I got, and $30.00 a month, to stay here and see to my
+bizness.'"
+
+Willis paused a moment, thinking back on that long distant parting.
+
+"I say," he went on, "I can't, Marster. It don't suit my wife 'round
+here, and she won't come back, and I can't stay.' He turn on me den, and
+busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise up a darky that would
+talk thataway,' he said to me. Well, I went on off. I got de wagon and
+come by de house. Marster says: 'Now you gwone off, but don't forget me,
+boy. Remember me as you always done.' I said: 'All right.'"
+
+Willis chewed his tobacco reflectively for a few minutes, spat into the
+rosemary bush, and resumed his story:
+
+"I went over to dat widow lady's house and work. Along about May I got
+sick. She say: 'I going to send for de doctor.' I said: 'Please ma'am,
+don't do dat.' I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him. She say:
+'Well, I gwine send fo' him.' I in desprut condition. When I know
+anything, he walk up in de do'. I was laying wid my face toward de do'
+and I turn over.
+
+"Doctor come up to de bed. 'Boy, how you getting on?' 'I bad off,' I
+say. He say: 'I see you is. 'yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, what you think of
+him?' 'Mistis, it mos' too late,' he say, 'but I do all I kin.' She say:
+'Please do all yo' kin, he 'bout de bes' han' I got.'
+
+"Doctor fix up med'cine and tole her to give it to me. She say: 'Uncle
+Will, tek dis med'cine.' I 'fraid to tek it, 'fraid he wuz tryin' to
+kill me. Den two men, John and Charles, come in. Lady say: 'Get dis
+med'cine in Uncle Will.' One of de men hold my hand, one hold my head,
+and dey gagged me and put it in me. Nex few days I kin talk, and ax for
+somethin' to eat, so I git better. I say: 'Well, he didn't kill me when
+I tuk de Med'cine.'
+
+"I stayed dere wid her. Nex' yar I move right back in two miles other
+side wheh I always live, wid anudder lady. I stay dere three years. Got
+along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef' dere wid $300.00 and
+plenty corn and hog. Everything I want, and three hundred dollars cash
+in my pocket!"
+
+(It was plain that in his present status of relief ward, Uncle Willis
+looked back on that sum of money as a small fortune. He thought about it
+awhile, spat again, and went on:)
+
+"Fourth year I lef' and went down to de John Fryer place on Rock Creek.
+I stayed dere 33 years in dat one place."
+
+"Uncle Willis, did you ever see the doctor again?"
+
+"He die 'fore I know it," he replied, "I was 'bout fifteen miles from
+him and be de time I hear of his death, he bury on plantation near Rock
+Creek."
+
+Willis was asked about superstitions, and answered with great
+seriousness:
+
+"Eberybody in de worl' have got a spirit what follow 'em roun' and dey
+kin see diffrunt things. In my sleep I hab vision."
+
+"Pappy, tell de ladies 'bout de hant," urged Aunt Rena from her post in
+the doorway, and Willis took up the story with eagerness:
+
+"One night I was gwine to a lady's store, riding a horse. De graveyard
+was 100 yards from de road I wuz passing. De moon was shining bright as
+day. I saw somethin' coming out of dat graveyard. It come across de
+road, right befo' me. His tail were dragging on de ground, a long tail.
+He had hair on both sides of him, laying down on de road. He crep' up. I
+pull de horse dis way, he move too. I pull him dat way, he move too. I
+yell out: 'What in de name o' God is dat?' And it turn right straight
+'round de graveyard and went back. I went on to de lady's store, and
+done my shoppin'. I tell you I was skeered, 'cause I was sho' I would
+see it going back, but I never saw it. De horse was turrible skeered of
+it. It looked like a Maryno sheep, and it had a long, swishy tail."
+
+Uncle Willis was asked if he had ever seen a person "conjured" and he
+answered:
+
+"Dey is people in de worl' got sense to kill out de conjur in anybody,
+but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say if a person conjur you,
+you'll git somethin' in you dat would kill you."
+
+Asked to what he attributed his long, healthy life, he raised his head
+with a preaching look and replied:
+
+"I tell you, Missis, 'zactly what I believe. I bin tryin' to serve God
+ever since I come to be a man of family. I bin trying to serve de Lawd
+79 years, and I live by precepts of de word. Until today nobuddy can
+turn me away from God business. I am a man studying my gospel. I ain't
+able to go to church, but I still keep serving God."
+
+A week later Uncle Willis was found standing in the cabin door.
+
+"Do you want to ride to the old plantation to-day?" he was asked. His
+vitality was almost too low form to grasp the invitation.
+
+"I'se might weak today," he said in a feeble voice. "I don't feel good
+for much."
+
+"Where is Aunt Rena?" he was asked. "Do you think she would mind your
+taking an automobile trip?"
+
+"She gone to town on de bus, to see de Fambly Welfare."
+
+"Have you had breakfast?" His weak appearance indicated lack of food.
+
+"I had some coffee, but I ain't eat 'none."
+
+"Well, come on, Uncle Willis. We'll get you some breakfast, and then
+we'll take you to the plantation and take your picture in the place
+where you were born 101 years ago."
+
+Uncle Willis appeared to be somewhat in a daze as he padlocked the cabin
+door, put on his "sundown" hat, took up his stout stick and tottered
+down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater, with several layers of shirts
+showing at the cuffs. On the way he recalled the first railroad train
+that passed through Burke County.
+
+"I kinder scared," he recollected, "we wuz all 'mazed to see dat train
+flyin' long 'thout any horses. De people wuz all afraid."
+
+"Had you hear of airplanes before you saw one, Uncle Willis?"
+
+"Yes, ma'am. I yeared o' them, but you couldn't gimme dis car full of
+money to fly, they's too high off de ground. I never is gwine in one."
+
+Uncle Willis was deposited on the porch of one of the remaining slave
+cabins to eat his "brekkus," while his kidnappers sought over hill and
+field for "the big house," but only two cabins and the chimney
+foundation of a large burned dwelling rewarded the search.
+
+He was posed in front of the cabin, just in front of the clay and brick
+end chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony, rearing his head
+up straight so that his white beard stuck out.
+
+The brutal reality of finding the glories of Rock Creek plantation
+forever vanished must have been a severe blow for the old man, for
+several times on the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again
+at his cabin in the cotton field, his vitality reasserted itself, and he
+greeted his curious dusky neighbors with the proud statement:
+
+"Dey tuk me wheh I was bred and born. I don't ax no better time."
+
+His farewell words were:
+
+"Goo'bye. I hopes you all gits to Paradise."
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE
+
+Interviews obtained from:
+MRS. EMMALINE HEARD, 239 Cain St. NE
+MRS. ROSA MILLEGAN, 231 Chestnut Ave. NE
+MR. JASPER MILLEGAN, 231 Chestnut Ave. NE
+Atlanta, Ga.
+[Date Stamp: MAY 12 1937]
+
+
+[MRS. EMMALINE HEARD]
+
+Mrs. Emmaline Heard, who resides at 239 Cain St. NE has proved to be a
+regular storehouse for conjure and ghost stories. Not only this but she
+is a firm believer in the practice of conjure. To back up her belief in
+conjure is her appearance. She is a dark brown-skinned woman of medium
+height and always wears a dirty towel on her head. The towel which was
+at one time white gives her the weird look of an old-time fortune
+teller.
+
+Tuesday, December 8, 1936 a visit was made to her home and the following
+information was secured:
+
+"There wuz onct a house in McDonough and it wuz owned by the Smiths that
+wuz slave owners way back yonder. Now, this is the trufe cause it wuz
+told ter me by old Uncle Joe Turner and he 'spirience it. Nobody could
+live in this house I don't care how they tried. Dey say this house wuz
+hanted and anybody that tried to stay there wuz pulled out of bed by a
+hant. Well, sir, they offered the house and $1,000 to anyone who could
+stay there over night. Uncle Joe said he decided to try it so sho nuff
+he got ready one night and went ter this house to stay. After while,
+says he, something come in the room and started over ter the bed, but
+fore it got there, he said, "What in the name of the Lord you want with
+me." It said, 'follow me. There is a pot of gold buried near the
+chimney; go find it and you won't be worried with me no more.' Der next
+morning Uncle Joe went out there and begin ter dig and sho nuff he found
+the gold; and sides that he got the house. Dis here is the trufe. Uncle
+Joe's house is right there in McDonough now and anybody round there will
+tell you the same thing cause he wuz well-known. Uncle Joe is dead now.
+
+"Anudder story that happened during slavery time and wuz told ter me by
+father wuz this; The master had a old man on his plantation named
+Jimson. Well, Jimson's wife wuz sick and had been fer nearly a year. One
+day there she wanted some peas, black eyed peas; but old man Harper
+didn't have none on his plantation, so Jimson planned ter steal off that
+night and go ter old Marse Daniel's farm, which wuz 4 miles from Marse
+Harper's farm, and steal a few peas for his wife. Well, between midnight
+and day he got a sack and started off down the road. Long after while a
+owl started hootin, sho-o-o are-e-e, who-o-o-o-, and it wounded jest lak
+someone saying 'who are you.' Jimson got scared, pulled off his cap and
+run all the way to old man Daniel's farm. As he run he wuz saying, "Sir,
+dis is me, old Jimson" over and over again. Now, when he got near the
+farm Old Daniel heard him and got up in the loft ter watch him. Finally
+old Jimson got dar and started creeping up in the loft. When he got up
+dar, chile, Marse Daniel grabbed his whip and 'most beat Jimson ter
+death.
+
+"This here story happened in Mississippi years ago, but den folks that
+tell it ter me said it wuz the trufe. 'There wuz a woman that wuz sick;
+her name wuz Mary Jones. Well, she lingered and lingered till she
+finally died. In them days folks all around would come ter the settin-up
+if somebody wuz dead. They done sent some men after the casket. Since
+they had ter go 30 miles they wuz a good while getting back, so the
+folkses decided ter sing. After while they heard the men come up on the
+porch and somebody got up ter let 'em in. Chile, jest as they opened the
+door that 'oman set straight up on that bed; and sech another runnin and
+getting out of that house you never heard; but some folks realized she
+wuzn't dead so they got the casket out der way so she wouldn't see it,
+cause they wuz fraid she would pass out sho nuff; jest the same they wuz
+fraid of her, too. The man went off and come back with postols, guns,
+sticks, and everything; and when this 'oman saw 'em she said, 'don't
+run, I won't bother you.' but, chile, they left there in a big hurry,
+too. Well, this here Mary went to her sister's house and knocked on the
+door, and said: 'Let me in. This is Mary. I want to talk to you and tell
+you where I've been.' The sister's husband opened the door and let her
+in. This 'oman told 'em that God had brought her to and that she had
+been in a trance with the Lord. After that every one wuz always afraid
+of that 'oman and they wouldn't even sit next ter her in the church.
+They say she is still living.
+
+"This happened right yonder in McDonough years ago. A gal went to a party
+with her sweet'art and her ma told her not ter go. Well, she went on
+anyhow in a buggy; when they got ter the railroad crossing a train hit
+the buggy and killed the gal, but the boy didn't git hurted at all.
+Well, while they wuz sittin up with this dead gal, the boy comes long
+there in his buggy with anudder gal, and do you know that horse stopped
+right in front uv that house and wouldn't budge one inch. No matter how
+hard he whip that horse it wouldn't move; instid he rared and kicked and
+jumped about and almost turned the buggy over. The gal in the buggy
+fainted. Finally a old slavery time man come along and told him to git a
+quart of whiskey and pour it around the buggy and the hant would go
+away. So they done that and the sperit let 'em pass. If a hant laked
+whisky in they lifetime, and you pour it round where they's at, they
+will go away."
+
+The following are true conjure stories supposedly witnessed by Mrs.
+Heard: "There wuz a Rev. Dennis that lived below the Federal Prison.
+Now, he wuz the preacher of the Hardshell Baptist Church in this
+community. This man stayed sick about a year and kept gittin different
+doctors and none uv them did him any good. Well, his wife kept on at him
+till he decided ter go ter see Dr. Geech. His complaint wuz that he felt
+something run up his legs ter his thighs. Old Dr. Geech told him that he
+had snakes in his body and they wuz put there by the lady he had been
+going wid. Dr. Geech give him some medicine ter take and told him that
+on the 7th day from then that 'oman would come and take the medicine off
+the shelf and throw it away. Course Rev. Dennis didn't believe a thing
+he said, so sho nuff she come jest lak Dr. Geech said and took the
+medicine away. Dr. Geech told him that he would die when the snakes got
+up in his arm, but if he would do lak he told him he would get all
+right. Dis 'oman had put this stuff in some whiskey and he drunk it so
+the snakes breed in his body. After he quit taking the medicine he got
+bad off and had ter stay in the bed; sho nuff the morning he died you
+could see the snake in his arm; the print uv it wuz there when he died.
+The snake stretched out in his arm and died, too.
+
+"I got a son named Jack Heard. Well, somebody fixed him. I wuz in
+Chicago when that happened and my daughter kept writing ter me ter come
+home cause Jack wuz acting funny and she thought maybe he wuz losing his
+mind. They wuz living in Thomasville then and every day he would go sit
+round the store and laugh and talk, but jest as soon as night would come
+and he would eat his supper them fits would come on him. He would squeal
+jest lak a pig and he would get down on his knees and bark jest lak a
+dog. Well, I come home and went ter see a old conjure doctor. He says
+ter me, 'that boy is hurt and when you go home you look in the corner of
+the mattress and you will find it. 'Sho nuff I went home and looked in
+the corner of the mattress and there the package wuz. It wuz a mixture
+of his hair and bluestone wrapped up in red flannel with new needles
+running all through it. When I went back he says ter me, 'Emmaline, have
+you got 8 dimes?' No, I said, but I got a dollar. 'Well, get that dollar
+changed into 10 dimes and take 8 of 'em and give 'em ter me. Then he
+took Jack in a room, took off his clothes and started ter rubbin him
+down with medicine; all at the same time he wuz saying a ceremony over
+him; then he took them 8 dimes, put 'em in a bag and tied them around
+Jack's chest somewhere so that they would hang over his heart. 'Now,
+wear them always,' says he ter Jack. Jack wore them dimes a long time
+but he finally drunk 'em up anyway, that doctor cured him cause he sho
+would a died."
+
+The following aroma [HW: is a] few facts as related by Mrs. Heard
+concerning an old conjure doctor known as Aunt Barkas [TR: Darkas
+throughout rest of story].
+
+
+"Aunt Darkas lived in McDonough, Ga. until a few years ago. She died
+when she wuz 128 years old; but, chile, lemme tell you that 'oman knowed
+just what ter do fer you. She wuz blind but she could go ter the woods
+and pick out any kind of root or herb she wanted. She always said the
+Lord told her what roots to get and always fore sun-up you would see her
+in the woods with a short handled pick. She said she had ter pick 'em
+for sun-up; I don't know why. If you wuz sick all you had ter do wuz go
+ter see Aunt Darkas and tell her. She had a well and after listening to
+your complaint she would go out there and draw a bucket of water and set
+it on the floor, and then she would wave her hand over it and say
+something. She called this healing the water. After this she would give
+you a drink of water. As she hand it ter you, she would say, 'now drink,
+take this and drink.' Honey, I had some of that water myself and blieve
+me it goes all over you and makes you feel so good. Old Aunt Darkas
+would give you a supply of water and tell you ter come back fer more
+when that wuz gone. Old Aunt Darkas said the Lord gave her power and
+vision, and she used to fast for a week at a time. When she died there
+wuz a piece in the paper bout her.
+
+"This here is sho the trufe, and if you don't believe it, go out ter
+Southview Cemetery and see Sid Heard, my oldest son; he been out there
+over 20 years as sexton and bookkeeper. Yessir, he tole it ter me and I
+believe it. This happen long ago, 10 or 15 years. There wuz a couple
+that lived in Macon, Ga., but their home wuz in Atlanta and they had a
+lot out ter Southview. Well, they had a young baby that tuck sick and
+died so they had the baby's funeral there in Macon; then they put the
+coffin in the box, placed the label on the box, then brought it ter
+Atlanta. Folkes are always buried so that they head faces the east. They
+say when Judgment Day come and Gabriel blow that trumpet everybody will
+rise up facing the east. Well, as I wuz saying, they came here. Sid
+Heard met 'em out yonder and instructed his men fer arrangements fer the
+grave and everything. A few weeks later the 'oman called Sid Heard up
+long distance. She said, 'Mr. Heard.' Yesmam, he said. 'I call you ter
+tell you me and my husband can't rest at all.' 'Why?' he asked. 'Because
+we can hear our baby crying every night and it is worrying us ter death.
+Our neighbors next door say our baby must be buried wrong.' Sid Heard
+said, Well, I buried the baby according ter the way you got the box
+labeled. 'I am not blaming you, Mr. Heard, but if I pay you will you
+take my baby up?' Yesmam, I will if you want me to; jest let me know the
+day you will be here and I'll have everything ready. Alright, said she.
+
+'Well,' said Sid Heard, 'the day she wuz ter come she wuz sick and
+instead sent a car load of her friends. The men got busy and started
+digging till they got ter the box; when they took it up sho nuff after
+they opened it, they found the baby had been buried wrong; the head was
+facing the west instead of the east. They turned the box around and
+covered it up. The folks then went on back to Macon. A week later the
+'omen called up again. 'Mr. Heard,' she says. Yesmam, says he. 'Well, I
+haven't heard my baby cry at all in the past week. I wuzn't there but I
+know the exact date you took my baby up, cause I never heard it cry no
+more.'
+
+
+[MRS. ROSA MILLEGAN AND MR. JASPER MILLEGAN]
+
+On December 10, 1936 Mr. and Mrs. Millegan who reside at 231 Chestnut
+Ave. NE. were interviewed on the subject of superstitions, signs,
+conjure, etc. Mrs. Rosa Millegan studied awhile after the facts of the
+interview were made clear to her. Finally she said; "I kin tell you more
+bout conjure; that's all I know bout cause I done been hurted myself and
+every word of it is the trufe.
+
+"Well, it happen lak this. I wuz suffering with rheumatism in my arm and
+a old man in the neighborhood came ter me and gave me some medicine that
+he said would help me. Well, I done suffered so I thought mebbe it might
+help me a little. Chile honey, 'after I done tuck some of that stuff I
+nearly went crazy. I couldn't talk; couldn't hardly move and my head
+look lak it bust open. I didn't know what ter do. I called medical
+doctors and they jest didn't do me no good. Let me tell you right here,
+when you done been conjured, medical doctors can't do you no good; you
+got ter get a nudder conjur doctor ter get it off you. Well, one day I
+says to my daughter, "I'm through wid medical doctors. I'm gwine ter Sam
+Durham. They say he is good and I go find out. Chile, folks done give me
+up ter die. I use ter lay in bed and hear 'em say, she won't never get
+up. Well, I went ter Sam Durham and he looked at me and said: 'You is
+hurt in the mouth.' He carried me in a small room, put some medicine
+around my face, and told me ter sit down a while. After while my mouth
+and face begin ter feel lak it wuz paralyzed, and he begin ter talk.
+'That man that give you that medicine is mad wid you about his wife and
+he fixed you. Now do what I tell you and you will overcome it. He is
+coming ter your door and is gwine want ter shake your hand. Don't let
+him touch you, but speak ter him in the name of the Lord and throw your
+hands over your head; by doing this you will overcome him and the
+devil.' Anudder thing he says; 'This man is coming from around the back
+of your house.' Then he give me 5 vials of different lengths and a half
+cup of pills, and told me ter take all that medicine. He told me too ter
+get a rooster and let him stay on my porch all the time and he couldn't
+get ter me no more. Sho nuff, that nigger come jest lak he said he wuz
+going ter do, but I fixed him. Later on this same man tried ter fix his
+wife cause he thought she had anudder man. Do you know that oman
+couldn't drink water in her house? and when he died he wuz nearly crazy;
+they had ter strap him in the bed; all the while he wuz cussin God and
+raving."
+
+The next stories were told to the writer by Mr. Jasper Millegan:
+
+"My uncle wuz poisoned. Yes, sir, somebody fixed him in coffee. He
+lingered and lingered and finally got so he wuz confined ter bed fer
+good. Somebody put scorpions in him and whenever they would crawl under
+his skin he would nearly go crazy, and it looked lak his eyes would jest
+pop out. He waited so long ter go ter the conjure doctors they couldn't
+do him any good. And the medical doctors ain't no good fer nothing lak
+that. Yes, sir, them snakes would start in his feet and run up his leg.
+He nebber did get any better and he died.
+
+"A long time ago I saw a lady that wuz conjured in her feet; somebody
+put something down fer her ter walk over. Well, anyway she got down with
+her feet and couldn't travel from her bed ter a chair. Well, she got a
+old conjure doctor ter come treat her and he rubbed her feet with
+medicine and after he done that a while he told her that something wuz
+coming out of her feet. Sho nuff, I see'd them maggots with my own eyes
+when they come out of her feet; but she got well."
+
+The following are preventatives to use against conjure; also a few home
+treatments for different sickness.
+
+"Ter keep from being conjured, always use plenty salt and pepper. Always
+get up soon in the morning so nobody can see you and sprinkle salt and
+pepper around your door and they sho can't git at you.
+
+"If you think you done been poisoned or conjured, take a bitter gourd
+and remove the seeds, then beat 'em up and make a tea. You sho will
+heave all of it up.
+
+"Ef you think you will have a stroke, go to running water and get four
+flint rocks; heat 'em and lay on all of them, and believe me, it will
+start your blood circulating and prevent the stroke. Another way to
+start your blood circulating; heat a brick and (lay) lie on it.
+
+"To get rid of corns, bathe your feet in salt water and take a little
+salt and put it 'tween your toes."
+
+Mrs. Millegan closed her interview by telling the writer that every
+morning found her sprinkling her salt and pepper, cause she knows what
+it means ter be fixed. As the writer started out the door she noticed a
+horse shoe hanging over the door.
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE
+(Negro)
+Minnie B. Ross
+
+[MRS. CAMILLA JACKSON]
+
+
+On November 24, 1936 Mrs. Camilla Jackson was interviewed concerning
+superstitions, signs, etc. Mrs. Jackson, an ex-slave, is about 80 years
+of age and although advanced in years she is unusually intelligent in
+her speech and thoughts. The writer was well acquainted with her having
+previously interviewed her concerning life as a slave.
+
+Mrs. Jackson related to the writer the following signs and incidents:
+
+If a tree is standing in your yard or near your house and an owl lights
+in it and begins to hoot, some one in the family will die.
+
+If, during the illness of a person, a cat comes in the room, or the
+house, and whines, the person will die.
+
+Another sure sign of death and one that has been experienced by Mrs.
+Jackson is as follows: Listen child if a bird flies in your house some
+one is going to die. My daughter and I were ironing one day and a bird
+flew in the window right over her head. She looked up and said, "mama
+that bird came after me or you, but I believe it came for me." One month
+later my daughter took sick with pneumonia and died.
+
+My mother said before the Civil War ended her mistress owned an old
+slave woman 100 years old. This old woman was very wicked and the old
+miss used to visit her cabin and read the Bible to her. Well sir, she
+died and do you know the horses balked and would go every way but the
+right way to the grave. They rared and kicked and would turn straight
+around in the road 'cause the evil spirits were frightening them. It was
+a long time before they could get the body to the grave.
+
+Mrs. Jackson before relating the following experiences emphatically
+stated her belief in seeing the dead but only believes that you can see
+them in a dream.
+
+"Many a night my sister has come to me all dressed in white. I have
+heard her call me too; but I have never answered. No longer than one
+night last week old Mr. and Mrs. Tanner came to me in a dream. The old
+lady came in my room and stood over my bed. Her hair was done up on the
+top of her head just like she always wore it. She was distressed and
+spoke about some one being after her. Old Mr. Tanner came and led her
+away. They really were in my room, you see both of them died in this
+house years ago."
+
+Mrs. Jackson could not relate any stories of conjuring; but did mention
+the fact that she had often heard of people wearing money around their
+legs to keep from being conjured. She also spoke of people keeping a
+horseshoe over the door for good luck.
+
+During slavery and since that time, if you should go out doors on a
+drizzling night for any thing, before you could get back Jack O'lantern
+would grab you and carry you to the swamps. If you hollowed and some one
+bring a torch to the door the Jack O'lantern would turn you aloose.
+Another way to get rid of them is to turn your pockets wrong side out.
+
+One day a man came here selling roots called "John the Conqueror" and
+sister Blakely there, paid him 10¢ for one of the plants, but she never
+did plant it. He said the plant would bring good luck.
+
+
+[MRS. ANNA GRANT]
+
+On the same day Mrs. Jackson was interviewed, Mrs. Anna Grant told the
+writer that if she didn't mind she would relate to her a ghost story
+that was supposed to be true. In her own words the writer gives the
+following story:
+
+Onst a 'oman, her husband and two chillun wuz travelin'. This 'oman wuz
+a preacher and only wanted to stop over night. Now this 'oman's husban'
+wuz a sinner, but she wuz a christian. Well she saw an old empty house
+setting in a field but when she went ter inquire 'bout it she wuz told
+that it wuz hanted and no one had ebber been able ter stay there over
+night. De lady dat owned de house offered her pillows, bed clothes,
+sheets, etc., if she intended to stay, and even told her that she would
+give her de house if she could stay there. The woman that owned the
+house told her butler to go and make a fire for the family and carry the
+pillows, sheets, etc. Well, they all got there the 'oman built a fire,
+cooked supper and fed 'em all. Her husband and children went ter bed.
+The husband wanted to know why his wife wanted him to go to bed and she
+wanted ter stay up. The wife didn't say nothin', just told him ter go to
+bed, then she laid the Bible on the table bottom side up and kept
+looking behind her. The house wuz two story and after while something
+came ter the top steps and said, "Can I throw down," she said "throw
+down in the name of the father, son and Holy Ghost." Two thighs and a
+foot came down. Later the same voice sed, "Can I throw down," and she
+said, "throw down in the name of the father, son and the Holy Ghost,"
+and then a whole body came down. The husband woke up when he heard the
+noise and ran away from the house. The ghost told the 'oman ter follow
+her, and she picked up her Bible and kept on reading and went on behind
+the ghost. The ghost showed her where some money was buried near a big
+oak tree and then vanished. The next morning the 'oman dug and found der
+money, but the 'oman of the house wouldn't take a penny, said she didn't
+want it, sides that she gave her the house. They said this wuz a true
+story and der reason dat house wus hanted wuz 'cause der family dat used
+to live there got killed about money. Mrs. Grant ended by saying "Deres
+a horseshoe over my door right now for luck."
+
+
+[MRS. EMMALINE HEARD]
+
+Mrs. Emmaline Heard lives on Cain St. between Fort and Butler Sts. She
+is an ex-slave and on a previous occasion had given the writer an
+interesting account of slavery as she knew it. When the writer
+approached her concerning superstitious signs, ghost tales, conjure
+etc., Mrs. Heard's face became lit with interest and quickly assured the
+writer that she believed in conjuring, ghosts, and signs. It was not
+long before our interview began. Mrs. Heard, although seventy or
+seventy-five years old, is very intelligent in her expression of her
+different thoughts. This interview, as nearly as possible, was taken in
+the exact words of the person interviewed.
+
+"If you are eating with a mouthful of food and sneeze, that sho is a
+true sign of death. I know that 'cause years ago I wuz havin' breakfast
+with my son Wylie and one other boy and Wylie sneezed and said "Mama I'm
+so sorry I jist coundn't help it the sneeze came on me so quick." I jist
+sat there and looked at him and began ter wonder. Two weeks later my
+brother rode up and announced my mother's death. That is one sign thats
+true, yes sir.
+
+If a picture falls off the wall some one in the family will die.
+
+If you dream about teeth, if one falls out thats another sign of death.
+
+Another sign of death jest as sho as you live is ter dream of a person
+naked. I dreamed my son was naked but his body was covered with hair.
+Three months later he died. Yes sir, that sho is a true sign.
+
+Jest as sho as your left hand itches you will receive money. If fire
+pops on you from the stove, or fire place, you will get a letter.
+
+If the left side of your nose itches a man is coming to the house. If it
+itches on the tip, he will come riding.
+
+If the right side of your nose itches a woman is coming to the house.
+
+Following are stories told to Mrs. Heard by her parents, which took
+place during the period of slavery. They are supposed to be true as they
+were experienced by the persons who told them.
+
+"My mother told me a story that happened when she was a slave. When her
+mistress whipped her she would run away ter the woods; but at night she
+would sneak back to nurse her babies. The plantation was on old
+McDonough road, so ter get ter the plantation she had ter come by a
+cemetery and you could see the white stones shining in the moonlight.
+This cemetery was near a cut in the road that people said was hanted and
+they still say old McDonough road is hanted. One night, mama said she
+was on her way to the plantation walking on the middle of the road and
+the moon was shining very bright. When she reached this cut she heard a
+noise, Clack! Clack! Clack!, and this noise reminded a person of a lot
+of machines moving. All at once a big thing as large as a house came
+down the side of the road. She said it looked like a lot of chains,
+wheels, posts all mangled together, and it seemed that there were more
+wheels and chains than anything else. It kept on by making that noise,
+clack! clack! clack!. She stood right still till it passed and came on
+ter the farm. On her way back she say she didn't see it any more, but
+right till ter day that spot is hanted. I have knowed horses to run away
+right there with people and hurt them. Then sometimes they have rared
+and kicked and turned to go in the other direction. You see, horses can
+see hants sometimes when folks can't. Now the reason fer this cut being
+hanted was because old Dave Copeland used to whip his slaves to death
+and bury them along there."
+
+The next story was told to Mrs. Heard by her father, who experienced it,
+as a slave boy.
+
+"My father sed when he wuz a boy him and two more boys run away from the
+master 'cause the master whipped 'em. They set out and walked till it
+got dark, and they saw a big old empty house settin' back from der road.
+Now this house was 3 or 4 miles from any other house. So they went in
+and made a fire, and laid down 'cause they wuz tired from running from
+the Pader rollers. Soon they heard something say tap! tap! tap!, down
+the stairs it came, a loud noise and then "Oh Lordy Master, I aint goin'
+do it no more; let me off this time." After a while they heard this same
+noise like a house falling in and the same words "Oh Lordy Master, I ant
+goin' do it no more. Let me off this time." By this time they had got
+good and scared, so my pa sed he and his friends looked at each other
+and got up and ran away from that house jest as fast as they could go.
+Nobody knowed why this old house wuz hanted; but they believed that some
+slaves had been killed in it."
+
+The next is a story of the Jack O'lantern as told by Mrs. Heard.
+
+"Old South River on' the Jonesboro road is jest full of swampy land and
+on a rainy drizzly night Jack O'lanterns will lead you. One night my
+uncle started out ter see his girl end he had ter go through the woods
+and the swamps. When he got in der swamp land he had ter cross a branch
+and the night wuz dark and drizzly, so dark you could hardly see your
+hand before your face. Way up the creek he saw a little bright light, so
+he followed it thinking he wuz on his way. All night long he sed he
+followed this light up and down the swamp, but never got near ter it.
+When day came he was still in the creek and had not gone any distance at
+all. He went home and told the folks and they went back ter the swamps
+and saw his tracks up and down in the mud. Later a group of 'em set out
+to find the Jack O'lantern and way down the creek they found it on a
+bush. It looked like soot hanging down from a bush, burnt out. My uncle
+went ter bed 'cause he wuz sleepy and tired down from walking all
+night."
+
+The following three stories related by Mrs. Heard deals with practices
+of conjure. She definitely states that they are true stories; and backs
+up this statement by saying she is a firm believer in conjure.
+
+"As I told you before, my daddy came from Virginia. He wuz bought there
+by Old Harper and brought ter McDonough as a slave boy. Well as the
+speculator drove along south, he learned who the different slaves were.
+When he got here he wuz told by the master to live with old uncle Ned
+'cause he wuz the only bachelor on the plantation. The master said ter
+old Ned, "Well Ned, I have bought me a fine young plow boy. I want him
+ter stay with you and you treat him right." Every night uncle Ned would
+make a pallet on the floor for daddy and make him go to bed. When he got
+in bed he (uncle Ned) would watch him out of the corner of his eye, but
+daddy would pretend he wuz asleep and watch old uncle Ned to see what he
+wuz going ter do. After a while uncle Ned would take a broom and sweep
+the fireplace clean, then he would get a basket and take out of it a
+whole lot of little bundles wrapped in white cloth. As he lay out a
+package he would say "grass hoppers," "spiders", "scorpian," "snake
+heads", etc., then he, would take the tongs and turn 'em around before
+the blaze so that they would parch. Night after night he would do this
+same thing until they had parched enough, then he would beat all of it
+together and make a powder; then put it up in little bags. My daddy wuz
+afraid ter ask old uncle Ned what he did with these bags, but heard he
+conjured folks with 'em. In fact he did conjure a gal 'cause she
+wouldn't pay him any attention. This gal wuz very young and preferred
+talking to the younger men, but uncle Ned always tried ter hang around
+her and help hoe, but she would always tell him to go do his own work
+'cause she could do hers. One day he said ter her "All right madam, I'll
+see you later, you wont notice me now but you'll wish you had. When the
+dinner came, and they left the field they left their hoes standing so
+they would know jest where ter start when they got back. When that gal
+went back ter the field the minute she touched that hoe she fell dead.
+Some folks say they saw uncle Ned dressing that hoe with conjure.
+
+"My sister Lizzie sho did get fixed, honey, and it took a old conjurer
+ter get the spell off of her. It wuz like this: Sister Lizzie had a
+pretty peachtree and one limb spreaded out over the walk and jest as
+soon as she would walk under this limb, she would stay sick all the
+time. The funny part 'bout it wuz that while she wuz at other folks
+house she would feel all right, but the minute she passed under this
+limb, she would begin ter feel bad. One day she sent fer a conjurer, and
+he looked under the house, and sho nuff, he found it stuck in the sill.
+It looked like a bundle of rags, red flannel all stuck up with needles
+and every thing else. This old conjurer told her that the tree had been
+dressed for her an t'would be best fer her ter cut it down. It wuz a
+pretty tree and she sho did hate to cut it down, but she did like he
+told her. Yes child, I don't know whither I've ever been conjured or
+not, but sometimes my head hurts and I wonder."
+
+Mrs. Heard asked the writer to return at a later date and she would
+probably be able to relate more interesting incidents.
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE
+(Negro)
+Edwin Driscoll
+
+[MRS. JULIA RUSH, MR. GEORGE LEONARD, MR. HENRY HOLMES, MR. ELLIS
+STRICKLAND, MR. SAM STEVENS, JOE (a boy)]
+
+
+The Negro folklore as recounted below was secured from the following
+persons: Mrs. Julia Rush (an ex-slave) who lives at 878 Coleman Street,
+S.W.; Mr. George Leonard (a very intelligent elderly person) whose
+address is 148 Chestnut Avenue N.E.; and Mr. Henry Holmes (an ex-slave);
+Mr. Ellis Strickland; Mr. Sam Stevens and a young boy known only as Joe.
+The latter named people can be found at the address of 257 Old Wheat
+Street, N.E. According to these people this lore represents the sort of
+thing that their parents and grandparents believed in and at various
+times they have been heard to tell about these beliefs.
+
+
+VOODOO AND CONJURE
+
+Mr. Leonard says: "In dem days de old folks b'lieved in witch-craft and
+conjure and sicha stuff like dat. Dey b'lieved dat an old person could
+punish anybody by taking a piece of chip and spitting on it and den dey
+would throw it on 'em. Dey said dat in two weeks time maggots would be
+in 'em."
+
+"I have seen 'em take a black cat an' put 'im in a sack an' den dey took
+'im an' put 'im in a pot of boiling hot water alive. Man de cat would
+almos' tear dat pot up tryin' to git out. After dey had cooked all de
+meat off de cat dey took one of his bones (I don't know which one of
+'em) and put it crossways in their front teeth while dey mumbled
+somethin' under their breath an' den dey took dis bone an' throwed it
+'cross de right shoulder an' when dey went an' picked it up an' put it
+in their pocket it was supposed to give 'em de bes' kind of luck. Dey
+could say or do anything dey wanted to an' ole marster couldn't hit
+'em."
+
+Regarding the Black cat's bone Mr. Strickland told the following story
+which he says he once heard an old man tell his father:
+
+"You goes out in de valley in de woods an' you takes a live black cat
+an' throws 'im in a pot of boiling water. You boils 'im 'till he gits
+done all to pieces an' den you takes all de bones an' throws 'em in de
+creek an' de one dat floats up de creek is de one to use. You takes dis
+bone an' draws it through your teech an' gits all de meat off an' den
+you can take dat bone an' do all kinds of majic. You can talk to folks
+an' dey can't see you. You can even disappear an' come right back. It
+takes a good 'un to do dat (get a black cat's bone). While you's boilin'
+de cat dat thunder an' lightnin' look like it goin' tear up de face of
+de earth--you can even see de wind which is like a red blaze of fire."
+
+Continuing Mr. Strickland says: "Some of de roots dat dey used to bring
+'im luck an' to trick folks wid wuz Rattle-Snake Marster, and John de
+Conquerer. John de Conquerer is supposed to conquer any kind of trouble
+you gits intuh. Some folks says dat you can tote it in your pocket an'
+have good luck.
+
+"I once knowed a woman who had some lodestone dat she uster work. She
+could take men an' dere wives apart an' den put 'em back together again.
+She say dat she had killed so many folks (by the use of conjure and
+majic etc.) dat she did'nt know whether she would ever git fit fer
+forgiveness. She sold She sold herself to de devil fer twenty years."
+
+"Aint nuthin wrong wid folks all de time when dey thinks dey is
+tricked," says Mr. Strickland. "I had a friend named Joe once an' he
+uster fool 'roun wid roots an' stuff like dat. One day he heard about a
+man who had promised to pay five-hundred dollars to anybody dat could
+cure him of de misery in his stomach. He thought somebody had "tricked"
+him by puttin' a snake in 'im. Joe stayed wid 'im fer two days an' he
+did'nt git no better an' so he went out de nex' day an' bought a rubber
+snake an den he come back an' give de man some medecine to make 'im
+vomit. When he comited Joe throwed de snake in de can an' den he said to
+de man: "Dere it is, I knowed somebody had fixed you." De man said: "Dey
+tol' me somebody had put a snake in me." Joe took de snake an' done away
+wid it an' de nex' day de man wuz up walkin' 'roun. He never did know
+how he had been fooled an' Joe made de five-hundred dollars."
+
+According to Mrs. Rush the wife of the colored foreman on her master's
+plantation was always working with roots. She says "One day I come in
+fum de field to nurse my baby an' when I got to my house dere was dis
+woman standing at my door." I said to her: "Name o' God Aunt Candis (dat
+wus her name) whut is you doin'?" She wus makin' all kings of funny
+motions when I come up on her. If you aint scared of 'em dey can't do
+nuthin to you. When I hollored at her de sweat broke out on her face. By
+dis time I had stayed away fum de field too long an' I knowed I wus
+goin' to git a whippin' but Candis gimme some of de roots she had in her
+mouth an'in her pockets. She tol' me to put piece of it in my mouth an'
+chew it. When I got near de overseer I was to spit some of de juice
+towars him an' I would'nt git a whippin'. I tied a piece of it 'roun my
+waist an' put some in my trunk too. I did'nt git a whippin' when I got
+to de field but when I went to look fer de root 'roun my waist it wus
+gone. When I went back to de house dat night de other piece was gone
+too. I aint seed it fum dat day to dis. De rest of de women on de
+plantation honored Candis but I did'nt. Dey say dat folks like dem can
+put stuff down fer you to walk in er set in or drink an' dat dey can fix
+you lie dat. But dey can't do nuthin' wid you if you aint scared of
+'em."
+
+"Not so long ago a woman whut uster live back of me tried to do sumpin'
+to me after we had a fuss. I woke up one mornin' an' looked out by my
+back fence an' dere wus a lotsa salt an' sulphur an' stuff all 'roun de
+yard. De other women wus scared fer me but I wus'nt."
+
+Several of my informants say that salt can be used as a weapon of
+conjure. According to Joe salt may be used to make a gambler lose all of
+his money. To do this all that is necessary is to stand behind the
+person to be conjured and then sprinkle a small amount of salt on his
+back. From that instant on he will lose money. Joe has also seen a woman
+use the following method to make her male friend remain at home: "She
+taken some salt an' pepper an' sprinkled it up an' down de steps," says
+Joe, "an' den she taken a plain eatin' fork an' stuck it under de door
+steps an' de man stayed right in de house until she moved de fork."
+
+Mr. Stevens says: "If you want to fix somebody all you got to do is to
+sprinkle some salt an' petter 'roun 'em an' it'll make 'em bus' dere
+brains out. If you wants to make 'em move you go out to de grave yard
+an' stick your hand down in de middle of a grave an' git a handful of
+dat red graveyard dirt an' den you comes back an' sprinkles it 'roun
+dere door an' dey's gone, dey can't stay dere. Another conjuration is
+fer a woman to make three waves over a man's head. I saw one do dat
+once."
+
+Another method used to fix or conjure people, according to Mrs. Rush, is
+to take a lizard and parch it. The remains must be put in something that
+the person is to eat and when the food is eaten the individual will be
+conjured. Mr. Holmes says if a black cat's tail is tied on someone's
+doorknob it will "cut dey luck off."
+
+Silver money tied around the leg will ward off the effects of conjure.
+Mrs. Rush says if you are feeling ill and you wish to determine whether
+or not someone has been trying to conjure you or not just take a silver
+coin and place it in your mouth. If it turns black somebody is working
+conjure on you. "I knowed a man who went to Newnan to see his mother who
+wus sick," stated Mrs. Rush. "She wus so sick dat she could'nt tell whut
+wus de matter wid her an' so her son took a silver quarter an' put it in
+her mouth an' it turned as black as a kettle."
+
+Says Mr. Holmes: "If anybody comes to your house an' you don't want 'em
+dere, when dey leaves you take some salt an' throw it at 'em when dey
+gits out of hearin' you cuss at 'em an' dey won't never come back
+again."
+
+Following are some songs that used to be sung about conjure, etc.:
+
+ SON:
+
+ "Mother, make my bed down
+ I will freely lie down,
+ Mother, make my bed down
+ I will freely lie down"
+
+ MOTHER:
+
+ "Ransom, my son, what did she give you to eat?
+ Ransom, my son, what did she give you to eat?
+
+ SON:
+
+ "Red head (parched lizard) and speckle back
+ Oh, make my bed down I will freely lie down."
+
+ "I'm goin' to pizen (poison) you, I'm goin' to pizen you,
+ I'm jus' sick an' tired of de way you do,
+ I'm goin' to sprinkle spider legs 'roun yo' bed
+ an' you gonna wake up in de mornin' an find yourself dead"
+
+ "You beat me an' you kick me an' you black my eyes,
+ I'm gonna take dis butcher knife an' hew you down to my size,
+ You mark my words, my name is Lou,
+ You mind out what I say, I'm goin' to pizen you."
+
+
+POSITIVE CURES AND CONTROLS
+
+ Mrs. Rush says that backache can be cured by rubbing a hot iron up and
+ down the afflicted person's back.
+
+ Asafetida tied around the neck will prevent smallpox.
+
+ Risings can be cured by rubbing them with a poultice made from
+ House-Leak root.
+
+ To prevent a fall while walking from one side of a creek to the other on
+ a log, place a small stick crosswise in the front-teeth and no mishap
+ will result.
+
+ Hold the mouth full of water while peeling onions and the onion juice
+ will not get in the eyes.
+
+ If a man wishes to make a woman fall in love with him all that he has to
+ do is to take some of her hair, tie it up, and then throw it in running
+ water. In a short while she will fall deeply in love with him.
+
+ A man may also cause a woman to fall in love with him by letting her
+ drink whiskey in which he has allowed "Gin-Root" to soak.
+
+ If a woman wishes to make a man fall in love with her she has only to
+ take the small bow usually found in the back of a man's cap on the
+ sweatband, or the bow usually found on the band of the man's hat. After
+ this has been secured it must be taken and worn under her clothes next
+ to her body.
+
+
+WITCH RIDING
+
+Mrs. Betty Brown of 74 Butler Street, N.E. says that when people die
+angry with someone they usually come back after death in the form of a
+witch and then they ride the person that they were angry with at the
+time of their death.
+
+According to Mr. Favors who lives at 78 Raymond Street, when a witch
+rides anyone it is a sign that a man, a woman, or a dog, is after that
+person.
+
+Mrs. Julia Rush says: "De old folks uster call witches hags. Dey wus
+some kind of sperrits (spirits) an' dey would ride anybody. My
+grandmother uster sleep wid de sissors under her pillow to keep 'em
+away."
+
+"I once heerd a woman dat a witch come to a house one night an' took her
+skin off an' went through de key hole. Somebody foun' de skin an'
+sprinkled salt on it an' when de witch come out she could'nt git in de
+skin an' she started saying: 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you know me?'"
+
+Regarding witches Mr. Leonard made the following statement: "The old
+folks b'lieved dat any house a person died in was "hainted" and dat de
+dead person's spirit was a witch dat would come back at night. They used
+to put a pan of salt on de corpse to keep it fum purgin' an' to keep de
+witches away. They burned lamps all night long fer about three weeks
+after de person was dead an' they sprinkled salt an' pepper 'roun too to
+keep de witches away."
+
+Another informant claims that if a person sleeps with his or her shoes
+under the bed the witches are liable to ride him.
+
+Mr. Strickland says that when the witches are riding anyone if that
+person can say any three words of the Bible such as: "Lord have mercy,"
+or "Jesus save me" the witch will stop riding.
+
+
+APPARITIONS AND GHOSTS
+
+Mr. Henry Holmes claims that he has seen the Jack O'Lantern and that at
+one time he even followed it. He says: "One night me an' two more
+fellows followed de Jack O'Lantern. It looked like a light in a house or
+sumpin. We did'nt know where we wus until de nex' mornin' an' when we
+did find ourselfs we wus at home. All de while we followed it it jus'
+kep' goin' further an' further until it jus' vanished."
+
+According to Mr. Leonard the Jack O'Lantern is a light that comes out of
+the swamps at night and after getting in front of a person it will lead
+him on and on. The old folks also used to think that the vapor seen
+rising out of the swamps at night were ghosts. One night he and his
+grandfather were walking down the railroad tracks when suddenly his
+grandfather said: "Stand back dere George don't you see dat man walkin'
+'long dere wid no head?" He says, however, that he himself failed to see
+any such thing.
+
+According to both Mrs. Brown and Mrs. [Rush?] people who are born with
+cauls (a kind of a veil) over their eyes are able to see ghosts.
+
+
+CUSTOMS CONCERNING COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
+
+Mr. Leonard says that a young man wishing to accompany a young woman to
+her home always spoke in the following manner: "Dear kind Miss, if you
+have no objection of my being your protection, I'm going in your
+direction." It was in this manner that he asked her to allow him to
+escort her home.
+
+For several years after freedom was declared it was the custom for the
+bride and the groom to jump over the broom together before they were
+pronounced man and wife.
+
+
+HUNTING LORE
+
+The best time to hunt 'possums is on a cloudy night just before the
+break of day. All of the big ones are out then Mr. Favors claims.
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION FOLKLORE INTERVIEWS--RICHMOND COUNTY
+
+CONJURATION
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth,
+District Supervisor,
+Residencies 6 & 7,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+
+CONJURATION
+
+Richmond County's older colored citizens, particularly the few surviving
+ex-slaves, are outspoken in their firm belief concerning powers of
+conjurers and root workers.
+
+"When it comes to conjuration, don't nobody know more 'bout that, and
+there ain't nobody had as much of it done to 'em as I have," said a
+wizened old woman. "I know nobody could stand what I have stood. The
+first I knowed 'bout conjuration was when a woman named Lucinda hurt my
+sister. She was always a 'big me,' and her chillun was better than
+anybody elses. Well her oldest child got pregnant and that worried
+Lucinda nearly to death. She thought everybody she seed was talkin'
+'bout her child. One day she passed my sister and another 'oman standin'
+on the street laughin' and talkin'. Lucinda was so worried 'bout her
+daughter she thought they was laughin' at her. She got so mad she cussed
+'em out right there and told 'em their 'turn was in the mill.' My sister
+called the other 'oman in the house and shut the door to keep from
+listenin' at her. That made it wuss.
+
+"'Bout three weeks later my sister started complainin'. Us had two or
+three doctors with her, but none of 'em done her any good. The more
+doctors us got the wuss she got. Finally all of the doctors give her up
+and told us there warn't nothin' they could do. After she had been sick
+'bout two months she told us 'bout a strange man comin' to her house a
+few days 'fore she took sick. She said he had been there three or four
+times. She 'membered it when he come back after she took sick and
+offered to do somethin' for her. The doctors hadn't done her no good and
+she was just 'bout to let him doctor on her when this 'oman that was
+with her the day Lucinda cussed 'em out told her he was Lucinda's great
+uncle. She said that everybody called him the greatest root worker in
+South Carolina. Then my sister thought 'bout how this man had come to
+her house and asked for water every time. He wouldn't ever let her get
+the water for him, he always went to the pump and got it hisself. After
+he had pumped it off real cool he would always offer to get a bucket
+full for her. She didn't think nothin' 'bout it and she would let him
+fill her bucket. That's how he got her.
+
+"She stayed sick a long time and Mamie stayed by her bed 'til she died.
+I noticed Mamie wipin' her mouth every few minutes, so one day I asked
+her what did she keep wipin' from my sister's mouth. She told me it
+wasn't nothin' but spit. But I had got very anxious to know so I stood
+by her head myself. Finally I seed what it was. Small spiders came
+crawlin' out of her mouth and nose. Mamie thought it would skeer me,
+that's why she didn't want me to know.
+
+"That happened on Tuesday and that Friday when she died a small snake
+come out of her forehead and stood straight up and stuck his tongue out
+at us. A old man who was sittin' there with us caught the snake, put him
+in a bottle, and kept him 'bout two weeks before he died.
+
+"Don't think Lucinda didn't have pore Mamie conjured too. Mamie took
+sick just one month after my sister died. After she found out the
+doctors couldn't do her no good, she got a real good root worker to
+doctor on her. He got her up and she stayed up for nearly a year before
+Lucinda doubled the dose. That time pore Mamie couldn't git up. She
+suffered and suffered before she died. But Lucinda got her pay for all
+of it. When Mamie died Lucinda come to see her and said 'some folks was
+better off dead anyhow'. Mamie's daughter started to jump on her but
+some of the old folks wouldn't let her.
+
+"Lucinda went a long time, but when she fell she sho' fell hard. She
+almost went crazy. She stayed sick as long as my sister and Mamie put
+together. She got so bad off 'til nobody couldn't even go in her house.
+Everybody said she was reapin' what she sowed. She wouldn't even let her
+own chillun come in the house. After she got so sick she couldn't get
+off the bed she would cuss 'em and yell to the top of her voice 'til
+they left. Nobody didn't feel sorry for her 'cause they knowed she had
+done too much devilment.
+
+"Just 'fore she died, Lucinda was so sick and everybody was talkin'
+'bout it was such a shame for her to have to stay there by herself that
+her youngest daughter and her husband went to live with her. Her
+daughter was 'fraid to go by herself. When she died you could stand in
+the street and hear her cussin' and yellin'. She kept sayin' 'take 'em
+off of me, I ain't done nothin' to 'em. Tell 'em I didn't hurt 'em,
+don't let 'em kill me.' And all of a sudden she would start cussin' God
+and anybody she could think of. When she died it took four men to hold
+her down in the bed."
+
+"I've been sick so much 'til I can look at other folks when they're sick
+and tell if its natural sickness or not. Once I seed my face always
+looked like dirty dish water grease was on it every mornin' 'fore I
+washed it. Then after I washed it in the places where the grease was
+would be places that looked like fish scales. Then these places would
+turn into sores. I went to three doctors and every one of 'em said it
+was poison grease on my face. I knowed I hadn't put no kind of grease on
+it, so I couldn't see where it was comin' from. Every time I told my
+husband 'bout it he got mad, but I never paid too much 'tention to that.
+Then one day I was tellin' a friend of mine 'bout it, and she told me my
+husband must be doin' it. I wondered why he would do such a thing and
+she said he was just 'bout jealous of me.
+
+"The last doctor I went to give me somethin' to put on my face and it
+really cleared the sores up. But I noticed my husband when my face got
+clear and he really looked mad. He started grumblin' 'bout every little
+thing, right or wrong. Then one day he brought me a black hen for
+dinner. My mind told me not to eat the chicken so I told him I wanted to
+keep the hen and he got mad 'bout that. 'Bout two or three days later I
+noticed a big knot on the side of the chicken's head and it bursted
+inside of that same week. The chicken started drooping 'round and in a
+week's time that chicken was dead. You see that chicken was poison.
+
+"After that my husband got so fussy I had to start sleepin' in another
+room. I was still sick, so one day he brought me some medicine he said
+he got from Dr. Traylor. I tried to take a dose 'cause I knowed if it
+was from Dr. Traylor it was all right, but that medicine burnt me just
+like lye. I didn't even try to take no more of it. I got some medicine
+from the doctor myself and put it in the bottom of the sideboard. I took
+'bout three doses out of it and it was doing me good, but when I started
+to take the fourth dose it had lye in it and I had to throw it away. I
+went and had the doctor to give me another bottle and I called myself
+hidin' it, but after I took 'bout six doses, lye was put in it. Then one
+day a friend of mine, who come from my husband's home, told me he was a
+root worker and she thought I already knowed it. Well I knowed then how
+he could find my medicine everytime I hid it. You see he didn't have to
+do nothin' but run his cards. From then on I carried my medicine 'round
+in my apron pocket.
+
+"I started sleepin' in the kitchen on a cot 'cause his mother was usin'
+the other room and I didn't want to sleep with her. Late at night he
+would come to the window and blow somethin' in there to make me feel
+real bad. Things can be blowed through the key hole too. I know 'cause I
+have had it done to me. This kept up for 'bout a year and five or six
+months. Then 'cause he seed he couldn't do just what he wanted to, he
+told me to get out. I went 'cause I thought that might help me to git
+out of my misery. But it didn't 'cause he come where I was every night.
+He never did try to come in, but us would hear somebody stumblin' in the
+yard and whenever us looked out to see who it was us always found it was
+him. Us told him that us seed him out there, but he always denied it. He
+does it right now or sometimes he gets other root workers to do it for
+him. Whenever I go out in the yard my feet always feel like they are
+twistin' over and I can't stop 'em; my legs and knees feel like
+somethin' is drawin' 'em, and my head starts swimmin'. I know what's
+wrong, it just what he had put down for me.
+
+"When I get up in the mornin' I always have to put sulphur and salt and
+pepper in my shoes to keep down the devilment he puts out for me. A man
+who can do that kind of work give me somethin' to help me, but I was
+s'posed to go back in six months and I ain't been back. That's why it's
+started worryin' me again.
+
+"My sister was conjured by openin' the door and eatin' afterwards
+without washin' her hands," an 80-year old ex-slave remarked. "She had
+just come home and opened her front door and went in the house to eat
+before goin' to church. She et her supper and started to church with
+another of my sisters. After she had gone 'bout two or three blocks she
+started feelin' sick and walkin' as if she was drunk. My sister tried to
+make her go back home but she wouldn't. When they got to church she
+couldn't hardly get up the steps and they warn't in church over fifteen
+minutes 'fore she had a stroke. Somebody took a car and carried her
+home. She couldn't even speak for more than a week. The doctor come and
+'xamined her, but he said he didn't see nothin' that would cause her to
+have a stroke. He treated her for 'bout two weeks but she didn't get no
+better. A friend told us to try a root worker. She said she knowed one
+that was good on such things. Us was afraid at first, but after the
+three doctors us had tried didn't seem to do her no good, us decided to
+get the root worker.
+
+"The root worker come that Wednesday mornin' and looked at her, but he
+never touched her. He told us she had been hurt, but he could have her
+on her feet in 'bout a week or ten days. He didn't give her no medicine,
+and he never come back 'til after she was up and walkin' 'round. She got
+up in 'bout seven days, and started talkin' earlier than that. The root
+worker told her she had got conjured by puttin' her hands on somethin'
+and eatin' without washin' 'em.
+
+"She got along fine for 'bout three years, 'til one day she got home
+from work and found her house open. She thought her son had gone out and
+forgot to lock the door. When he come home he told her he had not been
+back since he left that mornin'. She knowed she didn't forget to lock
+it, so she guessed somebody had jus 'bout gone in through the window and
+come out the door. But it was too late then 'cause she had et what was
+left in the house and had drunk some water.
+
+"That night she had her second stroke. Us sent for the same man who had
+got her up before, but he said he doubted gettin' her up this time
+'cause the person had made a good job of it by puttin' somethin' in her
+water and t'eat. He treated her, and she got strong enough to sit up in
+the house, but she soon had the third stroke and then he give her up.
+She died 'bout two months later.
+
+"I know you don't know how folks can really conjure you. I didn't at one
+time, but I sho' learnt. Everytime somebody gets sick it ain't natchel
+sickness. I have seed folks die with what the doctors called
+consumption, and yet they didn't have it. I have seed people die with
+heart trouble, and they didn't have it. Folks is havin' more strokes now
+than ever but they ain't natchel. I have seed folks fixed so they would
+bellow like a cow when they die, and I have seed 'em fixed so you have
+to tie them down in bed to die. I've got so I hardly trust anybody."
+
+Estella Jones thinks conjurers and root workers are much more skillful
+now than formerly. "Folks don't kill you like they used to kill you.
+They used to put most anythin' in you, but now they got so wise or
+afraid that somebody will know zactly what killed you, 'til they do it
+slick as a eel.
+
+"Once a man named John tried to go with a girl but her step-pa, Willie,
+run him away from the house just like he mought be a dog, so John made
+it up in his mind to conjure Willie. He went to the spring and planted
+somethin' in the mouth of it, and when Willie went there the next day to
+get a drink he got the stuff in the water. A little while after he drunk
+the water he started gettin' sick. He tried to stay up but every day he
+got wuss and wuss 'til he got flat down in bed.
+
+"In a few days somethin' started growin' in his throat. Every time they
+tried to give him soup or anythin' to eat, somethin' would come crawlin'
+up in his throat and choke him. That was what he had drunk in the
+spring, and he couldn't eat nothin' or drink nothin'. Finally he got so
+bad off he claimed somethin' was chokin' him to death, and so his wife
+sont off and got a fortune teller. This fortune teller said it was a
+turtle in his throat. He 'scribed the man that had conjured Willie but
+everybody knowed John had done it 'fore the fortune teller told us. It
+warn't long after that 'fore Willie was dead. That turtle come up in his
+throat and choked him to death.
+
+"Some folk don't believe me, but I ain't tellin' no tale 'bout it. I
+have asked root workers to tell me how they does these things, and one
+told me that it was easy for folks to put snakes, frogs, turtles,
+spiders, or most anythin' that you couldn't live with crawlin' and
+eatin' on the inside of you. He said these things was killed and put up
+to dry and then beat up into dust like. If any of this dust is put in
+somethin' you have to eat or drink, these things will come alive like
+they was eggs hatchin' in you. Then the more they grow, the worse off
+you get.
+
+"My aun't son had took a girl away from another man who was going with
+her too. As soon as this man heard they was going to marry, he started
+studyin' some way to stop it. So he went to a root worker and got
+somethin' and then went to this girl's house one night when he knew my
+cousin was there. Finally when he got ready to leave, he was smart
+enough to get my cousin to take a drink with him.
+
+"That next mornin' the boy was feelin' a little bad, but he never paid
+too much 'tention to it. Next day he felt a little wuss, and everyday
+from then on he felt wuss and wuss 'til he got too sick to stay up. One
+day a old lady who lived next door told us to try a root worker who
+lived on Jones Street. This man came and told us what was wrong, but
+said us had waited too long to send for him. He give us some thin' to
+'lieve the boy of his misery. Us kept givin' this to him 'til he finally
+got up. Course he warn't well by no means and this medicine didn't help
+his stomach. His stomach got so big everybody would ask what was wrong.
+He told everybody that asked him and some who didn't ask him 'bout the
+frogs in his stomach. The bigger these frogs got, the weaker he got.
+
+"After he had been sick 'bout four months and the frogs had got to be a
+pretty good size, you could hear 'em holler everytime he opened his
+mouth. He got to the place where he wouldn't talk much on account of
+this. His stomach stuck out so far, he looked like he weighed 250
+pounds.
+
+"After these frogs started hollerin' in him, he lived 'bout three weeks,
+and 'fore he died you could see the frogs jumpin' 'bout in him and you
+could even feel 'em.
+
+"T'ain't no need talkin'; folks can do anythin' to you they wants to.
+They can run you crazy or they can kill you. Don't you one time believe
+that every pore pusson they has in the 'sylum is just natchelly crazy.
+Some was run crazy on account of people not likin' 'em, some 'cause they
+was gettin' 'long a little too good. Every time a pusson jumps in the
+river don't think he was just tryin' to kill hisself; most times he just
+didn't know what he was doin'.
+
+"My daughter was fixed right here under our noses. She was married and
+had five little chillun and she was the picture of health. But she had a
+friend that she trusted too much and this friend was single and in love
+with my daughter's husband. Diff'unt people told Liza 'bout this girl,
+but she just didn't believe 'em. Every day this girl was at Liza's house
+'til time for Lewis to git off from work. She helped Liza wash, clean
+up, iron and cook, but she always left at the time for Lewis to git off
+from work.
+
+"This went on for more'n a year, but I kept tellin' Liza to ween off
+from this girl 'cause I seed she didn't mean her no good. But Liza was
+grown and nobody couldn't tell her nothin'. I think she had Liza fixed
+so she would be crazy 'bout her. People can make you love 'em, even
+marry 'em when if you was in your right mind you wouldn't give 'em a
+thought. Anyhow Liza went on with the girl 'til one afternoon while she
+was comin' from the store she seed Lewis and Edna goin' in a house
+together. He come home 'bout three hours later, and when Liza asked him
+why he was so late he told her they had to work late. He didn't know she
+had seed him and she never told him.
+
+"After this she started watchin' him and Edna, and she soon found out
+what folks had been tellin' her was true. Still she never told Lewis
+nothin' 'bout it. She told Edna 'bout seein' 'em and asked her to please
+let Lewis alone. Edna made up some kind of s'cuse but she never let him
+alone, and she kept goin' to Liza's house. When things finally went too
+far, Liza spoke to Lewis 'bout it and asked him to leave Edna alone. He
+did, but that made Edna mad and that's when she 'cided to kill Liza.
+Lewis really loved Liza and would do anythin' she asked him to.
+
+"One day Edna come to see Liza, after she had stayed away for 'bout
+three weeks, and she was more lovin' than ever. She hung around 'til she
+got a chance to put somethin' in the water bucket, then she left. People
+can put somethin' in things for you and everybody else can eat or drink
+it, but it won't hurt nobody but the one it's put there for. When Liza
+drunk water, she said it tasted like it had salt-peter in it. When she
+went to bed that night, she never got out 'til she was toted out. She
+suffered and suffered and we never knowed what was wrong 'til Edna told
+it herself. She took very sick and 'fore she died she told one of her
+friends 'bout it and this friend told us, but it was too late then, Liza
+was dead."
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY--EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+FOLK REMEDIES AND SUPERSTITION
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+
+Belief in charms and conjurs is still prevalent among many of Augusta's
+older Negroes. Signs and omens also play an important part in their
+lives, as do remedies and cures handed down by word of mouth from
+generation to generation.
+
+ If a wrestler can get dirt from the head of a fresh grave, sew it up
+ in a sack, and tie it around his waist, no one can throw him.
+
+ To make a person leave town, get some dirt out of one of his tracks,
+ sew it up in a sack, and throw it in running water. The person will
+ keep going as long as the water runs.
+
+ To take a hair out of a person's head and put it in a live fishes
+ mouth will make the person keep traveling as long as the fish
+ swims.
+
+ If someone dies and comes back to worry you, nail some new lumber into
+ your house and you won't be bothered any more.
+
+ When the hands of a dead person remain limp, some other member of the
+ family will soon follow him in death.
+
+ When a spider builds a web in your house, you may expect a visitor the
+ same color as the spider.
+
+ A singing fire is a sign of snow.
+
+ If a cat takes up at your house it's a sign of good luck; a dog--bad
+ luck.
+
+ If a spark of fire pops on you, it is a sign that you will receive
+ some money or a letter.
+
+ To dream of muddy water, maggots, or fresh meat is a sign of death.
+ To dream of caskets is also a sign of death. You may expect to hear
+ of as many deaths as there are caskets in the dream.
+
+ To dream of blood is a sign of trouble.
+
+ To dream of fish is a sign of motherhood.
+
+ To dream of eggs is a sign of trouble unless the eggs are broken. If
+ the eggs are broken, your trouble is ended.
+
+ To dream of snakes is a sign of enemies. If you kill the snakes, you
+ have conquered your enemies.
+
+ To dream of fire is a sign of danger.
+
+ To dream of a funeral is a sign of a wedding.
+
+ To dream of a wedding is a sign of a funeral.
+
+ To dream of silver money is a sign of bad luck; bills--good luck.
+
+ To dream of dead folk is a sign of rain.
+
+ Wear a raw cotton string tied in nine knots around your waist to cure
+ cramps.
+
+ To stop nosebleed or hiccoughs cross two straws on top of your head.
+
+ Lick the back of your hand and swallow nine times without stopping to
+ cure hiccoughs.
+
+ Tea made from rue is good for stomach worms.
+
+ Corn shuck tea is good for measles; fodder tea for asthma.
+
+ Goldenrod tea is good for chills and fever.
+
+ Richet weed tea is good for a laxative.
+
+ Tea made from parched egg shells or green coffee is good for
+ leucorrhoea.
+
+ Black snuff, alum, a piece of camphor, and red vaseline mixed together
+ is a sure cure for piles.
+
+ To rid yourself of a corn, grease it with a mixture of castor oil and
+ kerosine and then soak the foot in warm water.
+
+ Sulphur mixed with lard is good for bad blood.
+
+ A cloth heated in melted tallow will give relief when applied to a
+ pain in any part of the body.
+
+ Take a pinch of sulphur in the mouth and drink water behind it to
+ cleanse the blood.
+
+ Dog fern is good for colds and fever; boneset tea will serve the same
+ purpose.
+
+ Catnip tea is good for measles or hives.
+
+ If your right shoe comes unlaced, someone is saying good things about
+ you; left shoe--bad things.
+
+ If a chunk of fire falls from the fireplace a visitor is coming. If
+ the chunk is short and large the person will be short and fat, etc.
+
+ Don't buy new things for a sick person; if you do he will not live to
+ wear it out.
+
+ If a person who has money dies without telling where it is, a friend
+ or relative can find it by going to his grave three nights in
+ succession and throwing stones on it. On the fourth night he must go
+ alone, and the person will tell him where the money is hidden.
+
+ If a witch rides you, put a sifter under the bed and he will have to
+ count the holes in the sifter before he goes out, thus giving you time
+ to catch him.
+
+ Starch your sweetheart's handkerchief and he will love you more.
+
+ Don't give your sweetheart a knife. It will cut your love in two.
+
+ If it rains while the sun is shining the devil is beating his wife.
+
+ To bite your tongue while talking is a sign that you have told a lie.
+
+ Persons with gaps between their front teeth are big liars.
+
+ Cut your finger nails on Monday, you cut them for news;
+ Cut them on Tuesday, get a new pair of shoes;
+ Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for wealth;
+ Cut them on Thursday, you cut them for health;
+ Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;
+ Cut them on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow;
+ Cut them on Sunday, its safety to seek;
+ But the devil will have you the rest of the week.
+
+ If you start some place and forget something don't turn around without
+ making a cross mark and spitting in it, if you do you will have bad
+ luck.
+
+ To stump your right foot is good luck, but to stump your left foot is
+ bad luck. To prevent the bad luck you must turn around three times.
+
+ It is bad luck for a black cat to cross you to the left, but good luck
+ if he crosses you to the right.
+
+ If a picture of a person falls off the wall it is a sign of death.
+
+ To dream of crying is a sign of trouble.
+
+ To dream of dancing is a sign of happiness.
+
+ If you meet a gray horse pulling a load of hay, a red haired person
+ will soon follow.
+
+ If you are eating and drop something when you are about to put it in
+ your mouth someone wishes it.
+
+ If a child never sees his father he will make a good doctor.
+
+ To dream that your teeth fall out is a sign of death in the family.
+
+ To dream of a woman's death is a sign of some man's death.
+
+ To dream of a man's death is the sign of some woman's death.
+
+ If a chicken sings early in the morning a hawk will catch him before
+ night.
+
+ Always plant corn on the waste of the moon in order for it to yield
+ a good crop. If planted on the growing of the moon there will be more
+ stalk than corn.
+
+ When there is a new moon, hold up anything you want and make a wish
+ for it and you will get it.
+
+ If you hear a voice call you and you are not sure it is really
+ someone, don't answer because it may be your spirit, and if you answer
+ it will be a sure sign of death.
+
+ Cross eyed women are bad luck to other women, but cross eyed men are
+ good luck to women and vice-versa for men.
+
+ To wear a dime around your ankle will ward off witch craft.
+
+ To put a silver dime in your mouth will determine whether or not you
+ have been bewitched. If the dime turns black, someone has bewitched
+ you, but if it keeps its color, no one has bewitched you.
+
+ To take a strand of a person's hair and nail it in a tree will run
+ that person crazy.
+
+ If a rooster crows on your back steps you may look for a stranger.
+
+ Chinaberries are good for wormy children.
+
+ The top of a pine tree and the top of a cedar tree placed over a
+ large coal of fire, just enough to make a good smoke, will cure
+ chillblain feet.
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+MISTREATMENT OF SLAVES
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth,
+District Supervisor,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+
+There are many ex-slaves living in Richmond County and Augusta who have
+vivid recollections of the days when their lives were inseparably bound
+to those of their masters. These people have a past rich in tradition
+and sentiment, and their memories of customs, habits of work and play,
+and the superstitious beliefs, which still govern their actions to a
+large extent weave a colorful pattern in local history.
+
+Mistreatment at the hands of their masters and the watchdog overseers is
+outstanding in the memory of most of them. "When I was in slavery, us
+had what you call good white folk. They warn't rich by no means, but
+they was good. Us had rather have 'em poor and good than rich and mean.
+Plenty of white folk mistreated they slaves, but ours never mistreated
+us. They was a man lived in callin' distance, on the next plantation,
+who worked his slaves day and night and on Sunday for a rarety. You
+could hear 'em coming from the field about 12 o'clock at night, and they
+had to be back in the fields by daylight. They couldn't get off on
+Saturday nights like everbody else. Whenever he bought their clothes, it
+was on Sunday when they warn't workin'. He was mean, but he was good
+about buyin' for 'em, new shoes or a suit or anything of the like they
+said they needed.
+
+"Marster had overseers, but he wouldn't let 'em whip his slaves
+unmerciful. They always whipped us just as your mamas whips you now.
+
+"Bob Lampkin was the meanest slave owner I ever knowed. He would beat
+his slaves and everybody else's he caught in the road. He was so mean
+'til God let him freeze to death. He come to town and got drunk and when
+he was going back home in his buggy, he froze stiff going up Race Creek
+Hill. White and colored was glad when he died.
+
+"His slaves used to run away whenever they got a chance. I 'member he
+had a real pretty gal on his place. She was light brown and was built up
+better than anybody I ever saw. One of the overseers was crazy about
+her, but her mother had told her not to let any of 'em go with her. So
+this old overseer would stick close 'round her when they was workin',
+just so he could get a chance to say somethin' to her. He kept followin'
+this child and followin' this child until she almost went crazy. Way
+afterwhile she run away and come to our house and stayed 'bout three
+days. When my marster found out she was there, he told her she would
+have to go back, or at least she would have to leave his place. He
+didn't want no trouble with nobody. When that child left us she stayed
+in the woods until she got so hungry she just had to go back. This old
+man was mad with her for leavin', and one day while she was in the field
+he started at her again and when she told him flat footed she warn't
+goin' with him he took the big end of his cow hide and struck her in the
+back so hard it knocked her plumb crazy. It was a big lake of water
+about ten yards in front of 'em, and if her mother hadn't run and caught
+her she would have walked right in it and drowned.
+
+"In them times white men went with colored gals and women bold. Any time
+they saw one and wanted her, she had to go with him, and his wife didn't
+say nothin' 'bout it. Not only the men, but the women went with colored
+men too. That's why so many women slave owners wouldn't marry, 'cause
+they was goin' with one of their slaves. These things that's goin' on
+now ain't new, they been happenin'. That's why I say you just as well
+leave 'em alone 'cause they gwine to do what they want to anyhow.
+
+"My marster never did whip any grown folk. He whipped chillun when they
+did anything wrong. He didn't 'low us to eat plums before breakfus, but
+all the chillun, his too, would die or do it, so every time he caught us
+he would whip us."
+
+Another ex-slave recalled that "you had to call all your marster's
+chillun marster or mistis, even the babies. You never wore enough
+clothes and you always suffered for comfort. Us warn't even 'lowed to
+have fire. If you had a fireplace in your house, it was took out and the
+place closed up. If you was ever caught with fire you was beat 'most to
+death. Many mothers died in confinement on account of takin' cold 'cause
+us couldn't have fire.
+
+"My young marster tried to go with me, and 'cause I wouldn't go with him
+he pretended I had done somethin' and beat me. I fought him back because
+he had no right to beat me for not goin' with him. His mother got mad
+with me for fightin' him back and I told her why he had beat me. Well
+then she sent me to the courthouse to be whipped for fightin' him. They
+had stocks there where most people would send their slaves to be
+whipped. These stocks was in the shape of a cross, and they would strap
+your clothes up around your waist and have nothin' but your naked part
+out to whip. They didn't care about who saw your nakedness. Anyway they
+beat me that day until I couldn't sit down. When I went to bed I had to
+lie on my stomach to sleep. After they finished whippin' me, I told them
+they needn't think they had done somethin' by strippin' me in front of
+all them folk 'cause they had also stripped their mamas and sisters. God
+had made us all, and he made us just alike.
+
+"They never carried me back home after that; they put me in the Nigger
+Trader's Office to be sold. About two days later I was sold to a man at
+McBean. When I went to his place everbody told me as soon as I got there
+how mean he was and they said his wife was still meaner. She was jealous
+of me because I was light; said she didn't know what her husband wanted
+to bring that half white nigger there for, and if he didn't get rid of
+me pretty quick she was goin' to leave. Well he didn't get rid of me and
+she left about a month after I got there. When he saw she warn't comin'
+back 'til he got rid of me, he brought me back to the Nigger Trader's
+Office.
+
+"As long as you warn't sold, your marster was 'sponsible for you, so
+whenever they put you on the market you had to praise yourself in order
+to be sold right away. If you didn't praise yourself you got a beatin'.
+I didn't stay in the market long. A dissipated woman bought me and I
+done laundry work for her and other dissipated women to pay my board
+'til freedom come. They was all very nice to me.
+
+"Whenever you was sold your folk never knowed about it 'til afterwards,
+and sometimes they never saw you again. They didn't even know who you
+was sold to or where they was carryin' you, unless you could write back
+and tell 'em.
+
+"The market was in the middle of Broad and Center Streets. They made a
+scaffold whenever they was goin' to sell anybody, and would put the
+person up on this so everybody could see him good. Then they would sell
+him to the highest bidder. Everybody wanted women who would have
+children fast. They would always ask you if you was a good breeder, and
+if so they would buy you at your word, but if you had already had too
+many chillun, they would say you warn't much good. If you hadn't ever
+had any chillun, your marster would tell 'em you was strong, healthy,
+and a fast worker. You had to have somethin' about you to be sold. Now
+sometimes, if you was a real pretty young gal, somebody would buy you
+without knowin' anythin' 'bout you, just for yourself. Before my old
+marster died, he had a pretty gal he was goin' with and he wouldn't let
+her work nowhere but in the house, and his wife nor nobody else didn't
+say nothin' 'bout it; they knowed better. She had three chillun for him
+and when he died his brother come and got the gal and the chillun.
+
+"One white lady that lived near us at McBean slipped in a colored gal's
+room and cut her baby's head clean off 'cause it belonged to her
+husband. He beat her 'bout it and started to kill her, but she begged so
+I reckon he got to feelin' sorry for her. But he kept goin' with the
+colored gal and they had more chillun.
+
+"I never will forget how my marster beat a pore old woman so she
+couldn't even get up. And 'cause she couldn't get up when he told her
+to, he hit her on the head with a long piece of iron and broke her
+skull. Then he made one of the other slaves take her to the jail. She
+suffered in jail all night, and the jailer heard her moanin' and
+groanin', so the next mornin' he made marster come and get her. He was
+so mad 'cause he had to take her out of jail that he had water pumped
+into her skull just as soon as he got back home. Then he dropped her
+down in a field and she died 'fore night. That was a sad time. You saw
+your own folk killed and couldn't say a word 'bout it; if you did you
+would be beat and sometimes killed too.
+
+"A man in callin' distance from our place had a whippin' pole. This man
+was just as mean as he could be. I know he is in hell now, and he ought
+to be. A woman on his place had twins and she warn't strong from the
+beginnin'. The day after the chillun was borned, he told her to go over
+to his house and scrub it from front to back. She went over to the house
+and scrubbed two rooms and was so sick she had to lay down on the floor
+and rest awhile. His wife told her to go on back to her house and get in
+bed but she was afraid. Finally she got up and scrubbed another room and
+while she was carryin' the water out she fainted. The mistress had some
+of the men carry her home and got another slave to finish the scrubbin'
+so the marster wouldn't beat the pore nigger. She was a good woman but
+her husband was mean as the devil. He would even beat her. When he got
+home that night he didn't say nothin' 'cause the house had been
+scrubbed, but the next mornin' one of the chillun told him about the
+woman faintin' and the other girl finishin' the scrubbin'. He got mad
+and said his wife was cloakin' for the slaves, that there was nothin'
+wrong with the woman, she was just lazy. He beat his wife, then went out
+and tied the pore colored woman to a whippin' pole and beat her
+unmerciful. He left her hangin' on the pole and went to church. When he
+got back she was dead. He had the slaves take her down and bury her in a
+box. He said that laziness had killed her and that she warn't worth the
+box she was buried in. The babies died the next day and he said he was
+glad of it 'cause they would grow up lazy just like their mother.
+
+"My marster had a barrel with nails drove in it that he would put you in
+when he couldn't think of nothin' else mean enough to do. He would put
+you in this barrel and roll it down a hill. When you got out you would
+be in a bad fix, but he didn't care. Sometimes he rolled the barrel in
+the river and drowned his slaves.
+
+"I had a brother who worked at the acadamy and every night when the
+teacher had his class he would let my brother come in. He taught him to
+read and write too. He learned to read and write real well and the
+teacher said he was the smartest one in the class. Marster passed our
+window one night and heard him readin'. The next mornin' he called him
+over to the house and fooled him into readin' and writin', told him he
+had somethin' he wanted him to do if he could read and write good
+enough. My brother read everythin' marster give him and wrote with a
+pencil and ink pen. Marster was so mad that he could read and write
+better than his own boy that he beat him, took him away from the
+academy, and put him to work in the blacksmith shop. Marster wouldn't
+let him wear no shoes in the shop 'cause he wanted the hot cinders to
+fall on his feet to punish him. When the man in charge of the shop told
+marster he wouldn't work my brother unless he had on shoes, he bought
+some brogans that he knowed he couldn't wear, and from then on he made
+him do the hardest kind of work he could think of.
+
+"My marster never whipped us himself. He had a coachman do all the
+whippin' and he stood by to see that it was done right. He whipped us
+until we was blistered and then took a cat-o-nine-tails and busted the
+blisters. After that he would throw salty water on the raw places. I
+mean it almost gave you spasms. Whenever they sent you to the courthouse
+to be whipped the jail keeper's daughter give you a kick after they put
+you in the stocks. She kicked me once and when they took me out I sho
+did beat her. I scratched her everwhere I could and I knowed they would
+beat me again, but I didn't care so long as I had fixed her."
+
+One ex-slave "belonged to an old lady who was a widow. This lady was
+very good to me. Of course most people said it was 'cause her son was my
+father. But she was just good to all of us. She did keep me in the house
+with her. She knowed I was her son's child all right. When I married, I
+still stayed with my mistress 'til she died. My husband stayed with his
+marster in the day time and would come and stay with me at night.
+
+"When my mistress died I had to be sold. My husband told me to ask his
+marster to buy me. He didn't want me to belong to him because I would
+have to work real hard and I hadn't been use to no hard work, but he was
+so afraid somebody would buy me and carry me somewhere way off, 'til he
+decided it was best for his marster to buy me. So his marster bought me
+and give me and my husband to his son. I kept house and washed for his
+son as long as he was single. When he married his wife changed me from
+the house and put me in the field and she put one of the slaves her
+mother give her when she married, in the kitchen. My marster's wife was
+very mean to all of us. She didn't like me at all. She sold my oldest
+child to somebody where I couldn't ever see him any more and kept me.
+She just did that to hurt me. She took my baby child and put her in the
+house with her to nurse her baby and make fire. And all while she was in
+the house with her she had to sleep on the floor.
+
+"Whenever she got mad with us she would take the cow hide, that's what
+she whipped us with, and whip us 'til the blood ran down. Her house
+was high off the ground and one night the calf went under the house
+and made water. The next morning she saw it, so she took two of my
+sister-in-law's chillun and carried 'em in the kitchen and tied 'em. She
+did this while her husband was gone. You see if he had been there he
+wouldn't have let her done that. She took herself a chair and sit down
+and made one of the slaves she brought there with her whip those chillun
+so 'til all of the slaves on the place was cryin'. One of the slaves run
+all the way where our marster was and got him. He come back as quick as
+he could and tried to make her open the door, but she wouldn't do it so
+he had to break the door in to make her stop whippin' them chillun. The
+chillun couldn't even cry when he got there. And when he asked her what
+she was whippin' them for she told him that they had went under the
+house and made that water. My master had two of the men to take 'em over
+to our house, but they was small and neither one ever got over that
+whippin'. One died two days later and the other one died about a month
+afterwards. Everybody hated her after that.
+
+"Just before freedom declared, my husband took very sick and she took
+her husband and come to my house to make him get up. I told her that he
+was not able to work, but my husband was so scared they would beat me to
+death 'til he begged me to hush. I expect marster would have if he
+hadn't been scared of his father. You see his father give me to him. He
+told me if the legislature set in his behalf he would make me know a
+nigger's place. You know it was near freedom. I told him if he made my
+husband get out of bed as sick as he was and go to work, I would tell
+his father if he killed me afterwards. And that's one time I was goin'
+to fight with 'em. I never was scared of none of 'em, so I told 'em if
+they touched my husband they wouldn't touch nothin' else. They wouldn't
+give us nothin' to eat that whole day.
+
+"Course we never did have much to eat. At night they would give us a
+teacup of meal and a slice of bacon a piece for breakfus' the next
+mornin'. If you had chillun they would give you a teacup of meal for two
+chillun. By day light the next mornin' the overseer was at your house to
+see if you was out, and if you hadn't cooked and eat and got out of that
+house he would take that bull whip, and whip you nearly to death. He
+carried that bull whip with him everywhere he went.
+
+"Those folks killed one of my husband's brothers. He was kind of
+crack-brained, and 'cause he was half crazy, they beat him all the time.
+The last time they beat him we was in the field and this overseer beat
+him with that bull hide all across the head and everywhere. He beat him
+until he fell down on his knees and couldn't even say a word. And do you
+know he wouldn't even let a one of us go to see about him. He stayed
+stretched out in the the field 'til us went home. The next mornin' he
+was found dead right where he had beat him that evenin'.
+
+"'Bout two or three weeks later than that they told one of the slaves
+they was goin' to beat him after we quit work that evenin'. His name was
+Josh.
+
+"When the overseer went to the other end of the field Josh dropped his
+hoe and walked off. Nobody saw him anymore for about three weeks. He was
+the best hand us had and us sho' did need him. Our master went
+everywhere he could think of, lookin' for Josh, but he couldn't find him
+and we was glad of it. After he looked and looked and couldn't find him
+he told all of us to tell Josh to come back if we knowed where he was.
+He said if Josh would come back he wouldn't whip him, wouldn't let the
+overseer whip him. My husband knowed where he was but he warn't goin' to
+tell nobody. Josh would come to our house every night and us would give
+him some of what us had for dinner and supper. Us always saved it for
+him. Us would eat breakfus' at our house, but all of us et dinner and
+supper at the mess house together. Everyday when I et dinner and supper
+I would take a part of mine and my husband would take a part of his and
+us would carry it to our house for pore Josh. 'Bout 'leven o'clock at
+night, when everybody was sleep, Josh would come to the side window and
+get what us had for him. It's really a shame the way that pore man had
+to hide about just to keep from bein' beat to death 'bout nothin'. Josh
+said the first day he left he went in the woods and looked and looked
+for a place to hide. Later he saw a tree that the wind had blowed the
+top off and left 'bout ten feet standin'. This was rather a big tree and
+all of the insides had rotted out. I reckon you have seen trees like
+that. Well that's the way this one was. So Josh climbed up this tree and
+got down inside of it. He didn't know there was nothin' down in that
+tree, but there was some little baby bears in there. Then there he was
+down there with no way to come out, and knowin' all the time that the
+mama bear was comin' back. So he thought and thought and thought. After
+while he thought 'bout a knife he had in his pocket. You see he couldn't
+climb out of the tree, it was too tall. When he heard the bear climbin'
+up the tree he opened his knife. Have you ever seen a bear comin' down a
+tree? Well he comes down backwards. So when this bear started down
+inside of the tree he went down backwards, and Josh had his knife open
+and just caught him by the tail and begin stickin' him with the knife.
+That's the way Josh got out of that tree. When he stuck the bear with
+the knife the bear went back up the tree, and that pulled Josh up. And
+when the bear got to the top of the tree Josh caught a hold of the tree
+and pulled himself on out, but the bear fell and broke his neck. Well
+Josh had to find him somewhere else to hide. In them times there was big
+caves in the woods, not only the woods but all over the country, and
+that's where pore Josh hid all while he was away. Josh stayed there in
+that cave a long time then he come on back home. He didn't get a
+whippin' either."
+
+Childhood memories were recalled by an old woman who said: "When I was
+about nine years old, for about six months, I slept on a crocus bag
+sheet in order to get up and nurse the babies when they cried. Do you
+see this finger? You wonder why its broke? Well one night the babies
+cried and I didn't wake up right away to 'tend to 'em and my mistess
+jumped out of bed, grabbed the piece of iron that was used to push up
+the fire and began beatin' me with it. That's the night this finger got
+broke, she hit me on it. I have two more fingers she broke beatin' me at
+diff'unt times. She made me break this leg too. You see they would put
+the women in stocks and beat 'em whenever they done somethin' wrong.
+That's the way my leg was broke. You see us had to call all of our
+marster's chillun 'mistess' or 'marster.' One day I forgot to call one
+of my young mistesses, 'miss.' She was about eight or nine months old.
+My mistess heard me and put me in a stock and beat me. While she was
+beatin' me, I turned my leg by some means and broke it. Don't you think
+she quit beatin' me 'cause I had broke my leg. No, that made no
+diff'unce to her. That's been years ago, but it still worries me now.
+Now other times when you called your marster's chillun by their names,
+they would strip you and let the child beat you. It didn't matter
+whether the child was large or small, and they always beat you 'til the
+blood ran down.
+
+"Have you ever slept in the grave yard? I know you haven't but I have.
+Many a time when I was told that I was goin' to get a beatin', I would
+hide away in the cemetery where I stayed all night layin' in gullies
+between graves prayin'. All night long I could see little lights runnin'
+all over the grave yard, and I could see ha'nts, and hear 'em sayin'
+'Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh,' which meant they were pityin' my case.
+
+"When they whipped the men, all their clothes was took off, their hands
+was fastened together and then they wound 'em up in the air to a post
+and tied their feet to the bottom of the post. They would begin whippin'
+'em at sundown, and sometimes they would be whippin' 'em as late as
+'leven o'clock at night. You could hear 'em cryin' and prayin' a long
+ways off. When they prayed for the Lord to have mercy, their marster
+would cuss the Lord and tell 'em they better not call his name again."
+
+The whipping pole, as described by Lizzie, was a long post several feet
+in diameter to which was attached a long rope through a pulley. On one
+end was a device, similiar to the modern handcuff--the other end was
+used to draw the hand to an upward position, thereby, rendering the
+individual helpless. At the base of the pole was a clamp like instrument
+which held the feet in a motionless position.
+
+Roy Redfield recalls going to the courthouse and seeing the older slaves
+whipped. "When I would go there with my young marster I would see 'em
+whippin' the slaves. You see they had stocks there then, and they
+wouldn't put you in jail like they do now. Your marster or mistess would
+send you to the courthouse with a note and they would put you in them
+stocks and beat you, then they would give you a note and send you back.
+They never did beat me, if they had my old mistess would have raised
+sand with 'em. Whenever I was whipped my mother did it. I warn't no
+slave and my ma neither, but my pa was.
+
+"When they whipped you they would strap you down in them stocks, then a
+man would wind the whippin' machine and beat you 'til they had given you
+the number of lashes your boss had on the note. I didn't see them
+whippin' any women there, so I can't say they did and I can't say they
+didn't.
+
+"My master wouldn't let us go to school, but his chillun would slip
+'round and teach us what they could out of their books. They would also
+give us books to read. Whenever their pa or ma caught them tryin' to
+teach us they always whipped them. I learned to read and write from 'em
+and I'll never forget how hard it was for 'em to get a chance to teach
+me. But if they caught you tryin' to write they would cut your finger
+off and if they caught you again they would cut your head off.
+
+"When I was a young man, a old man stole the head and pluck (pluck is
+the liver and lites) out of the hog (some people call it the haslet) and
+hid it up in the loft of his house. When his marster missed it he went
+to this man's house lookin' for it. The man told him that he didn't have
+it. He had already told his wife if his marster come not to own it
+either. Well his master kept askin' him over and over 'bout the head and
+pluck, but they denied having it. The marster told 'em if they didn't
+give it to him and that quick he was goin' to give 'em a thousand lashes
+each, if less didn't kill 'em. This woman's husband told her not to own
+it. He told her to take three thousand lashes and don't own it. So their
+marster whipped her and whipped her, but she wouldn't own it. Finally he
+quit whippin' her and started whippin' the old man. Just as soon as he
+started whippin' the man he told his wife to go up in the loft of the
+house and throw the head and pluck down 'cause he didn't want it.
+
+"You always had to get a pass when goin' out. Sometimes, when you
+wouldn't be thinking, a patter roller would step up to the door and ask
+who was there. If any visitor was there they would ask 'em to show their
+pass. If you didn't have a pass they would take you out and beat you,
+then make you go home and when you got home, your marster would take you
+to the barn, strip you buck naked, tie you to a post and beat you. Us
+didn't have to get passes whenever us wanted to go visitin'. All us had
+to do was tell 'em who us belonged to, and they always let us by. They
+knowed our marster would let us go 'thout passes.
+
+"Us used to go to barn dances all the time. I never will forget the
+fellow who played the fiddle for them dances. He had run away from his
+marster seven years before. He lived in a cave he had dug in the ground.
+He stayed in this cave all day and would come out at night. This cave
+was in the swamp. He stole just 'bout everythin' he et. His marster had
+been tryin' to catch him for a long time. Well they found out he was
+playin' for these dances and one night us saw some strange lookin' men
+come in but us didn't pay it much 'tention. Us always made a big oak
+fire and thats where us got mos' of our light from. Well these men
+danced with the girls a good while and after a while they started goin'
+out one by one. Way after while they all came back in together, they had
+washed the blackenin' off their faces, and us seen they was white. This
+man had a song he would always sing. 'Fooled my marster seven
+years--expect to fool him seven more.' So when these men came in they
+went to him and told him maybe he had fooled 'em for seven years, but he
+wouldn't fool 'em seven more. When they started to grab him he just
+reached in the fire and got a piece of wood that was burnin' good on one
+end and waved it all around (in a circle) until he set three of 'em on
+fire. While they was puttin' this fire out he run out in the swamp and
+back in his cave. They tried to catch him again. They painted their
+faces and done just like they did the first time, but this time they
+carried pistols. When they pulled their pistols on him he did just like
+he did the first time, and they never did catch him. He stopped comin'
+to play for the dances after they was straight after him. Dogs couldn't
+trail him 'cause he kept his feet rubbed with onions.
+
+"I have seen some marsters make their slaves walk in snow knee deep,
+barefooted. Their heels would be cracked open jus' like corn bread.
+
+"The only real mean thing they did to us when I was young was to sell my
+father when our marster died. They sold him to somebody way off, and
+they promised to bring him back to see us, but they never did. We always
+wished he would come, but until this day us hasn't laid eyes on him
+again. My mother worried 'bout him 'til she died.
+
+"Chillun didn't know what shoes was 'til they was 'bout fifteen years
+old. They would go a mile or a mile and a half in the snow for water
+anytime, and the only thin' they ever had on their feet would be
+somethin' made out of home-spun. You don't hardly hear of chilblain feet
+now, but then most every child you saw had cracked heels. The first pair
+of shoes I ever wore, I was sixteen years old, was too small for me and
+I pulled 'em off and throwed 'em in the fire."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. #2
+Ex. Slave #99]
+
+SLAVERY
+by
+RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD
+
+COMPILATION MADE FROM
+INTERVIEWS WITH 30 SLAVES
+AND INFORMATION FROM SLAVERY
+LAWS AND OLD NEWSPAPER FILES
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+SLAVERY
+
+The ex-slaves interviewed ranged in ages from 75 to 100 years old. Out
+of about thirty-five negroes contacted only two seemed to feel bitter
+over memories of slave days. All the others spoke with much feeling and
+gratitude of the good old days when they were so well cared for by their
+masters. Without exception the manners of these old men and women were
+gentle and courteous. The younger ones could pass on to us only
+traditional memories of slavery times, as given them by their parents;
+on some points a few were vague, while others could give clear-cut and
+vivid pictures.
+
+Practically all the Negroes interviewed seemed to be of pure African
+blood, with black or dark brown skin, Negroid features, and kinky,
+tightly wrapped wool. Most of the women were small and thin. We found
+one who had a strain of Indian blood, a woman named Mary, who belonged
+to John Roof. Her grandfather was an Indian, and her grandmother was
+part Indian, having migrated into South Carolina from Virginia.
+
+Sarah Ray, who was born on the Curtis Lowe place in McDuffie County was
+one of the few ex-slaves contacted, who was admittedly half-white.
+Although now wrinkled and weazened with age she has no definite Negroid
+features. Her eyes are light hazel and her hair fluffs about her face in
+soft ringlets instead of the tight kinks of the pure Negro.
+
+"My father was a white man, de overseer," said Sarah. "Leastways, dey
+laid me to him."
+
+Sarah was brought up like the Negro children on the plantation. She had
+no hard work to do. Her mother was a field hand, and they lived in a
+little house in the quarters. "De ve'y fust thing I kin remember is
+ridin' down de road in de ox cart wid my mammy," she said. "Ole man Eli
+wus drivin'. We wus goin' to Miss Meg's on de odder side o' Hart's
+Branch. Marster had give us to Miss Meg when she married Mr. Obediah
+Cloud."
+
+
+HOUSING CONDITIONS
+
+The slave houses were called "quarters," which consisted generally of a
+double row of houses facing each other in a grove of trees behind the
+"big house." On prosperous plantations each of these cabins had a garden
+plot and a chicken yard. Some of them were built of logs, but many were
+of planks. Most of them were large, one-room, unceiled, with open
+fireplaces at one end for cooking. When families grew too large a shed
+room would be "drap down on de back." Another type of slave cabin was
+called the "Double-pen" house. This was a large two-room cabin, with a
+chimney between the two rooms, and accommodating two families. On the
+more prosperous plantations the slave quarters were white-washed at
+intervals.
+
+On plantations housing arrangements were left entirely to the discretion
+of the owner, but in the cities strict rules were made. Among the
+ordinances of the City Council of Augusta, dated from August 10th,
+1820-July 8, 1829, Section 14, is the following law concerning the
+housing of slaves:
+
+"No person of color shall occupy any house but that of some white person
+by whom he or she is owned or hired without a license from the City
+Council. If this license is required application must first be made for
+permission to take it out. If granted the applicant shall give bond with
+approved security, not exceeding the sum of $100.00 for his or her good
+behavior. On execution of charge the Clerk shall issue the license. Any
+person renting a house, or tenament contrary to this section or
+permitting the occupancy of one, may be fined in a sum not exceeding
+$50.00."
+
+Descriptions were given of housing conditions by quite a number of
+slaves interviewed. Fannie Fulcher, who was a slave on Dr. Balding
+Miller's plantation in Burke County described the slave quarters thus:
+"Houses wus built in rows, one on dat side, one on dis side--open space
+in de middle, and de overseer's house at de end, wid a wide hall right
+through it. (Fannie was evidently referring to the breezeway or dogtrot,
+down the middle of many small plantation houses). We cook on de
+fireplace in de house. We used to have pots hanging right up in de
+chimbley. When dere wus lots of chillun it wus crowded. But sometimes
+dey took some of 'em to de house for house girls. Some slep' on de flo'
+and some on de bed. Two-three houses had shed rooms at de back. Dey had
+a patch sometime. My father, he used to have a patch. He clean it up
+hisself at night in de swamp."
+
+Susie Brown, of the Evans Plantation on Little River in Columbia County
+said, in describing the Quarters, "Dey look like dis street." She
+indicated the unpaved street with its rows of unpainted shacks. "Some of
+dem wus plank houses and some wus log houses, two rooms and a shed room.
+And we had good beds, too--high tester beds wid good corn shuck and hay
+mattresses."
+
+On the plantation of John Roof the slave cabins were of logs. Large
+families had two or three rooms; smaller ones one or two rooms.
+
+Susannah Wyman, who was a slave on the Starling Freeman place near Troy,
+S.C. said, "Our houses wus made outer logs. We didn't have nothin' much
+nohow, but my mammy she had plenty o' room fer her chillun. We didn't
+sleep on de flo', we had bed. De people in de plantachun all had bed."
+
+Others described mattresses made of straw and corn shucks. Another said,
+"Yas'm, we had good cotton mattresses. Marster let us go to de gin house
+and git all de cotton we need."
+
+Another described the sleeping conditions thus, "Chillun pretty much
+slep' on de flo' and old folks had beds. Dey wus made out o' boards
+nailed togedder wid a rope strung across it instead o' springs, and a
+cotton mattress across it."
+
+
+FOOD
+
+Many of the Negroes with whom we talked looked back on those days of
+plenty with longing. Rations of meal, bacon and syrup were given out
+once a week by the overseer. Vegetables, eggs and chickens raised in the
+little plots back of the cabins were added to these staples.
+
+Ellen Campbell, who was owned by Mr. William Eve of Richmond County
+said, "My boss would feed 'em good. He was killin' hogs stidy fum
+Jinuary to March. He had two smokehouses. Dere wus four cows. At night
+de folks on one side de row o' cabins go wid de piggins fer milk, and in
+de mawnin's, dose on de odder side go fer de piggins o' milk."
+
+"And did you have plenty of other good things to eat?" we asked.
+
+"Law, yas'm. Rations wus give out to de slaves; meal, meat, and jugs o'
+syrup. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de
+gyarden patch and chickens. Marster buy eggs and chickens fum us at
+market prices."
+
+Another slave told us that when the slaves got hungry before dinner time
+they would ask the nursing mothers to bring them back hoe-cake when they
+went to nurse the babies. Those hot hoe-cakes were eaten in mid-morning,
+"to hold us till dinner-time."
+
+On one plantation where the mother was the cook for the owner, her
+children were fed from the big kitchen.
+
+A piece of iron crossed the fireplace, and the pots hung down on hooks.
+"Us cooked corn dodgers," one ex-slave recalled, "the hearth would be
+swept clean, the ash cakes wrapped up into corn shucks and cooked brown.
+They sure was good!"
+
+
+TYPES OF WORK
+
+The large plantations were really industrial centers in which almost
+everything necessary to the life of the white family and the large
+retinue of slaves was grown or manufactured. On estates where there were
+many slaves there were always trained blacksmiths, coopers, carpenters,
+tanners, shoemakers, seamstresses, laundresses, weavers, spinners, cooks
+and house servants; all employed in the interest of the community life
+of the plantation. Those who could not learn to do any of this skilled
+work were turned into the fields and called, "hands". Both men and women
+were employed in the fields where cotton, corn, rice and tobacco were
+cultivated. House servants ware always considered superior to field
+hands.
+
+Melinda Mitchell, who was born a slave in Edgefield, S.C., said, "My
+family wasn't fiel' hands. We wus all house servants. My father wus de
+butler, and he weighed out de rations fer de slaves. My mammy wus de
+house 'oman and her mother and sister wus de cooks. Marster wouldn't
+sell none of his slaves, and when he wanted to buy one he'd buy de whole
+fambly to keep fum havin' 'em separated."
+
+At an early age Melinda and her younger sister were given to the two
+young ladies of the house as their personal maids. "I wus given to Miss
+Nettie," Melinda said, "Our young Mistresses visited, too, and wherever
+dey went my sister and me went erlong. My own mammy took long trips with
+ole Mistis to de Blue Ridge Mountains and sometimes over de big water."
+
+Susannah Wyman of the Starling Freeman plantation in South Carolina
+said, "The house servants wuz trained to cook, clean up, de man wuz
+trained to make shoes. I don't think us had carpenters. I toted water in
+de field, hoed some. I wuz quite young. I spun but I didn't weave. Dere
+wuz a lady dey had on de place did de weavin'. I had many a striped
+dress woven on dat big loom and dey wuz pretty, too."
+
+Susie Brown, who used to live on the Evans plantation on Little River in
+Columbia County was too little to do any hard work during slavery times.
+"I jus' stayed at home and 'tend de baby," she said. "But my mother was
+a cook and my father a blacksmith."
+
+Mary's mother was a plantation weaver. "Mistis would cut out dresses out
+of homespun. We had purple dyed checks. They was pretty. I had to sew
+seams. Marster had to buy shoes for us, he give us good-soled ones."
+
+Easter Jones, who had only bitter memories of the slavery period said,
+"Sometimes we eben had to pull fodder on Sunday. But what I used to hate
+worse'n anything was wipin' dishes. Dey'd make me take de dish out de
+scaldin' water, den if I drap it dey whip me. Dey whip you so hard your
+back bleed, den dey pour salt and water on it. And your shirt stick to
+your back, and you hadder get somebody to grease it 'fore you kin take
+it off."
+
+Ellen Campbell, who used to belong to Mr. William Eve said she did only
+simple jobs about the plantation in childhood, "When I was 'bout ten
+years old dey started me totin' water--you know ca'yin' water to de
+hands in de field. 'Bout two years later I got my first field job
+'tending sheep. When I wus fifteen year old Missus gib me to Miss Eva,
+you know she de one marry Colonel Jones. My young Mistus was fixin' to
+git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she brought me to
+town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house. De rent wus
+paid to my Mistus. One day I was takin' a tray from de out-door kitchen
+to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food spill all over de
+ground. Da lady got so mad she picked up de butcher knife and chop me in
+de haid. I went runnin' till I come to da place where mah white folks
+live. Miss Eva took me and wash de blood out mah head and put medicine
+on it, and she wrote a note to de lady and she say, 'Ellen is my slave,
+give to me by my mother. I wouldn't had dis happen to her no more dan to
+me. She won't come back dere no more.'"
+
+Willis Bennefield, who was a slave on Dr. Balding Miller's plantation in
+Burke County, said, "I wuk in de fiel' and I drove him 30 years. He was
+a doctor. He had a ca'iage and a buggy, too. My father driv de ca'iage.
+I driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed and had to hitch
+up my horse and go five or six miles. He had regular saddle horses, two
+pair o' horses fer de ca'iage. He was a rich man--riches' man in Burke
+County--had three hundred slaves. He made his money on de plantachuns,
+not doctorin'."
+
+Fannie Fulcher, who was also one of Dr. Miller's slaves, and Willis
+Bennefield's sister gives this account of the slaves' work in earning
+extra money. "De marster give 'em ev'y day work clothes, but dey bought
+de res' deyselves. Some raise pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, all sich
+things like dat in dey patches; sell 'em to different stores. Jus' like
+somebody want ground clear up, dey git big torches fer light, clean up
+de new groun' at night, dat money b'long to dem. I year my mother and
+father say de slaves made baskets and quilts and things and sell 'em for
+they-selves."
+
+
+EDUCATION
+
+The following appears in the Statue Laws of Georgia for 1845 concerning
+educating negroes, under Section II, Minor Offences.
+
+ "Punishment for teaching slaves or free persons of color to
+ read. If any slave, negro, or free person of color, or any
+ white person, shall teach any other slave, negro or free
+ person of color, to read or write either written or printed
+ characters, the said free person of color or slave shall be
+ punished by fine and whipping, or fine or whipping, at the
+ direction of the court."
+
+Among the ordinances passed by the City of Augusta, effective between
+August 10th, 1820 and July 8th, 1829, was the following concerning the
+teaching of negroes:
+
+ "No person shall teach a negro or person of color to read or
+ cause any one to be taught within the limits of the City, nor
+ shall any person suffer a school for the instruction of
+ negroes, or persons of color to be kept on his or her lot."
+
+None of the ex-slaves whom we interviewed could either read or write.
+Old Willis Bennefield, who used to accompany his young master to school,
+said he "larned something then. I got way up in my A B Cs, but atter I
+got to thinkin' 'bout gals I fergit all 'bout dat."
+
+Another slave said, "We had a school on our plantation and a Negro
+teacher named, Mathis, but they couldn't make me learn nothin'. I sure
+is sorry now."
+
+Easter Jones, who was once a slave of Lawyer Bennet, on a plantation
+about ten miles from Waynesboro, said, when we asked if she had been to
+school, "Chillun didn't know whut a book wus in dem days--dey didn't
+teach 'em nothin' but wuk. Dey didn' learn me nothin' but to churn and
+clean up house, and 'tend to dat boy and spin and cyard de roll."
+
+
+RELIGION
+
+Most of the ex-slaves interviewed received their early religious
+training in the churches of their masters. Many churches which have
+slave sections in this district are still standing. Sometimes the slaves
+sat in pews partitioned off at the back of the church, and sometimes
+there was a gallery with a side entrance.
+
+The old Bath Presbyterian Church had a gallery and private entrance of
+this kind. Sunday Schools were often conducted for the slaves on the
+plantation.
+
+Among the ordinances passed by the City of Augusta, February 7, 1862,
+was section forty-seven, which concerned negro preaching and teaching:
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall be allowed to preach,
+ exhort or teach, in any meeting of slaves or free persons of
+ color, for public worship or religious instruction in this
+ city, but except at funerals or sitting up with the dead,
+ without a license in writing from the Inferior Court of
+ Richmond County, and Mayor of the City, regularly granted
+ under the Act of the General Assembly of this State, passed
+ on the 23rd day of December, 1843.
+
+ "No colored preacher residing out of the County of Richmond,
+ shall preach, exhort, or teach, until he has produced his
+ license granted under the Act aforesaid, and had the same
+ countersigned by the Mayor of this City, or in his absence
+ by two members of Council.
+
+ "Persons qualified as aforesaid, may hold meetings in this city
+ for the purpose aforesaid, at any time during the Sabbath day,
+ and on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. No other meetings
+ of slaves or free persons of color for religious purposes shall
+ be held, except by permission of Council.
+
+ "No meeting of slaves or free persons of color for the purpose
+ aforesaid, shall continue at any time later than 10:30 at
+ night, and all such meetings shall be superintended by one or
+ more citizens, appointed by the ministers in charge of their
+ respective denominations, and approved by the Mayor. All slaves
+ or free persons of color attending such meetings, after that
+ hour, shall be arrested, and punished, under the Section,
+ whether with or without tickets from their owners; and all such
+ persons returning from such meetings after the ringing of the
+ Market Bell, without tickets, shall be arrested and punished
+ as in other cases.
+
+ "Every offense against this section shall be punished by
+ whipping, not exceeding 39 lashes, or fined not exceeding
+ $50.00."
+
+Harriet White, who told us some of her father's slavery experiences
+said, "Yas'm, dey let'em go to chu'ch, but de colored folks hadder sit
+behind a boarded up place, so dey hadder stretch dey neck to see de
+preacher, and den day hadder jine de Master's chu'ch--de Methodis'
+Chu'ch. De spirit done tole my father to jine da Baptis' Chu'ch--dat de
+right t'ing, but he hadder jine de Methodis', 'cause his Master was
+Methodis'. But when he come to Augusta he wus baptise in de river. He
+say he gwine ca'y God's point."
+
+We asked Ellen Campbell of the Eve Plantation in Richmond County about
+church going. She replied, "Yas'm, we used to go to town. But de
+Padderolas wus ridin' in dem days, and you couldn' go off de plantachun
+widout a pass. So my boss he built a brick chu'ch on de plantachun, and
+de D'Laigles built a chu'ch on dere's."
+
+Susie Brown, who was a slave on the Evans Plantation in Columbia County,
+said, in speaking of her mother getting religion, "My Maw and Paw wasn't
+married till after freedom. When my Maw got 'ligion dey wouldn' let her
+be baptise till she was married." She stated that her mother had seven
+children then. Aunt Susie had had eight children herself, but her
+husband was now dead. When asked why she didn't get married again, she
+replied, "Whut I wanner git married fer? I ain' able to wuk fer myself
+let alone a man!"
+
+Augustus Burden, who was born a slave on General Walker's plantation at
+Windsor Springs, Ga., said, "We had no churches on our place. We went to
+the white people's church at Hale's Gate. Then after they stopped the
+colored people going there to church, they had their little meetings
+right at home. We had one preacher, a real fine preacher, named Ned
+Walker, who was my uncle by marriage."
+
+Fannie Fulcher, a former slave on Dr. Miller's plantation in Burke
+County, gave this unique account of the slave children's early religious
+trainings: "Dey had a ole lady stay in de quarters who tuk care o' de
+chillun whilst de mother wus in de fiel'. Den dey met at her house at
+dark, and a man name, Hickman, had prayers. Dey all kneel down. Den de
+chillun couln' talk till dey got home--if you talk you git a whippin'
+frum de ole lady nex' night. Ole granny whip 'em."
+
+Fannie said the slaves went to the "white folks church," and that "white
+folks baptise 'em at Farmer's Bridge or Rock Creek." A white preacher
+also married the slaves.
+
+
+DISCIPLINE
+
+In 1757 the Patrol System was organized. This was done as a result of
+continual threats of uprisings among the slaves. All white male citizens
+living in each district, between the ages of 16 and 45 were eligible for
+this service. The better class of people paid fines to avoid this duty.
+Members of the patrol group could commit no violence, but had power to
+search Negro houses and premises, and break up illegal gatherings. They
+were on duty from nine at night until dawn.
+
+By 1845 there were many laws on the Statute books of Georgia concerning
+the duties of patrols. The justice of the peace in each captain's
+district of the state was empowered to decide who was eligible to patrol
+duty and to appoint the patrol. Every member of the patrol was required
+to carry a pistol while on duty. They were required to arrest all slaves
+found outside their master's domain without a pass, or who was not in
+company with some white person. He was empowered to whip such slave with
+twenty lashes. He also had power to search for offensive weapons and
+fugitive slaves. Every time a person evaded patrol duty he was required
+to pay the sum of five dollars fine.
+
+The entire life of the slave was hedged about with rules and
+regulations. Beside those passed by individual masters for their own
+plantations there were many city and state laws. Severe punishment, such
+as whipping on the bare skin, was the exception rather than the rule,
+though some slaves have told of treatment that was actually inhuman.
+
+In 1845 the following laws had been passed in Georgia, the violation of
+which brought the death penalty:
+
+ "Capital crimes when punished with death: The following shall
+ be considered as capital offenses, when committed by a slave or
+ free person of color: insurrection or an attempt to excite it;
+ committing a rape, or attempting it on a free white female;
+ murder of a free white person, or murder of a slave or free
+ person of color, or poisoning a human being; every and each of
+ these offenses shall, on conviction, be punished with death."
+
+There were severe punishments for a slave striking a white person,
+burning or attempting to burn a house, for circulating documents to
+incite insurrection, conspiracy or resistance of slaves. It was against
+the law for slaves to harbor other fugitive slaves, to preach without a
+license, or to kill or brand cattle without instructions.
+
+In Section Forty-Five of the Ordinances of the City of Augusta, passed
+on Feb. 7, 1862, were the following restrictions:
+
+ "Any slave or free person of color found riding or driving
+ about the city, not having a written pass from his or her
+ owner, hirer, or guardian, expressing the date of such pass,
+ the name of the negro to whom it is given, the place or places
+ to which he or she is going, how long he or she is to be
+ absent, and in the case of a slave, that such slave is in the
+ services of the person before the Recorder's Court by which he
+ or she shall be tried, and on conviction shall be punished by
+ whipping not to exceed 39 lashes.
+
+ "No slave or free person of color, other than Ministers of the
+ Gospel, having charge of churches, in the discharge of their
+ duties, and funeral processions, shall be allowed to ride or
+ drive within the limits of the city, on the Sabbath, without
+ written permission from his or her owner, or employer, stating
+ that such slave or free parson of color is on business of such
+ owners or employer.
+
+ "Every slave or free person of color not excepted as aforesaid,
+ who shall be found riding or driving in the city on the
+ Sabbath, without such permission from his or her owner or
+ employer shall be arrested and taken to Recorder's Court; and
+ if such slave or free person of color was actually engaged in
+ the business of said owner or employer, the said slave or free
+ person of color shall be convicted and punished by whipping,
+ not to exceed 39 lashes, which punishment in no case be
+ commuted by a fine.
+
+ "It shall be the duty of the officer making the arrest of such
+ slave or free person of color as aforesaid, to take into his
+ possession the horse or horse and vehicle, or horses and
+ vehicles, so used by such slave or free person of color, which
+ property may be redeemed by the owner, if white, upon the
+ payment of $10.00, and if the owner of such property is a slave
+ or free person of color, he or she shall be punished by
+ whipping not less than 15 lashes."
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall be allowed to attend
+ military parades, or any procession of citizens, or at the
+ markethouse on public sale days under the penalty of receiving
+ not exceeding 15 lashes, for each and every offense, to be
+ inflicted by the Chief of Police, Captain or any lieutenant;
+ provided no person shall be prevented from having the
+ attendance of his own servant on such occasions."
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall walk with a cane, club,
+ or stick, except such slave or free person of color be blind or
+ infirm; nor smoke a pipe or cigar in any street, lane, alley or
+ other public place, under a penalty of not exceeding 25 lashes,
+ to be inflicted by any officer of the City, by order of the
+ Recorder's Court."
+
+
+SECTION FORTY-THIRD
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall play upon any
+ instrument of music after sunset, without permission from the
+ mayor or two members of Council, unless employed in the house
+ of some citizen. No slave or free person of color shall be
+ absent from his or her house 15 minutes after the bell shall
+ have been rung, without a sufficient pass, under the penalty
+ of 25 lashes, to be inflicted by the Chief of Police, or any
+ officer of the City, and be confined in the Guard-Room for
+ further examination, if found under suspicious circumstances.
+ No slave or person of color shall keep lights in the house
+ which they occupy after 10:00 at night, unless in case of
+ necessity."
+
+
+SECTION FORTY-FOUR
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall in the streets or
+ alleys, fight, quarrel, riot, or otherwise, act in a disorderly
+ manner, under the penalty of chastisement by any officer of the
+ city, not exceeding 25 lashes, and in all cases of conviction
+ before the Recorder's Court, he or she shall be punished by
+ whipping, not exceeding 75 lashes.
+
+ "No slave or free person of color, shall be allowed to keep a
+ shop or shops for the sale of beer, cake, fruit, soda water, or
+ any similar articles on their own account or for the benefit
+ of any other person whomsoever. Any slave or slaves, or free
+ person of color, found keeping a shop and selling, bartering,
+ or trading in any way, shall be taken up and punished by
+ whipping, with not more than 30 lashes for each and every
+ offense, and shall stand committed until the officer's fees
+ are paid."
+
+Most of the slaves interviewed were too young during the slavery period
+to have experienced any of the more cruel punishments, though some
+remembered hearing tales of brutal beatings. Most of the punishments
+inflicted were mild chastisements or restrictions.
+
+Susie Brown, who was a slave on the Evans' plantation on Little River in
+Columbia, said, "My Marster wus good to me, good as he could be--only
+thing he whup me fer wus usin' snuff. And when he go to whup me, Mistis
+beg him to stop, and he only gib me a lick or two. And if Mistis try to
+whup me, he make her stop. No, dey didn't had to do much whuppin'. Dey
+wus good to de hand." When asked about her overseer she replied, "Dere
+wus a overseer, but I disremember his name."
+
+Most of these old ex-slaves' recollections had to do with the
+"Patterolas", as the Patrol was called. One of them said about the
+Patrol, "Oh yes, ma'm, I seed da Patterolas, but I never heard no song
+about 'em. Dey wus all white mens. Jus' like now you want to go off your
+Marster's place to another man's place, you had to get a pass from your
+boss man. If you didn't have dat pass, de Patterolas would whip you."
+
+A woman who lived on the Roof plantation said, "I worked under four
+overseers, one of 'em was mean, and he had a big deep voice. When the
+niggers was at the feed lot, the place where they carried the dinner
+they brought to the fields, he would hardly give 'em time to eat before
+he hollered out, 'Git up and go back to work!'"
+
+She also said that Mars. Thomas, the red-haired young master, was mean
+about slaves over-staying pass time. "If they want off and stayed too
+long, when they came back, he'd strip them stark, mother nekked, tie 'em
+to a tree, and whip 'em good. But old Marster, he didn't believe in
+whipping. It was different when the boys took possession after he died."
+
+Very few slaves ran away, but when they did the master hunted them with
+dogs.
+
+When Carrie Lewis, who belonged to Captain Ward, was asked if the slaves
+were ever whipped on their plantation, she replied, "No ma'm, de Marster
+say to de overseer, 'If you whup dem, I whup you.' No ma'm, he wouldn't
+keep a overseer dat wus mean to us--Cap'n Ward wus good to us. He
+wouldn't let de little ones call him 'Marster', dey had to call him and
+de Missus, 'Grampa' and 'Gramma'. My folks didn't mistreat de slaves.
+I'd be better off now if it wus dem times now."
+
+We asked Ellen Campbell, a Richmond County slave if her master was good
+to her and she replied, "I'll say fer Mr. William Eve--he de bes' white
+man anywhere round here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves.
+Sometimes de overseer whup 'em--make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup
+'em on de bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men
+dey call drivers. If dey didn't done right dey dus whup 'em and turn 'em
+loose."
+
+It was said that those who refused to take whippings were generally
+negroes of African royal blood, or their descendants.
+
+Edward Glenn of the Clinton Brown plantation in Forsythe County, Ga.,
+said, "My father would not take a whipping. He would die before he would
+take a whipping. The Marster thought so much of him, he made young
+Marster Clinton promise he would never sell him or put a stripe on him.
+Once, when he wanted to punish him, he give him a horse and bridle and
+fifty dollars. 'Go on off somewhere and get somebody to buy you.' My
+father stayed away a month. One day he come home, he had been off about
+100 miles. He brought with him a man who wanted to buy him. Marster put
+the man up for the night, fed his horse, and father went on out to
+mother. Next day when the man made him a price on father, Marster said,
+'I was just foolin'. I wouldn't sell him for nothing. I was trying to
+punish him. He is true and honest, but he won't take a whipping.'
+
+"Sometimes a slave was treated so bad by his owners he was glad if they
+put him up to be sold. If he was a bad man, they handcuffed him, put him
+on a stand, like for preachings and auctioned him off to the highest
+bidder.
+
+"When runaway slave was brought back they was punished. Once in Alabama
+I saw a woman stripped naked, laid over a stump in a field with her head
+hangin' down on one side, her feet on the other, and tied to the stump.
+Then they whipped her hard, and you could hear her hollering far off,
+'Oh, Lawd a'musay! Lawd a-musay!'."
+
+Another punishment Edward said, was called the "Gameron Stick",
+(sometimes called the Gamlin stick, or Spanish Buck). The slave's arms
+were bound around the bent knees and fastened to a stick run beneath
+them. This was called the "Spanish Buck" punishment. They stripped the
+slave, who was unable to stand up, and rolled him on one side and
+whipped him till the blood came. They called the whip the "cowhide".
+Slaves were whipped for small things, such as forgetting orders or
+spilling food.
+
+
+OVERSEERS
+
+The most important person in the disciplining of negro slaves was the
+overseer. However, he occupied an unfortunate position socially. He was
+not regarded as the equal of the owner's family, and was not allowed to
+mix socially with the slaves. His was a hard lot, and consequently this
+position was generally filled by men of inferior grade. However, he was
+supposed to have an education so that he could handle the finances of
+the plantation accurately, and to be possessed of a good moral character
+in order to enforce the regulations. On most Georgia plantations
+overseers were given a house near the slave quarters. In some instances
+he lived in the house with the plantation owner. The average pay for
+overseers was from three to five hundred dollars a year.
+
+Next in authority to the overseer was the driver, who directed the work
+in the fields. Every morning the driver blew the horn or rang the
+plantation bell to summon slaves to their work. Next to him was some
+trusted slave, who carried the keys to the smokehouse and commissary,
+and helped to give out rations once a week.
+
+Many of the overseers were naturally cruel and inclined to treat the
+slaves harshly. Often strict rules and regulations had to be made to
+hold them in check. Overseers were generally made to sign these
+regulations on receiving their appointments.
+
+In 1840 the Southern Cultivator and Monthly Journal published the
+following rules of the plantation:
+
+
+RULES OF THE PLANTATION
+
+ Rule 1st. The overseer will not be expected to work in the
+ crop, but he must constantly with the hands, when not
+ otherwise engaged in the employer's business, and will be
+ required to attend on occasions to any pecuniary transactions
+ connected with the plantation.
+
+ Rule 2nd. The overseer is not expected to be absent from the
+ plantation unless actual necessity compels him, Sundays
+ excepted, and then it is expected that he will, on all
+ occasions, be at home by night.
+
+ Rule 3rd. He will attend, morning, noon and night, at the
+ stable, and see that the mules and horses are ordered, curried,
+ and fed.
+
+ Rule 4th. He will see that every negro is out by daylight in
+ the morning--a signal being given by a blast of the horn, the
+ first horn will be blown half an hour before day. He will also
+ visit the negro cabins at least once or twice a week, at night,
+ to see that all are in. No negro must be out of his house after
+ ten oclock in summer and eleven in winter.
+
+ Rule 5th. The overseer is not to give passes to the negroes
+ without the employer's consent. The families the negroes are
+ allowed to visit will be specified by the employer; also those
+ allowed to visit the premises. Nor is any negro allowed to
+ visit the place without showing himself to the employer or
+ overseer.
+
+ Rule 6th. The overseer is required not to chat with the
+ negroes, except on business, nor to encourage tale bearing, nor
+ is any tale to be told to him or employer, by any negro, unless
+ he has a witness to his statements, nor are they allowed, in
+ any instance, to quarrel and fight. But the employer will
+ question any negro, if confidence can be placed in him, without
+ giving him cause of suspicion, about all matters connected with
+ the plantation, if he has any reason to believe that all things
+ are not going on right.
+
+ Rule 7th. As the employer pays the overseer for his time and
+ attention, it is not to be expected he will receive much
+ company.
+
+ Rule 8th. As the employer employs an overseer, not to please
+ himself, but the employer, it will be expected that he will
+ attend strictly to all his instructions. His opinion will be
+ frequently asked relative to plantation matters, and
+ respectfully listened to, but it is required they be given in
+ a polite and respectful manner, and not urged, or insisted
+ upon; and if not adopted, he must carry into effect the views
+ of the employer, and with a sincere desire to produce a
+ successful result. He is expected to carry on all experiments
+ faithfully and carefully note the results, and he must, when
+ required by the employer, give a fair trial to all new methods
+ of culture, and new implements of agriculture.
+
+ Rule 9th. As the whole stock will be under immediate charge
+ of the overseer, it is expected he will give his personal
+ attention to it, and will accompany the hog feeder once a week
+ and feed them, and count and keep a correct number of the same.
+ The hog feeder is required to attend to feeding them every
+ morning.
+
+ Rule 10th. The negroes must be made to obey, and to work,
+ which may be done by an overseer who attends regularly to his
+ business, with very little whipping; for much whipping indicates
+ a bad tempered or an inattentive manager. He must _never_, on
+ any occasion, unless in self-defense, kick a negro, or strike
+ him with his fist, or butt end of his whip. No unusual
+ punishment must be resorted to without the employer's consent.
+ He is not expected to punish the foreman, except on some
+ extraordinary emergency that will not allow of delay, until
+ the employer is consulted. Of this rule the foreman is to be
+ kept in entire ignorance.
+
+ Rule 11th. The sick must be attended to. When sick they are to
+ make known the fact to him; if in the field, he is requested
+ to send them to the employer, if at home; and if not, the
+ overseer is expected to attend to them in person, or send for
+ a physician if necessary. Suckling and pregnant women must be
+ indulged more than others. Sucklers are to be allowed time to
+ visit their children, morning, noon and evening, until they are
+ eight months old, and twice a day from thence until they are
+ twelve months old--they are to be kept working near their
+ children. No lifting, pulling fodder, or hard work is expected
+ of pregnant women.
+
+ Rule 12th. The negroes are to appear in the field on Monday
+ mornings cleanly clad. To carry out said rule they are to be
+ allowed time (say one hour by sun) every Saturday evening for
+ the purpose of washing their clothes.
+
+ Rule 13th. The overseer is particularly required to keep the
+ negroes as much as possible out of the rain, and from all kind
+ of exposure.
+
+ Rule 14th. It will be expected of a good manager, that he will
+ constantly arrange the daily work of the negroes, so that no
+ negro may wait to know what to go to doing. Small jobs that
+ will not reasonably admit of delay must be forthwith attended
+ to.
+
+ Rule 15th. It is required of him, to keep the tools, ploughs,
+ hoes &c. out of the weather and have all collected after they
+ are done using them. The wagon and cart must be kept under a
+ shed. He is expected to keep good gates, bars and fences.
+
+ Rule 16th. The employer will give him a list of all the tools
+ and farming utensils and place the same in his care, and he is
+ to return them at the years' end to the employer; if any are
+ broke, the pieces are expected to be returned.
+
+ Rule 17th. He is not to keep a horse or dog against the
+ employer's approbation--and dogs kept for the purpose of
+ catching negroes will not be allowed under any consideration.
+
+ Rule 18th. He is required to come to his meals at the blowing
+ of the horn. It is not expected he will leave the field at
+ night before the hands quit their work.
+
+ Rule 19th. It will be expected he will not speak of the
+ employer's pecuniary business, his domestic affairs, or his
+ arrangements to any one. He will be expected to inform the
+ employer of anything going on that may concern his interest.
+
+ Rule 20th. He is to have no control whatever over the
+ employer's domestic affairs; nor to take any privileges in
+ the way of using himself, or loaning the employers property to
+ others.
+
+ Rule 21st. He is expected to be guilty of no disrespectful
+ language in the employer's presence--such as vulgarity,
+ swearing &c; nor is he expected to be guilty of any
+ indecencies, such as spitting on the floor, wearing his hat in
+ the house, sitting at the table with his coat off, or whistling
+ or singing in the house (Such habits are frequently indulged
+ in, in Bachelor establishments in the South). His room will be
+ appropriated to him, and he will not be expected to obtrude
+ upon the employer's private chamber, except on business.
+
+ Rule 22nd. It will be expected of him that he will not get
+ drunk, and if he returns home in that state he will be
+ immediately discharged. He will also be immediately discharged,
+ if it is ascertained he is too intimate with any of the negro
+ women.
+
+ Rule 23rd. It is distinctly understood, in the agreement with
+ every overseer, should they separate, from death or other
+ cause--and either is at liberty to separate from the other
+ whenever dissatisfied--without giving his reasons for so doing;
+ in said event the employer, upon settlement, is not expected to
+ pay the cash nor settle for the year, but for the time only he
+ remained in the employer's service, by note, due January next
+ (with interest) pro rata, he was to pay for the year.
+
+
+AMUSEMENTS
+
+In spite of the many restrictions that hedged the slaves about there
+were many good times on the plantation. Old Mary of the Roof plantation
+described their frolics thus:
+
+"We would sing and there was always a fiddle. I never could put up to
+dance much but nobody could beat me runnin' 'Peep Squirrel'. That was a
+game we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the
+men, and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a
+kildee bird, I was so little and could run so fast. When we growed up we
+walked the boys to death! They used to say we walked the heels off their
+boots. We would have dances every Christmas, on different plantations. I
+tell my grandchildren sometimes that my brother-in-law would carry us to
+dances and wouldn' allow us to sleep, we'd dance all night long. We had
+a good time, us girls!"
+
+When the negroes got married long tables were set under the trees in the
+back yard and the people from the big house came down to see how the
+slaves were dressed and to wish them well.
+
+Concerning her own marriage Mary said, "They say I was married when I
+was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I married a boy who
+belonged to the Childs plantation. I had the finest kind of marrying
+dress, my father bought it for me. It had great big grapes hanging down
+from the sleeves and around the skirt." She sighed and a shadow passed
+over her placid old face, as she added, "I wish't I had a kep' it for my
+children to saw."
+
+A slave from the Starling Freeman plantation in South Carolina said,
+"When cullud people wus married, white people give a supper. A cullud
+man whut lives on de place marries 'em."
+
+"I used to sing good myself," continued Susannah, "you could hear the
+echo of my voice way out yonder, but I can't sing no more." Here
+Susannah stuck out her legs, covered with long-ribbed pink stockings.
+"My legs got de misery in 'em now, and my voice gone. In my mother's
+house dey never trained us to sing things like the mos' o' people. We
+sung the good old hymns, like, 'A Charge to Keep I have, a God to
+Glorify.'"
+
+Old Tim, who used to live on a plantation in Virginia, said in speaking
+of good times before the war, "Sho', we had plenty o' banjo pickers!
+They was 'lowed to play banjos and guitars at night, if de Patterolas
+didn' interfere. At home de owners wouldn' 'low de Patterolas to tech
+their folks. We used to run mighty fast to git home after de frolics!
+Patterolas wus a club of men who'd go around and catch slaves on strange
+plantations and break up frolics, and whip 'em sometimes."
+
+We asked Aunt Ellen Campbell, who was a slave on the Eve plantation in
+Richmond County, about good times in slavery days. She laughed
+delightedly and said, "When anybody gwine be married dey tell de boss
+and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, after dey be married she
+put on de white dress she be married in and dey go up to town so de boss
+can see de young couple."
+
+She was thoughtful a moment, then continued, "Den sometimes on Sadday
+night we have a big frolic. De nigger fum Hammond's place and Phinizy
+place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle place, all git together fer a
+big dance and frolic. A lot o' de young sports used to come dere and
+push de young nigger bucks aside and dance wid de wenches."
+
+"We used to have big parties sometime," said Fannie Fulcher, a former
+slave on Dr. Miller's plantation in Burke County. "No white folks--jus'
+de overseer come round to see how dey git erlong. I 'member dey have a
+fiddle. I had a cousin who played fer frolics, and fer de white folks,
+too."
+
+According to Melinda Mitchell, who lived on the plantation of Rev. Allen
+Dozier in Edgefield County, South Carolina, the field hands and house
+servants forgot cares in merriment and dancing after the day's work was
+over. When asked about her master, a Baptist preacher, condoning dancing
+Melinda replied with the simple statement, "He wasn't only a preacher,
+he was a religious man. De slaves danced at de house of a man who
+'tended de stack, way off in de fiel' away fum de big house." They
+danced to the tunes of banjos and a homemade instrument termed, "Quill",
+evidently some kind of reed. It was fairly certain that the noise of
+merriment must have been heard at the big house, but the slaves were not
+interrupted in their frolic.
+
+"My mammy wus de bes' dancer on de plantachun," Melinda said proudly.
+"She could dance so sturdy she could balance a glass o' water on her
+head an never spill a drop." She recalls watching the dancers late into
+the night until she fell asleep.
+
+She could tell of dances and good times in the big house as well as in
+the quarters. The young ladies were belles. They were constantly
+entertaining. One day a wandering fortune-teller came on the piazza
+where a crowd of young people were gathered, and asked to tell the young
+ladies' fortunes. Everything was satisfactory until he told Miss Nettie
+she would marry a one-armed man. At this the young belle was so
+indignant that the man was driven off and the dogs set on him. "But de
+fortune teller told true-true," Melinda said. A faint ominous note crept
+into her voice and her eyes seemed to be seeing events that had
+transpired almost three-quarters of a century ago. "After de war Miss
+Nettie did marry a one-arm man, like de fortune-teller said, a
+Confederate officer, Captain Shelton, who had come back wid his sleeve
+empty."
+
+
+SLAVE SALES
+
+There were two legal places for selling slaves in Augusta; the Lower
+Market, at the corner of Fifth and Broad Street, and the Upper Market at
+the corner of Broad and Marbury Streets. The old slave quarters are
+still standing in Hamburg, S.C., directly across the Savannah River from
+the Lower Market in Augusta. Slaves who were to be put up for sale were
+kept there until the legal days of sales.
+
+Advertisements in the newspapers of that day seem to point to the fact
+that most slave sales were the results of the death of the master, and
+the consequent settlement of estates, or a result of the foreclosure of
+mortgages.
+
+In the Thirty-Seventh Section of the Ordinances of the City of Augusta,
+August 10, 1820-July 8, 1829, is the following concerning Vendue
+Masters:
+
+ "If any person acts as a Vendue Master within the limits of
+ this City without a license from the City Council, he shall be
+ fined in a sum not exceeding $1,000.00. There shall not be more
+ than four Vendue Masters for this city. They shall be appointed
+ by ballot, and their license shall expire on the day proceeding
+ the 1st Saturday in October of every year. No license shall
+ be issued to a Vendue Master until he has given bond, with
+ securities according to the laws of this State, and also a bond
+ with approved security to the Council for the faithful discharge
+ of his duties in the sum of $5,000.00."
+
+The newspapers of the time regularly carried advertisements concerning
+the sale of slaves. The following is a fair sample:
+
+ "Would sell slaves: With this farm will be sold about Thirty
+ Likely Negroes mostly country born, among them a very good
+ bricklayer, and driver, and two sawyers, 17 of them are fit for
+ field or boat work, and the rest fine, thriving children."
+
+The following advertisement appeared in _The Georgia Constitutionalist_
+on January 17, 1769: "To be sold in Savannah on Thursday the 15th. inst.
+a cargo of 140 Prime Slaves, chiefly men. Just arrived in the Scow
+Gambia Captain Nicholas Doyle after a passage of six weeks directly from
+the River Gambia." by Inglis and Hall.
+
+Most of the advertisements gave descriptions of each slave, with his age
+and the type of work he could do. They were generally advertised along
+with other property belonging to the slave owner.
+
+The following appeared in the Chronicle and Sentinel of Augusta on
+December 23rd, 1864: "Negro Sales. At an auction in Columbus the annexed
+prices were obtained: a boy 16 years old, $3,625.
+
+"At a late sale in Wilmington the annexed prices were obtained: a girl
+14 years old $5,400; a girl 22 years old, $4,850; a girl 13 years
+$3,500; a negro boy, 22 years old $4,900."
+
+Very few of the slaves interviewed had passed through the bitter
+experience of being sold. Janie Satterwhite, who was born on a Carolina
+plantation, and was about thirteen years old when she was freed,
+remembered very distinctly when she was sold away from her parents.
+
+"Yes'm, my Mama died in slavery, and I was sold when I was a little
+tot," she said. "I 'member when dey put me on de block."
+
+"Were you separated from your family?" we asked.
+
+"Yes'm. We wus scattered eberywhere. Some went to Florida and some to
+odder places. De Missus she die and we wus all sold at one time. Atter
+dat nobody could do nothin' on de ole plantachun fer a year--till all
+wus settled up. My brudder he wasn't happy den. He run away fer five
+years."
+
+"Where was he all that time?"
+
+"Lawd knows, honey. Hidin', I reckon, hidin in de swamp."
+
+"Did you like your new master?"
+
+"Honey, I wus too little to have any sense. When dat man bought me--dat
+Dr. Henry, he put me in a buggy to take me off. I kin see it all right
+now, and I say to Mama and Papa, 'Good-bye, I'll be back in de mawnin'.'
+And dey all feel sorry fer me and say, 'She don' know whut happenin'."
+
+"Did you ever see your family again?"
+
+"Yes'm. Dey wusn't so far away. When Christmas come de Marster say I can
+stay wid Mama de whole week."
+
+Easter Jones, who had many bitter memories of slavery days back on the
+Bennet plantation near Waynesboro, said, when asked if she was ever sold
+into slavery, "Dey had me up fer sale once, but de horse run away and
+broke de neck o' de man whut gwine buy me."
+
+Harriet White, whose father was a slave, gives this account of his sale,
+"Yas'm, he tell me many times 'bout when he wus put up for sale on
+Warren Block (in Augusta). Father say dey put him on de block down here.
+De gemmen whut bought him name Mr. Tom Crew. But when dey tryin' to sell
+him--dat right durin' de war, one man say, 'No, I don' want him--he know
+too much.' He'd done been down to Savannah wid de Yankees. Den my father
+say, 'If you buy me you can't take me oudder de state of Georgia, 'cause
+de Yankees all around."
+
+Carrie Lewis, who was owned by Captain Phillip Ward and lived on a
+plantation down in Richmond County said, "No'm, I wasn't never sold, but
+my Mama was sold fum me. See, I belonged to de young girl and old
+Marster fool Missus away fum de house so he git to sell my Mama."
+
+"Did you ever see your mother afterwards?" we asked.
+
+"No, ma'm. I wouldn' know my Mammy no more den you would."
+
+"But were you happy on the plantation?"
+
+A smile brightened her wrinkled old face as she replied, "I'd be a heap
+better off if it was dem times now."
+
+When we asked Ellen Campbell if she was ever sold during slavery times
+she replied, "No'm. I wa'n't sold, but I know dem whut wus. Jedge
+Robinson he kept a nigger trade office over in Hamburg."
+
+"Oh yes, we remember--the old brick building."
+
+"Yas'm, dat it. Well, all de colored people whut gonner be sold was kept
+dere. Den dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale.
+Anybody fixin' to buy 'em, 'zamines 'em to see if day all right. Looks
+at de teef to tell 'bout de age."
+
+Laura Steward, who was a slave in a Baptist preacher's family in Augusta
+told some interesting things about slave sales here: "Slaves were sold
+at the Augusta market, in spite of what white ladies say." She stated
+that there was a long house with porches on Ellis between 7th and 8th,
+where a garage now stands. In this building slaves were herded for
+market. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," said Laura, "and
+look in de mouf at dey teef; den dey march 'em down togedder to market
+in crowds, first Tuesday sale day."
+
+Old Mary used to live on the Roof plantation with her mother, while her
+father lived on a nearby plantation. She said her father tried for a
+long time to have his owner buy his wife and children, until finally,
+"One day Mr. Tom Perry sont his son-in-law to buy us in. You had to get
+up on what they called the block, but we just stood on some steps. The
+bidder stood on the ground and called out the prices. There was always a
+speculator at the sales. We wus bought all right and moved over to the
+Perry place. I had another young marster there. He had his own hands and
+didn't sell them at all. Wouldn't none of us been sold from the Roof
+place, except for my father beggin' Mr. Perry to buy us, so we wouldn't
+be separated."
+
+Susannah Wyman of the Freeman plantation in South Carolina said, "Once
+de Marster tried to sell my brudder and anodder youngster fer a pair o'
+mules, and our Mistis said, 'No! You don' sell my chillun for no mules!'
+And he didn't sell us neider. They never sold anybody off our
+plantation. But people did sell women, old like I am now--or if they
+didn't have no chillun. The fus' spec-lator come along and wants to buy
+'em, he kin have 'em. De Marster say, 'Bring me han's in. I want
+han's!'"
+
+Eugene Smith, who used to belong to Mr. Steadman Clark of Augusta said,
+"I read in the papers where a lady said slaves were never sold here in
+Augusta at the old market, but I saw 'em selling slaves myself. They put
+'em up on something like a table, bid 'em off just like you would do
+horses or cows. Dere wus two men. I kin recollect. I know one was call
+Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculatin'. The other was name
+Wilson. They would sell a mother from her children. That's why so many
+colored people married their sisters and brothers, not knowin' till they
+got to talking 'bout it. One would say: 'I remember my grandmother,' and
+another would say, 'that's _my_ grandmother!' Then they'd find out they
+were sister and brother."
+
+
+WAR MEMORIES
+
+Most of the ex-slaves interviewed were too young to have taken any part
+in war activities, though many of them remembered that the best slaves
+were picked and sent from each plantation to help build breastworks for
+the defense of Waynesboro. On some places the Yankees were encamped and
+on others the southern soldiers were entertained.
+
+"De Yankees come through de plantation on Sunday," said Hannah Murphy, a
+former slave on a Georgia plantation. "I'll never forgit dat! Dey wus
+singin' Dixie, 'I wisht I wus in Dixie, look away!' Dey wus all dress in
+blue. Dey sot de gin house afire, and den dey went in de lot and got all
+de mules and de horses and ca'y 'em wid 'em. Dey didn't bother de smoke
+house where de food wuz, and dey didn't tek no hogs. But dey did go to
+de long dairy and thowed out all de milk and cream and butter and stuff.
+Dey didn' bother us none. Some o' de cullard folks went wid de Yankees.
+De white folks had yeared dey wuz comin' and dey had lef'--after de
+Yankees all gone away, de white folks come back. De cullud folks stayed
+dere a while, but de owners of de place declaimed dey wuz free, and sont
+de people off. I know dat my mother and father and a lot o' people come
+heah to Augusta."
+
+Old Tim, from a plantation in Virginia, remembers when Lee was fighting
+near Danville, and how frightened the negroes were at the sound of the
+cannon. "They cay'd the wounded by the 'bacco factory," he said, "on de
+way to de horspittle."
+
+The northern troops came to the William Morris plantation in Burke
+County. Eliza Morris, a slave, who was her master's, "right hand bough"
+was entrusted with burying the family silver. "There was a battle over
+by Waynesboro," Eliza's daughter explained to us. "I hear my mother
+speak many times about how the Yankees come to our place." It seems that
+some of the other slaves were jealous of Eliza because of her being so
+favored by her master. "Some of the niggers told the soldiers that my
+mother had hidden the silver, but she wouldn' tell the hidin' place. The
+others were always jealous of my mother, and now they tried to made the
+Yankees shoot her because she wouldn' tell where the silver was hidden.
+My mother was a good cook and she fixed food for the Yankees camped on
+the place, and this softened the soldiers' hearts. They burned both the
+plantation houses, but they give my mother a horse and plenty of food to
+last for some time after they left."
+
+"What did your mother do after the war?" we asked.
+
+"She spent the rest of her life cookin' for her young Mistis, Mrs. Dr.
+Madden in Jacksonville. She was Cap'n Bill's daughter. That was her home
+till shortly after the World War when she died."
+
+"Did your Master live through the war?"
+
+"Yas'm. He come home. Some of the old slaves had stayed on at the
+plantation; others followed the Yankees off. Long time afterward some of
+'em drifted back--half starved and in bad shape."
+
+"'Let'em come home'", Marster said. "And them that he couldn' hire he
+give patches of land to farm."
+
+"'Member de war? Course I do!" said Easter Jones, "My Marster went to
+Savannah, and dey put him in prison somewhere. He died atter he come
+back, it done him so bad. I 'member my brudder was born dat Sunday when
+Lee surrender. Dey name him Richmond. But I was sick de day dey came and
+'nounced freedom."
+
+Augustus Burden, a former slave on General Walker's plantation at
+Windsor Springs, Ga., served as valet for his master, said, "Master was
+killed at Chickamauga. When the war ceased they brought us home--our old
+master's home. My old Mistis was living and we came back to the old
+lady."
+
+When the Yankees came through Georgia the Walkers and Schleys asked for
+protection from gunfire. Because of school associations with Northern
+officers nothing on the plantation was disturbed.
+
+"Mrs. Jefferson Davis came there to visit the Schleys," said Augustus,
+and his face lit up with enthusiasm, "She was a mighty pretty woman--a
+big lady, very beautiful. She seemed to be real merry amongst the white
+folks, and Miss Winnie was a pretty little baby. She was talking then."
+
+
+Louis Jones was seven years old when he was freed. He said, "I kin
+'member de Yankees comin'. I wasn't skeered. I wanted to see 'em. I hung
+on de fence corners, and nearabouts some sich place. After freedom my Ma
+didn't go 'way. She stayed on de plantation till she could make more
+money cookin' some udder place. I don't think dey did anything to de
+plantation whar I wus. I yeared dey cay'd out de silver and mebbe hid it
+in places whar de Yankees couldn't find it."
+
+When Ellen Campbell of the Eve plantation in Richmond County, was asked
+if she remembered anything about the Yankees coming through this part of
+the country, she replied:
+
+"Yas'm, I seen 'em comin' down de street. Every one had er canteen on de
+side, a blanket on de shoulder, caps cocked on one side de haid. De
+Cavalry had boots on, and spurros on de boots. First dey sot de niggers
+free on Dead River, den dey come on here and sot us free. Dey march
+straight up Broad Street to de Planters Hotel, den dey camped on de
+river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place free. When dey
+campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey clo'se fer a good
+price. Day had hard tack to eat. Dey gib us hard tack and tell us to
+soak it in water, and fry it in meat gravy. I ain't taste nothin' so
+good since. Dey say, 'Dis hard tack whut we hadder lib on while we
+fightin' to sot you free.'"
+
+
+FREEDOM
+
+Although the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered on January 1st,
+1863 it was not until Lee's final surrender that most of the negroes
+knew they were free. The Freedman's Bureau in Augusta gave out the news
+officially to the negroes, but in most cases the plantation owners
+themselves summoned their slaves and told them they were free. Many
+negroes stayed right with their masters.
+
+Carrie Lewis, a slave on Captain Ward's plantation in Richmond County,
+said, when asked where she went when freedom came, "Me? I didn't went
+nowhere. Da niggers come 'long wid de babies and dey backs, and say I
+wus free, and I tell 'em I was free already. Didn't make no diffunce to
+me--freedom."
+
+Old Susannah from the Freeman plantation said, "When freedom come I got
+mad at Marster. He cut off my hair. I was free so I come from Ca'lina to
+Augusta to sue him. I walk myself to death! Den I found I couldn't sue
+him over here in Georgia! I had to go back. He was jus' nachally mad
+'cause we was free. Soon as I got here, dere was a lady on de street,
+she tole me to come in, tek a seat. I stayed dere. Nex' mornin' I
+couldn't stand up. My limbs was hurtin' all over."
+
+Tim from the plantation in Virginia remembers distinctly when freedom
+came to his people. "When we wus about to have freedom," he said, "they
+thought the Yankees was a-goin' to take all the slaves so they put us on
+trains and run us down south. I went to a place whut they call 'Butler'
+in Georgia, then they sent me on down to the Chattahoochee, where they
+were cuttin' a piece of railroad, then to Quincy, then to Tallahassee.
+When the war ended I weren't 'xactly in 'Gusta, I was in Irwinville,
+where they caught Mars. Jeff Davis. Folks said he had de money train,
+but I never seed no gold, nor nobody whut had any. I come on up to
+'Gusta and jined de Bush Arbor Springfield Church.
+
+
+"When freedom came they called all the white people to the court house
+first, and told them the darkies ware free. Then on a certain day they
+called all the colored people down to the parade ground. They had a big
+stand," explained Eugene Wesley Smith, whose father was a slave in
+Augusta. "All the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up
+there and spoke, and told the negroes: "You are free. Don't steal! Now
+work and make a living. Do honest work, make an honest living and
+support yourself and children. There are no more masters. You are free!"
+
+"When the colored troops came in, they came in playing:
+
+ 'Don't you see the lightning?
+ Don't you hear the thunder?
+ It isn't the lightning,
+ It isn't the thunder
+ But the buttons on the Negro uniform!'
+
+"The negroes shouted and carried on when they heard they were free."
+
+This story of freedom was told by Edward Glenn of Forsythe County: "A
+local preacher, Walter Raleigh, used to wait by the road for me every
+day, and read the paper before I give it to Mistis. One day he was
+waiting for me, and instead of handing it back to me he tho'wed it down
+and hollered, 'I'm free as a frog!' He ran away. I tuk the paper to
+Mistis. She read it and went to cryin'. I didn't say no more. That was
+during the week. On Sunday morning I was talking to my brother's wife,
+who was the cook. We were talking about the Yankees. Mistis come in and
+say, 'Come out in the garden with me.' When we got outside Mistis said:
+'Ed, you suppose them Yankees would spill their blood to come down here
+to free you niggers?'
+
+"I said, 'I dunno, but I'se free anyhow, Miss Mary.'"
+
+"'Shut up, sir, I'll mash your mouth!"
+
+"That day Marster was eating, and he said, 'Doc' (they called me Doc,
+'cause I was the seventh son). 'You have been a good boy. What did you
+tell your Mistis?'"
+
+"I said, 'I told her the truth, that I knowed I was free.'
+
+"He said, 'Well, Doc, you aren't really free. You are free from me, but
+you aren't of age yet, and you still belong to your father and mother.'
+
+"One morning I saw a blue cloud of Yankees coming down the road. The
+leader was waving his arms and singing:
+
+ 'Ha, ha, ha! Trabble all the day!
+ I'm in the Rebel's Happy Land of Caanan.
+ Needn't mind the weather,
+ Jump over double trouble,
+ I'm in the Rebel's Happy Land of Caanan.'
+
+"The Yankee captain, Captain Brown, gathered all us negroes in the fair
+ground, July or August after freedom, and he made a speech. Lawsy! I can
+see that crowd yet, a-yelling and a-stomping! And the captain waving his
+arms and shouting!
+
+"'We have achieved the victory over the South. Today you are all free
+men and free women!'
+
+"We had everybody shouting and jumping, and my father and mother shouted
+along with the others. Everybody was happy."
+
+
+Janie Satterwhite's memories were very vivid about freedom. "Oh yas'm,"
+she said, "my brudder comed fer me. He say, 'Jane, you free now. You
+wanna go home and see Papa?' But old Mars say, 'Son, I don' know you and
+you don' know me. You better let Jane stay here a while.' So he went
+off, but pretty soon I slip off. I had my little black bonnet in my
+hand, and de shoes Papa give me, and I started off 'Ticht, ticht; crost
+dat bridge.
+
+"I kept on till I got to my sister's. But when I got to de bridge de
+river wus risin'. And I hadder go down de swamp road. When I got dere,
+wus I dirty? And my sister say, 'How come you here all by yourself?' Den
+she took off my clo'es and put me to bed. And I remember de next mornin'
+when I got up it wus Sunday and she had my clo'es all wash and iron. De
+fus' Sunday atter freedom."
+
+
+FOLK LORE
+
+As most of the ex-slaves interviewed were mere children during the
+slavery period they remembered only tales that were told them by their
+parents. Two bits of folk lore were outstanding as they were repeated
+with many variations by several old women. One of these stories may be a
+relic of race memory, dating back to the dawn of the race in Africa.
+Several negroes of the locality gave different versions of this story of
+the woman who got out of her skin every night. Hannah Murphy, who was
+once a slave and now lives in Augusta gives this version:
+
+"Dere was a big pon' on de plantation, and I yeared de ole folks tell a
+story 'bout dat pon', how one time dere was a white Mistis what would go
+out ev'y evenin' in her cay'age and mek de driver tak her to de pon'.
+She would stay out a long time. De driver kep' a wonderin' whut she do
+here. One night he saw her go thu' de bushes, and he crep' behin' her.
+He saw her step out o' her skin. Da skin jus' roll up and lay down on de
+groun', and den de Mistis disappear. De driver wus too skeered to move.
+In a little while he yeared her voice sayin', 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you
+know me? Den de skin jump up and dere she wus again, ez big as life. He
+watch her like dat for a lot o' nights, and den he went and tole de
+Marster. De Marster wus so skeered o' her he run away frum de plantation
+and quit her."
+
+Laura Stewart, who was born a slave in Virginia, gives this verson of
+the same story:
+
+"Dey always tole me de story 'bout de ole witch who git out her skin. I
+ain't know it all. In dem days I guess dose kinder things went on. Dey
+said while she was out ridin' wid de ole witch she lef' her skin behind
+her, and when she come back, de other woman had put salt and pepper on
+it; and whan she say, 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you know me?' de ole skin
+wouldn't jump up, so she ain't had no skin a-tall."
+
+"Granny," Laura's granddaughter called to her, "tell the ladies about
+the Mistis what got bury."
+
+"Oh yes," Laura recalled, "dey didn' bury her so far. A bad man went
+dere to git her gold ring off her finger. She make a sound like 'Shs'
+like her bref comin' out, and de man got skeered. He run off. She got up
+direckly and come to de house. Dey was skeered o' dat Mistis de res' o'
+her life and say she were a hant."
+
+
+INTERESTING CUSTOMS
+
+On one southern plantation soap was made at a certain time of the year
+and left in the hollowed-out trough of a big log.
+
+Indigo was planted for blueing. Starch was made out of wheat bran put in
+soak. The bran was squeezed out and used to feed the hogs, and the
+starch was saved for clothes.
+
+A hollow stump was filled with apples when cider was to be made. A hole
+was bored in the middle, and a lever put inside, which would crush the
+apples. As Mary put it, "you put the apples in the top, pressed the
+lever, the cider come out the spout, and my, it was good!"
+
+
+DRESS
+
+Most of the old ex-slave women interviewed wore long full skirts, and
+flat loose shoes. In spite of what tradition and story claim, few of the
+older negroes of this district wear head clothes. Most of them wear
+their wooly hair "wropped" with string. The women often wear men's
+discarded slouch hats. Though many of the old woman were interviewed in
+mid-summer, they wore several waists and seemed absolutely unaware of
+the heat.
+
+One man, wearing the typical dress of the poverty-stricken old person of
+this district, is Tim Thornton, who used to live on the Virginia
+plantation of Mrs. Lavinia Tinsley. His ragged pants are sewed up with
+cord, and on his coat nails are used where buttons used to be. In the
+edges of his "salt and pepper" hair are stuck matches, convenient for
+lighting his pipe. His beard is bushy and his lower lip pendulous and
+long, showing strong yellow teeth. His manner is kindly, and he is known
+as "Old Singing Tim" because he hums spirituals all day long as he
+stumps around town leaning on a stick.
+
+
+NUMBER OF SLAVES
+
+Plantations owned by Dr. Balding Miller in Burke County had about eight
+hundred slaves. Governor Pickens of South Carolina was said to have had
+about four hundred on his various plantations. The William Morris
+plantations in Burke County had about five hundred slaves.
+
+
+
+BIBLIOGRAPHY
+
+Flanders, Ralph Betts
+Plantation Slavery in Georgia.
+Chapel Hill: The University Press of N.C., 326 pages,
+p. 1933, c. 1933, pp. 254-279.
+
+Hotchkiss, William A.
+Statute Laws of Georgia and State Papers;
+Savannah, Ga.; John M. Cooper, pub., 990 pages, p. 1845, c. 1845,
+pp. 810, 817, 838, 839, 840.
+
+Rutherford, John
+Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia
+Savannah, Ga.: Samuel T. Chapman, State Printer,
+620 pages, p. 1854, c. 1854, p. 103.
+
+Jones, J.W., Editor,
+Southern Cultivator
+Augusta, Ga.: J.W. and W.S. Jones, pubs., Vol. 1, 1843.
+
+Ordinances of the City Council of Augusta.
+August 10, 1820; July 8, 1829; Feb. 7, 1862.
+
+The Daily Chronicle & Sentinel
+Vol. XXVIII. No. 306.
+Augusta, Ga., Dec. 23, 1864.
+Clipping.
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+WORK, PLAY, FOOD, CLOTHING, MARRIAGE, etc.
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+
+In recalling habits of work and play, marriage customs, and like
+memories of Southern life before the Civil War, Richmond County's
+ex-slaves tell varied stories. One said: "I didn't start workin' 'til I
+was 'bout nine years old. Before that I had watched chickens, carried in
+wood, gathered eggs and such light work as that. But when I was nine I
+started workin' in the field. I didn't plow then because I was too
+small, but I hoed and did other light jobs.
+
+"Our marster made our shoes for us out of raw cow hide. Us got two pairs
+of shoes a year, one for every day and one for Sunday. Us made
+everythin' us needed. The old women, who couldn't work in the field,
+would make cloth on the looms and the spinnin' wheels. Us didn't have
+chairs; us made benches and stools to sit on. Us didn't know what swings
+was. Us used to tie ropes in trees and swing in 'em.
+
+"Everybody had his own tin plate and tin cup to eat out of. On Saturday
+they would give everybody three pounds of meat, twelve pounds of flour,
+twelve pounds of meal, and one quart of syrup. This was to last a week.
+Us always had plenty to eat 'til the war started, then us went hungry
+many a day because they took the food and carried it to the soldiers. Us
+stole stuff from everybody durin' that time.
+
+"They always blowed a horn for you to go to work by and get off for
+dinner by and stop work in the evening by. When that horn blowed, you
+couldn't get them mules to plow another foot. They just wouldn't do it.
+Us always et dinner out in the yard, in the summer time, at a long
+bench. In cold weather us always went inside to eat. Whenever us didn't
+have enough to eat us would tell the overseer and he seed to it that us
+got plenty. Our overseers was colored."
+
+Another old woman said she "started working at the age of seven as a
+nurse. I nursed, made fire in the house and around the wash pots 'til I
+was old enough to go to work in the fields. When I got big enough I hoed
+and later plowed. Us didn't wait 'til sun up to start workin', us
+started as soon as it was light enough. When it come to field work, you
+couldn't tell the women from the men. Of course my marster had two old
+women on the place and he never made them work hard, and he never did
+whip' em. They always took care of the cookin' and the little chillun.
+
+"I'll tell you one thing, they had better doctors then than they do now.
+When folks had high blood pressure the doctors would cut you in your
+head or your arm and folks would get over it then. They took better care
+of themselves. Whenever anybody was caught in the rain they had to go to
+the marster's house and take some medicine. They had somethin' that
+looks like black draught looks now, and they would put it in a gallon
+jug, fill it a little over half full of boiling water, and finish
+fillin' it with whiskey. It was real bitter, but it was good for colds.
+Young folk didn't die then like they do now. Whenever anybody died it
+was a old person.
+
+"I know more about conjuration than I'll ever be able to tell. I didn't
+believe in it at one time, but I've seen so much of it that I can almost
+look at a sick person and tell whether he is conjured or not. I wouldn't
+believe it now if I hadn't looked at snakes come out of my own sister's
+daughter. She married a man that had been goin' 'round with a old woman
+who wasn't nothin'. Well one day this woman and my niece got in a fight
+'bout him, and my niece whipped her. She was already mad with my niece
+'bout him, and after she found she couldn't whip her she decided to get
+her some way and she just conjured her.
+
+"My niece was sick a long time and we had 'bout seven or eight diff'unt
+doctors with her, but none of 'em done her any good. One day us was
+sittin' on the porch and a man walked up. Us hadn't never seen him
+before, and he said he wanted to talk with the lady of the house. I
+'vited him in and he asked to speak to me alone. So I went in the front
+room and told him to come on in there. When he got there he said just
+like this: 'You have sickness don't you?' I said, 'yes.' Then he said:
+'I know it, and I come by here to tell you I could cure her. All I want
+is a chance, and you don't have to pay me a cent 'til I get her back on
+her feet, and if I don't put her back on her feet you won't be out one
+cent. Just promise you'll pay me when the work is done.' I told him to
+come back the next day 'cause I would have to talk with her husband and
+her mother 'fore I could tell him anythin'.
+
+"Us all agreed to let him doctor on her since nobody else had did her
+any good. Two days later he brought her some medicine to take and told
+us to have her say: 'relieve me of this misery and send it back where it
+come from.' Seven days from the day she started takin' this medicine she
+was up and walkin' 'round the room. 'Fore that time she had been in bed
+for more than five weeks without puttin' her feet on the floor. Well
+three days after she took the first medicine, she told us she felt like
+she wanted to heave. So we gave her the bucket and that's what come out
+of her. I know they was snakes because I know snakes when I see 'em. One
+was about six inches long, but the others was smaller. He had told us
+not to be scared 'bout nothin' us saw, so I wasn't, but my sister was.
+After that day my niece started to get better fast. I put the snakes in
+a bottle and kept 'em 'til the man come back and showed 'em to him. He
+took 'em with him. It was 'bout three weeks after this that the other
+woman took sick and didn't live but 'bout a month."
+
+Roy Redfield recalls that "when a person died several people would come
+in and bathe the body and dress it. Then somebody would knock up some
+kind of box for 'em to be buried in. They would have the funeral and
+then put the body on a wagon and all the family and friends would walk
+to the cemetery behind the wagon. They didn't have graves like they does
+now; they would dig some kind of hole and put you in it, then cover you
+up.
+
+"In olden times there was only a few undertakers, and of course there
+warn't any in the country; so when a person died he was bathed and
+dressed by friends of the family. Then he was laid on a ironing board
+and covered with a sheet.
+
+"For a long while us knowed that for some cause a part of the person's
+nose or lips had been et off, but nobody could find out why. Finally
+somebody caught a cat in the very act. Most people didn't believe a cat
+would do this, but everybody started watchin' and later found out it was
+so. So from then on, 'til the caskets come into use, a crowd of folks
+stayed awake all night sittin' up with the dead."
+
+One old woman lived on a plantation where "every Saturday they would
+give you your week's 'lowance. They would give you a plenty to eat so
+you could keep strong and work. They weighed your meat, flour, meal and
+things like that, but you got all the potatoes, lard and other things
+you wanted. You got your groceries and washed and ironed on Saturday
+evenin' and on Saturday night everybody used that for frolicin'. Us
+would have quiltin's, candy pullin's, play, or dance. Us done whatever
+us wanted to. On these nights our mist'ess would give us chickens or
+somethin' else so us could have somethin' extra. Well, us would dance,
+quilt, or do whatever us had made up to do for 'bout three hours then us
+would all stop and eat. When us finished eatin' us would tell tales or
+somethin' for a while, then everybody would go home. Course us have
+stayed there 'til almost day when us was havin' a good time.
+
+"My marster wanted his slaves to have plenty of chillun. He never would
+make you do much work when you had a lot of chillun, and had them fast.
+My ma had nineteen chillun, and it looked like she had one every ten
+months. My marster said he didn't care if she never worked if she kept
+havin' chillun like that for him. He put ma in the kitchen to cook for
+the slaves who didn't have families.
+
+"People who didn't have families would live in a house together, but
+whenever you married you lived in a house to yourself. You could fix up
+your house to suit yourself. The house where everybody lived that warn't
+married, had 'bout a dozen and a half beds in it. Sometimes as many as
+three and four slept in a bed together when it was cold. The others had
+to sleep on the floor, but they had plenty of cover. Us didn't have
+anythin' in this house but what was made by some of us. There warn't but
+one room to this house with one fire place in it. Us never et in this
+room, us had another house where everybody from this house and from the
+house for the men who warn't married, et. Our beds was diff'unt from
+these you see now. They was made by the slaves out of rough lumber. Our
+marster seed to it that all the chillun had beds to sleep in. They was
+taken good care of. Us had no such things as dressers or the like. Us
+didn't have but a very few chairs 'cause the men didn't have time to
+waste makin' chairs, but us had plenty of benches. Our trunks was made
+by the men.
+
+"People who had families lived by theyselves, but they didn't have but
+one room to their houses. They had to cook and sleep in this one room,
+and as their chillun got old enough they was sent over to the big house.
+Everybody called it that. The house you lived in with your family was
+small. It had a fire place and was only big enough to hold two beds and
+a bench and maybe a chair. Sometimes, if you had chillun fast enough,
+five and six had to sleep in that other bed together. Mothers didn't
+stay in after their chillun was born then like they do now. Whenever a
+child was born the mother come out in three days afterwards if she was
+healthy, but nobody stayed in over a week. They never stayed in bed but
+one day.
+
+"When they called you to breakfast it would be dark as night. They did
+this so you could begin workin' at daybreak. At twelve o'clock they
+blowed the horn for dinner, but they didn't have to 'cause everybody
+knowed when it was dinner time. Us could tell time by the sun. Whenever
+the sun was over us so us could almost step in our shadow it was time to
+eat. When us went in to eat all the victuals was on the table and the
+plates was stacked on the table. You got your plate and fork, then got
+your dinner. Some would sit on the floor, some in chairs, and some would
+sit on the steps, but mos' everybody held their plates in their laps.
+Whenever any of the slaves had company for dinner, us was allowed to set
+the table and you and your company would eat at the table. In our
+dinin'-room, we called it mess house, us only had one long table, one
+small table, a stove, some benches, a few chairs, and stools. Whenever
+us got out of forks the men would make some out of wood to be used 'til
+some more could be bought. The food we got on Saturday would be turned
+over to the cook.
+
+"When you married, your husband didn't stay with you like they do now.
+You had to stay with your marster and he had to stay with his. He was
+'lowed to come every Saturday night and stay with you and the chillun
+'til Monday mornin'. If he was smart enough to have a little garden or
+to make little things like little chairs for his chillun to sit in or
+tables for 'em to eat on and wanted you to have 'em 'fore he could get
+back to see you, they would be sent by the runner. They had one boy they
+always used just to go from one place to the other, and they called him
+a runner. The runner wouldn't do anythin' else but that.
+
+"Us made everythin' us wore. Us knitted our socks and stockin's. Things
+was much better then than they are now. Shoes lasted two and three
+years, and clothes didn't tear or wear out as easy as they do now. Us
+made all our cloth at night or mos' times durin' the winter time when us
+didn't have so much other work to do.
+
+"When a person died he was buried the same day, and the funeral would be
+preached one year later. The slaves made your coffin and painted it with
+any kind of paint they could find, but they usually painted the outside
+box black.
+
+"The slaves 'tended church with their marsters and after their service
+was over they would let the slaves hold service. They always left their
+pastor to preach for us and sometimes they would leave one of their
+deacons. When they left a deacon with us one of our preachers would
+preach. They only had two kinds of song books: Baptist Cluster, and
+Methodist Cluster. I kept one of these 'til a few years ago. Our
+preachers could read some, but only a very few other slaves could read
+and write. If you found one that could you might know some of his
+marster's chillun had slipped and learned it to him 'cause one thing
+they didn't 'low was no colored folk to learn to read and write. Us had
+singin' classes on Sunday, and at that time everybody could really sing.
+People can't sing now."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of
+Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK ***
+
+***** This file should be named 18485-8.txt or 18485-8.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+ http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/4/8/18485/
+
+Produced by Robert Fry and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by the
+Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
+paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works. See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+ the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+ you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
+ owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+ has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+ Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
+ must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+ prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+ returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+ sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+ address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+ the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+ you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+ does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+ License. You must require such a user to return or
+ destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+ and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+ Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+ money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+ electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+ of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+ distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+ Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+ Chief Executive and Director
+ gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations. To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+ http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+*** END: FULL LICENSE ***
+
diff --git a/18485-8.zip b/18485-8.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3ddd913
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18485-8.zip
Binary files differ
diff --git a/18485-h.zip b/18485-h.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7c4c87f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18485-h.zip
Binary files differ
diff --git a/18485-h/18485-h.htm b/18485-h/18485-h.htm
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a85507
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18485-h/18485-h.htm
@@ -0,0 +1,11267 @@
+<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd">
+<html>
+ <head>
+ <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1" />
+ <title>
+ Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project 1936-1938: Georgia Narratives, Volume IV, Part 4
+ </title>
+ <style type="text/css">
+/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */
+<!--
+ P { margin-top: .5em;
+ text-align: justify;
+ margin-bottom: .5em;
+ }
+ HR { width: 33%;
+ margin-top: 1em;
+ margin-bottom: 1em;
+ }
+ BODY{margin-left: 5%;
+ margin-right: 5%;
+ }
+ a {text-decoration: none} /* no lines under links */
+ div.centered {text-align: center;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 1 */
+ div.centered table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;} /* work around for IE centering with CSS problem part 2 */
+ ul {list-style-type: none} /* no bullets on lists */
+
+ .cen {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} /* centering paragraphs */
+ .sc {font-variant: small-caps; font-size: 95%;} /* small caps, normal size */
+ .noin {text-indent: 0em;} /* no indenting */
+ .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */
+ .note {margin-left: 2em; margin-right: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} /* footnote */
+ .block {margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} /* block indent */
+ .right {text-align: right; padding-right: 2em;} /* right aligning paragraphs */
+ .totoc {position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right;} /* Table of contents anchor */
+ .totoi {position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right;} /* to Table of Illustrations link */
+ .img {text-align: center; padding: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} /* centering images */
+ .sidenote {width: 20%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: 1em; padding-left: 1em; font-size: smaller; float: right; clear: right;}
+ .tdr {text-align: right;} /* right align cell */
+ .tdc {text-align: center;} /* center align cell */
+ .tdl {text-align: left;} /* left align cell */
+ .tdlp {text-align: left; padding-left: 1em;} /* left align cell */
+ .tdlsc {text-align: left; font-variant: small-caps;} /* aligning cell content and small caps */
+ .tdrsc {text-align: right; font-variant: small-caps;} /* aligning cell content and small caps */
+ .tdcsc {text-align: center; font-variant: small-caps;} /* aligning cell content and small caps */
+ .tr {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-top: 5%; margin-bottom: 5%; padding: 1em; background-color: #f6f2f2; color: black; border: dotted black 1px;} /* transcriber's notes */
+
+ .pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */
+ visibility: hidden;
+ position: absolute; right: 2%; font-size: 75%; text-align: right; color: silver; background-color: inherit;} /* page numbers */
+
+ .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;}
+ .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 90%;}
+ .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;}
+ .fnanchor {vertical-align: text-top; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;}
+
+ .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;}
+ .poem br {display: none;}
+ .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;}
+ .poem span {display: block; margin: 0; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;}
+ .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;}
+ .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;}
+ .poem span.i1 {display: block; margin-left: 1em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;}
+ // -->
+ /* XML end ]]>*/
+ </style>
+ </head>
+<body>
+
+<pre>
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery
+in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves
+ Georgia Narratives, Part 4
+
+Author: Work Projects Administration
+
+Release Date: July 3, 2006 [EBook #18485]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Robert Fry and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by the
+Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)
+HTML version produced by Jeannie Howse.
+</pre>
+
+<p>[TR: ***] = Transcriber Note<br />
+[HW: ***] = Handwritten Note</p>
+
+<br />
+<hr style="width: 65%;" />
+<br />
+
+<h1>SLAVE NARRATIVES</h1>
+
+<h2>A Folk History of Slavery in the United States<br />
+From Interviews with Former Slaves</h2>
+
+<h4>TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY<br />
+THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT<br />
+1936-1938<br />
+ASSEMBLED BY<br />
+THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT<br />
+WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION<br />
+FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA<br />
+SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS</h4>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>Illustrated with Photographs</p>
+
+<br />
+
+<p>WASHINGTON, 1941</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+
+<h2>VOLUME IV</h2>
+
+<h2>GEORGIA NARRATIVES</h2>
+
+<h2>PART 4</h2>
+
+<br />
+
+<h3>Prepared by<br />
+the Federal Writers' Project of<br />
+the Works Progress Administration<br />
+for the State of Georgia</h3>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<h2>INFORMANTS</h2>
+<br />
+
+<table border="0" cellpadding="2" cellspacing="0" width="70%" summary="Informants">
+ <tr>
+ <td width="85%" class="tdl"><a href="#Georgia_Telfair">Telfair, Georgia</a></td>
+ <td width="15%" class="tdr">1</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Cordelia_Thomas">Thomas, Cordelia</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">11</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Ike_Thomas">Thomas, Ike</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">25</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Jane_Mickens_Toombs">Toombs, Jane Mickens</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">29</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Phil_Town">Town, Phil</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">37</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdlp" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">[TR: In the interview, he's named Phil Towns.]</td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em;"><a href="#Neal_Upson">Upson, Neal</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">48</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#John_F_Van_Hook">Van Hook, John F.</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">71</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Addie_Vinson">Vinson, Addie</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">97</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em;"><a href="#Emma_Virgel">Virgel, Emma</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">115</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Rhodus_Walton">Walton, Rhodus</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">123</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#William_Ward">Ward, William</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">128, 132</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Lula_Washington">Washington, Lula</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">134</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Green_Willbanks">Willbanks, Green</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">136</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Eliza_Williamson">Williamson, Eliza</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">148</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Frances_Willingham">Willingham, Frances</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">151</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Adeline_Willis">Willis, Adeline</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">161</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Uncle_Willis">Willis, Uncle</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">168</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdlp">[TR: Willis Bennefield in combined interview.]</td>
+ <td class="tdr">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Cornelia_Winfield">Winfield, Cornelia</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">176</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#George_Womble">Womble, George</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">179</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdlp">[TR: Also called Wombly in the interview.]</td>
+ <td class="tdr">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em;"><a href="#Henry_Wright">Wright, Henry</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">194</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em;"><a href="#Dink_Walton_Young">Young, Dink Walton</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">205</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-top: 1em;"><h4>COMBINED INTERVIEWS</h4></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-top: 1em;">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl">[Excerpts from Slave Interviews]</td>
+ <td class="tdr">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Adeline">Adeline</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">212</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Eugene">Eugene</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">213</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Mary">Mary</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">215</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Rachel">Rachel</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">216</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Laura">Laura</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">216</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Matilda">Matilda</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">217</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Easter">Easter</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">218</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Carrie">Carrie</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">219</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Malinda">Malinda</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">219</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em;"><a href="#Amelia">Amelia</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">220</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl">[Four Slaves Interviewed by Maude Barragan, Edith Bell Love,
+ Ruby Lorraine Radford]</td>
+ <td class="tdr">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Ellen_Campbell">Ellen Campbell</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">221</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Rachel_Sullivan">Rachel Sullivan</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">226</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Eugene_Wesley_Smith">Eugene Wesley Smith</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">230</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Willis_Bennefield">Willis Bennefield</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">235</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdlp" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">[TR: Uncle Willis in individual interview.]</td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl">[Folklore]</td>
+ <td class="tdr">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Emmaline_Heard">Emmaline Heard</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">245</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Rosa_and_Jasper_Millegan">Rosa and Jasper Millegan</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">251</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Camilla_Jackson">Camilla Jackson</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">254</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Anna_Grant">Anna Grant</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">255</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em;"><a href="#Emmaline_Heard2">Emmaline Heard</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em;">256</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl" style="padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em;">COMPILATIONS [Richmond County]</td>
+ <td class="tdr" style="padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em;">&nbsp;</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Folklore">Folklore</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">261</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Conjuration">Conjuration</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">269</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Folk_Remedies">Folk Remedies and Superstitions</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">282</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Mistreatment_of_Slaves">Mistreatment of Slaves</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">290</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Slavery">Slavery</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">308</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td class="tdl"><a href="#Work_Play_Food">Work, Play, Food, Clothing,
+ Marriage, etc.</a></td>
+ <td class="tdr">355</td>
+ </tr>
+</table>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+
+<h3>Transcriber's Notes:</h3>
+
+<p>[TR: The interview headers presented here contain all information
+included in the original, but may have been rearranged for readability.
+Also, some ages and addresses have been drawn from blocks of information
+on subsequent interview pages. Names in brackets were drawn from text of
+interviews.]</p>
+
+<p>[TR: Some interviews were date-stamped; these dates have been added to
+interview headers in brackets. Where part of date could not be
+determined &mdash; has been substituted. These dates do not appear to
+represent actual interview dates, rather dates completed interviews were
+received or perhaps transcription dates.]</p>
+
+<p>[TR: In general, typographical errors have been left in place to match
+the original images. In the case where later editors have hand-written
+corrections, simple typographical errors have been silently corrected.]</p>
+
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span><br />
+<a name="Georgia_Telfair" id="Georgia_Telfair"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span><br />
+<br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+GEORGIA TELFAIR, Age 74<br />
+Box 131, R.F.D. #2<br />
+Athens, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Miss Grace McCune<br />
+Athens, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+Mrs. Leila Harris<br />
+Augusta, Ga.<br />
+[Date Stamp: APR 29 1938]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>"Yes chile, I'll be glad to tell you de story of my life, I can't tell
+you much 'bout slav'ry 'cause I wuz jus' six months old when freedom
+come, but I has heared quite a lot, and I will tell you all I kin
+'member 'bout everythin." Said old "Aunt" Georgia Telfair, who lives
+with her son to whom her devotion is quite evident. Both "Aunt" Georgia
+and the little home show the excellent care that is given them.</p>
+
+<p>"My pa," she said, "wuz Pleasant Jones, an' he b'longed to Marse Young
+L.G. Harris. Dey lived at de Harris place out on Dearing Street. Hit wuz
+all woods out dar den, an' not a bit lak Dearing Street looks now.</p>
+
+<p>"Rachel wuz my ma's name. Us don' know what her las' name wuz 'cause she
+wuz sold off when she wuz too little to 'member. Dr. Riddin' (Redding)
+bought her an' his fambly always jus' called her Rachel Riddin'. De
+Riddin' place wuz whar Hancock Avenue is now, but it wuz all in woods
+'roun' dar, jus' lak de place whar my pa wuz. Atter dey wuz married ma
+had to stay on wid de Riddin' fambly an' her chilluns b'longed to de
+Riddin's 'cause dey owned her. Miss Maxey Riddin' wuz my brudder's young
+Missus, an' I wuz give to her sister, Miss Lula Riddin', for to be her
+own maid, but us didn't git to wuk for 'em none 'cause it wuz jus' at
+dis time all de slaves got sot free. Atter dat my pa <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span>tuk us all wid him
+an' went to farm on de old Widderspoon (Witherspoon) place.</p>
+
+<p>"It wuz 'way off in de woods. Pa cut down trees an' built us a log
+cabin. He made de chimbly out of sticks an' red mud, an' put iron bars
+crost de fireplace to hang pots on for to bile our vittuls an' made
+ovens for de bakin'. De bes' way to cook 'tatoes wuz to roas' 'em in de
+ashes wid de jackets on. Dey ain' nothin' better tastin' dan ash-roasted
+'tatoes wid good home-made butter to eat wid 'em. An 'us had de butter,
+'cause us kep' two good cows. Ma had her chickens an' tukkeys an' us
+raised plenty of hogs, so we nebber wuz widout meat. Our reg'lar Sunday
+breakfas' wuz fish what pa cotch out of de crick. I used to git tired
+out of fish den, but a mess of fresh crick fish would sho' be jus' right
+now.</p>
+
+<p>"Us always kep' a good gyardan full of beans, corn, onions, peas an'
+'taters, an' dey warn't nobody could beat us at raisin' lots of greens,
+'specially turnips an' colla'd greens. Us saved heaps of dry peas an'
+beans, an' dried lots of peaches an' apples to cook in winter. When de
+wind wuz a howlin an' de groun' all kivvered wid snow, ma would make
+dried fruit puffs for us, dat sho' did hit de spot.</p>
+
+<p>"When I wuz 'bout eight years old, dey sont me to school. I had to walk
+from Epps Bridge Road to Knox School. Dey calls it Knox Institute now. I
+toted my blue back speller in one han' and my dinner bucket in de other.
+Us wore homespun dresses wid <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>bonnets to match. De bonnets wuz all made
+in one piece an' had drawstrings on de back to make 'em fit, an' slats
+in de brims to make 'em stiff an' straight. Our dresses wuz made long to
+keep our legs warm. I don't see, for to save me, how dey keeps dese
+young-uns from freezin' now since dey let 'em go 'roun' mos' naked.</p>
+
+<p>"Our brush arbor church wuz nigh whar Brooklyn Mount Pleasant Church is
+now, an' us went to Sunday School dar evvy Sunday. It warn't much of a
+church for looks, 'cause it wuz made out of poles stuck in de groun' an'
+de roof wuz jus' pine limbs an' brush, but dere sho' wuz some good
+meetin's in dat old brush church, an' lots of souls foun' de way to de
+heb'enly home right dar.</p>
+
+<p>"Our reg'lar preacher wuz a colored man named Morrison, but Mr. Cobb
+preached to us lots of times. He wuz a white gemman, an' he say he could
+a sot all night an' lissen long as us sung dem old songs. Some of 'em I
+done clar forgot, but de one I lak bes' goes sorter lak dis:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'I want to be an angel<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">An' wid de angels stan'<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">A crown upon my forehead<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And a harp widin my han'.'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"Another tune wuz 'Roll, Jordan Roll.' Little chillun wuz larnt to sing,
+'How Sweetly do de Time Fly, When I Please my Mother,' an' us chillun
+sho' would do our best a singin' dat little old song, so Preacher Cobb
+would praise us.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span>"When I jined de church dere wuz 35 of us baptized de same day in de
+crick back of de church. While Preacher Brown wuz a baptizin' us, a big
+crowd wuz standin' on de bank a shoutin' an' singin', 'Dis is de healin'
+Water,' an', 'Makin' for de Promise Lan! Some of 'em wuz a prayin' too.
+Atter de baptizin' wuz done dey had a big dinner on de groun's for de
+new members, but us didn't see no jugs dat day. Jus' had plenty of good
+somethin' t'eat.</p>
+
+<p>"When us warn't in school, me an' my brudder wukked in de fiel' wid pa.
+In cotton plantin' time, pa fixed up de rows an' us drap de seeds in
+'em. Nex' day us would rake dirt over 'em wid wooden rakes. Pa made de
+rakes hisse'f. Dey had short wooden teef jus' right for to kivver de
+seed. Folkses buys what dey uses now an' don't take up no time makin'
+nothin' lak dat.</p>
+
+<p>"In dem days 'roun' de house an' in de fiel' boys jus' wo' one piece of
+clo'es. It wuz jus' a long shirt. Dey didn't know nothin' else den, but
+I sho' would lak to see you try to make boys go 'roun' lookin' lak dat
+now.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey hired me out to Mr. Jack Weir's fambly when I wuz 'bout fo'teen
+years old to do washin', ironin', an' cleanin' up de house, an' I wukked
+for 'em 'til I married. Dey lemme eat all I wanted dere at de house an'
+paid me in old clo'es, middlin' meat, sirup, 'tatoes, an' wheat flour,
+but I never did git no money for pay. Not nary a cent.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span>"Us wukked mighty hard, but us had good times too. De bigges' fun us had
+wuz at candy pullin's. Ma cooked de candy in de wash pot out in de yard.
+Fust she poured in some home-made sirup, an' put in a heap of brown
+sugar from de old sirup barrel an' den she biled it down to whar if you
+drapped a little of it in cold water it got hard quick. It wuz ready den
+to be poured out in greasy plates an' pans. Us greased our han's wid
+lard to keep de candy from stickin' to 'em, an' soon as it got cool
+enough de couples would start pullin' candy an' singin'. Dat's mighty
+happy music, when you is singin' an' pullin' candy wid yo' bes' feller.
+When de candy got too stiff an' hard to pull no mo', us started eatin',
+an' it sho' would evermo' git away from dar in a hurry. You ain't nebber
+seed no dancin', what is dancin', lessen you has watched a crowd dance
+atter dey et de candy what dey done been pullin'.</p>
+
+<p>"Quiltin's wuz a heap of fun. Sometimes two or three famblies had a
+quiltin' together. Folkses would quilt some an' den dey passed 'roun' de
+toddy. Some would be cookin' while de others wuz a quiltin' an' den when
+supper wuz ready dey all stopped to eat. Dem colla'd greens wid cornpone
+an' plenty or gingercakes an' fruit puffs an' big ole pots of coffee wuz
+mighty fine eatin's to us den.</p>
+
+<p>"An' dere warn't nothin' lackin' when us had cornshuckin's. A gen'ral of
+de cornshuckin' wuz appointed to lead off in de fun. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>He sot up on top of
+de big pile of corn an' hysted de song. He would git 'em started off
+singin' somethin' lak, 'Sallie is a Good Gal,' an' evvybody kept time
+shuckin' an' a singin'. De gen'ral kept singin' faster an' faster, an'
+shucks wuz jus' flyin'. When pa started passin' de jug 'roun' dem
+Niggers sho' nuff begun to sing loud an' fas' an' you wuz 'bliged for to
+'low Sallie mus' be a Good Gal, de way de shucks wuz comin' off of dat
+corn so fas'. Dey kep' it up 'til de corn wuz all shucked, an' ma
+hollered, 'Supper ready!' Den dey made tracks for de kitchen, an' dey
+didn't stop eatin' an' drinkin' dat hot coffee long as dey could
+swallow. Ain't nobody fed 'em no better backbones, an' spareribs, turnip
+greens, 'tato pies, an' sich lak dan my ma set out for 'em. Old time
+ways lak dat is done gone for good now. Folkses ain't lak dey used to
+be. Dey's all done got greedy an' don't keer 'bout doin' nothin' for
+nobody else no more.</p>
+
+<p>"Ma combed our hair wid a Jim Crow comb, or cyard, as some folkses
+called 'em. If our hair wuz bad nappy she put some cotton in de comb to
+keep it from pullin' so bad, 'cause it wuz awful hard to comb.</p>
+
+<p>"Evvybody tried to raise plenty of gourds, 'cause dey wuz so handy to
+use for dippers den. Water wuz toted from de spring an' kept in piggins.
+Don't spec' you ebber did see a piggin. Dats a wooden bucket wid wire
+hoops 'roun' it to keep it from <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span>leakin'. De wash place wuz nex' to de
+spring. Pa fixed us up a big old stump whar us had to battle de clo'es
+wid a battlin' stick. It tuk a sight of battlin' to git de dirt out
+sometimes.</p>
+
+<p>"If you turned a chunk over in de fire, bad luck wuz sho' to come to
+you. If a dog howled a certain way at night, or if a scritch owl come in
+de night, death wuz on de way to you, an' you always had to be keerful
+so maybe bad spirits would leave you alone.</p>
+
+<p>"Pa built us a new kitchen, jus' lak what de white folkses had dem days.
+It sot out in de back yard, a little piece of a way from our house. He
+made it out of logs an' put a big old chimbly wid a big fireplace at one
+end. Benches wuz built 'roun' de sides for seats. Dere warn't no floor
+in it, but jus' dirt floor. Dat wuz one gran' kitchen an' us wuz mighty
+proud of it. [HW: p.4]</p>
+
+<p>"My w'ite folkses begged me not to leave 'em, when I told 'em I wuz
+gwine to marry Joe Telfair. I'd done been wukkin' for 'em nigh on to six
+years, an' wuz mos' twenty years old. Dey gimme my weddin' clo'es, an'
+when I seed dem clo'es I wuz one proud Nigger, 'cause dey wuz jus' lak I
+wanted. De nightgown wuz made out of white bleachin' an' had lots of
+tucks an' ruffles an' it even had puff sleeves. Sho' 'nough it did! De
+petticoat had ruffles an' puffs plum up to de wais' ban'. Dere wuz a
+cosset kiver <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span>dat wuz cut to fit an' all fancy wid tucks an' trimmin',
+an' de drawers, dey sho' wuz pretty, jus' full of ruffles an' tucks
+'roun' de legs. My dress wuz a cream buntin', lak what dey calls serge
+dese days. It had a pretty lace front what my ma bought from one of de
+Moss ladies. When I got all dressed up I wuz one mo' gran' lookin'
+bride.</p>
+
+<p>"Us got married in de new kitchen an' it wuz plum full, 'cause ma had
+done axed 76 folkses to de weddin'. Some of 'em wuz Joe's folkses, an'
+us had eight waiters: four gals, an' four boys. De same Preacher Brown
+what baptized me, married us an' den us had a big supper. My Missus,
+Lula Weir, had done baked a great big pretty cake for me an' it tasted
+jus' as good as it looked. Atter us et all us could, one of de waiters
+called de sets for us to dance de res' of de night. An' sich dancin' as
+us did have! Folkses don't know how to dance dat good no mo'. Dat wuz
+sho' nuff happy dancin'. Yes Ma'am, I ain't nebber gonna forgit what a
+gran' weddin' us had.</p>
+
+<p>"Next day us moved right here an' I done been here ever since. Dis place
+b'longed to Joe's gran'ma, an' she willed it to him. Us had 15 chillun,
+but ain't but five of 'em livin' now, an' Joe he's been daid for years.
+Us always made a good livin' on de farm, an' still raises mos' of what
+us needs, but I done got so po'ly I can't wuk no more.</p>
+
+<p>"I'se still tryin' to live right an' walk de narrow way, so as I kin go
+to Heb'en when I dies. I'se gwine to pray for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span>you an' ax de Lawd to
+bless you, for you has been so good an' patient wid me, an' I'se sho'
+thankful my son sont you to see me. You done helped me to feel lots
+better. Good-bye, an' God bless you, an' please Ma'am, come back to see
+me again."</p>
+
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span><br />
+<a name="Cordelia_Thomas" id="Cordelia_Thomas"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span><br />
+<br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE<br />
+<br />
+CORDELIA THOMAS, Age 80<br />
+130 Berry Street<br />
+Athens, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Grace McCune [HW: (white)]<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Leila Harris<br />
+Augusta<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Residencies 6 &amp; 7</h3>
+
+
+<p>A long, hot walk over rough, hilly roads brought the visitor to
+Cordelia's place just after the noon hour of a sweltering July day, and
+the shade of the tall water oaks near the little cabin was a most
+welcome sight. The house stood only a few feet from a spur of railroad
+track but the small yard was enclosed by a luxurious green hedge. Roses
+predominated among the many varieties of flowers in evidence on the
+otherwise drab premises.</p>
+
+<p>A dilapidated porch across the front of the residence had no roof and
+the floorboards were so badly rotted that it did not seem quite safe to
+walk from the steps to the front door where Cordelia stood waiting.
+"Come right in, Missy," she invited, "but be keerful not to fall through
+dat old porch floor." The tall, thin Negress was clad in a faded but
+scrupulously clean blue dress, a white apron, and a snowy headcloth
+crowned by a shabby black hat. Black brogans completed her costume.
+Cordelia led the way to the rear of a narrow hall. "Us will be cooler
+back here," she explained. Sunlight poured through gaping holes in the
+roof, and the coarse brown wrapping paper pasted on the walls was
+splattered and streaked by rain. The open door of Cordelia's bedroom
+revealed a wooden bed, a marble-topped bureau, and a washstand of the
+Victorian period. A rocker, two straight chairs, a small table, and a
+trunk completed the furnishings of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span>the room and left but little space
+for its occupant to move about.</p>
+
+<p>"I'se jus' a mite tired," Cordelia stated, "'cause I jus' got back from
+de courthouse whar dem welfare 'omans done gimme a sack o' flour and
+some other bundles what I ain't opened up yit, but I knows dey's got
+somepin in 'em to holp me, 'cause dem folks is sho' been mighty good to
+me since my rheumatiz is been so bad I couldn't wuk enough to make a
+livin'. De doctor, he say I got de blood presser. I don't rightly know
+jus' what dat is, but it looks lak somepin's a-pressin' right down in my
+haid 'til I feels right foolish, so I reckon he's right 'bout it a-bein
+de blood presser. When I gits down on my knees it takes a long time for
+me to git straight up on my feet again. De Lord, He's done been wid me
+all dese years, and old Cordelia's goin' to keep right on kneelin' 'fore
+Him and praisin' Him often 'til He 'cides de time has come for her to go
+home to Heben.</p>
+
+<p>"I was borned on Marse Andrew Jackson's plantation down in 'Conee
+(Oconee) County, twixt here and High Shoals. Marse Andy, he owned my
+Mammy, and she was named Em'ly Jackson. Bob Lowe was my Daddy, and he
+b'longed to Marse Ike Lowe. The Lowe plantation was nigh whar Marse
+Andy's was, down der in 'Conee County. 'Cause neither one of deir
+marsters wouldn't sell one of 'em to de other marster, Mammy had to stay
+on de Jackson plantation and Daddy was kept right on wukin' on de Lowe
+place atter dey <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>had done got married. Marse Bob, he give Daddy a ticket
+what let him go to see Mammy evvy Wednesday and Sadday night, and dem
+patterollers couldn't bother him long as he kept dat ticket. When dey
+did find a slave off his marster's plantation widout no ticket, it was
+jus' too bad, for dat meant a beatin' what most kilt him. Mammy said dey
+didn't never git my Daddy, 'cause he allus had his ticket to show.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't ricollect much 'bout days 'fore de big war ended 'cause I was
+so little den, but many's de time I heared Mammy and Daddy and de other
+old folks tell 'bout dem times. Us chillun had de bestes' time of
+anybody dem days, 'cause dey didn't 'low us to do nothin' but jus' eat
+all us could and play de rest of de time. I don't know how it was on
+other places, but dat was de way us was raised on our old marster's
+plantation.</p>
+
+<p>"De cracks of de log cabins whar de slaves lived was chinked wid red mud
+to keep out de cold and rain. Dere warn't no glass in de windows, dey
+jus' had plank shutters what dey fastened shut at night. Thin slide
+blocks kivvered de peepholes in de rough plank doors. Dey had to have
+dem peepholes so as dey could see who was at de door 'fore dey opened
+up. Dem old stack chimblies what was made out of sticks and red clay,
+was all time gittin' on fire. Dem old home-made beds had high posties
+and us called 'em 'teesters.' To take de place of springs, what hadn't
+never been seen 'round dar in dem days, dey wove heavy cords lengthways
+and crostways. Over dem cords dey laid a flat mat wove out of white oak
+splints and on dat dey put de homespun bed ticks stuffed wid wheat
+straw. Dey could have right good pillows if dey was a mind <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>to pick de
+scrap cotton and fix it up, but dere warn't many of 'em keered dat much
+'bout no pillows.</p>
+
+<p>"Slaves didn't do no cookin' on our place 'cause Marster fed evvybody up
+at de big house. Missy, I ain't never gwine to forgit dat big old
+fireplace up dar. Dey piled whole sticks of cord wood on it at one time,
+wid little sticks crossways under 'em and, let me tell you, dat was a
+fire what would cook anything and evvything. De pots hung on swingin'
+racks, and dere was big ovens, little ovens, long-handled fryin' pans,
+and heavy iron skillets wid tight, thick lids. It sho' was a sight de
+way us chillun used to make 'way wid dem ash-roasted 'taters and dat
+good, fresh butter. Us chillun had to eat supper early 'cause all
+chillun had to be in bed 'fore dark. It warn't lak dese days. Why Missy,
+chilluns now stays up 'most all night runnin' 'round dese parts.</p>
+
+<p>"Marster was sho' good 'bout seein' dat his Niggers had plenty to eat
+and wear. For supper us et our bread and milk wid wooden spoons out of
+wooden bowls, but for dinner dey give us veg'ables, corn pone, and
+'taters. Marster raised all de sorts of veg'ables what dey knowed
+anything 'bout in dem days, and he had big old fields of wheat, rye,
+oats, and corn, 'cause he 'lowed dat stock had to eat same as folkses.
+Dere was lots of chickens, turkeys, cows, hogs, sheep, and some goats on
+dat plantation so as dere would allus be plenty of meat for evvybody.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span>"Our Marster evermore did raise de cotton&mdash;lots of it to sell, and
+plenty for clothes for all de folkses, white and black, what lived on
+his place. All de cloth was home-made 'cept de calico for de best Sunday
+dresses. Chillun had to spin de thread and deir mammies wove de cloth.
+'Fore de end of de war, whilst I was still so little I had to stand on a
+box to reach de spinnin' wheel good, I could spin six reels a day.</p>
+
+<p>"Chillun was happy when hog-killin' time come. Us warn't 'lowed to help
+none, 'cept to fetch in de wood to keep de pot bilin' whar de lard was
+cookin'. Our Mist'ess allus had de lard rendered in de bigges' washpot,
+what dey sot on rocks in de fireplace. Us didn't mind gittin' de wood
+for dat, 'cause when dem cracklin's got done, dey let us have all us
+could eat and, jus' let me tell you, Missy, you ain't never had nothin'
+good 'less you has et a warm skin cracklin' wid a little salt. One time
+when dey was renderin' lard, all us chillun was crowdin' 'round close as
+us could git to see which one could git a cracklin' fust. Mist'ess told
+us to stand back 'fore somebody got burnt; den Mammy said she was gwine
+to take de hides off our backs 'bout gittin' so close to dat fire, and
+'bout dat time somebody 'hind me gimme a quick push; and in de fire I
+went. Marster grabbed me 'most time I hit dem red coals, but one hand
+and arm was burnt so bad I had to wear it in a sling for a long time.
+Den Marster laid down de law and told us what he would do if he cotch us
+chillun hangin' 'round de fire whar dey was cookin' lard again.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>"Folkses said our Marster must have a powerful sweet tooth on account of
+he kept so many bee hives. When bees swarmed folkses rung bells and beat
+on tin pans to git 'em settled. Veils was tied over deir haids to keep
+de bees from gittin' to deir faces when dey went to rob de hives.
+Chillun warn't never 'lowed to be nowhar nigh durin' dat job. One day I
+sneaked out and got up close to see how dey done it, and dem bees got
+all over me. Dey stung me so bad I couldn't see for days and days.
+Marster, he jus' fussed and said dat gal, Cordelia, she was allus whar
+she didn't b'long. Missy, I ain't never wanted to fool wid no more bees,
+and I don't even lak honey no more.</p>
+
+<p>"Slaves all went to church wid deir white folkses 'cause dere warn't no
+Nigger churches dem days. All de preachin' was done by white preachers.
+Churches warn't nigh and convenient dem days lak dey is now and dey was
+such a fur piece from de plantations dat most of de folkses stayed all
+day, and dem meetin' days was big days den. De cooks was told to fix de
+bestes' dinners dey could git up, and chillun was made to know dey had
+better mind what dey was 'bout when dey was in de meetin' house or it
+was gwine to be made mighty hot for 'em when dey got back home. Dat was
+one thing our Marster didn't 'low no foolin' 'bout. His Niggers had to
+be-have deyselfs at de meetin' house. 'Long 'bout August when craps was
+laid by, dey had brush arbor meetin's. White folks brought deir slaves
+and all of 'em listened to a white preacher from Watkinsville named Mr.
+Calvin Johnson. Dere was lots of prayin' <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>and shoutin' at dem old brush
+arbor 'vival meetin's.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey had campmeetin's too. De old Freeman place was whar dey had some of
+dem fust campmeetin's, and Hillsboro, Mars Hill, and Bethabara was some
+of de other places whar Marster tuk us to campmeetin's. Missy, you jus'
+don't know nothin' 'bout 'citement if you ain't never been to one of dem
+old-time campmeetin's. When folkses would git 'ligion dey would holler
+and shout a-testifyin' for de Lord. Atter de meetin' dey dammed up de
+crick and let it git deep enough for de baptizin'. Dey dipped de white
+folkses fust, and den de Niggers. You could hear 'em singin' a mile away
+dem old songs lak: <i>On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand</i>,&mdash;<i>Roll, Jordan
+Roll</i>,&mdash;<i>All God's Chilluns is a-goin' Home</i>, and&mdash;<i>Whar de Livin'
+Waters Flow</i>. I jus' can't 'member half of dem good old songs 'cause my
+mem'ry ain't good as it used to be." Here Cordelia paused. She seemed
+oblivious to all around her for several minutes, and then she suddenly
+smiled. "Lordy, Missy," she began, "if I could jus' call back dem days
+wid our good old Marster to look atter us and see dat us had what us
+needed to eat and wear and a good comf'table cabin to live in, wouldn't
+dis be a happy old 'oman? Lots of de other old folks would lak it too,
+'cause our white folkses day sho' did take good keer of deir slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"Did you ever hear of dem logrollin's? On our place dey spent 'bout two
+whole days cookin' and gittin' ready. Marster axed evvybody from fur and
+nigh, and dey allus come 'cause dey knowed he was gwine to give 'em a
+good old time. De way dey <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span>rolled dem logs was a sight, and de more good
+corn liquor Marster passed 'round, de faster dem logs rolled. Come
+night-time, Marster had a big bonfire built up and sot lots of pitchpine
+torches 'round so as dere would be plenty of light for 'em to see how to
+eat dat fine supper what had done been sot out for 'em. Atter supper,
+dey danced nigh all de rest of de night. Mammy used to tell us 'bout de
+frolics next day, 'cause us chillun was made to go to bed at sundown.
+Come day, go day, no matter what might happen, growin' chillun had to be
+in bed at deir reg'lar time, but Mammy never forgot to tell us all 'bout
+de good times next day.</p>
+
+<p>"Mammy said dem cornshuckin's meant jus' as much fun and jollification
+as wuk. Dey gathered Marster's big corn crap and 'ranged it in long,
+high piles, and sometimes it tuk sev'ral days for dem cornshuckers to
+git it all shucked, but evvybody stayed right dar on de job 'til it was
+finished. At night, dey wukked by de light of big fires and torches, den
+dey had de big supper and started dancin'. Dey stopped so often to swig
+dat corn liquor Marster pervided for 'em dat 'fore midnight folkses
+started fallin' out and drappin' down in de middle of de dance ring. De
+others would git 'em by de heels and drag 'em off to one side 'til dey
+come to and was ready to drink more liquor and dance again. Dat was de
+way dey went on de rest of de night.</p>
+
+<p>"Corpses! Buryin's! Graveyards! Why, Miss, dere warn't nigh so many
+folkses a-dyin' all de time dem days as dere is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span>now. Folkses lived right
+and was tuk better keer of and dere warn't so much reason for 'em to die
+out den. When somebody did die, folkses come from miles and miles around
+to de buryin'. Dey give de slaves de same sort of funerals de white
+folkses had. De corpses was washed good all over wid hot water and
+home-made soap, den dey was dressed and laid out on de coolin' boards
+'til de cyarpenter man had time to make up de coffins. Lordy, Missy,
+ain't you never seed no coolin' board? I 'spects dey is all gone now
+though. Dey looked a good deal lak ironin' boards, only dey had laigs to
+stand on. Lots of times dey didn't dress de corpses, but jus' wropped
+'em in windin' sheets. Dem home-made, pine coffins didn't look so bad
+atter dey got 'em painted up and lined nice. Dey driv de wagon what had
+de corpse on it right slow to de graveyard. De preacher talked a little
+and prayed; den atter de mourners had done sung somepin on de order of
+<i>Harps [HW: Hark?] From De Tomb</i>, dey shovelled in de dirt over de
+coffin whilst de preacher said comfortin' words to de fambly of de daid.
+Evvy plantation had its own graveyard wid a fence around it, and dere
+was a place in it for de slaves 'nigh whar deir white folks was buried.</p>
+
+<p>"Honey, didn't you never hear tell of Dr. Frank Jackson? He was sho' a
+grand doctor. Dr. Jackson made up his own medicines and toted 'em 'round
+wid him all de time. He was close kin to our Marse Andy Jackson's
+fambly. All dem Jacksons down in 'Conee was good white folks.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span>"Us stayed on wid Old Marster for a little while atter de war was over,
+and den right away Mammy died and Daddy hired me out to Mrs. Sidney
+Rives (Reaves?). I 'spects one reason she was so mighty good to me was
+'cause I was so little den. I was nigh grown when I left her to wuk for
+Dr. Palmer's fambly. All his chillun was little den and I was deir nuss.
+One of de best of his chillun was little Miss Eunice. She is done growed
+to be a school teacher and dey tells me she is still a-teachin'. It
+warn't long atter my Daddy died dat I left de Palmers and started
+wukkin' for Mr. Dock Dorsey's fambly. If dere ever was a good Christian
+'oman in dis here old world it was Miss Sallie Dorsey, Mr. Dock Dorsey's
+wife. She had been Miss Sallie Chappell 'fore she married Mr. Dorsey.
+Miss Sallie tried to git evvybody what stayed 'round her to live right
+too, and she wanted all her help to go to church reg'lar. If Miss Sallie
+and Marse Dock Dorsey was livin' now, dey would pervide for Old 'Delia
+jus' lak dey used to do. All deir chillun was nice. Miss Fannie and Miss
+Sue, dey was extra good gals, but somehow I jus' can't call back de
+names of dem other ones now. Dey all had to be good wid de sort of mammy
+and daddy dey had. Miss Sallie, she was sick a long time 'fore she died,
+and dey let me wait on her. Missy, I tell you de gospel truth, I sho'
+did love dat 'oman. Not long 'fore she passed on to Heben, she told her
+husband dat atter she was gone, she wanted him to marry up wid her
+cousin, Miss Hargrove, so as he would have <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span>somebody to help him raise up
+her chillun, and he done 'zactly what she axed him to. All of my own
+white folkses has done died out, and Old 'Delia won't be here much
+longer. One of de Thorntons here&mdash;I forgits which one&mdash;married up wid my
+young Mist'ess, Rebecca Jackson. Her gal got married up wid Dr. Jago, a
+horse-doctor. A insurance man named Mr. Speer married into de Jackson
+fambly too. He moved his fambly from here to de mountains on account of
+his son's health, and I jus' los' track of 'em den.</p>
+
+<p>"Lordy, Chile! What you want to know 'bout my weddin' for, nowhow? Dere
+ain't never gwine to be no more weddin's lak dey had back dere in dem
+times 'cause folkses thinks dey got to have too much nowadays. When
+folkses got married den dey was a-thinkin' 'bout makin' sho' 'nough
+homes for deyselfs, and gittin' married meant somepin sort of holy.
+Mammy said dat most times when slaves got married dey jus' jumped
+backwards over a broomstick whilst deir Marster watched and den he
+pernounced dat dey was man and wife. Now dey is got to go to de
+courthouse and pay out good money for a license and den go git a
+preacher or somebody lak a jestice jedge to say de marriage words over
+'em.</p>
+
+<p>"Me and Solomon Thomas had to go buy us a license too, but us didn't
+mind 'bout 'puttin out 'dat money cause us was so much in love. I wore a
+pretty white dress and a breakfast shawl, and atter us had done went to
+de preacher man's house and got married, us come right on here to dis
+very house what had b'longed to Solomon's daddy 'fore it was Solomon's.
+Us built two more rooms <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span>on de house, but all de time Solomon lived us
+tried to keep de place lookin' a good deal lak it was de day us got
+married.</p>
+
+<p>"Atter Solomon died, I sold off most of de land to de railroad for de
+right of way for dat dere track what you sees out dere, and it sho' has
+made plenty of wuk for me to keep dat soot what dem engines is all time
+a-spittin' out cleaned off my things in de house. It draps down through
+dem big holes overhead, and I can't git hold of no money to have de roof
+patched up.</p>
+
+<p>"Me and Solomon, us had 11 chillun, but dey is all daid out but three.
+One of my boys is in Baltimore and another boy lives in Louisiana
+somewhar. My gal, Delia, she stays over in de Newtown part of Athens
+here. She would love to help her old Mammy, but my Delia's got chillun
+of her own and she can't git nothin' to do 'cept a little washin' for de
+white folkses, and she ain't able to pervide what her own household
+needs to eat. Dem boys of mine is done got so fur off dey's done forgot
+all 'bout deir old Mammy.</p>
+
+<p>"When us fust got married, Solomon wukked at Mr. Orr's cotton house, and
+he stayed dere a long time 'fore he went to wuk for Mr. Moss and Mr.
+Levy. All dem white folks was good to me and Solomon. I kept on wukkin'
+for de Dorseys 'til us had so many chillun I had to stay home and look
+atter 'em. Solomon got sick and he lay dere sufferin' a long, long time,
+but Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy seed dat he didn't want for nothin'. Even
+atter <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span>Solomon died dem good white mens kept on comin' out now and den to
+see if me and Solomon's chillun had what us needed.</p>
+
+<p>"Solomon, my Solomon, he went out of dis here world, in dat dere room
+whar you sees dat old bed, and dat is perzactly whar I wants to be when
+de Blessed Lord lays his hands on me and tells me to come on Home to
+Glory. I wants to be toted out of dat room, through dis hall and on out
+to de graveyard jus' lak my man was. I knows dat evvything would be done
+nice jus' lak I wants it if Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy was a-livin' 'cause
+dey was both Masons, and members of de Masons is all done swore a oath
+to look atter deir own folkses. Dey said Solomon and his fambly was lak
+deir own folkses, Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy did. Most of de folkses, both
+white and black, dat I has knowed and loved has done gone on over de
+Jordan, out of dis world of trouble, and it will be happy days for all
+of us when us meets again in de place 'of many mansions' whar dere won't
+be nothin' for none of us to pester ourselfs 'bout no more.</p>
+
+<p>"All of my life, I'se had a great desire to travel, jus' to go evvywhar,
+but atter all dese years of busy livin' I 'spects all de trav'lin' I'll
+ever do will be on de road to Glory. Dat will be good enough for me
+'cause I got so many more of 'em I loves over dar dan is left here."</p>
+
+<p>As the visitor passed out of earshot of Cordelia's cabin the last words
+she heard from the old Negress were: "Good-bye again, Missy. Talkin' to
+you has been a heap of consolation to me."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Ike_Thomas" id="Ike_Thomas"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist-2<br />
+Ex Slave #105]<br />
+Alberta Minor<br />
+Re-search Worker<br />
+<br />
+FOLKLORE<br />
+EX-SLAVE&mdash;IKE THOMAS<br />
+Heidt Bridges Farm near Rio Georgia<br />
+Interviewed<br />
+<br />
+September 4, 1936<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+
+<p>[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed or meaning was significantly changed, it has been noted.]</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>Ike Thomas was born near Monticello in Jasper County on the Thomas
+plantation. His mother and father were sold when he was a little boy,
+and "Missus" Thomas, in picking her house boy, took Ike to raise for a
+carriage boy. She picked her little niggers by the way they wore their
+hats. If they set them on the back of their heads, they grew up to be
+"high-minded", but if they pulled them over their eyes, they'd grow up
+to be "sneaky and steal".</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Thomas let him sleep on a trundle bed pulled out at night and put
+under her bed in the day and fed him under the table. She'd put a piece
+of meat in a biscuit and hand it down to him and warned him if they had
+company not to holler when he was thru so he'd touch her on the knee but
+his mouth was so big and he'd eat so fast that he "jes kep' on teching
+her on the knee."</p>
+
+<p>During the war, when they got word the Yankees were coming, Mrs. Thomas
+would hide her "little niggers" sometimes in the wardrobe back of her
+clothes, sometimes between the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span>mattresses, or sometimes in the cane
+brakes. After the Yankees left, she'd ring a bell and they would know
+they could come out of hiding. (When they first heard the slaves were
+free, they didn't believe it so they just stayed on with their "white
+folks".) [HW: Transpose to page 3.]</p>
+
+<p>If the negroes were mean or ran away, they would be chased by hounds and
+brought back for punishment.</p>
+
+<p>When still a young man, Ike ran away with a negro couple coming in a
+buggy to Blanton Mill near Griffin and worked for Mr. William Blanton
+until he died. After he had been here a while, he got married. His
+wife's people had the wedding supper and party. He was a fiddler so had
+to fiddle most all night then the next day his "white folks" gave him
+the food for the wedding dinner that he had at his own house.</p>
+
+<p>Ike says every seven [HW: 7] years the locusts come and its sure to be
+a short crop that "God sends all sorts of cusses" (curses) sometimes
+its the worms that eat the cotton or the corn or the bugs that eat the
+wheat. He doesn't believe in "hants" or "conjurin'". It seems Sid
+Scott was a "mean nigger", [HW: and] <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span>everyone was afraid of [HW: him].
+He was cut in two by the saw mill and after his funeral whenever
+anyone pass his house at night that could hear his "hant" going
+"rat-a-tat-tat-bang, bang, bang" like feet running.</p>
+
+<p>One night when Ike was coming home from "fiddlin'" at a white folks
+party, he had to pass Scott's house. Now they kept the cotton seed in
+half of the house and the other half was empty. When Ike got close, he
+made a racket and sure enough the noise started. "The moon was about an
+hour up" and he saw these funny white things run out from under the
+house and scatter. It scared him at first but he looked and looked and
+saw they were sheep that [HW: having] found a hole into the cotton seed
+would go in at night to eat.</p>
+
+<p>Before the war the negroes had a big celebration on the 4th of July, a
+big barbecue, ball game, wrestling matches, lots of music and singing.
+They had to have a pass from their Masters to attend and pay to get in.
+The "patta-roll" came by to see your pass and if you didn't have one,
+they'd whip you and send you home. [HW: When the Negroes first heard
+that they were free, they didn't believe it so they just stayed on with
+their white folks.]</p>
+
+<p>After he came to Blanton's, the Negroes could come and go as they
+pleased for they were free. Ike has been a member of several "Societies"
+but something has always happened <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span>to the President and Secretary or they
+ran off with the money so now he just has a sick and accident policy.</p>
+
+<p>Ike will be 94 years old next month. His hair is white, his eyes blurred
+with age, but he's quite active tho' he does walk with a stick.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Jane_Mickens_Toombs" id="Jane_Mickens_Toombs"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span><br />
+<br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist 1<br />
+Ex-Slave #107]<br />
+<br />
+JANE MICKENS TOOMBS OF WASHINGTON-WILKES<br />
+Age approx. 82<br />
+<br />
+by<br />
+Minnie Branham Stonestreet<br />
+Washington-Wilkes<br />
+GEORGIA<br />
+[Date Stamp: JAN 26 1937]<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span>A story of happiness and contentment on a big plantation where there
+were "a heap of us slaves" is told by Jane Mickens Toombs who said she
+was "five er six years ole when de Wah come on (1860), or maby a lit'le
+ol'er."</p>
+
+<p>She is a bright old woman, well and spry despite the fact she "wuz
+conjured onst when I wuz young an' dat lef' me lame an' dis eye plum'
+out an' de t'other bad."</p>
+
+<p>When asked about the conjuring she said: "No'm, I don't 'zackly know how
+t'wuz, but enyhow somebody whut knowed how ter 'wu'k roots' got me lame
+on dis side, an' my eye out, jess kase I wuz a decent, nice lookin' gal,
+an' went on 'tendin' ter my business an' payin' dem no mind. Dat's de
+way dey done in dem days, jess jealous of nice colored niggers. Yassum,
+I wuz sick fer nigh on ter two years an' de doctuhs never knowed what
+ailed me. Dey done everything dey could, but I wuz conjured an' dey
+couldn't hep' me. A doctuh-man frum up yander in New Yalk cum down here
+ter see his folks, an' he tried to kure [HW: cyore] me, but doctuhs
+kain't [HW: kaan't] kure [HW: cyore] conjured folks, so I had ter lay
+an' suffer 'til de conjure wore out. Dem whut done dat knowed dey done
+me wrong, but I kep' trustin' in my Lawd, an' now dey's gone an' I'se er
+stumblin' roun' yit. No mam, I never knowed jess whut dey done ter me,
+but hit wuz bad, I kin tell yer dat, hit might nigh kilt me."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span>Aunt Jane was born on the Gullatt Plantation on the line of Wilkes and
+Lincoln counties. Her Mother was Liza Gullatt and her father John
+Mickens who belonged to Mr. Augustus McMekin. "Yassum, my Pa wuz John
+'Mickens an' his Marster bought him in Alabamy. All de slaves whut
+belonged to de McMekins called dey selves 'Mickens. I wuz one of fifteen
+chillun an' cum er long in betweenst de oldest 'uns an' de youngest
+sum'ers. I wuz named fer my Mistess Jane Gullatt whut died. Young Marse
+George Gullatt choosed me out, dough, an' I'd er been his'en ef Freedom
+hadn't er come. You know dat's de way dey use ter do back in slavery
+time, de young Mistesses an' Marsters choosed out de little niggers dey
+wanted fer their'n."</p>
+
+<p>This is another case where the father and mother belonged to different
+families. The father had a pass to go and come as he pleased, although
+his family lived a little distance away. Jane said her father's master
+would have bought her mother if the War hadn't come on and they were set
+free.</p>
+
+<p>Jane told of the log cabins in the Quarters where all the negroes lived.
+She said they were all in a row "wid er street in de front, er wide
+street all set thick wid white mulberry trees fer ter mak' shade fer de
+chillun ter play in." They never had any punishment only [HW: except]
+switchings by their Mistess, and that was not often. They played dolls,
+"us had home-made rag dolls, nice 'uns, an' we'd git dem long grass
+plumes (Pampas grass) an' mak' dolls out'n dem too. Us played all day
+long every day. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span>My Mistess' chillun wuz all growed up so jess us little
+niggers played tergether.</p>
+
+<p>"My Mother spun an' wove de cloth, an' dyed hit, but our Mistess made
+our clothes. My Grandma, Nancy, wuz de cook an' she fed all de little
+'uns in de big ole kitchen whut sot out in de yard. She had a tray she
+put our victuals on an Uh, Uh, whut good things we had ter eat, an' er
+plenty of everything! Us et jess whut our white folks had, dey didn't
+mak' no difference in us when hit cum ter eatin'. My Grandaddy looked
+atter de meat, he done everything 'bout dat, an' he sho' knowed how ter
+fix it, too.</p>
+
+<p>"De fust thing I recollects is bein' round in de kitchen when dey wuz
+makin' ginger cakes an' my Mistess givin' me de pan she made 'em in fer
+me ter sop hit out. Dey ain't nothin' whut smells good lak' de cookin'
+in dem days, I kain't smell no victuals lak' dat now. Everything wuz
+cooked on a big ole open fire place in one end of de kitchen. Dem good
+ole days done gone now. Folkes done got wiser an' wickeder&mdash;dey ain't
+lak' dey use ter be."</p>
+
+<p>At Christmas Santa Claus found his way to the Quarters on the Gollatt
+plantation and each little slave had candy, apples, and "sich good
+things as dat." Aunt Jane gave a glowing description of the preparation
+for the Christmas season: "Lawdy, how de folks wu'ked gittin' ready fer
+Chris'mus, fer three er fo' days <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span>dey stayed in de kitchen er cookin' an'
+er bakin'&mdash;daye wuz de bes' light bread&mdash;great big loaves baked on de
+fire place, an' cakes an' mo' good ginger cakes. Dey wuz plenty cooked
+up to las' er long time. An' another thing, dare want no cookin' on
+Sunday, no mam, no wu'k of no kind. My Mistess had de cook cookin' all
+day Fridays an' Saddays so when Sunday come dare wuz hot coffee made an'
+dat wuz all, everything else wuz cooked up an' cold. Everybody went to
+Church, de grown folks white and black, went to de preachin' an' den all
+de little niggers wuz called in an de Bible read an' 'splained ter dem.</p>
+
+<p>"Dare wuz preachin' down in de Quarters, but dat wuz at night an' wuz
+led by de colored preachers. I recollects one night dare wuz a service
+gwine on in one of de cabins an' all us wuz dare an' ole Uncle Alex
+Frazier wuz up a linin' off a hymn 'bout</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'Broad is de road dat leads ter Death<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">An' there an' here we travel.'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>when in come some mens atter a colored feller whut had stole some sheep
+an' hogs. Dey kotch 'im, but sho broke up de meetin'. In de hot summer
+time Uncle George Gullatt use ter preach ter de slaves out under de
+trees. Uncle George waz a kind of er preacher.</p>
+
+<p>"My Pa didn't 'low his chillun ter go 'roun'. No'm, he kep' us home
+keerful lak. Young folks in dem days didn't go all over de country lak
+dey does now, dey stayed at home, an' little chillun wuz kep' back an'
+dey didn' know no badness lak de chillun do <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>terday. Us never even heared
+de ole folks talk nothin' whut we oughtn't ter hear. Us jess played an'
+stayed in a child's place. When we wuz sick de white folks seed dat we
+wuz 'tended to. Dey use ter mak Jerusalem Oak candy an' give us. Dey
+took de leaves of dat bush an' boiled 'em an' den use dat water dey wuz
+boiled in an' put sugar 'nough in hit ter mak candy. An dey used plenty
+of turpentine on us too&mdash;plenty ov hit, an' I believes in dat terday,
+hit's er good medicine."</p>
+
+<p>When asked about the War, Aunt Jane said she didn't remember much about
+it. "But dare's one thing 'bout hit I sho' does 'member, an' dat's my
+young Mistess Beckie's husband, Mr. Frazier, being off fightin' in de
+Wah, an' she gittin' er letter frum him sayin' he wuz comin' home sich
+an' sich er day. She wuz so happy she had all de grown slaves wu'kin'
+gittin' ready fer him. Den dey brung her er letter sayin' he had been
+kilt, an' she wuz in de yard when she read hit an' if dey hadn't er
+kotch her she'd ov fell. I 'members de women takin' her in de house an'
+gittin' her ter bed. She wuz so up sot an' took hit so hard. Dem wuz
+sho' hard times an' sad 'uns too. 'Course I wuz too small ter know much
+whut wuz gwine on, but I could tell hit wuz bad frum de way de older
+folks looked.</p>
+
+<p>"I recollects when dey say Freedom had cum. Dare wuz a speakin' fer de
+slaves up here in town in Barnett's Grove. Dat mornin' Ole Miss sont all
+de oldes' niggers to de speakin' an' kep' us little 'uns dat day. She
+kep' us busy sweepin' de yards an' sich as dat. An' she cooked our
+dinner an' give hit to us herself. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span>I 'members de grown folks leavin'
+early dat mornin' in a great big waggin.</p>
+
+<p>"A while after de Wah, Pa took us over to de McMekins place an' we lived
+dare fer a long time. He died an' lef' us an' den us had ter do de bes'
+we could. Col. Tolbert hired me fer ter nuss his chillun an' I went over
+ter his place ter live."</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Jane said she isn't superstitious, but likes to see the new moon
+clear and bow to it for good luck. She said it is better to show it a
+piece of money, but as she doesn't always have money handy, she "jess
+bows to hit nice an' polite". She keeps up with the weather by her
+rheumatism and the cat: "Ef I has de reumatics I knows hit's gwine ter
+rain, an' when de cat comes 'round an' sets washin' her face, look fer
+rain, kase hit's er comin'. I've heared folks say dat hit's bad luck ter
+stump yo' lef' foot, but I don't know boud dat. But I tell yer, when I
+meets er cat I allus turns er round 'fore I goes on, dat turns de bad
+luck er way."</p>
+
+<p>When 19 years of age Jane married Albert Toombs. He belonged to the
+Toombs family of Wilkes county. Aunt Jane said Albert brought her many
+gifts while he was courting: "He warnt much on bringin' candy an'
+nothin' lak dat ter eat, but he brung me shawls an' shoes&mdash;sumpin' I
+could wear." They had four children, but only one is living.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span>"When I wuz a growin' up", said Aunt Jane, "folks had ter wu'k." She
+worked on the farm, spun, wove, "done seamster wu'k" and knitted
+stockings, sox and gloves. She said she carded too, "an' in dem times ef
+a nigger wanted ter git de kinks out'n dey hair, dey combed hit wid de
+cards. Now dey puts all kinds ov grease on hit, an' buy straightenin'
+combs. Sumpin' dat costs money, dat's all dey is, old fashion cards'll
+straighten hair jess as well as all dis high smellin' stuff dey sells
+now."</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Jane likes to tell of those days of long ago. Her memory is
+excellent and she talks well. She says she is living out her Miss Jane's
+time. "Yassum, my Miss Jane died when she wuz so young, I specks I jess
+livin' out her days kase I named fer her. But I does miss dem good ole
+days whut's gone. I'se hungry fer de sight ov a spinnin' wheel&mdash;does you
+know whare's one? Things don't look lak' dey use ter, an' as fer whut we
+has ter eat, dare ain't no victuals ever smelled an' et as good as dem
+what dey use ter have on de plantation when I wuz a comin' on. Yassum,
+folkes has got wiser an' know mo' dan dey did, but dey is wickeder&mdash;dey
+kills now 'stid er conjurin' lak' dey did me."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Phil_Town" id="Phil_Town"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. 7<br />
+Ex-slave #108]<br />
+District 7<br />
+Adella S. Dixon<br />
+<br />
+PHIL TOWNS<br />
+OLD SLAVE STORY<br />
+[Date Stamp: &mdash; 8 1937]</h3>
+
+<p>[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed, meaning was significantly changed, or the edit could not be
+clearly read, it has been noted.]</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>On June 25, 1824, a son was born to Washington and Clara Towns who
+resided in Richmond, Virginia. This was the fourth child in a family
+which finally numbered thirteen. Phil, as he was called, does not recall
+many incidents on this estate as the family moved when he was in his
+teens. His grandfather and grandmother were brought here from Africa and
+their description of the cruel treatment they received is his most vivid
+recollection. His grandmother, Hannah, lived to be 129 years of age.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. George Towns, called "Governor" by all of his slaves as well as his
+intimate friends, moved to Georgia and settled at Reynolds in Taylor
+County. Here he purchased a huge tract of land&mdash;1350 acres&mdash;and built
+his new home upon this level area on the Flint River. The "big house," a
+large unpainted structure which housed a family of eighteen, was in the
+midst of a grove of trees near the highway that formed one of the
+divisions of the plantation. It was again divided by a local railway
+nearly a mile from the rear of the house. Eighty-eight slaves were
+housed in the "quarters" which were on each side of the highway a little
+below the planter's home.</p>
+
+<p>These "quarters" differed from those found in the surrounding territory
+as the size of the houses varied with the number in the family. The
+interiors were nicely furnished and in most instances the families were
+able to secure any furniture they desired. Feather mattresses, trundle
+beds and cribs were common and in families where there were many
+children, large fireplaces&mdash;some as many as eight feet wide&mdash;were
+provided so that every one might be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span>[TR: 'able to keep' crossed out]
+comfortable in winter. A variety of cooking utensils were given and
+large numbers of waffle irons, etc., then considered luxuries, were
+found here.</p>
+
+<p>To consider only the general plan of operation, this plantation was no
+different from the average one in pre-civil war days but there was a
+phase of the life here which made it a most unusual home. "Governor" was
+so exceptionally kind to his slaves that they were known as "Gov. Towns'
+free negroes" to those on the neighboring farms. He never separated
+families, neither did he strike a slave except on rare occasions. Two
+things which might provoke his anger to this extent, were: to be told a
+lie, and to find that a person had allowed some one to take advantage of
+him. They were never given passes but obtained verbal consent to go
+where they wished and always remained as long as they chose.</p>
+
+<p>Phil Towns' father worked in the field and his mother did light work in
+the house, such as assisting in spinning. Mothers of three or more
+children were not compelled to work, as the master felt that their
+children needed care. From early childhood boys and girls were given
+excellent training. A boy who robbed a bird's nest or a girl who
+frolicked in a boisterous manner was severely reprimanded. Separate
+bedrooms for the two sexes were maintained until they married. The girls
+passed thru two stages&mdash;childhood, and at sixteen they became "gals".
+Three years later they might marry if they chose but the husband had to
+be older&mdash;at least 21. Courtships differed from those of today because
+there were certain hours for visiting and even though the girl might
+accompany her sweetheart away from home she had to be back at that hour.
+They had no clocks but a "time mark" was set by the sun. A young man <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span>was
+not allowed to give his girl any form of gift, and the efforts of some
+girls to secretly receive gifts which they claimed to have "found", were
+in vain, for these were taken from them. After the proposal, the
+procedure was practically the same as is observed today. The consent of
+the parent and the master was necessary. Marriages were mostly held at
+night and no pains were spared to make them occasions to be remembered
+and cherished. Beautiful clothes&mdash;her own selections&mdash;were given the
+bride, and friends usually gave gifts for the house. These celebrations,
+attended by visitors from many plantations, and always by the Towns
+family, ended in gay "frolics" with cakes, wine, etc., for refreshments.</p>
+
+<p>During the first year of married life the couple remained with the
+bride's mother who instructed her in the household arts. Disputes
+between the newlyweds were not tolerated and punishment by the parents
+was the result of "nagging". At the end of a year, another log cabin was
+added to the quarters and the couple began housekeeping. The moral code
+was exceedingly high; the penalty for offenders&mdash;married or single,
+white or colored&mdash;was to be banished from the group entirely. Thus
+illegitimate children were rare enough to be a novelty.</p>
+
+<p>Young Phil was in his teens when he began his first job&mdash;coach driver
+for "Gov." Towns. This was just before they moved to Georgia. He
+traveled with him wherever he went, and as the Gov. purchased a
+plantation in Talbot County, (the house still stands), and a home in
+Macon, (the site of Mt. De Sales Academy), a great deal of his time was
+spent on the road. Phil never did any other work except to occasionally
+assist in sweeping the large yard. The other members of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span>this group split
+rails, did field work, spinning, tailoring and any of the many things
+that had to be done. Each person might choose the type of work he liked
+best.</p>
+
+<p>Opportunities to make cash money were plentiful. Some made baskets and
+did hand work which was sold and the money given the maker. A man or
+woman who paid Gov. Towns $150.00 might hire himself to the Gov. for a
+year. When this was done he was paid cash for all the work he did and
+many were able to clear several hundred dollars in a year. In addition
+to this opportunity for earning money, every adult had an acre of ground
+which he might cultivate as he chose. Any money made from the sale of
+this produce was his own.</p>
+
+<p>Recreation was not considered important so no provision was made in the
+regular routine. It was, however, possible to obtain "time off" at
+frequent intervals and these might be termed irregular vacation periods.
+Evening entertainment at which square dancing was the main attraction,
+were common. Quill music, from a homemade harmonica, was played when
+banjoes were not available. These instruments were made by binding with
+cane five to ten reeds of graduated lengths. A hole was cut in the upper
+end of each and the music obtained by blowing up and down the scale.
+Guests came from all neighboring farms and engaged in the "Green Corn"
+dance which was similar to what is now called Buck dancing. Near the end
+of such a hilarious evening, the guests were served with persimmon beer
+and ginger cakes,&mdash;then considered delicacies.</p>
+
+<p>"Gov." Towns was interested in assisting any one [HW: wanting to learn].
+[TR: Original reads 'desirous of learning.'] The little girls who
+expressed the desire to become "ladies" were kept in the "big house" and
+very carefully trained. The tastes of these few were developed to the
+extent that they excelled the ordinary "quarter" children and were the
+envy of the group at social affairs.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>Sunday was a day of Reverence and all adults were required to attend
+religious services. The trip was usually made in wagons, oxcarts, etc.,
+although the young women of the big house rode handsome saddle horses.
+At each church there was placed a stepping block by which they descended
+from their steeds. White and colored worshipped at the same church,
+constructed with a partition separating the two parts of the
+congregation but not extending to the pulpit. Professions of faith were
+accepted at the same altar while Baptismal services ware held at a local
+creek and all candidates were baptized on the same day. Regular clothing
+was worn at this service. Children were not allowed to attend church,
+and christenings were not common. Small boys, reared entirely apart from
+strict religious observances, used to slip away and shoot marbles on
+Sunday.</p>
+
+<p>The health problem was not acute as these people were provided with
+everything necessary for a contented mind and a robust body. [TR:
+original line: The health problem was not a very acute one as these
+people were provided with everything conducive to a contented mind which
+plays a large part in maintaining a robust body.] However, a Doctor who
+lived nearby cared for the sick. Two fees were set&mdash;the larger one being
+charged if the patient recovered. Home remedies were used for minor
+ills&mdash;catnip tea for thrash, tea from Samson Snakeroot for cramps,
+redwood and dogwood bark tea [HW: and horehound candy] for worms, [HW:
+many] root teas used [HW: medicinally] by this generation. Peach brandy
+was given to anyone suspected of having pneumonia,&mdash;if the patient
+coughed, it was certain that he was a victim of the disease.</p>
+
+<p>In these days, a mother named her children by a name [TR: unreadable]
+during pregnancy. [TR: original line: In these days, it was always
+thought best for the mother to name her children if the proper name for
+the babe was theoretically revealed to her during pregnancy.] If another
+name was given the child, the correct one would be so firmly implanted
+in his subconscious mind that he would never be able to resist <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span>the
+impulse to turn his head when that name was called. The seventh child
+was always thought to be exceptionally lucky, and [TR: unreadable HW
+replaces 'the bond of affection between the parents and this child was
+greater']. This belief persists today in many localities.</p>
+
+<p>Every family was given a weekly supply of food but this was more for
+convenience than anything else as they were free to eat anything their
+appetites called for. They killed chickens, ate vegetables, meats, etc.
+at any time. The presence of guests at the "quarters" roused Mrs. Towns
+to activity and she always helped to prepare the menu. One of her
+favorite items was chicken&mdash;prepared four different ways, in pie, in
+stew, fried, and baked. She gave full directions for the preparation of
+these delicacies to unskilled cooks. Pound cake was another favorite and
+she insisted that a pound of butter and a dozen eggs be used in each
+cake. When the meal was nearly ready, she usually made a trip to the
+cabin to see if it had been well prepared. The hostess could always tell
+without any comment whether she had satisfied her mistress, for if she
+had, a serving was carried back to the big house. Fishing was a form of
+remunerative recreation enjoyed by all. Everyone usually went on
+Saturday afternoon, but if only a few made the trip, the catch was
+shared by all.</p>
+
+<p>Sewing was no easy job as there were few small women among the servants.
+The cloth made at home, was plentiful, however, and sufficient clothing
+was made for all. Some persons preferred making their own clothes and
+this privilege was granted; otherwise they were made in a common sewing
+room. Ten yards was the average amount of cloth in a dress, homespun and
+gingham, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span>the usual materials. The men wore suits of osnaburg and jeans.
+This was dyed to more durable colors through the use of [HW: with]
+indigo [HW: (blue)] and a dye made from railroad bark (brown).</p>
+
+<p>Phil believes that the screeching of an owl, the bellowing of a cow, and
+the howling of a dog after dark are signs of death because the [HW:
+immediate] death of a human being is revealed to animals, which [TR:
+illegible. 'in turn'?] warn humans. Though we may find some way to rid
+ourselves of the fear of the warning&mdash;the death will occur just the
+same.</p>
+
+<p>On nearly all plantations there were some slaves who, trying to escape
+work, hid themselves in the woods. [TR: original line: On nearly all
+plantations there were some slaves who did not wish to work,
+consequently, for this, or similar reasons, hid themselves in the
+woods.] They smuggled food to their hiding place by night, and remained
+away [HW: lost] in some instances, many months. Their belief in
+witchcraft caused them to resort to most ridiculous means of avoiding
+discovery. Phil told the story of a man who visited a conjurer to obtain
+a "hand" for which he paid fifty dollars in gold. The symbol was a
+hickory stick which he used whenever he was being chased, and in this
+manner warded off his pursuers. The one difficulty in this procedure was
+having to "set up" at a fork or cross roads. Often the fugitive had to
+run quite a distance to reach such a spot, but when the stick was so
+placed human beings and even bloodhounds lost his trail. With this
+assistance, he was able to remain in the woods as long as he liked.</p>
+
+<p>Snakes ware frequent visitor in the cabins of the "quarters". One
+morning while Betty, a cook, was confined to bed, she sent for Mrs.
+Towns to tell her that a snake had lain across her chest during the
+previous night and had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span>tried to get under the cover where her young baby
+lay asleep. Mrs. Towns was skeptical about the size and activities of
+the reptile but sent for several men to search the house. They had given
+up the search when one chanced to glance above the sick woman's bed and
+there lay the reptile on a shelf. The bed was roped and moved to another
+part of the room and preparations made to shoot him. Quilts were piled
+high on the bed so that the noise of the gun would not frighten the
+baby. When all was ready Mrs. Towns asked the old man with the gun&mdash;</p>
+
+<p>"Daddy Luke, can you <i>kill</i> the snake?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yessum, mistress," he replied.</p>
+
+<p>"Daddy Luke, can you <i>kill</i> the snake?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yessum, mistress."</p>
+
+<p>"Daddy Luke, can you <i>kill</i> the snake?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yessum, mistress."</p>
+
+<p>"Shoot!!"</p>
+
+<p>He took careful aim and fired. The huge reptile rolled to the floor.</p>
+
+<p>When the men returned to the yard to work near the woodpile, the mate
+was discovered by one of the dogs that barked until a log was moved and
+the second snake killed.</p>
+
+<p>[HW: In those days] small snakes were not feared and for several years
+it was customary for women to carry a tiny green snake in their bosoms.
+This fad was discontinued when one of the women was severely injured
+through a bite on her chest.</p>
+
+<p>Phil remembers when the stars fell in 1833. "They came down like rain,"
+he said. When asked why he failed to keep some, he replied that he was
+afraid to touch them even after they became black.</p>
+
+<p>[TR: The following paragraphs contain many crossouts replaced by
+unreadable handwritten edits, and will be indicated by: 'deleted words'
+replaced by ??.]</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span>Freedom was discussed on the plantation [TR: ??] for many years before
+the Civil War began. As contented as [TR: 'they' replaced by ??] were
+[TR: 'there was something to look forward to when they thought of'
+replaced by ??] being absolutely free. An ex-slave's description of the
+real cause of the Civil War, deserves a place here. It seems that
+Lincoln had sent several messages to Davis requesting that he free the
+slaves. No favorable response was received. Lincoln had a conference
+with Mr. Davis and to this meeting he carried a Bible and a gun. He
+tried in vain to convince Davis that he was wrong according to the
+Bible, so he finally threw the two upon the table and asked Davis to
+take his choice. He chose the gun. Lincoln grasped the Bible and rushed
+home. Thus Davis <i>began</i> the war but Lincoln had God on his side and so
+he <i>ended</i> it.</p>
+
+<p>One of Gov. Towns' sons went to the army and Phil was sent to care for
+him while he was there; an aristocratic man never went to the war
+without his valet. His [HW: Phil's] duty was to cook for him, keep his
+clothes clean, and to bring the body home if he was killed. Poor
+soldiers were either buried [HW: where they fell] or left lying on the
+field for vultures to consume. Food was not so plentiful in the [TR:
+'army' replaced by ??] and their diet of flapjacks and canned goods was
+varied only by coffee and whiskey given when off duty. All cooking was
+done between two battles or during the lull in a battle. John Towns was
+soon sent back home as they [HW: the officers] felt he was too [TR:
+'valuable a Southerner' crossed out] important to be killed in battle,
+and his services were needed at home.</p>
+
+<p>Near the close of the war, Sherman made a visit to this vicinity. As was
+his usual habit, he had [TR: 'obtained' replaced by 'learned'?] the
+reputation of Gov. Towns before he arrived. He found conditions so ideal
+[TR: 'that not one thing was touched' replaced by ??]. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span>He talked with
+[HW: slaves and owners, he] went [TR: 'gaily' deleted] on his way. Phil
+was so impressed by Sherman that he followed him and camped with the
+Yankees about where Central City Park is now. He thought that anything a
+Yankee said was true. [HW: When] One [HW: of them] gave him a knife and
+told him to go and cut the first man he met, he followed instructions
+even though he knew the man. [HW: Later] Realizing how foolishly he had
+acted, he readily apologized and explained why. [HW: The Yankee soldiers
+robbed beehives barehanded and were never stung, they] seemed to fear
+nothing but lizards. Never having seen such reptiles they would run in
+terror at the sight of one. The Confederates never discovered this.</p>
+
+<p>After the close of the war they [HW: federal soldiers] were stationed in
+the towns to keep order. Union flags were placed everywhere, and a
+Southerner was accused of not respecting the flag if he even passed
+under one without bowing. Penalties for this offense were, to be hung up
+by the thumbs, to carry greasy [HW: greased] poles for a certain time,
+and numerous other punishments which caused a deal of discomfort to the
+victims but sent the soldiers and ex-slaves into peals of laughter. The
+sight of a Yankee soldier sent a Confederate one into hysteria.</p>
+
+<p>[HW: Phil says his fellow] slaves laughed when told they were free, but
+Gov. Towns was almost indifferent. His slaves, he said, were always
+practically free, so a little legal form did not [TR: 'add' replaced by
+??] much to them. Nearly every one remained there and worked for wages.</p>
+
+<p>For the past thirty-five years, Phil Towns has been almost totally
+disabled. Long life seems no novelty to him for he says everyone used to
+live longer when they honored their elders more. He has eighty-four
+relatives in Virginia&mdash;all older than he, but states that friends who
+have visited there say he looks <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span>more aged than any of them. His great
+desire is to return to Virginia, as he believes he will be able to find
+the familiar landmarks in spite of the changes that have taken place.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Alex Block, of Macon, makes no charges for the old shack in which
+Phil lives; his food furnished by the Department of Public Welfare is
+supplemented by interested friends.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Neal_Upson" id="Neal_Upson"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE<br />
+<br />
+NEAL UPSON, Age 81<br />
+450 4th Street<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Miss Grace McCune [HW: (White)]<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Residencies 6 &amp; 7<br />
+Augusta, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+August 5, 1938</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span>Alternate rain and sunshine had continued for about 10 days and the
+ditches half filled with water, slippery banks of red clay, and the
+swollen river necessitating a detour, added to the various difficulties
+that beset the interviewer as she trudged through East Athens in search
+of Neal Upson's shabby, three-room, frame house. A magnificent water oak
+shaded the vine-covered porch where a rocking chair and swing offered a
+comfortable place to rest.</p>
+
+<p>"Good mornin', Miss," was the smiling greeting of the aged Negro man who
+answered a knock on the front door. "How is you? Won't you come in? I
+would ax you to have a cheer on the porch, but I has to stay in de house
+cause de light hurts my eyes." He had hastily removed a battered old
+felt hat, several sizes too large for him, and as he shuffled down the
+hall his hair appeared almost white as it framed his black face. His
+clean, but faded blue overalls and shirt were patched in several places
+and heavy brogans completed his costume. The day was hot and humid and
+he carefully placed two chairs where they would have the advantage of
+any breeze that might find its way through the open hallway.</p>
+
+<p>"Miss, I'se mighty glad you come today," he began, "cause I does git so
+lonesome here by myself. My old 'oman <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span>wuks up to de court'ouse, cookin'
+for de folkses in jail, and it's allus late when she gits back home.
+'Scuse me for puttin' my old hat back on, but dese old eyes jus' can't
+stand de light even here in the hall, less I shades 'em."</p>
+
+<p>When asked to tell the story of his life, he chuckled. "Lawsy, Missy,"
+he said. "Does you mean dat you is willin' to set here and listen to old
+Neal talk? 'Tain't many folkses what wants to hear us old Niggers talk
+no more. I jus' loves to think back on dem days 'cause dem was happy
+times, so much better'n times is now. Folkses was better den. Dey was
+allus ready to holp one another, but jus' look how dey is now!</p>
+
+<p>"I was borned on Marster Frank Upson's place down in Oglethorpe County,
+nigh Lexin'ton, Georgy. Marster had a plantation, but us never lived dar
+for us stayed at de home place what never had more'n 'bout 80 acres of
+land 'round it. Us never had to be trottin' to de sto' evvy time us
+started to cook, 'cause what warn't raised on de home place, Marster had
+'em raise out on de big plantation. Evvything us needed t'eat and wear
+was growed on Marse Frank's land.</p>
+
+<p>"Harold and Jane Upson was my Daddy and Mammy; only folkses jus' called
+Daddy 'Hal.' Both of 'em was raised right der on de Upson place whar dey
+played together whilst dey was chillun. Mammy said she had washed and
+sewed for Daddy ever since she was big enough, and when dey got grown
+dey jus' up and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span>got married. I was deir only boy and I was de baby
+chile, but dey had four gals older'n me. Dey was: Cordelia, Anna,
+Parthene, and Ella. Ella was named for Marse Frank's onliest chile,
+little Miss Ellen, and our little Miss was sho a good little chile.</p>
+
+<p>"Daddy made de shoes for all de slaves on de plantation and Mammy was
+called de house 'oman. She done de cookin' up at de big 'ouse, and made
+de cloth for her own fambly's clothes, and she was so smart us allus had
+plenty t'eat and wear. I was little and stayed wid Mammy up at de big
+'ouse and jus' played all over it and all de folkses up der petted me.
+Aunt Tama was a old slave too old to wuk. She was all de time cookin'
+gingerbread and hidin' it in a little trunk what sot by de fireplace in
+her room. When us chillun was good Aunt Tama give us gingerbread, but if
+us didn't mind what she said, us didn't git none. Aunt Tama had de
+rheumatiz and walked wid a stick and I could git in dat trunk jus' 'bout
+anytime I wanted to. I sho' did git 'bout evvything dem other chillun
+had, swappin' Aunt Tama's gingerbread. When our white folkses went off,
+Aunt Tama toted de keys, and she evermore did make dem Niggers stand
+'round. Marse Frank jus' laughed when dey made complaints 'bout her.</p>
+
+<p>"In summertime dey cooked peas and other veg'tables for us chillun in a
+washpot out in de yard in de shade, and us et out of de pot wid our
+wooden spoons. Dey jus' give us wooden bowls full of bread and milk for
+supper.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span>"Marse Frank said he wanted 'em to larn me how to wait on de white
+folkses' table up at de big 'ouse, and dey started me off wid de job of
+fannin' de flies away. Mist'ess Serena, Marse Frank's wife, made me a
+white coat to wear in de dinin' room. Missy, dat little old white coat
+made me git de onliest whuppin' Marse Frank ever did give me." Here old
+Neal paused for a hearty laugh. "Us had comp'ny for dinner dat day and I
+felt so big showin' off 'fore 'em in dat white coat dat I jus' couldn't
+make dat turkey wing fan do right. Dem turkey wings was fastened on long
+handles and atter Marster had done warned me a time or two to mind what
+I was 'bout, the old turkey wing went down in de gravy bowl and when I
+jerked it out it splattered all over de preacher's best Sunday suit.
+Marse Frank got up and tuk me right out to de kitchen and when he got
+through brushin' me off I never did have no more trouble wid dem turkey
+wings.</p>
+
+<p>"Evvybody cooked on open fireplaces dem days. Dey had swingin' racks
+what dey called cranes to hang de pots on for bilin'. Dere was ovens for
+bakin' and de heavy iron skillets had long handles. One of dem old
+skillets was so big dat Mammy could cook 30 biscuits in it at one time.
+I allus did love biscuits, and I would go out in de yard and trade Aunt
+Tama's gingerbread to de other chilluns for deir sheer of biscuits. Den
+dey would be skeered to eat de gingerbread 'cause I told 'em I'd tell on
+'em. Aunt Tama thought dey was sick and told Marse Frank de <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span>chilluns
+warn't eatin' nothin'. He axed 'em what was de matter and dey told him
+dey had done traded all deir bread to me. Marse Frank den axed me if I
+warn't gittin' enough t'eat, 'cause he 'lowed dere was enough dar for
+all. Den Aunt Tama had to go and tell on me. She said I was wuss dan a
+hog atter biscuits, so our good Marster ordered her to see dat li'l Neal
+had enough t'eat.</p>
+
+<p>"I ain't never gwine to forgit dat whuppin' my own daddy give me. He had
+jus' sharpened up a fine new axe for hisself, and I traded it off to a
+white boy named <i>Roar</i> what lived nigh us when I seed him out tryin' to
+cut wood wid a sorry old dull axe. I sold him my daddy's fine new axe
+for 5 biscuits. When he found out 'bout dat, he 'lowed he was gwine to
+give me somepin to make me think 'fore I done any more tradin' of his
+things. Mist'eas, let me tell you, dat beatin' he give me evermore was
+a-layin' on of de rod.</p>
+
+<p>"One day Miss Serena put me in de cherry tree to pick cherries for her,
+and she told me not to eat none 'til I finished; den I could have all I
+wanted, but I didn't mind her and I et so many cherries I got sick and
+fell out of de tree. Mist'ess was skeered, but Marse Frank said: 'It's
+good enough for him, 'cause he didn't mind.'</p>
+
+<p>"Mammy never did give me but one whuppin' neither. Daddy was gwine to de
+circus and I jus' cut up 'bout it 'cause I wanted to go so bad. Mist'ess
+give me some cake and I hushed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span>long as I was eatin', but soon as de last
+cake crumb was swallowed I started bawlin' again. She give me a stick of
+candy and soon as I et dat I was squallin' wuss dan ever. Mammy told
+Mist'ess den det she knowed how to quiet me and she retch under de bed
+for a shoe. When she had done finished layin' dat shoe on me and put it
+back whar she got it, I was sho willin' to shet my mouth and let 'em all
+go to de circus widout no more racket from me.</p>
+
+<p>"De fust school I went to was in a little one-room 'ouse in our white
+folkses' back yard. Us had a white teacher and all he larnt slave
+chillun was jus' plain readin' and writin'. I had to pass Dr.
+Willingham's office lots and he was all de time pesterin' me 'bout
+spellin'. One day he stopped me and axed me if I could spell 'bumble bee
+widout its tail,' and he said dat when I larnt to spell it, he would
+gimme some candy. Mr. Sanders, at Lexin'ton, gimme a dime onct. It was
+de fust money I ever had. I was plumb rich and I never let my Daddy have
+no peace 'til he fetched me to town to do my tradin'. I was all sot to
+buy myself a hat, a sto-bought suit of clothes, and some shoes what
+warn't brogans, but Missy, I wound up wid a gingercake and a nickel's
+wuth of candy. I used to cry and holler evvy time Miss Serena went off
+and left me. Whenever I seed 'em gittin' out de carriage to hitch it up,
+I started beggin' to go. Sometimes she laughed and said; 'All right
+Neal.' But when she said, 'No Neal,' I snuck out and hid under de
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span>high-up carrigge seat and went along jus' de same. Mist'ess allus found
+me 'fore us got back home, but she jus' laughed and said: 'Well, Neal's
+my little nigger anyhow.'</p>
+
+<p>"Dem old cord beds was a sight to look at, but dey slept good. Us
+cyarded lint cotton into bats for mattresses and put 'em in a tick what
+us tacked so it wouldn't git lumpy. Us never seed no iron springs dem
+days. Dem cords, criss-crossed from one side of de bed to de other, was
+our springs and us had keys to tighten 'em wid. If us didn't tighten 'em
+evvy few days dem beds was apt to fall down wid us. De cheers was
+homemade too and de easiest-settin' ones had bottoms made out of rye
+splits. Dem oak-split cheers was all right, and sometimes us used cane
+to bottom de cheers but evvybody laked to set in dem cheers what had
+bottoms wove out of rye splits.</p>
+
+<p>"Marster had one of dem old cotton gins what didn't have no engines. It
+was wuked by mules. Dem old mules was hitched to a long pole what dey
+pulled 'round and 'round to make de gin do its wuk. Dey had some gins in
+dem days what had treadmills for de mules to walk in. Dem old treadmills
+looked sorter lak stairs, but most of 'em was turned by long poles what
+de mules pulled. You had to feed de cotton by hand to dem old gins and
+you sho had to be keerful or you was gwine to lose a hand and maybe a
+arm. You had to jump in dem old cotton presses and tread de cotton down
+by hand. It tuk most all day long to gin two bales of cotton and if dere
+was three bales to be ginned us had to wuk <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span>most all night to finish up.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey mixed wool wid de lint cotton to spin thread to make cloth for our
+winter clothes. Mammy wove a lot of dat cloth and de clothes made out of
+it sho would keep out de cold. Most of our stockin's and socks was knit
+at home, but now and den somebody would git hold of a sto-bought pair
+for Sunday-go-to-meetin' wear.</p>
+
+<p>"Colored folkses went to church wid deir own white folkses and sot in de
+gallery. One Sunday us was all settin' in dat church listenin' to de
+white preacher, Mr. Hansford, tellin' how de old debbil was gwine to git
+dem what didn't do right." Here Neal burst into uncontrollable laughter.
+His sides shook and tears ran down his face. Finally he began his story
+again: "Missy, I jus' got to tell you 'bout dat day in de meetin' 'ouse.
+A Nigger had done run off from his marster and was hidin' out from one
+place to another. At night he would go steal his somepin t'eat. He had
+done stole some chickens and had 'em wid him up in de church steeple
+whar he was hidin' dat day. When daytime come he went off to sleep lak
+Niggers will do when dey ain't got to hustle, and when he woke up
+Preacher Hansford was tellin' 'em 'bout de debbil was gwine to git de
+sinners. Right den a old rooster what he had stole up and crowed so loud
+it seemed lak Gabriel's trumpet on Judment Day. Dat runaway Nigger was
+skeered 'cause he knowed dey was gwine to find him sho, but he warn't
+skeered nuffin' compared to dem Niggers settin' in de gallery. Dey jus'
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span>knowed dat was de voice of de debbil what had done come atter 'em. Dem
+Niggers never stopped prayin' and testifyin' to de Lord, 'til de white
+folkses had done got dat runaway slave and de rooster out of de steeple.
+His marster was der and tuk him home and give him a good, sound
+thrashin'.</p>
+
+<p>"Slaves was 'lowed to have prayermeetin' on Chuesday (Tuesday) and
+Friday 'round at de diffunt plantations whar deir marsters didn't keer,
+and dere warn't many what objected. De good marsters all give deir
+slaves prayermeetin' passes on dem nights so de patterollers wouldn't
+git 'em and beat 'em up for bein' off deir marster's lands. Dey 'most
+nigh kilt some slaves what dey cotch out when dey didn't have no pass.
+White preachers done de talkin' at de meetin'houses, but at dem Chuesday
+and Friday night prayermeetin's, it was all done by Niggers. I was too
+little to 'member much 'bout dem meetin's, but my older sisters used to
+talk lots 'bout 'em long atter de war had brung our freedom. Dere warn't
+many slaves what could read, so dey jus' talked 'bout what dey had done
+heared de white preachers say on Sunday. One of de fav'rite texties was
+de third chapter of John, and most of 'em jus' 'membered a line or two
+from dat. Missy, from what folkses said 'bout dem meetin's, dere was sho
+a lot of good prayin' and testifyin', 'cause so many sinners repented
+and was saved. Sometimes at dem Sunday meetin's at de white folkses'
+church dey would have two or three preachers de same dey. De fust one
+would give de text and preach for at least a hour, den another one would
+give a text and do his preachin', and 'bout dat time another one would
+rise up and say dat dem fust two brudders had done preached enough to
+save 3,000 souls, but dat he was gwine to try to double dat number. Den
+he would do his preachin' and atter dat one of dem others would git up
+and say: 'Brudders and Sisters, us is all here for de same and only
+purpose&mdash;dat of savin' souls. Dese other good brudders is done preached,
+talked, and prayed, and let the gap down; now I'm gwine to raise it. Us
+is gwine to git 'ligion enough to take us straight through dem pearly
+gates. Now, let us sing whilst us gives de new brudders and sisters de
+right hand of fellowship. One of dem old songs went sort of lak dis:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'Must I be born to die<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And lay dis body down?'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"When dey had done finished all de verses and choruses of dat dey
+started:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'Amazin' Grace, How sweet de sound<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Dat saved a wretch lak me.'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"'Fore dey stopped dey usually got 'round to singin':</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And cast a wishful eye,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">To Canaan's fair and happy land<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Whar my possessions lie.'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"Dey could keep dat up for hours and it was sho' good singin', for dat's
+one thing Niggers was born to do&mdash;to sing when dey gits 'ligion.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span>"When old Aunt Flora come up and wanted to jine de church she told 'bout
+how she had done seed de Hebenly light and changed her way of livin'.
+Folkses testified den 'bout de goodness of de Lord and His many
+blessin's what He give to saints and sinners, but dey is done stopped
+givin' Him much thanks any more. Dem days, dey 'zamined folkses 'fore
+dey let 'em jine up wid de church. When dey started 'zaminin' Aunt
+Flora, de preacher axed her: 'Is you done been borned again and does you
+believe dat Jesus Christ done died to save sinners?' Aunt Flora she
+started to cry; and she said: 'Lordy, Is He daid? Us didn't know dat. If
+my old man had done 'scribed for de paper lak I told him to, us would
+have knowed when Jesus died?" Neal giggled. "Missy," he said, "ain't dat
+jus' lak one of dem old-time Niggers? Dey jus' tuk dat for ign'ance and
+let her come on into de church.</p>
+
+<p>"Dem days it was de custom for marsters to hire out what slaves dey had
+dat warn't needed to wuk on deir own land, so our marster hired out two
+of my sisters. Sis' Anna hired to a fambly 'bout 16 miles from our
+place. She didn't lak it dar so she run away and I found her hid out in
+our 'tater 'ouse. One day when us was playin' she called to me right low
+and soft lak and told me she was hongry and for me to git her somepin
+t'eat but not to tell nobody she was dar. She said she had been dar
+widout nothin' t'eat for several days. She was skeered Marster might
+whup her. She looked so thin and bad I thought she was gwine to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span>die, so
+I told Mammy. Her and Marster went and brung Anna to de 'ouse and fed
+her. Dat pore chile was starved most to death. Marster kept her at home
+for 3 weeks and fed her up good, den he carried her back and told dem
+folkses what had hired her dat dey had better treat Anna good and see
+dat she had plenty t'eat. Marster was drivin' a fast hoss dat day, but
+bless your heart, Anna beat him back home dat day. She cried and tuk on
+so, beggin' him not to take her back dar no more dat he told her she
+could stay home. My other sister stayed on whar she was hired out 'til
+de war was over and dey give us our freedom.</p>
+
+<p>"Daddy had done hid all Old Marster's hosses when de yankees got to our
+plantation. Two of de ridin' hosses was in de smokehouse and another
+good trotter was in de hen 'ouse. Old Jake was a slave what warn't right
+bright. He slep' in de kitchen, and he knowed whar Daddy had hid dem
+hosses, but dat was all he knowed. Marster had give Daddy his money to
+hide too, and he tuk some of de plasterin' off de wall in Marster's room
+and put de box of money inside de wall. Den he fixed dat plasterin' back
+so nice you couldn't tell it had ever been tore off. De night dem
+yankees come, Daddy had gone out to de wuk 'ouse to git some pegs to fix
+somepin (us didn't have no nails dem days). When de yankees rid up to de
+kitchen door and found Old Jake right by hisself, dat pore old fool was
+skeered so bad he jus' started right off babblin' 'bout two hosses in de
+smoke'ouse and one in de hen 'ouse, but he was tremblin' so he couldn't
+talk plain. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span>Old Marster heared de fuss dey made and he come down to de
+kitchen to see what was de matter. De yankees den ordered Marster to git
+'em his hosses. Marster called Daddy and told him to git de hosses, but
+Daddy, he played foolish lak and stalled 'round lak he didn't have good
+sense. Dem sojers raved and fussed all night long 'bout dem hosses, but
+dey never thought 'bout lookin' in de smoke'ouse and hen 'ouse for 'em
+and 'bout daybreak dey left widout takin' nothin'. Marster said he was
+sho proud of my Daddy for savin' dem good hosses for him.</p>
+
+<p>[TR: 'Horses saved' written in margin.]</p>
+
+<p>"Marster had a long pocketbook what fastened at one end wid a ring. One
+day when he went to git out some money he dropped a roll of bills dat he
+never seed, but Daddy picked it up and handed it back to him right away.
+Now my Daddy could have kept dat money jus' as easy, but he was a
+'ceptional man and believed evvbody ought to do right.</p>
+
+<p>"Aunt Tama's old man, Uncle Griff, come to live wid her on our place
+atter de war was over. 'Fore den he had belonged to a man named
+Colquitt.[HW: !!] Marster pervided a home for him and Aunt Tama 'til dey
+was both daid. When dey was buildin' de fust colored Methodist church in
+dat section Uncle Griff give a whole hundred dollars to de buildin'
+fund. Now it tuk a heap of scrimpin' for him to save dat much money
+'cause he never had made over $10 a month. Aunt Tama had done gone to
+Glory a long time when Uncle Griff died. Atter dey buried him dey come
+back and was 'rangin' de things in his little cabin. When dey moved <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span>dat
+little trunk what Aunt Tama used to keep gingerbread in, dey found jus'
+lots of money in it. Marster tuk keer of dat money 'til he found Uncle
+Griff's own sister and den he give it all to her.</p>
+
+<p>"One time Marster missed some of his money and he didn't want to 'cuse
+nobody, so he 'cided he would find out who had done de debbilment. He
+put a big rooster in a coop wid his haid stickin' out. Den he called all
+de Niggers up to de yard and told 'em somebody had been stealin' his
+money, and dat evvybody must git in line and march 'round dat coop and
+tetch it. He said dat when de guilty ones tetched it de old rooster
+would crow. Evvybody tetched it 'cept one old man and his wife; dey jus'
+wouldn't come nigh dat coop whar dat rooster was a-lookin' at evvybody
+out of his little red eyes. Marster had dat old man and 'oman sarched
+and found all de money what had been stole.</p>
+
+<p>"Mammy died about a year atter de war, and I never will forgit how
+Mist'ess cried and said: 'Neal, your mammy is done gone, and I don't
+know what I'll do widout her.' Not long atter dat, Daddy bid for de
+contract to carry de mail and he got de place, but it made de white
+folkses mighty mad, 'cause some white folkses had put in bids for dat
+contract. Dey 'lowed dat Daddy better not never start out wid dat mail,
+'cause if he did he was gwine to be sorry. Marster begged Daddy not to
+risk it and told him if he would stay dar wid him he would let him have
+a plantation for as long as he lived, and so us stayed on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>dar 'til Daddy
+died, and a long time atter dat us kept on wukin' for Old Marster.</p>
+
+<p>"White folkses owned us back in de days 'fore de war but our own white
+folkses was mighty good to deir slaves. Dey had to larn us 'bedience
+fust, how to live right, and how to treat evvybody else right; but de
+best thing dey larned us was how to do useful wuk. De onliest time I
+'member stealin' anything 'cept Aunt Tama's gingerbread was one time
+when I went to town wid Daddy in de buggy. When us started back home a
+man got in de seat wid Daddy and I had to ride down in de back of de
+buggy whar Daddy had hid a jug of liquor. I could hear it slushin'
+'round and so I got to wantin' to know how it tasted. I pulled out de
+corncob stopper and tuk one taste. It was so good I jus' kep' on tastin'
+'til I passed out, and didn't know when us got home or nuffin else 'til
+I waked up in my own bed next day. Daddy give me a tannin' what I didn't
+forgit for a long time, but dat was de wussest drunk I ever was. Lord,
+but I did love to follow my Daddy.</p>
+
+<p>"Folkses warn't sick much in dem days lak dey is now, but now us don't
+eat strong victuals no more. Us raked out hot ashes den and cooked good
+old ashcakes what was a heap better for us dan dis bread us buys from de
+stores now. Marster fed us plenty ashcake, fresh meat, and ash roasted
+'taters, and dere warn't nobody what could out wuk us.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span>"A death was somepin what didn't happen often on our plantation, but
+when somebody did die folkses would go from miles and miles around to
+set up and pray all night to comfort de fambly of de daid. Dey never
+made up de coffins 'til atter somebody died. Den dey measured de corpse
+and made de coffin to fit de body. Dem coffins was lined wid black
+calico and painted wid lampblack on de outside. Sometimes dey kivvered
+de outside wid black calico lak de linin'. Coffins for white folkses was
+jus' lak what dey had made up for deir slaves, and dey was all buried in
+de same graveyard on deir own plantations.</p>
+
+<p>"When de war was over dey closed de little one-room school what our good
+Marster had kept in his back yard for his slaves, but out young Miss
+Ellen larnt my sister right on 'til she got whar she could teach school.
+Daddy fixed up a room onto our house for her school and she soon had it
+full of chillun. Dey made me study too, and I sho did hate to have to go
+to school to my own aister for she evermore did take evvy chance to lay
+dat stick on me, but I s'pects she had a right tough time wid me. When
+time come 'round to celebrate school commencement, I was one proud
+little Nigger 'cause I never had been so dressed up in my life before.
+I had on a red waist, white pants, and a good pair of shoes; but de
+grandest thing of all 'bout dat outfit was dat Daddy let me wear his
+watch. Evvybody come for dat celebration. Dere was over 300 folks at dat
+big dinner, and us had lots of barbecue and all sorts of good <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span>things
+t'eat. Old Marster was dar, and when I stood up 'fore all dem folks and
+said my little speech widout missin' a word, Marster sho did laugh and
+clap his hands. He called me over to whar he was settin' and said: 'I
+knowed you could larn if you wanted to.' <i>Best of all, he give me a
+whole dollar.</i> [TR: 'for reciting a speech' written in margin.] I was
+rich den, plumb rich. One of my sisters couldn't larn nothin'. De only
+letters she could ever say was 'G-O-D.' No matter what you axed her to
+spell she allus said 'G-O-D.' She was a good field hand though and a
+good 'oman and she lived to be more dan 90 years old.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, talkin' 'bout frolickin', us really used to dance. What I means,
+is sho 'nough old-time break-downs. Sometimes us didn't have no music
+'cept jus' beatin' time on tin pans and buckets but most times Old Elice
+Hudson played his fiddle for us, and it had to be tuned again atter evvy
+set us danced. He never knowed but one tune and he played dat over and
+over. Sometimes dere was 10 or 15 couples on de floor at de same time
+and us didn't think nothin' of dancin' all night long. Us had plenty of
+old corn juice for refreshment, and atter Elice had two or three cups of
+dat juice, he could git 'Turkey in de Straw' out of dat fiddle lak
+nobody's business.</p>
+
+<p>"One time a houseboy from another plantation wanted to come to one of
+our Saddy night dances, so his marster told him to shine his boots for
+Sunday and fix his hoss for de night and den he could git off for de
+frolic. Abraham shined his marster's <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span>boots 'till he could see hisself in
+'em, and dey looked so grand he was tempted to try 'em on. Dey was a
+little tight but he thought he could wear 'em, and he wanted to show
+hisself off in 'em at de dance. Dey warn't so easy to walk in and he was
+'fraid he might git 'em scratched up walkin' through de fields, so he
+snuck his Marster's hoss out and rode to de dance. When Abraham rid up
+dar in dem shiny boots, he got all de gals' 'tention. None of 'em wanted
+to dance wid de other Niggers. Dat Abraham was sho sruttin' 'til
+somebody run in and told him his hoss had done broke its neck. He had
+tied it to a limb and sho 'nough, some way, dat hoss had done got
+tangled up and hung its own self. Abraham begged de other Nigger boys to
+help him take de deid hoss home, but he had done tuk deir gals and he
+didn't git no help. He had to walk 12 long miles home in dem tight
+shoes. De sun had done riz up when he got dar and it warn't long 'fore
+his Marster was callin': 'Abraham, bring, me my boots.' Dat Nigger would
+holler out: 'Yas sah! I'se a-comin'. But dem boots wouldn't come off
+'cause his foots had done swelled up in 'em. His marster kept on callin'
+and when Abraham seed he couldn't put it off no longer, he jus' cut dem
+boots off his foots and went in and told what he had done. His marster
+was awful mad and said he was a good mind to take de hide off Abraham's
+back. 'Go git my hoss quick, Nigger, 'fore I most kills you,' he yelled.
+Den Abraham told him: 'Marster I knows you is gwine to kill me now, but
+your hoss is done daid.' Den pore Abraham had to out and tell de whole
+story and his marster <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span>got to laughin' so 'bout how he tuk all de gals
+away from de other boys and how dem boots hurt him dat it looked lak he
+never would stop. When he finally did stop laughin' and shakin' his
+sides he said: 'Dat's all right Abraham. Don't never let nobody beat
+your time wid de gals.' And dat's all he ever said to Abraham 'bout it.</p>
+
+<p>"When my sister got married, us sho did have a grand time. Us cooked a
+pig whole wid a shiny red apple in its mouth and set it right in de
+middle of de long table what us had built out in de yard. Us had
+evvything good to go wid dat pig, and atter dat supper, us danced all
+night long. My sister never had seed dat man but one time 'fore she
+married him.</p>
+
+<p>"My Daddy and his cousin Jim swore wid one another dat if one died 'fore
+de other dat de one what was left would look atter de daid one's fambly
+and see dat none of de chillun was bound out to wuk for nobody. It
+warn't long atter dis dat Daddy died. I was jus' fourteen, and was
+wukin' for a brick mason larnin' dat trade. Daddy had done been sick a
+while, and one night de fambly woke me up and said he was dyin'. I run
+fast as I could for a doctor but Daddy was done daid when I got back. Us
+buried him right side of Mammy in de old graveyard. It was most a year
+atter dat 'fore us had de funeral sermon preached. Dat was de way
+folkses done den. Now Mammy and Daddy was both gone, but old Marster
+said us chillun could live dar long as us wanted to. I went on back to
+wuk, 'cause I was crazy to be as good a mason as my Daddy was. In
+Lexin'ton dere is a rock wall still standin' 'round a whole square what
+Daddy <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span>built in slavery time. Long as he lived he blowed his bugle evvy
+mornin' to wake up all de folkses on Marse Frank's plantation. He never
+failed to blow dat bugle at break of day 'cep on Sundays, and evvybody
+on dat place 'pended on him to wake 'em up.</p>
+
+<p>"I was jus' a-wukin' away one day when Cousin Jim sent for me to go to
+town wid him. Missy, dat man brung ne right here to Athens to de old
+courthouse and bound me out to a white man. He done dat very thing atter
+swearin' to my Daddy he wouldn't never let dat happen. I didn't want to
+wuk dat way, so I run away and went back home to wuk. De sheriff come
+and got me and said I had to go back whar I was bound out or go to jail.
+Pretty soon I runned away again and went to Atlanta, and dey never
+bothered me 'bout dat no more.</p>
+
+<p>"De onliest time I ever got 'rested was once when I come to town to see
+'bout gittin' somebody to pick cotton for me and jus' as I got to a
+certain Nigger's house de police come in and caught 'em in a crap game.
+Mr. McCune, de policeman, said I would have to go 'long wid de others to
+jail, but he would help me atter us got der and he did. He 'ranged it so
+I could hurry back home.</p>
+
+<p>"'Bout de best times us had in de plantation days was de corn shuckin's,
+log rollin's and syrup cookin's. Us allus finished up dem syrup cookin's
+wid a candy pullin'.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span>"Atter he had all his corn gathered and put in big long piles, Marster
+'vited de folkses from all 'round dem parts. Dat was de way it was done;
+evvybody holped de others git de corn shucked. Nobody thought of hirin'
+folkses and payin' out cash money for extra wuk lak dat. Dey 'lected a
+gen'ral to lead off de singin' and atter he got 'em to keepin' time wid
+de singin' de little brown jug was passed 'round. When it had gone de
+rounds a time or two, it was a sight to see how fast dem Niggers could
+keep time to dat singin'. Dey could do all sorts of double time den when
+dey had swigged enough liquor. When de corn was all shucked dey feasted
+and den drunk more liquor and danced as long as dey could stand up. De
+logrollin's and candy pullin's ended de same way. Dey was sho grand good
+times.</p>
+
+<p>"I farmed wid de white folkses for 32 years and never had no trouble wid
+nobody. Us allus settled up fair and square and in crop time dey never
+bothered to come 'round to see what Neal was doin', 'cause dey knowed
+dis Nigger was wukin' all right. Dey was all mighty good to me. Atter I
+got so old I couldn't run a farm no more I wuked in de white folkses'
+gyardens and tended deir flowers. I had done been wukin' out Mrs. Steve
+Upson's flowers and when she 'come to pay, she axed what my name was.
+When I told her it was Neal Upson she wanted to know how I got de Upson
+name. I told her Mr. Frank Upson had done give it to me when I was his
+slave. She called to Mr. Steve and dey lak to have talked me to death,
+for my Marse Frank and Mr. Steve's daddy was close kinfolkses.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span>"Atter dat I wuked deir flowers long as I was able to walk way off up to
+deir place, but old Neal can't wuk no more. Mr. Steve and his folkses
+comes to see me sometimes and I'se allus powerful glad to see 'em.</p>
+
+<p>"I used to wuk some for Miss Mary Bacon. She is a mighty good 'oman and
+she knowed my Daddy and our good Old Marster. Miss Mary would talk to me
+'bout dem old days and she allus said: 'Neal, let's pray,' 'fore I left.
+Miss Mary never did git married. She's one of dem solitary ladies.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Missy, how come you wants to know 'bout my weddin'? I done been
+married two times, but it was de fust time dat was de sho 'nough 'citin'
+one. I courted dat gal for a long, long time while I was too skeered to
+ax her Daddy for her. I went to see her evvy Sunday jus' 'termined to ax
+him for her 'fore I left, and I would stay late atter supper, but jus'
+couldn't git up nerve enough to do it. One Sunday I promised myself I
+would ax him if it kilt me, so I went over to his house early dat
+mornin' and told Lida, dat was my sweetheart's name&mdash;I says to her: 'I
+sho is gwine to ax him today.' Well, dinnertime come, suppertime come,
+and I was gittin' shaky in my jints when her Daddy went to feed his hogs
+and I went along wid him. Missy, dis is de way I finally did ax him for
+his gal. He said he was goin' to have some fine meat come winter. I axed
+him if it would be enough for all of his fambly, and he said: 'How come
+you ax dat, boy?' Den I jus' got a tight hold on dat old hog pen and
+said: <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span>'Well, Sir, I jus' thought if you didn't have enough for all of
+'em, I could take Lida.' I felt myself goin' down. He started laughin'
+fit to kill. 'Boy,' he says, 'Is you tryin' to ax for Lida? If so, I
+don't keer 'cause she's got to git married sometime.' I was so happy I
+left him right den and run back to tell Lida dat he said it was all
+right.</p>
+
+<p>"Us didn't have no big weddin'. Lida had on a new calico dress and I
+wore new jeans pants. Marster heared us was gittin' married dat day and
+he sont his new buggy wid a message for us to come right dar to him. I
+told Lida us better go, so us got in dat buggy and driv off, and de rest
+of de folkses followed in de wagon. Marster met us in front of old Salem
+Church. He had de church open and Preacher John Gibson waitin' der to
+marry us. Us warn't 'spectin' no church weddin', but Marster said dat
+Neal had to git married right. He never did forgit his Niggers. Lida
+she's done been daid a long time, and I'se married again, but dat warn't
+lak de fust time."</p>
+
+<p>By now, Neal was evidently tired out but as the interviewer prepared to
+leave, Neal said: "Missy, I'se sho got somepin to tell my old 'oman when
+she gits home. She don't lak to leave me here by myself. I wish dere was
+somebody for me to talk to evvyday, for I'se had sich a good time today.
+I don't s'pect it's gwine to be long 'fore old Neal goes to be wid dem I
+done been tellin' you 'bout, so don't wait too long to come back to see
+me again."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="John_F_Van_Hook" id="John_F_Van_Hook"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Georgia]<br />
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+<br />
+JOHN F. VAN HOOK, Age 76<br />
+Newton Bridge Road<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby<br />
+Area 6<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+Area Supervisor of<br />
+Federal Writers'<br />
+Project&mdash;Areas 6 &amp; 7,<br />
+Augusta, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+Dec. 1, 1938</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span>John F. Van Hook was a short, stout man with a shining bald pate, a
+fringe of kinky gray hair, kindly eyes, and a white mustache of the Lord
+Chamberlain variety. His shabby work clothes were clean and carefully
+mended, and he leaned on a cane for support.</p>
+
+<p>John was looking for the "Farm Bureau Office," but he agreed to return
+for an interview after he had transacted his business. When he
+reappeared a short time later and settled down in a comfortable chair he
+gave the story of his early life with apparent enjoyment.</p>
+
+<p>In language remarkably free of dialect, John began by telling his full
+name and added that he was well known in Georgia and the whole country.
+"Until I retired," he remarked, "I taught school in North Carolina, and
+in Hall, Jackson, and Rabun Counties, in Georgia. I am farming now about
+five miles from Athens in the Sandy Creek district. I was born in 1862
+in Macon County, North Carolina, on the George Seller's plantation,
+which borders the Little Tennessee River.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't know anything much, first hand, about the war period, as I was
+quite a child when that ended, but I can tell you all about the days of
+Reconstruction. What I know about the things that took place during the
+war was told me by my mother and other old people.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span>"My father was Bas Van Hook and he married Mary Angel, my mother. Mother
+was born on Marse Dillard Love's plantation, and when his daughter, Miss
+Jenny, married Marse Thomas Angel's son, Marse Dillard gave Mother to
+Miss Jenny and when Little Miss Jenny Angel was born, Mother was her
+nurse. Marse Thomas and Miss Jenny Angel died, and Mother stayed right
+there keeping house for Little Miss Jenny and looking after her. Mother
+had more sense than all the rest of the slaves put together, and she
+even did Little Miss Jenny's shopping.</p>
+
+<p>"My father was the only darkey Old Man Isaac Van Hook owned, and he did
+anything that came to hand: he was a good carpenter and mechanic and
+helped the Van Hooks to build mills, and he made the shoes for that
+settlement. Thomas Aaron, George, James, Claude, and Washington were my
+five brothers, and my sisters were Zelia, Elizabeth, and Candace. Why,
+Miss, the only thing I can remember right off hand that we children done
+was fight and frolic like youngsters will do when they get together.
+With time to put my mind on it, I would probably recollect our games and
+songs, if we had any.</p>
+
+<p>"Our quarters was on a large farm on Sugar Fork River. The houses were
+what you would call log huts and they were scattered about
+promiscuously, no regular lay-out, just built wherever they happened to
+find a good spring convenient. There was never but one room to a hut,
+and they wern't particular about how many darkies they put in a room.</p>
+
+<p>"White folks had fine four-poster beds with a frame built around the top
+of the bed, and over the frame <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span>hung pretty, ruffled white curtains and a
+similar ruffled curtain was around the bottom of the bed; the curtains
+made pretty ornaments. Slaves had beds of this general kind, but they
+warn't quite as pretty and fine. Corded springs were the go then. The
+beds used by most of the slaves in that day and time were called
+'Georgia beds,' and these were made by boring two holes in the cabin
+wall, and two in the floor, and side pieces were run from the holes in
+the wall to the posts and fastened; then planks were nailed around the
+sides and foot, box-fashion, to hold in the straw that we used for
+mattresses; over this pretty white sheets and plenty of quilts was
+spreaded. Yes, mam, there was always plenty of good warm cover in those
+days. Of course, it was home-made, all of it.</p>
+
+<p>"My grandfather was a blacksmith and farmhand owned by Old Man Dillard
+Love. According to my earliest recollection my grandmother Van Hook was
+dead and I have no memories about her. My great, great grandmother,
+Sarah Angel, looked after slave children while their mothers were at
+work. She was a free woman, but she had belonged to Marse Tommy Angel
+and Miss Jenny Angel; they were brother and sister. The way Granny Sarah
+happened to be free was; one of the women in the Angel family died and
+left a little baby soon after one of Granny's babies was born, and so
+she was loaned to that family as wet nurse for the little orphan baby.
+They gave her her freedom and took her into their home, because they did
+not want her sleeping in slave quarters while she was nursing the white
+child. In that settlement, it was considered a disgrace for a white
+child to feed <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span>at the breast of a slave woman, but it was all right if
+the darkey was a free woman. After she got too old to do regular work,
+Granny Sarah used to glean after the reapers in the field to get wheat
+for her bread. She had been a favored slave and allowed to do pretty
+much as she pleased, and after she was a free woman the white folks
+continued to look after her every need, but she loved to do for herself
+as long as she was able to be up and about.</p>
+
+<p>"What did we have to eat then? Why, most everything; ash cakes was a
+mighty go then. Cornbread dough was made into little pones and placed on
+the hot rocks close to the fire to dry out a little, then hot ashes were
+raked out to the front of the fireplace and piled over the ash cakes.
+When thoroughly done they were taken out and the ashes washed off; they
+were just like cake to us children then. We ate lots of home-made lye
+hominy, beans, peas, and all kinds of greens, cooked with fat meat. The
+biggest, and maybe the best thing in the way of vegetables that we had
+then was the white-head cabbage; they grew large up there in Carolina
+where I lived. There was just one big garden to feed all the folks on
+that farm.</p>
+
+<p>"Marse George had a good 'possum dog that he let his slaves use at
+night. They would start off hunting about 10 o'clock. Darkies knew that
+the best place to hunt for 'possums was in a persimmon tree. If they
+couldn't shake him out, they would cut the tree down, but the most fun
+was when we found the 'possum in a hollow log. Some of the hunters would
+get at one end of the log, and the others would guard the other end, and
+they would build a fire to smoke the 'possum out. Sometimes when they
+had to pull him out, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span>they would find the 'possum in such a tight place
+that most of his hair would be rubbed off before they could get him out.
+Darkies hunted rabbits, squirrels, coons, all kinds of birds, and
+'specially they was fond of going after wild turkeys. Another great
+sport was hunting deer in the nearby mountains. I managed to get a shot
+at one once. Marse George was right good about letting his darkies hunt
+and fish at night to get meat for themselves. Oh! Sure, there were lots
+of fish and they caught plenty of 'em in the Little Tennessee and Sugar
+Fork Rivers and in the numerous creeks that were close by. Red horse,
+suckers, and salmon are the kinds of fish I remember best. They were
+cooked in various ways in skillets, spiders, and ovens on the big open
+fireplace.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, about the clothes we wore in the days of the war, I couldn't
+rightly say, but my Mother said we had good comfortable garments. In the
+summer weather, boys and men wore plain cotton shirts and jeans pants.
+The home-made linsey-woolsy shirts that we wore over our cotton shirts,
+and the wool pants that we wore in winter, were good and warm; they had
+brogan shoes in winter too. Folks wore the same clothes on Sundays as
+through the week, but they had to be sure that they were nice and clean
+on Sundays. Dresses for the women folks were made out of cotton checks,
+and they had sunbonnets too.</p>
+
+<p>"Marse George Sellars, him that married Miss Ca'line Angel, was my real
+master. They had four children, Bud, Mount, Elizabeth, and, and er; I
+just can't bring to recollect the name <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span>of their other girl. They lived
+in a two-story frame house that was surrounded by an oak grove on the
+road leading from Franklin, North Carolina, to Clayton, Georgia. Hard
+Sellars was the carriage driver, and while I am sure Marse George must
+have had an overseer, I don't remember ever hearing anybody say his
+name.</p>
+
+<p>"Really, Miss, I couldn't say just how big that plantation was, but I am
+sure there must have been at least four or five hundred acres in it. One
+mighty peculiar thing about his slaves was that Marse George never had
+more than 99 slaves at one time; every time he bought one to try to make
+it an even hundred, a slave died. This happened so often, I was told,
+that he stopped trying to keep a hundred or more, and held on to his 99
+slaves, and long as he did that, there warn't any more deaths than
+births among his slaves. His slaves had to be in the fields when the sun
+rose, and there they had to work steady until the sun went down. Oh!
+Yes, mam, Marse Tommy Angel was mighty mean to his slaves, but Miss
+Jenny, his sister, was good as could be; that is the reason she gave my
+mother to her sister, Miss Ca'line Sellars; because she thought Marse
+Tommy was too hard on her.</p>
+
+<p>"I heard some talk as to how after the slaves had worked hard in the
+field all day and come to the house at night, they were whipped for
+mighty small offenses. Marse George would have them tied hand and foot
+over a barrel and would beat them with a cowhide, or cat-o'-nine tails
+lash. They had a jail in Franklin as far back <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span>as I can recollect. Old
+Big Andy Angel's white folks had him put in jail a heap of times,
+because he was a rogue and stole everything he could get his hands on.
+Nearly everybody was afraid of him; he was a great big double jointed
+man, and was black as the ace of spades. No, mam, I never saw any slaves
+sold, but my father's mother and his sister were sold on the block. The
+white folks that bought 'em took them away. After the war was over my
+father tried to locate 'em, but never once did he get on the right track
+of 'em.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! Why, my white folks took a great deal of pains teaching their
+slaves how to read and write. My father could read, but he never learned
+to write, and it was from our white folks that I learned to read and
+write. Slaves read the Bible more than anything else. There were no
+churches for slaves on Marse George's plantation, so we all went to the
+white folks' church, about two miles away; it was called Clarke's
+Chapel. Sometimes we went to church at Cross Roads; that was about the
+same distance across Sugar Fork River. My mother was baptized in that
+Sugar Fork River by a white preacher, but that is the reason I joined
+the Baptist church, because my mother was a Baptist, and I was so crazy
+about her, and am 'til yet.</p>
+
+<p>"There were no funeral parlors in those days. They just funeralized the
+dead in their own homes, took them to the graveyard in a painted
+home-made coffin that was lined with thin bleaching made in the loom on
+the plantation, and buried them in a grave that didn't have any bricks
+or cement about it. That brings to my memory <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span>those songs they sung at
+funerals. One of them started off something like this, <i>I Don't Want You
+to Grieve After Me</i>. My mother used to tell me that when she was
+baptized they sung, <i>You Shall Wear a Lily-White Robe</i>. Whenever I get
+to studying about her it seems to me I can hear my mother singing that
+song again. She did love it so much.</p>
+
+<p>"No, mam, there didn't none of the darkies on Marse George Sellar's
+place run away to the North, but some on Marse Tommy Angel's place ran
+to the West. They told me that when Little Charles Angel started out to
+run away a bird flew in front of him and led him all the way to the
+West. Understand me, I am not saying that is strictly so, but that is
+what I heard old folks say, when I was young. When darkies wanted to get
+news to their girls or wives on other plantations and didn't want Marse
+George to know about it, they would wait for a dark night and would tie
+rags on their feet to keep from making any noise that the paterollers
+might hear, for if they were caught out without a pass, that was
+something else. Paterollers would go out in squads at night and whip any
+darkies they caught out that could not show passes. Adam Angel was a
+great big man, weighing about 200 pounds, and he slipped out one night
+without a pass. When the paterollers found him, he was at his girl's
+place where they were out in the front yard stewing lard for the white
+folks. They knew he didn't belong on that plantation, so they asked him
+to show his pass. Adam didn't have one with him, and he told them so.
+They made a dive for him, and then, quick as a flash, he turned over
+that pot of boiling lard, and while they were getting the hot grease off
+of them he got away and came back to his cabin. If they had caught <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>Adam,
+he would have needed some of that spilt grease on him after the beating
+they would have give him. Darkies used to stretch ropes and grapevines
+across the road where they knew paterollers would be riding; then they
+would run down the road in front of them, and when they got to the rope
+or vine they would jump over it and watch the horses stumble and throw
+the paterollers to the ground. That was a favorite sport of slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"After the darkies got in from the field at night, ate their supper, and
+finished up the chores for the day, on nights when the moon shone bright
+the men would work in their own cotton patches that Marse George allowed
+them; the women used their own time to wash, iron, patch, and get ready
+for the next day, and if they had time they helped the men in their
+cotton patches. They worked straight on through Saturdays, same as any
+other day, but the young folks would get together on Saturday nights and
+have little parties.</p>
+
+<p>"How did they spend Sundays? Why, they went to church on Sunday and
+visited around, holding prayermeetings at one another's cabins. Now,
+Christmas morning! Yes, mam, that was a powerful time with the darkies,
+if they didn't have nothing but a little sweet cake, which was nothing
+more than gingerbread. However, Marse George did have plenty of good
+things to eat at that time, such as fresh pork and wild turkeys, and we
+were allowed to have a biscuit on that day. How we did frolic and cut up
+at Christmas! Marse George didn't make much special to do on New Year's
+Day as far as holiday <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>was concerned; work was the primary object,
+especially in connection with slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh-oo-h! Everybody had cornshuckings. The man designated to act as the
+general would stick a peacock tail feather in his hat and call all the
+men together and give his orders. He would stand in the center of the
+corn pile, start the singing, and keep things lively for them. Now and
+then he would pass around the jug. They sang a great deal during
+cornshuckings, but I have forgotten the words to those songs. Great
+excitement was expressed whenever a man found a red ear of corn, for
+that counted 20 points, a speckled ear was 10 points and a blue ear 5
+points, toward a special extra big swig of liquor whenever a person had
+as many as 100 points. After the work was finished they had a big feast
+spread on long tables in the yard, and dram flowed plentiful, then they
+played ball, tussled, ran races, and did anything they knew how to amuse
+themselves.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, Ladies," John said, "please excuse me. I left my wife at home real
+sick, and I just must hurry to the drug store and get some flaxseed so I
+can make a poultice for her." As he made a hasty departure, he agreed to
+complete the story later at his home, and gave careful directions for
+finding the place.</p>
+
+<hr />
+
+<p>A month later, two visitors called on John at his small, unpainted house
+in the center of a hillside cotton patch.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span>A tall, thin Negress appeared in the doorway. "Yes, mam, John Van Hook
+lives here. He's down in the field with his hoe, digging 'taters." She
+leaned from the porch and called, "Daddy, Daddy! Somebody wants to see
+you." Asked if John was her father, she answered "No, mam, he is my
+husband. I started calling him Daddy when our child was little, so I've
+been calling him that ever since. My name is Laney."</p>
+
+<p>The walls of the room into which John invited his callers were crudely
+plestered with newspapers and the small space was crowded with furniture
+of various kinds and periods. The ladder-back chairs he designated for
+his guests were beautiful. "They are plantation-made," he explained,
+"and we've had 'em a mighty long time." On a reading table a pencil and
+tablet with a half-written page lay beside a large glass lamp.
+Newspapers and books covered several other tables. A freshly whitewashed
+hearth and mantel were crowned by an old-fashioned clock, and at the end
+of the room a short flight of steps led to the dining room, built on a
+higher floor level.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, let's see! Where was I?," John began. "Oh, yes, we were talking
+about cornshuckings, when I had to leave your office. Well, I haven't
+had much time to study about those cornshucking songs to get all the
+words down right, but the name of one was <i>General Religh Hoe</i>, and
+there was another one that was called, <i>Have a Jolly Crowd, and a Little
+Jolly Johnny</i>.</p>
+
+<p>"Now you needn't to expect me to know much about cotton pickings, for
+you know I have already told you I was raised in North <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span>Carolina, and we
+were too far up in the mountains for cotton growing, but I have lived in
+a cotton growing country for forty-odd years.</p>
+
+<p>"As to parties and frolics, I guess I could have kept those things in
+mind, but when I realized that being on the go every night I could get
+off, week in and week out, was turning my mind and heart away from
+useful living, I tried to put those things out of my life and to train
+myself to be content with right living and the more serious things of
+life, and that's why I can't remember more of the things about our
+frolics that took place as I was growing up. About all I remember about
+the dances was when we danced the cotillion at regular old country
+break-downs. Folks valued their dances very highly then, and to be able
+to perform them well was a great accomplishment. <i>Turkey in the Straw</i>
+is about the oldest dance tune I can remember. Next to that is <i>Taint
+Gonna Rain No More</i>, but the tune as well as words to that were far
+different from the modern song by that name. <i>Rabbit Hair</i> was another
+favorite song, and there were dozens of others that I just never tried
+to remember until you asked me about them.</p>
+
+<p>"My father lived in Caswell County and he used to tell us how hard it
+was for him to get up in the morning after being out most of the night
+frolicking. He said their overseer couldn't talk plain, and would call
+them long before crack of dawn, and it sounded like he was saying, 'Ike
+and a bike, Ike and a bike.' What he meant was, 'Out and about! Out and
+about!'</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span>"Marriage in those days was looked upon as something very solemn, and it
+was mighty seldom that anybody ever heard of a married couple trying to
+get separated. Now it's different. When a preacher married a couple, you
+didn't see any hard liquor around, but just a little light wine to liven
+up the wedding feast. If they were married by a justice of the peace,
+look out, there was plenty of wine and," here his voice was almost
+awe-stricken, "even whiskey too."</p>
+
+<p>Laney interrupted at this stage of the story with, "My mother said they
+used to make up a new broom and when the couple jumped over it, they was
+married. Then they gave the broom to the couple to use keeping house."
+John was evidently embarrassed. "Laney," he said, "that was never
+confirmed. It was just hearsay, as far as you know, and I wouldn't tell
+things like that.</p>
+
+<p>"The first colored man I ever heard preach was old man Johnny McDowell.
+He married Angeline Pennon and William Scruggs, uncle to Ollie Scruggs,
+who lives in Athens now. After the wedding they were all dancing around
+the yard having a big time and enjoying the wine and feast, and old man
+McDowell, sitting there watching them, looked real thoughtful and sad;
+suddenly he said: 'They don't behave like they knew what's been done
+here today. Two people have been joined together for life. No matter
+what comes, or what happens, these two people must stand by each other,
+through everything, as long as they both shall live.' Never before had I
+had such thoughts at a wedding. They had always just been times for big
+eats, dancing, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span>frolicking, and lots of jokes, and some of them pretty
+rough jokes, perhaps. What he said got me to thinking, and I have never
+been careless minded at a wedding since that day. Brother McDowell
+preached at Clarke's Chapel, about five miles south of Franklin, North
+Ca'lina, on the road leading from England to Georgia; that road ran
+right through the Van Hook place."</p>
+
+<p>Again Laney interrupted her husband. "My mother said they even had
+infare dinners the next day after the wedding. The infare dinners were
+just for the families of the bride and groom, and the bride had a
+special dress for that occasion that she called her infare dress. The
+friends of both parties were there at the big feast on the wedding day,
+but not at the infare dinner."</p>
+
+<p>"And there was no such a thing as child marriages heard of in those
+days," John was speaking again. "At least none of the brides were under
+15 or 16 years old. Now you can read about child brides not more than 10
+years old, 'most ever' time you pick up a paper.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't remember much, about what I played until I got to be about 10
+years old. I was a terrible little fellow to imitate things. Old man
+Tommy Angel built mills, and I built myself a little toy mill down on
+the branch that led to Sugar Fork River. There was plenty of nice
+soapstone there that was so soft you could cut it with a pocket knife
+and could dress it off with a plane for a nice smooth finish. I shaped
+two pieces of soapstone to look like round millstones and set me up a
+little mill that worked just fine.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span>"We run pretty white sand through it and called that our meal and flour.
+My white folks would come down to the branch and watch me run the little
+toy mill. I used to make toy rifles and pistols and all sorts of nice
+playthings out of that soapstone. I wish I had a piece of that good old
+soapstone from around Franklin, so I could carve some toys like I used
+to play with for my boy."</p>
+
+<p>"We caught real salmon in the mountain streams," John remarked. "They
+weighed from 3 to 25 pounds, and kind of favored a jack fish, only jack
+fishes have duck bills, and these salmon had saw teeth. They were
+powerful jumpers and when you hooked one you had a fight on your hands
+to get it to the bank no matter whether it weighed 3 or 25 pounds. The
+gamest of all the fish in those mountain streams were red horses. When I
+was about 9 or 10 years old I took my brother's fish gig and went off
+down to the river. I saw what looked like the shadow of a stick in the
+clear water and when I thrust the gig at it I found mighty quick I had
+gigged a red horse. I did my best to land it but it was too strong for
+me and pulled loose from my gig and darted out into deep water. I ran
+fast as I could up the river bank to the horseshoe bend where a flat
+bottom boat belonging to our family was tied. I got in that boat and
+chased that fish 'til I got him. It weighed 6 pounds and was 2 feet and
+6 inches long. There was plenty of excitement created around that
+plantation when the news got around that a boy, as little as I was then,
+had landed such a big old fighting fish."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span>"Suckers were plentiful and easy to catch but they did not give you the
+battle that a salmon or a red horse could put up and that was what it
+took to make fishing fun. We had canoes, but we used a plain old flat
+boat, a good deal like a small ferry boat, most of the time. There was
+about the same difference in a canoe and a flat boat that there is in a
+nice passenger automobile and a truck."</p>
+
+<p>When asked if he remembered any of the tunes and words of the songs he
+sang as a child, John was silent for a few moments and then began to
+sing:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"A frog went courtin'<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And he did ride<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">With a sword and pistol<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">By his side<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Old uncle Rat laughed,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Shook his old fat side;<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">He thought his niece<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Was going to be the bride.<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh, uh hunh<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Where shall the wedding be?<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Where shall the wedding be?<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Way down yonder<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">In a hollow gum tree.<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh, un hunh, uh hunh.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Who shall the waiters be?<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Granddaddy Louse and a<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Black-eyed flea.<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Uh hunh, uh hunh, uh hunh."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span>Laney reminded him of a song he used to sing when their child was a
+baby. "It is hard for me to formulate its words in my mind. I just
+cannot seem to get them," he answered, "but I thought of this one the
+other night and promised myself I would sing it for you sometime. It's
+<i>Old Granny Mistletoe</i>.</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Old Granny Mistletoe,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Lyin' in the bed,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Out the window<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">She poked her head.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"She says, 'Old Man,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">The gray goose's gone,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And I think I heard her holler,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">King-cant-you-O, King-cant-you-O!'<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"The old fox stepped around,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">A mighty fast step.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">He hung the old gray goose<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Up by the neck.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Her wings went flip-flop<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Over her back,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And her legs hung down.<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Ding-downy-O, ding-downy-O.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"The old fox marched<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">On to his den.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Out come his young ones,<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Some nine or ten.<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Now we will have<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Some-supper-O, some-summer-O.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Now we will have<br /></span>
+<span class="i1">Some-supper-O, some-supper-O."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"The only riddle I remember is the one about: 'What goes around the
+house, and just makes one track?' I believe they said it was a
+wheelbarrow. Mighty few people in that settlement believed in such
+things as charms. They were too intelligent for that sort of thing.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span>"Old man Dillard Love didn't know half of his slaves. They were called
+'Love's free niggers.' Some of the white folks in that settlement would
+get after their niggers and say 'who do you think you are, you must
+think you are one of Dillard Love's free niggers the way you act.' Then
+the slave was led to the whipping post and brushed down, and his marster
+would tell him, 'now you see who is boss.'</p>
+
+<p>"Marse Dillard often met a darkey in the road, he would stop and inquire
+of him, 'Who's nigger is you?' The darkey would say 'Boss I'se your
+nigger.' If Marse Dillard was feeling good he would give the darkey a
+present. Heaps of times he gave them as much as five dollars, 'cording
+to how good he was feeling. He treated his darkies mighty good.</p>
+
+<p>"My grandfather belonged to Marse Dillard Love, and when the war was
+declared he was too old to go. Marse George Sellars went and was
+wounded. You know all about the blanket rolls they carried over their
+shoulders. Well, that bullet that hit him had to go all the way through
+that roll that had I don't know how many folds, and its force was just
+about spent by the time it got to his shoulder; that was why it didn't
+kill him, otherwise it would have gone through him. The bullet was
+extracted, but it left him with a lame shoulder.</p>
+
+<p>"Our Mr. Tommy Angel went to the war, and he got so much experience
+shooting at the Yankees that he could shoot at a target all day long,
+and then cover all the bullet holes he made with the palm of one hand.
+Mr. Tommy was at home when the Yankees come though.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>"Folks around our settlement put their darkies on all their good mules
+and horses, and loaded them down with food and valuables, then sent them
+to the nearby mountains and caves to hide until the soldiers were gone.
+Mr. Angel himself told me later that lots of the folks who came around
+pilfering after the war, warn't northerners at all, but men from just
+anywhere, who had fought in the war and came back home to find all they
+had was gone, and they had to live some way.</p>
+
+<p>"One day my father and another servant were laughing fit to kill at a
+greedy little calf that had caught his head in the feed basket. They
+thought it was just too funny. About that time a Yankee, in his blue
+uniform coming down the road, took the notion the men were laughing at
+him. 'What are you laughing at?' he said, and at that they lit out to
+run. The man called my father and made him come back, 'cause he was the
+one laughing so hard. Father thought the Yankee vas going to shoot him
+before he could make him understand they were just laughing at the calf.</p>
+
+<p>"When the war was over, Mr. Love called his slaves together and told
+them they had been set free. He explained everything to them very
+carefully, and told them he would make farming arrangements for all that
+wanted to stay on there with him. Lots of the darkies left after they
+heard about folks getting rich working on the railroads in Tennessee and
+about the high wages that were being paid on those big plantations in
+Mississippi. Some of those labor agents were powerful smart about
+stretching the truth, but those folks <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>that believed them and left home
+found out that it's pretty much the same the world over, as far as folks
+and human nature is concerned. Those that had even average common sense
+got along comfortable and all right in Tennessee and Mississippi, and
+those that suffered out there were the sort that are so stupid they
+would starve in the middle of a good apple pie. My brother that went
+with the others to Tennessee never came back, and we never saw him
+again.</p>
+
+<p>"My father did not want me to leave our home at Franklin, North
+Carolina, and come to Georgia, for he had been told Georgia people were
+awful mean. There was a tale told us about the Mr. Oglethorpe, who
+settled Georgia, bringing over folks from the jails of England to settle
+in Georgia and it was said they became the ruling class of the State.
+Anyway, I came on just the same, and pretty soon I married a Georgia
+girl, and have found the people who live here are all right."</p>
+
+<p>Laney eagerly took advantage of the pause that followed to tell of her
+mother's owner. "Mother said that he was an old, old man and would set
+in his big armchair 'most all day. When he heard good news from the
+soldiers he would drum his fingers on his chair and pat his feet, whilst
+he tried to sing, 'Te Deum, Te Deum. Good news today! We won today!'
+Whenever he heard the southern armies were losing, he would lie around
+moaning and crying out loud. Nobody could comfort him then."</p>
+
+<p>John was delighted to talk about religion. "Yes, mam, after the war,
+darkies used to meet at each others' houses for <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span>religious services until
+they got churches of their own. Those meetings were little more than
+just prayermeetings. Our white folks were powerful careful to teach
+their slaves how to do the right thing, and long after we were free Mr.
+Tommy would give long talks at our meetings. We loved to listen to him
+and have him interested in us, for we had never been treated mean like
+heaps of the slaves in that neighborhood had.</p>
+
+<p>"One white man in our county needed the help of the Lord. His name was
+Boney Ridley and he just couldn't keep away from liquor. He was an uncle
+of that famous preacher and poet, Mr. Caleb Ridley. One day when Mr.
+Boney had been drinking hard and kind of out of his head, he was
+stretched out on the ground in a sort of stupor. He opened his eyes and
+looked at the buzzards circling low over him and said, sort of sick and
+fretful-like, 'Git on off, buzzards; I ain't dead yet.'"</p>
+
+<p>"The Reverend Doctor George Truett was a fine boy and he has grown into
+a splendid man. He is one of God's chosen ones. I well remember the
+first time I heard him speak. I was a janitor at the State Normal School
+when he was a pupil there in 1887. I still think he is about the
+greatest orator I ever listened to. In those days, back in 1887, I
+always made it convenient to be doing something around the school room
+when time came for him to recite or to be on a debate. After he left
+that school he went on to the Seminary at Louisville and he has become
+known throughout this country as a great Christian.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span>"I started teaching in old field schools with no education but just what
+our white folks had taught me. They taught me to read and write, and I
+must say I really was a mighty apt person, and took advantage of every
+opportunity that came my way to learn. You know, teaching is a mighty
+good way to learn. After I had been teaching for some time I went back
+to school, but most of my knowledge was gotten by studying what books
+and papers I could get hold of and by watching folks who were really
+educated; by listening carefully to them, I found I could often learn a
+good deal that way."</p>
+
+<p>Laney could be quiet no longer. "My husband," she said, "is a self-made
+man. His educated brother, Claude, that graduated from Maryville School
+in Tennessee, says that he cannot cope with my husband."</p>
+
+<p>John smiled indulgently and continued: "We were in sad and woeful want
+after the war. Once I asked my father why he let us go so hungry and
+ragged, and he answered: 'How can we help it? Why, even the white folks
+don't have enough to eat and wear now.'</p>
+
+<p>"Eleven years ago I rented a little farm from. Mr. Jasper Thompson, in
+Jackson County. After the boll-weevil got bad I came to the other side
+of the river yonder, where I stayed 7 years. By this time most of the
+children by my first two wives had grown up and gone off up north. My
+first wife's children were Robert, Ella, the twins, Julius and Julia
+Anne, (who died soon after they <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>were grown-up), and Charlie, and Dan.
+Robert is in Philadelphia, Ella in Cincinnati, and Dan is dead.</p>
+
+<p>"Fred, George, and Johnny, my second wife's children are all living, but
+are scattered in far-off places.</p>
+
+<p>"Everybody was powerful sorry to hear about Lincoln's assassination. At
+that time Jefferson Davis was considered the greatest man that ever
+lived, but the effect of Lincoln's life and deeds will live on forever.
+His life grows greater in reputation with the years and his wisdom more
+apparent.</p>
+
+<p>"As long as we were their property our masters were mighty careful to
+have us doctored up right when there was the least sign of sickness.
+There was always some old woman too old for field work that nursed the
+sick on the big plantations, but the marsters sent for regular doctors
+mighty quick if the patient seemed much sick.</p>
+
+<p>"After the war we were slower to call in doctors because we had no
+money, and that's how I lost my good right eye. If I had gone to the
+doctor when it first got hurt it would have been all right now. When we
+didn't have money we used to pay the doctor with corn, fodder, wheat,
+chickens, pork, or anything we had that he wanted.</p>
+
+<p>"We learned to use lots of herbs and other home-made remedies during the
+war when medicine was scarce at the stores, and some old folks still use
+these simple teas and poultices. Comfrey <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>was a herb used much for
+poultices on risings, boils, and the like, and tea made from it is said
+to be soothing to the nerves. Garlic tea was much used for worms, but it
+was also counted a good pneumonia remedy, and garlic poultices helped
+folks to breathe when they had grippe or pneumonia. Boneset tea was for
+colds. Goldenrod was used leaf, stem, blossom, and all in various ways,
+chiefly for fever and coughs. Black snake root was a good cure for
+childbed fever, and it saved the life of my second wife after her last
+child was born. Slippery ellum was used for poultices to heal burns,
+bruises, and any abrasions, and we gargled slippery ellum tea to heal
+sore throats, but red oak bark tea was our best sore throat remedy. For
+indigestion and shortness of the breath we chewed calamus root or drank
+tea made from it. In fact, we still think it is mighty useful for those
+purposes. It was a long time after the war before there were any darkies
+with enough medical education to practice as doctors. Dr. Doyle in
+Gainesville was the first colored physician that I ever saw.</p>
+
+<p>"The world seems to be gradually drifting the wrong way, and it won't
+get any better 'til all people put their belief&mdash;and I mean by
+that&mdash;simple faith, in the Bible. What they like of it they are in the
+habit of quoting, but they distort it and try to make it appear to mean
+whatever will suit their wicked convenience. They have got to take the
+whole Bible and live by it, and they must remember they cannot leave out
+those wise old laws of the Old Testament that God gave for men
+everywhere to live by."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>Laney had quietly left the room, but as the visitors were taking their
+departure she returned with a small package. "This," she explained, "is
+some calamus root that I raised and dried myself, and I hope it comes in
+handy whenever you ladies need something for the indigestion."</p>
+
+<p>"Next time you come, I hope to have more songs remembered and written
+down for you," promised John.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Addie_Vinson" id="Addie_Vinson"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+<br />
+ADDIE VINSON, Age 86<br />
+653 Dearing Street<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Written By:<br />
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Edited By:<br />
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+WPA Residency No. 6 &amp; 7<br />
+<br />
+August 23, 1938</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span>Perched on an embankment high above the street level is the four-room
+frame cottage where Addie Vinson lives with her daughter. The visitor
+scrambled up the steep incline to the vine covered porch, and a rap on
+the front door brought prompt response. "Who dat?" asked a very black
+woman, who suddenly appeared in the hall. "What you want?... Yassum,
+dis here's Addie, but dey calls me Mammy, 'cause I'se so old. I s'pects
+I'se most nigh a hunnert and eight years old."</p>
+
+<p>The old Negress is very short and stout. Her dark blue calico dress was
+striped with lines of tiny polka dots, and had been lengthened by a band
+of light blue outing flannel with a darker blue stripe, let in just
+below the waist line. Her high-topped black shoes were worn over grey
+cotton hose, and the stocking cap that partially concealed her white
+hair was crowned by a panama hat that flopped down on all sides except
+where the brim was fastened up across the front with two conspicuous
+"safety-first" pins. Addie's eyesight is poor, and she claims it was
+"plum ruint by de St. Vitus's dance," from which she has suffered for
+many years. She readily agreed to tell of her early life, and her eyes
+brightened as she began: "Lawsy, Missy! Is dat what you come 'ere for?
+Oh, dem good old days! I was thinkin' 'bout Old Miss jus' t'other day.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span>"I was borned down in Oconee County on Marse Ike Vinson's place. Old
+Miss was Marse Ike's mother. My Mammy and Pappy was Peter and 'Nerva
+Vinson and dey was both field hands. Marse Ike buyed my Pappy from Marse
+Sam Brightwell. Me and Bill, Willis, Maze, Harrison, Easter, and Sue was
+all de chillun my Mammy and Pappy had. Dere warn't but four of us big
+enough to wuk when Marse Ike married Miss Ann Hayes and dey tuk Mammy
+wid 'em to dey new home in town. I stayed dar on de plantation and done
+lots of little jobs lak waitin' on table; totin' Old Miss' breakfast to
+her in her room evvy mornin', and I holped 'tend to de grainery. Dey
+says now dat folkses is livin' in dat old grainery house.</p>
+
+<p>"Dat was a be-yootiful place, wid woods, cricks, and fields spread out
+most as fur as you could see. De slave quarters would'a reached from
+here to Milledge Avenue. Us lived in a one-room log cabin what had a
+chimbly made out of sticks and mud. Dem homemade beds what us slep' on
+had big old high posties wid a great big knob on de top of each post.
+Our matt'esses was coarse home-wove cloth stuffed wid field straw. You
+know I laked dem matt'esses 'cause when de chinches got too bad you
+could shake out dat straw and burn it, den scald de tick and fill it wid
+fresh straw, and rest in peace again. You can't never git de chinches
+out of dese cotton matt'esses us has to sleep on now days. Pillows? What
+you talkin' 'bout? You know Niggers never had no pillows dem days,
+leaseways us never had none. Us did have plenty <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span>of kivver dough. Folkses
+was all time a-piecin' quilts and having quiltin's. All dat sort of wuk
+was done at night.</p>
+
+<p>"Pappy's Ma and Pa was Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jacob. Day was field
+hands, and dey b'longed to Marse Obe Jackson. Grandma Lucy and Grandpa
+Toney Murrah was owned by Marse Billy Murrah. Marse Billy was a preacher
+what sho could come down wid de gospel at church. Grandma Lucy was his
+cook. Miss Sadie LeSeur got Grandma Lucy and tuk her to Columbus,
+Georgy, and us never seed our grandma no more. Miss Sadie had been one
+of de Vinson gals. She tuk our Aunt Haley 'long too to wait on her when
+she started out for Europe, and 'fore dey got crost de water, Aunt
+Haley, she died on de boat. Miss Sarah, she had a time keepin' dem
+boatsmens from th'owing Aunt Haley to de sharks. She is buried in de old
+country somewhar.</p>
+
+<p>"Now Missy, how was Nigger chillun gwine to git holt of money in slavery
+time? Old Marse, he give us plenty of somepin t'eat and all de clothes
+us needed, but he sho kep' his money for his own self.</p>
+
+<p>"Now 'bout dat somepin t'eat. Sho dat! Us had plenty of dem good old
+collards, turnips, and dem sort of oatments, and dar was allus a good
+chunk of meat to bile wid 'em. Marse Ike, he kep' plenty of evvy sort of
+meat folkses knowed about dem days. He had his own beef cattle, lots of
+sheep, and he killed more'n a hunnert hogs evvy year. Dey tells me dat
+old bench dey used to lay de meat out on to cut it up is <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span>standin' dar
+yet.</p>
+
+<p>"'Possums? Lawd, dey was plentiful, and dat ain't all dere was on dat
+plantation. One time a slave man was 'possum huntin' and, as he was
+runnin' 'round in de bresh, he looked up and dar was a b'ar standin'
+right up on his hind laigs grinnin' and ready to eat dat Nigger up. Oh,
+good gracious, how dat Nigger did run! Dey fetched in 'possums in piles,
+and dere was lots of rabbits, fixes, and coons. Dem coon, fox and
+'possum hounds sho knowed deir business. Lawsy, I kin jus' smell one of
+dem good old 'possums roastin' right now, atter all dese years. You
+parbiled de 'possum fust, and den roasted him in a heavy iron skillet
+what had a big old thick lid. Jus' 'fore de 'possum got done, you peeled
+ash-roasted 'taters and put 'em all 'round da 'possum so as day would
+soak up some of dat good old gravy, and would git good and brown. Is you
+ever et any good old ashcake? You wropped de raw hoecake in cabbage or
+collard leafs and roasted 'em in de ashes. When dey got done, you had
+somepin fit for a king to eat.</p>
+
+<p>"De kitchen was sot off a piece from de big house, and our white folkses
+wouldn't eat deir supper 'fore time to light de lamps to save your life;
+den I had to stan' 'hind Old Miss' cheer and fan her wid a
+turkey-feather fan to keep de flies off. No matter how rich folkses was
+dem days dere warn't no screens in de houses.</p>
+
+<p>"I never will forgit pore old Aunt Mary; she was our cook, and she had
+to be tapped evvy now and den 'cause she <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span>had de drapsy so bad. Aunt
+Mary's old man was Uncle Harris, and I 'members how he used to go
+fishin' at night. De udder slaves went fishin' too. Many's de time I'se
+seed my Mammy come back from Barber's Crick wid a string of fish
+draggin' from her shoulders down to de ground. Me, I laked milk more'n
+anything else. You jus' oughta seed dat place at milkin' time. Dere was
+a heap of cows a fightin', chillun hollerin', and sich a bedlam as you
+can't think up. Dat old plantation was a grand place for chillun, in
+summertime 'specially, 'cause dere was so many branches and cricks close
+by what us chillun could hop in and cool off.</p>
+
+<p>"Chillun didn't wear nothin' but cotton slips in summer, but de winter
+clothes was good and warm. Under our heavy winter dresses us wore
+quilted underskirts dat was sho nice and warm. Sunday clothes? Yes
+Mar'm, us allus had nice clothes for Sunday. Dey made up our summertime
+Sunday dresses out of a thin cloth called Sunday-parade. Dey was made
+spenser fashion, wid ruffles 'round de neck and waist. Our ruffled
+petticoats was all starched and ironed stiff and slick, and us jus'
+knowed our long pantalettes, wid deir scalloped ruffles, was mighty
+fine. Some of de 'omans would wuk fancy eyelets what dey punched in de
+scallops wid locust thorns. Dem pantalettes was buttoned on to our
+drawers. Our Sunday dresses for winter was made out of linsey-woolsey
+cloth. White ladies wore hoopskirts wid deir dresses, and dey looked lak
+fairy queens. Boys wore plain shirts in summer, but in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span>winter dey had
+warmer shirts and quilted pants. Dey would put two pair of britches
+togedder and quilt 'em up so you couldn't tell what sort of cloth dey
+was made out of. Dem pants was called suggins.</p>
+
+<p>"All de Niggers went barfoots in summer, but in winter us all wore
+brogans. Old Miss had a shoe shop in de cellar under de big house, and
+when dem two white 'omans dat she hired to make our shoes come, us
+knowed wintertime was nigh. Dem 'omans would stay 'til day had made up
+shoes enough to last us all winter long, den dey would go on to de next
+place what dey s'pected to make shoes.</p>
+
+<p>"Marse Ike Vinson was sho good to his Niggers. He was de hanger, 'cept
+he never hung nobody. Him and Miss Ann had six chillun. Dey was Miss
+Lucy, Miss Myrt, Miss Sarah, Miss Nettie, Marse Charlie, and Marse Tom.
+Marse Ike's ma, Old Miss, wouldn't move to town wid him and Miss Ann;
+she stayed on in de big house on de plantation. To tell de truf I done
+forgot Old Miss' name. De overseer and his wife was Mr. Edmond and Miss
+Betsey, and dey moved up to de big house wid old Miss atter Marse Ike
+and Miss Ann moved to town. Stiles Vinson was de carriage driver, and he
+fotched Marse Ike out to de plantation evvy day. Lord! Gracious alive!
+It would take a week to walk all over dat plantation. Dere was more'n a
+thousand acres in it and, countin' all de chillun, dere was mighty nigh
+a hunnert slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"Long 'fore day, dat overseer blowed a bugle to wake up de Niggers. You
+could hear it far as High Shoals, and us <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span>lived dis side of Watkinsville.
+Heaps of folkses all over dat part of de country got up by dat old
+bugle. I will never forgit one time when de overseer said to us chillun,
+'You fellows go to do field and fetch some corn tops.' Mandy said: 'He
+ain't talkin' to us 'cause us ain't fellows and I ain't gwine.' Bless
+your sweet life, I runned and got dem corn tops, 'cause I didn't want no
+beatin'. Dem udder 'chillun got deir footses most cut off wid dem
+switches whan dat overseer got to wuk to sho 'em dey had to obey him.
+Dat overseer sho did wuk de Niggers hard; he driv' 'em all de time. Dey
+had to go to de field long 'fore sunup, and it was way atter sundown
+'fore dey could stop dat field wuk. Den dey had to hustle to finish deir
+night wuk in time for supper, or go to bed widout it.</p>
+
+<p>[HW sidenote: Beating]</p>
+
+<p>"You know dey whupped Niggers den. Atter dey had done wukked hard in de
+fields all day long, de beatin' started up, and he allus had somepin in
+mind to beat 'em about. When dey beat my Aunt Sallie she would fight
+back, and once when Uncle Randall said somepin he hadn't oughta, dat
+overseer beat him so bad he couldn't wuk for a week. He had to be grez
+all over evvy day wid hoalin' ointment for a long time 'fore dem gashes
+got well.</p>
+
+<p>"Rita and Retta was de Nigger 'omans what put pizen in some collards
+what dey give Aunt Vira and her baby to eat. She had been laughin' at a
+man 'cause his coattail was a-flappin' so funny whilst he was dancin',
+and dem two Jezebels thought she was makin' fun of dem. At de graveyard,
+'fore dey buried her, dey cut her open and found her heart was all
+decayed. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span>De overseer driv dem 'omans clear off de plantation, and
+Marster, he was mighty mad. He said he had done lost 'bout $2,000. If he
+had kotched dem 'omans he woulda hung 'em, cause he was de hanger. In
+'bout two weeks dat overseer left dar, and Old Marse had to git him
+anudder man to take his place.</p>
+
+<p>"Sho! Dere was a jail for slaves and a hangin' place right in front of
+de jail, but none of Old Marster's Niggers warn't never put in no
+jailhouse. Oh God! Yes, dey sold slaves. My own granddaddy was made to
+git up on dat block, and dey sold him. One time I seed Old Marse buy
+four boys." At this point the narrative ceased when Addie suddenly
+remembered that she must stop to get supper for the daughter, who would
+soon be returning from work.</p>
+
+<p>The visitor called early in the morning of the following day, and found
+Addie bent over her washtubs in the back yard. "Have dat cheer," was the
+greeting as the old Negress lifted a dripping hand to point out a chair
+under the spreading branches of a huge oak tree, "You knows you don't
+want to hear no more 'bout dat old stuff," she said, "and anyhow, is you
+gittin' paid for doin' dis?" When the visitor admitted that these
+interviews were part of her salaried work, Addie quickly asked: "What is
+you gwine to give me?"</p>
+
+<p>When the last piece of wash had been hung on the line and Addie had
+turned a large lard can upside down for a stool, she settled down and
+began to talk freely.</p>
+
+<p>"No Ma'm, dey didn't low Niggers to larn how to read and write. I had to
+go wid de white chillun to deir school on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span>Hog Mountain road evvy day to
+wait on 'em. I toted water for 'em kep' de fire goin', and done all
+sorts of little jobs lak dat. Miss Martha, de overseer's daughter, tried
+to larn me to read and write, but I wouldn't take it in.</p>
+
+<p>"No Ma'm dere warn't no churches for Niggers in slavery time, so slaves
+had to go to deir white folkses churches. Us went to church at Betty
+Berry (Bethabara) and Mars Hill. When time come for de sermon to de
+Niggers, sometimes de white folkses would leave and den again dey would
+stay, but dat overseer, he was dar all de time. Old man Isaac Vandiver,
+a Nigger preacher what couldn't read a word in de Bible, would git up in
+dat pulpit and talk from his heart. You know dere's heaps of folkses
+what's got dat sort of 'ligion&mdash;it's deep in deir hearts. De Reverend
+Freeman was de white folkses' preacher. I laked him best, for what he
+said allus sounded good to me.</p>
+
+<p>"At funerals us used to sing <i>Hark From De Tomb A Doleful Sound</i>. I
+never went to no funerals, but Old Marster's and Aunt Nira's, 'fore de
+end of de war.</p>
+
+<p>"When Old Marster went off to de war, he had all his slaves go to de
+musterin' ground to see him leave. He was captain of his company from
+Oconee County, and 'fore he left he had de mens in dat company bury deir
+silver and gold, deir watches, rings, and jus' anything dey wanted to
+keep, on Hog Mountain. Ha lef' a guard to watch de hidin' place so as
+dey would have somepin when dey come back home, den dey marched back to
+de musterin' ground dat was twixt de Hopkins' plantation and Old
+Marster's place. Uncle Solomon went along to de war <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span>to tote Marster's
+gun, cook for him, and sich lak. It warn't long 'fore old Marse was kilt
+in dat war, and Uncle Solomon fetches him back in a coffin. All de
+slaves dat went to de buryin' jus' trembled when guns was fired over Old
+Marster's grave. Dat was done to show dat Old Marster had been a
+powerful high-up man in de army.</p>
+
+<p>"Good Gracious! Dere didn't nary a Nigger go off from our place to de
+North, 'cause us was skeered of dem Yankees. Dere was a white
+slave-trader named McRaleigh what used to come to Old Marster's
+plantation to buy up Niggers to take 'em to de Mississippi bottoms. When
+us seed him comin' us lit out for de woods. He got Aunt Rachel; you
+could hear her hollerin' a mile down de road.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! Good Lord! Dem patterollers was awful. Folkses what dey cotched
+widout no paper, dey jus' plum wore out. Old man John was de fiddler on
+our place, and when de patterollers cotched him dey beat him up de wust
+of all, 'cause him and his fiddle was all de time drawin' Niggers out to
+do dances.</p>
+
+<p>"If Old Marster wanted to send a massage he sont Uncle Randall on a mule
+named Jim. Sometimes dat old mule tuk a notion he didn't want to go; den
+he wouldn't budge. I ricollects one time dey tuk a bundle of fodder and
+tied it to Old Jim's tail, but still he wouldn't move. Old Marster kep'
+a special man to fetch and carry mail for de plantation in a road cyart,
+and nobody warn't 'lowed to go nigh dat cyart.</p>
+
+<p>"When slaves got in from de fields at night dey cooked and et deir
+supper and went to bed. Dey had done been wukin' <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span>since sunup. When dere
+warn't so much to do in de fields, sometimes Old Marster let his Niggers
+lay off from wuk atter dinner on Saddays. If de chinches was most eatin'
+de Niggers up, now and den de 'omans was 'lowed to stay to de house to
+scald evvything and clear 'em out, but de menfolkses had to go on to de
+field. On Sadday nights de 'omans patched, washed, and cut off peaches
+and apples to dry in fruit season. In de daytime dey had to cut off and
+dry fruit for Old Miss. When slaves got smart wid deir white folkses,
+deir Marsters would have 'em beat, and dat was de end of de matter. Dat
+was a heap better'n dey does now days, 'cause if a Nigger gits out of
+place dey puts him on de chaingang. [TR: 'Whipping' written in margin.]</p>
+
+<p>"Sunday was a day off for all de slaves on our plantation. Cause, de
+mens had to look atter de stock in de lot right back of de cabins. De
+'omans cooked all day for de next week. If dey tuk a notion to go to
+church, mules was hitched to wagons made lak dippers, and dey jigged off
+down de road. Us had four days holiday for Christmas. Old Miss give us
+lots of good things to eat dem four days; dere was cake, fresh meat, and
+all kinds of dried fruit what had been done stored away. All de Niggers
+tuk dat time to rest but my Mammy. She tuk me and went 'round to de
+white folkses' houses to wash and weave. Dey said I was a right smart,
+peart little gal, and white folkses used to try to hire me from Old
+Miss. When dey axed her for me, Old Miss allus told 'em: 'You don't want
+to hire dat gal; she ain't no 'count.' She wouldn't let nobody hire her
+Niggers, 'cept Mammy, 'cause she knowed Mammy warn't gwine to leave her
+nohow. On New Year's Day, if dere <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span>warn't too much snow on de ground, de
+Niggers burnt brush and cleared new ground.</p>
+
+<p>"When Aunt Patience led de singin' at cornshuckin's, de shucks sho'ly
+did fly. Atter de corn was shucked, dey fed us lots of good things and
+give us plenty of liquor. De way cotton pickin' was managed was dis:
+evvybody dat picked a thousand pounds of cotton in a week's time was
+'lowed a day off. Mammy picked her thousand pounds evvy week.</p>
+
+<p>"Dances? Now you's talkin' 'bout somepin' sho' 'nough. Old John, de
+fiddler man, was right dere on our plantation. Niggers dat had done
+danced half de night would be so sleepy when de bugle sounded dey
+wouldn't have time to cook breakfast. Den 'bout de middle of de mawnin'
+dey would complain 'bout bein' so weak and hongry dat de overseer would
+fetch 'em in and have 'em fed. He let 'em rest 'bout a hour and a half;
+den he marched 'em back to de field and wuked 'em 'til slap black dark.
+Aunt Sook was called de lead wench. If de moon warn't out, she put a
+white cloth 'round her shoulders and led 'em on.</p>
+
+<p>"Didn't none of Old Marsters chillun marry in slavery time, but Old
+Miss, she let us see a Nigger gal named Frances Hester git married. When
+I sot down to dat weddin' supper I flung de chicken bones over my
+shoulder, 'cause I didn't know no better. I don't 'member what gals
+played when I was little, but boys played ball all day long if dey was
+'lowed to. One boy, named Sam, played and run so hard he tuk his bed
+Monday and never got up no more.</p>
+
+<p>"I heared tell of Raw Haid and Bloody Bones. Old folkses would skeer us
+most nigh to death tellin' us he was comin'. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span>Mankind! Us made for de
+house den. Missy, please mam, don't ax me 'bout dem ha'nts. I sees 'em
+all de time. Atter she had done died out, Old Miss used to come back all
+de time. She didn't lak it 'cause day wropped her in a windin' sheet and
+buried her by de doorsteps, but I reckon dey done fixed her by now,
+'cause she don't come back no more. Dere's a house in Athens, called de
+Bell House, dat nobody kin live in, 'cause a man run his wife from home
+and atter she died, she come back and ha'nted dat house.</p>
+
+<p>"Lawd have mercy! Look here, don't talk lak dat. I ain't told you before
+but part o' dis here yard is conjured. A man comes here early evvy
+mornin' and dresses dis yard down wid conjuration. Soon as I sot down
+here to talk to you, a pain started in my laigs, and it is done gone all
+over me now. I started to leave you and go in de house. Come on. Let's
+leave dis yard right now. Hurry!" On reaching the kitchen Addie hastily
+grasped the pepper box and shook its contents over each shoulder and on
+her head, saying: "Anything hot lak dis will sho drive dis spell away.
+De reason I shakes lak I does, one day I was in de yard and somepin
+cotch me. It helt fast to my footses, den I started to shake all over,
+and I been shakin' ever since. A white 'oman gimme some white soap, and
+evvy mornin' I washes myself good wid dat soap 'fore I puts on my
+clothes."</p>
+
+<p>Leaving the kitchen, Addie entered the front room which serves as a
+bedroom. "Lawdy, Missy!" she exclaimed, "Does you smell dat funny scent?
+Oh, Good Lawd! Jus' look at dem <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span>white powders on my doorstep! Let me git
+some hot water and wash 'em out quick! Now Missy, see how dese Niggers
+'round here is allus up to deir meanness? Dere's a man in de udder room
+bilin' his pizen right now. I has to keep a eye on him all de time or
+dis here old Nigger would be in her grave. I has to keep somepin hot all
+de time to keep off dem conjure spells. I got three pids of pepper most
+ready to pick, and I'se gwine to tie 'em 'round my neck, den dese here
+spells folkses is all de time tryin' to put on me won't do me no harm."</p>
+
+<p>Addie now lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I found a folded up
+piece of white paper under our back doorstep dis very mornin'. Bless
+your life, I got a stick from de kitchen quick and poked it in a crack
+in de steps and got it out 'fore I put my foots down on dem steps. I sho
+did."</p>
+
+<p>Here Addie reverted to her story of the plantation. "Old Marster was
+mighty good to his Niggers," she said. When any of 'em got sick Old Miss
+sont to town for him, and he allus come right out and fetched a doctor.
+Old Miss done her very best for Pappy when he was tuk sick, but he died
+out jus' de same. Pappy used to drive a oxcart and, when he was bad off
+sick and out of his haid, he hollered out: 'Scotch dat wheel! Scotch dat
+wheel!' In his mind, he was deep in de bad place den, and didn't know
+how to pray. Old Miss, she would say: 'Pray, Pete, Pray.' Old Miss made
+a heap of teas from diff'unt things lak pennyroyal, algaroba wood,
+sassafras, flat tobacco, and mullein. Us wore rabbits foots, little bags
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span>of asfiddy (asafetida), and garlic tabs 'round our necks to keep off
+mis'ries. I wishes I had a garlic tab to wear 'round my neck now.</p>
+
+<p>"One day Old Miss called us togedder and told us dat us was free as jay
+birds. De Niggers started hollerin': 'Thank de Lawd, us is free as de
+jay birds.' 'Bout dat time a white man come along and told dem Niggers
+if he heared 'em say dat again he would kill de last one of 'em. Old
+Miss axed us to stay on wid her and dar us stayed for 'bout three years.
+It paid us to stay dere 'stead of runnin' off lak some udder Niggars dat
+played de fool done. T'warn't long 'fore dem Yankees come 'long, and us
+hustled off to town to see what dey looked lak. I never seed so many
+mens at one time in my life before. When us got back to de plantation de
+overseer told us not to drink no water out of de well, 'cause somebody
+had done put a peck of pizen in dar. He flung a whole bushel of salt in
+de well to help git rid of de pizen.</p>
+
+<p>"Atter de end of de war, I went to wuk as a plow-hand. I sho did keep
+out of de way of dem Ku Kluxers. Folkses would see 'em comin' and holler
+out: 'De Ku Kluxers is ridin' tonight. Keep out of deir way, or dey will
+sho kill you.' Dem what was skeered of bein' cotched and beat up, done
+deir best to stay out of sight.</p>
+
+<p>"It was a long time atter de war was done over 'fore schools for Niggers
+was sot up, and den when Nigger chillun did git to go to school dey
+warn't 'lowed to use de old blue-back spellin' book 'cause white folkses
+said it larn't 'em too much.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span>"It was two or three years atter de war 'fore any of de Niggers could
+save up enough money to start buyin' land, and den, if dey didn't watch
+dey steps mighty keerful, de white folkses would find a way to git dat
+land back from de Niggers.</p>
+
+<p>"What! Is I got to tell you 'bout dat old Nigger I got married up wid? I
+don't want to talk 'bout dat low down, no 'count devil. Anyhow, I
+married Ed Griffeth and, sho dat, I had a weddin'. My weddin' dress was
+jus' de purtiest thing; it was made out of parade cloth, and it had a
+full skirt wid ruffles from de knees to de hem. De waist fitted tight
+and it was cut lowneck wid three ruffles 'round de shoulder. Dem puff
+sleeves was full from de elbow to de hand. All dem ruffles was aidged
+wid lace and, 'round my waist I wore a wide pink sash. De underskirt was
+trimmed wid lace, and dere was lace on de bottom of de drawers laigs.
+Dat was sho one purty outfit dat I wore to marry dat no 'count man in. I
+had bought dat dress from my young Mist'ess.</p>
+
+<p>"Us had seven chillun and ten grandchillun. Most of 'em is livin' off up
+in Detroit. If Ed ain't daid by now he ought to be; he was a good match
+for de devil.</p>
+
+<p>"I reckon Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Jeff Davis done right as fur as dey knowed
+how and could. If dem northern folkses hadn't fotched us here, us sho
+wouldn't never have been here in de fust place. Den dey hauled off and
+said de South was mean to us Niggers and sot us free, but I don't know
+no diffunce. De North sho let us be atter dat war, and some of de old
+Niggers is still mad 'cause dey is free and ain't got no Marster to <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span>feed
+'em and give 'em good warm clothes no more.</p>
+
+<p>"Oh! You gits happy when you jines up wid de church. I sho don't want to
+go to de bad place. Dere ain't but two places to go to, Heaven and hell,
+and I'se tryin' to head for Heaven. Folkses says dat when Old Dives done
+so bad he had to go to de bad place, a dog was sot at his heels for to
+keep him in dar. No Mam, if it's de Good Lawd's will to let me git to
+Heaven, I is sho gwine to keep out of hell, if I kin.</p>
+
+<p>"Goodbye, Missy. Next time you comes fetch me a garlic tab to keep de
+conjure spells 'way from me," was Addie's parting request.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Emma_Virgel" id="Emma_Virgel"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+<br />
+EMMA VIRGEL, Age 73<br />
+1491 W. Broad Street<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Grace McCune<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Residencies 6 &amp; 7<br />
+Augusta, Ga.<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 13 1938]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span>Hurrying for shelter from a sudden shower, the interviewer heard a
+cheerful voice singing "Lord I'se Comin' Home," as she rushed up the
+steps of Aunt Emma's small cabin. Until the song was ended she quietly
+waited on the tiny porch and looked out over the yard which was
+attractive with roses and other old-fashioned flowers; then she knocked
+on the door.</p>
+
+<p>Dragging footsteps and the tap, tap of a crutch sounded as Aunt Emma
+approached the door. "Come in out of dat rain, chile, or you sho' will
+have de pneumony," she said. "Come right on in and set here by my fire.
+Fire feels mighty good today. I had to build it to iron de white folkses
+clothes." Aunt Emma leaned heavily on her crutch as she wielded the iron
+with a dexterity attainable only by long years of experience. Asked if
+her lameness and use of a crutch made her work difficult, she grinned
+and answered: "Lawsy chile, I'se jus' so used to it, I don't never think
+'bout it no more. I'se had to wuk all of my life, no matter what was in
+de way." The comfort, warmth and cheer of the small kitchen encouraged
+intimate conversation and when Aunt Emma was asked for the story of her
+childhood days and her recollections of slavery, she replied: "I was too
+little to 'member much, but I'se heared my Ma tell 'bout dem days.</p>
+
+<p>"My Pa and Ma was Louis and Mary Jackson. Dey b'longed to Marse John
+Montgomery, way down in Oconee County. Marse John didn't <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span>have no wife
+den, 'cause he didn't git married 'til atter de War. He had a big place
+wid lots of slaves. He was sho' good to 'em, and let 'em have plenty of
+evvything. De slave quarters was log cabins wid big fireplaces, whar dey
+done de cookin'. Dey had racks to hang pots on to bile and dey baked in
+ovens set on de harth (hearth). Dat was powerful good eatin'. Dey had a
+big old gyarden whar dey raised plenty of corn, peas, cabbages,
+potatoes, collards, and turnip greens. Out in de fields dey growed
+mostly corn, wheat, and cotton. Marster kep' lots of chickens, cows,
+hogs, goats, and sheep; and he fed 'em all mighty good.</p>
+
+<p>"Marster let his slaves dance, and my Ma was sho' one grand dancer in
+all de breakdown's. Dey give 'em plenty of toddy and Niggers is dancers
+f'um way back yonder while de toddy lasts.</p>
+
+<p>"Slaves went to deir Marster's meetin's and sot in de back of de church.
+Dey had to be good den 'cause Marster sho' didn't 'low no cuttin' up
+'mongst his Niggers at de church. Ma said he didn't believe in whuppin'
+his Niggers lessen it jus' had to be done, but den dey knowed he was
+'round dar when he did have to whup 'em.</p>
+
+<p>"Ma said when dey had big baptizin's in de river dey prayed and shouted
+and sung 'Washin' 'way my Sins,'&mdash;'Whar de Healin' Water Flows,' and
+'Crossin' de River Jerdan.' De white preacher baptized de slaves and den
+he preached&mdash;dat was all dere was to it 'ceppen de big dinner dey had in
+de churchyard on baptizin' days.</p>
+
+<p>"When slaves died, dey made coffins out of pine wood and buried 'em whar
+de white folkses was buried. If it warn't too fur a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>piece to de
+graveyard, dey toted de coffin on three or four hand sticks. Yessum,
+hand sticks, dat's what day called 'em. Dey was poles what dey sot de
+coffin on wid a Nigger totin' each end of de poles. De white preacher
+prayed and de Niggers sung 'Hark f'um de Tomb.'</p>
+
+<p>"Ma said she had a grand big weddin'. She wore a white swiss dress wid a
+bleachin' petticoat, made wid heaps of ruffles and a wreath of flowers
+'round her head. She didn't have no flower gals. Pa had on a long, frock
+tail, jim swinger coat lak de preacher's wore. A white preacher married
+'em in de yard at de big house. All de Niggers was dar, and Marster let
+'em dance mos' all night.</p>
+
+<p>"I was de oldest of Ma's 10 chillun. Dey done all gone to rest now
+'ceptin' jus' de three of us what's lef in dis world of trouble. Yessum,
+dere sho' is a heap of trouble here.</p>
+
+<p>"Atter de War, Ma and Pa moved on Mr. Bill Marshall's place to farm for
+him and dar's whar I was born. Dey didn't stay dar long 'fore dey moved
+to Mr. Jim Mayne's place away out in de country, in de forks of de big
+road down below Watkinsville. I sho' was a country gal. Yessum, I sho'
+was. Mr. Mayne's wife was Mrs. Emma Mayne and she took a lakin' to me
+'cause I was named Emma. I stayed wid her chilluns all de time, slep' in
+de big house, and et dar too, jus' lak one of dem, and when dey bought
+for dey chillun dey bought for me too.</p>
+
+<p>"Us wore homespun dresses and brass toed shoes. Sometimes us would git
+mighty mad and fuss over our games and den Miss Emma would make us come
+in de big house and set down. No Ma'am, she never <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span>did whup us. She was
+good and she jus' talked to us, and told us us never would git to Heb'en
+lessen us was good chillun. Us played games wid blocks and jumped de
+rope and, when it was warm, us waded in de crick. Atter I was big
+'nough, I tuk de white chillun to Sunday School, but I didn't go inside
+den&mdash;jus' waited on de outside for 'em. I never got a chanct to go to
+school none, but de white chilluns larnt me some.</p>
+
+<p>"Marse Jim was mighty good to de Niggers what wukked for him, and us all
+loved him. He didn't 'low no patterollers or none of dem Ku Kluxers
+neither to bother de Niggers on his place. He said he could look atter
+'em his own self. He let 'em have dances, and evvy Fourth of July he had
+big barbecues. Yessum, he kilt hogs, goats, sheep and sometimes a cow
+for dem barbecues. He believed in havin' plenty to eat.</p>
+
+<p>"I 'members dem big corn shuckin's. He had de mostes' corn, what was in
+great big piles put in a circle. All de neighbors was axed to come and
+bring deir Niggers. De fus' thing to do was to 'lect a gen'ral to stand
+in de middle of all dem piles of corn and lead de singin' of de reels.
+No Ma'am, I don't 'member if he had no shuck stuck up on his hat or not,
+and I can't ricollec' what de words of de reels was, 'cause us chillun
+was little den, but de gen'ral he pulled off de fus' shuck. Den he
+started singin' and den dey all sung in answer to him, and deir two
+hands a-shuckin' corn kep' time wid de song. As he sung faster, dey jus'
+made dem shucks more dan fly. Evvy time de gen'ral would speed up de
+song, de Niggers would speed up deir corn shuckin's. If it got dark
+'fore dey finished, us chillun would hold torch lights for 'em to see
+how to wuk. De <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span>lights was made out of big pine knots what would burn a
+long time. Us felt mighty big when us was 'lowed to hold dem torches.
+When dey got done shuckin' all de corn, dey had a big supper, and Honey,
+dem was sho' some good eatments&mdash;barbecue of all sorts&mdash;jus' thinkin'
+'bout dem pies makes me hongry, even now. Ma made 'em, and she couldn't
+be beat on chicken pies and sweet potato pies. Atter dey done et and
+drunk all dey wanted, Marse Jim would tell 'em to go to it. Dat was de
+word for de gen'ral to start up de dancin', and dat lasted de rest of de
+night; dat is if dey didn't all fall out, for old time corn shuckin'
+breakdowns was drag-outs and atter all dem 'freshments, hit sho' kept
+somebody busy draggin' out dem what fell out. Us chillun was 'lowed to
+stay up long as us wanted to at corn shuckin's, and sometimes us would
+git out and try to do lak de grown-up Niggers. Hit was de mos' fun.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey went huntin' and fishin' and when dey cotch or kilt much, dey had a
+big supper. I 'members de fus' time I ever cooked 'possum. Ma was sick
+in de bed, and de mens had done been 'possum huntin'. Ma said I would
+jus' have to cook dem 'possums. She told me how to fix 'em and she said
+to fix 'em wid potatoes and plenty of butter and red pepper. Den she
+looked at me right hard and said dat dey had better be jus' right. Dat
+skeered me so I ain't never been so I could eat no 'possum since den.
+Yessum, dey was cooked jus' right, but cookin' 'em jus' once when I was
+skeered cured me of de taste for eatin' 'possum.</p>
+
+<p>"Us chillun didn't git out and go off lak dey does dese days. Us stayed
+dar on de plantation. In winter us had to wear plenty of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span>clothes, wid
+flannel petticoats and sich lak, and us stayed in by de fire. Big boys
+had clothes made out of jeans, but little boys wore homespun shirts. On
+hot days us jus' wore one piece of clothes, a sort of shirt what was
+made long and had a yoke in it.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey made me use snuff to cure my sore eyes when I was little, and I
+never could quit usin' it no more. When I was 'bout 15, Ma and Pa moved
+to Athens and I went to wuk for Mr. Joe Webb's fambly. I wukked for 'em
+for 30 years and raised all deir chillun. Dey was all mighty good to me
+and seed dat I had plenty of evvything. I would still be dar, but de old
+folkses all done died out and gone to dey rest and de younguns done
+married and lef' here.</p>
+
+<p>"I was wukkin' right in de house wid 'em when I 'cided to git married.
+Yes Ma'am, I sho' done had one swell elegant weddin'. Jus' evvything
+heart could ask for. I married at my Ma's house, but my white folkses
+was all right dar, and dey had done fixed de house up pretty wid flowers
+all over it. Dey give me my white flannel weddin' dress and it was sho'
+pretty, but dey warn't nothin' lackin' 'bout my second day dress. My
+white folkses bought dat too,&mdash;It was a bottle green silk. Lawsy, but I
+was sho' one dressed up bride. It was 8 o'clock dat night when de
+preacher got finished wid tyin' dat knot for me and Sam Virgel. My
+sister and her fellow stood up wid us and us had a big crowd at our
+weddin' supper. Dere was one long table full of our white folkses,
+'sides all de Niggers, and I jus' never seed so much to eat. My white
+folkses said dat Emma jus' had to have plenty for her weddin' feast and
+dey evermore did lay out good <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span>things for dat supper, and dem Niggers
+sho' did hide dat chicken and cake away lak dey hadn't never seed none
+before.</p>
+
+<p>"I wukked on for de Webbs 'til dey was all gone. De old folks is in
+Heb'en whar I 'spects to see 'em some day when de Lord done called me
+home. De younguns moved away, but I still loves 'em evvyone, 'cause dey
+looked atter old Emma so good when dey was here. Us never had no chillun
+and Sam done been gone to his res' long years ago. I'se jus' a-wukkin
+and a-waitin 'til I gits called to go too. I don't have plenty all de
+time now lak I used to, and nobody here looks atter old Emma no more,
+but I makes out.</p>
+
+<p>"I'se mighty glad it rained if dat's what sont you to my door. It's been
+nice to talk wid white folkses again. I wisht I had somepin' nice for
+you! Let me cut you a bunch of my flowers?" She carefully placed her
+iron on the hearth and hobbled out in the yard. The May shower had been
+followed by sunshine as she handed her guest a huge bouquet of roses,
+Aunt Emma bowed low. "Good-bye, Missy," she said, "please come back to
+see me."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Rhodus_Walton" id="Rhodus_Walton"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. 7<br />
+Ex-Slave #110]<br />
+Adella S. Dixon<br />
+<br />
+INTERVIEW WITH RHODUS WALTON, EX-SLAVE, Age 84<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Ten years before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, a son was
+born to Antony and Patience Walton who lived in Lumpkin, Stewart County,
+Ga. When this son, Rhodus, was three weeks old, his mother, along with
+the three younger children, was sold. His father and the thirteen sons
+and daughters that she left behind were never seen again. His parents'
+birthplace and the name they bore before moving to the Walton home are
+unknown to Rhodus and he never was able to trace his family even after
+"freedom."</p>
+
+<p>The Walton plantation, home of Mr. Sam B. Walton who purchased his
+mother, was a very large one with the "Big House" on an elevation near
+the center. The majestic colonial home with its massive columns was seen
+for miles around and from its central location the master was able to
+view his entire estate.</p>
+
+<p>Approximately one block from the planter's home, the "quarters" were
+clustered. These were numerous loghouses with stick-and-clay chimneys in
+which the slave families dwelt. Each house was composed of one room
+sparsely furnished. The beds were corded with rope and as large families
+were stressed, it was often necessary for several members to sleep on
+the floor. There was an open fireplace at which family meals were
+prepared. Equipment consisted of an iron pot suspended by a hanger and a
+skillet with long legs that enabled the cook to place fire beneath it.
+Bread known as "ash cake" was sometimes cooked on the hot coals.</p>
+
+<p>The auction block was located not far from this old home. Here Rhodus
+Walton with other young children watched slaves emerge from boxcars,
+where they had been packed so closely that there was no room to sit, to
+be sold to the highest bidder. This was one of his most vivid
+recollections.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span>As Rhodus' father did not come to this home with his family, he knows
+nothing of him. Except for brief intervals his mother worked in the
+house where cotton and wool were spun into thread and then woven into
+cloth from which the slaves' clothing was made. An elder sister nursed
+the master's smaller children. Rhodus' first duties were to drive the
+cows to and from the pastures and to keep the calves from annoying the
+milkers.</p>
+
+<p>His master was a very cruel man whose favorite form of punishment was to
+take a man (or woman) to the edge of the plantation where a rail fence
+was located. His head was then placed between two rails so that escape
+was impossible and he was whipped until the overseer was exhausted. This
+was an almost daily occurrence, administered on the slightest
+provocation.</p>
+
+<p>Saturday was the only afternoon off and Christmas was the only vacation
+period, but one week of festivities made this season long remembered.
+Many "frolics" were given and everyone danced where banjoes were
+available; also, these resourceful people secured much of their music
+from an improvised fiddle fashioned from a hand saw. Immediately after
+these festivities, preparations began for spring planting. New ground
+was cleared; old land fertilized and the corn fields cleared of last
+year's rubbish.</p>
+
+<p>Courtship began at a later age than is customary now but they were much
+more brief. Gifts to one's sweetheart were not permitted, but verses
+such as:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">Roses are red,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Violets blue,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I don't love<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">No one but you<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>were invariably recited to the loved one. Young negro men always
+"cocked" their hats on one side of their heads when they became
+interested in the other sex. Marriages were performed by the master.
+Common law situations did not exist.</p>
+
+<p>Serious illnesses were not frequent and home remedies compounded of
+roots and herbes usually sufficed. Queensy's light root, butterfly
+roots, scurry root, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span>red shank root, bull tongue root were all found in
+the woods and the teas made from their use were "cures" for many
+ailments. Whenever an illness necessitated the services of a physician,
+he was called. One difference in the old family doctor and those of
+today was the method of treatment. The former always carried his
+medicine with him, the latter writes prescriptions. The fee was also
+much smaller in olden times.</p>
+
+<p>Food was distributed weekly in quantities according to the size of the
+family. A single man would receive:</p>
+
+<div style="margin-left: 5%;">
+<table border="0" cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" width="40%" summary="weekly food quantities">
+ <tr>
+ <td width="40%">1 pk. meal</td>
+ <td width="60%">on Sunday</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td>1 qt. syrup</td>
+ <td>flour (seconds)</td>
+ </tr>
+ <tr>
+ <td style="vertical-align: top;">3 &frac12; lbs. meat</td>
+ <td>Holidays&mdash;July 4th and Christmas<br />
+ fresh meat.</td>
+ </tr>
+</table>
+</div>
+
+<p>Peas, pepper grass, polk salad were plentiful in the fields. Milk and
+"pot likker" could be had from the big house when desired, although
+every family cooked for itself. Saturday afternoon was the general
+fishing time and each person might catch as many as he needed for his
+personal use.</p>
+
+<p>The slaves did most of the weaving on the plantation, but after the
+cloth was woven the problem of giving it color presented itself. As they
+had no commercial dye, certain plants were boiled to give color. A plant
+called indigo, found in the cotton patch, was the chief type of dye,
+although thare was another called copperas. The dresses made from this
+material were very plain.</p>
+
+<p>Walton believes in most of the old signs and superstitions because he
+has "watched them and found that they are true." The continuous singing
+of a whipporwill near a house is a sign of death, but if an iron is
+placed in the fire and allowed to remain there, the bird will fly away.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span>When the news of the war finally reached the plantation, the slaves
+followed the progress with keen interest and when battles were fought
+near Columbus, and firing of guns was heard, they cried joyfully&mdash;"It
+ain't gonna be long now." Two of their master's sons fought in the
+Confederate Army, but both returned home before the close of the war.
+One day news came that the Yankee soldiers were soon to come, and Walton
+began to hide all valuables. The slaves were sent to the cemetery to dig
+very deep graves where all manner of food was stored. They were covered
+like real graves and wooden slabs placed at either end. For three days
+before the soldiers were expected, all the house servants were kept busy
+preparing delicacies with which to tempt the Yankees and thus avoid
+having their place destroyed. In spite of all this preparation, they
+were caught unawares and when the "blue coats" were seen approaching,
+the master and his two sons ran. The elder made his way to the woods;
+the younger made away on "Black Eagle" a horse reputed to run almost a
+mile a minute. Nearly everything on the place was destroyed by these
+invaders. One bit of information has been given in every interview where
+Northern soldiers visited a plantation, they found, before coming,
+whether the Master was mean or kind and always treated him as he had
+treated his slaves. Thus Mr. Walton was "given the works" as our modern
+soldiers would say.</p>
+
+<p>When the war ended the slaves were notified that they were free. Just
+before Rhodus' family prepared to move, his mother was struck on the
+head by a drunken guest visiting at the "big house." As soon as she
+regained consciousness, the family ran off without communicating with an
+elder sister who had been sold to a neighbor the previous year. A year
+later, news of this sister reached them through a wagoner who recognized
+the small boys as he passed them. He carried the news to the family's
+new residence back to the lost sister and in a few weeks she arrived at
+Cuthbert to make her home with her relatives.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span>For the past 9 years Rhodus has been unable to work as he is a victim of
+a stroke on his left side; both sides have been ruptured, and his nerves
+are bad. He attributes his long life to his faith in God.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="William_Ward" id="William_Ward"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. 5<br />
+Ex-slave #111<br />
+(Ross)]<br />
+<br />
+AN ACCOUNT Of SLAVERY RELATED BY WILLIAM WARD&mdash;EX-SLAVE<br />
+[Date Stamp: 10-8-1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>In a small one-room apartment located on one of Atlanta's back streets
+lives William Ward, an ex-slave, whose physical appearance in no way
+justifies his claim to being 105 years of age. He is about five ft. in
+height with a rather smooth brown complexion. What hair he has is gray.
+He moves about like a much younger person. For a person of his age his
+thoughts and speech are remarkably clear.</p>
+
+<p>On a bright sunny afternoon in September this writer had an opportunity
+of talking with Mr. Ward and in the course of the conversation some very
+interesting things were learned regarding the institution of slavery and
+its customs. Ward took a dip of snuff from his little tin box and began
+his story by saying that he is the son of Bill and Leana Ward who were
+brought to this country from Jamaica, B.W.I. The first thing he
+remembers was the falling of the stars in 1833. From that time until he
+was 9 years old he played around the yard with other slave children.
+Then his parents were sent back to Jamaica by their master, the former
+Governor Joseph E. Brown. While he was in bondage he carried the name of
+his masters instead of Ward, his parents' name.</p>
+
+<p>From the age of 9 until he was old enough to do heavy work, he kept the
+master's yard clean.</p>
+
+<p>Although Mr. Brown owned between 50 and 75 slaves, he had no plantation
+but hired his slaves out to other men who needed more help but were not
+able to own as many slaves as their work required.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Ward and his fellow slaves lived in one-room houses in the rear of
+the master's home. The furnishings consisted of a bed which was known as
+a "Grand Rascal" due to its peculiar construction. The mattress made in
+the form of a large bag was stuffed with hat and dried grass.</p>
+
+<p>At daybreak each morning they were called from these crude beds to
+prepare for the day's work. Breakfast, which consisted of white bacon,
+corn bread, and imitation coffee, was served before they left for the
+scene of their day's work. Incidentally the slaves under Mr. Brown's
+ownership never had any other form of bread than corn bread.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span>This imitation coffee was made by putting corn meal in a pan, parching
+it until it reached a deep golden brown and steeping it in boiling
+water. At noon, dinner was brought to them in the field in wash tubs
+placed on carts drawn by oxen. Dinner consisted of fat meat, peas and
+corn bread. Often all laundry was done in these same tubs.</p>
+
+<p>The only time that this diet ever varied was at Christmas time when the
+master had all slaves gathered in one large field. Then several hogs
+were killed and barbecued. Everyone was permitted to eat as much as he
+could, but was forbidden to take anything home. When some one was
+fortunate enough to catch a possum or a coon, he had a change of food.</p>
+
+<p>On Sundays the slaves were permitted to have a religious meeting of
+their own. This usually took place in the back yard or in a building
+dedicated for this purpose. They sang spirituals which gave vent to
+their true feelings. Many of these songs are sung today. There was one
+person who did the preaching. His sermon was always built according to
+the master's instructions which were that slaves must always remember
+that they belonged to their masters and were intended to lead a life of
+loyal servitude. None of the slaves believed this, although they
+pretended to believe because of the presence of the white overseer. If
+this overseer was absent sometimes and the preacher varied in the text
+of his sermon, that is, if he preached exactly what he thought and felt,
+he was given a sound whipping.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Brown was a kind person and never mistreated his slaves, although he
+did furnish them with the whip for infractions of rules such as
+fighting, stealing, visiting other plantations without a "pass", etc.
+Ward vividly recalls that one of the soundest thrashings he ever got was
+for stealing Mr. Brown's whisky. His most numerous offenses were
+fighting. Another form of punishment used in those days was the stocks,
+such as those used in early times in England. Serious offenses like
+killing another person was also handled by the master who might hang him
+to a tree by the feet or by the neck, as he saw fit.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span>Few slaves ever attempted to escape from Mr. Brown, partially because of
+his kindliness and partically because of the fear inspired by the pack
+of blood hounds which he kept. When an escaped slave was caught he was
+returned to his master and a sound beating was administered.</p>
+
+<p>As far as marriage was concerned on the Brown estate, Mr. Brown, himself
+placed every two individuals together that he saw fit to. There was no
+other wedding ceremony. If any children were born from the union, Mr.
+Brown named them. One peculiarity on the Brown estate was the fact that
+the slaves were allowed no preference or choice as to who his or her
+mate would be. Another peculiarity was these married couples were not
+permitted to sleep together except when the husband received permission
+to spend the night with his wife. Ward is the father of 17 children
+whose whereabouts he does not know.</p>
+
+<p>At this point Ward began to smile, and when he was asked the cause of
+his mirth, he replied that he was thinking about his fellow slaves
+beliefs in conjuring one another. This was done by putting some sort of
+wild berries in the person's food. What he can't understand is why some
+of this black magic was not tried on the white people since they were
+holding the Negroes as slaves.</p>
+
+<p>Ward recalls vividly Sherman's march through Georgia. When Sherman
+reached the present site of Hapeville, he bombarded Atlanta with cannon,
+afterwards marching through and burning the city. The white residents
+made all sorts of frantic attempts to hide their money and other
+valuables. Some hiding places were under stumps of trees and in sides of
+hills. Incidentally Sherman's army found quite a bit of the hidden
+wealth. Slaves were never allowed to talk over events and so very few,
+if any, knew about the war or its results for them before it actually
+happened. At the time that Sherman marched through Atlanta, Ward and
+other slaves were living in an old mansion at the present site of
+Peachtree and Baker Streets. He says that Sherman took him and his
+fellow slaves as far as Virginia to carry powder and shot to the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span>soldiers. He states that he himself did not know whether Sherman
+intended to keep him in slavery or free him. At the close of the war,
+his master, Mr. Brown, became ill and died later. Before His death he
+informed the slaves that they could remain on his property or go where
+they wanted to. Ward was taken to Mississippi where he remained in
+another form of slavery (Peonage System) for 40 years. He remembers when
+Atlanta was just a few hills without any buildings. Some of the
+buildings he worked on are the Herman Building and the original Kimball
+House, a picture of which is attached.</p>
+
+<p>He attributes his old age to his belief in God and living a sane life.
+Whenever he feels bad or in low spirits, a drink of coffee or a small
+amount of whisky is enough to brace him. He believes that his remedy is
+better than that used in slavery which consisted mainly of pills and
+castor oil.</p>
+
+<p>With a cheerful good-bye, Ward asked that the writer stop in to see him
+again; said that he would rather live in the present age under existing
+conditions than live in slavery.</p>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Driskell<br />
+JWL 10-12-37<br />
+<br />
+[MR. WILLIAM WARD]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Following is Mr. William Ward's description of the bed called "The Grand
+Rascal."</p>
+
+<p>"De beds dat all o' de slaves slept in wus called 'Grand Rascals'. Dey
+wus made on de same order as a box. De way dey made 'em wus like dis:
+dey took four strips of narrow wood, each one of 'em 'bout a foot wide,
+an' den dey nailed 'em together so dat dey wus in de shape of a square.
+Den dey nailed a bottom onto dis square shape. Dis bottom wus called de
+slats. When dis wus finished dey set dis box on some legs to keep it
+off'n de floor, an' den dey got busy wid de mattress. Dey took ol' oat
+sacks an' filled 'em wid straw an' hay an' den dey put dis in de box an'
+slept on it. Dere wusn't no springs on dese bunks an' everybody had a
+hard time sleepin'.</p>
+
+<p>"De real name of dese wus 'Sonova-Bitches' but de slaves called 'em
+'Grand Rascals' 'cause dey didn't want people to hear 'em use a bad
+word.</p>
+
+<p>"After Sherman come through Atlanta he let de slaves go, an' when he
+did, me an' some of de other slaves went back to our ol' masters. Ol'
+man Gov. Brown wus my boss man. After de war wus over Ol' man Gordon
+took me an' some of de others out to Mississippi. I stayed in peonage
+out dere fer 'bout forty years. I wus located at jes' 'bout forty miles
+south of Greenwood, an' I worked on de plantations of Ol' man Sara Jones
+an' Ol' man Gordon.</p>
+
+<p>"I couldn't git away 'cause dey watched us wid guns all de time. When de
+levee busted dat kinda freed me. Man, dey was devils; dey wouldn't 'low
+you to go nowhere&mdash;not even to church. You done good to git sumpin' to
+eat. Dey wouldn't give you no clothes, an' if you got wet you jes' had
+to lay down in whut you got wet in.</p>
+
+<p>"An', man, dey would whup you in spite of de devil. You had to ask to
+git water&mdash;if you didn't dey would stretch you 'cross a barrel an' wear
+you out. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span>If you didn't work in a hurry dey would whup you wid a strap
+dat had five-six holes in it. I ain't talkin' 'bout whut I heard&mdash;I'm
+talkin' 'bout whut I done see'd.</p>
+
+<p>"One time dey sent me on Ol' man Mack Williams' farm here in Jasper
+County, Georgia. Dat man would kill you sho. If dat little branch on his
+plantation could talk it would tell many a tale 'bout folks bein'
+knocked in de head. I done seen Mack Williams kill folks an' I done seen
+'im have folks killed. One day he tol' me dat if my wife had been good
+lookin', I never would sleep wid her again 'cause he'd kill me an' take
+her an' raise chilluns off'n her. Dey uster take women away fum dere
+husbands an' put wid some other man to breed jes' like dey would do
+cattle. Dey always kept a man penned up an' dey used 'im like a stud
+hoss.</p>
+
+<p>"When you didn't do right Ol' Mack Williams would shoot you or tie a
+chain 'roun your neck an' throw you in de river. He'd git dem other
+niggers to carry dem to de river an' if dey didn't he'd shoot 'em down.
+Any time dey didn't do whut he said he would shoot 'em down. He'd tell
+'em to "Ketch dat nigger", an' dey would do it. Den he would tell 'em to
+put de chain 'roun dere neck an' throw 'em in de river. I ain't heard
+dis&mdash;I done seen it.</p>
+
+<p>"In 1927 I wus still in peonage but I wus back in Mississippi on
+Gordon's farm. When de levee broke in May of dat same year I lost my
+wife an' three chilluns. I climbed a tree an' stayed dere fer four days
+an' four nights. Airplanes dropped food an' when I got ready to eat I
+had to squeeze de water out of de bread. After four days I got out of de
+tree an' floated on logs down de river 'till I got to Mobile, Alabama,
+an' I wade fum dere to Palmetto, Georgia, where I got down sick. De boss
+mans dere called Gov. Harden an' he sent de Grady Hospital examiners
+down dere an' got me an' I been in Atlanta since dat time."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Lula_Washington" id="Lula_Washington"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Willie H. Cole<br />
+10-8-37<br />
+<br />
+THE STORY OF AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+[MRS. LULA WASHINGTON, Age 84]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Mrs. Lula Washington was born a slave. She claims to be eighty-four
+years old.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Washington was confined to bed because of a recent accident in
+which she received a broken leg.</p>
+
+<p>She is the mother of twenty-three children of which only two are living.
+She lives in one room at 64 Butler St., N.E. with one of her daughters.
+Since the death of her husband several years ago she has been making her
+living as a dray-women, driving a mule and wagon.</p>
+
+<p>Following are some of the events she remembers. "Ah wuz born in
+Randolph, Alabama on de plantation of Marster John Terrell, de sixth
+child of my mammy and pappy".</p>
+
+<p>"When ah wuz six years old marster John sold me an' my sister, Lize and
+brother, Ben to Marster Charlie Henson."</p>
+
+<p>"Marster Charlie wuz good to his niggers.</p>
+
+<p>"He never whipped dem 'less dey done somethin' awful bad, like stealin
+chickens or slipping off de plantation without permission."</p>
+
+<p>"It wuz funny, de white folks would whipped de niggers for stealin' but
+if dey saw a hog in de woods, dey would make the niggers catch de hog an
+kill him an hide him under dey bushes. Den at night de niggers would
+hafta' go down to de spring, build a fire, heat water an skin de hog."</p>
+
+<p>"De man on de plantation next to us' shore wuz mean to his niggers,
+Marster Jim Roberts wus his name. He would take his niggers an strip
+there clothes to dere waist an' lay dem 'cross a barrel an beat dem 'til
+the blood run. Den he would pore salt water on de sore places."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span>"Oh 'member one time he tied two wimmen by dere thumbs to a limb of a
+tree for blessin' out the missus."</p>
+
+<p>"Us had plenty to eat and plenty to wear, calico dresses an' brogan
+shoes. Sometimes dere misses would give the wimmen some of her old
+clothes".</p>
+
+<p>"All de niggers on Marster Charlie's plantation had to work in de field
+'cept Malindy Lu, a Mulatto nigger gal. Marster Charlie kept her in de
+house to take care of Missus Jane, dat wuz Marster Charlie wife."</p>
+
+<p>"One thing 'bout de mulatto niggers, wuz, dey thought dey wuz better
+than de black niggers. I guess it wuz 'cause dey was half white. Dere
+wuz a bad feelin' 'tween the mulatto slaves an de black ones."</p>
+
+<p>Asked, how did the slaves marry? She replied, "Ah jest don't 'member
+seeing any marry 'cause ah wuz so small. Ah wuz jest eleven years old de
+time of de war but ah' members hearing some of dem say dat when two
+slaves wanted to git married dey would hafta get permission from dere
+marster. Den dey would come 'fore de marster an' he would have dem to
+jump over a broom an den 'nounce dem married."</p>
+
+<p>"When de Yankees come thru" de white folks told us to go down to de
+swamp an hide cause dey would git us. When de war wuz over de white
+folks told us we wuz free."</p>
+
+<p>"Marster Terrell gave my mammy an pappy a oxcart an mule an a bushel of
+meal. Den my pappy an mammy come got me an my sister an' brother. Den we
+come from Randolph, Alabama to Georgia."</p>
+
+<p>"Sometimes I wish I wuz back in slavery, times is so hard."</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Washington's chief concern now is getting her old-age pension.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Green_Willbanks" id="Green_Willbanks"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+<br />
+GREEN WILLBANKS, Age 77<br />
+347 Fairview Street<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Residencies 6 &amp; 7<br />
+Augusta, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Sept. 19, 1938</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>Fairview Street, where Green Willbanks lives is a section of shabby
+cottages encircled by privet hedges.</p>
+
+<p>As the visitor carefully ascended the shaky steps to his house a mulatto
+man, who was sitting on the veranda, quickly arose. "Good morning," he
+said, "Yes mam, this is Green Willbanks. Have a seat in the swing." The
+porch furniture was comprised of a chair, a swing, and a long bench.
+Green is tall, slender, and stooped; a man with white hair and grizzled
+face. A white broadcloth shirt, white cotton trousers, blue socks, and
+low-cut black shoes made up his far from immaculate costume.</p>
+
+<p>The old man's eyes brightened when he was asked to give the story of his
+life. His speech showed but little dialect, except when he was carried
+away by interest and emotion, and his enunciation was remarkably free
+from Negroid accent.</p>
+
+<p>"I don't mind telling you what I know," he began, "but I was such a
+little chap when the war ended that there's mighty little I can
+recollect about slavery time, and it seems that your chief interest is
+in that period. I was born on a plantation the other side of Commerce,
+Georgia, in Jackson County. My Ma and Pa were Mary and Isom Willbanks;
+they were raised on the same plantation where I was born. Ma was a field
+hand, and this time of the year when work was short in the
+field&mdash;laying-by time, we called it&mdash;and on rainy days she spun thread
+and wove cloth. As the thread left the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span>spinning wheel it went on a reel
+where it was wound into hanks, and then it was carried to the loom to be
+woven into cloth. Pa had a little trade; he made shoes and baskets, and
+Old Boss let him sell them. Pa didn't make shoes for the slaves on our
+plantation; Old Boss bought them ready-made and had them shipped here
+from the West.</p>
+
+<p>"Me and Jane, Sarah, Mitchell, and Willie were the five children in our
+family. Oh! Miss, I was not big enough to do much work. About the most I
+done was pick up chips and take my little tin bucket to the spring to
+get a cool, fresh drink for Old Miss. Us children stayed 'round the
+kitchen and drunk lots of buttermilk. Old Miss used to say, 'Give my
+pickaninnies plenty of buttermilk.' I can see that old churn now; it
+helt about seven or eight gallons.</p>
+
+<p>"Our houses? Slaves lived in log cabins built the common way. There was
+lots of forest pine in those days. Logs were cut the desired length and
+notches put in each end so they would fit closely and have as few cracks
+as possible, when they stacked them for a cabin. They sawed pine logs
+into blocks and used a frow to split them into planks that were used to
+cover the cracks between the logs. Don't you know what a frow is? That's
+a wooden wedge that you drive into a pine block by hitting it with a
+heavy wooden mallet, or maul, as they are more commonly called. They
+closed the cracks in some of the cabins by daubing them with red mud.
+The old stack chimneys were made of mud and sticks. To make a bed, they
+first cut four posts, usually of pine, and bored holes through them with
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span>augers; then they made two short pieces for the head and foot. Two long
+pieces for the sides were stuck through the auger holes and the bedstead
+was ready to lay on the slats or cross pieces to hold up the mattress.
+The best beds had heavy cords, wove crossways and lengthways, instead of
+slats. Very few slaves had corded beds. Mattresses were not much; they
+were made of suggin sacks filled with straw. They called that straw
+'Georgia feathers.' Pillows were made of the same things. Suggin cloth
+was made of coarse flax wove in a loom. They separated the flax into two
+grades; fine for the white folks, and coarse for the Negroes.</p>
+
+<p>"The only one of my grandparents I can bring to memory now is Grandma
+Rose on my Pa's side. She was some worker, a regular man-woman; she
+could do any kind of work a man could do. She was a hot horse in her
+time and it took an extra good man to keep up with her when it came to
+work.</p>
+
+<p>"Children were not allowed to do much work, because their masters
+desired them to have the chance to grow big and strong, and therefore
+they had few opportunities to earn money of their own. I never did own
+any money during slavery days, but I saw plenty of ten cent greenbacks
+(shinplasters).</p>
+
+<p>"White children and slave children played around the plantation together
+but they were not allowed to fight. They had to be on friendly terms
+with each other.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span>"What about our food? The biggest thing we had was buttermilk, some
+sweet milk, and plenty of cornbread, hog meat, and peas. As a rule we
+had wheat bread once a week, usually on Sunday. All kinds of fruits were
+plentiful in their seasons. Each slave family was permitted to have
+separate garden space, in fact, Old Boss insisted that they work their
+own gardens, and they raised plenty of vegetables. Grown folks had
+rabbits and 'possums but I never did get much 'quainted with them. We
+fished in the cricks and rills 'round the plantation and brought in lots
+of hornyheads and perch. You never saw any hornyheads? Why they is just
+fish a little bigger and longer than minnows and they have little horns
+on their heads. We caught a good many eels too; they look like snakes,
+but folks call them eels. I wasn't much 'quainted with them fish they
+brought from way down South; they called them mullets.</p>
+
+<p>"The kitchen was a separate log house out in the back yard. The
+fireplace, where the cooking was done, took up one end of the kitchen,
+and there was a rack acrost it to hang the cook-pots on for biling.
+Baking and frying was done in ovens and heavy iron skillets that sat on
+trivets so coals could be piled underneath, as well as over the lids.</p>
+
+<p>"The long shirts slave boys wore in summer were straight like a meal
+sack open at both ends, with holes in the sides for your arms to go
+through. You stuck your head in one end and it came out the other; then
+you were fully dressed for any whole summer day. These summer shirts
+were made of thin osnaburg. Our winter clothes <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span>were made of woolen cloth
+called merino. Old Boss kept enough sheep to provide plenty of wool and
+some mighty good food. Slave children had no extra or special clothes
+for Sunday; they wore the same kind of gowns, or long shirts, seven days
+a week. Old Boss provided brass-toed brogans for winter, but we never
+thought of such a thing as shoes to wear in hot weather.</p>
+
+<p>"My owners were Marse Solomon and his wife, Miss Ann Willbanks. We
+called them Old Boss and Old Miss. As I saw it, they were just as good
+as they could be. Old Boss never allowed nobody to impose on his slave
+children. When I was a little chap playing around the big house, I would
+often drop off to sleep the minute I got still. Good Old Boss would pick
+me up and go lay me on his own bed and keep me there 'til Ma come in
+from the field.</p>
+
+<p>"Old Boss and Old Miss had five children. The boys were Solomon, Isaac,
+James, and Wesley. For the life of me I can't bring to memory the name
+of their only daughter. I guess that's because we frolicked with the
+four boys, but we were not allowed to play with Little Miss.</p>
+
+<p>"It was a right decent house they lived in, a log house with a fine rock
+chimney. Old Boss was building a nice house when the war come on and he
+never had a chance to finish it. The log house was in a cedar grove;
+that was the style then. Back of the house were his orchards where fruit
+trees of every kind we knew anything about provided plenty for all to
+eat in season as well as enough for good preserves, pickles, and the
+like for winter. Old <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span>Boss done his own overseeing and, 'cording to my
+memory, one of the young bosses done the driving.</p>
+
+<p>"That plantation covered a large space of land, but to tell you how many
+acres is something I can't do. There were not so many slaves. I've
+forgot how they managed that business of getting slaves up, but I do
+know we didn't get up before day on our place. Their rule was to work
+slaves from sunup to sundown. Before they had supper they had a little
+piddlin' around to do, but the time was their own to do as they pleased
+after they had supper. Heaps of times they got passes and went off to
+neighboring plantations to visit and dance, but sometimes they went to
+hold prayer-meetings. There were certain plantations where we were not
+permitted to go and certain folks were never allowed on our place. Old
+Boss was particular about how folks behaved on his place; all his slaves
+had to come up to a certain notch and if they didn't do that he punished
+them in some way or other. There was no whipping done, for Old Boss
+never did believe in whipping slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"None of the slaves from our place was ever put in that county jail at
+Jefferson. That was the only jail we ever heard of in those days. Old
+Boss attended to all the correction necessary to keep order among his
+own slaves. Once a slave trader came by the place and offered to buy Ma.
+Old Boss took her to Jefferson to sell her on the block to that man. It
+seemed like sales of slaves were not legal unless they took place on the
+trading block in certain places, usually in the county site. The trader
+wouldn't <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span>pay what Old Boss asked for her, and Old Miss and the young
+bosses all objected strong to his selling her, so he brought Ma back
+home. She was a fine healthy woman and would have made a nice looking
+house girl.</p>
+
+<p>"The biggest part of the teaching done among the slaves was by our young
+bosses but, as far as schools for slaves was concerned, there were no
+such things until after the end of the war, and then we were no longer
+slaves. There were just a few separate churches for slaves; none in our
+part of the country. Slaves went to the same church as their white folks
+and sat in the back of the house or in a gallery. My Pa could read the
+Bible in his own way, even in that time of slavery; no other slave on
+our place could do that.</p>
+
+<p>"Not one slave or white person either died on our plantation during the
+part of slavery that I can bring to memory. I was too busy playing to
+take in any of the singing at funerals and at church, and I never went
+to a baptizing until I was a great big chap, long after slavery days
+were over.</p>
+
+<p>"Slaves ran off to the woods all right, but I never heard of them
+running off to no North. Paterollers never came on Old Boss' place
+unless he sont for them, otherwise they knowed to stay off. They sho was
+devils in sheeps' clothing; that's what we thought of them paterollers.
+Slaves worked all day Saddays when there was work to be done, but that
+night was their free time. They went where they pleased just so Old Boss
+gave them a pass to protect them from paterollers.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span>"After slaves went to church Sunday they were free the rest of the day
+as far as they knowed. Lots of times they got 'em a stump
+speaker&mdash;usually a Negro&mdash;to preach to them. There were not as many
+preachers then as now.</p>
+
+<p>"'Bout Christmas Day? They always had something like brandy, cider, or
+whiskey to stimulate the slaves on Christmas Day. Then there was fresh
+meat and ash-roasted sweet 'taters, but no cake for slaves on our place,
+anyhow, I never saw no cake, and surely no Santa Claus. All we knowed
+bout Christmas was eating and drinking. As a general thing there was a
+big day's work expected on New Years Day because we had to start the
+year off right, even if there was nothing for the slaves to do that day
+but clean fence corners, cut brush and briers, and burn off new ground.
+New Years Day ended up with a big old pot of hog jowl and peas. That was
+for luck, but I never really knowed if it brought luck or not.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, yes, once a year they had big cornshuckings in our section and
+they had generals to lead off in all the singing; that was done to whoop
+up the work. My Pa was one of the generals and he toted the jug of
+liquor that was passed 'round to make his crowd hustle. After the corn
+was shucked the crowd divided into two groups. Their object was to see
+which could reach the owner of the corn first and carry him where he
+wanted to go. Usually they marched with him on their shoulders to his
+big house and set him down on his porch, then he would give the word for
+them to all start eating the good things spread out on tables in the
+yard. There was a heap of <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span>drinking done then, and dancing too&mdash;just all
+kinds of dancing that could be done to fiddle and banjo music. My Pa was
+one of them fiddlers in his young days. One of the dances was the
+cotillion, but just anybody couldn't dance that one. There was a heap of
+bowing and scraping to it, and if you were not 'quainted with it you
+just couldn't use it.</p>
+
+<p>"When any of the slaves were bad sick Old Boss called in his own family
+doctor, Dr. Joe Bradbury. His plantation hit up against ours. The main
+things they gave for medicine them days was oil and turpentine.
+Sometimes folks got black snakeroot from the woods, biled it, and gave
+the tea to sick folks; that was to clean off the stomach. Everybody wore
+buckeyes 'round their necks to keep off diseases for we never knowed
+nothing about asefetida them days; that came later.</p>
+
+<p>"When the Yankees came through after the surrender Old Boss and Old Miss
+hid their valuables. They told us children, 'Now, if they ask you
+questions, don't you tell them where we hid a thing.' We knowed enough
+to keep our mouths shut. We never had knowed nothing but to mind Old
+Boss, and we were scared 'cause our white folks seemed to fear the
+Yankees.</p>
+
+<p>"Old Boss had done told slaves they were free as he was and could go
+their own way, but we stayed on with him. He provided for Pa and give
+him his share of the crops he made. All of us growed up as field hands.</p>
+
+<p>"Them night-riders were something else. They sho did beat on Negroes
+that didn't behave mighty careful. Slaves didn't <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span>buy much land for a
+long time after the war because they didn't have no money, but schools
+were set up for Negroes very soon. I got the biggest part of my
+education in West Athens on Biggers Hill. When I went to the Union
+Baptist School my teacher was Professor Lyons, the founder of that
+institution.</p>
+
+<p>"When me and Molly Tate were married 50 years ago we went to the church,
+because that was the cheapest place to go to have a big gathering. Molly
+had on a common, ordinary dress. Folks didn't dress up then like they
+does now; it was quite indifferent. Of our 10 children, 8 are living now
+and we have 14 grandchildren. Six of our children live in the North and
+two have remained here in Athens. One of them is employed at Bernstein's
+Funeral Home and the other works on the university campus. I thanks the
+Lord that Molly is still with me. We bought this place a long time ago
+and have farmed here ever since. In fact, I have never done nothing but
+farm work. Now I'm too old and don't have strength to work no more.</p>
+
+<p>"I thinks Abraham Lincoln was a all right man; God so intended that we
+should be sot free. Jeff Davis was all right in his way, but I can't say
+much for him. Yes mam, I'd rather be free. Sho! Give me freedom all the
+time. Jesus said: 'If my Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.'</p>
+
+<p>"When I jined the church, I felt like I was rid of my burden. I sot
+aside the things I had been doing and I ain't never been back to pick
+'em up no more. I jined the Baptist church and have been teaching a
+class of boys every Sunday that I'm able to go. I sho am free from sin
+and I lives up to it.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span>"I wonder if Molly's got them sweet 'taters cooked what I dug this
+morning. They warn't much 'count 'cause the sun has baked them hard and
+it's been so dry. If you is through with me, I wants to go eat one of
+them 'taters and then lay this old Nigger on the bed and let him go to
+sleep."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Eliza_Williamson" id="Eliza_Williamson"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist 5]<br />
+Josephine Lowell<br />
+<br />
+[HW: ELIZA WILLIAMSON]</h3>
+
+<p>[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed or meaning was significantly changed, it has been noted.]</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>Just a few recollections of life in slavery time, as told me by [TR:
+illegible] who was Eliza Taliaferro Williamson, daughter of Dickerson
+and Polly Taliaferro. My mother was born at Mt. Airy, North Carolina,
+near the Virginia line, and always went to school, across the line, in
+Virginia. Her grandfather was John Taliaferro, slave holder, tobacco
+raiser, and farmer. The Negro quarters were near the main or Big House.
+Mother said that great-grandfather would go to the back door each night
+and call every slave to come in for family prayer. They came and knelt
+in the Big House, while old marster prayed. Mother said it was like a
+camp-meeting when he died&mdash;wailing and weeping by the Negroes for their
+old Marster. She said the slaves had the same food that the white family
+had and the same warm clothes for winter. All clothing, bed sheeting,
+table linen, towels, etc. were hand woven. They raised sheep for wool,
+and flax for linen, but I don't know where they got the cotton they
+used. The work of the house and farm was divided as with a big family.
+Some of the women cooked, sewed, wove, washed, milked, but was never
+sent to the field. None of the Toliver family believed in women working
+in the field. When each of great-grandfather's children married, he or
+she was given a few slaves. I think he gave my grandfather, Dickerson
+Taliaferro, three slaves, and these he brought with him to Georgia when
+they settled in Whitfield County.</p>
+
+<p>My grandfather was a member of the Legislature from Whitfield County for
+two terms. He was as gentle with his slaves as a father would have been,
+and was never known to abuse one of them. One of his slaves, who was a
+small boy at the close of the War, stayed with my grandfather until he
+was a grown man, then after a few years away from home, came home to old
+Marster to die. This is the picture of good slave holders, but sad to
+say all were not of that type. [TR: deleted: 'See next sheet for'] a
+picture of horror, which was also told me by my mother. [TR: deleted:
+'The thought of it'] was like a nightmare to my childish mind.</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span><br />
+
+<p class="cen">The Story of little Joe.</p>
+
+<p>[TR: deleted: 'Mother said there were'] two families lived on farms
+adjacent to her father. They were the two Tucker brothers, tobacco
+raisers. One of the wives, Polly, or Pol, as she was called, hated the
+family of her husband's brother because they were more affluent than she
+liked them to be. It [HW: Her jealousy] caused the two families to live
+in disagreement.</p>
+
+<p>Little Joe belonged to Pol's family, and was somewhere between ten and
+fourteen years old. Mother said Pol made Joe work in the field at night,
+and forced him to sing so they would know he wasn't asleep. He wore
+nothing in summer but an old shirt made of rough factory cloth which
+came below his knees. She said the only food Pol would give him was
+swill [HW: scraps] from the table&mdash;handed to him out the back door.
+Mother said Pol had some kind of impediment in her speech, which caused
+her to say 'ah' at the close of a sentence. So, when she called Joe to
+the back door to give him his mess of scraps, she would say, "Here, Joe,
+here's your truck, ah." Mother was a little girl then, and she and
+grandmother felt so sorry for Joe that they would bake baskets of sweet
+potatoes and slip [TR: 'to the field to give him' replaced with
+illegible text ending 'in the field']. She said he would come through
+the corn, almost crawling, so Pol wouldn't see him, and take the sweet
+potatoes in the tail of his shirt and scuttle back through the tall
+stuff where he might hide and eat it them.</p>
+
+<p>She had a Negro woman who had a baby (and there may have been other
+women) but this Negro woman was not allowed to see her baby except just
+as a cow would be let in to her calf at certain times during the day,
+[TR: 'then' replaced by ??] she had to go to the field and leave it
+alone. Mother said that Pol either threw or kicked the baby into the
+yard because it cried, and it died. I don't know why the authorities
+didn't arrest her, but she may have had an alibi, or some excuse for the
+death of the child.</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span><br />
+
+<p class="cen">The Burning of the Tobacco Barn</p>
+
+<p>The [HW: other] Tucker brother had made a fine crop of tobacco that
+year, more than a thousand dollars worth in his big barn. Pol made one
+of her slaves go with her, [HW: when] and she set fire to the tobacco
+barn of her brother-in-law's barn, and not being able to get away [HW:
+unable to escape] before the flames [HW: brought] a crowd, she hid in
+the grass, right near the path where the people were running to the
+fire. She had some kind of stroke, perhaps from fright, or pure deviltry
+which 'put her out of business'. I wish I could remember whether it
+killed her or just made a paralytic of her, but this is a true story.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Frances_Willingham" id="Frances_Willingham"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE<br />
+<br />
+FRANCES WILLINGHAM, Age 78<br />
+288 Bridge Street<br />
+Athens, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Sadie B. Hornsby<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+Sarah H. Hall<br />
+Athens<br />
+<br />
+Leila Harris<br />
+Augusta<br />
+<br />
+and<br />
+<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Residencies 6 &amp; 7</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span>The interviewer arrived at Frances Willingham's address on a sultry July
+morning, and found a fat and very black Negress sweeping the sidewalk
+before the three-room frame house. There was no front yard and the front
+steps led up from the sidewalk into the house. A vegetable garden was
+visible at the rear of the lot. The plump sweeper appeared to be about
+five feet tall. Her wooly white hair was plaited in tiny braids, and she
+wore a brown print dress trimmed in red and blue. A strand of red beads
+encircled her short neck, and a blue checked coat and high topped black
+shoes completed her costume. Asked if Frances Willingham was at home,
+the woman replied: "Dis is her you is a-talkin' to. Come right in and
+have a seat."</p>
+
+<p>When Frances was asked for the story of her life, her daughter who had
+doubtless been eavesdropping, suddenly appeared and interrupted the
+conversation with, "Ma, now don't you git started 'bout dem old times.
+You knows your mind ain't no good no more. Tomorrow your tongue will be
+runnin' lak a bell clapper a-talkin' to yourself." "Shut your big mouth,
+Henrietta." Frances answered. "I been sick, and I knows it, but dere
+ain't nothin' wrong wid my mind and you knows it. What I knows I'se
+gwine to tell de lady, and what I don't know I sho' ain't gwine tell no
+lie about. Now, Missus, what does you want to know? Don't pay no
+'tention to dis fool gal of mine 'cause her mouth is big as dis room.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span>"I was born way off down in Twiggs County 'bout a mile from de town of
+Jeffersonville. My Pa and Ma was Otto and Sarah Rutherford. Our
+Mist'ess, dat was Miss Polly, she called Ma, Sallie for short. Dere was
+nine of us chillun, me and Esau, Harry, Jerry, Bob, Calvin, Otto, Sallie
+and Susan. Susan was our half-sister by our Pa's last marriage. Us
+chillun never done much but play 'round de house and yards wid de white
+chillun. I warn't but four years old when dey made us free." Henrietta
+again interrupted, "See dere, I told you she don't know what she's
+a-talkin' 'bout."</p>
+
+<p>Frances ignored the interruption and continued: "Us lived in log cabins
+what had jus' one room wid a stick and mud chimbly at de end. Our
+bedsteads was made out of rough planks and poles and some of 'em was
+nailed to de sides of de cabins. Mattress ticks was made out of osnaburg
+and us filled 'em wid wheat straw in season. When dat was used up us got
+grass from de fields. Most any kind of hay was counted good 'nough to
+put in a slave's mattress. Dey let us mix some cotton wid de hay our
+pillows was stuffed wid.</p>
+
+<p>"My grandmas lived on another plantation. I 'members once Grandma Suck,
+she wes my Ma's mammy, come to our house and stayed one or two days wid
+us. Daddy's Ma was named Puss. Both my grandmas was field hands, but Ma,
+she was a house gal 'til she got big enough to do de cyardin' and
+spinnin'. Aunt Phoebie done de weavin' and Aunt Polly was de seamster.
+All de lak of dat was done atter de craps was done laid by.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span>"No Ma'am, nobody never give slave chillun no money in dem times. I
+never had none 'til atter us had done been give our freedom. I used to
+see Old Marster countin' of it, but de slaves never did git none of dat
+money.</p>
+
+<p>"Our Old Marster was a pow'ful rich man, and he sho' b'lieved in givin'
+us plenty to eat. It warn't nothin' fine, but it was good plain eatin'
+what filled you up and kept you well. Dere was cornbread and meat,
+greens of all sorts, 'taters, roas'en-ears and more other kinds of
+veg'tables dan I could call up all day. Marster had one big old gyarden
+whar he kept most evvything a-growin' 'cept cabbages and 'matoes. He
+said dem things warn't fittin' for nobody to eat. Marster let Daddy go
+huntin' enough to fetch in lots of 'possums, coons, rabbits, and
+squirrels. Us cooked 'em 'bout lak us does now, only us never had no
+stoves den, and had to do all de cookin' in open fireplaces in big old
+pots and long handled skillets what had big old heavy lids. I'se seed Ma
+clean many a 'possum in hot ashes. Den she scalded him and tuk out his
+innards. She par-boiled and den baked him and when she fetched him to de
+table wid a heap of sweet 'taters 'round him on de dish, dat was sho'
+somepin good to eat. Daddy done his fishin' in Muddy Crick 'cause slaves
+wern't 'lowed to leave de plantation for nothin' lak dat.</p>
+
+<p>"Summertimes us wore homespun dresses, made wid full skirts sewed on to
+tight fittin' waisties what was fastened down de <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span>back wid buttons made
+out of cows and rams horns. Our white petticoat slips and pantalettes
+was made on bodices. In winter us wore balmorals what had three stripes
+'round de bottom, and over dem us had on long sleeved ap'ons what was
+long as de balmorals. Slave gals' pantalettes warn't ruffled and tucked
+and trimmed up wid lace and 'broidery lak Miss Polly's chilluns' was.
+Ours was jus' made plain. Grown folks wore rough brogans, but me, I wore
+de shoes what Miss Polly's chillun had done outgrowed. Dey called 'em
+Jackson shoes, 'cause dey was made wid a extra wide piece of leather
+sewed on de outside so as when you knocked your ankles 'gainst one
+another, it wouldn't wear no holes in your shoes. Our Sunday shoes
+warn't no diffunt from what us wore evvyday.</p>
+
+<p>[TR: HW sidenote: 'durable', regarding Jackson Shoes]</p>
+
+<p>"Marse Lish Jones and his wife&mdash;she was Miss Polly&mdash;was our Marster and
+Mist'ess. Dey sho' did love to be good to deir little Niggers. Dey had
+five chillun of deir own, two gals and three boys. Dey was: Mary, Anna
+Della, Steve, John, and Bob. 'Bout deir house! Oh, Missus, dat was
+somepin to see for sho'. It was a big old fine two-story frame house wid
+a porch 'cross de front and 'round both sides. Dere was five rooms on de
+fust floor and three upstairs. It sho' did look grand a-settin' back dar
+in dat big old oak grove.</p>
+
+<p>"Old Marster had a overseer but he never had no car'iage driver 'cause
+he loved to drive for hisself so good. Oh Lord! How big was dat
+plantation? Why, it must have been as big as from here to town. I never
+did know how many slaves Marster had, but dat old plantation was plumb
+full of 'em. I ain't never <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span>seed Old Marster do nothin' 'cept drive his
+car'iage, walk a little, and eat all he wanted to. He was a rich man,
+and didn't have to do nothin'.</p>
+
+<p>"Our overseer got all de slaves up 'fore break of day and dey had to be
+done et deir breakfast and in de field when de sun riz up. Dat sun would
+be down good 'fore dey got to de house at night. I never seed none of de
+grown folks git whupped, but I sho' got a good beatin' myself one time.
+I had done got up on top of de big house porch and was a-flappin' my
+arms and crowin' lak a rooster. Dey told me to come on down, but I
+wouldn't mind nobody and kept on a-crowin' and a-flappin', so dey
+whupped me down.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey had jails in Jeffersonville, but dem jails was for white folks what
+didn't be-have deirselfs. Old Marster, de overseer, and de patterollers
+kept de slaves straight. Dey didn't need no jails for dem.</p>
+
+<p>"I ain't never been to school a day in my life, 'cause when I was
+little, Niggers warn't 'lowed to larn to read and write. I heared Ma say
+de colored preacher read out of de Bible, but I never seed him do it,
+'cause I never went to church none when I was a chap. Colored folks had
+deir own church in a out settlement called John De Baptist. Dat's whar
+all de slaves went to meetin'. Chilluns was 'lowed to go to baptizin's.
+Evvybody went to 'em. Dey tuk dem converts to a hole in de crick what
+dey had got ready for dat purpose. De preacher went fust, and den he
+called for de converts to come on in and have deir sins washed away.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span>"Our Marster sot aside a piece of ground 'long side of his own place for
+his Niggers to have a graveyard. Us didn't know nothin' 'bout no
+fun'rals. When one of de slaves died, dey was put in unpainted home-made
+coffins and tuk to de graveyard whar de grave had done been dug. Dey put
+'em in dar and kivvered 'em up and dat was all dey done 'bout it.</p>
+
+<p>"Us heared a plenty 'bout patterollers beatin' up Niggers what dey
+cotched off deir Marsters' plantations widout no passes. Sometimes dey
+cotched one of our Marster's slaves and sometimes dey didn't, but dey
+was all time on deir job.</p>
+
+<p>"When slaves come in from de fields at night de 'omans cleant up deir
+houses atter dey et, and den washed and got up early next mornin' to put
+de clothes out to dry. Mens would eat, set 'round talkin' to other mens
+and den go to bed. On our place evvybody wukked on Saddays 'til 'bout
+three or four o'clock and if de wuk was tight dey wukked right on 'til
+night lak any other day. Sadday nights de young folks got together to
+have deir fun. Dey danced, frolicked, drunk likker, and de lak of dat.
+Old Marster warn't too hard on 'em no time, but he jus' let 'em have dat
+night to frolic. On Sunday he give dem what wanted 'em passes to go to
+church and visit 'round.</p>
+
+<p>"Christmas times, chilluns went to bed early 'cause dey was skeered
+Santa Claus wouldn't come. Us carried our stockin's up to de big house
+to hang 'em up. Next mornin' us found 'em full of all sorts of good
+things, 'cept oranges. I never seed nary a orange 'til I was a big gal.
+Miss Polly had fresh meat, cake, syrup <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span>puddin' and plenty of good sweet
+butter what she 'lowanced out to her slaves at Christmas. Old Marster,
+he made syrup by de barrel. Plenty of apples and nuts and groundpeas was
+raised right dar on de plantation. In de Christmas, de only wuk slaves
+done was jus' piddlin' 'round de house and yards, cuttin' wood, rakin'
+leaves, lookin' atter de stock, waitin' on de white folks and little
+chores lak dat. Hard work started again on de day atter New Year's Day.
+Old Marster 'lowed 'em mighty little rest from den 'til atter de craps
+was laid by.</p>
+
+<p>"Course Marster let his slaves have cornshuckin's, cornshellin's, cotton
+pickin's, and quiltin's. He had grove atter grove of pecan, chestnut,
+walnut, hickor'nut, scalybark, and chinquapin trees. When de nuts was
+all gathered, Old Marster sold 'em to de big men in de city. Dat was why
+he was so rich. Atter all dese things was gathered and tended to, he
+give his slaves a big feast and plenty to drink, and den he let 'em rest
+up a few days 'fore dey started back to hard wuk.</p>
+
+<p>"I never seed but one marriage on Old Marster's plantation, and I never
+will forgit dat day. Miss Polly had done gimme one of little Miss Mary's
+sho' 'nough pretty dresses and I wore it to dat weddin', only dey never
+had no real weddin'. Dey was jus' married in de yard by de colored
+preacher and dat was all dere was to it.</p>
+
+<p>"Ma used to tell us if us didn't be-have Raw Head and Bloody Bones would
+come git us and take us off. I tried to see <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span>him but I never did. Grown
+folks was all time skeerin' chillun. Then us went to bed at night, us
+used to see ghosties, what looked lak goats tryin' to butt us down. Ma
+said I evermore used to holler out in my sleep 'bout dem things I was so
+skeered of.</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>[HW sidenote: Home remedies]</p>
+
+<p>"White folks was mighty good and kind when deir slaves got sick. Old
+Marster sont for Dr. 'Pree (DuPree) and when he couldn't git him, he got
+Dr. Brown. He made us swallow bitter tastin' powders what he had done
+mixed up in water. Miss Polly made us drink tea made out of Jerusalem
+oak weeds. She biled dem weeds and sweetened de tea wid syrup. Dat was
+good for stomach trouble, and us wore elder roots strung 'round our
+necks to keep off ailments.</p>
+
+<p>"Mercy me! I'se seed plenty of dem yankees a-gwine and comin'. Dey come
+to our Marster's house and stole his good mules. Dey tuk what dey wanted
+of his meat, chickens, lard and syrup and den poured de rest of de syrup
+out on de ground. Atter de war was over Niggers got so rowdy dem Ku
+Kluxers come 'long to make 'em be-have deirselfs.' Dem Niggers and
+Kluxers too jus' went hog wild.</p>
+
+<p>"What did Niggers have to buy no land wid, when dey never had no money
+paid 'em for nothin' 'til atter dey was free? Us jus' stayed on and
+wukked for Old Marster, 'cause dere warn't no need to leave and go to no
+other place. I was raised up for a field hand, and I ain't never wukked
+in no white folks house.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span>"Me I'se sho' glad Mr. Lincoln sot us free. Iffen it was still slav'ry
+time now old as I is, I would have to wuk jus' de same, sick or no. Now
+I don't have to ax nobody what I kin do. Dat's why I'se glad I'se free.</p>
+
+<p>"Now, 'bout my marriage; I was a-living in Putnam County at dat time,
+and I got married up wid Green Willingham. He had come dar from Jasper
+County. I didn't have no weddin'. Ma jus' cooked a chicken for us, and I
+was married in a white dress. De waist had ruffles 'round de neck and
+sleeves. Us had 17 chilluns in all, seven boys and 10 gals, dere was 19
+grandchillun and 21 great grandchillun. Dey ain't all of 'em livin', and
+my old man, he's done been daid a long time ago."</p>
+
+<p>Henrietta again made her appearance and addressed her mother: "Hush your
+mouth Ma, for you knows you ain't got all dem chillun. I done told de
+lady you ain't got your right mind." Frances retorted: "You shut up your
+mouth, Henrietta. I is so got my right mind, and I knows how many
+chillun of mine dere was. One thing sho' you is got more mouth dan all
+de rest of my chillun put together."</p>
+
+<p>The interviewer closed her notebook and took her departure, leaving
+Frances dozing in her chair.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Adeline_Willis" id="Adeline_Willis"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist-1-2<br />
+Ex-slave #114<br />
+(Mrs. Stonestreet)]<br />
+<br />
+ADELINE WILLIS&mdash;EX-SLAVE<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Who is the oldest ex-slave in Wilkes County? This question was answered
+the other day when the quest ended on the sunny porch of a little
+cottage on Lexington Road in Washington-Wilkes, for there in a straight
+old-fashioned split-bottom chair sat "Aunt" Adeline Willis basking in
+the warm October sunshine. She is remarkable for her age&mdash;she doesn't
+know just exactly how old she is, from all she tells and what her "white
+folks" say she is around a hundred. Her general health is good, she
+spends her days in the open and tires only on the days she cannot be out
+in her place in the sun. She has the brightest eyes, her sight is so
+good she has never had to wear glasses; she gets around in the house and
+yard on her cane. Her memory is excellent, only a time or two did she
+slowly shake her head and say apologetically&mdash;"Mistress, it's been so
+long er go, I reckon I done forgot".</p>
+
+<p>From her long association with white people she uses very little Negro
+dialect and always refers to her Mother as "Mother", never as Ma or
+Mammy as most Negroes do. This is very noticable.</p>
+
+<p>Her mother was Marina Ragan, "cause she belonged to the Ragans,"
+explained Aunt Adeline, "and she was born on the Ragan Plantation right
+down on Little River in Greene County" (Georgia). When Marina's "young
+Mistress" married young Mr. Mose Wright of Oglethorpe County, she took
+Marina to her new home to be her own servant, and there is where Adeline
+was born. The place was known as the Wright Plantation and was a very
+large one.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span>Adeline doesn't remember her father, and strange to say, she cannot
+recall how many brothers and sisters she had though she tried hard to
+name them all. She is sure, however, there were some older and some
+younger, "I reckon I must er come along about the middle", she said.</p>
+
+<p>After a little while Aunt Adeline was living far back in the past and
+talked freely&mdash;with questions now and then to encourage her
+reminiscences, she told many interesting things about her life as a
+slave.</p>
+
+<p>She told about the slaves living in the Quarters&mdash;log houses all in a
+long row near the "white folks' house", and how happy they were. She
+couldn't remember how many slaves were on the plantation, but was sure
+there were many: "Yas'm, my Marster had lots of niggers, jest how many,
+I don't know, but there sho' was a sight of us". They were given their
+allowance of "rations" every week and cooked their own meals in their
+cabins. They had good, plain, home-raised things to eat&mdash;"and we was
+glad to get it too. We didn't have no fancy fixings, jest plain food".
+Their clothes were made by Negro sewing women out of cloth spun and
+woven right there in the Quarters. All the little dresses were made
+alike. "When they took a notion to give us striped dresses we sho' was
+dressed up. I never will forget long as I live, a hickory
+stripe&mdash;(that's what they called stripes in them days)&mdash;dress they made
+me, it had brass buttons at the wrist bands. I was so proud of that
+dress and felt so dressed up in it I jest strutted er round with it on",
+and she chuckled over the recollection of that wonderful dress she wore
+so long ago.</p>
+
+<p>When asked what was the very first thing she remembered, Aunt Adeline
+gave a rather surprising answer: "The first thing I recollect is my love
+for my Mother&mdash;I loved her so and would cry when I couldn't be with her,
+and as I growed up I kept on loving her jest that a-way even after I
+married and had children of my own."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span>The first work she did was waiting in the house. Before she could read
+her mistress taught her the letters on the newspapers and what they
+spelled so she could bring them the papers they wanted. Her mother
+worked in the field: she drove steers and could do all kinds of farm
+work and was the best meat cutter on the plantation. She was a good
+spinner too, and was required to spin a broach of "wool spinning" every
+night. All the Negro women had to spin, but Aunt Adeline said her mother
+was specially good in spinning wool and "that kind of spinning was
+powerful slow". Thinking a moment, she added: "And my mother was one of
+the best dyers anywhere 'round, and I was too. I did make the most
+colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I recollect the
+prettiest sort of a lilac color I made with maple bark and pine bark,
+not the outside pine bark, but that little thin skin that grows right
+down next to the tree&mdash;it was pretty, that color was."</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Adeline thinks they were more fortunate than any other little
+slaves she knew because their marster had a little store right there
+where he would give them candy every now and then&mdash;bright pretty sticks
+of candy. She remembers one time he gave them candy in little tin cups,
+and how proud of those cups they were. He never gave them money, but out
+of the store they could get what money bought so they were happy. But
+they had to have whippings, "yas'um, good er bad we got them whippings
+with a long cowhide kept jest fer that. They whipped us to make us grow
+better, I reckon".</p>
+
+<p>Although they got whippings a-plenty they were never separated by sale.
+"No mam, my white folks never believed in selling their niggers", said
+Aunt Adeline, and related an incident proving this. "I recollect once my
+oldest brother done something Marster didn't like an' he got mighty mad
+with him an' said 'Gus, I'm goin' ter sell you, I ain't a-goin' to keep
+you no longer'. Mistress spoke up right quick and said: 'No you ain't
+a-goin' to sell Gus, neither, he's nussed and looked after all our
+oldest chillun, and he's goin' <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span>to stay right here'. And that was the
+last of that, Gus was never sold&mdash;he went to war with his young Marster
+when he went and died up there in the war cause he was homesick, so
+Marster come back and said."</p>
+
+<p>Aunt Adeline was surprised when asked if the Doctor ever was called in
+to see her or any of the slaves when they were sick back in slavery
+days&mdash;in fact she was a bit indignant as she answered; "<i>No mam</i>, I was
+born, growed up, married, had sixteen children and never had no Doctor
+with me 'til here since I got so old". She went on to say that her white
+folks looked after their Negroes when they were sick.</p>
+
+<p>They were given tonics and things to keep them well so sickness among
+them was rare. No "store-bought" medicines, but good old home-made
+remedies were used. For instance, at the first sniffle they were called
+in and given a drink of fat lightwood tea, made by pouring boiling water
+over finely split kindling&mdash;"that" explained Aunt Adeline, "was cause
+lightwood got turpentine in it". In the Springtime there was a mixture
+of anvil dust (gathered up from around the anvil in the blacksmith's
+shop) and mixed with syrup, and a teaspoon full given every morning or
+so to each little piccaninny as they were called up in the "white folks'
+yard". Sometimes instead of this mixture they were given a dose of
+garlic and whisky&mdash;all to keep them healthy and well.</p>
+
+<p>There was great rejoicing over the birth of a Negro baby and the white
+folks were called upon to give the little black stranger a name.</p>
+
+<p>Adeline doesn't remember anything about the holidays and how they were
+spent, not even Christmas and Thanksgiving, but one thing she does
+remember clearly and that is: "All my white folks was Methodist folks,
+and they had fast days and no work was done while they was fastin' and
+prayin'. And we couldn't do no work on Sunday, no mam, everybody had to
+rest on that day and on preachin' days everybody went to church, white
+and black to the same church, us niggers set up in the gallery that was
+built in the white folks' church for us".</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span>There wasn't any time for play because there was so much work to do on a
+big plantation, but they had good times together even if they did have
+so much to do.</p>
+
+<p>Before Adeline was grown her "young Mistress," Miss Mary Wright, married
+Mr. William Turner from Wilkes County, so she came to the Turner
+Plantation to live, and lived there until several years after the War.
+Adeline hadn't been in her new home long before Lewis Willis, a young
+Negro from the adjoining plantation, started coming to see her. "Lewis
+come to see me any time 'cause his Marster, Mr. Willis, give him a pass
+so he wasn't scared to be out at night 'count of the Patterollers. They
+didn't bother a nigger if he had a pass, they sho' did beat him." [HW: ?]</p>
+
+<p>When Adeline was fourteen years old she and Lewis married, or rather it
+was like this: "We didn't have no preacher when we married, my Marster
+and Mistess said they didn't care, and Lewis's Master and Mistress said
+they didn't care, so they all met up at my white folks' house and had us
+come in and told us they didn't mind our marryin'. My Marster said, 'Now
+you and Lewis wants to marry and there ain't no objections so go on and
+jump over the broom stick together and you is married'. That was all
+there was to it and we was married. I lived on with my white folks and
+he lived on with his and kept comin' to see me jest like he had done
+when he was a courtin'. He never brought me any presents 'cause he
+didn't have no money to buy them with, but he was good to me and that
+was what counted."</p>
+
+<p>Superstition and signs still have a big place in the life of this woman
+even after a hundred long years. She has outlived or forgotten many she
+used to believe in, but still holds fast to those she remembers. If a
+rooster crows anywhere near your door somebody is coming "and you might
+as well look for 'em, 'cause that rooster done told you". When a person
+dies if there is a clock in the room it must be stopped the very minute
+of death or it will never be any more good&mdash;if left ticking it will be
+ruined. Every dark cloudy day brings death&mdash;"Somebody leaving this
+unfriendly world today". Then she is sure when <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span>she "feels sadness" and
+doesn't know why, it a sign somebody is dying "way off somewhere and we
+don't know it". Yes, she certainly believes in all the signs she
+remembers even "to this good day", as she says.</p>
+
+<p>When asked about the war Aunt Adeline said that times were much harder
+then: "Why we didn't have no salt&mdash;jest plain salt, and couldn't get
+none them days. We had to get up the dirt in the smokehouse where the
+meat had dripped and 'run it' like lye, to get salt to put on
+things&mdash;yas'm, times was sho' hard and our Marster was off in war all
+four years and we had to do the best we could. We niggers wouldn't know
+nothing about it all if it hadn't a been for a little old black, sassy
+woman in the Quarters that was a talkin' all the time about 'freedom'.
+She give our white folks lots of trouble&mdash;she was so sassy to them, but
+they didn't sell her and she was set free along with us. When they all
+come home from the war and Marster called us up and told us we was free,
+some rejoiced so they shouted, but some didn't, they was sorry. Lewis
+come a runnin' over there an' wanted me and the chillun to go on over to
+his white folks' place with him, an' I wouldn't go&mdash;<i>No mam</i>, I wouldn't
+leave my white folks. I told Lewis to go on and let me 'lone, I knowed
+my white folks and they was good to me, but I didn't know his white
+folks. So we kept living like we did in slavery, but he come to see me
+every day. After a few years he finally 'suaded me to go on over to the
+Willis place and live with him, and his white folks was powerful good to
+me. After a while, tho' we all went back and lived with my white folks
+and I worked on for them as long as I was able to work and always felt
+like I belonged to 'em, and you know, after all this long time, I feel
+like I am their's."</p>
+
+<p>"Why I live so long, you asking? 'Cause I always been careful and took
+good care of myself, eat a plenty and stayed out in the good fresh open
+air and sunshine when I could&mdash;and then I had a good husband that took
+care of me." This last reason for her long life was added as an after
+thought and since Lewis, her husband, has been dead these forty years
+maybe those first named <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span>causes were the real ones. Be that as it may,
+Aunt Adeline is a very remarkable old woman and is most interesting to
+talk with.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Uncle_Willis" id="Uncle_Willis"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span><br />
+<br />
+
+<h3>FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECTS<br />
+Augusta-Athens<br />
+Supervisor: Miss Velma Bell<br />
+<br />
+EXCERPTS FROM SLAVE INTERVIEWS<br />
+UNCLE WILLIS<br />
+[Date Stamp: APR 8 1937]</h3>
+
+<p>[TR: Also in combined interviews as Willis Bennefield.]</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>"Uncle Willis" lived with his daughter, Rena, who is 74 years old. "I
+his baby," said Rena. "All dead but me and I ain't no good for him now,
+'cause I kain't tote nothin'."</p>
+
+<p>When asked where her father was, Rena looked out over the blazing cotton
+field and called:</p>
+
+<p>"Pap! Oh&mdash;pappy! Stop pickin' cotton and come in awhile. Dey's some
+ladies wants to see you."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis hobbled slowly to the cabin, which was set in the middle of
+the cotton patch. He wore clean blue overalls, obviously new. His small,
+regular features had high cheekbones. There was a tuft of white hair on
+his chin, and his head was covered with a "sundown" hat.</p>
+
+<p>"Mawnin," he said. "I bin sick. So I thought I might git some cotton
+terday."</p>
+
+<p>Willis thinks he is 101 years old. He said: "I was 35 years old when
+freedom declared." He belonged to a doctor in Burke County, who, Willis
+at first said, had three or four plantations. Later he stated that the
+good doctor had five or six places, all in Burke County.</p>
+
+<p>"I wuk in de fiel'," he went on: "and I drove de doctor thirty years. He
+owned 300 slaves. I never went to school a day in my life, 'cept Sunday
+school, but I tuk de doctor's sons four miles ev'y day to school. Guess
+he had so much business in hand he thought de chillun could walk. I used
+to sit down on de school steps 'till dey turn out. I got way up de
+alphabet by listenin', but when I went to courtin' I forgot all dat."</p>
+
+<p>Asked what his regular duties were, Willis answered with pride:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span>"Marster had a ca'yage and a buggy too. My father driv' de doctor.
+Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed, and had to hitch up my horse and go
+five or six mile. I had a regular saddle horse, two pair of horses for
+ca'yage. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County. He made
+his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to Bath,
+wheh he had a house on Tena Hill. We driv' down in de ca'yage. Sundays
+we went to church when Dr. Goulding preach. De darkies went in de side
+do'. I hear him preach many times."</p>
+
+<p>Asked about living conditions on the plantation, Willis replied:</p>
+
+<p>"De big house was set in a half acre yard. 'Bout fifty yards on one side
+was my house, and fifty yards on de yudder side was de house o' Granny,
+a woman what tended de chillun and had charge o'de yard when we went to
+Bath." Willis gestured behind him. "Back yonder was de quarters, half a
+mile long; dey wuz one room 'crost, and some had shed room. When any of
+'em got sick, Marster would go round to see 'em all."</p>
+
+<p>As to church, Willis said:</p>
+
+<p>"I belongst to Hopeful Church. Church people would have singin' and
+prayin' and de wicked people would have dancin' and singin'." Willis
+chuckled. "At dat time I wuz a regular dancer! I cut de pigeon wing high
+enough! Not many cullud peoples know de Bible in slavery time. We had
+dances, and prayers, and sing, too. We sang a song, 'On Jordan's stormy
+banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye.'"</p>
+
+<p>"How about marriages?" Willis was asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Colored preacher marry 'em. You had to get license and give it to de
+preacher and he marry 'em. When de men on our plantation had wives on
+udder plantations, dey call 'em broad wives."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you give your wife presents when you were courting?" he was asked.</p>
+
+<p>"I went to courtin' and never give her nuthin' till I marry her."</p>
+
+<p>As to punishments, Willis said that slaves were whipped as they needed
+it, and as a general rule the overseer did the whipping.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>"When derky wouldn't take whippin' from de overseer," he said, "he had
+to ca'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin' de marster brush
+'em. Why, de darkies would whip de overseer!"</p>
+
+<p>Willis was asked to describe how slaves earned money for personal use,
+and replied:</p>
+
+<p>"Dey made dey own money. In slavery time, if you wanted four-five acre
+of land to plant you anything on, marster give it to you and whatever
+dat land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it
+any way you wanted. Still he give you somethin' to eat and clothe you,
+but dat patch you mek cotton on, sometimes a whole bale, dat money
+yours."</p>
+
+<p>Willis thought the plantation house was still there, "but it badly
+wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobuddy living in it now. It
+south of Waynesboro."</p>
+
+<p>"When de soldiers come thoo'," continued Willis, "dey didn't burn dat
+place, but dey went in dere and took out ev'yting dey want and give it
+to de cullud people. Dey kep' it till dey got free. De soldiers tuk de
+doctor's horses and ca'y 'em off. Got in de crib and tek de corn. Got in
+de smoke 'ouse and tek de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver
+in an iron chist. Dey tuk it 300 yards away to a clump o' trees and bury
+it. It tuk fo' men to ca'y it. Dere was money widout mention in dat
+chist! After de soldiers pass thoo' dey went down and got it back."</p>
+
+<p>"What did you do after freedom was declared?"</p>
+
+<p>Willis straightened up.</p>
+
+<p>"I went down to Augusta to de Freedman's Bureau to see if twas true we
+wuz free. I reckon dere was over a hundred people dere. De man got up
+and stated to de people: 'You all is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got
+no mistis and no marster. Work when you want.' On Sunday morning Old
+Marster sont de house gal and tell us to all come to de house. He said:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>'What I want to send for you all is to tell you dat you are free. You
+hab de privilege to go anywheh you want, but I don't want none o' you to
+leave me now. I wants you-all to stay right wid me. If you stay, you
+mus' sign to it.'</p>
+
+<p>I asked him:</p>
+
+<p>'What you want me to sign for? I is free.'</p>
+
+<p>'Dat will hold me to my word and hold you to yo' word,' he say.</p>
+
+<p>"All my folks sign it, but I wouldn't sign. Marster call me up and say:
+'Willis, why wouldn't you sign?' I say: 'If I is already free, I don't
+need to sign no paper. If I was workin' for you and doin' for you befo'
+I got free, I kin do it still, if you wants me to stay wid you.'</p>
+
+<p>"My father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My
+mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I say:
+'Den I kin go somewheh else.'</p>
+
+<p>"Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a month, other hands $10.00, and
+den on down to five and six dollars. He give rations like dey always
+have. When Christmus' come, all come up to be paid off. Den he calls me.
+Ask whar is me? I was standin' roun' de corner of de house. 'Come up
+here, Willis,' he say. 'You didn't sign dat paper but I reckon I hab to
+pay you too.' He paid me and my wife $180.00. I said: 'Well, you-all
+thought he wouldn't pay me, but I got my money too.'</p>
+
+<p>"I stayed to my marster's place one year after de war, den I lef' dere.
+Nex' year I decided I would quit dere and go somewheh else. It was on
+account o' my wife. You see, Marster bought her off, as de highes'
+bidder, down in Waynesboro, and she ain't seen her mother and father for
+fifteen years. When she got free, she went down to see 'em. Waren't
+willin' to come back. T'was on account o' Mistis and her. Dey bofe had
+chilluns, five-six year old. De chilluns had disagreement. Mistis slap
+my gal. My wife sass de Mistis. But <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span>my marster, he wuz as good a man as
+ever born. I wouldn't have lef' him for nobody, just on account of his
+wife and her fell out."</p>
+
+<p>"What did your master say when you told him you were going to leave? Was
+he sorry?"</p>
+
+<p>"I quit and goes over three miles to another widow lady's house, and mek
+bargain wid her," said Willis. "I pass right by de do'. Old boss sittin'
+on de pi&mdash;za. He say: 'Hey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say: 'I 'cided to
+go.' I wuz de fo'man' o' de plow-han' den. I saw to all de looking up,
+and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He come out to de gate.
+'tell you what I give you to stay on here. I give you five acre of as
+good land as I got, and $30.00 a month, to stay here and see to my
+bizness.'"</p>
+
+<p>Willis paused a moment, thinking back on that long distant parting.</p>
+
+<p>"I say," he went on, "'I can't, marster. It don't suit my wife 'round
+here. She won't come back. I can't stay.'</p>
+
+<p>"He turn on me den, and busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise
+up a darky dat would talk dat-a-way,' he said. Well, I went on off. I
+got de wagon and come by de house. Marster say: 'Now, you gwine off but
+don't forget me, boy. Remember me as you always done.' I said: 'All
+right.'"</p>
+
+<p>Willis chewed his tobacco reflectively for a few minutes, spat into the
+rosemary bush and resumed his story.</p>
+
+<p>"I went over to dat widow lady's house and work. Along about May I got
+sick. She say: 'I going send for de doctor.' I say: 'Please ma'am, don't
+do dat.' (I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him.) She say: 'Well,
+I gwine send fo' him.' I in desprut condition. When I know anything, he
+walk up in de do'. I was laying' wid my face toward de do', and I turn
+over.</p>
+
+<p>"Doctor come up to de bed. 'Boy, how you gettin' on?' 'I bad off,' I
+say. He say: 'see you is. Yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, whut you think of
+him?' Doctor say: 'Mistis, it mos' too late, but I do all I kin.' She
+say: 'Please do all you kin, he 'bout de bes' han' I got.'</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span>"Doctor fix up med'cine and tole her to give it to me.</p>
+
+<p>"She say: 'Uncle Will, tek dis med'cine. I 'fraid to tek it. 'Fraid he
+wuz tryin' to kill me. Den two men, John and Charlie, come in. Lady say:
+'Get dis med'cine in Uncle Will.' One o' de men hold my hand and dey gag
+me and put it in me. Nex' few days I kin talk and ax for somethin' to
+eat so I git better. (I say: "Well, he didn't kill me when I tuk de
+med'cine!')</p>
+
+<p>"I stayed dere wid her," continued Willis. "Nex' year I move right back
+in two miles, other side wheh I always live, wid anudder lady. I stay
+dere three year. Got along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef'
+dere wid $300.00 and plenty corn and hog. Everything I want, and three
+hundred cash dollars in my pocket!"</p>
+
+<p>It was plain that in his present status of relief ward, Uncle Willis
+looked back on that sum of money as a small fortune. He thought about it
+awhile, spat again, and went on:</p>
+
+<p>"Fourth year I lef and went down to anudder place near de Creek. I stay
+dere 33 years in dat one place."</p>
+
+<p>"Uncle Willis, did you ever see the doctor again?"</p>
+
+<p>"He die 'fore I know it," he replied. "I was 'bout fifteen miles from
+him, and by de time I year o' his death, he bury on plantation near de
+creek."</p>
+
+<p>Willis was asked about superstitions and answered with great
+seriousness:</p>
+
+<p>"Eve'ybuddy in de worl' hab got a sperrit what follow 'em roun' and dey
+kin see diffrunt things. In my sleep I hab vision."</p>
+
+<p>"Pappy, tell de ladies 'bout de hant," urged Aunt Rena from her post in
+the doorway, and Willis took up the story with eagerness:</p>
+
+<p>"One night I was gwine to a lady's store, ridin' a horse. De graveyard
+was 100 yards from de road I wuz passin'. De moon was shinin' bright as
+day. I saw somethin' comin' out of dat graveyard. It come across de
+road, right befo' me. His tail were draggin' on de ground&mdash;a long tail.
+He had hair on both sides of him, layin' down on de road. He crep' up. I
+pull de horse dis way. He move <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span>too. I yell out: 'What in de name o' God
+is dat?' And it turn right straight around and went back to de
+graveyard. I went on to de lady's house and done my shoppin'. I tell you
+I wuz skeered, 'cause I was sho' I would see it going back, but I never
+saw it. De horse was turrible skeered of it. It looked like a Maryno
+sheep and it had a long, swishy tail."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis was asked if he had ever seen a person "conjured" and he
+answered:</p>
+
+<p>"Dey is people in de worl' got sense enough to kill out de conjur in
+anybuddy, but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say, if a person conjur
+you, you'll git somethin' in you dat would kill you."</p>
+
+<p>Asked to what he attributed his long, healthy life, Willis raised his
+head with a preaching look and replied:</p>
+
+<p>"I tell you, Missis, 'zactly what I believe, I bin tryin' to serve God
+ever since I come to be a man of family. I bin tryin' to serve de Lawd
+79 years, and I live by precept of de word. Until today nobuddy can turn
+me away from God business. I am a man studying my gospel, I ain't able
+to go to church, but I still keep serving God."</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>[TR: Return visit]</p>
+
+<p>A week later Uncle Willis was found standing in his cabin door.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you want to ride to the old plantation to-day?" he was asked. His
+vitality was almost too low for him to grasp the invitation.</p>
+
+<p>"I'se mighty weak to-day," he said in a feeble voice. "I don't feel good
+for much."</p>
+
+<p>"Where is Aunt Rena?" he was asked. "Do you think she would mind your
+taking an automobile trip?"</p>
+
+<p>"She gone to town on de bus, to see de Fambly Welfare."</p>
+
+<p>"Have you had breakfast?"</p>
+
+<p>"I had some coffee, but I ain't eat none."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, come on, Uncle Willis. We'll get you some breakfast and then
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span>we'll take you to the plantation and take your picture in the place
+where you were born, 101 years ago."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis appeared to be somewhat in a daze as he padlocked the cabin
+door, put on his "sundown" hat, took up his stout stick and tottered
+down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater with several layers of shirts
+showing at the cuffs. On the way he recalled the first railroad train
+that passed through Burke County.</p>
+
+<p>"I kinder skeered," he recollected. "We wuz all 'mazed to see dat train
+flying' long 'thout any horses. De people wuz all afraid."</p>
+
+<p>"Had you heard of airplanes before you saw one, Uncle Willis?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, ma'am. I yeared o' dem but you couldn't gimme dis car full o'
+money to fly. Dey's too high off de ground. I never is gwine in one!"</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis was deposited on the porch of one of the remaining slave
+cabins to eat his "breakkus," while his kidnapers sought over hill and
+field for "The big house," but only two cabins and the chimney
+foundations of a large burned dwelling rewarded the search.</p>
+
+<p>The old ex-slave was posed in front of the cabin, to one side of the
+clay and brick chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony, rearing
+his head up straight so that his white beard stuck out.</p>
+
+<p>The brutal reality of finding the glories of the plantation forever
+vanished must have been a severe blow for the old man. Several times on
+the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again at his cabin in
+the cottonfield, his vitality reasserted itself, and he greeted his
+curious dusky neighbors with the proud statement.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey tuk me when I was bred and born! I ain't ax no better time!"</p>
+
+<p>Willis' farewell words were:</p>
+
+<p>"Goo'bye! I hopes you all gits to Paradise!"</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Cornelia_Winfield" id="Cornelia_Winfield"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist 1-2<br />
+Ex-Slave #116]<br />
+<br />
+EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW<br />
+<br />
+CORNELIA WINFIELD, Age 82<br />
+Richmond County<br />
+1341 Ninth Street<br />
+Augusta, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+BY: (Mrs.) Margaret Johnson&mdash;Editor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span>Cornelia Winfield, 1341 Ninth Street, was born in Crawford, Oglethorpe
+County, Georgia March 10, 1855. Her father, being the same age as her
+master, was given to him as a little boy. They grew up together, playing
+games, and becoming devoted to each other. When her master was married
+her father went to his home with him and became the overseer of all the
+slaves on the plantation. "My father and mother wuz house servants. My
+marster served my father's plate from his own table and sent it to him,
+every meal. He had charge of the work shop, and when marster was away he
+always stayed at the Big House, to take care of my Missis and the
+children. My mother was a seamstress and had three younger seamsters
+under her, that she taught to sew. We made the clothes for all the house
+servants and fiel' hans. My mother made some of the clothes for my
+marster and missis. My mother was a midwife too, and useter go to all
+the birthings on our place. She had a bag she always carried and when
+she went to other plantations she had a horse and buggy to go in.</p>
+
+<p>"All the slaves on our place wuz treated well. I never heard of any of
+'em bein' whipped. I was ten years old when freedom come, and I always
+knowed I wuz to belong to one of marster's daughters. After freedom my
+father and mother <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span>worked on just the same for marster. When my father
+died, marster's fam'ly wanted him buried in the fam'ly lot but I wanted
+him to lie by my mother."</p>
+
+<p>Cornelia's husband was a Methodist preacher, and she lived with him to
+celebrate their Golden Wedding. During the last years of his life they
+lived in Augusta. For sixteen years she washed all the blankets for the
+Fire Department, and did some of the washing for the firemen. Cornelia
+is now 82 years of age, but her memory is good and her mind active; and
+she is extremely loquacious. She is quite heavy, and crippled, having to
+use a crutch when she walks. Her room was clean, but over-crowded with
+furniture, every piece of which has recently been painted. Of the
+wardrobe in her room Cornelia told the following story. "All the planks
+eny of our family was laid out on, my father kep'. When he came to
+Augusta he brought all these planks and made this here wardrobe. When
+the fire burnt me out, this here wardrobe was the only thing in my house
+that was saved."</p>
+
+<p>During the past summer she put up quantities of preserves, pickles and
+canned fruits. These she sells in a little shop-room adjoining her
+house, and when the weather permits, on the steps of the Post Office.</p>
+
+<p>Cornelia can read, and spends much of time reading the Bible but she
+learned to read after "Freedom." She is greatly interested to tell of
+the "best families" she has worked for and the gifts she has received
+from them.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="George_Womble" id="George_Womble"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. 5<br />
+Ex-Slave #117]<br />
+E. Driskell<br />
+Whitley<br />
+1-20-37<br />
+<br />
+GEORGE WOMBLE<br />
+EX-SLAVE<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>One of the relics of Slavery is George Womble. From all appearances Mr.
+Womble looks to be fifty-three years of age instead of the ripe old age
+of ninety-three that he claims. He is about five and one-half or six
+feet in height, weighs one-hundred and seventy-five pounds or more, and
+has good sight and hearing in addition to a skin that is almost devoid
+of any wrinkle. Besides all of this he is a clear thinker and has a good
+sense of humor. Following is an account of the experiences of Mr. Womble
+as a slave and of the conditions in general on the plantations where he
+lived:</p>
+
+<p>"I was born in the year of 1843 near the present site of what is now
+known as Clinton, Georgia. The names of my parents were Patsy and
+Raleigh Ridley. I never saw my father as he was sold before I was old
+enough to recognize him as being my father. I was still quite young when
+my mother was sold to a plantation owner who lived in New Orleans, La.
+As she was being put on the wagon to be taken away I heard her say: "Let
+me see my poor child one more time because I know I'll never see him
+again". That was the last I ever saw or heard of her. As I had no
+brothers or sisters or any other relatives to care for me my master, who
+was Mr. Robert Ridley, had me placed in his house where I was taught to
+wait tables and to do all kinds of house work. Mr. Ridley had a very
+large plantation and he raised cotton, corn, oats, wheat, peas, and live
+stock. Horses and mules were his specialty&mdash;I remember that he had one
+little boy whose job was to break these animals so that they could be
+easily sold. My job was to wait tables, help with the house cleaning,
+and to act as nurse maid to three <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span>young children belonging to the
+master. At other times I drove the cows to and from the pasture and I
+often helped with the planting in the fields when the field hands were
+rushed. Out of the forty-odd slaves that were held by the Ridleys all
+worked in the field with the exception of myself and the cook whose name
+was Harriet Ridley." Continuing, Mr. Womble says: "I believe that Mr.
+Ridley was one of the meanest men that ever lived. Sometimes he whipped
+us, especially us boys, just to give himself a little fun. He would tie
+us in such a way as to cause our bodies to form an angle and then he
+preceeded to use the whip. When he had finished he would ask: "Who do
+you belong to?" and we had to answer; "Marse Robert". At other times he
+would throw us in a large tank that held about two-thousand gallons of
+water. He then stood back and laughed while we struggled to keep from
+drowning."</p>
+
+<p>"When Marse Robert died I was still a small boy. Several months after
+his death Mrs. Ridley gave the plantation up and took her share of the
+slaves (ten in number) of which I was one, and moved to Tolbert County,
+Georgia near the present location of Talbottom, Georgia. The other
+slaves and the plantation were turned over to Marse Robert's relatives.
+After a few months stay in this place I was sold to Mrs. Ridley's
+brother, Enoch Womble. On the day that I was sold three doctors examined
+me and I heard one of them say: "This is a thoroughbred boy. His teeth
+are good and he has good muscles and eyes. He'll live a long time." Then
+Mr. Womble said: "He looks intelligent too. I think I'll take him and
+make a blacksmith out of him." And so to close the deal he paid his
+sister five-hundred dollars for me."</p>
+
+<p>According to Mr. Womble his new master was even meaner than the deceased
+Mr. Ridley. He was likewise a plantation owner and a farmer and as such
+he raised the same things that Mr. Ridley did with the exception of the
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span>horses and the mules. In all there were about five-hundred acres to the
+plantation. There were six children in the Womble family in addition to
+Mr. Womble and his wife, and they all lived in a large one-storied frame
+house. A large hickory tree grew through the center of the porch where a
+hole had been cut out for its growth.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Womble says that his reputation of being an excellent house boy had
+preceded him, and so here too he was put to work in the master's house
+where he helped with the cooking, washed the dishes, cleaned the house,
+and also acted as nurse for the younger white children. In addition to
+this, he was also required to attend to the cows. He remembers how on
+one night at a very late hour he was called by the master to go and
+drive the cows from the pasture as the sleet and snow might do them more
+harm than good. He was so cold that on the way back from the pasture he
+stopped at the pig pens where he pushed one or two of them out of the
+spots where they had lain so that he could squat there, and warm his
+feet in the places left warm by their bodies. To add to his discomfort
+the snow and sleet froze in his long hair and this made him even more
+miserable than ever.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Womble was asked to tell what time he had to arise in the morning to
+be at his day's work, and he replied that sometimes he didn't even go to
+sleep as he had to keep one hand on the baby crib to keep it from
+crying. Most of the time he got up at four o'clock in the morning, and
+went to the kitchen where he helped the cook prepare breakfast. After
+this was done, and he had finished waiting on the master and his family
+he started to clean the house. When he had finished this, he had to take
+care of the younger Womble children, and do countless the other things
+to be done around a house. Of the other slaves, Mr. Womble says: "None
+of them ever suffered from that disease known as "mattress fever". They
+all got up long before day, and prepared their breakfasts and then
+before it was light enough to see clearly they were <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span>standing in the
+field holding their hoes and other implements&mdash;afraid to start work for
+fear that they would cover the cotton plants with dirt because they
+could'nt see clearly due to the darkness." An overseer was hired by the
+master to see that the work was done properly. If any of the slaves were
+careless about their work they were made to take off their clothes in
+the field before all the rest and then a sound whipping was
+administered. Field hands also get whippings when they failed to pick
+the required three-hundred pounds of cotton daily. To avoid a whipping
+for this they sprinkled the white sand of the fields on the dew soaked
+cotton and at the time it was weighed they were credited with more
+pounds than they had actually picked. Around ten or eleven o'clock in
+the morning they were all allowed to go to the cook house where they
+were given dinner by the plantation cook. By one o'clock they were all
+back in the field where they remained until it was too dark to see
+clearly, and then they were dismissed by the overseer after he had
+checked the number of pounds of cotton that they had picked.</p>
+
+<p>The slaves knew that whenever Mr. Womble hired a new overseer he always
+told the prospect that if he could'nt handle the slaves his services
+would not be needed. The cook had heard the master tell a prospective
+overseer this and so whenever a new one was hired the slaves were quick
+to see how far they could go with him. Mr. Womble says that an overseer
+had to be a very capable man in order to keep his job as overseer on the
+Womble plantation because if the slaves found out that he was afraid of
+them fighting him (and they did sometimes) they took advantage of him so
+much so that the production dropped and the overseer either found
+himself trying to explain to his employer or else looking for another
+job. The master would never punish a slave for beating an overseer with
+his fists stated Mr. Womble.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span>During rainy weather the slaves shucked corn, piled manure in the barns,
+and made cloth. In the winter season the men split rails, built fences,
+and dug ditches, while the women did the weaving and the making of
+cloth. These slaves who were too old to work in the fields remained at
+home where they nursed the sick slaves (when there was sickness) and
+attended to the needs of those children who were too young for field
+work. Those children who were still being fed from their mother's
+breasts were also under the care of one of these old persons. However,
+in this case the mothers were permitted to leave the field twice a day
+(once between breakfast and dinner and once between dinner and supper)
+so that these children could be fed.</p>
+
+<p>At times Mr. Womble hired some of his slaves out to work by the day for
+some of the other nearby plantation owners. Mr. Geo. Womble says that he
+was often hired out to the other white ladies of the community to take
+care of their children and to do their housework. Because of his ability
+to clean a house and to handle children he was in constant demand.</p>
+
+<p>The men worked every day in the week while the women were given Saturday
+afternoon off so that they might do their personal work such as the
+washing and the repairing of their clothing etc. The women were required
+to do the washing and the repairing of the single men's clothing in
+addition to their own. No night work was required of any of them except
+during the winter when they were given three cuts of thread to card,
+reel, and spin each night.</p>
+
+<p>There were some days when the master called them all to his back yard
+and told them that they could have a frolic. While they danced and sang
+the master and his family sat and looked on. On days like the Fourth of
+July and Christmas in addition to the frolic barbecue was served and
+says <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span>Mr. Womble: "It was right funny to see all of them dancing around
+the yard with a piece of meat in one hand and a piece of bread in the
+other.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Womble stated further that clothes were given to all the slaves once
+a year. An issue for the men usually consisted of one or two pairs of
+pants and some shirts, underwear, woolen socks, and a pair of heavy
+brogans that had been made of horse hide. These shoes were reddish in
+appearance and were as stiff as board according to Mr. Womble. For
+special wear the men were given a garment that was made into one piece
+by sewing the pants and shirt together. This was known as a
+"roundabout". The women were given one or two dresses that had been made
+of the same material as that of the men's pants. As the cloth that these
+clothes were made of was very coarse and heavy most of them lasted until
+the time for the next issue. None of the clothing that the slaves wore
+was bought. After the cloth had been made by the slaves who did all the
+spinning and the weaving the master's wife cut the clothes out while the
+slave women did the sewing. One of the men was a cobbler and it was he
+who made all of the shoes for slave use. In the summer months the field
+hands worked in their bare feet regardless of whether they had shoes or
+not. Mr. Womble says that he was fifteen years of age when he was given
+his first pair of shoes. They were a pair of red boots and were so stiff
+that he needed help to get them on his feet as well as to get them off.
+Once when the master had suffered some few financial losses the slaves
+had to wear clothes that were made of crocus material. The children wore
+sacks after holes had been cut out for their heads and arms. This
+garment looked like a slightly lengthened shirt in appearance. A dye
+made from red clay was used to give color to these clothes.</p>
+
+<p>The bed clothing consisted of bagging sacks and quilts that were made
+out of old clothes.</p>
+
+<p>At the end of the week all the field hands met in the master's <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span>backyard
+where they were given a certain amount of food which was supposedly
+enough to last for a week. Such an issue was made up of three pounds of
+fat meat, one peck of meal, and one quart of black molasses. Mr. Womble
+was asked what the slaves did if their allowance of food ran out before
+the end of the week, and he replied in the following manner: "If their
+food gave out before the time for another issue they waited until night
+and then one or two of them would go to the mill-house where the flour
+and the meal was kept. After they had succeeded in getting in they would
+take an auger and bore a hole in the barrel containing the meal. One
+held the sack while the other took a stick and worked it around in the
+opening made by the auger so as to make the meal flow freely. After
+their bags were filled the hole was stopped up, and a hasty departure
+was made. Sometimes when they wanted meat they either went to the smoke
+house and stole a ham or else they would go to the pen where the pigs
+were kept and take a small pig out. When they got to the woods with this
+animal they proceeded to skin and clean it (it had already been killed
+with a blow in the head before they left the pen). All the parts that
+they did not want were either buried or thrown in the nearby river.
+After going home all of this meat was cooked and hidden. As there was
+danger in being caught none of this stolen meat was ever fried because
+there was more danger of the odor of frying meat going farther away than
+that odor made by meat being boiled." At this point Mr. Womble stated
+that the slaves were taught to steal by their masters. Sometimes they
+were sent to the nearby plantations to steal chickens, pigs, and other
+things that could be carried away easily. At such times the master would
+tell them that he was not going to mistreat them and that he was not
+going to allow anyone else to mistreat them and that by taking the above
+mentioned things they were helping him to be more able to take care of
+them.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span>At breakfast the field hands ate fried meat, corn bread, and molasses.
+When they went to the house for dinner they were given some kind of
+vegetable along with pot liquor and milk. When the days work was done
+and it was time for the evening meal there was the fried meat again with
+the molasses and the corn bread. Mr. Womble says that they ate this kind
+of food every day in the week. The only variation was on Sunday when
+they were given the seconds of the flour and a little more molasses so
+that they might make a cake. No other sweetening was used except the
+molasses.</p>
+
+<p>As for Mr. Womble and the cook they fared better as they ate the same
+kind of food that the master and his family did. He remembers how he
+used to take biscuits from the dishes that were being sent to the
+masters table. He was the waiter and this was an easy matter. Later he
+took some of these biscuits and sold them to the other little boys for a
+nickle each. Neither the master or the slaves had real coffee. They all
+drank a type of this beverage that had been made by parching bran or
+meal and then boiled in water.</p>
+
+<p>The younger children were fed from a trough that was twenty feet in
+length. At meal time each day the master would come out and supervise
+the cook whose duty it was to fill the trough with food. For breakfast
+the milk and bread was all mixed together in the trough by the master
+who used his walking cane to stir it with. At dinner and supper the
+children were fed pot liquor and bread and sometimes milk that had been
+mixed together in the same manner. All stood back until the master had
+finished stirring the food and then at a given signal they dashed to the
+trough where they began eating with their hands. Some even put their
+mouths in the trough and ate. There were times when the master's dogs
+and some of the pigs that ran round <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>the yard all came to the trough to
+share these meals. Mr. Womble states that they were not permitted to
+strike any of these animals so as to drive them away and so they
+protected their faces from the tongues of the intruders by placing their
+hands on the sides of their faces as they ate. During the meal the
+master walked from one end of the trough to the other to see that all
+was as it should be. Before Mr. Womble started to work in the master's
+house he ate as the other children for a short time. Some of the times
+he did not have enough food to eat and so when the time came to feed the
+cows he took a part of their food (a mixture of cotton seed, collard
+stalks, and small ears of corn) and ate it when night came. When he
+started working in the house regularly he always had sufficient food
+from then on.</p>
+
+<p>All the food that was eaten was grown on the plantation in the master's
+gardens. He did not permit the slaves to have a garden of their own
+neither could they raise their own chickens and so the only time that
+they got the chance to enjoy the eating of chicken was when they decided
+to make a special trip to the master's poultry yard.</p>
+
+<p>The housing facilities varied with the work a slave was engaged in on
+the Womble plantation according to Mr. Womble. He slept in the house
+under the dining-room table all of the time. The cook also slept in the
+house of her owner. For those who worked on the fields log cabins (some
+distance behind the master's house.) were provide [sic]. Asked to
+describe one of these cabins Mr. Womble replied: "They were two roomed
+buildings made out of logs and daubed with mud to keep the weather out.
+At one end there was a chimney that was made out of dried mud, sticks
+and stones. The fireplace was about five or six feet in length and on
+the inside of it there were some hooks to hang the pots from when there
+was cooking to be done.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span>"There was only one door and this was the front one. They would'nt put a
+back door in a cabin because it would be easy for a slave to slip out of
+the back way if the master or the overseer came to punish an occupant.
+There were one or two small openings cut in the back so that they could
+get air."</p>
+
+<p>"The furniture was made by the blacksmith", continued Mr. Womble. "In
+one corner of the room there was a large bed that had been made out of
+heavy wood. Rope that ran from side to side served as the springs while
+the mattress was a large bag that had been stuffed with wheat straw. The
+only other furnishings were a few cooking utensils and one or two
+benches." As many as four families lived in one of these cabins although
+the usual number to a cabin was three families. There was one other
+house where the young children were kept while their parents worked in
+the fields.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the sickness on the Womble plantation was due to colds and
+fever. For the treatment of either of these ailments the master always
+kept a large can filled with a mixture of turpentine and caster oil.
+When anyone complained of a cold a dose of this oil was prescribed. The
+master gave this dose from a very large spoon that always hung from the
+can. The slaves also had their own home made remedies for the treatment
+of different ailments. Yellow root tea and black-hall tea were used in
+the treatment of colds while willow tea was used in the treatment of
+fever. Another tea made from the droppings of sheep was used as a remedy
+for the measles. A doctor was always called when anyone was seriously
+ill. He was always called to attend those cases of childbirth. Unless a
+slave was too sick to walk he was required to go to the field and work
+like the others. If, however, he was confined to his bed a nurse was
+provided to attend to his needs.</p>
+
+<p>On Sundays all of the slaves were allowed to attend the white church
+where they listened to the services from the rear of the church. When
+the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span>white minister was almost through he would walk back to where the
+slaves sat and tell them not to steal their master's chickens, eggs, or
+his hogs and their backs would not be whipped with many stripes. After
+this they were dismissed and they all left the church wondering what the
+preacher's sermon meant. Some nights they went to the woods and
+conducted their own services. At a certain spot they all knelt and
+turned their faces toward the ground and then they began moaning and
+praying. Mr. Womble says that by huddling in this circle and turning
+their voices toward the ground the sound would not travel very far.</p>
+
+<p>None of them ever had the chance to learn how to read and write. Some
+times the young boys who carried the master's children's books to and
+from school would ask these children to teach them to write but as they
+were afraid of what their father might do they always refused. On the
+adjoining plantation the owner caught his son teaching a little slave
+boy to write.</p>
+
+<p>He was furious and after giving his son a severe beating he then cut the
+thumb and forefinger off of the slave. The only things that were taught
+the slaves was the use of their hands. Mr. Womble says that all the
+while that he was working in the master's house they still found the
+time for him to learn to be a blacksmith.</p>
+
+<p>When a male slave reached the age of twenty-one he was allowed to court.
+The same was true of a girl that had reached the age of eighteen. If a
+couple wished to marry they had to get permission from the master who
+asked each in turn if they wished to be joined as man and wife and if
+both answered that they did they were taken into the master's house
+where the ceremony was performed. Mr. Womble says that he has actually
+seen one of these weddings and that it was conducted in the following
+manner: "A broom was placed in the center of the floor and the couple
+was told to hold hands. After joining hands they were commanded to jump
+over the broom and then to turn around and jump back.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span>"After this they were pronounced man and wife." A man who was small in
+stature was never allowed to marry a large, robust woman. Sometimes when
+the male slaves on one plantation were large and healthy looking and the
+women slaves on some nearby plantation looked like they might be good
+breeders the two owners agreed to allow the men belonging to the one
+visit the women belonging to the other, in fact they encouraged this
+sort of thing in hopes that they would marry and produce big healthy
+children. In such cases passes were given freely.</p>
+
+<p>All of the newly born babies were named by the master. "The only
+baptisms that any of us get was with a stick over the head and then we
+baptised our cheeks with our tears," stated Mr. Wombly.</p>
+
+<p>Continuing, Mr. Wombly stated that the slaves on the Womble plantation
+were treated more like animals rather than like humans. On one or two
+occasions some of them were sold. At such a time those to be sold were
+put in a large pen and then they were examined by the doctors and
+prospective buyers and later sold to the highest bidder the same as a
+horse or a mule. They were sold for various reasons says Mr. Womble. His
+mother was sold because she was too hard to rule and because she made it
+difficult to discipline the other slaves.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Womble further reported that most of his fellow slaves believed in
+signs. They believed that if a screech owl or a "hoot" owl came near a
+house and made noises at night somebody was going to die and instead of
+going to heaven the devil would get them. "On the night that old Marse
+Ridley died the screech owls like to have taken the house away," he
+says.</p>
+
+<p>There was always a great amount of whipping on this plantation. This was
+practically the only form of punishment used. Most of them were whipped
+for being disobedient or for being unruly. Mr. Womble has heard his
+master say that he would not have a slave that he could not rule and to
+be sure <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span>that the slaves held him and his family in awe he even went so
+far as to make all of them go and pay their respects to the newly born
+white children on the day after their birth. At such a time they were
+required to get in line outside of the door and then one by one they
+went through the room and bowed their heads as they passed the bed and
+uttered the following words: "Young Marster" or if the baby was a girl
+they said: "Young Mistress". On one occasion Mr. Womble says that he has
+seen his master and a group of other white men beat an unruly slave
+until his back was raw and then a red hot iron bar was applied to his
+back. Even this did not make the slave submissive because he ran away
+immediately afterwards. After this inhuman treatment any number of the
+slaves ran away, especially on the Ridley plantation. Some were caught
+and some were not. One of the slaves on the Womble plantation took his
+wife and ran away. He and his wife lived in a cave that they found in
+the woods and there they raised a family. When freedom was declared and
+these children saw the light of day for the first time they almost went
+blind stated Mr. Womble.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Womble says that he himself has been whipped to such an extent by
+his master, who used a walking cane, that he had no feeling in his legs.
+One other time he was sent off by the master and instead of returning
+immediately he stopped to eat some persimmons. The master came upon him
+at the tree and started beating him on the head with a wagon spoke. By
+the time he reached the house his head was covered with knots the size
+of hen eggs and blood was flowing from each of them.</p>
+
+<p>The slaves on the Womble plantation seldom if ever came in contact with
+the "Paddle-Rollers" who punished those slaves who had the misfortune to
+be caught off of their plantations without passes. In those days the
+jails were built for the white folks because the masters always punished
+the slaves when they broke any of the laws exclaimed Mr. Womble.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span>Several years before the war Mr. Wombly was sold to Mr. Jim Wombly, the
+son of Mr. Enoch Wombly. He was as mean as his father or meaner, Mr.
+Wombly says that the first thing that he remembers in regard to the war
+was to hear his master say that he was going to join the army and bring
+Abe Lincoln's head back for a soap dish. He also said that he would wade
+in blood up to his neck to keep the slaves from being freed. The slaves
+would go to the woods at night where they sang and prayed. Some used to
+say; "I knew that some day we'll be free and if we die before that time
+our children will live to see it."</p>
+
+<p>When the Yankees marched through they took all of the silver and gold
+that had been hidden in the wall on the Womble plantation. They also
+took all of the live stock on the plantation, most of which had been
+hidden in the swamps. These soldiers then went into the house and tore
+the beds up and poured syrup in the mattresses. At the time all of the
+white people who lived on the plantation were hiding in the woods. After
+the soldiers had departed (taking these slaves along who wished to
+follow) Mrs. Womble went back into the house and continued to make the
+clothes and the bandages that were to be used by the Confederate
+Soldiers.</p>
+
+<p>After the slaves were set free any number of them were bound over and
+kept, says Mr. Womble. He himself was to remain with the Womble family
+until he reached the age of twenty-one. When this time came Mr. Womble
+refused to let him go. However, Mrs. Womble helped him to escape but he
+was soon caught one night at the home of an elderly white lady who had
+befriended him. A rope was tied around his neck and he was made to run
+the entire way back to the plantation while the others rode on horse
+back. After a few more months of cruel treatment he ran away again. This
+time he was successful in his escape and after he had gone what he
+considered a safe distance he set <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span>up a blacksmith shop where he made a
+living for quite a few years. Later one of the white men in that
+community hired him to work in his store. After a number of years at
+this place he decided to come to Atlanta where he has been since.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Womble concluded by saying that he has been able to reach his
+present age because he has never done any smoking or drinking. An old
+lady once told him not to use soap on his face and he would not wrinkle.
+He accounts for his smooth skin in this manner.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Henry_Wright" id="Henry_Wright"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. 5<br />
+Ex. Slave #118<br />
+E. Driskell]<br />
+<br />
+SLAVERY AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF<br />
+HENRY WRIGHT&mdash;EX-SLAVE, Age 99</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>In Atlanta among that ever decreasing group of persons known as
+ex-slaves there is an old Negro man named Henry Wright. Although Mr.
+Wright is 99 years of age his appearance is that of a much younger man.
+He is about 5 feet in height; his dark skin is almost free of wrinkles
+and his head is thickly covered with gray hair. His speech and thought
+indicate that he is very intelligent and there is no doubt that he still
+possesses a clear and active mind.</p>
+
+<p>As he noisily puffed on a battered old pipe he related the following
+tale of his experiences in slavery and of conditions in general as he
+saw them at that time.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Wright was born on the plantation of Mr. Phil House. This plantation
+was located near the present site of Buckhead, Ga. His parents were
+Henry Wright and Margaret House. In those days it was customary for
+slaves to carry the name of their owners. His father was owned by Mr.
+Spencer Wright and his mother was owned by Mr. Phil House. Both of these
+slave owners lived in the same district. His grandparents, Kittie and
+Anite House also belonged to Mr. Phil House and it was they who told him
+how they had been sold like cattle while in Virginia to a speculator
+(slave dealer) and brought to Decatur, Ga. where they were sold to Mr.
+House.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Wright lived with his mother on the House plantation for several
+years then he was given to Mr. George House, the brother of Phil House,
+as a wedding present. However, he saw his parents often as they were all
+allowed "passes" so that they might visit one another.</p>
+
+<p>According to Mr. Wright, his master was a very rich man and a very
+intelligent one. His plantation consisted of about three or four hundred
+acres of land on which he raised cotton, cane, corn, vegetables and live
+stock. Although he was not very mean to his slaves or "servants" as he
+called them, neither did his kindness reach the gushing or overflowing
+stage.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span>On this plantation there were a large number of slaves, some of whom
+worked in "Old Marster's" (as Mr. House was called) house and some of
+whom worked in the fields.</p>
+
+<p>As a youngster Mr. Wright had to pick up chips around the yard, make
+fires and keep the house supplied with water which he got from the well.
+When he was ten years of age he was sent to the field as a plow-boy. He
+remembers that his mother and father also worked in the fields. In
+relating his experience as a field hand Mr. Wright says that he and his
+fellow slaves were roused each morning about 3 o'clock by the blowing of
+a horn. This horn was usually blown by the white overseer or by the
+Negro foreman who was known among the slaves as the "Nigger Driver." At
+the sounding of the horn they had to get up and feed the stock. Shortly
+after the horn was blown a bell was rung and at this signal they all
+started for the fields to begin work for the day. They were in the field
+long before the sun was up. Their working hours were described as being
+from "sun to sun." When the time came to pick the cotton each slave was
+required to pick at least 200 lbs. of cotton per day. For this purpose
+each was given a bag and a large basket. The bag was hung around the
+neck and the basket was placed at the end of the row. At the close of
+the day the overseer met all hands at the scales with the lamp, the
+slate and the whip. If any slave failed to pick the required 200 lbs. he
+was soundly whipped by the overseer. Sometimes they were able to escape
+this whipping by giving illness as an excuse. Another form of strategy
+adopted by the slaves was to dampen the cotton or conceal stones in the
+baskets, either of which would make the cotton weigh more.</p>
+
+<p>Sometimes after leaving the fields at dark they had to work at
+night&mdash;shucking corn, ginning cotton or weaving. Everyday except Sunday
+was considered a work day. The only form of work on Sunday was the
+feeding of the live stock, etc.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span>When Mr. Wright was asked about the treatment that was given the house
+slaves in comparison to that given the field slaves, he replied with a
+broad grin that "Old Marster" treated them much the same as he would a
+horse and a mule. That is, the horse was given the kind of treatment
+that would make him show off in appearance, while the mule was given
+only enough care to keep him well and fit for work. "You see," continued
+Mr. Wright, "in those days a plantation owner was partially judged by
+the appearance of his house servants." And so in addition to receiving
+the discarded clothes of "Old Marster" and his wife, better clothing was
+bought for the house slaves.</p>
+
+<p>The working hours of the house slave and the field slave were
+practically the same. In some cases the house slaves had to work at
+night due to the fact that the master was entertaining his friends or he
+was invited out and so someone had to remain up to attend to all the
+necessary details.</p>
+
+<p>On the plantation of Mr. House the house slaves thought themselves
+better than the field slaves because of the fact that they received
+better treatment. On the other hand those slaves who worked in the
+fields said that they would rather work in the fields than work in the
+house because they had a chance to earn spending money in their spare or
+leisure time. House servants had no such opportunity.</p>
+
+<p>In bad weather they were not required to go to the fields&mdash;instead they
+cut hedges or did other small jobs around the house. The master did not
+want them to work in bad weather because there was too much danger of
+illness which meant a loss of time and money in the end.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. House wanted his slaves to learn a trade such as masonry or
+carpentry, etc., not because it would benefit the slave, says Mr.
+Wright, but because it would make the slave sell for more in case he had
+"to get shet (rid) of him." The slaves who were allowed to work with
+these white mechanics, from whom they eventually learned the trade, were
+eager because they would be permitted to hire <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span>themselves out. The money
+they earned could be used to help buy their freedom, that is, what money
+remained after the master had taken his share. On the other hand the
+white mechanic had no particular objection to the slaves being there to
+help him, even though they were learning the trade, because he was able
+to place all the hard work on the slave which made his job easier. Mr.
+Wright remembers how his grandfather used to hire his time out doing
+carpentry work, making caskets and doing some masonry. He himself can
+plaster, although he never hired out during slavery.</p>
+
+<p>Clothing was issued once per year usually around September. An issue
+consisted mostly of the following: 1 pair of heavy shoes called "Negro
+Brogans." Several homespun shirts, woolen socks and two or three pairs
+of jeans pants. The women were either given dresses and underskirts that
+were already made or just the plain cloth to make these garments from.
+Some of their clothing was bought and some was made on the plantation.
+The wool socks were knitted on the plantation along with the homespun
+which was woven there. The homespun was dyed by placing it in a boiling
+mixture of green walnut leaves or walnut hulls. In the event that plaid
+material was to be made the threads were dyed the desired color before
+being woven. Another kind of dye was made from the use of a type of red
+or blue berry, or by boiling red dirt in water (probably madder). The
+house slaves wore calico dresses or sometimes dresses made from woolen
+material.</p>
+
+<p>Often this clothing was insufficient to meet the individual needs. With
+a broad smile and an almost imperceptible shake of his old gray head Mr.
+Wright told how he had worked in the field without shoes when it was so
+cold until the skin cracked and the blood flowed from these wounds. He
+also told how he used to save his shoes by placing them under his arm
+and walking barefooted when he had a long distance to go. In order to
+polish these shoes a mixture of soot and syrup was used.</p>
+
+<p>The young slave children wore a one-piece garment with holes cut for the
+head and arms to go through. In appearance it resembled a slightly long
+shirt.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>As Mr. House did not give blankets, the slaves were required to
+make the necessary cover by piecing together left over goods. After this
+process was completed, it was padded with cotton and then dyed in much
+the same way as homespun. After the dyeing was completed the slave was
+the owner of a new quilt.</p>
+
+<p>The food that the slaves ate [**TR: was] all raised on the plantation. At
+the end of each week each slave was given 3 lbs. of meat (usually pork),
+1 peck of meal and some syrup. Breakfast and dinner usually consisted of
+fried meat, corn bread and syrup. Vegetables were usually given at
+dinner time. Sometimes milk was given at supper. It was necessary to
+send the meals to the field slaves as they were usually too far away
+from the house to make the trip themselves. For this purpose there was a
+woman who did all the cooking for the field hands in a cook house
+located among the slave cabins.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. House permitted his slaves to have a garden and chickens of their
+own. In fact, he gave each of them land, a small plot of ground for this
+purpose. The benefit of this was twofold as far as the slave was
+concerned. In the first place he could vary his diet. In the second
+place he was able to earn money by selling his produce either in town or
+to "Old Marster." Sometimes Old Marster took the produce to town and
+sold it for them. When he returned from town the money for the sale of
+this produce was given to the slave. Mr. Wright says that he and all the
+other slaves felt that they were being cheated when the master sold
+their goods. Mr. House also permitted his slaves to hunt and fish both
+of which were done at night for the most part.</p>
+
+<p>Coffee was made by parching meal and then placing it in boiling water.
+To sweeten this coffee, syrup was used. One delicacy that he and the
+other slaves used to have on Sunday was biscuit bread which they called
+"cake bread."</p>
+
+<p>All children who were too young to work in the field were cared for by
+some old slave woman who was too old to go to the field. She did all of
+their cooking, etc. The diet of these children usually consisted of pot
+liquor, milk, vegetables <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span>and in rare cases, meat. Mr. Wright laughed
+here as he stated that these children were given long handled spoons and
+were seated on a long bench before a trough out of which they all ate
+like little pigs. Not a slave ever suffered the pangs of hunger on the
+plantation of Mr. George House.</p>
+
+<p>The houses or cabins of the slaves were located a short distance in the
+rear of "Old Marster's" house. These houses were usually made from
+logs&mdash;the chinks being closed with mud. In some cases boards were used
+on the inside of the cabin to keep the weather out, but according to Mr.
+Wright, mud was always the more effective. The floor was usually covered
+with boards and there were two or three windows to each cabin, shutters
+being used in place of glass. The chimney and fireplace were made of
+mud, sticks and stones. All cooking was done on the fireplace in iron
+utensils, which Mr. Wright declares were a lot better than those used
+today. For boiling, the pots hung from a long hook directly above the
+fire. Such furniture as each cabin contained was all made by the slaves.
+This furniture usually consisted of a wooden bench, instead of a chair,
+and a crude bed made from heavy wood. Slats were used in the place of
+springs. The mattress was made stuffing a large bag with wheat straw.
+"This slept as good as any feather bed" says Mr. Wright. Candles were
+used to furnish light at night.</p>
+
+<p>On this plantation each family did not have an individual cabin.
+Sometimes as many as three families shared a cabin, which of course was
+rather a large one. In this case it was partitioned off by the use of
+curtains.</p>
+
+<p>Besides having to take care of the young children, these older slaves
+were required to care for those slaves who were ill. Mr. House employed
+a doctor to attend his slaves when their cases seemed to warrant it. If
+the illness was of a minor nature he gave them castor oil, salts or
+pills himself. Then, too, the slaves had their own home remedies. Among
+these were different tonics made from "yarbs" (herbs), plasters made
+from mustard, and whisky, etc. Most illnesses were caused by colds and
+fevers. Mr. Wright says that his two brothers and his <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span>sister, all of
+whom were younger than he, died as a result of typhoid fever.</p>
+
+<p>Even with all the hardships that the slaves had to suffer they still had
+time to have fun and to enjoy themselves, Mr. Wright continued. At
+various times Mr. House permitted them to have a frolic. These frolics
+usually took place on such holidays as 4th of July, Christmas or
+"laying-by time", after the cultivating of the crops was finished and
+before gathering time. During the day the master provided a big barbecue
+and at night the singing and dancing started. Music was furnished by
+slaves who were able to play the banjo or the fiddle. The slaves usually
+bought these instruments themselves and in some cases the master bought
+them. "In my case," declared Mr. Wright, "I made a fiddle out of a large
+sized gourd&mdash;a long wooden handle was used as a neck, and the hair from
+a horse's tail was used for the bow. The strings were made of cat-gut.
+After I learned to play this I bought a better violin." Sometimes the
+slaves slipped away to the woods to indulge in a frolic. As a means of
+protection they tied ropes across the paths where they would be less
+likely to be seen. These ropes were placed at such a height as to knock
+a man from his horse if he came riding up at a great speed. In this way
+the master or the overseer was stopped temporarily, thereby giving the
+slaves time to scamper to safety. In addition to the presents given at
+Christmas (candy and clothing) the master also gave each family half a
+gallon of whisky. This made the parties more lively. One of the songs
+that the slaves on the House plantation used to sing at their parties
+runs as follows:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Oh, I wouldn't have a poor girl,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">(another version says, "old maid")<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">And I'll tell you the reason why,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Her neck's so long and stringy,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I'm afraid she'd never die."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span>On Sundays Mr. House required all of his slaves to attend church. All
+attended a white church where they sat in the back or in the balcony.
+After preaching to the white audience, the white pastor turned his
+attention to the slaves. His sermon usually ran: "Obey your master and
+your mistress and the Lord will love you." Sometimes a colored preacher
+was allowed to preach from the same rostrum after the white pastor had
+finished. His sermon was along similar lines because that is what he had
+been instructed to say. None of the slaves believed in the sermons but
+they pretended to do so.</p>
+
+<p>Marriages were usually performed by the colored preacher although in
+most cases it was only necessary for the man to approach "Old Marster"
+and tell him that he wanted a certain woman for his wife. "Old Marster"
+then called the woman in question and if she agreed they were pronounced
+man and wife. If the woman was a prolific breeder and if the man was a
+strong, healthy-looking individual she was forced to take him as a
+husband whether she wanted to or not.</p>
+
+<p>When Mr. Wright was asked if he had ever been arrested and placed in
+jail for any offense while he was a slave he replied that in those days
+few laws, if any, applied to slaves. He knows that it was against the
+law for anyone to teach a slave to write because on one occasion his
+father who had learned to do this with the help of his master's son was
+told by the master to keep it to himself, because if the men of the
+community found out that he could write they would cut his fingers or
+his hand off. Horse stealing or house burning was another serious crime.
+On the House plantation was a mulato slave who was to have been given
+his freedom when he reached the age of 21. When this time came Mr. House
+refused to free him and so an attempt was made to burn the House
+mansion. Mr. Wright remembers seeing the sheriff come from town and take
+this slave. Later they heard on the plantation that said slave had been
+hanged.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span>For the most part punishment consisted of severe whipping sometimes
+administered by the slaves' master and sometimes by the white men of the
+community known as the Patrol. To the slaves this Patrol was known as
+the "Paddle" or "Paddie-Rollers." Mr. Wright says that he has been
+whipped numerous times by his master for running away. When he was
+caught after an attempted escape he was placed on the ground where he
+was "spread-eagled," that is, his arms and feet were stretched out and
+tied to stakes driven in the ground. After a severe beating, brine water
+or turpentine was poured over the wounds. This kept the flies away, he
+says. Mr. House did not like to whip his slaves as a scarred slave
+brought very little money when placed on the auction block. A slave who
+had a scarred back was considered as being unruly. Whenever a slave
+attempted to escape the hounds were put on his trail. Mr. Wright was
+caught and treed by hounds several times. He later found a way to elude
+them. This was done by rubbing his feet in the refuse material of the
+barnyard or the pasture, then he covered his legs with pine tar. On one
+occasion he managed to stay away from the plantation for 6 months before
+he returned of his own accord. He ran away after striking his master who
+had attempted to whip him. When he returned of his own accord his master
+did nothing to him because he was glad that he was not forever lost in
+which case a large sum of money would have been lost. Mr. Wright says
+that slave owners advertised in the newspapers for lost slaves, giving
+their description, etc. If a slave was found after his master had
+stopped his advertisements he was placed on the block and sold as a
+"stray." While a fugitive he slept in the woods, eating wild berries,
+etc. Sometimes he slipped to the plantation of his mother or that of his
+father where he was able to secure food.</p>
+
+<p>He took a deep puff on his pipe and a look of satisfaction crossed his
+face as he told how he had escaped from the "Paddle Rollers." It was the
+"Paddle-Rollers" duty to patrol the roads and the streets and to see
+that no slave was out unless he had a "pass" from his master. Further,
+he was not supposed to be <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span>any great distance away from the place he had
+been permitted to go. If a slave was caught visiting without a "pass" or
+if at any time he was off his plantation without said "pass" and had the
+misfortune to be caught by the "Paddle-Rollers" he was given a sound
+whipping and returned to his master.</p>
+
+<p>When the Civil War began all the slaves on the House plantation grew
+hopeful and glad of the prospect of being set free. Mr. House was heard
+by some of the slaves to say that he hoped to be dead the day Negroes
+were set free. Although the slaves prayed for their freedom they were
+afraid to even sing any type of spiritual for fear of being punished.</p>
+
+<p>When the Yankee troops came through near the House plantation they asked
+the slaves if their master was mean to them. As the answer was "no" the
+soldiers marched on after taking all the livestock that they could find.
+At the adjoining plantation where the master was mean, all property was
+burned. Mr. House was not present for when he heard of the approach of
+Sherman he took his family, a few valuables and some slaves and fled to
+Augusta. He later joined the army but was not wounded. However, his
+brother, Phil House, lost a leg while in action.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Wrights says that he witnessed one battle which was fought just a
+few miles beyond his plantation near Nancy's Creek. Although he did not
+officially join the Yankee army he cooked for them while they were
+camped in his vicinity.</p>
+
+<p>When freedom was declared he says that he was a very happy man. Freedom
+to him did not mean that he could quit work but that he could work for
+himself as he saw fit to. After he was freed he continued working for
+his master who was considerably poorer than he had ever been before.
+After the war things were in such a state that even common table salt
+was not available. He remembers going to the smokehouse and taking the
+dirt from the floor which he later boiled. After the boiling process of
+this water which was now salty was used as a result of the dripping from
+the meats which had been hung there to be smoked in the "good old days."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span>After seven years of share-cropping with his former master Mr. Wright
+decided to come to Atlanta where he has been since. He attributes his
+ripe old age to sane and careful living. In any case he says that he
+would rather be free than be a slave but&mdash;and as he paused he shook his
+head sadly&mdash;"In those days a man did not have to worry about anything to
+eat as there was always a plenty. It's a lot different now."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Dink_Walton_Young" id="Dink_Walton_Young"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. 6<br />
+Ex-Slave #119 v.3]<br />
+<br />
+"MAMMY DINK"<br />
+[HW: DINK WALTON YOUNG], Age 96<br />
+<br />
+Place of birth:<br />
+On the Walton plantation, near old Baughville,<br />
+Talbot County, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Date of Birth: About 1840<br />
+<br />
+Present residence:<br />
+Fifth Avenue, between 14th and 15th Streets,<br />
+Columbus, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Interviewed: August 1, 1936</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Dink Walton Young, better known as "Mammy Dink", is one of the oldest
+ex-slaves living in Muscogee County. She was born the chattel of Major
+Jack Walton, the largest ante-bellum planter and slave-holder of Talbot
+County, a man who owned several hundred Negroes and ten thousand or more
+acres of land. As a child, "Mammy Dink" was "brung up" with the Walton
+white children, often joining and playing with them in such games as
+"Mollie Bright", "William Trembletoe", and "Picking up Sticks".</p>
+
+<p>The boys, white and black, and slightly older than she, played "Fox" and
+"Paddle-the-Cat" together. In fact, until the white boys and girls were
+ten or twelve years of age, their little Negro playmates, satellites,
+bodyguards, "gangs", and servants, usually addressed them rather
+familiarly by their first names, or replied to their nicknames that
+amounted to titles of endearment. Thus, Miss Susie Walton&mdash;the later
+Mrs. Robert Carter&mdash;was "Susie Sweet" to a host of little Negro girls of
+her age. Later on, of course, this form of familiarity between slave
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span>child and white child definitely ceased; but for all time there existed
+a strong bond of close friendship, mutual understanding, and spirit of
+comradeship between the Whites and Blacks of every plantation. As an
+example, Pat Walton, aged 18, colored and slave, "allowed" to his young
+master in 1861: "Marse Rosalius, youse gwine to de war, ain't yer?" and
+without waiting for an answer, continued: "So is Pat. You knows you
+ain't got no bizness in no army 'thout a Nigger to wait on yer an keep
+yer outa devilment, Marse Rosalius. Now, doen gin me no argyment, Marse
+Rosalius, case ise gwine 'long wid yer, and dat settles it, sah, it do,
+whether you laks it or you don't lak it." Parenthetically, it might be
+here inserted that this speech of Pat's to his young master was typical
+of a "style" that many slaves adopted in "dictating" to their white
+folks, and many Southern Negroes still employ an inoffensive, similar
+style to "dominate" their white friends.</p>
+
+<p>According to "Mammy Dink", and otherwise verified, every time a Negro
+baby was born on one of his plantations, Major Dalton gave the mother a
+calico dress and a "bright, shiny", silver dollar.</p>
+
+<p>All Walton slaves were well fed and clothed and, for a "drove" of about
+fifty or sixty little "back-yard" piccaninnies, the Waltons assumed all
+responsibility, except at night. A kind of compound was fenced off for
+"dese brats" to keep them in by day.</p>
+
+<p>When it rained, they had a shelter to go under; play-houses were built
+for them, and they also had see-saws, toys, etc. Here, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span>their parents
+"parked dese younguns" every morning as they went to the fields and to
+other duties, and picked them up at night. These children were fed about
+five times a day in little wooden trough-like receptacles. Their
+principal foods were milk, rice, pot-licker, vegetables and corn
+dumplings; and they stayed so fat and sleek "dat de Niggers calt 'em
+Marse Major's little black pigs."</p>
+
+<p>The average weekly ration allowed an adult Walton slave was a peck of
+meal, two "dusters" of flour (about six pounds), seven pounds of flitch
+bacon, a "bag" of peas, a gallon of grits, from one to two quarts of
+molasses, a half pound of green coffee&mdash;which the slave himself parched
+and "beat up" or ground, from one to two cups of sugar, a "Hatful" of
+peas, and any "nicknacks" that the Major might have&mdash;as extras.</p>
+
+<p>Many acres were planted to vegetables each year for the slaves and, in
+season, they had all the vegetables they could eat, also Irish potatoes,
+sweet potatoes, roasting ears, watermelons and "stingy green" (home
+raised tobacco). In truth, the planters and "Niggers" all used "stingy
+green", there then being very little if any "menufro" (processed
+tobacco) on the market.</p>
+
+<p>The standard clothes of the slaves were: jeans in the winter for men and
+women, cottonades and osnabergs for men in the summer, and calicos and
+"light goods" for the women in the summer time. About 75% of the cloth
+used for slaves' clothing <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span>was made at home.</p>
+
+<p>If a "Nigger come down sick", the family doctor was promptly called to
+attend him and, if he was bad off, the Major "sat up" with him, or had
+one of his over-seers do so.</p>
+
+<p>Never in her life was "Mammy Dink" whipped by any of the Waltons or
+their over-seers. Moreover, she never knew a Negro to be whipped by a
+white person on any of the dozen or more Walton plantations. She never
+"seed" a pataroler in her life, though she "has heard tell dat Judge
+Henry Willis, Marses Johnnie B. Jones, Ned Giddens, Gus O'Neal, Bob
+Baugh, an Jedge Henry Collier rid as patarolers" when she was a girl.</p>
+
+<p>When the Yankee raiders came through in '65, "Mammy Dink" was badly
+frightened by them. She was also highly infuriated with them for
+"stealin de white fokes' things", burning their gins, cotton and barns,
+and conducting themselves generally as bandits and perverts.</p>
+
+<p>In 1875, the year of the cyclone "whooch kilt sebenteen fokes twixt
+Ellesli (Ellerslie) and Talbotton", including an uncle of her's. "Mammy
+Dink" was living at the Dr. M.W. Peter's place near Baughville. Later,
+she moved with her husband&mdash;acquired subsequent to freedom&mdash;to the Dr.
+Thomas D. Ashford's place, in Harris County, near Ellerslie. There, she
+lost her husband and, about thirty-five years ago, moved to Columbus to
+be near Mrs. John T. Davis, Jr., an only daughter of Dr. Ashford, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span>to
+whom she long ago became very attached.</p>
+
+<p>When interviewed, "Mammy Dink" was at Mrs. Davis' home, "jes piddlin
+'round", as she still takes a pride in "waiting on her white fokes."</p>
+
+<p>Naturally, for one of her age, the shadows are lengthening. "Mammy Dink"
+has never had a child; all her kin are dead; she is 96 and has no money
+and no property, but she has her memories and, "thank Gawd", Mrs.
+Davis&mdash;her guardian-angel, friend and benefactress.</p>
+
+<br />
+<hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>Whitley,<br />
+4-29-37<br />
+Ex-Slave #119<br />
+<br />
+MAMMY DINK IS DEAD<br />
+[HW: (From Columbus News&mdash;Record of Dec-8-1936)]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Mammy Dink, who cooked and served and gained pure joy through faithful
+service, has gone to the Big House in the skies. She lacked but a few
+years of a hundred and most of it was spent in loving service. She was
+loyal to the families she worked for and was, to all practical intents,
+a member of the family circle. She was 94 or 95 when she passed
+away&mdash;Mammy was about to lose track of mere age, she was so busy with
+other things&mdash;and she was happily at work to within a week of her death.
+She was an institution in Columbus, and one of the best known of the
+many faithful and loyal colored servants in this city.</p>
+
+<p>Mammy Dink&mdash;her full name, by the way, was Dink Young&mdash;started out as a
+cook in a Talbot county family and wound up her career as cook for the
+granddaughter of her original employer. She was first in service in the
+home of Dr. M.W. Peters, in Talbot county, and later was the cook in the
+family of Dr. T.R. Ashford, at Ellerslie, in Harris county. Then, coming
+to Columbus, she was cook in the home of the late Captain T.J. Hunt for
+some 20 years.</p>
+
+<p>For the last 27 years she had been cook for Mrs. John T. Davis, just as
+she had been cook in the home of her father, Dr. Ashford, and her
+grandfather, Dr. Peters.</p>
+
+<p>Mammy, in leisure hours, used to sit on the coping at the Sixteenth
+street school, and watch the world go by. But her greatest joy was in
+the kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>The Davis family was devoted to the faithful old servant. A week ago she
+developed a severe cold and was sent to the hospital. She passed away
+Saturday night&mdash;the old body had given out. The funeral service was
+conducted yesterday afternoon from St. Philips colored church in Girard.
+She was buried in a churchyard cemetery, two or three miles out, on the
+Opelika road. The white people who were present wept at the departure of
+one who was both servant and friend.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span>Thus passes, to a sure reward, Mammy Dink, whose life was such a
+success.</p>
+
+<p>[HW: Mammy Dink died Saturday night, Dec. 5th, 1936]</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>COMBINED INTERVIEWS<br />
+<br />
+[HW: Dist 1-2<br />
+Ex-Slave #24]<br />
+<br />
+FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECTS,<br />
+Augusta-Athens<br />
+Supervisor: Miss Velma Bell<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Adeline" id="Adeline"></a>EXCERPTS FROM SLAVE INTERVIEWS<br />
+<br />
+<br />
+[ADELINE]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>"Aunt Adeline," an ex-slave of Wilkes County, Georgia, thinks she is
+"around a hundred." Her first memory is, in her own words, "my love for
+my mother. I loved her so! I would cry when I couldn't be with her. When
+I growed up, I kep' on loving her jes' that-a-way, even after I married
+and had children of my own."</p>
+
+<p>Adeline's mother worked in the field, drove steers, and was considered
+the best meat cutter on the plantation. The slave women were required to
+spin, and Adeline's mother was unusually good at spinning wool, "and
+that kind of spinning was powerful slow," added the old woman. "My
+mother was one of the best dyers anywhere around. I was too. I made
+colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I made the prettiest
+sort of lilac color with maple bark and pine bark&mdash;not the outside pine
+bark, but that little thin skin that grows right down next to the tree."
+Adeline remembers one dress she loved: "I never will forget it as long
+as I live. It was a hickory stripe dress they made for me, with brass
+buttons at the wrist bands. I was so proud of that dress and felt so
+dressed up in it, I just strutted!"</p>
+
+<p>She remembers the plantation store and the candy the master gave the
+Negro children. "Bright, pretty sticks of candy!" Tin cups hold a
+special niche in her memory. But there <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span>were punishments, too. "Good or
+bad, we got whippings with a long cowhide kept just for that. They
+whipped us to make us grow better, I reckon!"</p>
+
+<p>Asked about doctors, Adeline replied:</p>
+
+<p>"I was born, growed up, married and had sixteen children and never had
+no doctor till here since I got so old!"</p>
+
+<p>Plantation ingenuity was shown in home concoctions and tonics. At the
+first sniffle of a cold, the slaves were called in and given a drink of
+fat lightwood tea, made by pouring boiling water over split kindling.
+"'Cause lightwood got turpentine in it," explained Adeline. She said
+that a springtime tonic was made of anvil dust, gathered at the
+blacksmith's shop, mixed with syrup. This was occasionally varied with a
+concoction of garlic and whiskey!</p>
+
+<p>Adeline adheres to traditional Negro beliefs, and concluded her
+recountal of folklore with the dark prediction: "Every gloomy day brings
+death. Somebody leaving this unfriendly world to-day!"</p>
+
+<a name="Eugene" id="Eugene"></a><br />
+<h3>[EUGENE]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Another version of slavery was given by Eugene, an Augusta Negro. His
+mother was brought to Augusta from Pennsylvania and freed when she came
+of age. She married a slave whose master kept a jewelry store. The freed
+woman was required to put a guardian over her children. The jeweler paid
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span>Eugene's father fifty cents a week and was angry when his mother refused
+to allow her children to work for him. Eugene's mother supported her
+children by laundry work. "Free colored folks had to pay taxes," said
+Eugene, "And in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to
+house. You couldn't go out at night in Augusta after 9 o'clock. They had
+a bell at the old market down yonder, and it would strike every hour and
+half hour. There was an uptown market, too, at Broad and McKinne."</p>
+
+<p>Eugene told of an old Negro preacher, Ned Purdee, who had a school for
+Negro children in his back yard, in defiance of a law prohibiting the
+education of Negroes. Ned, said Eugene, was put in jail but the
+punishment of stocks and lashes was not intended to be executed. The
+sympathetic jailor told the old man: "Ned, I won't whip you. I'll just
+whip down on the stock, and you holler!" So Ned made a great noise, the
+jailor thrashed about with his stick, and no harm was done.</p>
+
+<p>Eugene touched on an unusual angle of slavery when he spoke of husbands
+and wives discovering that they were brother and sister. "They'd talk
+about their grandfathers and grandmothers, and find out that they had
+been separated when they were children," he said. "When freedom was
+declared, they called the colored people down to the parade ground. They
+had built a big stand, and the Yankees and some of the leading colored
+men made addresses. 'You are free now. Don't steal. Work and make a
+living. Do honest work. There are no more <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span>masters. You are all free.' He
+said the Negro troops came in, singing:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Don't you see the lightning?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Don't you hear the thunder?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It isn't the lightning,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It isn't the thunder,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It's the buttons on<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Negro uniforms!"<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<a name="Mary" id="Mary"></a><br />
+<h3>[MARY]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Mary is a tiny woman, 90 years old. "I'd love to see some of the white
+folks boys and girls," she said, smiling and showing a set of strong new
+teeth. "We had school on our plantation, and a Negro teacher named
+Mathis, but they couldn't make me learn nothin'. I sure is sorry now!"</p>
+
+<p>Mary's plantation memories, in contrast to those of slaves who remember
+mostly molasses and corn-pone, include tomato rice, chickens, baked,
+fried and stewed. "And chicken pies!" Mary closed her eyes. "Don't talk
+about 'em! I told my grand children last week, I wanted to eat some
+old-time potato pie!"</p>
+
+<p>They played "peep-squirrel," Mary remembered. "I never could put up to
+dance much, but none could beat me runnin'. "Peep Squirrel" was a game
+we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the men,
+and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a kildee
+bird, I was so little and could run so fast! They said I was married
+when I was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I had the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span>finest
+kind of marrying dress that my father bought for me. It had great big
+grapes hanging down from the sleeves and around the skirt." Mary sighed.
+"I wish't I had-a kep' it for my children to saw!"</p>
+
+<a name="Rachel" id="Rachel"></a><br />
+<h3>[RACHEL]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Rachel's master called his people "servants", not Negroes or slaves. "He
+de bes' marster in de worl'," said Rachel. "I love his grave!"</p>
+
+<p>Rachel nursed her aunt's children while the mother acted as nurse for
+"de lady's baby whut come fum Russia wid de marster's wife." The czarina
+was godmother for the ambassador's baby. "Marster bin somewheh in de
+back part o' de worl'." explained the old woman, "You see, he wuz de
+guv'nor. He knowed all de big people, senetras and all." Rachel laughed.
+"I was a old maid when I married," she said. "De broom wuz de law. All
+we hadder do was step over de broom befo' witnesses and we wuz marry!"</p>
+
+<a name="Laura" id="Laura"></a><br />
+<h3>[LAURA]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>"As far as I kin rekellec'," said Laura, "my mother was give." She could
+not remember her age, but estimated that she might be 75 years old. Her
+native dignity was evident in her calm manner, her neat clothing and the
+comfortable, home-like room. "Dey say in dem days," she continued, "when
+you marry, dey give you so many colored people. My mother, her brother
+and her aunt was give to young Mistis when she marry de Baptis' preacher
+and come to Augusta. When dey brought us to Augusta, I wuz de baby.
+Round wheh de barracks is now, was de Baptis' <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span>parsonage. My mother was a
+cook. I kin remember de Yankees comin' down Broad Street. Dey put up
+wheh de barracks is on Reynolds Street. Dey ca'yed me to de fairground.
+De man was speakin'. I thought it wuz up in de trees, but I know now it
+muster been a platform in bushes. Mistis say to me: 'Well, Laura, what
+did you see?' I say: 'Mistis, we is all free.' I such a lil' chile she
+jus' laugh at me for saying sich a thing. When I was sick, she nuss me
+good."</p>
+
+<p>Laura remembered a long house with porches on Ellis Street, "running
+almost to Greene," between 7th and 8th, where slaves were herded and
+kept for market day. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," she
+said, "and look in de mouf' at dey teeth. Den dey march 'em down
+together to market, in crowds, first Tuesday sale day."</p>
+
+<a name="Matilda" id="Matilda"></a><br />
+<h3>[MATILDA]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>In contrast to the pleasant recollections of most of the ex-slaves,
+Matilda gave a vivid picture of the worst phase of plantation life on a
+Georgia plantation. She had been plowing for four years when the war
+started.</p>
+
+<p>"I wuz in about my thirteen when de war end," she mumbled, "Fum de fus'
+overseer, dey whu-op me to show me how to wuk. I wuk hard, all de time.
+I never had no good times. I so old I kain't rekellec' my marster's
+name. I kain't 'member, honey. I had too hard time. We live in, a
+weather-board house, jus' hulled in. We had to eat anyting dey give us,
+mos'ly black <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span>'lasses in a great big ole hogshead. When de war gwine on,
+we had to live on rice, mos'ly, what dey raise. We had a hard time.
+Didn't know we wuz free for a long time. All give overseer so mean, de
+slaves run away. Dey gits de blood-houn' to fin' 'em. Dey done dug cave
+in de wood, down in de ground, and hide dere. Dey buckle de slave down
+to a log and beat de breaf' outter dem, till de blood run all over
+everywhere. When night come, dey drug 'em to dey house and greases 'em
+down wid turpentine and rub salt in dey woun's to mek 'em hurt wuss. De
+overseer give de man whiskey to mek him mean. When dey whu-op my mother,
+I crawl under de house and cry."</p>
+
+<p>One of Matilda's younger friends, listening, nodded her head in
+sympathy.</p>
+
+<p>"When Matilda's mind was clearer she told us terrible stories," she
+said. "It makes all the rest of us thankful we weren't born in those
+times."</p>
+
+<p>Matilda was mumbling end weeping.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey wuz mean overseer," she whispered. "But dey wuz run out o' de
+country. Some white ladies in de neighborhood reported 'um and had 'um
+run out."</p>
+
+<a name="Easter" id="Easter"></a><br />
+<h3>[EASTER]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>"Aunt Easter" is from Burke County. Her recollections are not quite so
+appalling as Matilda's, but they are not happy memories.</p>
+
+<p>"Dey didn' learn me nothin' but to churn and clean up <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span>house. 'Tend day
+boy, churn dat milk, spin and cyard dat roll."</p>
+
+<p>Asked if the slaves were required to go to Church, Easter shook her
+head.</p>
+
+<p>"Too tired. Sometime we even had to pull fodder on Sunday. Sometime we
+go to church, but all dey talk about wuz obeyin' Massa and obeyin'
+Missus. Befo' we went to church, we had to git up early and wash and
+iron our clo'es."</p>
+
+<p>Easter's brother was born the day Lee surrendered. "Dey name him
+Richmond," she said.</p>
+
+<a name="Carrie" id="Carrie"></a><br />
+<h3>[CARRIE]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Carrie had plenty to eat in slavery days. "I'd be a heap better off if
+it was dem times now," she said, "My folks didn't mistreet de slaves.
+When freedom come, de niggers come 'long wid dere babies on dey backs
+and say I wuz free. I tell 'em I already free! Didn't mek no diffrunce
+to me, freedom!"</p>
+
+<a name="Malinda" id="Malinda"></a><br />
+<h3>[MALINDA]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Malinda would gladly exchange all worldly possessions and freedom to
+have plantation days back again. She owns her home and has a garden of
+old-fashioned flowers, due to her magic "growing hand."</p>
+
+<p>"I belonged to a preacher in Ca'lina," said Malinda. "A Baptis'
+preacher. My fambly wasn't fiel' han's, dey wuz all house servants.
+Marster wouldn't sell none o' his slaves. When he wanted to buy one,
+he'd buy de whole fambly to keep fum having 'em separated."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span>Malinda and her sister belonged to the young girls. "Whar'ever da young
+Mistises visited, we went right erlong. My own mammy tuk long trips wid
+ole Mistis to de Blue Ridge Mountings and sometimes over de big water."
+Malinda said the slaves danced to "quills," a home-made reed instrument.
+"My mammy wuz de bes' dancer on de planteshun," asserted the old woman.
+"She could dance so sturdy, she could balance a glass of water on her
+head and never spill a drap!"</p>
+
+<a name="Amelia" id="Amelia"></a><br />
+<h3>[AMELIA]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Amelia, like many of the old slaves in Augusta to-day, came from South
+Carolina.</p>
+
+<p>"I put on a hoopskirt one time," she said. "I wanted to go to church wid
+a hoop on. I such a lil' gal, all de chillun laugh at me, playin' lady.
+I take it off and hide it in de wood."</p>
+
+<p>Amelia remembered her young mistresses with affection. "Dey wuz so good
+to me," she said, "dey like to dress me up! I was a lil' gal wid a tiny
+wais'. Dey put corsets on me and lace me up tight, and then dey take off
+all dey medallion and jewelry and hang 'em roun' my neck and put long
+sash on me. I look pretty to go to dance. When I git back, I so tired I
+thow myself on de bed and sleep wid dat tight corset on me!"</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Ellen_Campbell" id="Ellen_Campbell"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>FOUR SLAVES INTERVIEWED<br />
+by<br />
+MAUDE BARRAGAN, EDITH BELL LOVE, RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD<br />
+<br />
+ELLEN CAMPBELL, 1030 Brayton Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1846.</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Ellen Campbell lives in a little house in a garden behind a picket
+fence. Ellen is a sprightly, erect, black woman ninety years old. Beady
+little eyes sparkled behind her glasses as she talked to us. Her manner
+is alert, her mind is very keen and her memory of the old days very
+clear. Though the temperature was in the high nineties she wore two
+waists, and her clothes were clean and neatly patched. There was no
+headcloth covering the fuzzy grey wool that was braided into innumerable
+plaits.</p>
+
+<p>She invited us into her tiny cabin. The little porch had recently been
+repaired, while the many flowers about the yard and porch gave evidence
+of constant and loving care to this place which had been bought for her
+long ago by a grandson who drove a "hack." When she took us into the
+crowded, but clean room, she showed us proudly the portrait of this big
+grandson, now dead. All the walls were thickly covered with framed
+pictures of different members of her family, most of whom are now dead.
+In their midst was a large picture of Abraham Lincoln.</p>
+
+<p>"Dere's all my chillun. I had fo' daughter and three 'grands', but all
+gone now but one niece. I deeded de place to her. She live out north
+now, but she send back de money fer de taxes and insurance and to pay de
+firemens."</p>
+
+<p>Then she proudly pointed out a framed picture of herself when she was
+young.</p>
+
+<p>"Why Auntie, you were certainly nice looking then."</p>
+
+<p>Her chest expanded and her manner became more sprightly as she said, "I
+wus de pebble on de beach den!"</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span>"And I suppose you remember about slavery days?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes ma'm, I'm ninety years old&mdash;I wus a grown 'oman when freedom come.
+I 'longed to Mr. William Eve. De plantachun was right back here&mdash;all dis
+land was fields den, slap down to Bolzes'."</p>
+
+<p>"So you remember a lot about those times?"</p>
+
+<p>She laughed delightedly. "Yas'm. I 'longed to Miss Eva Eve. My missus
+married Colonel Jones. He got a boy by her and de boy died."</p>
+
+<p>"You mean Colonel Jones, the one who wrote books?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm. He a lawyer, too, down to de Cote House. My missus was Mrs.
+Carpenter's mother, but she didn't brought her here."</p>
+
+<p>"You mean she was her step-mother?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm, dat it. I go to see dem folks on de hill sometime. Dey good to
+me, allus put somepen in mah hands."</p>
+
+<p>"What kind of work did you do on the plantation?"</p>
+
+<p>"When I wus 'bout ten years old dey started me totin' water&mdash;you know
+ca'in water to de hands in de field. 'Bout two years later I got my
+first field job, 'tending sheep. When I wus fifteen my old Missus gib me
+to Miss Eva&mdash;you know she de one marry Colonel Jones. My young missus
+wus fixin' to git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she
+brought me to town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house.
+De rent was paid to my missus. One day I wus takin' a tray from de
+out-door kitchen to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food
+spill all over de ground. De lady got so mad she picked up a butcher
+knife and chop me in de haid. I went runnin' till I come to de place
+where my white folks live. Miss Eva took me and wash de blood out mah
+head and put medicine on it, and she wrote a note to de lady and she
+say, 'Ellen is my slave, give to me by my mother. I wouldn't had dis
+happen to her no more dan to me. She won't come back dere no more.'"</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span>"Were you ever sold during slavery times, Aunt Ellen?"</p>
+
+<p>"No'm. I wa'nt sold, but I knows dem whut wus. Jedge Robinson he kept de
+nigger trade office over in Hamburg."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh yes, I remember the old brick building."</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm, dat it. Well, all de colored people whut gonner be sold was kept
+dere. Den dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale.
+Anybody fixin' to buy 'em, 'zamines 'em to see if dey all right. Looks
+at de teef to tell 'bout de age."</p>
+
+<p>"And was your master good to you, Auntie?"</p>
+
+<p>"I'll say dis fer Mr. William Eve&mdash;he de bes' white man anywhere round
+here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves. My boss would feed 'em
+well. He wus killin' hogs stidy fum Jinury to March. He had two
+smoke-houses. Dere wus four cows. At night de folks on one side de row
+o' cabins go wid de piggins fer milk, and in de mawnin's dose on de
+odder side go fer de piggins o' milk."</p>
+
+<p>"And did you have plenty of other things to eat?"</p>
+
+<p>"Law, yas'm. Rations wus given out to de slaves; meal, meat and jugs o'
+syrup. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de
+gyrden patch, and chickens. Marster buy eggs and chickens fum us at
+market prices."</p>
+
+<p>"Did the overseers ever whip the slaves or treat them cruelly?"</p>
+
+<p>"Sometimes dey whup 'em&mdash;make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup 'em on de
+bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men dey call
+drivers. If dey didn't done right dey dus whup you and turn you loose."</p>
+
+<p>"Did the Eves have a house on the plantation, too?"</p>
+
+<p>"No'm, dey live in town, and he come back and fo'th every day. It warn't
+but three miles. De road run right fru de plantachun, and everybody
+drive fru it had to pay toll. Dat toll gate wus on de D'Laigle
+plantachun. Dey built a house fer Miss Kitty Bowles down by de double
+gate where dey had <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span>to pay de toll. Dat road where de Savannah Road is."</p>
+
+<p>When asked about war times on the plantation Ellen recalled that when
+the Northern troops were around Waynesboro orders were sent to all the
+masters of the nearby plantations to send ten of their best men to build
+breastworks to hold back the northern advance.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you remember anything about the good times or weddings on the
+plantation?"</p>
+
+<p>She laughed delightedly. "Yas'm. When anybody gwine be married dey tell
+de boss and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, atter dey be
+married, she put on de white dress she be married in and dey go up to
+town so de boss see de young couple."</p>
+
+<p>"Den sometimes on Sadday night we have a big frolic. De nigger frum
+Hammond's place and Phinizy place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle
+place all git togedder fer big dance and frolic. A lot o' de young white
+sports used to come dere and push de nigger bucks aside and dance wid de
+wenches."</p>
+
+<p>"What happened, Auntie, if a slave from one plantation wanted to marry a
+slave from another?"</p>
+
+<p>She laughed significantly. "Plenty. Old Mr. Miller had a man name Jolly
+and he wanner marry a woman off anudder plantachun, but Jolly's Marster
+wanna buy de woman to come to de plantachun. He say, 'Whut's fair fer de
+goose is fair fer de gander.' When dey couldn't come to no 'greement de
+man he run away to de woods. Den dey sot de bloodhounds on 'im. Dey let
+down de rail fence so de hounds could git fru. Dey sarch de woods and de
+swamps fer Jolly but dey neber find him.</p>
+
+<p>"De slaves dey know whar he is, and de woman she visit him. He had a den
+down dere and plenty o' grub dey take 'im, but de white folks neber find
+him. Five hundred dollars wus what Miller put out for whomsover git
+him."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span>"And you say the woman went to visit him?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, Ma'm. De woman would go dere in de woods wid him. Finally one
+night when he was outer de swamp he had to lie hidin' in de ditch all
+night, cross from de nigger hospital. Den somebody crep' up and shot
+him, but he didn't die den. Dey cay'ed his [TR: sic] crost to de
+hospital and he die three days later."</p>
+
+<p>"What about church? Did you go to church in those days?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm, we used to go to town. But de padderolas wus ridin' in dem days,
+and you couldn't go off de plantachun widout a pass. So my boss he build
+a brick church on de plantachuhn, and de D'Laigles build a church on
+dere's."</p>
+
+<p>"What happened if they caught you off without a pass?"</p>
+
+<p>"If you had no pass dey ca'y you to de Cote House, and your marster
+hadder come git you out."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you remember anything about the Yankees coming to this part of the
+country?"</p>
+
+<p>At this her manner became quite sprightly, as she replied, "Yas'm, I
+seen 'em comin' down de street. Every one had er canteen on he side, a
+blanket on his shoulder, caps cocked on one side de haid. De cavalry had
+boots on and spurros on de boots. First dey sot de niggers free on Dead
+River, den dey come on here to sot us free. Dey march straight up Broad
+Street to de Planters' Hotel, den dey camped on Dead River, den dey
+camped on de river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place
+free. When dey campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey
+clo'es fer a good price. Dey had hard tack to eat. Dey gib us de hard
+tack and tell us to soak it in Water, and fry it in de meat gravy. I
+ain't taste nothing so good since. Dey say, 'Dis hard tack whut we
+hadder lib on while we fightin' to sot you free."</p>
+
+<br />
+<a name="Rachel_Sullivan" id="Rachel_Sullivan"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>RACHEL SULLIVAN, 1327 Reynolds Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852.</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>We found Rachel Sullivan sitting on the porch of a two room house on
+Reynolds Street. She is a large, fleshy woman. Her handmade yellow
+homespun was baggy and soiled, and her feet were bare, though her shoes
+were beside her rocker.</p>
+
+<p>We approached her cautiously. "Auntie, we heard you were one of the
+slaves who used to live on Governor Pickens' place over near Edgefield."</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm, Yas'm. I shore wus. He gin us our chu'ch&mdash;de one over yonder on
+de Edgefield road. No'm you can't see it fum de road. You has to cross
+de creek. Old Marster had it pulled out de low ground under de brush
+arbor, and set it dere."</p>
+
+<p>"And what did you do on the plantation, Auntie?"</p>
+
+<p>"I wus a nu's gal, 'bout 'leben years old. I nu'sed my Auntie's chillun,
+while she nu'sed de lady's baby whut come from Russia wid de Marster's
+wife&mdash;nu'sed dat baby fum de breas's I mean. All de white ladies had wet
+nusses in dem days. Her master had just returned from Russia, where he
+had been ambassador. Her baby had the czarina for a godmother."</p>
+
+<p>"And so you used to look after you aunt's children?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm. I used to play wid 'em in de big ground wid de monuments all
+around."</p>
+
+<p>"Miss Lucy Holcome was Governor Pickens' second wife, wasn't she?"</p>
+
+<p>"Musta wus, ma'm."</p>
+
+<p>"And were you born on the plantation at Edgefield?"</p>
+
+<p>"I wus born at Ninety-six. Log Creek place was Marster's second place.
+Oh, he had plantachuns everywhere, clear over to Alabama. He had
+overseers on all de places, ma'm."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span>"Did the overseers whip you or were they good?"</p>
+
+<p>"Overseers wus good. Dey better been good to us, Marster wouldn't let
+'em been nothin' else. And Marster wus good. Lawdy, us had de bes'
+Marster in de world. It wus great times when he come to visit de
+plantachun. Oh Lord, when de Governor would come&mdash;dey brung in all de
+sarvants. Marster call us 'sarvants', not 'niggers.' He say 'niggers wuk
+down in de lagoons.' So when de Governor come dey brung in all de
+sarvants, and all de little chillun, line 'em's up whar Marster's
+cai'age gwine pass. And Marster stop dere in de lane and 'zamine us all
+to see is us all right. He de bes' Marster in de world. I love his
+grave!"</p>
+
+<p>"Den he'd talk to de overseer. Dere was Emmanuel and Mr. DeLoach. He gib
+'em a charge. Dey couldn't whup us or treat us mean."</p>
+
+<p>"How many slaves did your Master have, Auntie?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, I don't know 'xactly&mdash;over a thousand in all I reckon. He had
+plantachuns clear over to Alabama. Marster wus a world manager! Lordy, I
+luv my Marster. Dere wus 'bout seventy plower hands, and 'bout a hunnard
+hoe hands."</p>
+
+<p>"Did your master ever sell any of the slaves off his plantation?"</p>
+
+<p>"No'm&mdash;not 'less dey did wrong. Three of 'em had chillun by de overseer,
+Mr. Whitefield, and Marster put 'em on de block. No ma'm he wouldn't
+tolerate dat. He say you keep de race pure. Lawdy, he made us lib right
+in dem time."</p>
+
+<p>"And what did he do to the overseer?"</p>
+
+<p>"He sont him off&mdash;he sont him down to de low place."</p>
+
+<p>"I guess you had plenty to eat in those good old days?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh, yes ma'm&mdash;dey's kill a hunnard hogs."</p>
+
+<p>"And what kind of houses did you have?"</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span>"Des like dis street&mdash;two rows facin' each odder, only dey wus log
+houses."</p>
+
+<p>"Did they have only one room?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm. But sometimes dey drap a shed room down if dere wus heap o'
+chullun.'</p>
+
+<p>"Did you have a good time at Christmas?"</p>
+
+<p>"Oh yas'm. No matter where Marster wus&mdash;crost de water er ennywhere he
+send us a barrel o' apples, and chestnuts&mdash;dey had chestnuts in dem
+days&mdash;and boxes o' candy. He sont 'em to 'Manuel and Mr. DeLoach to gib
+out."</p>
+
+<p>"So your master would sometimes be across the water?"</p>
+
+<p>"Lawdy, yas'm, he be dere somewhere in de back part o' de world. You see
+he wus gov'nur. He knowed all de big people&mdash;Mr. Ben Tillman and all&mdash;he
+was senetra."</p>
+
+<p>"Auntie do you remember seeing any of the soldiers during the war?"</p>
+
+<p>"Does I? Law honey! Dey come dere to de plantachun 'bout ten o'clock
+after dey surrender. Oh and dey wus awful, some of 'em wid legs off or
+arms off. De niggers took all de mules and put 'em down in de sand
+field. Den dey took all de wimmens and put 'em in de chillun's house.
+And dey lef' a guard dere to stand over 'em, and tell him not to git off
+de foot. You know dey didn't want put no temptation in de way o' dem
+soldiers."</p>
+
+<p>"What kind of work did some of the slave women do?"</p>
+
+<p>"Everything. I had a one-legged auntie&mdash;she was de seamster. She sew fum
+one year end to de odder. Anodder auntie wus a loomer."</p>
+
+<p>"And where did you go to church?"</p>
+
+<p>"We went to de Salem Chu'ch. Yas'm we all go to chu'ch. Marster want us
+to go to chu'ch. We sit on one side&mdash;so&mdash;and dey sit over dere. Dey wus
+Methodis'. My mother was Methodis', but dey gib her her letter when
+freedom come."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span>"How about dances, Auntie? Did they have dances and frolics?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yassum, on Sadday night. But boys had to git a pass when dey go out or
+de Padderola git 'em."</p>
+
+<p>"So you had a happy time in those days, eh?"</p>
+
+<p>"Lawdy, yas'm. If de world would done now like dey did den de world
+wouldn't be in such a mess. I gwine on eighty-five, but I wish de young
+ones wus raise now like I was raise. Marster taught us to do right."</p>
+
+<p>"How many children have you?"</p>
+
+<p>"I had 'leben&mdash;seben livin now." Then she laughed. "But I wus ole maid
+when I git married."</p>
+
+<p>"I wus twenty years old! In dem days all dey hadder do to git married
+wus step over de broom."</p>
+
+<p>"Step over the broom. Didn't your master have the preacher come and
+marry you?"</p>
+
+<p>"Lawdy, no'm. De broom wus de law!" Then she laughed. "Jus' say you
+wanner be married and de couple git together 'fore witnesses and step
+ober de broom."</p>
+
+<p>"Do you remember when freedom came?"</p>
+
+<p>"Lawdy yas'm. Mr. DeLoach come riding up to de plantachun in one o' dem
+low-bellied ca'yages. He call to Jo and James&mdash;dem de boys what stay
+round de house to bring wood and rake de grass and sich&mdash;he sont Jo and
+Jim down to all de fields to tell all de hands to come up. Dey unhitch
+de mules fum de plows and come wid de chains rattlin', and de cotton
+hoers put dey hoes on dey shoulders&mdash;wid de blades shinin' in de sun,
+and all come hurrying to hear what Mr. DeLoach want wid'em. Den he read
+de freedom warrant to 'em. One man so upset he start runnin' and run
+clear down to de riber and jump in."</p>
+
+<br />
+<a name="Eugene_Wesley_Smith" id="Eugene_Wesley_Smith"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>EUGENE WESLEY SMITH, 1105 Robert Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Eugene is 84 years old. He has thin features, trembling lips and a
+sparse beard. His skin is a deep brown, lined and veined. His legs
+showing over white socks are scaly. His hands are palsied, but his mind
+is intelligent. He shows evidences of association with white people in
+his manner of speech, which at times is in the manner of white persons,
+again reverting to dialect.</p>
+
+<p>Eugene stated that his father was a slave who belonged to Steadman Clark
+of Augusta, and acted as porter in Mr. Clark's jewelry store on Broad
+Street. His grandmother came from Pennsylvania with her white owners. In
+accordance with the laws of the state they had left, she was freed when
+she came of age, and married a man named Smith. Her name was Louisa.
+Eugene's "Arnt" married a slave. As his mother was free, her children
+were free, but Eugene added:</p>
+
+<p>"She had put a Guardian over us, and Captain Crump was our guardian.
+Guardians protected the Negro children who belonged to them."</p>
+
+<p>To illustrate that children were considered the property of the mothers'
+owners, he added that his uncle went to Columbia County and married a
+slave, and that all of her children belonged to her master.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Clark, who owned Eugene's father, paid him 50&cent; a week, and was angry
+when Louisa refused to allow her children to work for him.</p>
+
+<p>"He was good in a way," admitted Eugene, "Some masters were cruel to the
+colored people, but a heap of white people won't believe it.</p>
+
+<p>"I was too little to do any work before freedom. I just stayed with my
+mother, and ran around. She did washing for white folks. We lived <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span>in a
+rented house. My father's master, Mr. Clark, let him come to see us
+sometimes at night. Free colored folks had to pay taxes. Mother had to
+pay taxes. Then when they came of age, they had to pay taxes again. Even
+in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to house. They had
+frolics. Sometimes the white people came and looked at 'em having a good
+time. You couldn't go out at night in Augusta after 9 o'clock. They had
+a bell at the old market down yonder, and it would strike every hour and
+every half hour. There was an uptown market, too, at Broad and McKinne."</p>
+
+<p>Asked about school, Eugene said:</p>
+
+<p>"Going to school wasn't allowed, but still some people would slip their
+children to school. There was an old Methodist preacher, a Negro named
+Ned Purdee, he had a school for boys and girls going on in his back
+yard. They caught him and put him in jail. He was to be put in stocks
+and get so many lashes every day for a month. I heard him tell many
+times how the man said: 'Ned, I won't whip you. I'll whip on the stock,
+and you holler.' So Ned would holler out loud, as if they were whipping
+him. They put his feet and hands in the holes, and he was supposed to be
+whipped across his back."</p>
+
+<p>"I read in the paper where a lady said slaves were never sold here in
+Augusta at the old market, but I saw them selling slaves myself. They
+put them up on something like a table, bid 'em off just like you would
+horses or cows. Dey was two men. I kin rekellect. I know one was called
+Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculating. The other was named
+Wilson. They would sell your mother from the children. That was the
+reason so many colored people married their sisters and brothers, not
+knowing until they got to talking about it. One would say, 'I remember
+my <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span>grandmother,' and another would say, "that's <i>my</i> grandmother," then
+they'd find out they were sister and brother.</p>
+
+<p>"Speculators used to steal children," said Eugene. "I saw the wagons.
+They were just like the wagons that came from North Carolina with apples
+in. Dey had big covers on them. The speculators had plantations where
+they kept the children until they were big enough to sell, and they had
+an old woman there to tend to those children."</p>
+
+<p>"I was a butler." (A dreamy look came into Eugene's old eyes.) "So I
+were young. I saw a girl and fell in love with her, and asked her to
+marry me. 'Yes,' she said, 'when I get grown!' I said, 'I am not quite
+grown myself.' I was sixteen years old. When I was twenty-one years old
+I married her in my father's house. My mother and father were dead then.
+I had two sisters left, but my brothers were dead too."</p>
+
+<p>"I quit butling when I got married. They was enlarging the canal here.
+It was just wide enough for the big flats to go up with cotton. They
+widened it, and I went to work on dat, for $1.25 a day. They got in some
+Chinese when it was near finished, but they wasn't any good. The
+Irishmen wouldn't work with niggers, because they said they could make
+the job last eight years&mdash;the niggers worked too fast. They accomplished
+it in about four years.</p>
+
+<p>"After working on the canal, I left there and helped dig the foundations
+of Sibley Mill. The raceway, the water that run from canal to river, I
+helped dig that. Then after that, I went to Mr. Berckmans and worked for
+him for fifty years. All my children were raised on his place. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span>That's
+how come my boy do garden work now. I worked for 50&cent; a day, but he give
+me a house on the place. He 'lowed me to have chickens, a little fence,
+and a garden. He was very good to us. That was Mr. P.J. Berckmans. I
+potted plants all day long. I used to work at night. I wouldn't draw no
+money, just let them keep it for me. After they found out I could read
+and write and was an honest fellow, they let me take my work home, and
+my children helped me make the apple grass and plum grass, and mulberry
+grass. A man come and told me he would give me $60 a month if I would go
+with him, but I didn't I couldn't see hardly at all then&mdash;I was wearing
+glasses. Now, in my 84th year, I can read the newspaper, Bible and
+everything without glasses. My wife died two years ago." (Tears came
+into Eugene's eyes, and his face broke up) "We lived together 62 years!"</p>
+
+<p>Asked if his wife had been a slave, Eugene answered that she was but a
+painful effort of memory did not reveal her owner's name.</p>
+
+<p>"I do remember she told me she had a hard time," he went on slowly. "Her
+master and misses called themselves 'religious people' but they were not
+good to her. They took her about in the barouche when they were
+visiting. She had to mind the children. They had a little seat on the
+back, and they'd tie her up there to keep her from falling off. Once
+when they got to a big gate, they told her to get down and open it for
+the driver to go through, not knowing the hinges was broken. That big
+gate fell on her back and she was down for I don't know how long. Before
+she died, she complained of a pain in her back, and the doctor said it
+must have been from a lick when she was a child.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span>"During the war there were some Southern soldiers went through. I and
+two friends of mine were together. Those soldiers caught us and made us
+put our hands down at our knees, and tied 'em, and run the stick through
+underneath.</p>
+
+<p>"It was wintertime. They had a big fire. They pushed us nearer and nearer
+the fire, until we hollered. It was just devilment. They was having fun
+with us, kept us tied up about a half hour. There was a mulatto boy with
+us, but they thought he was white, and didn't bother him. One time they
+caught us and throwed us up in blankets, way up, too&mdash;I was about 11
+years old then."</p>
+
+<p>Asked about church, Eugene said:</p>
+
+<p>"We went to bush meetings up on the Sand Hill out in the woods. They
+didn't have a church then."</p>
+
+<p>Eugene's recollections were vivid as to the ending of the war:</p>
+
+<p>"The Northern soldiers come to town playing Yankee Doodle. When freedom
+come, they called all the white people to the courthouse first, and told
+them the darkies was free. Then on a certain day they called all the
+colored people down to the parade ground. They had built a big stand,
+and the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up and spoke,
+and told the Negroes:</p>
+
+<p>"You are free now. Don't steal. Now work and make a living. Do honest
+work, make an honest living to support yourself and children. No more
+masters. You are free."</p>
+
+<p>Eugene said when the colored troops come in, they sang:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Don't you see the lightning?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Don't you hear the thunder?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It isn't the lightning,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It isn't the thunder,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But its the button on<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">The Negro uniforms!<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span>"The slaves that was freed, and the country Negroes that had been run
+off, or had run away from the plantations, was staying in Augusta in
+Guv'ment houses, great big ole barns. They would all get free provisions
+from the Freedmen's Bureau, but people like us, Augusta citizens, didn't
+get free provisions, we had to work. It spoiled some of them. When the
+small pox come, they died like hogs, all over Broad Street and
+everywhere."</p>
+
+<br />
+<a name="Willis_Bennefield" id="Willis_Bennefield"></a><hr />
+<br />
+
+<h3>WILLIS BENNEFIELD, HEPHZIBAH, GA., Born 1835.</h3>
+
+<p>[TR: "Uncle Willis" in individual interviews.]</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>"Uncle Willis" lives with his daughter Rena Berrian, who is 74 years
+old. "I his baby," said Rena, "all dead but me, and I ain't no good for
+him now 'cause I can't tote nothin'."</p>
+
+<p>When asked where Uncle Willis was, Rena looked out over the blazing
+cotton field and called:</p>
+
+<p>"Pap! Oh&mdash;pappy! Stop pickin' cotton and come in awhile. Dey's some
+ladies wants to see you."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis hobbled slowly to the cabin, set in the middle of the
+cotton patch. He wore clean blue overalls, obviously new. His small,
+regular features had high cheekbones. There was a tuft of curly white
+hair on his chin, and his head was covered with a "sundown" hat.</p>
+
+<p>"Mawnin," he said, "I bin sick. So I thought I might git some cotton
+terday."</p>
+
+<p>Willis thinks he is 101 years old. He said, "I was 35 years <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span>old when
+freedom delcared." He belonged to Dr. Balding Miller, who lived on Rock
+Creek plantation. Dr. Miller had three or four plantations, Willis said
+at first, but later stated that the good doctor had five or six places,
+all in Burke County.</p>
+
+<p>"I wuk in de fiel'," he went on, "and I drove de doctor thirty years. He
+owned 300 slaves. I never went to school a day in my life, 'cept Sunday
+school, but I tuk de doctor's sons fo' miles ev'y day to school. Guess
+he had so much business in hand he thought the chillun could walk. I
+used to sit down on de school steps 'till dey turn out. I got way up in
+de alphabet by listenin', but when I went to courtin' I forgot all dat."</p>
+
+<p>Asked what his regular duties were, Willis answered with pride:</p>
+
+<p>"Marster had a cay'age and a buggy too. My father driv' de cay'age and I
+driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixing to go to bed, and had to hitch up
+my horse and go five or six miles. I had a regular saddle horse, two
+pairs for cay'age. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County.
+He made his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to
+Bath, wheh he had a house on Tena Hill. We driv' down in de cay'age.
+Sundays we went to church when Dr. Goulding preach. De darkies went in
+de side do'. I hear him preach many times."</p>
+
+<p>Asked about living conditions on Rock Creek plantation, Willis replied:</p>
+
+<p>"De big house was set in ahalf acre yard. 'Bout fifty yards on one side
+was my house, and fifty yards on de udder side was de house of granny, a
+woman that tended de chillun and had charge of de yard when we went to
+Bath," Willis gestured behind him, "and back yonder was de quarters, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span>a
+half mile long; dey wuz one room 'crost, and some had shed room. When
+any of 'em got sick, Marster would go round to see 'em all."</p>
+
+<p>Asked about church and Bible study, Willis said:</p>
+
+<p>"I belongst to Hopeful Church. Church people would have singin' and
+prayin', and de wicked would have dancin' and singin'. At dat time I was
+a regular dancer" Willis chuckled. "I cut de pigeon wing high enough!
+Not many cullud people know de Bible in slavery time. We had dances, and
+prayers and sing too," he went on, "and we sang a song, 'On Jordan's
+stormy banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye.'"</p>
+
+<p>"How about marriages?" he was asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Colored preacher marry 'em. You had to get license and give it to the
+preacher, and he marry 'em. Then de men on our plantation had wives on
+udder plantations, dey call 'em broad wives."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you give your wife presents when you were courting?" he was asked.</p>
+
+<p>"I went to courtin' and never give her nuthin' till I marry her."</p>
+
+<p>As to punishment, Willis said that slaves were whipped as they needed
+it, and as a general rule the overseer did the whipping.</p>
+
+<p>"When darky wouldn't take whippin' from de overseer," he said, he had to
+cay'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin' de marster brush
+'em. Why, de darkies would whip de overseer!"</p>
+
+<p>Willis was asked to describe how slaves earned money for personal use,
+and replied:</p>
+
+<p>"Dey made dey own money. In slavery time, if you wanted four or five
+acres of land to plant anything on, marster give it to you, and whatever
+dat <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span>land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it
+any you wanted to. Still he give you somethin' to eat and clothe you,
+but dat patch you mek cotton on, sometimes a whole bale, dat money
+yours."</p>
+
+<p>Willis thought the plantation house was still there, "but it badly
+wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobody living in it now. It
+seven miles from Waynesboro, south."</p>
+
+<p>"When de soldiers come thoo'," continued Willis, "dey didn't burn dat
+place, but dey went in dere and took out ev'thing dey want, and give it
+to de cullud people. Dey kep' it till dey got free. De soldiers tuk Dr.
+Millers horses and carry 'em off. Got in de crib and tuk de corn. Got in
+de smoke'ouse and tuk de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver
+in a iron chist. Dey tuk it 300 yards away to a clump of trees and bury
+it. It tuk fo' men to ca'y it. Dere was money without mention in dat
+chist! After de soldiers pass thoo, de went down and got it back."</p>
+
+<p>"What did you do after freedom was declared?"</p>
+
+<p>Willis straightened up.</p>
+
+<p>"I went down to Augusta to de Freedmen's Bureau to see if twas true we
+wuz free. I reckon dere was, over a hundred people dere. The man got up
+and stated to de people, "you is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got no
+mistis and no marster. Work wheh you want." On Sunday morning old
+Marster sent de house girl and tell us to all come to de house. He said:</p>
+
+<p>"What I want to send for you all, is to tell you you are free. You hab
+de privilege to go anywhere you want, but I don't want none of you to
+leave me now. I wants you-all to stay right wid me. If you stay, you <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_239" id="Page_239">[Pg 239]</a></span>you
+mus' sign to it' I asked him: "What you want me to sign for?, I is
+free." 'Dat will hold me to my word, and hold you to yo' word,' he say.
+All my folks sign it, but I wouldn't sign. Marster call me up and say:
+'Willis, why wouldn't you sign?' I say: 'If I already is free, I don't
+need to sign no paper. If I was working for you, and doing for you befo'
+I got free, I can do it still, if you want me to stay wid yo'.' My
+father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My
+mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I said:
+'Den I kin go somewhere else.' Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a
+month, other hands $10.00, and den on down to five and six dollars. He
+give rations like dey always. When Christmas come, all come up to be
+paid off. Den he call me. Ask whar is me? I wus standin' roun' de corner
+of de house. 'Come up here,' he say, 'you didn't sign dat paper, but I
+reckon I have to pay you too.' He paid me and my wife $180.000. I said:
+'Well, you-all thought he wouldn't pay me, but I got my money too.' I
+stayed to my marster's place one year after de war den I lef'dere. Nex'
+year I decided I wuld quit dere and go somewhere else. It was on account
+of my wife. You see, Marster bought her off, as de highes', and she
+hadn't seen her mother and father in Waynesboro for 15 years.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_240" id="Page_240">[Pg 240]</a></span>When she got free, she went down to see 'em. Waren't willin' to come
+back. T'was on account Mistis and her. Dey bofe had chilluns, five-six
+years old. De chillun had disagreement. Mistis slap my girl. My wife
+sass de Mistis. But my marster, he was as good a man as ever born. I
+wouldn't have lef' him for anybody, just on account of his wife and her
+fell out."</p>
+
+<p>"What did your marster say when you told him you were going to leave?
+Was he sorry?"</p>
+
+<p>"I quit and goes over three miles to another widow lady house, and mek
+bargain wid her," said Willis. "I pass right by de do'. Old boss sitting
+on de pi-za. He say: 'Hey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say; 'I 'cided to
+go.' I was de fo'man of de plow-han' den. I saw to all de locking up,
+and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He come out to de gate. 'I
+tell you what I give you to stay on here, I give you five acre of as
+good land as I got, and $30.00 a month, to stay here and see to my
+bizness.'"</p>
+
+<p>Willis paused a moment, thinking back on that long distant parting.</p>
+
+<p>"I say," he went on, "I can't, Marster. It don't suit my wife 'round
+here, and she won't come back, and I can't stay.' He turn on me den, and
+busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise up a darky that would
+talk thataway,' he said to me. Well, I went on off. I got de wagon and
+come by de house. Marster says: 'Now you gwone off, but don't forget me,
+boy. Remember me as you always done.' I said: 'All right.'"</p>
+
+<p>Willis chewed his tobacco reflectively for a few minutes, spat into the
+rosemary bush, and resumed his story:</p>
+
+<p>"I went over to dat widow lady's house and work. Along about May I got
+sick. She say: 'I going to send for de doctor.' I said: 'Please ma'am,
+don't do dat.' I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him. She say:
+'Well, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_241" id="Page_241">[Pg 241]</a></span>I gwine send fo' him.' I in desprut condition. When I know
+anything, he walk up in de do'. I was laying wid my face toward de do'
+and I turn over.</p>
+
+<p>"Doctor come up to de bed. 'Boy, how you getting on?' 'I bad off,' I
+say. He say: 'I see you is. 'yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, what you think of
+him?' 'Mistis, it mos' too late,' he say, 'but I do all I kin.' She say:
+'Please do all yo' kin, he 'bout de bes' han' I got.'</p>
+
+<p>"Doctor fix up med'cine and tole her to give it to me. She say: 'Uncle
+Will, tek dis med'cine.' I 'fraid to tek it, 'fraid he wuz tryin' to
+kill me. Den two men, John and Charles, come in. Lady say: 'Get dis
+med'cine in Uncle Will.' One of de men hold my hand, one hold my head,
+and dey gagged me and put it in me. Nex few days I kin talk, and ax for
+somethin' to eat, so I git better. I say: 'Well, he didn't kill me when
+I tuk de Med'cine.'</p>
+
+<p>"I stayed dere wid her. Nex' yar I move right back in two miles other
+side wheh I always live, wid anudder lady. I stay dere three years. Got
+along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef' dere wid $300.00 and
+plenty corn and hog. Everything I want, and three hundred dollars cash
+in my pocket!"</p>
+
+<p>(It was plain that in his present status of relief ward, Uncle Willis
+looked back on that sum of money as a small fortune. He thought about it
+awhile, spat again, and went on:)</p>
+
+<p>"Fourth year I lef' and went down to de John Fryer place on Rock Creek.
+I stayed dere 33 years in dat one place."</p>
+
+<p>"Uncle Willis, did you ever see the doctor again?"</p>
+
+<p>"He die 'fore I know it," he replied, "I was 'bout fifteen miles from
+him and be de time I hear of his death, he bury on plantation near Rock
+Creek."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_242" id="Page_242">[Pg 242]</a></span>Willis was asked about superstitions, and answered with great
+seriousness:</p>
+
+<p>"Eberybody in de worl' have got a spirit what follow 'em roun' and dey
+kin see diffrunt things. In my sleep I hab vision."</p>
+
+<p>"Pappy, tell de ladies 'bout de hant," urged Aunt Rena from her post in
+the doorway, and Willis took up the story with eagerness:</p>
+
+<p>"One night I was gwine to a lady's store, riding a horse. De graveyard
+was 100 yards from de road I wuz passing. De moon was shining bright as
+day. I saw somethin' coming out of dat graveyard. It come across de
+road, right befo' me. His tail were dragging on de ground, a long tail.
+He had hair on both sides of him, laying down on de road. He crep' up. I
+pull de horse dis way, he move too. I pull him dat way, he move too. I
+yell out: 'What in de name o' God is dat?' And it turn right straight
+'round de graveyard and went back. I went on to de lady's store, and
+done my shoppin'. I tell you I was skeered, 'cause I was sho' I would
+see it going back, but I never saw it. De horse was turrible skeered of
+it. It looked like a Maryno sheep, and it had a long, swishy tail."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis was asked if he had ever seen a person "conjured" and he
+answered:</p>
+
+<p>"Dey is people in de worl' got sense to kill out de conjur in anybody,
+but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say if a person conjur you,
+you'll git somethin' in you dat would kill you."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_243" id="Page_243">[Pg 243]</a></span>Asked to what he attributed his long, healthy life, he raised his head
+with a preaching look and replied:</p>
+
+<p>"I tell you, Missis, 'zactly what I believe. I bin tryin' to serve God
+ever since I come to be a man of family. I bin trying to serve de Lawd
+79 years, and I live by precepts of de word. Until today nobuddy can
+turn me away from God business. I am a man studying my gospel. I ain't
+able to go to church, but I still keep serving God."</p>
+
+<p>A week later Uncle Willis was found standing in the cabin door.</p>
+
+<p>"Do you want to ride to the old plantation to-day?" he was asked. His
+vitality was almost too low form to grasp the invitation.</p>
+
+<p>"I'se might weak today," he said in a feeble voice. "I don't feel good
+for much."</p>
+
+<p>"Where is Aunt Rena?" he was asked. "Do you think she would mind your
+taking an automobile trip?"</p>
+
+<p>"She gone to town on de bus, to see de Fambly Welfare."</p>
+
+<p>"Have you had breakfast?" His weak appearance indicated lack of food.</p>
+
+<p>"I had some coffee, but I ain't eat 'none."</p>
+
+<p>"Well, come on, Uncle Willis. We'll get you some breakfast, and then
+we'll take you to the plantation and take your picture in the place
+where you were born 101 years ago."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis appeared to be somewhat in a daze as he padlocked the cabin
+door, put on his "sundown" hat, took up his stout stick and tottered
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_244" id="Page_244">[Pg 244]</a></span>down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater, with several layers of shirts
+showing at the cuffs. On the way he recalled the first railroad train
+that passed through Burke County.</p>
+
+<p>"I kinder scared," he recollected, "we wuz all 'mazed to see dat train
+flyin' long 'thout any horses. De people wuz all afraid."</p>
+
+<p>"Had you hear of airplanes before you saw one, Uncle Willis?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes, ma'am. I yeared o' them, but you couldn't gimme dis car full of
+money to fly, they's too high off de ground. I never is gwine in one."</p>
+
+<p>Uncle Willis was deposited on the porch of one of the remaining slave
+cabins to eat his "brekkus," while his kidnappers sought over hill and
+field for "the big house," but only two cabins and the chimney
+foundation of a large burned dwelling rewarded the search.</p>
+
+<p>He was posed in front of the cabin, just in front of the clay and brick
+end chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony, rearing his head
+up straight so that his white beard stuck out.</p>
+
+<p>The brutal reality of finding the glories of Rock Creek plantation
+forever vanished must have been a severe blow for the old man, for
+several times on the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again
+at his cabin in the cotton field, his vitality reasserted itself, and he
+greeted his curious dusky neighbors with the proud statement:</p>
+
+<p>"Dey tuk me wheh I was bred and born. I don't ax no better time."</p>
+
+<p>His farewell words were:</p>
+
+<p>"Goo'bye. I hopes you all gits to Paradise."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Emmaline_Heard" id="Emmaline_Heard"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_245" id="Page_245">[Pg 245]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>FOLKLORE<br />
+<br />
+Interviews obtained from:<br />
+MRS. EMMALINE HEARD, 239 Cain St. NE<br />
+MRS. ROSA MILLEGAN, 231 Chestnut Ave. NE<br />
+MR. JASPER MILLEGAN, 231 Chestnut Ave. NE<br />
+Atlanta, Ga.<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 12 1937]<br />
+<br />
+[MRS. EMMALINE HEARD]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_246" id="Page_246">[Pg 246]</a></span>Mrs. Emmaline Heard, who resides at 239 Cain St. NE has proved to be a
+regular storehouse for conjure and ghost stories. Not only this but she
+is a firm believer in the practice of conjure. To back up her belief in
+conjure is her appearance. She is a dark brown-skinned woman of medium
+height and always wears a dirty towel on her head. The towel which was
+at one time white gives her the weird look of an old-time fortune
+teller.</p>
+
+<p>Tuesday, December 8, 1936 a visit was made to her home and the following
+information was secured:</p>
+
+<p>"There wuz onct a house in McDonough and it wuz owned by the Smiths that
+wuz slave owners way back yonder. Now, this is the trufe cause it wuz
+told ter me by old Uncle Joe Turner and he 'spirience it. Nobody could
+live in this house I don't care how they tried. Dey say this house wuz
+hanted and anybody that tried to stay there wuz pulled out of bed by a
+hant. Well, sir, they offered the house and $1,000 to anyone who could
+stay there over night. Uncle Joe said he decided to try it so sho nuff
+he got ready one night and went ter this house to stay. After while,
+says he, something come in the room and started over ter the bed, but
+fore it got there, he said, "What in the name of the Lord you want with
+me." It said, 'follow me. There is a pot of gold buried near the
+chimney; go find it and you won't be worried with me no more.' Der next
+morning Uncle Joe went out there and begin ter dig and sho nuff he found
+the gold; and sides that he got the house. Dis here is the trufe. Uncle
+Joe's house is right there in McDonough now and anybody round there will
+tell you the same thing cause he wuz well-known. Uncle Joe is dead now.</p>
+
+<p>"Anudder story that happened during slavery time and wuz told ter me by
+father wuz this; The master had a old man on his plantation named
+Jimson. Well, Jimson's wife wuz sick and had been fer nearly a year. One
+day there she wanted some peas, black eyed peas; but old man Harper
+didn't have none on his plantation, so Jimson planned ter steal off that
+night and go ter old Marse Daniel's farm, which wuz 4 miles from Marse
+Harper's farm, and steal a few peas for his wife. Well, between midnight
+and day he got a sack and started off <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_247" id="Page_247">[Pg 247]</a></span>down the road. Long after while a
+owl started hootin, sho-o-o are-e-e, who-o-o-o-, and it wounded jest lak
+someone saying 'who are you.' Jimson got scared, pulled off his cap and
+run all the way to old man Daniel's farm. As he run he wuz saying, "Sir,
+dis is me, old Jimson" over and over again. Now, when he got near the
+farm Old Daniel heard him and got up in the loft ter watch him. Finally
+old Jimson got dar and started creeping up in the loft. When he got up
+dar, chile, Marse Daniel grabbed his whip and 'most beat Jimson ter
+death.</p>
+
+<p>"This here story happened in Mississippi years ago, but den folks that
+tell it ter me said it wuz the trufe. 'There wuz a woman that wuz sick;
+her name wuz Mary Jones. Well, she lingered and lingered till she
+finally died. In them days folks all around would come ter the settin-up
+if somebody wuz dead. They done sent some men after the casket. Since
+they had ter go 30 miles they wuz a good while getting back, so the
+folkses decided ter sing. After while they heard the men come up on the
+porch and somebody got up ter let 'em in. Chile, jest as they opened the
+door that 'oman set straight up on that bed; and sech another runnin and
+getting out of that house you never heard; but some folks realized she
+wuzn't dead so they got the casket out der way so she wouldn't see it,
+cause they wuz fraid she would pass out sho nuff; jest the same they wuz
+fraid of her, too. The man went off and come back with postols, guns,
+sticks, and everything; and when this 'oman saw 'em she said, 'don't
+run, I won't bother you.' but, chile, they left there in a big hurry,
+too. Well, this here Mary went to her sister's house and knocked on the
+door, and said: 'Let me in. This is Mary. I want to talk to you and tell
+you where I've been.' The sister's husband opened the door and let her
+in. This 'oman told 'em that God had brought her to and that she had
+been in a trance with the Lord. After that every one wuz always afraid
+of that 'oman and they wouldn't even sit next ter her in the church.
+They say she is still living.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_248" id="Page_248">[Pg 248]</a></span>"This happened right yonder in McDonough years ago. A gal went to a party
+with her sweet'art and her ma told her not ter go. Well, she went on
+anyhow in a buggy; when they got ter the railroad crossing a train hit
+the buggy and killed the gal, but the boy didn't git hurted at all.
+Well, while they wuz sittin up with this dead gal, the boy comes long
+there in his buggy with anudder gal, and do you know that horse stopped
+right in front uv that house and wouldn't budge one inch. No matter how
+hard he whip that horse it wouldn't move; instid he rared and kicked and
+jumped about and almost turned the buggy over. The gal in the buggy
+fainted. Finally a old slavery time man come along and told him to git a
+quart of whiskey and pour it around the buggy and the hant would go
+away. So they done that and the sperit let 'em pass. If a hant laked
+whisky in they lifetime, and you pour it round where they's at, they
+will go away."</p>
+
+<p>The following are true conjure stories supposedly witnessed by Mrs.
+Heard: "There wuz a Rev. Dennis that lived below the Federal Prison.
+Now, he wuz the preacher of the Hardshell Baptist Church in this
+community. This man stayed sick about a year and kept gittin different
+doctors and none uv them did him any good. Well, his wife kept on at him
+till he decided ter go ter see Dr. Geech. His complaint wuz that he felt
+something run up his legs ter his thighs. Old Dr. Geech told him that he
+had snakes in his body and they wuz put there by the lady he had been
+going wid. Dr. Geech give him some medicine ter take and told him that
+on the 7th day from then that 'oman would come and take the medicine off
+the shelf and throw it away. Course Rev. Dennis didn't believe a thing
+he said, so sho nuff she come jest lak Dr. Geech said and took the
+medicine away. Dr. Geech told him that he would die when the snakes got
+up in his arm, but if he would do lak he told him he would get all
+right. Dis 'oman had put this stuff in some whiskey and he drunk it so
+the snakes breed in his body. After he quit taking the medicine he got
+bad off and had ter stay in the bed; sho nuff the morning he died you
+could see the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_249" id="Page_249">[Pg 249]</a></span>snake in his arm; the print uv it wuz there when he died.
+The snake stretched out in his arm and died, too.</p>
+
+<p>"I got a son named Jack Heard. Well, somebody fixed him. I wuz in
+Chicago when that happened and my daughter kept writing ter me ter come
+home cause Jack wuz acting funny and she thought maybe he wuz losing his
+mind. They wuz living in Thomasville then and every day he would go sit
+round the store and laugh and talk, but jest as soon as night would come
+and he would eat his supper them fits would come on him. He would squeal
+jest lak a pig and he would get down on his knees and bark jest lak a
+dog. Well, I come home and went ter see a old conjure doctor. He says
+ter me, 'that boy is hurt and when you go home you look in the corner of
+the mattress and you will find it. 'Sho nuff I went home and looked in
+the corner of the mattress and there the package wuz. It wuz a mixture
+of his hair and bluestone wrapped up in red flannel with new needles
+running all through it. When I went back he says ter me, 'Emmaline, have
+you got 8 dimes?' No, I said, but I got a dollar. 'Well, get that dollar
+changed into 10 dimes and take 8 of 'em and give 'em ter me. Then he
+took Jack in a room, took off his clothes and started ter rubbin him
+down with medicine; all at the same time he wuz saying a ceremony over
+him; then he took them 8 dimes, put 'em in a bag and tied them around
+Jack's chest somewhere so that they would hang over his heart. 'Now,
+wear them always,' says he ter Jack. Jack wore them dimes a long time
+but he finally drunk 'em up anyway, that doctor cured him cause he sho
+would a died."</p>
+
+<p>The following aroma [HW: is a] few facts as related by Mrs. Heard
+concerning an old conjure doctor known as Aunt Barkas [TR: Darkas
+throughout rest of story].</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>"Aunt Darkas lived in McDonough, Ga. until a few years ago. She died
+when she wuz 128 years old; but, chile, lemme tell you that 'oman knowed
+just what ter do fer you. She wuz blind but she could go ter the woods
+and pick out any kind of root or herb she wanted. She always said the
+Lord told her what roots to get and always fore sun-up you would see her
+in the woods with a short handled pick. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_250" id="Page_250">[Pg 250]</a></span>She said she had ter pick 'em
+for sun-up; I don't know why. If you wuz sick all you had ter do wuz go
+ter see Aunt Darkas and tell her. She had a well and after listening to
+your complaint she would go out there and draw a bucket of water and set
+it on the floor, and then she would wave her hand over it and say
+something. She called this healing the water. After this she would give
+you a drink of water. As she hand it ter you, she would say, 'now drink,
+take this and drink.' Honey, I had some of that water myself and blieve
+me it goes all over you and makes you feel so good. Old Aunt Darkas
+would give you a supply of water and tell you ter come back fer more
+when that wuz gone. Old Aunt Darkas said the Lord gave her power and
+vision, and she used to fast for a week at a time. When she died there
+wuz a piece in the paper bout her.</p>
+
+<p>"This here is sho the trufe, and if you don't believe it, go out ter
+Southview Cemetery and see Sid Heard, my oldest son; he been out there
+over 20 years as sexton and bookkeeper. Yessir, he tole it ter me and I
+believe it. This happen long ago, 10 or 15 years. There wuz a couple
+that lived in Macon, Ga., but their home wuz in Atlanta and they had a
+lot out ter Southview. Well, they had a young baby that tuck sick and
+died so they had the baby's funeral there in Macon; then they put the
+coffin in the box, placed the label on the box, then brought it ter
+Atlanta. Folkes are always buried so that they head faces the east. They
+say when Judgment Day come and Gabriel blow that trumpet everybody will
+rise up facing the east. Well, as I wuz saying, they came here. Sid
+Heard met 'em out yonder and instructed his men fer arrangements fer the
+grave and everything. A few weeks later the 'oman called Sid Heard up
+long distance. She said, 'Mr. Heard.' Yesmam, he said. 'I call you ter
+tell you me and my husband can't rest at all.' 'Why?' he asked. 'Because
+we can hear our baby crying every night and it is worrying us ter death.
+Our neighbors next door say our baby must be buried wrong.' Sid Heard
+said, Well, I buried the baby according ter the way you got the box
+labeled. 'I am not blaming you, Mr. Heard, but if I pay you will you
+take my baby up?' Yesmam, I will if you <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_251" id="Page_251">[Pg 251]</a></span>want me to; jest let me know the
+day you will be here and I'll have everything ready. Alright, said she.</p>
+
+<p>'Well,' said Sid Heard, 'the day she wuz ter come she wuz sick and
+instead sent a car load of her friends. The men got busy and started
+digging till they got ter the box; when they took it up sho nuff after
+they opened it, they found the baby had been buried wrong; the head was
+facing the west instead of the east. They turned the box around and
+covered it up. The folks then went on back to Macon. A week later the
+'omen called up again. 'Mr. Heard,' she says. Yesmam, says he. 'Well, I
+haven't heard my baby cry at all in the past week. I wuzn't there but I
+know the exact date you took my baby up, cause I never heard it cry no
+more.'</p>
+
+<br />
+<a name="Rosa_and_Jasper_Millegan" id="Rosa_and_Jasper_Millegan"></a><hr />
+<br />
+
+<h3>[MRS. ROSA MILLEGAN AND MR. JASPER MILLEGAN]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>On December 10, 1936 Mr. and Mrs. Millegan who reside at 231 Chestnut
+Ave. NE. were interviewed on the subject of superstitions, signs,
+conjure, etc. Mrs. Rosa Millegan studied awhile after the facts of the
+interview were made clear to her. Finally she said; "I kin tell you more
+bout conjure; that's all I know bout cause I done been hurted myself and
+every word of it is the trufe.</p>
+
+<p>"Well, it happen lak this. I wuz suffering with rheumatism in my arm and
+a old man in the neighborhood came ter me and gave me some medicine that
+he said would help me. Well, I done suffered so I thought mebbe it might
+help me a little. Chile honey, 'after I done tuck some of that stuff I
+nearly went crazy. I couldn't talk; couldn't hardly move and my head
+look lak it bust open. I didn't know what ter do. I called medical
+doctors and they jest didn't do me no good. Let me tell you right here,
+when you done been conjured, medical doctors can't do you no good; you
+got ter get a nudder conjur doctor ter get it off you. Well, one day I
+says to my daughter, "I'm through wid medical doctors. I'm gwine ter Sam
+Durham. They say he is good and I go find out. Chile, folks done give me
+up ter die. I use ter lay in bed and hear 'em say, she won't never get
+up. Well, I went ter Sam Durham and he looked at me and said: 'You is
+hurt in the mouth.' He carried me in a small room, put some <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_252" id="Page_252">[Pg 252]</a></span>medicine
+around my face, and told me ter sit down a while. After while my mouth
+and face begin ter feel lak it wuz paralyzed, and he begin ter talk.
+'That man that give you that medicine is mad wid you about his wife and
+he fixed you. Now do what I tell you and you will overcome it. He is
+coming ter your door and is gwine want ter shake your hand. Don't let
+him touch you, but speak ter him in the name of the Lord and throw your
+hands over your head; by doing this you will overcome him and the
+devil.' Anudder thing he says; 'This man is coming from around the back
+of your house.' Then he give me 5 vials of different lengths and a half
+cup of pills, and told me ter take all that medicine. He told me too ter
+get a rooster and let him stay on my porch all the time and he couldn't
+get ter me no more. Sho nuff, that nigger come jest lak he said he wuz
+going ter do, but I fixed him. Later on this same man tried ter fix his
+wife cause he thought she had anudder man. Do you know that oman
+couldn't drink water in her house? and when he died he wuz nearly crazy;
+they had ter strap him in the bed; all the while he wuz cussin God and
+raving."</p>
+
+<p>The next stories were told to the writer by Mr. Jasper Millegan:</p>
+
+<p>"My uncle wuz poisoned. Yes, sir, somebody fixed him in coffee. He
+lingered and lingered and finally got so he wuz confined ter bed fer
+good. Somebody put scorpions in him and whenever they would crawl under
+his skin he would nearly go crazy, and it looked lak his eyes would jest
+pop out. He waited so long ter go ter the conjure doctors they couldn't
+do him any good. And the medical doctors ain't no good fer nothing lak
+that. Yes, sir, them snakes would start in his feet and run up his leg.
+He nebber did get any better and he died.</p>
+
+<p>"A long time ago I saw a lady that wuz conjured in her feet; somebody
+put something down fer her ter walk over. Well, anyway she got down with
+her feet and couldn't travel from her bed ter a chair. Well, she got a
+old conjure doctor ter come treat her and he rubbed her feet with
+medicine and after he done that a while he told her that something wuz
+coming out of her feet. Sho <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_253" id="Page_253">[Pg 253]</a></span>nuff, I see'd them maggots with my own eyes
+when they come out of her feet; but she got well."</p>
+
+<p>The following are preventatives to use against conjure; also a few home
+treatments for different sickness.</p>
+
+<p>"Ter keep from being conjured, always use plenty salt and pepper. Always
+get up soon in the morning so nobody can see you and sprinkle salt and
+pepper around your door and they sho can't git at you.</p>
+
+<p>"If you think you done been poisoned or conjured, take a bitter gourd
+and remove the seeds, then beat 'em up and make a tea. You sho will
+heave all of it up.</p>
+
+<p>"Ef you think you will have a stroke, go to running water and get four
+flint rocks; heat 'em and lay on all of them, and believe me, it will
+start your blood circulating and prevent the stroke. Another way to
+start your blood circulating; heat a brick and (lay) lie on it.</p>
+
+<p>"To get rid of corns, bathe your feet in salt water and take a little
+salt and put it 'tween your toes."</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Millegan closed her interview by telling the writer that every
+morning found her sprinkling her salt and pepper, cause she knows what
+it means ter be fixed. As the writer started out the door she noticed a
+horse shoe hanging over the door.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Camilla_Jackson" id="Camilla_Jackson"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_254" id="Page_254">[Pg 254]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>FOLKLORE<br />
+(Negro)<br />
+Minnie B. Ross<br />
+<br />
+[MRS. CAMILLA JACKSON]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>On November 24, 1936 Mrs. Camilla Jackson was interviewed concerning
+superstitions, signs, etc. Mrs. Jackson, an ex-slave, is about 80 years
+of age and although advanced in years she is unusually intelligent in
+her speech and thoughts. The writer was well acquainted with her having
+previously interviewed her concerning life as a slave.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Jackson related to the writer the following signs and incidents:</p>
+
+<p>If a tree is standing in your yard or near your house and an owl lights
+in it and begins to hoot, some one in the family will die.</p>
+
+<p>If, during the illness of a person, a cat comes in the room, or the
+house, and whines, the person will die.</p>
+
+<p>Another sure sign of death and one that has been experienced by Mrs.
+Jackson is as follows: Listen child if a bird flies in your house some
+one is going to die. My daughter and I were ironing one day and a bird
+flew in the window right over her head. She looked up and said, "mama
+that bird came after me or you, but I believe it came for me." One month
+later my daughter took sick with pneumonia and died.</p>
+
+<p>My mother said before the Civil War ended her mistress owned an old
+slave woman 100 years old. This old woman was very wicked and the old
+miss used to visit her cabin and read the Bible to her. Well sir, she
+died and do you know the horses balked and would go every way but the
+right way to the grave. They rared and kicked and would turn straight
+around in the road 'cause the evil spirits were frightening them. It was
+a long time before they could get the body to the grave.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Jackson before relating the following experiences emphatically
+stated her belief in seeing the dead but only believes that you can see
+them in a dream.</p>
+
+<p>"Many a night my sister has come to me all dressed in white. I have
+heard her call me too; but I have never answered. No longer than one
+night last week old Mr. and Mrs. Tanner came to me in a dream. The old
+lady came in my room and stood over my bed. Her hair was done up on the
+top of her head just like she always wore it. She was distressed and
+spoke about some one being after her. Old Mr. Tanner <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_255" id="Page_255">[Pg 255]</a></span>came and led her
+away. They really were in my room, you see both of them died in this
+house years ago."</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Jackson could not relate any stories of conjuring; but did mention
+the fact that she had often heard of people wearing money around their
+legs to keep from being conjured. She also spoke of people keeping a
+horseshoe over the door for good luck.</p>
+
+<p>During slavery and since that time, if you should go out doors on a
+drizzling night for any thing, before you could get back Jack O'lantern
+would grab you and carry you to the swamps. If you hollowed and some one
+bring a torch to the door the Jack O'lantern would turn you aloose.
+Another way to get rid of them is to turn your pockets wrong side out.</p>
+
+<p>One day a man came here selling roots called "John the Conqueror" and
+sister Blakely there, paid him 10&cent; for one of the plants, but she never
+did plant it. He said the plant would bring good luck.</p>
+
+<br />
+<a name="Anna_Grant" id="Anna_Grant"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<h3>[MRS. ANNA GRANT]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>On the same day Mrs. Jackson was interviewed, Mrs. Anna Grant told the
+writer that if she didn't mind she would relate to her a ghost story
+that was supposed to be true. In her own words the writer gives the
+following story:</p>
+
+<p>Onst a 'oman, her husband and two chillun wuz travelin'. This 'oman wuz
+a preacher and only wanted to stop over night. Now this 'oman's husban'
+wuz a sinner, but she wuz a christian. Well she saw an old empty house
+setting in a field but when she went ter inquire 'bout it she wuz told
+that it wuz hanted and no one had ebber been able ter stay there over
+night. De lady dat owned de house offered her pillows, bed clothes,
+sheets, etc., if she intended to stay, and even told her that she would
+give her de house if she could stay there. The woman that owned the
+house told her butler to go and make a fire for the family and carry the
+pillows, sheets, etc. Well, they all got there the 'oman built a fire,
+cooked supper and fed 'em all. Her husband and children went ter bed.
+The husband wanted to know why his wife wanted him to go to bed and she
+wanted ter stay up. The wife didn't <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_256" id="Page_256">[Pg 256]</a></span>say nothin', just told him ter go to
+bed, then she laid the Bible on the table bottom side up and kept
+looking behind her. The house wuz two story and after while something
+came ter the top steps and said, "Can I throw down," she said "throw
+down in the name of the father, son and Holy Ghost." Two thighs and a
+foot came down. Later the same voice sed, "Can I throw down," and she
+said, "throw down in the name of the father, son and the Holy Ghost,"
+and then a whole body came down. The husband woke up when he heard the
+noise and ran away from the house. The ghost told the 'oman ter follow
+her, and she picked up her Bible and kept on reading and went on behind
+the ghost. The ghost showed her where some money was buried near a big
+oak tree and then vanished. The next morning the 'oman dug and found der
+money, but the 'oman of the house wouldn't take a penny, said she didn't
+want it, sides that she gave her the house. They said this wuz a true
+story and der reason dat house wus hanted wuz 'cause der family dat used
+to live there got killed about money. Mrs. Grant ended by saying "Deres
+a horseshoe over my door right now for luck."</p>
+
+<br />
+<a name="Emmaline_Heard2" id="Emmaline_Heard2"></a><hr />
+<br />
+
+<h3>[MRS. EMMALINE HEARD]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>Mrs. Emmaline Heard lives on Cain St. between Fort and Butler Sts. She
+is an ex-slave and on a previous occasion had given the writer an
+interesting account of slavery as she knew it. When the writer
+approached her concerning superstitious signs, ghost tales, conjure
+etc., Mrs. Heard's face became lit with interest and quickly assured the
+writer that she believed in conjuring, ghosts, and signs. It was not
+long before our interview began. Mrs. Heard, although seventy or
+seventy-five years old, is very intelligent in her expression of her
+different thoughts. This interview, as nearly as possible, was taken in
+the exact words of the person interviewed.</p>
+
+<p>"If you are eating with a mouthful of food and sneeze, that sho is a
+true sign of death. I know that 'cause years ago I wuz havin' breakfast
+with my son Wylie and one other boy and Wylie sneezed and said "Mama I'm
+so sorry I jist coundn't help it the sneeze came on me so quick." I jist
+sat there and looked at him and began ter wonder. Two weeks later my
+brother rode up and announced my mother's death. That is one sign thats
+true, yes sir.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_257" id="Page_257">[Pg 257]</a></span>If a picture falls off the wall some one in the family will die.</p>
+
+<p>If you dream about teeth, if one falls out thats another sign of death.</p>
+
+<p>Another sign of death jest as sho as you live is ter dream of a person
+naked. I dreamed my son was naked but his body was covered with hair.
+Three months later he died. Yes sir, that sho is a true sign.</p>
+
+<p>Jest as sho as your left hand itches you will receive money. If fire
+pops on you from the stove, or fire place, you will get a letter.</p>
+
+<p>If the left side of your nose itches a man is coming to the house. If it
+itches on the tip, he will come riding.</p>
+
+<p>If the right side of your nose itches a woman is coming to the house.</p>
+
+<p>Following are stories told to Mrs. Heard by her parents, which took
+place during the period of slavery. They are supposed to be true as they
+were experienced by the persons who told them.</p>
+
+<p>"My mother told me a story that happened when she was a slave. When her
+mistress whipped her she would run away ter the woods; but at night she
+would sneak back to nurse her babies. The plantation was on old
+McDonough road, so ter get ter the plantation she had ter come by a
+cemetery and you could see the white stones shining in the moonlight.
+This cemetery was near a cut in the road that people said was hanted and
+they still say old McDonough road is hanted. One night, mama said she
+was on her way to the plantation walking on the middle of the road and
+the moon was shining very bright. When she reached this cut she heard a
+noise, Clack! Clack! Clack!, and this noise reminded a person of a lot
+of machines moving. All at once a big thing as large as a house came
+down the side of the road. She said it looked like a lot of chains,
+wheels, posts all mangled together, and it seemed that there were more
+wheels and chains than anything else. It kept on by making that noise,
+clack! clack! clack!. She stood right still till it passed and came on
+ter the farm. On her way back she say she didn't see it any more, but
+right till ter day that spot is hanted. I have knowed horses to run away
+right there with <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_258" id="Page_258">[Pg 258]</a></span>people and hurt them. Then sometimes they have rared
+and kicked and turned to go in the other direction. You see, horses can
+see hants sometimes when folks can't. Now the reason fer this cut being
+hanted was because old Dave Copeland used to whip his slaves to death
+and bury them along there."</p>
+
+<p>The next story was told to Mrs. Heard by her father, who experienced it,
+as a slave boy.</p>
+
+<p>"My father sed when he wuz a boy him and two more boys run away from the
+master 'cause the master whipped 'em. They set out and walked till it
+got dark, and they saw a big old empty house settin' back from der road.
+Now this house was 3 or 4 miles from any other house. So they went in
+and made a fire, and laid down 'cause they wuz tired from running from
+the Pader rollers. Soon they heard something say tap! tap! tap!, down
+the stairs it came, a loud noise and then "Oh Lordy Master, I aint goin'
+do it no more; let me off this time." After a while they heard this same
+noise like a house falling in and the same words "Oh Lordy Master, I ant
+goin' do it no more. Let me off this time." By this time they had got
+good and scared, so my pa sed he and his friends looked at each other
+and got up and ran away from that house jest as fast as they could go.
+Nobody knowed why this old house wuz hanted; but they believed that some
+slaves had been killed in it."</p>
+
+<p>The next is a story of the Jack O'lantern as told by Mrs. Heard.</p>
+
+<p>"Old South River on' the Jonesboro road is jest full of swampy land and
+on a rainy drizzly night Jack O'lanterns will lead you. One night my
+uncle started out ter see his girl end he had ter go through the woods
+and the swamps. When he got in der swamp land he had ter cross a branch
+and the night wuz dark and drizzly, so dark you could hardly see your
+hand before your face. Way up the creek he saw a little bright light, so
+he followed it thinking he wuz on his way. All night long he sed he
+followed this light up and down the swamp, but never got near ter it.
+When day came he was still in the creek and had not gone any distance at
+all. He went home and told the folks and they went back ter the swamps
+and saw his tracks up and down in the mud. Later a group of 'em set out
+to find the Jack O'lantern and way <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_259" id="Page_259">[Pg 259]</a></span>down the creek they found it on a
+bush. It looked like soot hanging down from a bush, burnt out. My uncle
+went ter bed 'cause he wuz sleepy and tired down from walking all
+night."</p>
+
+<p>The following three stories related by Mrs. Heard deals with practices
+of conjure. She definitely states that they are true stories; and backs
+up this statement by saying she is a firm believer in conjure.</p>
+
+<p>"As I told you before, my daddy came from Virginia. He wuz bought there
+by Old Harper and brought ter McDonough as a slave boy. Well as the
+speculator drove along south, he learned who the different slaves were.
+When he got here he wuz told by the master to live with old uncle Ned
+'cause he wuz the only bachelor on the plantation. The master said ter
+old Ned, "Well Ned, I have bought me a fine young plow boy. I want him
+ter stay with you and you treat him right." Every night uncle Ned would
+make a pallet on the floor for daddy and make him go to bed. When he got
+in bed he (uncle Ned) would watch him out of the corner of his eye, but
+daddy would pretend he wuz asleep and watch old uncle Ned to see what he
+wuz going ter do. After a while uncle Ned would take a broom and sweep
+the fireplace clean, then he would get a basket and take out of it a
+whole lot of little bundles wrapped in white cloth. As he lay out a
+package he would say "grass hoppers," "spiders", "scorpian," "snake
+heads", etc., then he, would take the tongs and turn 'em around before
+the blaze so that they would parch. Night after night he would do this
+same thing until they had parched enough, then he would beat all of it
+together and make a powder; then put it up in little bags. My daddy wuz
+afraid ter ask old uncle Ned what he did with these bags, but heard he
+conjured folks with 'em. In fact he did conjure a gal 'cause she
+wouldn't pay him any attention. This gal wuz very young and preferred
+talking to the younger men, but uncle Ned always tried ter hang around
+her and help hoe, but she would always tell him to go do his own work
+'cause she could do hers. One day he said ter her "All right madam, I'll
+see you later, you wont <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_260" id="Page_260">[Pg 260]</a></span>notice me now but you'll wish you had. When the
+dinner came, and they left the field they left their hoes standing so
+they would know jest where ter start when they got back. When that gal
+went back ter the field the minute she touched that hoe she fell dead.
+Some folks say they saw uncle Ned dressing that hoe with conjure.</p>
+
+<p>"My sister Lizzie sho did get fixed, honey, and it took a old conjurer
+ter get the spell off of her. It wuz like this: Sister Lizzie had a
+pretty peachtree and one limb spreaded out over the walk and jest as
+soon as she would walk under this limb, she would stay sick all the
+time. The funny part 'bout it wuz that while she wuz at other folks
+house she would feel all right, but the minute she passed under this
+limb, she would begin ter feel bad. One day she sent fer a conjurer, and
+he looked under the house, and sho nuff, he found it stuck in the sill.
+It looked like a bundle of rags, red flannel all stuck up with needles
+and every thing else. This old conjurer told her that the tree had been
+dressed for her an t'would be best fer her ter cut it down. It wuz a
+pretty tree and she sho did hate to cut it down, but she did like he
+told her. Yes child, I don't know whither I've ever been conjured or
+not, but sometimes my head hurts and I wonder."</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Heard asked the writer to return at a later date and she would
+probably be able to relate more interesting incidents.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Folklore" id="Folklore"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_261" id="Page_261">[Pg 261]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>FOLKLORE<br />
+(Negro)<br />
+Edwin Driscoll<br />
+<br />
+[MRS. JULIA RUSH, MR. GEORGE LEONARD, MR. HENRY HOLMES, MR. ELLIS<br />
+STRICKLAND, MR. SAM STEVENS, JOE (a boy)]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p>The Negro folklore as recounted below was secured from the following
+persons: Mrs. Julia Rush (an ex-slave) who lives at 878 Coleman Street,
+S.W.; Mr. George Leonard (a very intelligent elderly person) whose
+address is 148 Chestnut Avenue N.E.; and Mr. Henry Holmes (an ex-slave);
+Mr. Ellis Strickland; Mr. Sam Stevens and a young boy known only as Joe.
+The latter named people can be found at the address of 257 Old Wheat
+Street, N.E. According to these people this lore represents the sort of
+thing that their parents and grandparents believed in and at various
+times they have been heard to tell about these beliefs.</p>
+<br />
+
+<h4>VOODOO AND CONJURE</h4>
+
+<p>Mr. Leonard says: "In dem days de old folks b'lieved in witch-craft and
+conjure and sicha stuff like dat. Dey b'lieved dat an old person could
+punish anybody by taking a piece of chip and spitting on it and den dey
+would throw it on 'em. Dey said dat in two weeks time maggots would be
+in 'em."</p>
+
+<p>"I have seen 'em take a black cat an' put 'im in a sack an' den dey took
+'im an' put 'im in a pot of boiling hot water alive. Man de cat would
+almos' tear dat pot up tryin' to git out. After dey had cooked all de
+meat off de cat dey took one of his bones (I don't know which one of
+'em) and put it crossways in their front teeth while dey mumbled
+somethin' under their breath an' den dey took dis bone an' throwed it
+'cross de right shoulder an' when dey went an' picked it up an' put it
+in their pocket it was supposed to give 'em de bes' kind of luck. Dey
+could say or do anything dey wanted to an' ole marster couldn't hit
+'em."</p>
+
+<p>Regarding the Black cat's bone Mr. Strickland told the following story
+which he says he once heard an old man tell his father:</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_262" id="Page_262">[Pg 262]</a></span>"You goes out in de valley in de woods an' you takes a live black cat
+an' throws 'im in a pot of boiling water. You boils 'im 'till he gits
+done all to pieces an' den you takes all de bones an' throws 'em in de
+creek an' de one dat floats up de creek is de one to use. You takes dis
+bone an' draws it through your teech an' gits all de meat off an' den
+you can take dat bone an' do all kinds of majic. You can talk to folks
+an' dey can't see you. You can even disappear an' come right back. It
+takes a good 'un to do dat (get a black cat's bone). While you's boilin'
+de cat dat thunder an' lightnin' look like it goin' tear up de face of
+de earth&mdash;you can even see de wind which is like a red blaze of fire."</p>
+
+<p>Continuing Mr. Strickland says: "Some of de roots dat dey used to bring
+'im luck an' to trick folks wid wuz Rattle-Snake Marster, and John de
+Conquerer. John de Conquerer is supposed to conquer any kind of trouble
+you gits intuh. Some folks says dat you can tote it in your pocket an'
+have good luck.</p>
+
+<p>"I once knowed a woman who had some lodestone dat she uster work. She
+could take men an' dere wives apart an' den put 'em back together again.
+She say dat she had killed so many folks (by the use of conjure and
+majic etc.) dat she did'nt know whether she would ever git fit fer
+forgiveness. She sold She sold herself to de devil fer twenty years."</p>
+
+<p>"Aint nuthin wrong wid folks all de time when dey thinks dey is
+tricked," says Mr. Strickland. "I had a friend named Joe once an' he
+uster fool 'roun wid roots an' stuff like dat. One day he heard about a
+man who had promised to pay five-hundred dollars to anybody dat could
+cure him of de misery in his stomach. He thought somebody had "tricked"
+him by puttin' a snake in 'im. Joe stayed wid 'im fer two days an' he
+did'nt git no better an' so he went out de nex' day an' bought a rubber
+snake an den he come back an' give de man some medecine to make 'im
+vomit. When he comited Joe throwed de snake in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_263" id="Page_263">[Pg 263]</a></span>de can an' den he said to
+de man: "Dere it is, I knowed somebody had fixed you." De man said: "Dey
+tol' me somebody had put a snake in me." Joe took de snake an' done away
+wid it an' de nex' day de man wuz up walkin' 'roun. He never did know
+how he had been fooled an' Joe made de five-hundred dollars."</p>
+
+<p>According to Mrs. Rush the wife of the colored foreman on her master's
+plantation was always working with roots. She says "One day I come in
+fum de field to nurse my baby an' when I got to my house dere was dis
+woman standing at my door." I said to her: "Name o' God Aunt Candis (dat
+wus her name) whut is you doin'?" She wus makin' all kings of funny
+motions when I come up on her. If you aint scared of 'em dey can't do
+nuthin to you. When I hollored at her de sweat broke out on her face. By
+dis time I had stayed away fum de field too long an' I knowed I wus
+goin' to git a whippin' but Candis gimme some of de roots she had in her
+mouth an'in her pockets. She tol' me to put piece of it in my mouth an'
+chew it. When I got near de overseer I was to spit some of de juice
+towars him an' I would'nt git a whippin'. I tied a piece of it 'roun my
+waist an' put some in my trunk too. I did'nt git a whippin' when I got
+to de field but when I went to look fer de root 'roun my waist it wus
+gone. When I went back to de house dat night de other piece was gone
+too. I aint seed it fum dat day to dis. De rest of de women on de
+plantation honored Candis but I did'nt. Dey say dat folks like dem can
+put stuff down fer you to walk in er set in or drink an' dat dey can fix
+you lie dat. But dey can't do nuthin' wid you if you aint scared of
+'em."</p>
+
+<p>"Not so long ago a woman whut uster live back of me tried to do sumpin'
+to me after we had a fuss. I woke up one mornin' an' looked out by my
+back fence an' dere wus a lotsa salt an' sulphur an' stuff all 'roun de
+yard. De other women wus scared fer me but I wus'nt."</p>
+
+<p>Several of my informants say that salt can be used as a weapon of
+conjure. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_264" id="Page_264">[Pg 264]</a></span>According to Joe salt may be used to make a gambler lose all of
+his money. To do this all that is necessary is to stand behind the
+person to be conjured and then sprinkle a small amount of salt on his
+back. From that instant on he will lose money. Joe has also seen a woman
+use the following method to make her male friend remain at home: "She
+taken some salt an' pepper an' sprinkled it up an' down de steps," says
+Joe, "an' den she taken a plain eatin' fork an' stuck it under de door
+steps an' de man stayed right in de house until she moved de fork."</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Stevens says: "If you want to fix somebody all you got to do is to
+sprinkle some salt an' petter 'roun 'em an' it'll make 'em bus' dere
+brains out. If you wants to make 'em move you go out to de grave yard
+an' stick your hand down in de middle of a grave an' git a handful of
+dat red graveyard dirt an' den you comes back an' sprinkles it 'roun
+dere door an' dey's gone, dey can't stay dere. Another conjuration is
+fer a woman to make three waves over a man's head. I saw one do dat
+once."</p>
+
+<p>Another method used to fix or conjure people, according to Mrs. Rush, is
+to take a lizard and parch it. The remains must be put in something that
+the person is to eat and when the food is eaten the individual will be
+conjured. Mr. Holmes says if a black cat's tail is tied on someone's
+doorknob it will "cut dey luck off."</p>
+
+<p>Silver money tied around the leg will ward off the effects of conjure.
+Mrs. Rush says if you are feeling ill and you wish to determine whether
+or not someone has been trying to conjure you or not just take a silver
+coin and place it in your mouth. If it turns black somebody is working
+conjure on you. "I knowed a man who went to Newnan to see his mother who
+wus sick," stated Mrs. Rush. "She wus so sick dat she could'nt tell whut
+wus de matter wid her an' so her son took a silver quarter an' put it in
+her mouth an' it turned as black as a kettle."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_265" id="Page_265">[Pg 265]</a></span>Says Mr. Holmes: "If anybody comes to your house an' you don't want 'em
+dere, when dey leaves you take some salt an' throw it at 'em when dey
+gits out of hearin' you cuss at 'em an' dey won't never come back
+again."</p>
+
+<p>Following are some songs that used to be sung about conjure, etc.:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">SON:<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Mother, make my bed down<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I will freely lie down,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Mother, make my bed down<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I will freely lie down"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">MOTHER:<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Ransom, my son, what did she give you to eat?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Ransom, my son, what did she give you to eat?<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">SON:<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"Red head (parched lizard) and speckle back<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Oh, make my bed down I will freely lie down."<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"I'm goin' to pizen (poison) you, I'm goin' to pizen you,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I'm jus' sick an' tired of de way you do,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I'm goin' to sprinkle spider legs 'roun yo' bed<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">an' you gonna wake up in de mornin' an find yourself dead"<br /></span>
+</div><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">"You beat me an' you kick me an' you black my eyes,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I'm gonna take dis butcher knife an' hew you down to my size,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">You mark my words, my name is Lou,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">You mind out what I say, I'm goin' to pizen you."<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<br />
+<h4>POSITIVE CURES AND CONTROLS</h4>
+
+<p>Mrs. Rush says that backache can be cured by rubbing a hot iron up and
+down the afflicted person's back.</p>
+
+<div class="block"><p>Asafetida tied around the neck will prevent smallpox.</p>
+
+<p>Risings can be cured by rubbing them with a poultice made from
+House-Leak root.</p>
+
+<p>To prevent a fall while walking from one side of a creek to the other on
+a log, place a small stick crosswise in the front-teeth and no mishap
+will result.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_266" id="Page_266">[Pg 266]</a></span>Hold the mouth full of water while peeling onions and the onion juice
+will not get in the eyes.</p>
+
+<p>If a man wishes to make a woman fall in love with him all that he has to
+do is to take some of her hair, tie it up, and then throw it in running
+water. In a short while she will fall deeply in love with him.</p>
+
+<p>A man may also cause a woman to fall in love with him by letting her
+drink whiskey in which he has allowed "Gin-Root" to soak.</p>
+
+<p>If a woman wishes to make a man fall in love with her she has only to
+take the small bow usually found in the back of a man's cap on the
+sweatband, or the bow usually found on the band of the man's hat. After
+this has been secured it must be taken and worn under her clothes next
+to her body.</p></div>
+
+<br />
+<h4>WITCH RIDING</h4>
+
+<p>Mrs. Betty Brown of 74 Butler Street, N.E. says that when people die
+angry with someone they usually come back after death in the form of a
+witch and then they ride the person that they were angry with at the
+time of their death.</p>
+
+<p>According to Mr. Favors who lives at 78 Raymond Street, when a witch
+rides anyone it is a sign that a man, a woman, or a dog, is after that
+person.</p>
+
+<p>Mrs. Julia Rush says: "De old folks uster call witches hags. Dey wus
+some kind of sperrits (spirits) an' dey would ride anybody. My
+grandmother uster sleep wid de sissors under her pillow to keep 'em
+away."</p>
+
+<p>"I once heerd a woman dat a witch come to a house one night an' took her
+skin off an' went through de key hole. Somebody foun' de skin an'
+sprinkled <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_267" id="Page_267">[Pg 267]</a></span>salt on it an' when de witch come out she could'nt git in de
+skin an' she started saying: 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you know me?'"</p>
+
+<p>Regarding witches Mr. Leonard made the following statement: "The old
+folks b'lieved dat any house a person died in was "hainted" and dat de
+dead person's spirit was a witch dat would come back at night. They used
+to put a pan of salt on de corpse to keep it fum purgin' an' to keep de
+witches away. They burned lamps all night long fer about three weeks
+after de person was dead an' they sprinkled salt an' pepper 'roun too to
+keep de witches away."</p>
+
+<p>Another informant claims that if a person sleeps with his or her shoes
+under the bed the witches are liable to ride him.</p>
+
+<p>Mr. Strickland says that when the witches are riding anyone if that
+person can say any three words of the Bible such as: "Lord have mercy,"
+or "Jesus save me" the witch will stop riding.</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>APPARITIONS AND GHOSTS</h4>
+
+<p>Mr. Henry Holmes claims that he has seen the Jack O'Lantern and that at
+one time he even followed it. He says: "One night me an' two more
+fellows followed de Jack O'Lantern. It looked like a light in a house or
+sumpin. We did'nt know where we wus until de nex' mornin' an' when we
+did find ourselfs we wus at home. All de while we followed it it jus'
+kep' goin' further an' further until it jus' vanished."</p>
+
+<p>According to Mr. Leonard the Jack O'Lantern is a light that comes out of
+the swamps at night and after getting in front of a person it will lead
+him on and on. The old folks also used to think that the vapor seen
+rising out of the swamps at night were ghosts. One night he and his
+grandfather were walking down the railroad tracks when suddenly his
+grandfather said: "Stand back dere George don't you see dat man walkin'
+'long dere wid no head?" He says, however, that he himself failed to see
+any such thing.</p>
+
+<p>According to both Mrs. Brown and Mrs. [Rush?] people who are born with
+cauls <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_268" id="Page_268">[Pg 268]</a></span>(a kind of a veil) over their eyes are able to see ghosts.</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>CUSTOMS CONCERNING COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE</h4>
+
+<p>Mr. Leonard says that a young man wishing to accompany a young woman to
+her home always spoke in the following manner: "Dear kind Miss, if you
+have no objection of my being your protection, I'm going in your
+direction." It was in this manner that he asked her to allow him to
+escort her home.</p>
+
+<p>For several years after freedom was declared it was the custom for the
+bride and the groom to jump over the broom together before they were
+pronounced man and wife.</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>HUNTING LORE</h4>
+
+<p>The best time to hunt 'possums is on a cloudy night just before the
+break of day. All of the big ones are out then Mr. Favors claims.</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Conjuration" id="Conjuration"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_269" id="Page_269">[Pg 269]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>COMPILATION FOLKLORE INTERVIEWS&mdash;RICHMOND COUNTY<br />
+<br />
+CONJURATION<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Louise Oliphant<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+John N. Booth,<br />
+District Supervisor,<br />
+Residencies 6 &amp; 7,<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia</h3>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_270" id="Page_270">[Pg 270]</a></span><br />
+
+<p>Richmond County's older colored citizens, particularly the few surviving
+ex-slaves, are outspoken in their firm belief concerning powers of
+conjurers and root workers.</p>
+
+<p>"When it comes to conjuration, don't nobody know more 'bout that, and
+there ain't nobody had as much of it done to 'em as I have," said a
+wizened old woman. "I know nobody could stand what I have stood. The
+first I knowed 'bout conjuration was when a woman named Lucinda hurt my
+sister. She was always a 'big me,' and her chillun was better than
+anybody elses. Well her oldest child got pregnant and that worried
+Lucinda nearly to death. She thought everybody she seed was talkin'
+'bout her child. One day she passed my sister and another 'oman standin'
+on the street laughin' and talkin'. Lucinda was so worried 'bout her
+daughter she thought they was laughin' at her. She got so mad she cussed
+'em out right there and told 'em their 'turn was in the mill.' My sister
+called the other 'oman in the house and shut the door to keep from
+listenin' at her. That made it wuss.</p>
+
+<p>"'Bout three weeks later my sister started complainin'. Us had two or
+three doctors with her, but none of 'em done her any good. The more
+doctors us got the wuss she got. Finally all of the doctors give her up
+and told us there warn't nothin' they could do. After she had been sick
+'bout two months she told us 'bout a strange man comin' to her house a
+few days 'fore she took sick. She said he had been there three or four
+times. She <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_271" id="Page_271">[Pg 271]</a></span>'membered it when he come back after she took sick and
+offered to do somethin' for her. The doctors hadn't done her no good and
+she was just 'bout to let him doctor on her when this 'oman that was
+with her the day Lucinda cussed 'em out told her he was Lucinda's great
+uncle. She said that everybody called him the greatest root worker in
+South Carolina. Then my sister thought 'bout how this man had come to
+her house and asked for water every time. He wouldn't ever let her get
+the water for him, he always went to the pump and got it hisself. After
+he had pumped it off real cool he would always offer to get a bucket
+full for her. She didn't think nothin' 'bout it and she would let him
+fill her bucket. That's how he got her.</p>
+
+<p>"She stayed sick a long time and Mamie stayed by her bed 'til she died.
+I noticed Mamie wipin' her mouth every few minutes, so one day I asked
+her what did she keep wipin' from my sister's mouth. She told me it
+wasn't nothin' but spit. But I had got very anxious to know so I stood
+by her head myself. Finally I seed what it was. Small spiders came
+crawlin' out of her mouth and nose. Mamie thought it would skeer me,
+that's why she didn't want me to know.</p>
+
+<p>"That happened on Tuesday and that Friday when she died a small snake
+come out of her forehead and stood straight up and stuck his tongue out
+at us. A old man who was sittin' there with us caught the snake, put him
+in a bottle, and kept him 'bout two weeks before he died.</p>
+
+<p>"Don't think Lucinda didn't have pore Mamie conjured too. Mamie took
+sick just one month after my sister died. After she <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_272" id="Page_272">[Pg 272]</a></span>found out the
+doctors couldn't do her no good, she got a real good root worker to
+doctor on her. He got her up and she stayed up for nearly a year before
+Lucinda doubled the dose. That time pore Mamie couldn't git up. She
+suffered and suffered before she died. But Lucinda got her pay for all
+of it. When Mamie died Lucinda come to see her and said 'some folks was
+better off dead anyhow'. Mamie's daughter started to jump on her but
+some of the old folks wouldn't let her.</p>
+
+<p>"Lucinda went a long time, but when she fell she sho' fell hard. She
+almost went crazy. She stayed sick as long as my sister and Mamie put
+together. She got so bad off 'til nobody couldn't even go in her house.
+Everybody said she was reapin' what she sowed. She wouldn't even let her
+own chillun come in the house. After she got so sick she couldn't get
+off the bed she would cuss 'em and yell to the top of her voice 'til
+they left. Nobody didn't feel sorry for her 'cause they knowed she had
+done too much devilment.</p>
+
+<p>"Just 'fore she died, Lucinda was so sick and everybody was talkin'
+'bout it was such a shame for her to have to stay there by herself that
+her youngest daughter and her husband went to live with her. Her
+daughter was 'fraid to go by herself. When she died you could stand in
+the street and hear her cussin' and yellin'. She kept sayin' 'take 'em
+off of me, I ain't done nothin' to 'em. Tell 'em I didn't hurt 'em,
+don't let 'em kill me.' And all of a sudden she would start cussin' God
+and anybody she could think of. When she died it took four men to hold
+her down in the bed."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_273" id="Page_273">[Pg 273]</a></span>"I've been sick so much 'til I can look at other folks when they're sick
+and tell if its natural sickness or not. Once I seed my face always
+looked like dirty dish water grease was on it every mornin' 'fore I
+washed it. Then after I washed it in the places where the grease was
+would be places that looked like fish scales. Then these places would
+turn into sores. I went to three doctors and every one of 'em said it
+was poison grease on my face. I knowed I hadn't put no kind of grease on
+it, so I couldn't see where it was comin' from. Every time I told my
+husband 'bout it he got mad, but I never paid too much 'tention to that.
+Then one day I was tellin' a friend of mine 'bout it, and she told me my
+husband must be doin' it. I wondered why he would do such a thing and
+she said he was just 'bout jealous of me.</p>
+
+<p>"The last doctor I went to give me somethin' to put on my face and it
+really cleared the sores up. But I noticed my husband when my face got
+clear and he really looked mad. He started grumblin' 'bout every little
+thing, right or wrong. Then one day he brought me a black hen for
+dinner. My mind told me not to eat the chicken so I told him I wanted to
+keep the hen and he got mad 'bout that. 'Bout two or three days later I
+noticed a big knot on the side of the chicken's head and it bursted
+inside of that same week. The chicken started drooping 'round and in a
+week's time that chicken was dead. You see that chicken was poison.</p>
+
+<p>"After that my husband got so fussy I had to start sleepin' in another
+room. I was still sick, so one day he brought me some medicine he said
+he got from Dr. Traylor. I tried to take a dose 'cause I knowed if it
+was from Dr. Traylor it was all right, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_274" id="Page_274">[Pg 274]</a></span>but that medicine burnt me just
+like lye. I didn't even try to take no more of it. I got some medicine
+from the doctor myself and put it in the bottom of the sideboard. I took
+'bout three doses out of it and it was doing me good, but when I started
+to take the fourth dose it had lye in it and I had to throw it away. I
+went and had the doctor to give me another bottle and I called myself
+hidin' it, but after I took 'bout six doses, lye was put in it. Then one
+day a friend of mine, who come from my husband's home, told me he was a
+root worker and she thought I already knowed it. Well I knowed then how
+he could find my medicine everytime I hid it. You see he didn't have to
+do nothin' but run his cards. From then on I carried my medicine 'round
+in my apron pocket.</p>
+
+<p>"I started sleepin' in the kitchen on a cot 'cause his mother was usin'
+the other room and I didn't want to sleep with her. Late at night he
+would come to the window and blow somethin' in there to make me feel
+real bad. Things can be blowed through the key hole too. I know 'cause I
+have had it done to me. This kept up for 'bout a year and five or six
+months. Then 'cause he seed he couldn't do just what he wanted to, he
+told me to get out. I went 'cause I thought that might help me to git
+out of my misery. But it didn't 'cause he come where I was every night.
+He never did try to come in, but us would hear somebody stumblin' in the
+yard and whenever us looked out to see who it was us always found it was
+him. Us told him that us seed him out there, but he always denied it. He
+does it right now or sometimes he gets other root workers to do it for
+him. Whenever I go out in the yard my feet always feel like they are
+twistin' over and I can't stop 'em; my legs and knees feel like
+somethin' is drawin' 'em, and my head starts swimmin'. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_275" id="Page_275">[Pg 275]</a></span>I know what's
+wrong, it just what he had put down for me.</p>
+
+<p>"When I get up in the mornin' I always have to put sulphur and salt and
+pepper in my shoes to keep down the devilment he puts out for me. A man
+who can do that kind of work give me somethin' to help me, but I was
+s'posed to go back in six months and I ain't been back. That's why it's
+started worryin' me again.</p>
+
+<p>"My sister was conjured by openin' the door and eatin' afterwards
+without washin' her hands," an 80-year old ex-slave remarked. "She had
+just come home and opened her front door and went in the house to eat
+before goin' to church. She et her supper and started to church with
+another of my sisters. After she had gone 'bout two or three blocks she
+started feelin' sick and walkin' as if she was drunk. My sister tried to
+make her go back home but she wouldn't. When they got to church she
+couldn't hardly get up the steps and they warn't in church over fifteen
+minutes 'fore she had a stroke. Somebody took a car and carried her
+home. She couldn't even speak for more than a week. The doctor come and
+'xamined her, but he said he didn't see nothin' that would cause her to
+have a stroke. He treated her for 'bout two weeks but she didn't get no
+better. A friend told us to try a root worker. She said she knowed one
+that was good on such things. Us was afraid at first, but after the
+three doctors us had tried didn't seem to do her no good, us decided to
+get the root worker.</p>
+
+<p>"The root worker come that Wednesday mornin' and looked at her, but he
+never touched her. He told us she had been hurt, but he could have her
+on her feet in 'bout a week or ten days. He didn't give her no medicine,
+and he never come back 'til after she was up <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_276" id="Page_276">[Pg 276]</a></span>and walkin' 'round. She got
+up in 'bout seven days, and started talkin' earlier than that. The root
+worker told her she had got conjured by puttin' her hands on somethin'
+and eatin' without washin' 'em.</p>
+
+<p>"She got along fine for 'bout three years, 'til one day she got home
+from work and found her house open. She thought her son had gone out and
+forgot to lock the door. When he come home he told her he had not been
+back since he left that mornin'. She knowed she didn't forget to lock
+it, so she guessed somebody had jus 'bout gone in through the window and
+come out the door. But it was too late then 'cause she had et what was
+left in the house and had drunk some water.</p>
+
+<p>"That night she had her second stroke. Us sent for the same man who had
+got her up before, but he said he doubted gettin' her up this time
+'cause the person had made a good job of it by puttin' somethin' in her
+water and t'eat. He treated her, and she got strong enough to sit up in
+the house, but she soon had the third stroke and then he give her up.
+She died 'bout two months later.</p>
+
+<p>"I know you don't know how folks can really conjure you. I didn't at one
+time, but I sho' learnt. Everytime somebody gets sick it ain't natchel
+sickness. I have seed folks die with what the doctors called
+consumption, and yet they didn't have it. I have seed people die with
+heart trouble, and they didn't have it. Folks is havin' more strokes now
+than ever but they ain't natchel. I have seed folks fixed so they would
+bellow like a cow when they die, and I have seed 'em fixed so you have
+to tie them down in bed to die. I've got so I hardly trust anybody."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_277" id="Page_277">[Pg 277]</a></span>Estella Jones thinks conjurers and root workers are much more skillful
+now than formerly. "Folks don't kill you like they used to kill you.
+They used to put most anythin' in you, but now they got so wise or
+afraid that somebody will know zactly what killed you, 'til they do it
+slick as a eel.</p>
+
+<p>"Once a man named John tried to go with a girl but her step-pa, Willie,
+run him away from the house just like he mought be a dog, so John made
+it up in his mind to conjure Willie. He went to the spring and planted
+somethin' in the mouth of it, and when Willie went there the next day to
+get a drink he got the stuff in the water. A little while after he drunk
+the water he started gettin' sick. He tried to stay up but every day he
+got wuss and wuss 'til he got flat down in bed.</p>
+
+<p>"In a few days somethin' started growin' in his throat. Every time they
+tried to give him soup or anythin' to eat, somethin' would come crawlin'
+up in his throat and choke him. That was what he had drunk in the
+spring, and he couldn't eat nothin' or drink nothin'. Finally he got so
+bad off he claimed somethin' was chokin' him to death, and so his wife
+sont off and got a fortune teller. This fortune teller said it was a
+turtle in his throat. He 'scribed the man that had conjured Willie but
+everybody knowed John had done it 'fore the fortune teller told us. It
+warn't long after that 'fore Willie was dead. That turtle come up in his
+throat and choked him to death.</p>
+
+<p>"Some folk don't believe me, but I ain't tellin' no tale 'bout it. I
+have asked root workers to tell me how they does these <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_278" id="Page_278">[Pg 278]</a></span>things, and one
+told me that it was easy for folks to put snakes, frogs, turtles,
+spiders, or most anythin' that you couldn't live with crawlin' and
+eatin' on the inside of you. He said these things was killed and put up
+to dry and then beat up into dust like. If any of this dust is put in
+somethin' you have to eat or drink, these things will come alive like
+they was eggs hatchin' in you. Then the more they grow, the worse off
+you get.</p>
+
+<p>"My aun't son had took a girl away from another man who was going with
+her too. As soon as this man heard they was going to marry, he started
+studyin' some way to stop it. So he went to a root worker and got
+somethin' and then went to this girl's house one night when he knew my
+cousin was there. Finally when he got ready to leave, he was smart
+enough to get my cousin to take a drink with him.</p>
+
+<p>"That next mornin' the boy was feelin' a little bad, but he never paid
+too much 'tention to it. Next day he felt a little wuss, and everyday
+from then on he felt wuss and wuss 'til he got too sick to stay up. One
+day a old lady who lived next door told us to try a root worker who
+lived on Jones Street. This man came and told us what was wrong, but
+said us had waited too long to send for him. He give us some thin' to
+'lieve the boy of his misery. Us kept givin' this to him 'til he finally
+got up. Course he warn't well by no means and this medicine didn't help
+his stomach. His stomach got so big everybody would ask what was wrong.
+He told everybody that asked him and some who didn't ask him 'bout the
+frogs in his stomach. The bigger these frogs got, the weaker he got.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_279" id="Page_279">[Pg 279]</a></span>"After he had been sick 'bout four months and the frogs had got to be a
+pretty good size, you could hear 'em holler everytime he opened his
+mouth. He got to the place where he wouldn't talk much on account of
+this. His stomach stuck out so far, he looked like he weighed 250
+pounds.</p>
+
+<p>"After these frogs started hollerin' in him, he lived 'bout three weeks,
+and 'fore he died you could see the frogs jumpin' 'bout in him and you
+could even feel 'em.</p>
+
+<p>"T'ain't no need talkin'; folks can do anythin' to you they wants to.
+They can run you crazy or they can kill you. Don't you one time believe
+that every pore pusson they has in the 'sylum is just natchelly crazy.
+Some was run crazy on account of people not likin' 'em, some 'cause they
+was gettin' 'long a little too good. Every time a pusson jumps in the
+river don't think he was just tryin' to kill hisself; most times he just
+didn't know what he was doin'.</p>
+
+<p>"My daughter was fixed right here under our noses. She was married and
+had five little chillun and she was the picture of health. But she had a
+friend that she trusted too much and this friend was single and in love
+with my daughter's husband. Diff'unt people told Liza 'bout this girl,
+but she just didn't believe 'em. Every day this girl was at Liza's house
+'til time for Lewis to git off from work. She helped Liza wash, clean
+up, iron and cook, but she always left at the time for Lewis to git off
+from work.</p>
+
+<p>"This went on for more'n a year, but I kept tellin' Liza to ween off
+from this girl 'cause I seed she didn't mean her no good. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_280" id="Page_280">[Pg 280]</a></span>But Liza was
+grown and nobody couldn't tell her nothin'. I think she had Liza fixed
+so she would be crazy 'bout her. People can make you love 'em, even
+marry 'em when if you was in your right mind you wouldn't give 'em a
+thought. Anyhow Liza went on with the girl 'til one afternoon while she
+was comin' from the store she seed Lewis and Edna goin' in a house
+together. He come home 'bout three hours later, and when Liza asked him
+why he was so late he told her they had to work late. He didn't know she
+had seed him and she never told him.</p>
+
+<p>"After this she started watchin' him and Edna, and she soon found out
+what folks had been tellin' her was true. Still she never told Lewis
+nothin' 'bout it. She told Edna 'bout seein' 'em and asked her to please
+let Lewis alone. Edna made up some kind of s'cuse but she never let him
+alone, and she kept goin' to Liza's house. When things finally went too
+far, Liza spoke to Lewis 'bout it and asked him to leave Edna alone. He
+did, but that made Edna mad and that's when she 'cided to kill Liza.
+Lewis really loved Liza and would do anythin' she asked him to.</p>
+
+<p>"One day Edna come to see Liza, after she had stayed away for 'bout
+three weeks, and she was more lovin' than ever. She hung around 'til she
+got a chance to put somethin' in the water bucket, then she left. People
+can put somethin' in things for you and everybody else can eat or drink
+it, but it won't hurt nobody but the one it's put there for. When Liza
+drunk water, she said it tasted like it had salt-peter in it. When she
+went to bed that night, she never got out 'til she was toted out. She
+suffered and suffered and we never knowed what was wrong 'til Edna <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_281" id="Page_281">[Pg 281]</a></span>told
+it herself. She took very sick and 'fore she died she told one of her
+friends 'bout it and this friend told us, but it was too late then, Liza
+was dead."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Folk_Remedies" id="Folk_Remedies"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_282" id="Page_282">[Pg 282]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY&mdash;EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS<br />
+<br />
+FOLK REMEDIES AND SUPERSTITION<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Louise Oliphant<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_283" id="Page_283">[Pg 283]</a></span>Belief in charms and conjurs is still prevalent among many of Augusta's
+older Negroes. Signs and omens also play an important part in their
+lives, as do remedies and cures handed down by word of mouth from
+generation to generation.</p>
+
+<div class="block"><p>If a wrestler can get dirt from the head of a fresh grave, sew it up
+in a sack, and tie it around his waist, no one can throw him.</p>
+
+<p>To make a person leave town, get some dirt out of one of his tracks,
+sew it up in a sack, and throw it in running water. The person will
+keep going as long as the water runs.</p>
+
+<p>To take a hair out of a person's head and put it in a live fishes
+mouth will make the person keep traveling as long as the fish
+swims.</p>
+
+<p>If someone dies and comes back to worry you, nail some new lumber into
+your house and you won't be bothered any more.</p>
+
+<p>When the hands of a dead person remain limp, some other member of the
+family will soon follow him in death.</p>
+
+<p>When a spider builds a web in your house, you may expect a visitor the
+same color as the spider.</p>
+
+<p>A singing fire is a sign of snow.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_284" id="Page_284">[Pg 284]</a></span>If a cat takes up at your house it's a sign of good luck; a dog&mdash;bad
+luck.</p>
+
+<p>If a spark of fire pops on you, it is a sign that you will receive
+some money or a letter.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of muddy water, maggots, or fresh meat is a sign of death.
+To dream of caskets is also a sign of death. You may expect to hear
+of as many deaths as there are caskets in the dream.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of blood is a sign of trouble.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of fish is a sign of motherhood.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of eggs is a sign of trouble unless the eggs are broken. If
+the eggs are broken, your trouble is ended.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of snakes is a sign of enemies. If you kill the snakes, you
+have conquered your enemies.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of fire is a sign of danger.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of a funeral is a sign of a wedding.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of a wedding is a sign of a funeral.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of silver money is a sign of bad luck; bills&mdash;good luck.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of dead folk is a sign of rain.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_285" id="Page_285">[Pg 285]</a></span>Wear a raw cotton string tied in nine knots around your waist to cure
+cramps.</p>
+
+<p>To stop nosebleed or hiccoughs cross two straws on top of your head.</p>
+
+<p>Lick the back of your hand and swallow nine times without stopping to
+cure hiccoughs.</p>
+
+<p>Tea made from rue is good for stomach worms.</p>
+
+<p>Corn shuck tea is good for measles; fodder tea for asthma.</p>
+
+<p>Goldenrod tea is good for chills and fever.</p>
+
+<p>Richet weed tea is good for a laxative.</p>
+
+<p>Tea made from parched egg shells or green coffee is good for
+leucorrhoea.</p>
+
+<p>Black snuff, alum, a piece of camphor, and red vaseline mixed together
+is a sure cure for piles.</p>
+
+<p>To rid yourself of a corn, grease it with a mixture of castor oil and
+kerosine and then soak the foot in warm water.</p>
+
+<p>Sulphur mixed with lard is good for bad blood.</p>
+
+<p>A cloth heated in melted tallow will give relief when applied to a
+pain in any part of the body.</p>
+
+<p>Take a pinch of sulphur in the mouth and drink water <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_286" id="Page_286">[Pg 286]</a></span>behind it to
+cleanse the blood.</p>
+
+<p>Dog fern is good for colds and fever; boneset tea will serve the same
+purpose.</p>
+
+<p>Catnip tea is good for measles or hives.</p>
+
+<p>If your right shoe comes unlaced, someone is saying good things about
+you; left shoe&mdash;bad things.</p>
+
+<p>If a chunk of fire falls from the fireplace a visitor is coming. If
+the chunk is short and large the person will be short and fat, etc.</p>
+
+<p>Don't buy new things for a sick person; if you do he will not live to
+wear it out.</p>
+
+<p>If a person who has money dies without telling where it is, a friend
+or relative can find it by going to his grave three nights in
+succession and throwing stones on it. On the fourth night he must go
+alone, and the person will tell him where the money is hidden.</p>
+
+<p>If a witch rides you, put a sifter under the bed and he will have to
+count the holes in the sifter before he goes out, thus giving you time
+to catch him.</p>
+
+<p>Starch your sweetheart's handkerchief and he will love you more.</p>
+
+<p>Don't give your sweetheart a knife. It will cut your love in two.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_287" id="Page_287">[Pg 287]</a></span>If it rains while the sun is shining the devil is beating his wife.</p>
+
+<p>To bite your tongue while talking is a sign that you have told a lie.</p>
+
+<p>Persons with gaps between their front teeth are big liars.</p>
+
+<p>Cut your finger nails on Monday, you cut them for news;<br />
+ Cut them on Tuesday, get a new pair of shoes;<br />
+ Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for wealth;<br />
+ Cut them on Thursday, you cut them for health;<br />
+ Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;<br />
+ Cut them on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow;<br />
+ Cut them on Sunday, its safety to seek;<br />
+ But the devil will have you the rest of the week.</p>
+
+<p>If you start some place and forget something don't turn around without
+making a cross mark and spitting in it, if you do you will have bad
+luck.</p>
+
+<p>To stump your right foot is good luck, but to stump your left foot is
+bad luck. To prevent the bad luck you must turn around three times.</p>
+
+<p>It is bad luck for a black cat to cross you to the left, but good luck
+if he crosses you to the right.</p>
+
+<p>If a picture of a person falls off the wall it is a sign of death.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of crying is a sign of trouble.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of dancing is a sign of happiness.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_288" id="Page_288">[Pg 288]</a></span>If you meet a gray horse pulling a load of hay, a red haired person
+will soon follow.</p>
+
+<p>If you are eating and drop something when you are about to put it in
+your mouth someone wishes it.</p>
+
+<p>If a child never sees his father he will make a good doctor.</p>
+
+<p>To dream that your teeth fall out is a sign of death in the family.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of a woman's death is a sign of some man's death.</p>
+
+<p>To dream of a man's death is the sign of some woman's death.</p>
+
+<p>If a chicken sings early in the morning a hawk will catch him before
+night.</p>
+
+<p>Always plant corn on the waste of the moon in order for it to yield
+a good crop. If planted on the growing of the moon there will be more
+stalk than corn.</p>
+
+<p>When there is a new moon, hold up anything you want and make a wish
+for it and you will get it.</p>
+
+<p>If you hear a voice call you and you are not sure it is really
+someone, don't answer because it may be your spirit, and if you answer
+it will be a sure sign of death.</p>
+
+<p>Cross eyed women are bad luck to other women, but cross eyed men are
+good luck to women and vice-versa for men.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_289" id="Page_289">[Pg 289]</a></span>To wear a dime around your ankle will ward off witch craft.</p>
+
+<p>To put a silver dime in your mouth will determine whether or not you
+have been bewitched. If the dime turns black, someone has bewitched
+you, but if it keeps its color, no one has bewitched you.</p>
+
+<p>To take a strand of a person's hair and nail it in a tree will run
+that person crazy.</p>
+
+<p>If a rooster crows on your back steps you may look for a stranger.</p>
+
+<p>Chinaberries are good for wormy children.</p>
+
+<p>The top of a pine tree and the top of a cedar tree placed over a
+large coal of fire, just enough to make a good smoke, will cure
+chillblain feet.</p></div>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Mistreatment_of_Slaves" id="Mistreatment_of_Slaves"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_290" id="Page_290">[Pg 290]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS<br />
+<br />
+MISTREATMENT OF SLAVES<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Louise Oliphant,<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+John N. Booth,<br />
+District Supervisor,<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Georgia</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_291" id="Page_291">[Pg 291]</a></span>There are many ex-slaves living in Richmond County and Augusta who have
+vivid recollections of the days when their lives were inseparably bound
+to those of their masters. These people have a past rich in tradition
+and sentiment, and their memories of customs, habits of work and play,
+and the superstitious beliefs, which still govern their actions to a
+large extent weave a colorful pattern in local history.</p>
+
+<p>Mistreatment at the hands of their masters and the watchdog overseers is
+outstanding in the memory of most of them. "When I was in slavery, us
+had what you call good white folk. They warn't rich by no means, but
+they was good. Us had rather have 'em poor and good than rich and mean.
+Plenty of white folk mistreated they slaves, but ours never mistreated
+us. They was a man lived in callin' distance, on the next plantation,
+who worked his slaves day and night and on Sunday for a rarety. You
+could hear 'em coming from the field about 12 o'clock at night, and they
+had to be back in the fields by daylight. They couldn't get off on
+Saturday nights like everbody else. Whenever he bought their clothes, it
+was on Sunday when they warn't workin'. He was mean, but he was good
+about buyin' for 'em, new shoes or a suit or anything of the like they
+said they needed.</p>
+
+<p>"Marster had overseers, but he wouldn't let 'em whip his slaves
+unmerciful. They always whipped us just as your mamas whips you now.</p>
+
+<p>"Bob Lampkin was the meanest slave owner I ever knowed. He would beat
+his slaves and everybody else's he caught in the road. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_292" id="Page_292">[Pg 292]</a></span>He was so mean
+'til God let him freeze to death. He come to town and got drunk and when
+he was going back home in his buggy, he froze stiff going up Race Creek
+Hill. White and colored was glad when he died.</p>
+
+<p>"His slaves used to run away whenever they got a chance. I 'member he
+had a real pretty gal on his place. She was light brown and was built up
+better than anybody I ever saw. One of the overseers was crazy about
+her, but her mother had told her not to let any of 'em go with her. So
+this old overseer would stick close 'round her when they was workin',
+just so he could get a chance to say somethin' to her. He kept followin'
+this child and followin' this child until she almost went crazy. Way
+afterwhile she run away and come to our house and stayed 'bout three
+days. When my marster found out she was there, he told her she would
+have to go back, or at least she would have to leave his place. He
+didn't want no trouble with nobody. When that child left us she stayed
+in the woods until she got so hungry she just had to go back. This old
+man was mad with her for leavin', and one day while she was in the field
+he started at her again and when she told him flat footed she warn't
+goin' with him he took the big end of his cow hide and struck her in the
+back so hard it knocked her plumb crazy. It was a big lake of water
+about ten yards in front of 'em, and if her mother hadn't run and caught
+her she would have walked right in it and drowned.</p>
+
+<p>"In them times white men went with colored gals and women bold. Any time
+they saw one and wanted her, she had to go with him, and his wife didn't
+say nothin' 'bout it. Not only the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_293" id="Page_293">[Pg 293]</a></span>men, but the women went with colored
+men too. That's why so many women slave owners wouldn't marry, 'cause
+they was goin' with one of their slaves. These things that's goin' on
+now ain't new, they been happenin'. That's why I say you just as well
+leave 'em alone 'cause they gwine to do what they want to anyhow.</p>
+
+<p>"My marster never did whip any grown folk. He whipped chillun when they
+did anything wrong. He didn't 'low us to eat plums before breakfus, but
+all the chillun, his too, would die or do it, so every time he caught us
+he would whip us."</p>
+
+<p>Another ex-slave recalled that "you had to call all your marster's
+chillun marster or mistis, even the babies. You never wore enough
+clothes and you always suffered for comfort. Us warn't even 'lowed to
+have fire. If you had a fireplace in your house, it was took out and the
+place closed up. If you was ever caught with fire you was beat 'most to
+death. Many mothers died in confinement on account of takin' cold 'cause
+us couldn't have fire.</p>
+
+<p>"My young marster tried to go with me, and 'cause I wouldn't go with him
+he pretended I had done somethin' and beat me. I fought him back because
+he had no right to beat me for not goin' with him. His mother got mad
+with me for fightin' him back and I told her why he had beat me. Well
+then she sent me to the courthouse to be whipped for fightin' him. They
+had stocks there where most people would send their slaves to be
+whipped. These stocks was in the shape of a cross, and they would strap
+your clothes up around your waist and have nothin' but your naked part
+out to whip. They didn't care about who saw your nakedness. <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_294" id="Page_294">[Pg 294]</a></span>Anyway they
+beat me that day until I couldn't sit down. When I went to bed I had to
+lie on my stomach to sleep. After they finished whippin' me, I told them
+they needn't think they had done somethin' by strippin' me in front of
+all them folk 'cause they had also stripped their mamas and sisters. God
+had made us all, and he made us just alike.</p>
+
+<p>"They never carried me back home after that; they put me in the Nigger
+Trader's Office to be sold. About two days later I was sold to a man at
+McBean. When I went to his place everbody told me as soon as I got there
+how mean he was and they said his wife was still meaner. She was jealous
+of me because I was light; said she didn't know what her husband wanted
+to bring that half white nigger there for, and if he didn't get rid of
+me pretty quick she was goin' to leave. Well he didn't get rid of me and
+she left about a month after I got there. When he saw she warn't comin'
+back 'til he got rid of me, he brought me back to the Nigger Trader's
+Office.</p>
+
+<p>"As long as you warn't sold, your marster was 'sponsible for you, so
+whenever they put you on the market you had to praise yourself in order
+to be sold right away. If you didn't praise yourself you got a beatin'.
+I didn't stay in the market long. A dissipated woman bought me and I
+done laundry work for her and other dissipated women to pay my board
+'til freedom come. They was all very nice to me.</p>
+
+<p>"Whenever you was sold your folk never knowed about it 'til afterwards,
+and sometimes they never saw you again. They didn't even know who you
+was sold to or where they was carryin' you, unless you could write back
+and tell 'em.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_295" id="Page_295">[Pg 295]</a></span>"The market was in the middle of Broad and Center Streets. They made a
+scaffold whenever they was goin' to sell anybody, and would put the
+person up on this so everybody could see him good. Then they would sell
+him to the highest bidder. Everybody wanted women who would have
+children fast. They would always ask you if you was a good breeder, and
+if so they would buy you at your word, but if you had already had too
+many chillun, they would say you warn't much good. If you hadn't ever
+had any chillun, your marster would tell 'em you was strong, healthy,
+and a fast worker. You had to have somethin' about you to be sold. Now
+sometimes, if you was a real pretty young gal, somebody would buy you
+without knowin' anythin' 'bout you, just for yourself. Before my old
+marster died, he had a pretty gal he was goin' with and he wouldn't let
+her work nowhere but in the house, and his wife nor nobody else didn't
+say nothin' 'bout it; they knowed better. She had three chillun for him
+and when he died his brother come and got the gal and the chillun.</p>
+
+<p>"One white lady that lived near us at McBean slipped in a colored gal's
+room and cut her baby's head clean off 'cause it belonged to her
+husband. He beat her 'bout it and started to kill her, but she begged so
+I reckon he got to feelin' sorry for her. But he kept goin' with the
+colored gal and they had more chillun.</p>
+
+<p>"I never will forget how my marster beat a pore old woman so she
+couldn't even get up. And 'cause she couldn't get up when he told her
+to, he hit her on the head with a long piece of iron and broke her
+skull. Then he made one of the other slaves take her to the jail. She
+suffered in jail all night, and the jailer heard her moanin' and
+groanin', so the next mornin' he made <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_296" id="Page_296">[Pg 296]</a></span>marster come and get her. He was
+so mad 'cause he had to take her out of jail that he had water pumped
+into her skull just as soon as he got back home. Then he dropped her
+down in a field and she died 'fore night. That was a sad time. You saw
+your own folk killed and couldn't say a word 'bout it; if you did you
+would be beat and sometimes killed too.</p>
+
+<p>"A man in callin' distance from our place had a whippin' pole. This man
+was just as mean as he could be. I know he is in hell now, and he ought
+to be. A woman on his place had twins and she warn't strong from the
+beginnin'. The day after the chillun was borned, he told her to go over
+to his house and scrub it from front to back. She went over to the house
+and scrubbed two rooms and was so sick she had to lay down on the floor
+and rest awhile. His wife told her to go on back to her house and get in
+bed but she was afraid. Finally she got up and scrubbed another room and
+while she was carryin' the water out she fainted. The mistress had some
+of the men carry her home and got another slave to finish the scrubbin'
+so the marster wouldn't beat the pore nigger. She was a good woman but
+her husband was mean as the devil. He would even beat her. When he got
+home that night he didn't say nothin' 'cause the house had been
+scrubbed, but the next mornin' one of the chillun told him about the
+woman faintin' and the other girl finishin' the scrubbin'. He got mad
+and said his wife was cloakin' for the slaves, that there was nothin'
+wrong with the woman, she was just lazy. He beat his wife, then went out
+and tied the pore colored woman to a whippin' pole and beat her
+unmerciful. He left her hangin' on the pole and went to church. When he
+got back she <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_297" id="Page_297">[Pg 297]</a></span>was dead. He had the slaves take her down and bury her in a
+box. He said that laziness had killed her and that she warn't worth the
+box she was buried in. The babies died the next day and he said he was
+glad of it 'cause they would grow up lazy just like their mother.</p>
+
+<p>"My marster had a barrel with nails drove in it that he would put you in
+when he couldn't think of nothin' else mean enough to do. He would put
+you in this barrel and roll it down a hill. When you got out you would
+be in a bad fix, but he didn't care. Sometimes he rolled the barrel in
+the river and drowned his slaves.</p>
+
+<p>"I had a brother who worked at the acadamy and every night when the
+teacher had his class he would let my brother come in. He taught him to
+read and write too. He learned to read and write real well and the
+teacher said he was the smartest one in the class. Marster passed our
+window one night and heard him readin'. The next mornin' he called him
+over to the house and fooled him into readin' and writin', told him he
+had somethin' he wanted him to do if he could read and write good
+enough. My brother read everythin' marster give him and wrote with a
+pencil and ink pen. Marster was so mad that he could read and write
+better than his own boy that he beat him, took him away from the
+academy, and put him to work in the blacksmith shop. Marster wouldn't
+let him wear no shoes in the shop 'cause he wanted the hot cinders to
+fall on his feet to punish him. When the man in charge of the shop told
+marster he wouldn't work my brother unless he had on shoes, he bought
+some brogans that he knowed he couldn't wear, and from then on he made
+him do the hardest kind of work he <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_298" id="Page_298">[Pg 298]</a></span>could think of.</p>
+
+<p>"My marster never whipped us himself. He had a coachman do all the
+whippin' and he stood by to see that it was done right. He whipped us
+until we was blistered and then took a cat-o-nine-tails and busted the
+blisters. After that he would throw salty water on the raw places. I
+mean it almost gave you spasms. Whenever they sent you to the courthouse
+to be whipped the jail keeper's daughter give you a kick after they put
+you in the stocks. She kicked me once and when they took me out I sho
+did beat her. I scratched her everwhere I could and I knowed they would
+beat me again, but I didn't care so long as I had fixed her."</p>
+
+<p>One ex-slave "belonged to an old lady who was a widow. This lady was
+very good to me. Of course most people said it was 'cause her son was my
+father. But she was just good to all of us. She did keep me in the house
+with her. She knowed I was her son's child all right. When I married, I
+still stayed with my mistress 'til she died. My husband stayed with his
+marster in the day time and would come and stay with me at night.</p>
+
+<p>"When my mistress died I had to be sold. My husband told me to ask his
+marster to buy me. He didn't want me to belong to him because I would
+have to work real hard and I hadn't been use to no hard work, but he was
+so afraid somebody would buy me and carry me somewhere way off, 'til he
+decided it was best for his marster to buy me. So his marster bought me
+and give me and my husband to his son. I kept house and washed for his
+son as long as he was single. When he married his wife changed me from
+the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_299" id="Page_299">[Pg 299]</a></span>house and put me in the field and she put one of the slaves her
+mother give her when she married, in the kitchen. My marster's wife was
+very mean to all of us. She didn't like me at all. She sold my oldest
+child to somebody where I couldn't ever see him any more and kept me.
+She just did that to hurt me. She took my baby child and put her in the
+house with her to nurse her baby and make fire. And all while she was in
+the house with her she had to sleep on the floor.</p>
+
+<p>"Whenever she got mad with us she would take the cow hide, that's what
+she whipped us with, and whip us 'til the blood ran down. Her house
+was high off the ground and one night the calf went under the house
+and made water. The next morning she saw it, so she took two of my
+sister-in-law's chillun and carried 'em in the kitchen and tied 'em. She
+did this while her husband was gone. You see if he had been there he
+wouldn't have let her done that. She took herself a chair and sit down
+and made one of the slaves she brought there with her whip those chillun
+so 'til all of the slaves on the place was cryin'. One of the slaves run
+all the way where our marster was and got him. He come back as quick as
+he could and tried to make her open the door, but she wouldn't do it so
+he had to break the door in to make her stop whippin' them chillun. The
+chillun couldn't even cry when he got there. And when he asked her what
+she was whippin' them for she told him that they had went under the
+house and made that water. My master had two of the men to take 'em over
+to our house, but they was small and neither one ever got over that
+whippin'. One died two days later and the other one died about a month
+afterwards. Everybody hated her after that.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_300" id="Page_300">[Pg 300]</a></span>"Just before freedom declared, my husband took very sick and she took
+her husband and come to my house to make him get up. I told her that he
+was not able to work, but my husband was so scared they would beat me to
+death 'til he begged me to hush. I expect marster would have if he
+hadn't been scared of his father. You see his father give me to him. He
+told me if the legislature set in his behalf he would make me know a
+nigger's place. You know it was near freedom. I told him if he made my
+husband get out of bed as sick as he was and go to work, I would tell
+his father if he killed me afterwards. And that's one time I was goin'
+to fight with 'em. I never was scared of none of 'em, so I told 'em if
+they touched my husband they wouldn't touch nothin' else. They wouldn't
+give us nothin' to eat that whole day.</p>
+
+<p>"Course we never did have much to eat. At night they would give us a
+teacup of meal and a slice of bacon a piece for breakfus' the next
+mornin'. If you had chillun they would give you a teacup of meal for two
+chillun. By day light the next mornin' the overseer was at your house to
+see if you was out, and if you hadn't cooked and eat and got out of that
+house he would take that bull whip, and whip you nearly to death. He
+carried that bull whip with him everywhere he went.</p>
+
+<p>"Those folks killed one of my husband's brothers. He was kind of
+crack-brained, and 'cause he was half crazy, they beat him all the time.
+The last time they beat him we was in the field and this overseer beat
+him with that bull hide all across the head and everywhere. He beat him
+until he fell down on his knees and couldn't even say a word. And do you
+know he wouldn't even let a one of us go to see about him. He stayed
+stretched out in the the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_301" id="Page_301">[Pg 301]</a></span>field 'til us went home. The next mornin' he
+was found dead right where he had beat him that evenin'.</p>
+
+<p>"'Bout two or three weeks later than that they told one of the slaves
+they was goin' to beat him after we quit work that evenin'. His name was
+Josh.</p>
+
+<p>"When the overseer went to the other end of the field Josh dropped his
+hoe and walked off. Nobody saw him anymore for about three weeks. He was
+the best hand us had and us sho' did need him. Our master went
+everywhere he could think of, lookin' for Josh, but he couldn't find him
+and we was glad of it. After he looked and looked and couldn't find him
+he told all of us to tell Josh to come back if we knowed where he was.
+He said if Josh would come back he wouldn't whip him, wouldn't let the
+overseer whip him. My husband knowed where he was but he warn't goin' to
+tell nobody. Josh would come to our house every night and us would give
+him some of what us had for dinner and supper. Us always saved it for
+him. Us would eat breakfus' at our house, but all of us et dinner and
+supper at the mess house together. Everyday when I et dinner and supper
+I would take a part of mine and my husband would take a part of his and
+us would carry it to our house for pore Josh. 'Bout 'leven o'clock at
+night, when everybody was sleep, Josh would come to the side window and
+get what us had for him. It's really a shame the way that pore man had
+to hide about just to keep from bein' beat to death 'bout nothin'. Josh
+said the first day he left he went in the woods and looked and looked
+for a place to hide. Later he saw a tree that the wind had blowed the
+top off and left 'bout ten feet standin'. This was rather a big tree and
+all of the insides had rotted out. I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_302" id="Page_302">[Pg 302]</a></span>reckon you have seen trees like
+that. Well that's the way this one was. So Josh climbed up this tree and
+got down inside of it. He didn't know there was nothin' down in that
+tree, but there was some little baby bears in there. Then there he was
+down there with no way to come out, and knowin' all the time that the
+mama bear was comin' back. So he thought and thought and thought. After
+while he thought 'bout a knife he had in his pocket. You see he couldn't
+climb out of the tree, it was too tall. When he heard the bear climbin'
+up the tree he opened his knife. Have you ever seen a bear comin' down a
+tree? Well he comes down backwards. So when this bear started down
+inside of the tree he went down backwards, and Josh had his knife open
+and just caught him by the tail and begin stickin' him with the knife.
+That's the way Josh got out of that tree. When he stuck the bear with
+the knife the bear went back up the tree, and that pulled Josh up. And
+when the bear got to the top of the tree Josh caught a hold of the tree
+and pulled himself on out, but the bear fell and broke his neck. Well
+Josh had to find him somewhere else to hide. In them times there was big
+caves in the woods, not only the woods but all over the country, and
+that's where pore Josh hid all while he was away. Josh stayed there in
+that cave a long time then he come on back home. He didn't get a
+whippin' either."</p>
+
+<p>Childhood memories were recalled by an old woman who said: "When I was
+about nine years old, for about six months, I slept on a crocus bag
+sheet in order to get up and nurse the babies when they <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_303" id="Page_303">[Pg 303]</a></span>cried. Do you
+see this finger? You wonder why its broke? Well one night the babies
+cried and I didn't wake up right away to 'tend to 'em and my mistess
+jumped out of bed, grabbed the piece of iron that was used to push up
+the fire and began beatin' me with it. That's the night this finger got
+broke, she hit me on it. I have two more fingers she broke beatin' me at
+diff'unt times. She made me break this leg too. You see they would put
+the women in stocks and beat 'em whenever they done somethin' wrong.
+That's the way my leg was broke. You see us had to call all of our
+marster's chillun 'mistess' or 'marster.' One day I forgot to call one
+of my young mistesses, 'miss.' She was about eight or nine months old.
+My mistess heard me and put me in a stock and beat me. While she was
+beatin' me, I turned my leg by some means and broke it. Don't you think
+she quit beatin' me 'cause I had broke my leg. No, that made no
+diff'unce to her. That's been years ago, but it still worries me now.
+Now other times when you called your marster's chillun by their names,
+they would strip you and let the child beat you. It didn't matter
+whether the child was large or small, and they always beat you 'til the
+blood ran down.</p>
+
+<p>"Have you ever slept in the grave yard? I know you haven't but I have.
+Many a time when I was told that I was goin' to get a beatin', I would
+hide away in the cemetery where I stayed all night layin' in gullies
+between graves prayin'. All night long I could see little lights runnin'
+all over the grave yard, and I could see ha'nts, and hear 'em sayin'
+'Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh,' which meant they were pityin' my case.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_304" id="Page_304">[Pg 304]</a></span>"When they whipped the men, all their clothes was took off, their hands
+was fastened together and then they wound 'em up in the air to a post
+and tied their feet to the bottom of the post. They would begin whippin'
+'em at sundown, and sometimes they would be whippin' 'em as late as
+'leven o'clock at night. You could hear 'em cryin' and prayin' a long
+ways off. When they prayed for the Lord to have mercy, their marster
+would cuss the Lord and tell 'em they better not call his name again."</p>
+
+<p>The whipping pole, as described by Lizzie, was a long post several feet
+in diameter to which was attached a long rope through a pulley. On one
+end was a device, similiar to the modern handcuff&mdash;the other end was
+used to draw the hand to an upward position, thereby, rendering the
+individual helpless. At the base of the pole was a clamp like instrument
+which held the feet in a motionless position.</p>
+
+<p>Roy Redfield recalls going to the courthouse and seeing the older slaves
+whipped. "When I would go there with my young marster I would see 'em
+whippin' the slaves. You see they had stocks there then, and they
+wouldn't put you in jail like they do now. Your marster or mistess would
+send you to the courthouse with a note and they would put you in them
+stocks and beat you, then they would give you a note and send you back.
+They never did beat me, if they had my old mistess would have raised
+sand with 'em. Whenever I was whipped my mother did it. I warn't no
+slave and my ma neither, but my pa was.</p>
+
+<p>"When they whipped you they would strap you down in them stocks, then a
+man would wind the whippin' machine and beat you 'til they had given you
+the number of lashes your boss had on the note. I <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_305" id="Page_305">[Pg 305]</a></span>didn't see them
+whippin' any women there, so I can't say they did and I can't say they
+didn't.</p>
+
+<p>"My master wouldn't let us go to school, but his chillun would slip
+'round and teach us what they could out of their books. They would also
+give us books to read. Whenever their pa or ma caught them tryin' to
+teach us they always whipped them. I learned to read and write from 'em
+and I'll never forget how hard it was for 'em to get a chance to teach
+me. But if they caught you tryin' to write they would cut your finger
+off and if they caught you again they would cut your head off.</p>
+
+<p>"When I was a young man, a old man stole the head and pluck (pluck is
+the liver and lites) out of the hog (some people call it the haslet) and
+hid it up in the loft of his house. When his marster missed it he went
+to this man's house lookin' for it. The man told him that he didn't have
+it. He had already told his wife if his marster come not to own it
+either. Well his master kept askin' him over and over 'bout the head and
+pluck, but they denied having it. The marster told 'em if they didn't
+give it to him and that quick he was goin' to give 'em a thousand lashes
+each, if less didn't kill 'em. This woman's husband told her not to own
+it. He told her to take three thousand lashes and don't own it. So their
+marster whipped her and whipped her, but she wouldn't own it. Finally he
+quit whippin' her and started whippin' the old man. Just as soon as he
+started whippin' the man he told his wife to go up in the loft of the
+house and throw the head and pluck down 'cause he didn't want it.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_306" id="Page_306">[Pg 306]</a></span>"You always had to get a pass when goin' out. Sometimes, when you
+wouldn't be thinking, a patter roller would step up to the door and ask
+who was there. If any visitor was there they would ask 'em to show their
+pass. If you didn't have a pass they would take you out and beat you,
+then make you go home and when you got home, your marster would take you
+to the barn, strip you buck naked, tie you to a post and beat you. Us
+didn't have to get passes whenever us wanted to go visitin'. All us had
+to do was tell 'em who us belonged to, and they always let us by. They
+knowed our marster would let us go 'thout passes.</p>
+
+<p>"Us used to go to barn dances all the time. I never will forget the
+fellow who played the fiddle for them dances. He had run away from his
+marster seven years before. He lived in a cave he had dug in the ground.
+He stayed in this cave all day and would come out at night. This cave
+was in the swamp. He stole just 'bout everythin' he et. His marster had
+been tryin' to catch him for a long time. Well they found out he was
+playin' for these dances and one night us saw some strange lookin' men
+come in but us didn't pay it much 'tention. Us always made a big oak
+fire and thats where us got mos' of our light from. Well these men
+danced with the girls a good while and after a while they started goin'
+out one by one. Way after while they all came back in together, they had
+washed the blackenin' off their faces, and us seen they was white. This
+man had a song he would always sing. 'Fooled my marster seven
+years&mdash;expect to fool him seven more.' So when these men came in they
+went to him and told him maybe he <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_307" id="Page_307">[Pg 307]</a></span>had fooled 'em for seven years, but he
+wouldn't fool 'em seven more. When they started to grab him he just
+reached in the fire and got a piece of wood that was burnin' good on one
+end and waved it all around (in a circle) until he set three of 'em on
+fire. While they was puttin' this fire out he run out in the swamp and
+back in his cave. They tried to catch him again. They painted their
+faces and done just like they did the first time, but this time they
+carried pistols. When they pulled their pistols on him he did just like
+he did the first time, and they never did catch him. He stopped comin'
+to play for the dances after they was straight after him. Dogs couldn't
+trail him 'cause he kept his feet rubbed with onions.</p>
+
+<p>"I have seen some marsters make their slaves walk in snow knee deep,
+barefooted. Their heels would be cracked open jus' like corn bread.</p>
+
+<p>"The only real mean thing they did to us when I was young was to sell my
+father when our marster died. They sold him to somebody way off, and
+they promised to bring him back to see us, but they never did. We always
+wished he would come, but until this day us hasn't laid eyes on him
+again. My mother worried 'bout him 'til she died.</p>
+
+<p>"Chillun didn't know what shoes was 'til they was 'bout fifteen years
+old. They would go a mile or a mile and a half in the snow for water
+anytime, and the only thin' they ever had on their feet would be
+somethin' made out of home-spun. You don't hardly hear of chilblain feet
+now, but then most every child you saw had cracked heels. The first pair
+of shoes I ever wore, I was sixteen years old, was too small for me and
+I pulled 'em off and throwed 'em in the fire."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Slavery" id="Slavery"></a><hr />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_308" id="Page_308">[Pg 308]</a></span><br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_309" id="Page_309">[Pg 309]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>[HW: Dist. #2<br />
+Ex. Slave #99]<br />
+<br />
+SLAVERY<br />
+by<br />
+RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD<br />
+<br />
+COMPILATION MADE FROM<br />
+INTERVIEWS WITH 30 SLAVES<br />
+AND INFORMATION FROM SLAVERY<br />
+LAWS AND OLD NEWSPAPER FILES<br />
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]</h3>
+<br />
+
+<h4>SLAVERY</h4>
+
+<p>The ex-slaves interviewed ranged in ages from 75 to 100 years old. Out
+of about thirty-five negroes contacted only two seemed to feel bitter
+over memories of slave days. All the others spoke with much feeling and
+gratitude of the good old days when they were so well cared for by their
+masters. Without exception the manners of these old men and women were
+gentle and courteous. The younger ones could pass on to us only
+traditional memories of slavery times, as given them by their parents;
+on some points a few were vague, while others could give clear-cut and
+vivid pictures.</p>
+
+<p>Practically all the Negroes interviewed seemed to be of pure African
+blood, with black or dark brown skin, Negroid features, and kinky,
+tightly wrapped wool. Most of the women were small and thin. We found
+one who had a strain of Indian blood, a woman named Mary, who belonged
+to John Roof. Her grandfather was an Indian, and her grandmother was
+part Indian, having migrated into South Carolina from Virginia.</p>
+
+<p>Sarah Ray, who was born on the Curtis Lowe place in McDuffie County was
+one of the few ex-slaves contacted, who was admittedly half-white.
+Although now wrinkled and weazened with age she has no definite Negroid
+features. Her eyes are <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_310" id="Page_310">[Pg 310]</a></span>light hazel and her hair fluffs about her face in
+soft ringlets instead of the tight kinks of the pure Negro.</p>
+
+<p>"My father was a white man, de overseer," said Sarah. "Leastways, dey
+laid me to him."</p>
+
+<p>Sarah was brought up like the Negro children on the plantation. She had
+no hard work to do. Her mother was a field hand, and they lived in a
+little house in the quarters. "De ve'y fust thing I kin remember is
+ridin' down de road in de ox cart wid my mammy," she said. "Ole man Eli
+wus drivin'. We wus goin' to Miss Meg's on de odder side o' Hart's
+Branch. Marster had give us to Miss Meg when she married Mr. Obediah
+Cloud."</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>HOUSING CONDITIONS</h4>
+
+<p>The slave houses were called "quarters," which consisted generally of a
+double row of houses facing each other in a grove of trees behind the
+"big house." On prosperous plantations each of these cabins had a garden
+plot and a chicken yard. Some of them were built of logs, but many were
+of planks. Most of them were large, one-room, unceiled, with open
+fireplaces at one end for cooking. When families grew too large a shed
+room would be "drap down on de back." Another type of slave cabin was
+called the "Double-pen" house. This was a large two-room cabin, with a
+chimney between the two rooms, and accommodating two families. On the
+more <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_311" id="Page_311">[Pg 311]</a></span>prosperous plantations the slave quarters were white-washed at
+intervals.</p>
+
+<p>On plantations housing arrangements were left entirely to the discretion
+of the owner, but in the cities strict rules were made. Among the
+ordinances of the City Council of Augusta, dated from August 10th,
+1820-July 8, 1829, Section 14, is the following law concerning the
+housing of slaves:</p>
+
+<p>"No person of color shall occupy any house but that of some white person
+by whom he or she is owned or hired without a license from the City
+Council. If this license is required application must first be made for
+permission to take it out. If granted the applicant shall give bond with
+approved security, not exceeding the sum of $100.00 for his or her good
+behavior. On execution of charge the Clerk shall issue the license. Any
+person renting a house, or tenament contrary to this section or
+permitting the occupancy of one, may be fined in a sum not exceeding
+$50.00."</p>
+
+<p>Descriptions were given of housing conditions by quite a number of
+slaves interviewed. Fannie Fulcher, who was a slave on Dr. Balding
+Miller's plantation in Burke County described the slave quarters thus:
+"Houses wus built in rows, one on dat side, one on dis side&mdash;open space
+in de middle, and de overseer's house at de end, wid a wide hall right
+through it. (Fannie was evidently referring to the breezeway or dogtrot,
+down the middle of many small plantation houses). We cook on de
+fireplace in de house. We used to have pots hanging right up in de
+chimbley. When dere wus <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_312" id="Page_312">[Pg 312]</a></span>lots of chillun it wus crowded. But sometimes
+dey took some of 'em to de house for house girls. Some slep' on de flo'
+and some on de bed. Two-three houses had shed rooms at de back. Dey had
+a patch sometime. My father, he used to have a patch. He clean it up
+hisself at night in de swamp."</p>
+
+<p>Susie Brown, of the Evans Plantation on Little River in Columbia County
+said, in describing the Quarters, "Dey look like dis street." She
+indicated the unpaved street with its rows of unpainted shacks. "Some of
+dem wus plank houses and some wus log houses, two rooms and a shed room.
+And we had good beds, too&mdash;high tester beds wid good corn shuck and hay
+mattresses."</p>
+
+<p>On the plantation of John Roof the slave cabins were of logs. Large
+families had two or three rooms; smaller ones one or two rooms.</p>
+
+<p>Susannah Wyman, who was a slave on the Starling Freeman place near Troy,
+S.C. said, "Our houses wus made outer logs. We didn't have nothin' much
+nohow, but my mammy she had plenty o' room fer her chillun. We didn't
+sleep on de flo', we had bed. De people in de plantachun all had bed."</p>
+
+<p>Others described mattresses made of straw and corn shucks. Another said,
+"Yas'm, we had good cotton mattresses. Marster let us go to de gin house
+and git all de cotton we need."</p>
+
+<p>Another described the sleeping conditions thus, "Chillun pretty much
+slep' on de flo' and old folks had beds. Dey wus made out o' boards
+nailed togedder wid a rope strung across it instead o' springs, and a
+cotton mattress across it."</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_313" id="Page_313">[Pg 313]</a></span><br />
+<h4>FOOD</h4>
+
+<p>Many of the Negroes with whom we talked looked back on those days of
+plenty with longing. Rations of meal, bacon and syrup were given out
+once a week by the overseer. Vegetables, eggs and chickens raised in the
+little plots back of the cabins were added to these staples.</p>
+
+<p>Ellen Campbell, who was owned by Mr. William Eve of Richmond County
+said, "My boss would feed 'em good. He was killin' hogs stidy fum
+Jinuary to March. He had two smokehouses. Dere wus four cows. At night
+de folks on one side de row o' cabins go wid de piggins fer milk, and in
+de mawnin's, dose on de odder side go fer de piggins o' milk."</p>
+
+<p>"And did you have plenty of other good things to eat?" we asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Law, yas'm. Rations wus give out to de slaves; meal, meat, and jugs o'
+syrup. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de
+gyarden patch and chickens. Marster buy eggs and chickens fum us at
+market prices."</p>
+
+<p>Another slave told us that when the slaves got hungry before dinner time
+they would ask the nursing mothers to bring them back hoe-cake when they
+went to nurse the babies. Those hot hoe-cakes were eaten in mid-morning,
+"to hold us till dinner-time."</p>
+
+<p>On one plantation where the mother was the cook for the owner, her
+children were fed from the big kitchen.</p>
+
+<p>A piece of iron crossed the fireplace, and the pots hung down <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_314" id="Page_314">[Pg 314]</a></span>on hooks.
+"Us cooked corn dodgers," one ex-slave recalled, "the hearth would be
+swept clean, the ash cakes wrapped up into corn shucks and cooked brown.
+They sure was good!"</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>TYPES OF WORK</h4>
+
+<p>The large plantations were really industrial centers in which almost
+everything necessary to the life of the white family and the large
+retinue of slaves was grown or manufactured. On estates where there were
+many slaves there were always trained blacksmiths, coopers, carpenters,
+tanners, shoemakers, seamstresses, laundresses, weavers, spinners, cooks
+and house servants; all employed in the interest of the community life
+of the plantation. Those who could not learn to do any of this skilled
+work were turned into the fields and called, "hands". Both men and women
+were employed in the fields where cotton, corn, rice and tobacco were
+cultivated. House servants ware always considered superior to field
+hands.</p>
+
+<p>Melinda Mitchell, who was born a slave in Edgefield, S.C., said, "My
+family wasn't fiel' hands. We wus all house servants. My father wus de
+butler, and he weighed out de rations fer de slaves. My mammy wus de
+house 'oman and her mother and sister wus de cooks. Marster wouldn't
+sell none of his slaves, and when he wanted to buy one he'd buy de whole
+fambly to keep fum havin' 'em separated."</p>
+
+<p>At an early age Melinda and her younger sister were given to the two
+young ladies of the house as their personal maids. "I wus given to Miss
+Nettie," Melinda said, "Our young Mistresses visited, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_315" id="Page_315">[Pg 315]</a></span>too, and wherever
+dey went my sister and me went erlong. My own mammy took long trips with
+ole Mistis to de Blue Ridge Mountains and sometimes over de big water."</p>
+
+<p>Susannah Wyman of the Starling Freeman plantation in South Carolina
+said, "The house servants wuz trained to cook, clean up, de man wuz
+trained to make shoes. I don't think us had carpenters. I toted water in
+de field, hoed some. I wuz quite young. I spun but I didn't weave. Dere
+wuz a lady dey had on de place did de weavin'. I had many a striped
+dress woven on dat big loom and dey wuz pretty, too."</p>
+
+<p>Susie Brown, who used to live on the Evans plantation on Little River in
+Columbia County was too little to do any hard work during slavery times.
+"I jus' stayed at home and 'tend de baby," she said. "But my mother was
+a cook and my father a blacksmith."</p>
+
+<p>Mary's mother was a plantation weaver. "Mistis would cut out dresses out
+of homespun. We had purple dyed checks. They was pretty. I had to sew
+seams. Marster had to buy shoes for us, he give us good-soled ones."</p>
+
+<p>Easter Jones, who had only bitter memories of the slavery period said,
+"Sometimes we eben had to pull fodder on Sunday. But what I used to hate
+worse'n anything was wipin' dishes. Dey'd make me take de dish out de
+scaldin' water, den if I drap it dey whip me. Dey whip you so hard your
+back bleed, den dey pour salt and water on it. And your shirt stick to
+your back, and you hadder get somebody to grease it 'fore you kin take
+it off."</p>
+
+<p>Ellen Campbell, who used to belong to Mr. William Eve said she <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_316" id="Page_316">[Pg 316]</a></span>did only
+simple jobs about the plantation in childhood, "When I was 'bout ten
+years old dey started me totin' water&mdash;you know ca'yin' water to de
+hands in de field. 'Bout two years later I got my first field job
+'tending sheep. When I wus fifteen year old Missus gib me to Miss Eva,
+you know she de one marry Colonel Jones. My young Mistus was fixin' to
+git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she brought me to
+town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house. De rent wus
+paid to my Mistus. One day I was takin' a tray from de out-door kitchen
+to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food spill all over de
+ground. Da lady got so mad she picked up de butcher knife and chop me in
+de haid. I went runnin' till I come to da place where mah white folks
+live. Miss Eva took me and wash de blood out mah head and put medicine
+on it, and she wrote a note to de lady and she say, 'Ellen is my slave,
+give to me by my mother. I wouldn't had dis happen to her no more dan to
+me. She won't come back dere no more.'"</p>
+
+<p>Willis Bennefield, who was a slave on Dr. Balding Miller's plantation in
+Burke County, said, "I wuk in de fiel' and I drove him 30 years. He was
+a doctor. He had a ca'iage and a buggy, too. My father driv de ca'iage.
+I driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed and had to hitch
+up my horse and go five or six miles. He had regular saddle horses, two
+pair o' horses fer de ca'iage. He was a rich man&mdash;riches' man in Burke
+County&mdash;had three hundred slaves. He made his money on de plantachuns,
+not doctorin'."</p>
+
+<p>Fannie Fulcher, who was also one of Dr. Miller's slaves, and Willis
+Bennefield's sister gives this account of the slaves' work <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_317" id="Page_317">[Pg 317]</a></span>in earning
+extra money. "De marster give 'em ev'y day work clothes, but dey bought
+de res' deyselves. Some raise pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, all sich
+things like dat in dey patches; sell 'em to different stores. Jus' like
+somebody want ground clear up, dey git big torches fer light, clean up
+de new groun' at night, dat money b'long to dem. I year my mother and
+father say de slaves made baskets and quilts and things and sell 'em for
+they-selves."</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>EDUCATION</h4>
+
+<p>The following appears in the Statue Laws of Georgia for 1845 concerning
+educating negroes, under Section II, Minor Offences.</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"Punishment for teaching slaves or free persons of color to
+read. If any slave, negro, or free person of color, or any
+white person, shall teach any other slave, negro or free
+person of color, to read or write either written or printed
+characters, the said free person of color or slave shall be
+punished by fine and whipping, or fine or whipping, at the
+direction of the court."</p></div>
+
+<p>Among the ordinances passed by the City of Augusta, effective between
+August 10th, 1820 and July 8th, 1829, was the following concerning the
+teaching of negroes:</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"No person shall teach a negro or person of color to read or
+cause any one to be taught within the limits of the City, nor
+shall any person suffer a school for the instruction of
+negroes, or persons of color to be kept on his or her lot."</p></div>
+
+<p>None of the ex-slaves whom we interviewed could either read or write.
+Old Willis Bennefield, who used to accompany his young <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_318" id="Page_318">[Pg 318]</a></span>master to school,
+said he "larned something then. I got way up in my A B Cs, but atter I
+got to thinkin' 'bout gals I fergit all 'bout dat."</p>
+
+<p>Another slave said, "We had a school on our plantation and a Negro
+teacher named, Mathis, but they couldn't make me learn nothin'. I sure
+is sorry now."</p>
+
+<p>Easter Jones, who was once a slave of Lawyer Bennet, on a plantation
+about ten miles from Waynesboro, said, when we asked if she had been to
+school, "Chillun didn't know whut a book wus in dem days&mdash;dey didn't
+teach 'em nothin' but wuk. Dey didn' learn me nothin' but to churn and
+clean up house, and 'tend to dat boy and spin and cyard de roll."</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>RELIGION</h4>
+
+<p>Most of the ex-slaves interviewed received their early religious
+training in the churches of their masters. Many churches which have
+slave sections in this district are still standing. Sometimes the slaves
+sat in pews partitioned off at the back of the church, and sometimes
+there was a gallery with a side entrance.</p>
+
+<p>The old Bath Presbyterian Church had a gallery and private entrance of
+this kind. Sunday Schools were often conducted for the slaves on the
+plantation.</p>
+
+<p>Among the ordinances passed by the City of Augusta, February 7, 1862,
+was section forty-seven, which concerned negro preaching and teaching:</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"No slave or free person of color shall be allowed to preach,
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_319" id="Page_319">[Pg 319]</a></span>exhort or teach, in any meeting of slaves or free persons of
+color, for public worship or religious instruction in this
+city, but except at funerals or sitting up with the dead,
+without a license in writing from the Inferior Court of
+Richmond County, and Mayor of the City, regularly granted
+under the Act of the General Assembly of this State, passed
+on the 23rd day of December, 1843.</p>
+
+<p>"No colored preacher residing out of the County of Richmond,
+shall preach, exhort, or teach, until he has produced his
+license granted under the Act aforesaid, and had the same
+countersigned by the Mayor of this City, or in his absence
+by two members of Council.</p>
+
+<p>"Persons qualified as aforesaid, may hold meetings in this city
+for the purpose aforesaid, at any time during the Sabbath day,
+and on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. No other meetings
+of slaves or free persons of color for religious purposes shall
+be held, except by permission of Council.</p>
+
+<p>"No meeting of slaves or free persons of color for the purpose
+aforesaid, shall continue at any time later than 10:30 at
+night, and all such meetings shall be superintended by one or
+more citizens, appointed by the ministers in charge of their
+respective denominations, and approved by the Mayor. All slaves
+or free persons of color attending such meetings, after that
+hour, shall be arrested, and punished, under the Section,
+whether with or without tickets from their owners; and all such
+persons returning from such meetings after the ringing of the
+Market Bell, without tickets, shall be arrested and punished
+as in other cases.</p>
+
+<p>"Every offense against this section shall be punished by
+whipping, not exceeding 39 lashes, or fined not exceeding
+$50.00."</p></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_320" id="Page_320">[Pg 320]</a></span>Harriet White, who told us some of her father's slavery experiences
+said, "Yas'm, dey let'em go to chu'ch, but de colored folks hadder sit
+behind a boarded up place, so dey hadder stretch dey neck to see de
+preacher, and den day hadder jine de Master's chu'ch&mdash;de Methodis'
+Chu'ch. De spirit done tole my father to jine da Baptis' Chu'ch&mdash;dat de
+right t'ing, but he hadder jine de Methodis', 'cause his Master was
+Methodis'. But when he come to Augusta he wus baptise in de river. He
+say he gwine ca'y God's point."</p>
+
+<p>We asked Ellen Campbell of the Eve Plantation in Richmond County about
+church going. She replied, "Yas'm, we used to go to town. But de
+Padderolas wus ridin' in dem days, and you couldn' go off de plantachun
+widout a pass. So my boss he built a brick chu'ch on de plantachun, and
+de D'Laigles built a chu'ch on dere's."</p>
+
+<p>Susie Brown, who was a slave on the Evans Plantation in Columbia County,
+said, in speaking of her mother getting religion, "My Maw and Paw wasn't
+married till after freedom. When my Maw got 'ligion dey wouldn' let her
+be baptise till she was married." She stated that her mother had seven
+children then. Aunt Susie had had eight children herself, but her
+husband was now dead. When asked why she didn't get married again, she
+replied, "Whut I wanner git married fer? I ain' able to wuk fer myself
+let alone a man!"</p>
+
+<p>Augustus Burden, who was born a slave on General Walker's plantation at
+Windsor Springs, Ga., said, "We had no churches on <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_321" id="Page_321">[Pg 321]</a></span>our place. We went to
+the white people's church at Hale's Gate. Then after they stopped the
+colored people going there to church, they had their little meetings
+right at home. We had one preacher, a real fine preacher, named Ned
+Walker, who was my uncle by marriage."</p>
+
+<p>Fannie Fulcher, a former slave on Dr. Miller's plantation in Burke
+County, gave this unique account of the slave children's early religious
+trainings: "Dey had a ole lady stay in de quarters who tuk care o' de
+chillun whilst de mother wus in de fiel'. Den dey met at her house at
+dark, and a man name, Hickman, had prayers. Dey all kneel down. Den de
+chillun couln' talk till dey got home&mdash;if you talk you git a whippin'
+frum de ole lady nex' night. Ole granny whip 'em."</p>
+
+<p>Fannie said the slaves went to the "white folks church," and that "white
+folks baptise 'em at Farmer's Bridge or Rock Creek." A white preacher
+also married the slaves.</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>DISCIPLINE</h4>
+
+<p>In 1757 the Patrol System was organized. This was done as a result of
+continual threats of uprisings among the slaves. All white male citizens
+living in each district, between the ages of 16 and 45 were eligible for
+this service. The better class of people paid fines to avoid this duty.
+Members of the patrol group could commit no violence, but had power to
+search Negro houses and premises, and break up illegal gatherings. They
+were on duty from nine at night until dawn.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_322" id="Page_322">[Pg 322]</a></span>By 1845 there were many laws on the Statute books of Georgia concerning
+the duties of patrols. The justice of the peace in each captain's
+district of the state was empowered to decide who was eligible to patrol
+duty and to appoint the patrol. Every member of the patrol was required
+to carry a pistol while on duty. They were required to arrest all slaves
+found outside their master's domain without a pass, or who was not in
+company with some white person. He was empowered to whip such slave with
+twenty lashes. He also had power to search for offensive weapons and
+fugitive slaves. Every time a person evaded patrol duty he was required
+to pay the sum of five dollars fine.</p>
+
+<p>The entire life of the slave was hedged about with rules and
+regulations. Beside those passed by individual masters for their own
+plantations there were many city and state laws. Severe punishment, such
+as whipping on the bare skin, was the exception rather than the rule,
+though some slaves have told of treatment that was actually inhuman.</p>
+
+<p>In 1845 the following laws had been passed in Georgia, the violation of
+which brought the death penalty:</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"Capital crimes when punished with death: The following shall
+be considered as capital offenses, when committed by a slave or
+free person of color: insurrection or an attempt to excite it;
+committing a rape, or attempting it on a free white female;
+murder of a free white person, or murder of a slave or free
+person of color, or poisoning a human being; every and each of
+these offenses shall, on conviction, be punished with death."</p></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_323" id="Page_323">[Pg 323]</a></span>There were severe punishments for a slave striking a white person,
+burning or attempting to burn a house, for circulating documents to
+incite insurrection, conspiracy or resistance of slaves. It was against
+the law for slaves to harbor other fugitive slaves, to preach without a
+license, or to kill or brand cattle without instructions.</p>
+
+<p>In Section Forty-Five of the Ordinances of the City of Augusta, passed
+on Feb. 7, 1862, were the following restrictions:</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"Any slave or free person of color found riding or driving
+about the city, not having a written pass from his or her
+owner, hirer, or guardian, expressing the date of such pass,
+the name of the negro to whom it is given, the place or places
+to which he or she is going, how long he or she is to be
+absent, and in the case of a slave, that such slave is in the
+services of the person before the Recorder's Court by which he
+or she shall be tried, and on conviction shall be punished by
+whipping not to exceed 39 lashes.</p>
+
+<p>"No slave or free person of color, other than Ministers of the
+Gospel, having charge of churches, in the discharge of their
+duties, and funeral processions, shall be allowed to ride or
+drive within the limits of the city, on the Sabbath, without
+written permission from his or her owner, or employer, stating
+that such slave or free parson of color is on business of such
+owners or employer.</p>
+
+<p>"Every slave or free person of color not excepted as aforesaid,
+who shall be found riding or driving in the city on the
+Sabbath, without such permission from his or her owner or
+employer shall be arrested and taken to Recorder's Court; and
+if such slave <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_324" id="Page_324">[Pg 324]</a></span>or free person of color was actually engaged in
+the business of said owner or employer, the said slave or free
+person of color shall be convicted and punished by whipping,
+not to exceed 39 lashes, which punishment in no case be
+commuted by a fine.</p>
+
+<p>"It shall be the duty of the officer making the arrest of such
+slave or free person of color as aforesaid, to take into his
+possession the horse or horse and vehicle, or horses and
+vehicles, so used by such slave or free person of color, which
+property may be redeemed by the owner, if white, upon the
+payment of $10.00, and if the owner of such property is a slave
+or free person of color, he or she shall be punished by
+whipping not less than 15 lashes."</p>
+
+<p>"No slave or free person of color shall be allowed to attend
+military parades, or any procession of citizens, or at the
+markethouse on public sale days under the penalty of receiving
+not exceeding 15 lashes, for each and every offense, to be
+inflicted by the Chief of Police, Captain or any lieutenant;
+provided no person shall be prevented from having the
+attendance of his own servant on such occasions."</p>
+
+<p>"No slave or free person of color shall walk with a cane, club,
+or stick, except such slave or free person of color be blind or
+infirm; nor smoke a pipe or cigar in any street, lane, alley or
+other public place, under a penalty of not exceeding 25 lashes,
+to be inflicted by any officer of the City, by order of the
+Recorder's Court."</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_325" id="Page_325">[Pg 325]</a></span><br />
+<p class="cen">SECTION FORTY-THIRD</p>
+
+<p>"No slave or free person of color shall play upon any
+instrument of music after sunset, without permission from the
+mayor or two members of Council, unless employed in the house
+of some citizen. No slave or free person of color shall be
+absent from his or her house 15 minutes after the bell shall
+have been rung, without a sufficient pass, under the penalty
+of 25 lashes, to be inflicted by the Chief of Police, or any
+officer of the City, and be confined in the Guard-Room for
+further examination, if found under suspicious circumstances.
+No slave or person of color shall keep lights in the house
+which they occupy after 10:00 at night, unless in case of
+necessity."</p>
+
+<br />
+<p class="cen">SECTION FORTY-FOUR</p>
+
+<p>"No slave or free person of color shall in the streets or
+alleys, fight, quarrel, riot, or otherwise, act in a disorderly
+manner, under the penalty of chastisement by any officer of the
+city, not exceeding 25 lashes, and in all cases of conviction
+before the Recorder's Court, he or she shall be punished by
+whipping, not exceeding 75 lashes.</p>
+
+<p>"No slave or free person of color, shall be allowed to keep a
+shop or shops for the sale of beer, cake, fruit, soda water, or
+any similar articles on their own account or for the benefit
+of any other person whomsoever. Any slave or slaves, or free
+person of color, found keeping a shop and selling, bartering,
+or trading in any way, shall be taken up and punished by
+whipping, with not more than 30 lashes for each and every
+offense, and shall stand committed until the officer's fees
+are paid."</p></div>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_326" id="Page_326">[Pg 326]</a></span>Most of the slaves interviewed were too young during the slavery period
+to have experienced any of the more cruel punishments, though some
+remembered hearing tales of brutal beatings. Most of the punishments
+inflicted were mild chastisements or restrictions.</p>
+
+<p>Susie Brown, who was a slave on the Evans' plantation on Little River in
+Columbia, said, "My Marster wus good to me, good as he could be&mdash;only
+thing he whup me fer wus usin' snuff. And when he go to whup me, Mistis
+beg him to stop, and he only gib me a lick or two. And if Mistis try to
+whup me, he make her stop. No, dey didn't had to do much whuppin'. Dey
+wus good to de hand." When asked about her overseer she replied, "Dere
+wus a overseer, but I disremember his name."</p>
+
+<p>Most of these old ex-slaves' recollections had to do with the
+"Patterolas", as the Patrol was called. One of them said about the
+Patrol, "Oh yes, ma'm, I seed da Patterolas, but I never heard no song
+about 'em. Dey wus all white mens. Jus' like now you want to go off your
+Marster's place to another man's place, you had to get a pass from your
+boss man. If you didn't have dat pass, de Patterolas would whip you."</p>
+
+<p>A woman who lived on the Roof plantation said, "I worked under four
+overseers, one of 'em was mean, and he had a big deep voice. When the
+niggers was at the feed lot, the place where they carried the dinner
+they brought to the fields, he would hardly give 'em time to eat before
+he hollered out, 'Git up and go back to work!'"</p>
+
+<p>She also said that Mars. Thomas, the red-haired young master, was mean
+about slaves over-staying pass time. "If they want off and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_327" id="Page_327">[Pg 327]</a></span>stayed too
+long, when they came back, he'd strip them stark, mother nekked, tie 'em
+to a tree, and whip 'em good. But old Marster, he didn't believe in
+whipping. It was different when the boys took possession after he died."</p>
+
+<p>Very few slaves ran away, but when they did the master hunted them with
+dogs.</p>
+
+<p>When Carrie Lewis, who belonged to Captain Ward, was asked if the slaves
+were ever whipped on their plantation, she replied, "No ma'm, de Marster
+say to de overseer, 'If you whup dem, I whup you.' No ma'm, he wouldn't
+keep a overseer dat wus mean to us&mdash;Cap'n Ward wus good to us. He
+wouldn't let de little ones call him 'Marster', dey had to call him and
+de Missus, 'Grampa' and 'Gramma'. My folks didn't mistreat de slaves.
+I'd be better off now if it wus dem times now."</p>
+
+<p>We asked Ellen Campbell, a Richmond County slave if her master was good
+to her and she replied, "I'll say fer Mr. William Eve&mdash;he de bes' white
+man anywhere round here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves.
+Sometimes de overseer whup 'em&mdash;make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup
+'em on de bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men
+dey call drivers. If dey didn't done right dey dus whup 'em and turn 'em
+loose."</p>
+
+<p>It was said that those who refused to take whippings were generally
+negroes of African royal blood, or their descendants.</p>
+
+<p>Edward Glenn of the Clinton Brown plantation in Forsythe County, Ga.,
+said, "My father would not take a whipping. He would die before he would
+take a whipping. The Marster thought so much of him, he made young
+Marster Clinton promise he would never sell him or put <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_328" id="Page_328">[Pg 328]</a></span>a stripe on him.
+Once, when he wanted to punish him, he give him a horse and bridle and
+fifty dollars. 'Go on off somewhere and get somebody to buy you.' My
+father stayed away a month. One day he come home, he had been off about
+100 miles. He brought with him a man who wanted to buy him. Marster put
+the man up for the night, fed his horse, and father went on out to
+mother. Next day when the man made him a price on father, Marster said,
+'I was just foolin'. I wouldn't sell him for nothing. I was trying to
+punish him. He is true and honest, but he won't take a whipping.'</p>
+
+<p>"Sometimes a slave was treated so bad by his owners he was glad if they
+put him up to be sold. If he was a bad man, they handcuffed him, put him
+on a stand, like for preachings and auctioned him off to the highest
+bidder.</p>
+
+<p>"When runaway slave was brought back they was punished. Once in Alabama
+I saw a woman stripped naked, laid over a stump in a field with her head
+hangin' down on one side, her feet on the other, and tied to the stump.
+Then they whipped her hard, and you could hear her hollering far off,
+'Oh, Lawd a'musay! Lawd a-musay!'."</p>
+
+<p>Another punishment Edward said, was called the "Gameron Stick",
+(sometimes called the Gamlin stick, or Spanish Buck). The slave's arms
+were bound around the bent knees and fastened to a stick run beneath
+them. This was called the "Spanish Buck" punishment. They stripped the
+slave, who was unable to stand up, and rolled him on one side and
+whipped him till the blood came. They called the whip the "cowhide".
+Slaves were whipped for small things, such as forgetting orders or
+spilling food.</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_329" id="Page_329">[Pg 329]</a></span><br />
+<h4>OVERSEERS</h4>
+
+<p>The most important person in the disciplining of negro slaves was the
+overseer. However, he occupied an unfortunate position socially. He was
+not regarded as the equal of the owner's family, and was not allowed to
+mix socially with the slaves. His was a hard lot, and consequently this
+position was generally filled by men of inferior grade. However, he was
+supposed to have an education so that he could handle the finances of
+the plantation accurately, and to be possessed of a good moral character
+in order to enforce the regulations. On most Georgia plantations
+overseers were given a house near the slave quarters. In some instances
+he lived in the house with the plantation owner. The average pay for
+overseers was from three to five hundred dollars a year.</p>
+
+<p>Next in authority to the overseer was the driver, who directed the work
+in the fields. Every morning the driver blew the horn or rang the
+plantation bell to summon slaves to their work. Next to him was some
+trusted slave, who carried the keys to the smokehouse and commissary,
+and helped to give out rations once a week.</p>
+
+<p>Many of the overseers were naturally cruel and inclined to treat the
+slaves harshly. Often strict rules and regulations had to be made to
+hold them in check. Overseers were generally made to sign these
+regulations on receiving their appointments.</p>
+
+<p>In 1840 the Southern Cultivator and Monthly Journal published the
+following rules of the plantation:</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_330" id="Page_330">[Pg 330]</a></span><br />
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p class="cen">RULES OF THE PLANTATION</p>
+
+<p>Rule 1st. The overseer will not be expected to work in the
+crop, but he must constantly with the hands, when not
+otherwise engaged in the employer's business, and will be
+required to attend on occasions to any pecuniary transactions
+connected with the plantation.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 2nd. The overseer is not expected to be absent from the
+plantation unless actual necessity compels him, Sundays
+excepted, and then it is expected that he will, on all
+occasions, be at home by night.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 3rd. He will attend, morning, noon and night, at the
+stable, and see that the mules and horses are ordered, curried,
+and fed.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 4th. He will see that every negro is out by daylight in
+the morning&mdash;a signal being given by a blast of the horn, the
+first horn will be blown half an hour before day. He will also
+visit the negro cabins at least once or twice a week, at night,
+to see that all are in. No negro must be out of his house after
+ten oclock in summer and eleven in winter.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 5th. The overseer is not to give passes to the negroes
+without the employer's consent. The families the negroes are
+allowed to visit will be specified by the employer; also those
+allowed to visit the premises. Nor is any negro allowed to
+visit the place without showing himself to the employer or
+overseer.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 6th. The overseer is required not to chat with the
+negroes, except on business, nor to encourage tale bearing, nor
+is any tale <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_331" id="Page_331">[Pg 331]</a></span>to be told to him or employer, by any negro, unless
+he has a witness to his statements, nor are they allowed, in
+any instance, to quarrel and fight. But the employer will
+question any negro, if confidence can be placed in him, without
+giving him cause of suspicion, about all matters connected with
+the plantation, if he has any reason to believe that all things
+are not going on right.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 7th. As the employer pays the overseer for his time and
+attention, it is not to be expected he will receive much
+company.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 8th. As the employer employs an overseer, not to please
+himself, but the employer, it will be expected that he will
+attend strictly to all his instructions. His opinion will be
+frequently asked relative to plantation matters, and
+respectfully listened to, but it is required they be given in
+a polite and respectful manner, and not urged, or insisted
+upon; and if not adopted, he must carry into effect the views
+of the employer, and with a sincere desire to produce a
+successful result. He is expected to carry on all experiments
+faithfully and carefully note the results, and he must, when
+required by the employer, give a fair trial to all new methods
+of culture, and new implements of agriculture.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 9th. As the whole stock will be under immediate charge
+of the overseer, it is expected he will give his personal
+attention to it, and will accompany the hog feeder once a week
+and feed them, and count and keep a correct number of the same.
+The hog feeder is required to attend to feeding them every
+morning.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 10th. The negroes must be made to obey, and to work,
+which may be done by an overseer who attends regularly to his
+business, with very little whipping; for much whipping indicates
+a bad tempered or an inattentive manager. He must <i>never</i>, on
+any <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_332" id="Page_332">[Pg 332]</a></span>occasion, unless in self-defense, kick a negro, or strike
+him with his fist, or butt end of his whip. No unusual
+punishment must be resorted to without the employer's consent.
+He is not expected to punish the foreman, except on some
+extraordinary emergency that will not allow of delay, until
+the employer is consulted. Of this rule the foreman is to be
+kept in entire ignorance.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 11th. The sick must be attended to. When sick they are to
+make known the fact to him; if in the field, he is requested
+to send them to the employer, if at home; and if not, the
+overseer is expected to attend to them in person, or send for
+a physician if necessary. Suckling and pregnant women must be
+indulged more than others. Sucklers are to be allowed time to
+visit their children, morning, noon and evening, until they are
+eight months old, and twice a day from thence until they are
+twelve months old&mdash;they are to be kept working near their
+children. No lifting, pulling fodder, or hard work is expected
+of pregnant women.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 12th. The negroes are to appear in the field on Monday
+mornings cleanly clad. To carry out said rule they are to be
+allowed time (say one hour by sun) every Saturday evening for
+the purpose of washing their clothes.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 13th. The overseer is particularly required to keep the
+negroes as much as possible out of the rain, and from all kind
+of exposure.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 14th. It will be expected of a good manager, that he will
+constantly arrange the daily work of the negroes, so that no
+negro may wait to know what to go to doing. Small jobs that
+will not <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_333" id="Page_333">[Pg 333]</a></span>reasonably admit of delay must be forthwith attended
+to.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 15th. It is required of him, to keep the tools, ploughs,
+hoes &amp;c. out of the weather and have all collected after they
+are done using them. The wagon and cart must be kept under a
+shed. He is expected to keep good gates, bars and fences.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 16th. The employer will give him a list of all the tools
+and farming utensils and place the same in his care, and he is
+to return them at the years' end to the employer; if any are
+broke, the pieces are expected to be returned.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 17th. He is not to keep a horse or dog against the
+employer's approbation&mdash;and dogs kept for the purpose of
+catching negroes will not be allowed under any consideration.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 18th. He is required to come to his meals at the blowing
+of the horn. It is not expected he will leave the field at
+night before the hands quit their work.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 19th. It will be expected he will not speak of the
+employer's pecuniary business, his domestic affairs, or his
+arrangements to any one. He will be expected to inform the
+employer of anything going on that may concern his interest.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 20th. He is to have no control whatever over the
+employer's domestic affairs; nor to take any privileges in
+the way of using himself, or loaning the employers property to
+others.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 21st. He is expected to be guilty of no disrespectful
+language in the employer's presence&mdash;such as vulgarity,
+swearing &amp;c; nor is he expected to be guilty of any
+indecencies, such as spitting on the floor, wearing his hat in
+the house, sitting at the table with his coat off, or whistling
+or singing in the house (Such habits are frequently indulged
+in, in Bachelor <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_334" id="Page_334">[Pg 334]</a></span>establishments in the South). His room will be
+appropriated to him, and he will not be expected to obtrude
+upon the employer's private chamber, except on business.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 22nd. It will be expected of him that he will not get
+drunk, and if he returns home in that state he will be
+immediately discharged. He will also be immediately discharged,
+if it is ascertained he is too intimate with any of the negro
+women.</p>
+
+<p>Rule 23rd. It is distinctly understood, in the agreement with
+every overseer, should they separate, from death or other
+cause&mdash;and either is at liberty to separate from the other
+whenever dissatisfied&mdash;without giving his reasons for so doing;
+in said event the employer, upon settlement, is not expected to
+pay the cash nor settle for the year, but for the time only he
+remained in the employer's service, by note, due January next
+(with interest) pro rata, he was to pay for the year.</p></div>
+
+<br />
+<h4>AMUSEMENTS</h4>
+
+<p>In spite of the many restrictions that hedged the slaves about there
+were many good times on the plantation. Old Mary of the Roof plantation
+described their frolics thus:</p>
+
+<p>"We would sing and there was always a fiddle. I never could put up to
+dance much but nobody could beat me runnin' 'Peep Squirrel'. That was a
+game we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the
+men, and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a
+kildee bird, I was so little and could run so fast. When we growed up we
+walked the boys to death! They used <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_335" id="Page_335">[Pg 335]</a></span>to say we walked the heels off their
+boots. We would have dances every Christmas, on different plantations. I
+tell my grandchildren sometimes that my brother-in-law would carry us to
+dances and wouldn' allow us to sleep, we'd dance all night long. We had
+a good time, us girls!"</p>
+
+<p>When the negroes got married long tables were set under the trees in the
+back yard and the people from the big house came down to see how the
+slaves were dressed and to wish them well.</p>
+
+<p>Concerning her own marriage Mary said, "They say I was married when I
+was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I married a boy who
+belonged to the Childs plantation. I had the finest kind of marrying
+dress, my father bought it for me. It had great big grapes hanging down
+from the sleeves and around the skirt." She sighed and a shadow passed
+over her placid old face, as she added, "I wish't I had a kep' it for my
+children to saw."</p>
+
+<p>A slave from the Starling Freeman plantation in South Carolina said,
+"When cullud people wus married, white people give a supper. A cullud
+man whut lives on de place marries 'em."</p>
+
+<p>"I used to sing good myself," continued Susannah, "you could hear the
+echo of my voice way out yonder, but I can't sing no more." Here
+Susannah stuck out her legs, covered with long-ribbed pink stockings.
+"My legs got de misery in 'em now, and my voice gone. In my mother's
+house dey never trained us to sing things like the mos' o' people. We
+sung the good old hymns, like, 'A Charge to Keep I have, a God to
+Glorify.'"</p>
+
+<p>Old Tim, who used to live on a plantation in Virginia, said in speaking
+of good times before the war, "Sho', we had plenty o' banjo pickers!
+They was 'lowed to play banjos and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_336" id="Page_336">[Pg 336]</a></span>guitars at night, if de Patterolas
+didn' interfere. At home de owners wouldn' 'low de Patterolas to tech
+their folks. We used to run mighty fast to git home after de frolics!
+Patterolas wus a club of men who'd go around and catch slaves on strange
+plantations and break up frolics, and whip 'em sometimes."</p>
+
+<p>We asked Aunt Ellen Campbell, who was a slave on the Eve plantation in
+Richmond County, about good times in slavery days. She laughed
+delightedly and said, "When anybody gwine be married dey tell de boss
+and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, after dey be married she
+put on de white dress she be married in and dey go up to town so de boss
+can see de young couple."</p>
+
+<p>She was thoughtful a moment, then continued, "Den sometimes on Sadday
+night we have a big frolic. De nigger fum Hammond's place and Phinizy
+place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle place, all git together fer a
+big dance and frolic. A lot o' de young sports used to come dere and
+push de young nigger bucks aside and dance wid de wenches."</p>
+
+<p>"We used to have big parties sometime," said Fannie Fulcher, a former
+slave on Dr. Miller's plantation in Burke County. "No white folks&mdash;jus'
+de overseer come round to see how dey git erlong. I 'member dey have a
+fiddle. I had a cousin who played fer frolics, and fer de white folks,
+too."</p>
+
+<p>According to Melinda Mitchell, who lived on the plantation of Rev. Allen
+Dozier in Edgefield County, South Carolina, the field hands and house
+servants forgot cares in merriment and dancing after the day's work was
+over. When asked about her master, a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_337" id="Page_337">[Pg 337]</a></span>Baptist preacher, condoning dancing
+Melinda replied with the simple statement, "He wasn't only a preacher,
+he was a religious man. De slaves danced at de house of a man who
+'tended de stack, way off in de fiel' away fum de big house." They
+danced to the tunes of banjos and a homemade instrument termed, "Quill",
+evidently some kind of reed. It was fairly certain that the noise of
+merriment must have been heard at the big house, but the slaves were not
+interrupted in their frolic.</p>
+
+<p>"My mammy wus de bes' dancer on de plantachun," Melinda said proudly.
+"She could dance so sturdy she could balance a glass o' water on her
+head an never spill a drop." She recalls watching the dancers late into
+the night until she fell asleep.</p>
+
+<p>She could tell of dances and good times in the big house as well as in
+the quarters. The young ladies were belles. They were constantly
+entertaining. One day a wandering fortune-teller came on the piazza
+where a crowd of young people were gathered, and asked to tell the young
+ladies' fortunes. Everything was satisfactory until he told Miss Nettie
+she would marry a one-armed man. At this the young belle was so
+indignant that the man was driven off and the dogs set on him. "But de
+fortune teller told true-true," Melinda said. A faint ominous note crept
+into her voice and her eyes seemed to be seeing events that had
+transpired almost three-quarters of a century ago. "After de war Miss
+Nettie did marry a one-arm man, like de fortune-teller said, a
+Confederate officer, Captain Shelton, who had come back wid his sleeve
+empty."</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_338" id="Page_338">[Pg 338]</a></span><br />
+<h4>SLAVE SALES</h4>
+
+<p>There were two legal places for selling slaves in Augusta; the Lower
+Market, at the corner of Fifth and Broad Street, and the Upper Market at
+the corner of Broad and Marbury Streets. The old slave quarters are
+still standing in Hamburg, S.C., directly across the Savannah River from
+the Lower Market in Augusta. Slaves who were to be put up for sale were
+kept there until the legal days of sales.</p>
+
+<p>Advertisements in the newspapers of that day seem to point to the fact
+that most slave sales were the results of the death of the master, and
+the consequent settlement of estates, or a result of the foreclosure of
+mortgages.</p>
+
+<p>In the Thirty-Seventh Section of the Ordinances of the City of Augusta,
+August 10, 1820-July 8, 1829, is the following concerning Vendue
+Masters:</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"If any person acts as a Vendue Master within the limits of
+this City without a license from the City Council, he shall be
+fined in a sum not exceeding $1,000.00. There shall not be more
+than four Vendue Masters for this city. They shall be appointed
+by ballot, and their license shall expire on the day proceeding
+the 1st Saturday in October of every year. No license shall
+be issued to a Vendue Master until he has given bond, with
+securities according to the laws of this State, and also a bond
+with approved security to the Council for the faithful discharge
+of his duties in the sum of $5,000.00."</p></div>
+
+<p>The newspapers of the time regularly carried advertisements concerning
+the sale of slaves. The following is a fair sample:</p>
+
+<div class="block" style="padding-bottom: .25em;"><p>"Would sell slaves: With this farm will be sold about Thirty
+Likely Negroes <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_339" id="Page_339">[Pg 339]</a></span>mostly country born, among them a very good
+bricklayer, and driver, and two sawyers, 17 of them are fit for
+field or boat work, and the rest fine, thriving children."</p></div>
+
+<p>The following advertisement appeared in <i>The Georgia Constitutionalist</i>
+on January 17, 1769: "To be sold in Savannah on Thursday the 15th. inst.
+a cargo of 140 Prime Slaves, chiefly men. Just arrived in the Scow
+Gambia Captain Nicholas Doyle after a passage of six weeks directly from
+the River Gambia." by Inglis and Hall.</p>
+
+<p>Most of the advertisements gave descriptions of each slave, with his age
+and the type of work he could do. They were generally advertised along
+with other property belonging to the slave owner.</p>
+
+<p>The following appeared in the Chronicle and Sentinel of Augusta on
+December 23rd, 1864: "Negro Sales. At an auction in Columbus the annexed
+prices were obtained: a boy 16 years old, $3,625.</p>
+
+<p>"At a late sale in Wilmington the annexed prices were obtained: a girl
+14 years old $5,400; a girl 22 years old, $4,850; a girl 13 years
+$3,500; a negro boy, 22 years old $4,900."</p>
+
+<p>Very few of the slaves interviewed had passed through the bitter
+experience of being sold. Janie Satterwhite, who was born on a Carolina
+plantation, and was about thirteen years old when she was freed,
+remembered very distinctly when she was sold away from her parents.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_340" id="Page_340">[Pg 340]</a></span>"Yes'm, my Mama died in slavery, and I was sold when I was a little
+tot," she said. "I 'member when dey put me on de block."</p>
+
+<p>"Were you separated from your family?" we asked.</p>
+
+<p>"Yes'm. We wus scattered eberywhere. Some went to Florida and some to
+odder places. De Missus she die and we wus all sold at one time. Atter
+dat nobody could do nothin' on de ole plantachun fer a year&mdash;till all
+wus settled up. My brudder he wasn't happy den. He run away fer five
+years."</p>
+
+<p>"Where was he all that time?"</p>
+
+<p>"Lawd knows, honey. Hidin', I reckon, hidin in de swamp."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you like your new master?"</p>
+
+<p>"Honey, I wus too little to have any sense. When dat man bought me&mdash;dat
+Dr. Henry, he put me in a buggy to take me off. I kin see it all right
+now, and I say to Mama and Papa, 'Good-bye, I'll be back in de mawnin'.'
+And dey all feel sorry fer me and say, 'She don' know whut happenin'."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you ever see your family again?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yes'm. Dey wusn't so far away. When Christmas come de Marster say I can
+stay wid Mama de whole week."</p>
+
+<p>Easter Jones, who had many bitter memories of slavery days back on the
+Bennet plantation near Waynesboro, said, when asked if she was ever sold
+into slavery, "Dey had me up fer sale once, but de horse run away and
+broke de neck o' de man whut gwine buy me."</p>
+
+<p>Harriet White, whose father was a slave, gives this account of his sale,
+"Yas'm, he tell me many times 'bout when he wus put up <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_341" id="Page_341">[Pg 341]</a></span>for sale on
+Warren Block (in Augusta). Father say dey put him on de block down here.
+De gemmen whut bought him name Mr. Tom Crew. But when dey tryin' to sell
+him&mdash;dat right durin' de war, one man say, 'No, I don' want him&mdash;he know
+too much.' He'd done been down to Savannah wid de Yankees. Den my father
+say, 'If you buy me you can't take me oudder de state of Georgia, 'cause
+de Yankees all around."</p>
+
+<p>Carrie Lewis, who was owned by Captain Phillip Ward and lived on a
+plantation down in Richmond County said, "No'm, I wasn't never sold, but
+my Mama was sold fum me. See, I belonged to de young girl and old
+Marster fool Missus away fum de house so he git to sell my Mama."</p>
+
+<p>"Did you ever see your mother afterwards?" we asked.</p>
+
+<p>"No, ma'm. I wouldn' know my Mammy no more den you would."</p>
+
+<p>"But were you happy on the plantation?"</p>
+
+<p>A smile brightened her wrinkled old face as she replied, "I'd be a heap
+better off if it was dem times now."</p>
+
+<p>When we asked Ellen Campbell if she was ever sold during slavery times
+she replied, "No'm. I wa'n't sold, but I know dem whut wus. Jedge
+Robinson he kept a nigger trade office over in Hamburg."</p>
+
+<p>"Oh yes, we remember&mdash;the old brick building."</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm, dat it. Well, all de colored people whut gonner be sold was kept
+dere. Den dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale.
+Anybody fixin' to buy 'em, 'zamines 'em to see if day all right. Looks
+at de teef to tell 'bout de age."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_342" id="Page_342">[Pg 342]</a></span>Laura Steward, who was a slave in a Baptist preacher's family in Augusta
+told some interesting things about slave sales here: "Slaves were sold
+at the Augusta market, in spite of what white ladies say." She stated
+that there was a long house with porches on Ellis between 7th and 8th,
+where a garage now stands. In this building slaves were herded for
+market. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," said Laura, "and
+look in de mouf at dey teef; den dey march 'em down togedder to market
+in crowds, first Tuesday sale day."</p>
+
+<p>Old Mary used to live on the Roof plantation with her mother, while her
+father lived on a nearby plantation. She said her father tried for a
+long time to have his owner buy his wife and children, until finally,
+"One day Mr. Tom Perry sont his son-in-law to buy us in. You had to get
+up on what they called the block, but we just stood on some steps. The
+bidder stood on the ground and called out the prices. There was always a
+speculator at the sales. We wus bought all right and moved over to the
+Perry place. I had another young marster there. He had his own hands and
+didn't sell them at all. Wouldn't none of us been sold from the Roof
+place, except for my father beggin' Mr. Perry to buy us, so we wouldn't
+be separated."</p>
+
+<p>Susannah Wyman of the Freeman plantation in South Carolina said, "Once
+de Marster tried to sell my brudder and anodder youngster fer a pair o'
+mules, and our Mistis said, 'No! You don' sell my chillun for no mules!'
+And he didn't sell us neider. They never sold anybody off our
+plantation. But people did sell women, old like I am now&mdash;or if they
+didn't have no chillun. The <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_343" id="Page_343">[Pg 343]</a></span>fus' spec-lator come along and wants to buy
+'em, he kin have 'em. De Marster say, 'Bring me han's in. I want
+han's!'"</p>
+
+<p>Eugene Smith, who used to belong to Mr. Steadman Clark of Augusta said,
+"I read in the papers where a lady said slaves were never sold here in
+Augusta at the old market, but I saw 'em selling slaves myself. They put
+'em up on something like a table, bid 'em off just like you would do
+horses or cows. Dere wus two men. I kin recollect. I know one was call
+Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculatin'. The other was name
+Wilson. They would sell a mother from her children. That's why so many
+colored people married their sisters and brothers, not knowin' till they
+got to talking 'bout it. One would say: 'I remember my grandmother,' and
+another would say, 'that's <i>my</i> grandmother!' Then they'd find out they
+were sister and brother."</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>WAR MEMORIES</h4>
+
+<p>Most of the ex-slaves interviewed were too young to have taken any part
+in war activities, though many of them remembered that the best slaves
+were picked and sent from each plantation to help build breastworks for
+the defense of Waynesboro. On some places the Yankees were encamped and
+on others the southern soldiers were entertained.</p>
+
+<p>"De Yankees come through de plantation on Sunday," said Hannah Murphy, a
+former slave on a Georgia plantation. "I'll never forgit dat! Dey wus
+singin' Dixie, 'I wisht I wus in Dixie, look away!' Dey wus all dress in
+blue. Dey sot de gin house afire, and den dey went in de lot and got all
+de mules and de horses and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_344" id="Page_344">[Pg 344]</a></span>ca'y 'em wid 'em. Dey didn't bother de smoke
+house where de food wuz, and dey didn't tek no hogs. But dey did go to
+de long dairy and thowed out all de milk and cream and butter and stuff.
+Dey didn' bother us none. Some o' de cullard folks went wid de Yankees.
+De white folks had yeared dey wuz comin' and dey had lef'&mdash;after de
+Yankees all gone away, de white folks come back. De cullud folks stayed
+dere a while, but de owners of de place declaimed dey wuz free, and sont
+de people off. I know dat my mother and father and a lot o' people come
+heah to Augusta."</p>
+
+<p>Old Tim, from a plantation in Virginia, remembers when Lee was fighting
+near Danville, and how frightened the negroes were at the sound of the
+cannon. "They cay'd the wounded by the 'bacco factory," he said, "on de
+way to de horspittle."</p>
+
+<p>The northern troops came to the William Morris plantation in Burke
+County. Eliza Morris, a slave, who was her master's, "right hand bough"
+was entrusted with burying the family silver. "There was a battle over
+by Waynesboro," Eliza's daughter explained to us. "I hear my mother
+speak many times about how the Yankees come to our place." It seems that
+some of the other slaves were jealous of Eliza because of her being so
+favored by her master. "Some of the niggers told the soldiers that my
+mother had hidden the silver, but she wouldn' tell the hidin' place. The
+others were always jealous of my mother, and now they tried to made the
+Yankees shoot her because she wouldn' tell where the silver was hidden.
+My mother was a good cook and she fixed food for the Yankees camped on
+the place, and this softened the soldiers' hearts. They burned both the
+plantation houses, but they give my mother a horse and <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_345" id="Page_345">[Pg 345]</a></span>plenty of food to
+last for some time after they left."</p>
+
+<p>"What did your mother do after the war?" we asked.</p>
+
+<p>"She spent the rest of her life cookin' for her young Mistis, Mrs. Dr.
+Madden in Jacksonville. She was Cap'n Bill's daughter. That was her home
+till shortly after the World War when she died."</p>
+
+<p>"Did your Master live through the war?"</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm. He come home. Some of the old slaves had stayed on at the
+plantation; others followed the Yankees off. Long time afterward some of
+'em drifted back&mdash;half starved and in bad shape."</p>
+
+<p>"'Let'em come home'", Marster said. "And them that he couldn' hire he
+give patches of land to farm."</p>
+
+<p>"'Member de war? Course I do!" said Easter Jones, "My Marster went to
+Savannah, and dey put him in prison somewhere. He died atter he come
+back, it done him so bad. I 'member my brudder was born dat Sunday when
+Lee surrender. Dey name him Richmond. But I was sick de day dey came and
+'nounced freedom."</p>
+
+<p>Augustus Burden, a former slave on General Walker's plantation at
+Windsor Springs, Ga., served as valet for his master, said, "Master was
+killed at Chickamauga. When the war ceased they brought us home&mdash;our old
+master's home. My old Mistis was living and we came back to the old
+lady."</p>
+
+<p>When the Yankees came through Georgia the Walkers and Schleys asked for
+protection from gunfire. Because of school associations with Northern
+officers nothing on the plantation was disturbed.</p>
+
+<p>"Mrs. Jefferson Davis came there to visit the Schleys," said Augustus,
+and his face lit up with enthusiasm, "She was a mighty pretty woman&mdash;a
+big lady, very beautiful. She seemed to be real merry amongst the white
+folks, and Miss Winnie was a pretty little <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_346" id="Page_346">[Pg 346]</a></span>baby. She was talking then."</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>Louis Jones was seven years old when he was freed. He said, "I kin
+'member de Yankees comin'. I wasn't skeered. I wanted to see 'em. I hung
+on de fence corners, and nearabouts some sich place. After freedom my Ma
+didn't go 'way. She stayed on de plantation till she could make more
+money cookin' some udder place. I don't think dey did anything to de
+plantation whar I wus. I yeared dey cay'd out de silver and mebbe hid it
+in places whar de Yankees couldn't find it."</p>
+
+<p>When Ellen Campbell of the Eve plantation in Richmond County, was asked
+if she remembered anything about the Yankees coming through this part of
+the country, she replied:</p>
+
+<p>"Yas'm, I seen 'em comin' down de street. Every one had er canteen on de
+side, a blanket on de shoulder, caps cocked on one side de haid. De
+Cavalry had boots on, and spurros on de boots. First dey sot de niggers
+free on Dead River, den dey come on here and sot us free. Dey march
+straight up Broad Street to de Planters Hotel, den dey camped on de
+river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place free. When dey
+campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey clo'se fer a good
+price. Day had hard tack to eat. Dey gib us hard tack and tell us to
+soak it in water, and fry it in meat gravy. I ain't taste nothin' so
+good since. Dey say, 'Dis hard tack whut we hadder lib on while we
+fightin' to sot you free.'"</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>FREEDOM</h4>
+
+<p>Although the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered on January 1st,
+1863 it was not until Lee's final surrender that most of the <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_347" id="Page_347">[Pg 347]</a></span>negroes
+knew they were free. The Freedman's Bureau in Augusta gave out the news
+officially to the negroes, but in most cases the plantation owners
+themselves summoned their slaves and told them they were free. Many
+negroes stayed right with their masters.</p>
+
+<p>Carrie Lewis, a slave on Captain Ward's plantation in Richmond County,
+said, when asked where she went when freedom came, "Me? I didn't went
+nowhere. Da niggers come 'long wid de babies and dey backs, and say I
+wus free, and I tell 'em I was free already. Didn't make no diffunce to
+me&mdash;freedom."</p>
+
+<p>Old Susannah from the Freeman plantation said, "When freedom come I got
+mad at Marster. He cut off my hair. I was free so I come from Ca'lina to
+Augusta to sue him. I walk myself to death! Den I found I couldn't sue
+him over here in Georgia! I had to go back. He was jus' nachally mad
+'cause we was free. Soon as I got here, dere was a lady on de street,
+she tole me to come in, tek a seat. I stayed dere. Nex' mornin' I
+couldn't stand up. My limbs was hurtin' all over."</p>
+
+<p>Tim from the plantation in Virginia remembers distinctly when freedom
+came to his people. "When we wus about to have freedom," he said, "they
+thought the Yankees was a-goin' to take all the slaves so they put us on
+trains and run us down south. I went to a place whut they call 'Butler'
+in Georgia, then they sent me on down to the Chattahoochee, where they
+were cuttin' a piece of railroad, then to Quincy, then to Tallahassee.
+When the war ended I weren't 'xactly in 'Gusta, I was in Irwinville,
+where they caught Mars. Jeff Davis. Folks said he had de money train,
+but I never seed no gold, nor nobody whut had any. I come on up to
+'Gusta and jined de Bush Arbor <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_348" id="Page_348">[Pg 348]</a></span>Springfield Church.</p>
+<br />
+
+<p>"When freedom came they called all the white people to the court house
+first, and told them the darkies ware free. Then on a certain day they
+called all the colored people down to the parade ground. They had a big
+stand," explained Eugene Wesley Smith, whose father was a slave in
+Augusta. "All the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up
+there and spoke, and told the negroes: "You are free. Don't steal! Now
+work and make a living. Do honest work, make an honest living and
+support yourself and children. There are no more masters. You are free!"</p>
+
+<p>"When the colored troops came in, they came in playing:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'Don't you see the lightning?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Don't you hear the thunder?<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It isn't the lightning,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">It isn't the thunder<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">But the buttons on the Negro uniform!'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"The negroes shouted and carried on when they heard they were free."</p>
+
+<p>This story of freedom was told by Edward Glenn of Forsythe County: "A
+local preacher, Walter Raleigh, used to wait by the road for me every
+day, and read the paper before I give it to Mistis. One day he was
+waiting for me, and instead of handing it back to me he tho'wed it down
+and hollered, 'I'm free as a frog!' He ran away. I tuk the paper to
+Mistis. She read it and went to cryin'. I didn't say no more. That was
+during the week. On Sunday morning I was talking to my brother's wife,
+who was the cook. We were talking about the Yankees. Mistis come in and
+say, 'Come out in <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_349" id="Page_349">[Pg 349]</a></span>the garden with me.' When we got outside Mistis said:
+'Ed, you suppose them Yankees would spill their blood to come down here
+to free you niggers?'</p>
+
+<p>"I said, 'I dunno, but I'se free anyhow, Miss Mary.'"</p>
+
+<p>"'Shut up, sir, I'll mash your mouth!"</p>
+
+<p>"That day Marster was eating, and he said, 'Doc' (they called me Doc,
+'cause I was the seventh son). 'You have been a good boy. What did you
+tell your Mistis?'"</p>
+
+<p>"I said, 'I told her the truth, that I knowed I was free.'</p>
+
+<p>"He said, 'Well, Doc, you aren't really free. You are free from me, but
+you aren't of age yet, and you still belong to your father and mother.'</p>
+
+<p>"One morning I saw a blue cloud of Yankees coming down the road. The
+leader was waving his arms and singing:</p>
+
+<div class="poem"><div class="stanza">
+<span class="i0">'Ha, ha, ha! Trabble all the day!<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I'm in the Rebel's Happy Land of Caanan.<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Needn't mind the weather,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">Jump over double trouble,<br /></span>
+<span class="i0">I'm in the Rebel's Happy Land of Caanan.'<br /></span>
+</div></div>
+
+<p>"The Yankee captain, Captain Brown, gathered all us negroes in the fair
+ground, July or August after freedom, and he made a speech. Lawsy! I can
+see that crowd yet, a-yelling and a-stomping! And the captain waving his
+arms and shouting!</p>
+
+<p>"'We have achieved the victory over the South. Today you are all free
+men and free women!'</p>
+
+<p>"We had everybody shouting and jumping, and my father and mother shouted
+along with the others. Everybody was happy."</p>
+
+<br />
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_350" id="Page_350">[Pg 350]</a></span>Janie Satterwhite's memories were very vivid about freedom. "Oh yas'm,"
+she said, "my brudder comed fer me. He say, 'Jane, you free now. You
+wanna go home and see Papa?' But old Mars say, 'Son, I don' know you and
+you don' know me. You better let Jane stay here a while.' So he went
+off, but pretty soon I slip off. I had my little black bonnet in my
+hand, and de shoes Papa give me, and I started off 'Ticht, ticht; crost
+dat bridge.</p>
+
+<p>"I kept on till I got to my sister's. But when I got to de bridge de
+river wus risin'. And I hadder go down de swamp road. When I got dere,
+wus I dirty? And my sister say, 'How come you here all by yourself?' Den
+she took off my clo'es and put me to bed. And I remember de next mornin'
+when I got up it wus Sunday and she had my clo'es all wash and iron. De
+fus' Sunday atter freedom."</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>FOLK LORE</h4>
+
+<p>As most of the ex-slaves interviewed were mere children during the
+slavery period they remembered only tales that were told them by their
+parents. Two bits of folk lore were outstanding as they were repeated
+with many variations by several old women. One of these stories may be a
+relic of race memory, dating back to the dawn of the race in Africa.
+Several <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_351" id="Page_351">[Pg 351]</a></span>negroes of the locality gave different versions of this story of
+the woman who got out of her skin every night. Hannah Murphy, who was
+once a slave and now lives in Augusta gives this version:</p>
+
+<p>"Dere was a big pon' on de plantation, and I yeared de ole folks tell a
+story 'bout dat pon', how one time dere was a white Mistis what would go
+out ev'y evenin' in her cay'age and mek de driver tak her to de pon'.
+She would stay out a long time. De driver kep' a wonderin' whut she do
+here. One night he saw her go thu' de bushes, and he crep' behin' her.
+He saw her step out o' her skin. Da skin jus' roll up and lay down on de
+groun', and den de Mistis disappear. De driver wus too skeered to move.
+In a little while he yeared her voice sayin', 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you
+know me? Den de skin jump up and dere she wus again, ez big as life. He
+watch her like dat for a lot o' nights, and den he went and tole de
+Marster. De Marster wus so skeered o' her he run away frum de plantation
+and quit her."</p>
+
+<p>Laura Stewart, who was born a slave in Virginia, gives this verson of
+the same story:</p>
+
+<p>"Dey always tole me de story 'bout de ole witch who git out her skin. I
+ain't know it all. In dem days I guess dose kinder things went on. Dey
+said while she was out ridin' wid de ole witch she lef' her skin behind
+her, and when she come back, de other woman had put salt and pepper on
+it; and whan she say, 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you know me?' de ole skin
+wouldn't jump up, so she ain't had no skin a-tall."</p>
+
+<p>"Granny," Laura's granddaughter called to her, "tell the ladies about
+the Mistis what got bury."</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_352" id="Page_352">[Pg 352]</a></span>"Oh yes," Laura recalled, "dey didn' bury her so far. A bad man went
+dere to git her gold ring off her finger. She make a sound like 'Shs'
+like her bref comin' out, and de man got skeered. He run off. She got up
+direckly and come to de house. Dey was skeered o' dat Mistis de res' o'
+her life and say she were a hant."</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>INTERESTING CUSTOMS</h4>
+
+<p>On one southern plantation soap was made at a certain time of the year
+and left in the hollowed-out trough of a big log.</p>
+
+<p>Indigo was planted for blueing. Starch was made out of wheat bran put in
+soak. The bran was squeezed out and used to feed the hogs, and the
+starch was saved for clothes.</p>
+
+<p>A hollow stump was filled with apples when cider was to be made. A hole
+was bored in the middle, and a lever put inside, which would crush the
+apples. As Mary put it, "you put the apples in the top, pressed the
+lever, the cider come out the spout, and my, it was good!"</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>DRESS</h4>
+
+<p>Most of the old ex-slave women interviewed wore long full skirts, and
+flat loose shoes. In spite of what tradition and story claim, few of the
+older negroes of this district wear head clothes. Most of them wear
+their wooly hair "wropped" with string. The women often wear men's
+discarded slouch hats. Though many of the old woman were interviewed in
+mid-summer, <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_353" id="Page_353">[Pg 353]</a></span>they wore several waists and seemed absolutely unaware of
+the heat.</p>
+
+<p>One man, wearing the typical dress of the poverty-stricken old person of
+this district, is Tim Thornton, who used to live on the Virginia
+plantation of Mrs. Lavinia Tinsley. His ragged pants are sewed up with
+cord, and on his coat nails are used where buttons used to be. In the
+edges of his "salt and pepper" hair are stuck matches, convenient for
+lighting his pipe. His beard is bushy and his lower lip pendulous and
+long, showing strong yellow teeth. His manner is kindly, and he is known
+as "Old Singing Tim" because he hums spirituals all day long as he
+stumps around town leaning on a stick.</p>
+
+<br />
+<h4>NUMBER OF SLAVES</h4>
+
+<p>Plantations owned by Dr. Balding Miller in Burke County had about eight
+hundred slaves. Governor Pickens of South Carolina was said to have had
+about four hundred on his various plantations. The William Morris
+plantations in Burke County had about five hundred slaves.</p>
+
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_354" id="Page_354">[Pg 354]</a></span><br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+<h3>BIBLIOGRAPHY</h3>
+
+<p>
+Flanders, Ralph Betts<br />
+Plantation Slavery in Georgia.<br />
+Chapel Hill: The University Press of N.C., 326 pages,<br />
+p. 1933, c. 1933, pp. 254-279.<br />
+<br />
+Hotchkiss, William A.<br />
+Statute Laws of Georgia and State Papers;<br />
+Savannah, Ga.; John M. Cooper, pub., 990 pages, p. 1845, c. 1845,<br />
+pp. 810, 817, 838, 839, 840.<br />
+<br />
+Rutherford, John<br />
+Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia<br />
+Savannah, Ga.: Samuel T. Chapman, State Printer,<br />
+620 pages, p. 1854, c. 1854, p. 103.<br />
+<br />
+Jones, J.W., Editor,<br />
+Southern Cultivator<br />
+Augusta, Ga.: J.W. and W.S. Jones, pubs., Vol. 1, 1843.<br />
+<br />
+Ordinances of the City Council of Augusta.<br />
+August 10, 1820; July 8, 1829; Feb. 7, 1862.<br />
+<br />
+The Daily Chronicle &amp; Sentinel<br />
+Vol. XXVIII. No. 306.<br />
+Augusta, Ga., Dec. 23, 1864.<br />
+Clipping.<br />
+</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<a name="Work_Play_Food" id="Work_Play_Food"></a><hr />
+<br />
+<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_355" id="Page_355">[Pg 355]</a></span><br />
+
+<h3>COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS<br />
+<br />
+WORK, PLAY, FOOD, CLOTHING, MARRIAGE, etc.<br />
+<br />
+Written by:<br />
+Louise Oliphant<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Ga.<br />
+<br />
+Edited by:<br />
+John N. Booth<br />
+District Supervisor,<br />
+Federal Writers' Project<br />
+Augusta, Ga.</h3>
+<br />
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_356" id="Page_356">[Pg 356]</a></span>In recalling habits of work and play, marriage customs, and like
+memories of Southern life before the Civil War, Richmond County's
+ex-slaves tell varied stories. One said: "I didn't start workin' 'til I
+was 'bout nine years old. Before that I had watched chickens, carried in
+wood, gathered eggs and such light work as that. But when I was nine I
+started workin' in the field. I didn't plow then because I was too
+small, but I hoed and did other light jobs.</p>
+
+<p>"Our marster made our shoes for us out of raw cow hide. Us got two pairs
+of shoes a year, one for every day and one for Sunday. Us made
+everythin' us needed. The old women, who couldn't work in the field,
+would make cloth on the looms and the spinnin' wheels. Us didn't have
+chairs; us made benches and stools to sit on. Us didn't know what swings
+was. Us used to tie ropes in trees and swing in 'em.</p>
+
+<p>"Everybody had his own tin plate and tin cup to eat out of. On Saturday
+they would give everybody three pounds of meat, twelve pounds of flour,
+twelve pounds of meal, and one quart of syrup. This was to last a week.
+Us always had plenty to eat 'til the war started, then us went hungry
+many a day because they took the food and carried it to the soldiers. Us
+stole stuff from everybody durin' that time.</p>
+
+<p>"They always blowed a horn for you to go to work by and get off for
+dinner by and stop work in the evening by. When that horn blowed, you
+couldn't get them mules to plow another <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_357" id="Page_357">[Pg 357]</a></span>foot. They just wouldn't do it.
+Us always et dinner out in the yard, in the summer time, at a long
+bench. In cold weather us always went inside to eat. Whenever us didn't
+have enough to eat us would tell the overseer and he seed to it that us
+got plenty. Our overseers was colored."</p>
+
+<p>Another old woman said she "started working at the age of seven as a
+nurse. I nursed, made fire in the house and around the wash pots 'til I
+was old enough to go to work in the fields. When I got big enough I hoed
+and later plowed. Us didn't wait 'til sun up to start workin', us
+started as soon as it was light enough. When it come to field work, you
+couldn't tell the women from the men. Of course my marster had two old
+women on the place and he never made them work hard, and he never did
+whip' em. They always took care of the cookin' and the little chillun.</p>
+
+<p>"I'll tell you one thing, they had better doctors then than they do now.
+When folks had high blood pressure the doctors would cut you in your
+head or your arm and folks would get over it then. They took better care
+of themselves. Whenever anybody was caught in the rain they had to go to
+the marster's house and take some medicine. They had somethin' that
+looks like black draught looks now, and they would put it in a gallon
+jug, fill it a little over half full of boiling water, and finish
+fillin' it with whiskey. It was real bitter, but it was good for colds.
+Young folk didn't die then like they do now. Whenever anybody died it
+was a old person.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_358" id="Page_358">[Pg 358]</a></span>"I know more about conjuration than I'll ever be able to tell. I didn't
+believe in it at one time, but I've seen so much of it that I can almost
+look at a sick person and tell whether he is conjured or not. I wouldn't
+believe it now if I hadn't looked at snakes come out of my own sister's
+daughter. She married a man that had been goin' 'round with a old woman
+who wasn't nothin'. Well one day this woman and my niece got in a fight
+'bout him, and my niece whipped her. She was already mad with my niece
+'bout him, and after she found she couldn't whip her she decided to get
+her some way and she just conjured her.</p>
+
+<p>"My niece was sick a long time and we had 'bout seven or eight diff'unt
+doctors with her, but none of 'em done her any good. One day us was
+sittin' on the porch and a man walked up. Us hadn't never seen him
+before, and he said he wanted to talk with the lady of the house. I
+'vited him in and he asked to speak to me alone. So I went in the front
+room and told him to come on in there. When he got there he said just
+like this: 'You have sickness don't you?' I said, 'yes.' Then he said:
+'I know it, and I come by here to tell you I could cure her. All I want
+is a chance, and you don't have to pay me a cent 'til I get her back on
+her feet, and if I don't put her back on her feet you won't be out one
+cent. Just promise you'll pay me when the work is done.' I told him to
+come back the next day 'cause I would have to talk with her husband and
+her mother 'fore I could tell him anythin'.</p>
+
+<p>"Us all agreed to let him doctor on her since nobody <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_359" id="Page_359">[Pg 359]</a></span>else had did her
+any good. Two days later he brought her some medicine to take and told
+us to have her say: 'relieve me of this misery and send it back where it
+come from.' Seven days from the day she started takin' this medicine she
+was up and walkin' 'round the room. 'Fore that time she had been in bed
+for more than five weeks without puttin' her feet on the floor. Well
+three days after she took the first medicine, she told us she felt like
+she wanted to heave. So we gave her the bucket and that's what come out
+of her. I know they was snakes because I know snakes when I see 'em. One
+was about six inches long, but the others was smaller. He had told us
+not to be scared 'bout nothin' us saw, so I wasn't, but my sister was.
+After that day my niece started to get better fast. I put the snakes in
+a bottle and kept 'em 'til the man come back and showed 'em to him. He
+took 'em with him. It was 'bout three weeks after this that the other
+woman took sick and didn't live but 'bout a month."</p>
+
+<p>Roy Redfield recalls that "when a person died several people would come
+in and bathe the body and dress it. Then somebody would knock up some
+kind of box for 'em to be buried in. They would have the funeral and
+then put the body on a wagon and all the family and friends would walk
+to the cemetery behind the wagon. They didn't have graves like they does
+now; they would dig some kind of hole and put you in it, then cover you
+up.</p>
+
+<p>"In olden times there was only a few undertakers, and of course there
+warn't any in the country; so when a person <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_360" id="Page_360">[Pg 360]</a></span>died he was bathed and
+dressed by friends of the family. Then he was laid on a ironing board
+and covered with a sheet.</p>
+
+<p>"For a long while us knowed that for some cause a part of the person's
+nose or lips had been et off, but nobody could find out why. Finally
+somebody caught a cat in the very act. Most people didn't believe a cat
+would do this, but everybody started watchin' and later found out it was
+so. So from then on, 'til the caskets come into use, a crowd of folks
+stayed awake all night sittin' up with the dead."</p>
+
+<p>One old woman lived on a plantation where "every Saturday they would
+give you your week's 'lowance. They would give you a plenty to eat so
+you could keep strong and work. They weighed your meat, flour, meal and
+things like that, but you got all the potatoes, lard and other things
+you wanted. You got your groceries and washed and ironed on Saturday
+evenin' and on Saturday night everybody used that for frolicin'. Us
+would have quiltin's, candy pullin's, play, or dance. Us done whatever
+us wanted to. On these nights our mist'ess would give us chickens or
+somethin' else so us could have somethin' extra. Well, us would dance,
+quilt, or do whatever us had made up to do for 'bout three hours then us
+would all stop and eat. When us finished eatin' us would tell tales or
+somethin' for a while, then everybody would go home. Course us have
+stayed there 'til almost day when us was havin' a good time.</p>
+
+<p>"My marster wanted his slaves to have plenty of chillun. He never would
+make you do much work when you had a lot <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_361" id="Page_361">[Pg 361]</a></span>of chillun, and had them fast.
+My ma had nineteen chillun, and it looked like she had one every ten
+months. My marster said he didn't care if she never worked if she kept
+havin' chillun like that for him. He put ma in the kitchen to cook for
+the slaves who didn't have families.</p>
+
+<p>"People who didn't have families would live in a house together, but
+whenever you married you lived in a house to yourself. You could fix up
+your house to suit yourself. The house where everybody lived that warn't
+married, had 'bout a dozen and a half beds in it. Sometimes as many as
+three and four slept in a bed together when it was cold. The others had
+to sleep on the floor, but they had plenty of cover. Us didn't have
+anythin' in this house but what was made by some of us. There warn't but
+one room to this house with one fire place in it. Us never et in this
+room, us had another house where everybody from this house and from the
+house for the men who warn't married, et. Our beds was diff'unt from
+these you see now. They was made by the slaves out of rough lumber. Our
+marster seed to it that all the chillun had beds to sleep in. They was
+taken good care of. Us had no such things as dressers or the like. Us
+didn't have but a very few chairs 'cause the men didn't have time to
+waste makin' chairs, but us had plenty of benches. Our trunks was made
+by the men.</p>
+
+<p>"People who had families lived by theyselves, but they didn't have but
+one room to their houses. They had to cook and sleep in this one room,
+and as their chillun got old enough <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_362" id="Page_362">[Pg 362]</a></span>they was sent over to the big house.
+Everybody called it that. The house you lived in with your family was
+small. It had a fire place and was only big enough to hold two beds and
+a bench and maybe a chair. Sometimes, if you had chillun fast enough,
+five and six had to sleep in that other bed together. Mothers didn't
+stay in after their chillun was born then like they do now. Whenever a
+child was born the mother come out in three days afterwards if she was
+healthy, but nobody stayed in over a week. They never stayed in bed but
+one day.</p>
+
+<p>"When they called you to breakfast it would be dark as night. They did
+this so you could begin workin' at daybreak. At twelve o'clock they
+blowed the horn for dinner, but they didn't have to 'cause everybody
+knowed when it was dinner time. Us could tell time by the sun. Whenever
+the sun was over us so us could almost step in our shadow it was time to
+eat. When us went in to eat all the victuals was on the table and the
+plates was stacked on the table. You got your plate and fork, then got
+your dinner. Some would sit on the floor, some in chairs, and some would
+sit on the steps, but mos' everybody held their plates in their laps.
+Whenever any of the slaves had company for dinner, us was allowed to set
+the table and you and your company would eat at the table. In our
+dinin'-room, we called it mess house, us only had one long table, one
+small table, a stove, some benches, a few chairs, and stools. Whenever
+us got out of forks the men would make some out of wood to be used 'til
+some more could be bought. The food we got on Saturday would be turned
+over to the cook.</p>
+
+<p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_363" id="Page_363">[Pg 363]</a></span>"When you married, your husband didn't stay with you like they do now.
+You had to stay with your marster and he had to stay with his. He was
+'lowed to come every Saturday night and stay with you and the chillun
+'til Monday mornin'. If he was smart enough to have a little garden or
+to make little things like little chairs for his chillun to sit in or
+tables for 'em to eat on and wanted you to have 'em 'fore he could get
+back to see you, they would be sent by the runner. They had one boy they
+always used just to go from one place to the other, and they called him
+a runner. The runner wouldn't do anythin' else but that.</p>
+
+<p>"Us made everythin' us wore. Us knitted our socks and stockin's. Things
+was much better then than they are now. Shoes lasted two and three
+years, and clothes didn't tear or wear out as easy as they do now. Us
+made all our cloth at night or mos' times durin' the winter time when us
+didn't have so much other work to do.</p>
+
+<p>"When a person died he was buried the same day, and the funeral would be
+preached one year later. The slaves made your coffin and painted it with
+any kind of paint they could find, but they usually painted the outside
+box black.</p>
+
+<p>"The slaves 'tended church with their marsters and after their service
+was over they would let the slaves hold service. They always left their
+pastor to preach for us and sometimes they would leave one of their
+deacons. When they left a deacon <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_364" id="Page_364">[Pg 364]</a></span>with us one of our preachers would
+preach. They only had two kinds of song books: Baptist Cluster, and
+Methodist Cluster. I kept one of these 'til a few years ago. Our
+preachers could read some, but only a very few other slaves could read
+and write. If you found one that could you might know some of his
+marster's chillun had slipped and learned it to him 'cause one thing
+they didn't 'low was no colored folk to learn to read and write. Us had
+singin' classes on Sunday, and at that time everybody could really sing.
+People can't sing now."</p>
+
+<br />
+<br />
+<hr />
+<br />
+<br />
+
+<pre>
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of
+Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK ***
+
+***** This file should be named 18485-h.htm or 18485-h.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+ http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/4/8/18485/
+
+Produced by Robert Fry and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by the
+Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)
+HTML version produced by Jeannie Howse.
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
+paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works. See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+ the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+ you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
+ owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+ has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+ Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
+ must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+ prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+ returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+ sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+ address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+ the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+ you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+ does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+ License. You must require such a user to return or
+ destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+ and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+ Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+ money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+ electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+ of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+ distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+ Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+ Chief Executive and Director
+ gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations. To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+ http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+*** END: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+</pre>
+
+</body>
+</html>
diff --git a/18485.txt b/18485.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..586a278
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18485.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,10853 @@
+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery
+in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves
+ Georgia Narratives, Part 4
+
+Author: Work Projects Administration
+
+Release Date: June 1, 2006 [EBook #18485]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Robert Fry and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by the
+Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+[TR: ***] = Transcriber Note
+[HW: ***] = Handwritten Note
+
+
+
+SLAVE NARRATIVES
+
+A Folk History of Slavery in the United States
+From Interviews with Former Slaves
+
+TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY
+THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT
+1936-1938
+ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT
+WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION
+FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
+SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
+
+Illustrated with Photographs
+
+
+WASHINGTON, 1941
+
+
+
+
+VOLUME IV
+
+GEORGIA NARRATIVES
+
+PART 4
+
+
+
+
+Prepared by
+the Federal Writers' Project of
+the Works Progress Administration
+for the State of Georgia
+
+
+
+INFORMANTS
+
+Telfair, Georgia 1
+Thomas, Cordelia 11
+Thomas, Ike 25
+Toombs, Jane Mickens 29
+Town, Phil 37
+ [TR: In the interview, he's named Phil Towns.]
+
+Upson, Neal 48
+
+Van Hook, John F. 71
+Vinson, Addie 97
+Virgel, Emma 115
+
+Walton, Rhodus 123
+Ward, William 128, 132
+Washington, Lula 134
+Willbanks, Green 136
+Williamson, Eliza 148
+Willingham, Frances 151
+Willis, Adeline 161
+Willis, Uncle 168
+ [TR: Willis Bennefield in combined interview.]
+Winfield, Cornelia 176
+Womble, George 179
+ [TR: Also called Wombly in the interview.]
+Wright, Henry 194
+
+Young, Dink Walton 205
+
+
+COMBINED INTERVIEWS
+
+[Excerpts from Slave Interviews]
+Adeline 212
+Eugene 213
+Mary 215
+Rachel 216
+Laura 216
+Matilda 217
+Easter 218
+Carrie 219
+Malinda 219
+Amelia 220
+
+[Four Slaves Interviewed by Maude Barragan, Edith Bell Love,
+ Ruby Lorraine Radford]
+Ellen Campbell 221
+Rachel Sullivan 226
+Eugene Wesley Smith 230
+Willis Bennefield 235
+ [TR: Uncle Willis in individual interview.]
+
+[Folklore]
+Emmaline Heard 245
+Rosa and Jasper Millegan 251
+Camilla Jackson 254
+Anna Grant 255
+Emmaline Heard 256
+
+
+COMPILATIONS [Richmond County]
+
+Folklore 261
+Conjuration 269
+Folk Remedies and Superstitions 282
+Mistreatment of Slaves 290
+Slavery 308
+Work, Play, Food, Clothing,
+ Marriage, etc. 355
+
+
+
+Transcriber's Notes:
+
+[TR: The interview headers presented here contain all information
+included in the original, but may have been rearranged for readability.
+Also, some ages and addresses have been drawn from blocks of information
+on subsequent interview pages. Names in brackets were drawn from text of
+interviews.]
+
+[TR: Some interviews were date-stamped; these dates have been added to
+interview headers in brackets. Where part of date could not be
+determined -- has been substituted. These dates do not appear to
+represent actual interview dates, rather dates completed interviews were
+received or perhaps transcription dates.]
+
+[TR: In general, typographical errors have been left in place to match
+the original images. In the case where later editors have hand-written
+corrections, simple typographical errors have been silently corrected.]
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+GEORGIA TELFAIR, Age 74
+Box 131, R.F.D. #2
+Athens, Ga.
+
+Written by:
+Miss Grace McCune
+Athens, Ga.
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens, Ga.
+
+and
+Mrs. Leila Harris
+Augusta, Ga.
+[Date Stamp: APR 29 1938]
+
+
+"Yes chile, I'll be glad to tell you de story of my life, I can't tell
+you much 'bout slav'ry 'cause I wuz jus' six months old when freedom
+come, but I has heared quite a lot, and I will tell you all I kin
+'member 'bout everythin." Said old "Aunt" Georgia Telfair, who lives
+with her son to whom her devotion is quite evident. Both "Aunt" Georgia
+and the little home show the excellent care that is given them.
+
+"My pa," she said, "wuz Pleasant Jones, an' he b'longed to Marse Young
+L.G. Harris. Dey lived at de Harris place out on Dearing Street. Hit wuz
+all woods out dar den, an' not a bit lak Dearing Street looks now.
+
+"Rachel wuz my ma's name. Us don' know what her las' name wuz 'cause she
+wuz sold off when she wuz too little to 'member. Dr. Riddin' (Redding)
+bought her an' his fambly always jus' called her Rachel Riddin'. De
+Riddin' place wuz whar Hancock Avenue is now, but it wuz all in woods
+'roun' dar, jus' lak de place whar my pa wuz. Atter dey wuz married ma
+had to stay on wid de Riddin' fambly an' her chilluns b'longed to de
+Riddin's 'cause dey owned her. Miss Maxey Riddin' wuz my brudder's young
+Missus, an' I wuz give to her sister, Miss Lula Riddin', for to be her
+own maid, but us didn't git to wuk for 'em none 'cause it wuz jus' at
+dis time all de slaves got sot free. Atter dat my pa tuk us all wid him
+an' went to farm on de old Widderspoon (Witherspoon) place.
+
+"It wuz 'way off in de woods. Pa cut down trees an' built us a log
+cabin. He made de chimbly out of sticks an' red mud, an' put iron bars
+crost de fireplace to hang pots on for to bile our vittuls an' made
+ovens for de bakin'. De bes' way to cook 'tatoes wuz to roas' 'em in de
+ashes wid de jackets on. Dey ain' nothin' better tastin' dan ash-roasted
+'tatoes wid good home-made butter to eat wid 'em. An 'us had de butter,
+'cause us kep' two good cows. Ma had her chickens an' tukkeys an' us
+raised plenty of hogs, so we nebber wuz widout meat. Our reg'lar Sunday
+breakfas' wuz fish what pa cotch out of de crick. I used to git tired
+out of fish den, but a mess of fresh crick fish would sho' be jus' right
+now.
+
+"Us always kep' a good gyardan full of beans, corn, onions, peas an'
+'taters, an' dey warn't nobody could beat us at raisin' lots of greens,
+'specially turnips an' colla'd greens. Us saved heaps of dry peas an'
+beans, an' dried lots of peaches an' apples to cook in winter. When de
+wind wuz a howlin an' de groun' all kivvered wid snow, ma would make
+dried fruit puffs for us, dat sho' did hit de spot.
+
+"When I wuz 'bout eight years old, dey sont me to school. I had to walk
+from Epps Bridge Road to Knox School. Dey calls it Knox Institute now. I
+toted my blue back speller in one han' and my dinner bucket in de other.
+Us wore homespun dresses wid bonnets to match. De bonnets wuz all made
+in one piece an' had drawstrings on de back to make 'em fit, an' slats
+in de brims to make 'em stiff an' straight. Our dresses wuz made long to
+keep our legs warm. I don't see, for to save me, how dey keeps dese
+young-uns from freezin' now since dey let 'em go 'roun' mos' naked.
+
+"Our brush arbor church wuz nigh whar Brooklyn Mount Pleasant Church is
+now, an' us went to Sunday School dar evvy Sunday. It warn't much of a
+church for looks, 'cause it wuz made out of poles stuck in de groun' an'
+de roof wuz jus' pine limbs an' brush, but dere sho' wuz some good
+meetin's in dat old brush church, an' lots of souls foun' de way to de
+heb'enly home right dar.
+
+"Our reg'lar preacher wuz a colored man named Morrison, but Mr. Cobb
+preached to us lots of times. He wuz a white gemman, an' he say he could
+a sot all night an' lissen long as us sung dem old songs. Some of 'em I
+done clar forgot, but de one I lak bes' goes sorter lak dis:
+
+ 'I want to be an angel
+ An' wid de angels stan'
+ A crown upon my forehead
+ And a harp widin my han'.'
+
+"Another tune wuz 'Roll, Jordan Roll.' Little chillun wuz larnt to sing,
+'How Sweetly do de Time Fly, When I Please my Mother,' an' us chillun
+sho' would do our best a singin' dat little old song, so Preacher Cobb
+would praise us.
+
+"When I jined de church dere wuz 35 of us baptized de same day in de
+crick back of de church. While Preacher Brown wuz a baptizin' us, a big
+crowd wuz standin' on de bank a shoutin' an' singin', 'Dis is de healin'
+Water,' an', 'Makin' for de Promise Lan! Some of 'em wuz a prayin' too.
+Atter de baptizin' wuz done dey had a big dinner on de groun's for de
+new members, but us didn't see no jugs dat day. Jus' had plenty of good
+somethin' t'eat.
+
+"When us warn't in school, me an' my brudder wukked in de fiel' wid pa.
+In cotton plantin' time, pa fixed up de rows an' us drap de seeds in
+'em. Nex' day us would rake dirt over 'em wid wooden rakes. Pa made de
+rakes hisse'f. Dey had short wooden teef jus' right for to kivver de
+seed. Folkses buys what dey uses now an' don't take up no time makin'
+nothin' lak dat.
+
+"In dem days 'roun' de house an' in de fiel' boys jus' wo' one piece of
+clo'es. It wuz jus' a long shirt. Dey didn't know nothin' else den, but
+I sho' would lak to see you try to make boys go 'roun' lookin' lak dat
+now.
+
+"Dey hired me out to Mr. Jack Weir's fambly when I wuz 'bout fo'teen
+years old to do washin', ironin', an' cleanin' up de house, an' I wukked
+for 'em 'til I married. Dey lemme eat all I wanted dere at de house an'
+paid me in old clo'es, middlin' meat, sirup, 'tatoes, an' wheat flour,
+but I never did git no money for pay. Not nary a cent.
+
+"Us wukked mighty hard, but us had good times too. De bigges' fun us had
+wuz at candy pullin's. Ma cooked de candy in de wash pot out in de yard.
+Fust she poured in some home-made sirup, an' put in a heap of brown
+sugar from de old sirup barrel an' den she biled it down to whar if you
+drapped a little of it in cold water it got hard quick. It wuz ready den
+to be poured out in greasy plates an' pans. Us greased our han's wid
+lard to keep de candy from stickin' to 'em, an' soon as it got cool
+enough de couples would start pullin' candy an' singin'. Dat's mighty
+happy music, when you is singin' an' pullin' candy wid yo' bes' feller.
+When de candy got too stiff an' hard to pull no mo', us started eatin',
+an' it sho' would evermo' git away from dar in a hurry. You ain't nebber
+seed no dancin', what is dancin', lessen you has watched a crowd dance
+atter dey et de candy what dey done been pullin'.
+
+"Quiltin's wuz a heap of fun. Sometimes two or three famblies had a
+quiltin' together. Folkses would quilt some an' den dey passed 'roun' de
+toddy. Some would be cookin' while de others wuz a quiltin' an' den when
+supper wuz ready dey all stopped to eat. Dem colla'd greens wid cornpone
+an' plenty or gingercakes an' fruit puffs an' big ole pots of coffee wuz
+mighty fine eatin's to us den.
+
+"An' dere warn't nothin' lackin' when us had cornshuckin's. A gen'ral of
+de cornshuckin' wuz appointed to lead off in de fun. He sot up on top of
+de big pile of corn an' hysted de song. He would git 'em started off
+singin' somethin' lak, 'Sallie is a Good Gal,' an' evvybody kept time
+shuckin' an' a singin'. De gen'ral kept singin' faster an' faster, an'
+shucks wuz jus' flyin'. When pa started passin' de jug 'roun' dem
+Niggers sho' nuff begun to sing loud an' fas' an' you wuz 'bliged for to
+'low Sallie mus' be a Good Gal, de way de shucks wuz comin' off of dat
+corn so fas'. Dey kep' it up 'til de corn wuz all shucked, an' ma
+hollered, 'Supper ready!' Den dey made tracks for de kitchen, an' dey
+didn't stop eatin' an' drinkin' dat hot coffee long as dey could
+swallow. Ain't nobody fed 'em no better backbones, an' spareribs, turnip
+greens, 'tato pies, an' sich lak dan my ma set out for 'em. Old time
+ways lak dat is done gone for good now. Folkses ain't lak dey used to
+be. Dey's all done got greedy an' don't keer 'bout doin' nothin' for
+nobody else no more.
+
+"Ma combed our hair wid a Jim Crow comb, or cyard, as some folkses
+called 'em. If our hair wuz bad nappy she put some cotton in de comb to
+keep it from pullin' so bad, 'cause it wuz awful hard to comb.
+
+"Evvybody tried to raise plenty of gourds, 'cause dey wuz so handy to
+use for dippers den. Water wuz toted from de spring an' kept in piggins.
+Don't spec' you ebber did see a piggin. Dats a wooden bucket wid wire
+hoops 'roun' it to keep it from leakin'. De wash place wuz nex' to de
+spring. Pa fixed us up a big old stump whar us had to battle de clo'es
+wid a battlin' stick. It tuk a sight of battlin' to git de dirt out
+sometimes.
+
+"If you turned a chunk over in de fire, bad luck wuz sho' to come to
+you. If a dog howled a certain way at night, or if a scritch owl come in
+de night, death wuz on de way to you, an' you always had to be keerful
+so maybe bad spirits would leave you alone.
+
+"Pa built us a new kitchen, jus' lak what de white folkses had dem days.
+It sot out in de back yard, a little piece of a way from our house. He
+made it out of logs an' put a big old chimbly wid a big fireplace at one
+end. Benches wuz built 'roun' de sides for seats. Dere warn't no floor
+in it, but jus' dirt floor. Dat wuz one gran' kitchen an' us wuz mighty
+proud of it. [HW: p.4]
+
+"My w'ite folkses begged me not to leave 'em, when I told 'em I wuz
+gwine to marry Joe Telfair. I'd done been wukkin' for 'em nigh on to six
+years, an' wuz mos' twenty years old. Dey gimme my weddin' clo'es, an'
+when I seed dem clo'es I wuz one proud Nigger, 'cause dey wuz jus' lak I
+wanted. De nightgown wuz made out of white bleachin' an' had lots of
+tucks an' ruffles an' it even had puff sleeves. Sho' 'nough it did! De
+petticoat had ruffles an' puffs plum up to de wais' ban'. Dere wuz a
+cosset kiver dat wuz cut to fit an' all fancy wid tucks an' trimmin',
+an' de drawers, dey sho' wuz pretty, jus' full of ruffles an' tucks
+'roun' de legs. My dress wuz a cream buntin', lak what dey calls serge
+dese days. It had a pretty lace front what my ma bought from one of de
+Moss ladies. When I got all dressed up I wuz one mo' gran' lookin'
+bride.
+
+"Us got married in de new kitchen an' it wuz plum full, 'cause ma had
+done axed 76 folkses to de weddin'. Some of 'em wuz Joe's folkses, an'
+us had eight waiters: four gals, an' four boys. De same Preacher Brown
+what baptized me, married us an' den us had a big supper. My Missus,
+Lula Weir, had done baked a great big pretty cake for me an' it tasted
+jus' as good as it looked. Atter us et all us could, one of de waiters
+called de sets for us to dance de res' of de night. An' sich dancin' as
+us did have! Folkses don't know how to dance dat good no mo'. Dat wuz
+sho' nuff happy dancin'. Yes Ma'am, I ain't nebber gonna forgit what a
+gran' weddin' us had.
+
+"Next day us moved right here an' I done been here ever since. Dis place
+b'longed to Joe's gran'ma, an' she willed it to him. Us had 15 chillun,
+but ain't but five of 'em livin' now, an' Joe he's been daid for years.
+Us always made a good livin' on de farm, an' still raises mos' of what
+us needs, but I done got so po'ly I can't wuk no more.
+
+"I'se still tryin' to live right an' walk de narrow way, so as I kin go
+to Heb'en when I dies. I'se gwine to pray for you an' ax de Lawd to
+bless you, for you has been so good an' patient wid me, an' I'se sho'
+thankful my son sont you to see me. You done helped me to feel lots
+better. Good-bye, an' God bless you, an' please Ma'am, come back to see
+me again."
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE
+
+CORDELIA THOMAS, Age 80
+130 Berry Street
+Athens, Ga.
+
+Written by:
+Grace McCune [HW: (white)]
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+Leila Harris
+Augusta
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+
+
+A long, hot walk over rough, hilly roads brought the visitor to
+Cordelia's place just after the noon hour of a sweltering July day, and
+the shade of the tall water oaks near the little cabin was a most
+welcome sight. The house stood only a few feet from a spur of railroad
+track but the small yard was enclosed by a luxurious green hedge. Roses
+predominated among the many varieties of flowers in evidence on the
+otherwise drab premises.
+
+A dilapidated porch across the front of the residence had no roof and
+the floorboards were so badly rotted that it did not seem quite safe to
+walk from the steps to the front door where Cordelia stood waiting.
+"Come right in, Missy," she invited, "but be keerful not to fall through
+dat old porch floor." The tall, thin Negress was clad in a faded but
+scrupulously clean blue dress, a white apron, and a snowy headcloth
+crowned by a shabby black hat. Black brogans completed her costume.
+Cordelia led the way to the rear of a narrow hall. "Us will be cooler
+back here," she explained. Sunlight poured through gaping holes in the
+roof, and the coarse brown wrapping paper pasted on the walls was
+splattered and streaked by rain. The open door of Cordelia's bedroom
+revealed a wooden bed, a marble-topped bureau, and a washstand of the
+Victorian period. A rocker, two straight chairs, a small table, and a
+trunk completed the furnishings of the room and left but little space
+for its occupant to move about.
+
+"I'se jus' a mite tired," Cordelia stated, "'cause I jus' got back from
+de courthouse whar dem welfare 'omans done gimme a sack o' flour and
+some other bundles what I ain't opened up yit, but I knows dey's got
+somepin in 'em to holp me, 'cause dem folks is sho' been mighty good to
+me since my rheumatiz is been so bad I couldn't wuk enough to make a
+livin'. De doctor, he say I got de blood presser. I don't rightly know
+jus' what dat is, but it looks lak somepin's a-pressin' right down in my
+haid 'til I feels right foolish, so I reckon he's right 'bout it a-bein
+de blood presser. When I gits down on my knees it takes a long time for
+me to git straight up on my feet again. De Lord, He's done been wid me
+all dese years, and old Cordelia's goin' to keep right on kneelin' 'fore
+Him and praisin' Him often 'til He 'cides de time has come for her to go
+home to Heben.
+
+"I was borned on Marse Andrew Jackson's plantation down in 'Conee
+(Oconee) County, twixt here and High Shoals. Marse Andy, he owned my
+Mammy, and she was named Em'ly Jackson. Bob Lowe was my Daddy, and he
+b'longed to Marse Ike Lowe. The Lowe plantation was nigh whar Marse
+Andy's was, down der in 'Conee County. 'Cause neither one of deir
+marsters wouldn't sell one of 'em to de other marster, Mammy had to stay
+on de Jackson plantation and Daddy was kept right on wukin' on de Lowe
+place atter dey had done got married. Marse Bob, he give Daddy a ticket
+what let him go to see Mammy evvy Wednesday and Sadday night, and dem
+patterollers couldn't bother him long as he kept dat ticket. When dey
+did find a slave off his marster's plantation widout no ticket, it was
+jus' too bad, for dat meant a beatin' what most kilt him. Mammy said dey
+didn't never git my Daddy, 'cause he allus had his ticket to show.
+
+"I don't ricollect much 'bout days 'fore de big war ended 'cause I was
+so little den, but many's de time I heared Mammy and Daddy and de other
+old folks tell 'bout dem times. Us chillun had de bestes' time of
+anybody dem days, 'cause dey didn't 'low us to do nothin' but jus' eat
+all us could and play de rest of de time. I don't know how it was on
+other places, but dat was de way us was raised on our old marster's
+plantation.
+
+"De cracks of de log cabins whar de slaves lived was chinked wid red mud
+to keep out de cold and rain. Dere warn't no glass in de windows, dey
+jus' had plank shutters what dey fastened shut at night. Thin slide
+blocks kivvered de peepholes in de rough plank doors. Dey had to have
+dem peepholes so as dey could see who was at de door 'fore dey opened
+up. Dem old stack chimblies what was made out of sticks and red clay,
+was all time gittin' on fire. Dem old home-made beds had high posties
+and us called 'em 'teesters.' To take de place of springs, what hadn't
+never been seen 'round dar in dem days, dey wove heavy cords lengthways
+and crostways. Over dem cords dey laid a flat mat wove out of white oak
+splints and on dat dey put de homespun bed ticks stuffed wid wheat
+straw. Dey could have right good pillows if dey was a mind to pick de
+scrap cotton and fix it up, but dere warn't many of 'em keered dat much
+'bout no pillows.
+
+"Slaves didn't do no cookin' on our place 'cause Marster fed evvybody up
+at de big house. Missy, I ain't never gwine to forgit dat big old
+fireplace up dar. Dey piled whole sticks of cord wood on it at one time,
+wid little sticks crossways under 'em and, let me tell you, dat was a
+fire what would cook anything and evvything. De pots hung on swingin'
+racks, and dere was big ovens, little ovens, long-handled fryin' pans,
+and heavy iron skillets wid tight, thick lids. It sho' was a sight de
+way us chillun used to make 'way wid dem ash-roasted 'taters and dat
+good, fresh butter. Us chillun had to eat supper early 'cause all
+chillun had to be in bed 'fore dark. It warn't lak dese days. Why Missy,
+chilluns now stays up 'most all night runnin' 'round dese parts.
+
+"Marster was sho' good 'bout seein' dat his Niggers had plenty to eat
+and wear. For supper us et our bread and milk wid wooden spoons out of
+wooden bowls, but for dinner dey give us veg'ables, corn pone, and
+'taters. Marster raised all de sorts of veg'ables what dey knowed
+anything 'bout in dem days, and he had big old fields of wheat, rye,
+oats, and corn, 'cause he 'lowed dat stock had to eat same as folkses.
+Dere was lots of chickens, turkeys, cows, hogs, sheep, and some goats on
+dat plantation so as dere would allus be plenty of meat for evvybody.
+
+"Our Marster evermore did raise de cotton--lots of it to sell, and
+plenty for clothes for all de folkses, white and black, what lived on
+his place. All de cloth was home-made 'cept de calico for de best Sunday
+dresses. Chillun had to spin de thread and deir mammies wove de cloth.
+'Fore de end of de war, whilst I was still so little I had to stand on a
+box to reach de spinnin' wheel good, I could spin six reels a day.
+
+"Chillun was happy when hog-killin' time come. Us warn't 'lowed to help
+none, 'cept to fetch in de wood to keep de pot bilin' whar de lard was
+cookin'. Our Mist'ess allus had de lard rendered in de bigges' washpot,
+what dey sot on rocks in de fireplace. Us didn't mind gittin' de wood
+for dat, 'cause when dem cracklin's got done, dey let us have all us
+could eat and, jus' let me tell you, Missy, you ain't never had nothin'
+good 'less you has et a warm skin cracklin' wid a little salt. One time
+when dey was renderin' lard, all us chillun was crowdin' 'round close as
+us could git to see which one could git a cracklin' fust. Mist'ess told
+us to stand back 'fore somebody got burnt; den Mammy said she was gwine
+to take de hides off our backs 'bout gittin' so close to dat fire, and
+'bout dat time somebody 'hind me gimme a quick push; and in de fire I
+went. Marster grabbed me 'most time I hit dem red coals, but one hand
+and arm was burnt so bad I had to wear it in a sling for a long time.
+Den Marster laid down de law and told us what he would do if he cotch us
+chillun hangin' 'round de fire whar dey was cookin' lard again.
+
+"Folkses said our Marster must have a powerful sweet tooth on account of
+he kept so many bee hives. When bees swarmed folkses rung bells and beat
+on tin pans to git 'em settled. Veils was tied over deir haids to keep
+de bees from gittin' to deir faces when dey went to rob de hives.
+Chillun warn't never 'lowed to be nowhar nigh durin' dat job. One day I
+sneaked out and got up close to see how dey done it, and dem bees got
+all over me. Dey stung me so bad I couldn't see for days and days.
+Marster, he jus' fussed and said dat gal, Cordelia, she was allus whar
+she didn't b'long. Missy, I ain't never wanted to fool wid no more bees,
+and I don't even lak honey no more.
+
+"Slaves all went to church wid deir white folkses 'cause dere warn't no
+Nigger churches dem days. All de preachin' was done by white preachers.
+Churches warn't nigh and convenient dem days lak dey is now and dey was
+such a fur piece from de plantations dat most of de folkses stayed all
+day, and dem meetin' days was big days den. De cooks was told to fix de
+bestes' dinners dey could git up, and chillun was made to know dey had
+better mind what dey was 'bout when dey was in de meetin' house or it
+was gwine to be made mighty hot for 'em when dey got back home. Dat was
+one thing our Marster didn't 'low no foolin' 'bout. His Niggers had to
+be-have deyselfs at de meetin' house. 'Long 'bout August when craps was
+laid by, dey had brush arbor meetin's. White folks brought deir slaves
+and all of 'em listened to a white preacher from Watkinsville named Mr.
+Calvin Johnson. Dere was lots of prayin' and shoutin' at dem old brush
+arbor 'vival meetin's.
+
+"Dey had campmeetin's too. De old Freeman place was whar dey had some of
+dem fust campmeetin's, and Hillsboro, Mars Hill, and Bethabara was some
+of de other places whar Marster tuk us to campmeetin's. Missy, you jus'
+don't know nothin' 'bout 'citement if you ain't never been to one of dem
+old-time campmeetin's. When folkses would git 'ligion dey would holler
+and shout a-testifyin' for de Lord. Atter de meetin' dey dammed up de
+crick and let it git deep enough for de baptizin'. Dey dipped de white
+folkses fust, and den de Niggers. You could hear 'em singin' a mile away
+dem old songs lak: _On Jordan's Stormy Banks I Stand_,--_Roll, Jordan
+Roll_,--_All God's Chilluns is a-goin' Home_, and--_Whar de Livin'
+Waters Flow_. I jus' can't 'member half of dem good old songs 'cause my
+mem'ry ain't good as it used to be." Here Cordelia paused. She seemed
+oblivious to all around her for several minutes, and then she suddenly
+smiled. "Lordy, Missy," she began, "if I could jus' call back dem days
+wid our good old Marster to look atter us and see dat us had what us
+needed to eat and wear and a good comf'table cabin to live in, wouldn't
+dis be a happy old 'oman? Lots of de other old folks would lak it too,
+'cause our white folkses day sho' did take good keer of deir slaves.
+
+"Did you ever hear of dem logrollin's? On our place dey spent 'bout two
+whole days cookin' and gittin' ready. Marster axed evvybody from fur and
+nigh, and dey allus come 'cause dey knowed he was gwine to give 'em a
+good old time. De way dey rolled dem logs was a sight, and de more good
+corn liquor Marster passed 'round, de faster dem logs rolled. Come
+night-time, Marster had a big bonfire built up and sot lots of pitchpine
+torches 'round so as dere would be plenty of light for 'em to see how to
+eat dat fine supper what had done been sot out for 'em. Atter supper,
+dey danced nigh all de rest of de night. Mammy used to tell us 'bout de
+frolics next day, 'cause us chillun was made to go to bed at sundown.
+Come day, go day, no matter what might happen, growin' chillun had to be
+in bed at deir reg'lar time, but Mammy never forgot to tell us all 'bout
+de good times next day.
+
+"Mammy said dem cornshuckin's meant jus' as much fun and jollification
+as wuk. Dey gathered Marster's big corn crap and 'ranged it in long,
+high piles, and sometimes it tuk sev'ral days for dem cornshuckers to
+git it all shucked, but evvybody stayed right dar on de job 'til it was
+finished. At night, dey wukked by de light of big fires and torches, den
+dey had de big supper and started dancin'. Dey stopped so often to swig
+dat corn liquor Marster pervided for 'em dat 'fore midnight folkses
+started fallin' out and drappin' down in de middle of de dance ring. De
+others would git 'em by de heels and drag 'em off to one side 'til dey
+come to and was ready to drink more liquor and dance again. Dat was de
+way dey went on de rest of de night.
+
+"Corpses! Buryin's! Graveyards! Why, Miss, dere warn't nigh so many
+folkses a-dyin' all de time dem days as dere is now. Folkses lived right
+and was tuk better keer of and dere warn't so much reason for 'em to die
+out den. When somebody did die, folkses come from miles and miles around
+to de buryin'. Dey give de slaves de same sort of funerals de white
+folkses had. De corpses was washed good all over wid hot water and
+home-made soap, den dey was dressed and laid out on de coolin' boards
+'til de cyarpenter man had time to make up de coffins. Lordy, Missy,
+ain't you never seed no coolin' board? I 'spects dey is all gone now
+though. Dey looked a good deal lak ironin' boards, only dey had laigs to
+stand on. Lots of times dey didn't dress de corpses, but jus' wropped
+'em in windin' sheets. Dem home-made, pine coffins didn't look so bad
+atter dey got 'em painted up and lined nice. Dey driv de wagon what had
+de corpse on it right slow to de graveyard. De preacher talked a little
+and prayed; den atter de mourners had done sung somepin on de order of
+_Harps [HW: Hark?] From De Tomb_, dey shovelled in de dirt over de
+coffin whilst de preacher said comfortin' words to de fambly of de daid.
+Evvy plantation had its own graveyard wid a fence around it, and dere
+was a place in it for de slaves 'nigh whar deir white folks was buried.
+
+"Honey, didn't you never hear tell of Dr. Frank Jackson? He was sho' a
+grand doctor. Dr. Jackson made up his own medicines and toted 'em 'round
+wid him all de time. He was close kin to our Marse Andy Jackson's
+fambly. All dem Jacksons down in 'Conee was good white folks.
+
+"Us stayed on wid Old Marster for a little while atter de war was over,
+and den right away Mammy died and Daddy hired me out to Mrs. Sidney
+Rives (Reaves?). I 'spects one reason she was so mighty good to me was
+'cause I was so little den. I was nigh grown when I left her to wuk for
+Dr. Palmer's fambly. All his chillun was little den and I was deir nuss.
+One of de best of his chillun was little Miss Eunice. She is done growed
+to be a school teacher and dey tells me she is still a-teachin'. It
+warn't long atter my Daddy died dat I left de Palmers and started
+wukkin' for Mr. Dock Dorsey's fambly. If dere ever was a good Christian
+'oman in dis here old world it was Miss Sallie Dorsey, Mr. Dock Dorsey's
+wife. She had been Miss Sallie Chappell 'fore she married Mr. Dorsey.
+Miss Sallie tried to git evvybody what stayed 'round her to live right
+too, and she wanted all her help to go to church reg'lar. If Miss Sallie
+and Marse Dock Dorsey was livin' now, dey would pervide for Old 'Delia
+jus' lak dey used to do. All deir chillun was nice. Miss Fannie and Miss
+Sue, dey was extra good gals, but somehow I jus' can't call back de
+names of dem other ones now. Dey all had to be good wid de sort of mammy
+and daddy dey had. Miss Sallie, she was sick a long time 'fore she died,
+and dey let me wait on her. Missy, I tell you de gospel truth, I sho'
+did love dat 'oman. Not long 'fore she passed on to Heben, she told her
+husband dat atter she was gone, she wanted him to marry up wid her
+cousin, Miss Hargrove, so as he would have somebody to help him raise up
+her chillun, and he done 'zactly what she axed him to. All of my own
+white folkses has done died out, and Old 'Delia won't be here much
+longer. One of de Thorntons here--I forgits which one--married up wid my
+young Mist'ess, Rebecca Jackson. Her gal got married up wid Dr. Jago, a
+horse-doctor. A insurance man named Mr. Speer married into de Jackson
+fambly too. He moved his fambly from here to de mountains on account of
+his son's health, and I jus' los' track of 'em den.
+
+"Lordy, Chile! What you want to know 'bout my weddin' for, nowhow? Dere
+ain't never gwine to be no more weddin's lak dey had back dere in dem
+times 'cause folkses thinks dey got to have too much nowadays. When
+folkses got married den dey was a-thinkin' 'bout makin' sho' 'nough
+homes for deyselfs, and gittin' married meant somepin sort of holy.
+Mammy said dat most times when slaves got married dey jus' jumped
+backwards over a broomstick whilst deir Marster watched and den he
+pernounced dat dey was man and wife. Now dey is got to go to de
+courthouse and pay out good money for a license and den go git a
+preacher or somebody lak a jestice jedge to say de marriage words over
+'em.
+
+"Me and Solomon Thomas had to go buy us a license too, but us didn't
+mind 'bout 'puttin out 'dat money cause us was so much in love. I wore a
+pretty white dress and a breakfast shawl, and atter us had done went to
+de preacher man's house and got married, us come right on here to dis
+very house what had b'longed to Solomon's daddy 'fore it was Solomon's.
+Us built two more rooms on de house, but all de time Solomon lived us
+tried to keep de place lookin' a good deal lak it was de day us got
+married.
+
+"Atter Solomon died, I sold off most of de land to de railroad for de
+right of way for dat dere track what you sees out dere, and it sho' has
+made plenty of wuk for me to keep dat soot what dem engines is all time
+a-spittin' out cleaned off my things in de house. It draps down through
+dem big holes overhead, and I can't git hold of no money to have de roof
+patched up.
+
+"Me and Solomon, us had 11 chillun, but dey is all daid out but three.
+One of my boys is in Baltimore and another boy lives in Louisiana
+somewhar. My gal, Delia, she stays over in de Newtown part of Athens
+here. She would love to help her old Mammy, but my Delia's got chillun
+of her own and she can't git nothin' to do 'cept a little washin' for de
+white folkses, and she ain't able to pervide what her own household
+needs to eat. Dem boys of mine is done got so fur off dey's done forgot
+all 'bout deir old Mammy.
+
+"When us fust got married, Solomon wukked at Mr. Orr's cotton house, and
+he stayed dere a long time 'fore he went to wuk for Mr. Moss and Mr.
+Levy. All dem white folks was good to me and Solomon. I kept on wukkin'
+for de Dorseys 'til us had so many chillun I had to stay home and look
+atter 'em. Solomon got sick and he lay dere sufferin' a long, long time,
+but Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy seed dat he didn't want for nothin'. Even
+atter Solomon died dem good white mens kept on comin' out now and den to
+see if me and Solomon's chillun had what us needed.
+
+"Solomon, my Solomon, he went out of dis here world, in dat dere room
+whar you sees dat old bed, and dat is perzactly whar I wants to be when
+de Blessed Lord lays his hands on me and tells me to come on Home to
+Glory. I wants to be toted out of dat room, through dis hall and on out
+to de graveyard jus' lak my man was. I knows dat evvything would be done
+nice jus' lak I wants it if Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy was a-livin' 'cause
+dey was both Masons, and members of de Masons is all done swore a oath
+to look atter deir own folkses. Dey said Solomon and his fambly was lak
+deir own folkses, Mr. Moss and Mr. Levy did. Most of de folkses, both
+white and black, dat I has knowed and loved has done gone on over de
+Jordan, out of dis world of trouble, and it will be happy days for all
+of us when us meets again in de place 'of many mansions' whar dere won't
+be nothin' for none of us to pester ourselfs 'bout no more.
+
+"All of my life, I'se had a great desire to travel, jus' to go evvywhar,
+but atter all dese years of busy livin' I 'spects all de trav'lin' I'll
+ever do will be on de road to Glory. Dat will be good enough for me
+'cause I got so many more of 'em I loves over dar dan is left here."
+
+As the visitor passed out of earshot of Cordelia's cabin the last words
+she heard from the old Negress were: "Good-bye again, Missy. Talkin' to
+you has been a heap of consolation to me."
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist-2
+Ex Slave #105]
+Alberta Minor
+Re-search Worker
+
+FOLKLORE
+EX-SLAVE--IKE THOMAS
+Heidt Bridges Farm near Rio Georgia
+Interviewed
+
+September 4, 1936
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed or meaning was significantly changed, it has been noted.]
+
+
+Ike Thomas was born near Monticello in Jasper County on the Thomas
+plantation. His mother and father were sold when he was a little boy,
+and "Missus" Thomas, in picking her house boy, took Ike to raise for a
+carriage boy. She picked her little niggers by the way they wore their
+hats. If they set them on the back of their heads, they grew up to be
+"high-minded", but if they pulled them over their eyes, they'd grow up
+to be "sneaky and steal".
+
+Mrs. Thomas let him sleep on a trundle bed pulled out at night and put
+under her bed in the day and fed him under the table. She'd put a piece
+of meat in a biscuit and hand it down to him and warned him if they had
+company not to holler when he was thru so he'd touch her on the knee but
+his mouth was so big and he'd eat so fast that he "jes kep' on teching
+her on the knee."
+
+During the war, when they got word the Yankees were coming, Mrs. Thomas
+would hide her "little niggers" sometimes in the wardrobe back of her
+clothes, sometimes between the mattresses, or sometimes in the cane
+brakes. After the Yankees left, she'd ring a bell and they would know
+they could come out of hiding. (When they first heard the slaves were
+free, they didn't believe it so they just stayed on with their "white
+folks".) [HW: Transpose to page 3.]
+
+If the negroes were mean or ran away, they would be chased by hounds and
+brought back for punishment.
+
+When still a young man, Ike ran away with a negro couple coming in a
+buggy to Blanton Mill near Griffin and worked for Mr. William Blanton
+until he died. After he had been here a while, he got married. His
+wife's people had the wedding supper and party. He was a fiddler so had
+to fiddle most all night then the next day his "white folks" gave him
+the food for the wedding dinner that he had at his own house.
+
+Ike says every seven [HW: 7] years the locusts come and its sure to be
+a short crop that "God sends all sorts of cusses" (curses) sometimes
+its the worms that eat the cotton or the corn or the bugs that eat the
+wheat. He doesn't believe in "hants" or "conjurin'". It seems Sid
+Scott was a "mean nigger", [HW: and] everyone was afraid of [HW: him].
+He was cut in two by the saw mill and after his funeral whenever
+anyone pass his house at night that could hear his "hant" going
+"rat-a-tat-tat-bang, bang, bang" like feet running.
+
+One night when Ike was coming home from "fiddlin'" at a white folks
+party, he had to pass Scott's house. Now they kept the cotton seed in
+half of the house and the other half was empty. When Ike got close, he
+made a racket and sure enough the noise started. "The moon was about an
+hour up" and he saw these funny white things run out from under the
+house and scatter. It scared him at first but he looked and looked and
+saw they were sheep that [HW: having] found a hole into the cotton seed
+would go in at night to eat.
+
+Before the war the negroes had a big celebration on the 4th of July, a
+big barbecue, ball game, wrestling matches, lots of music and singing.
+They had to have a pass from their Masters to attend and pay to get in.
+The "patta-roll" came by to see your pass and if you didn't have one,
+they'd whip you and send you home. [HW: When the Negroes first heard
+that they were free, they didn't believe it so they just stayed on with
+their white folks.]
+
+After he came to Blanton's, the Negroes could come and go as they
+pleased for they were free. Ike has been a member of several "Societies"
+but something has always happened to the President and Secretary or they
+ran off with the money so now he just has a sick and accident policy.
+
+Ike will be 94 years old next month. His hair is white, his eyes blurred
+with age, but he's quite active tho' he does walk with a stick.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist 1
+Ex-Slave #107]
+
+JANE MICKENS TOOMBS OF WASHINGTON-WILKES
+Age approx. 82
+
+by
+Minnie Branham Stonestreet
+Washington-Wilkes
+GEORGIA
+[Date Stamp: JAN 26 1937]
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+A story of happiness and contentment on a big plantation where there
+were "a heap of us slaves" is told by Jane Mickens Toombs who said she
+was "five er six years ole when de Wah come on (1860), or maby a lit'le
+ol'er."
+
+She is a bright old woman, well and spry despite the fact she "wuz
+conjured onst when I wuz young an' dat lef' me lame an' dis eye plum'
+out an' de t'other bad."
+
+When asked about the conjuring she said: "No'm, I don't 'zackly know how
+t'wuz, but enyhow somebody whut knowed how ter 'wu'k roots' got me lame
+on dis side, an' my eye out, jess kase I wuz a decent, nice lookin' gal,
+an' went on 'tendin' ter my business an' payin' dem no mind. Dat's de
+way dey done in dem days, jess jealous of nice colored niggers. Yassum,
+I wuz sick fer nigh on ter two years an' de doctuhs never knowed what
+ailed me. Dey done everything dey could, but I wuz conjured an' dey
+couldn't hep' me. A doctuh-man frum up yander in New Yalk cum down here
+ter see his folks, an' he tried to kure [HW: cyore] me, but doctuhs
+kain't [HW: kaan't] kure [HW: cyore] conjured folks, so I had ter lay
+an' suffer 'til de conjure wore out. Dem whut done dat knowed dey done
+me wrong, but I kep' trustin' in my Lawd, an' now dey's gone an' I'se er
+stumblin' roun' yit. No mam, I never knowed jess whut dey done ter me,
+but hit wuz bad, I kin tell yer dat, hit might nigh kilt me."
+
+Aunt Jane was born on the Gullatt Plantation on the line of Wilkes and
+Lincoln counties. Her Mother was Liza Gullatt and her father John
+Mickens who belonged to Mr. Augustus McMekin. "Yassum, my Pa wuz John
+'Mickens an' his Marster bought him in Alabamy. All de slaves whut
+belonged to de McMekins called dey selves 'Mickens. I wuz one of fifteen
+chillun an' cum er long in betweenst de oldest 'uns an' de youngest
+sum'ers. I wuz named fer my Mistess Jane Gullatt whut died. Young Marse
+George Gullatt choosed me out, dough, an' I'd er been his'en ef Freedom
+hadn't er come. You know dat's de way dey use ter do back in slavery
+time, de young Mistesses an' Marsters choosed out de little niggers dey
+wanted fer their'n."
+
+This is another case where the father and mother belonged to different
+families. The father had a pass to go and come as he pleased, although
+his family lived a little distance away. Jane said her father's master
+would have bought her mother if the War hadn't come on and they were set
+free.
+
+Jane told of the log cabins in the Quarters where all the negroes lived.
+She said they were all in a row "wid er street in de front, er wide
+street all set thick wid white mulberry trees fer ter mak' shade fer de
+chillun ter play in." They never had any punishment only [HW: except]
+switchings by their Mistess, and that was not often. They played dolls,
+"us had home-made rag dolls, nice 'uns, an' we'd git dem long grass
+plumes (Pampas grass) an' mak' dolls out'n dem too. Us played all day
+long every day. My Mistess' chillun wuz all growed up so jess us little
+niggers played tergether.
+
+"My Mother spun an' wove de cloth, an' dyed hit, but our Mistess made
+our clothes. My Grandma, Nancy, wuz de cook an' she fed all de little
+'uns in de big ole kitchen whut sot out in de yard. She had a tray she
+put our victuals on an Uh, Uh, whut good things we had ter eat, an' er
+plenty of everything! Us et jess whut our white folks had, dey didn't
+mak' no difference in us when hit cum ter eatin'. My Grandaddy looked
+atter de meat, he done everything 'bout dat, an' he sho' knowed how ter
+fix it, too.
+
+"De fust thing I recollects is bein' round in de kitchen when dey wuz
+makin' ginger cakes an' my Mistess givin' me de pan she made 'em in fer
+me ter sop hit out. Dey ain't nothin' whut smells good lak' de cookin'
+in dem days, I kain't smell no victuals lak' dat now. Everything wuz
+cooked on a big ole open fire place in one end of de kitchen. Dem good
+ole days done gone now. Folkes done got wiser an' wickeder--dey ain't
+lak' dey use ter be."
+
+At Christmas Santa Claus found his way to the Quarters on the Gollatt
+plantation and each little slave had candy, apples, and "sich good
+things as dat." Aunt Jane gave a glowing description of the preparation
+for the Christmas season: "Lawdy, how de folks wu'ked gittin' ready fer
+Chris'mus, fer three er fo' days dey stayed in de kitchen er cookin' an'
+er bakin'--daye wuz de bes' light bread--great big loaves baked on de
+fire place, an' cakes an' mo' good ginger cakes. Dey wuz plenty cooked
+up to las' er long time. An' another thing, dare want no cookin' on
+Sunday, no mam, no wu'k of no kind. My Mistess had de cook cookin' all
+day Fridays an' Saddays so when Sunday come dare wuz hot coffee made an'
+dat wuz all, everything else wuz cooked up an' cold. Everybody went to
+Church, de grown folks white and black, went to de preachin' an' den all
+de little niggers wuz called in an de Bible read an' 'splained ter dem.
+
+"Dare wuz preachin' down in de Quarters, but dat wuz at night an' wuz
+led by de colored preachers. I recollects one night dare wuz a service
+gwine on in one of de cabins an' all us wuz dare an' ole Uncle Alex
+Frazier wuz up a linin' off a hymn 'bout
+
+ 'Broad is de road dat leads ter Death
+ An' there an' here we travel.'
+
+when in come some mens atter a colored feller whut had stole some sheep
+an' hogs. Dey kotch 'im, but sho broke up de meetin'. In de hot summer
+time Uncle George Gullatt use ter preach ter de slaves out under de
+trees. Uncle George waz a kind of er preacher.
+
+"My Pa didn't 'low his chillun ter go 'roun'. No'm, he kep' us home
+keerful lak. Young folks in dem days didn't go all over de country lak
+dey does now, dey stayed at home, an' little chillun wuz kep' back an'
+dey didn' know no badness lak de chillun do terday. Us never even heared
+de ole folks talk nothin' whut we oughtn't ter hear. Us jess played an'
+stayed in a child's place. When we wuz sick de white folks seed dat we
+wuz 'tended to. Dey use ter mak Jerusalem Oak candy an' give us. Dey
+took de leaves of dat bush an' boiled 'em an' den use dat water dey wuz
+boiled in an' put sugar 'nough in hit ter mak candy. An dey used plenty
+of turpentine on us too--plenty ov hit, an' I believes in dat terday,
+hit's er good medicine."
+
+When asked about the War, Aunt Jane said she didn't remember much about
+it. "But dare's one thing 'bout hit I sho' does 'member, an' dat's my
+young Mistess Beckie's husband, Mr. Frazier, being off fightin' in de
+Wah, an' she gittin' er letter frum him sayin' he wuz comin' home sich
+an' sich er day. She wuz so happy she had all de grown slaves wu'kin'
+gittin' ready fer him. Den dey brung her er letter sayin' he had been
+kilt, an' she wuz in de yard when she read hit an' if dey hadn't er
+kotch her she'd ov fell. I 'members de women takin' her in de house an'
+gittin' her ter bed. She wuz so up sot an' took hit so hard. Dem wuz
+sho' hard times an' sad 'uns too. 'Course I wuz too small ter know much
+whut wuz gwine on, but I could tell hit wuz bad frum de way de older
+folks looked.
+
+"I recollects when dey say Freedom had cum. Dare wuz a speakin' fer de
+slaves up here in town in Barnett's Grove. Dat mornin' Ole Miss sont all
+de oldes' niggers to de speakin' an' kep' us little 'uns dat day. She
+kep' us busy sweepin' de yards an' sich as dat. An' she cooked our
+dinner an' give hit to us herself. I 'members de grown folks leavin'
+early dat mornin' in a great big waggin.
+
+"A while after de Wah, Pa took us over to de McMekins place an' we lived
+dare fer a long time. He died an' lef' us an' den us had ter do de bes'
+we could. Col. Tolbert hired me fer ter nuss his chillun an' I went over
+ter his place ter live."
+
+Aunt Jane said she isn't superstitious, but likes to see the new moon
+clear and bow to it for good luck. She said it is better to show it a
+piece of money, but as she doesn't always have money handy, she "jess
+bows to hit nice an' polite". She keeps up with the weather by her
+rheumatism and the cat: "Ef I has de reumatics I knows hit's gwine ter
+rain, an' when de cat comes 'round an' sets washin' her face, look fer
+rain, kase hit's er comin'. I've heared folks say dat hit's bad luck ter
+stump yo' lef' foot, but I don't know boud dat. But I tell yer, when I
+meets er cat I allus turns er round 'fore I goes on, dat turns de bad
+luck er way."
+
+When 19 years of age Jane married Albert Toombs. He belonged to the
+Toombs family of Wilkes county. Aunt Jane said Albert brought her many
+gifts while he was courting: "He warnt much on bringin' candy an'
+nothin' lak dat ter eat, but he brung me shawls an' shoes--sumpin' I
+could wear." They had four children, but only one is living.
+
+"When I wuz a growin' up", said Aunt Jane, "folks had ter wu'k." She
+worked on the farm, spun, wove, "done seamster wu'k" and knitted
+stockings, sox and gloves. She said she carded too, "an' in dem times ef
+a nigger wanted ter git de kinks out'n dey hair, dey combed hit wid de
+cards. Now dey puts all kinds ov grease on hit, an' buy straightenin'
+combs. Sumpin' dat costs money, dat's all dey is, old fashion cards'll
+straighten hair jess as well as all dis high smellin' stuff dey sells
+now."
+
+Aunt Jane likes to tell of those days of long ago. Her memory is
+excellent and she talks well. She says she is living out her Miss Jane's
+time. "Yassum, my Miss Jane died when she wuz so young, I specks I jess
+livin' out her days kase I named fer her. But I does miss dem good ole
+days whut's gone. I'se hungry fer de sight ov a spinnin' wheel--does you
+know whare's one? Things don't look lak' dey use ter, an' as fer whut we
+has ter eat, dare ain't no victuals ever smelled an' et as good as dem
+what dey use ter have on de plantation when I wuz a comin' on. Yassum,
+folkes has got wiser an' know mo' dan dey did, but dey is wickeder--dey
+kills now 'stid er conjurin' lak' dey did me."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 7
+Ex-slave #108]
+District 7
+Adella S. Dixon
+
+PHIL TOWNS
+OLD SLAVE STORY
+[Date Stamp: -- 8 1937]
+
+[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed, meaning was significantly changed, or the edit could not be
+clearly read, it has been noted.]
+
+
+On June 25, 1824, a son was born to Washington and Clara Towns who
+resided in Richmond, Virginia. This was the fourth child in a family
+which finally numbered thirteen. Phil, as he was called, does not recall
+many incidents on this estate as the family moved when he was in his
+teens. His grandfather and grandmother were brought here from Africa and
+their description of the cruel treatment they received is his most vivid
+recollection. His grandmother, Hannah, lived to be 129 years of age.
+
+Mr. George Towns, called "Governor" by all of his slaves as well as his
+intimate friends, moved to Georgia and settled at Reynolds in Taylor
+County. Here he purchased a huge tract of land--1350 acres--and built
+his new home upon this level area on the Flint River. The "big house," a
+large unpainted structure which housed a family of eighteen, was in the
+midst of a grove of trees near the highway that formed one of the
+divisions of the plantation. It was again divided by a local railway
+nearly a mile from the rear of the house. Eighty-eight slaves were
+housed in the "quarters" which were on each side of the highway a little
+below the planter's home.
+
+These "quarters" differed from those found in the surrounding territory
+as the size of the houses varied with the number in the family. The
+interiors were nicely furnished and in most instances the families were
+able to secure any furniture they desired. Feather mattresses, trundle
+beds and cribs were common and in families where there were many
+children, large fireplaces--some as many as eight feet wide--were
+provided so that every one might be [TR: 'able to keep' crossed out]
+comfortable in winter. A variety of cooking utensils were given and
+large numbers of waffle irons, etc., then considered luxuries, were
+found here.
+
+To consider only the general plan of operation, this plantation was no
+different from the average one in pre-civil war days but there was a
+phase of the life here which made it a most unusual home. "Governor" was
+so exceptionally kind to his slaves that they were known as "Gov. Towns'
+free negroes" to those on the neighboring farms. He never separated
+families, neither did he strike a slave except on rare occasions. Two
+things which might provoke his anger to this extent, were: to be told a
+lie, and to find that a person had allowed some one to take advantage of
+him. They were never given passes but obtained verbal consent to go
+where they wished and always remained as long as they chose.
+
+Phil Towns' father worked in the field and his mother did light work in
+the house, such as assisting in spinning. Mothers of three or more
+children were not compelled to work, as the master felt that their
+children needed care. From early childhood boys and girls were given
+excellent training. A boy who robbed a bird's nest or a girl who
+frolicked in a boisterous manner was severely reprimanded. Separate
+bedrooms for the two sexes were maintained until they married. The girls
+passed thru two stages--childhood, and at sixteen they became "gals".
+Three years later they might marry if they chose but the husband had to
+be older--at least 21. Courtships differed from those of today because
+there were certain hours for visiting and even though the girl might
+accompany her sweetheart away from home she had to be back at that hour.
+They had no clocks but a "time mark" was set by the sun. A young man was
+not allowed to give his girl any form of gift, and the efforts of some
+girls to secretly receive gifts which they claimed to have "found", were
+in vain, for these were taken from them. After the proposal, the
+procedure was practically the same as is observed today. The consent of
+the parent and the master was necessary. Marriages were mostly held at
+night and no pains were spared to make them occasions to be remembered
+and cherished. Beautiful clothes--her own selections--were given the
+bride, and friends usually gave gifts for the house. These celebrations,
+attended by visitors from many plantations, and always by the Towns
+family, ended in gay "frolics" with cakes, wine, etc., for refreshments.
+
+During the first year of married life the couple remained with the
+bride's mother who instructed her in the household arts. Disputes
+between the newlyweds were not tolerated and punishment by the parents
+was the result of "nagging". At the end of a year, another log cabin was
+added to the quarters and the couple began housekeeping. The moral code
+was exceedingly high; the penalty for offenders--married or single,
+white or colored--was to be banished from the group entirely. Thus
+illegitimate children were rare enough to be a novelty.
+
+Young Phil was in his teens when he began his first job--coach driver
+for "Gov." Towns. This was just before they moved to Georgia. He
+traveled with him wherever he went, and as the Gov. purchased a
+plantation in Talbot County, (the house still stands), and a home in
+Macon, (the site of Mt. De Sales Academy), a great deal of his time was
+spent on the road. Phil never did any other work except to occasionally
+assist in sweeping the large yard. The other members of this group split
+rails, did field work, spinning, tailoring and any of the many things
+that had to be done. Each person might choose the type of work he liked
+best.
+
+Opportunities to make cash money were plentiful. Some made baskets and
+did hand work which was sold and the money given the maker. A man or
+woman who paid Gov. Towns $150.00 might hire himself to the Gov. for a
+year. When this was done he was paid cash for all the work he did and
+many were able to clear several hundred dollars in a year. In addition
+to this opportunity for earning money, every adult had an acre of ground
+which he might cultivate as he chose. Any money made from the sale of
+this produce was his own.
+
+Recreation was not considered important so no provision was made in the
+regular routine. It was, however, possible to obtain "time off" at
+frequent intervals and these might be termed irregular vacation periods.
+Evening entertainment at which square dancing was the main attraction,
+were common. Quill music, from a homemade harmonica, was played when
+banjoes were not available. These instruments were made by binding with
+cane five to ten reeds of graduated lengths. A hole was cut in the upper
+end of each and the music obtained by blowing up and down the scale.
+Guests came from all neighboring farms and engaged in the "Green Corn"
+dance which was similar to what is now called Buck dancing. Near the end
+of such a hilarious evening, the guests were served with persimmon beer
+and ginger cakes,--then considered delicacies.
+
+"Gov." Towns was interested in assisting any one [HW: wanting to learn].
+[TR: Original reads 'desirous of learning.'] The little girls who
+expressed the desire to become "ladies" were kept in the "big house" and
+very carefully trained. The tastes of these few were developed to the
+extent that they excelled the ordinary "quarter" children and were the
+envy of the group at social affairs.
+
+Sunday was a day of Reverence and all adults were required to attend
+religious services. The trip was usually made in wagons, oxcarts, etc.,
+although the young women of the big house rode handsome saddle horses.
+At each church there was placed a stepping block by which they descended
+from their steeds. White and colored worshipped at the same church,
+constructed with a partition separating the two parts of the
+congregation but not extending to the pulpit. Professions of faith were
+accepted at the same altar while Baptismal services ware held at a local
+creek and all candidates were baptized on the same day. Regular clothing
+was worn at this service. Children were not allowed to attend church,
+and christenings were not common. Small boys, reared entirely apart from
+strict religious observances, used to slip away and shoot marbles on
+Sunday.
+
+The health problem was not acute as these people were provided with
+everything necessary for a contented mind and a robust body. [TR:
+original line: The health problem was not a very acute one as these
+people were provided with everything conducive to a contented mind which
+plays a large part in maintaining a robust body.] However, a Doctor who
+lived nearby cared for the sick. Two fees were set--the larger one being
+charged if the patient recovered. Home remedies were used for minor
+ills--catnip tea for thrash, tea from Samson Snakeroot for cramps,
+redwood and dogwood bark tea [HW: and horehound candy] for worms, [HW:
+many] root teas used [HW: medicinally] by this generation. Peach brandy
+was given to anyone suspected of having pneumonia,--if the patient
+coughed, it was certain that he was a victim of the disease.
+
+In these days, a mother named her children by a name [TR: unreadable]
+during pregnancy. [TR: original line: In these days, it was always
+thought best for the mother to name her children if the proper name for
+the babe was theoretically revealed to her during pregnancy.] If another
+name was given the child, the correct one would be so firmly implanted
+in his subconscious mind that he would never be able to resist the
+impulse to turn his head when that name was called. The seventh child
+was always thought to be exceptionally lucky, and [TR: unreadable HW
+replaces 'the bond of affection between the parents and this child was
+greater']. This belief persists today in many localities.
+
+Every family was given a weekly supply of food but this was more for
+convenience than anything else as they were free to eat anything their
+appetites called for. They killed chickens, ate vegetables, meats, etc.
+at any time. The presence of guests at the "quarters" roused Mrs. Towns
+to activity and she always helped to prepare the menu. One of her
+favorite items was chicken--prepared four different ways, in pie, in
+stew, fried, and baked. She gave full directions for the preparation of
+these delicacies to unskilled cooks. Pound cake was another favorite and
+she insisted that a pound of butter and a dozen eggs be used in each
+cake. When the meal was nearly ready, she usually made a trip to the
+cabin to see if it had been well prepared. The hostess could always tell
+without any comment whether she had satisfied her mistress, for if she
+had, a serving was carried back to the big house. Fishing was a form of
+remunerative recreation enjoyed by all. Everyone usually went on
+Saturday afternoon, but if only a few made the trip, the catch was
+shared by all.
+
+Sewing was no easy job as there were few small women among the servants.
+The cloth made at home, was plentiful, however, and sufficient clothing
+was made for all. Some persons preferred making their own clothes and
+this privilege was granted; otherwise they were made in a common sewing
+room. Ten yards was the average amount of cloth in a dress, homespun and
+gingham, the usual materials. The men wore suits of osnaburg and jeans.
+This was dyed to more durable colors through the use of [HW: with]
+indigo [HW: (blue)] and a dye made from railroad bark (brown).
+
+Phil believes that the screeching of an owl, the bellowing of a cow, and
+the howling of a dog after dark are signs of death because the [HW:
+immediate] death of a human being is revealed to animals, which [TR:
+illegible. 'in turn'?] warn humans. Though we may find some way to rid
+ourselves of the fear of the warning--the death will occur just the
+same.
+
+On nearly all plantations there were some slaves who, trying to escape
+work, hid themselves in the woods. [TR: original line: On nearly all
+plantations there were some slaves who did not wish to work,
+consequently, for this, or similar reasons, hid themselves in the
+woods.] They smuggled food to their hiding place by night, and remained
+away [HW: lost] in some instances, many months. Their belief in
+witchcraft caused them to resort to most ridiculous means of avoiding
+discovery. Phil told the story of a man who visited a conjurer to obtain
+a "hand" for which he paid fifty dollars in gold. The symbol was a
+hickory stick which he used whenever he was being chased, and in this
+manner warded off his pursuers. The one difficulty in this procedure was
+having to "set up" at a fork or cross roads. Often the fugitive had to
+run quite a distance to reach such a spot, but when the stick was so
+placed human beings and even bloodhounds lost his trail. With this
+assistance, he was able to remain in the woods as long as he liked.
+
+Snakes ware frequent visitor in the cabins of the "quarters". One
+morning while Betty, a cook, was confined to bed, she sent for Mrs.
+Towns to tell her that a snake had lain across her chest during the
+previous night and had tried to get under the cover where her young baby
+lay asleep. Mrs. Towns was skeptical about the size and activities of
+the reptile but sent for several men to search the house. They had given
+up the search when one chanced to glance above the sick woman's bed and
+there lay the reptile on a shelf. The bed was roped and moved to another
+part of the room and preparations made to shoot him. Quilts were piled
+high on the bed so that the noise of the gun would not frighten the
+baby. When all was ready Mrs. Towns asked the old man with the gun--
+
+"Daddy Luke, can you _kill_ the snake?"
+
+"Yessum, mistress," he replied.
+
+"Daddy Luke, can you _kill_ the snake?"
+
+"Yessum, mistress."
+
+"Daddy Luke, can you _kill_ the snake?"
+
+"Yessum, mistress."
+
+"Shoot!!"
+
+He took careful aim and fired. The huge reptile rolled to the floor.
+
+When the men returned to the yard to work near the woodpile, the mate
+was discovered by one of the dogs that barked until a log was moved and
+the second snake killed.
+
+[HW: In those days] small snakes were not feared and for several years
+it was customary for women to carry a tiny green snake in their bosoms.
+This fad was discontinued when one of the women was severely injured
+through a bite on her chest.
+
+Phil remembers when the stars fell in 1833. "They came down like rain,"
+he said. When asked why he failed to keep some, he replied that he was
+afraid to touch them even after they became black.
+
+[TR: The following paragraphs contain many crossouts replaced by
+unreadable handwritten edits, and will be indicated by: 'deleted words'
+replaced by ??.]
+
+Freedom was discussed on the plantation [TR: ??] for many years before
+the Civil War began. As contented as [TR: 'they' replaced by ??] were
+[TR: 'there was something to look forward to when they thought of'
+replaced by ??] being absolutely free. An ex-slave's description of the
+real cause of the Civil War, deserves a place here. It seems that
+Lincoln had sent several messages to Davis requesting that he free the
+slaves. No favorable response was received. Lincoln had a conference
+with Mr. Davis and to this meeting he carried a Bible and a gun. He
+tried in vain to convince Davis that he was wrong according to the
+Bible, so he finally threw the two upon the table and asked Davis to
+take his choice. He chose the gun. Lincoln grasped the Bible and rushed
+home. Thus Davis _began_ the war but Lincoln had God on his side and so
+he _ended_ it.
+
+One of Gov. Towns' sons went to the army and Phil was sent to care for
+him while he was there; an aristocratic man never went to the war
+without his valet. His [HW: Phil's] duty was to cook for him, keep his
+clothes clean, and to bring the body home if he was killed. Poor
+soldiers were either buried [HW: where they fell] or left lying on the
+field for vultures to consume. Food was not so plentiful in the [TR:
+'army' replaced by ??] and their diet of flapjacks and canned goods was
+varied only by coffee and whiskey given when off duty. All cooking was
+done between two battles or during the lull in a battle. John Towns was
+soon sent back home as they [HW: the officers] felt he was too [TR:
+'valuable a Southerner' crossed out] important to be killed in battle,
+and his services were needed at home.
+
+Near the close of the war, Sherman made a visit to this vicinity. As was
+his usual habit, he had [TR: 'obtained' replaced by 'learned'?] the
+reputation of Gov. Towns before he arrived. He found conditions so ideal
+[TR: 'that not one thing was touched' replaced by ??]. He talked with
+[HW: slaves and owners, he] went [TR: 'gaily' deleted] on his way. Phil
+was so impressed by Sherman that he followed him and camped with the
+Yankees about where Central City Park is now. He thought that anything a
+Yankee said was true. [HW: When] One [HW: of them] gave him a knife and
+told him to go and cut the first man he met, he followed instructions
+even though he knew the man. [HW: Later] Realizing how foolishly he had
+acted, he readily apologized and explained why. [HW: The Yankee soldiers
+robbed beehives barehanded and were never stung, they] seemed to fear
+nothing but lizards. Never having seen such reptiles they would run in
+terror at the sight of one. The Confederates never discovered this.
+
+After the close of the war they [HW: federal soldiers] were stationed in
+the towns to keep order. Union flags were placed everywhere, and a
+Southerner was accused of not respecting the flag if he even passed
+under one without bowing. Penalties for this offense were, to be hung up
+by the thumbs, to carry greasy [HW: greased] poles for a certain time,
+and numerous other punishments which caused a deal of discomfort to the
+victims but sent the soldiers and ex-slaves into peals of laughter. The
+sight of a Yankee soldier sent a Confederate one into hysteria.
+
+[HW: Phil says his fellow] slaves laughed when told they were free, but
+Gov. Towns was almost indifferent. His slaves, he said, were always
+practically free, so a little legal form did not [TR: 'add' replaced by
+??] much to them. Nearly every one remained there and worked for wages.
+
+For the past thirty-five years, Phil Towns has been almost totally
+disabled. Long life seems no novelty to him for he says everyone used to
+live longer when they honored their elders more. He has eighty-four
+relatives in Virginia--all older than he, but states that friends who
+have visited there say he looks more aged than any of them. His great
+desire is to return to Virginia, as he believes he will be able to find
+the familiar landmarks in spite of the changes that have taken place.
+
+Mr. Alex Block, of Macon, makes no charges for the old shack in which
+Phil lives; his food furnished by the Department of Public Welfare is
+supplemented by interested friends.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE
+
+NEAL UPSON, Age 81
+450 4th Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Miss Grace McCune [HW: (White)]
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+August 5, 1938
+
+
+Alternate rain and sunshine had continued for about 10 days and the
+ditches half filled with water, slippery banks of red clay, and the
+swollen river necessitating a detour, added to the various difficulties
+that beset the interviewer as she trudged through East Athens in search
+of Neal Upson's shabby, three-room, frame house. A magnificent water oak
+shaded the vine-covered porch where a rocking chair and swing offered a
+comfortable place to rest.
+
+"Good mornin', Miss," was the smiling greeting of the aged Negro man who
+answered a knock on the front door. "How is you? Won't you come in? I
+would ax you to have a cheer on the porch, but I has to stay in de house
+cause de light hurts my eyes." He had hastily removed a battered old
+felt hat, several sizes too large for him, and as he shuffled down the
+hall his hair appeared almost white as it framed his black face. His
+clean, but faded blue overalls and shirt were patched in several places
+and heavy brogans completed his costume. The day was hot and humid and
+he carefully placed two chairs where they would have the advantage of
+any breeze that might find its way through the open hallway.
+
+"Miss, I'se mighty glad you come today," he began, "cause I does git so
+lonesome here by myself. My old 'oman wuks up to de court'ouse, cookin'
+for de folkses in jail, and it's allus late when she gits back home.
+'Scuse me for puttin' my old hat back on, but dese old eyes jus' can't
+stand de light even here in the hall, less I shades 'em."
+
+When asked to tell the story of his life, he chuckled. "Lawsy, Missy,"
+he said. "Does you mean dat you is willin' to set here and listen to old
+Neal talk? 'Tain't many folkses what wants to hear us old Niggers talk
+no more. I jus' loves to think back on dem days 'cause dem was happy
+times, so much better'n times is now. Folkses was better den. Dey was
+allus ready to holp one another, but jus' look how dey is now!
+
+"I was borned on Marster Frank Upson's place down in Oglethorpe County,
+nigh Lexin'ton, Georgy. Marster had a plantation, but us never lived dar
+for us stayed at de home place what never had more'n 'bout 80 acres of
+land 'round it. Us never had to be trottin' to de sto' evvy time us
+started to cook, 'cause what warn't raised on de home place, Marster had
+'em raise out on de big plantation. Evvything us needed t'eat and wear
+was growed on Marse Frank's land.
+
+"Harold and Jane Upson was my Daddy and Mammy; only folkses jus' called
+Daddy 'Hal.' Both of 'em was raised right der on de Upson place whar dey
+played together whilst dey was chillun. Mammy said she had washed and
+sewed for Daddy ever since she was big enough, and when dey got grown
+dey jus' up and got married. I was deir only boy and I was de baby
+chile, but dey had four gals older'n me. Dey was: Cordelia, Anna,
+Parthene, and Ella. Ella was named for Marse Frank's onliest chile,
+little Miss Ellen, and our little Miss was sho a good little chile.
+
+"Daddy made de shoes for all de slaves on de plantation and Mammy was
+called de house 'oman. She done de cookin' up at de big 'ouse, and made
+de cloth for her own fambly's clothes, and she was so smart us allus had
+plenty t'eat and wear. I was little and stayed wid Mammy up at de big
+'ouse and jus' played all over it and all de folkses up der petted me.
+Aunt Tama was a old slave too old to wuk. She was all de time cookin'
+gingerbread and hidin' it in a little trunk what sot by de fireplace in
+her room. When us chillun was good Aunt Tama give us gingerbread, but if
+us didn't mind what she said, us didn't git none. Aunt Tama had de
+rheumatiz and walked wid a stick and I could git in dat trunk jus' 'bout
+anytime I wanted to. I sho' did git 'bout evvything dem other chillun
+had, swappin' Aunt Tama's gingerbread. When our white folkses went off,
+Aunt Tama toted de keys, and she evermore did make dem Niggers stand
+'round. Marse Frank jus' laughed when dey made complaints 'bout her.
+
+"In summertime dey cooked peas and other veg'tables for us chillun in a
+washpot out in de yard in de shade, and us et out of de pot wid our
+wooden spoons. Dey jus' give us wooden bowls full of bread and milk for
+supper.
+
+"Marse Frank said he wanted 'em to larn me how to wait on de white
+folkses' table up at de big 'ouse, and dey started me off wid de job of
+fannin' de flies away. Mist'ess Serena, Marse Frank's wife, made me a
+white coat to wear in de dinin' room. Missy, dat little old white coat
+made me git de onliest whuppin' Marse Frank ever did give me." Here old
+Neal paused for a hearty laugh. "Us had comp'ny for dinner dat day and I
+felt so big showin' off 'fore 'em in dat white coat dat I jus' couldn't
+make dat turkey wing fan do right. Dem turkey wings was fastened on long
+handles and atter Marster had done warned me a time or two to mind what
+I was 'bout, the old turkey wing went down in de gravy bowl and when I
+jerked it out it splattered all over de preacher's best Sunday suit.
+Marse Frank got up and tuk me right out to de kitchen and when he got
+through brushin' me off I never did have no more trouble wid dem turkey
+wings.
+
+"Evvybody cooked on open fireplaces dem days. Dey had swingin' racks
+what dey called cranes to hang de pots on for bilin'. Dere was ovens for
+bakin' and de heavy iron skillets had long handles. One of dem old
+skillets was so big dat Mammy could cook 30 biscuits in it at one time.
+I allus did love biscuits, and I would go out in de yard and trade Aunt
+Tama's gingerbread to de other chilluns for deir sheer of biscuits. Den
+dey would be skeered to eat de gingerbread 'cause I told 'em I'd tell on
+'em. Aunt Tama thought dey was sick and told Marse Frank de chilluns
+warn't eatin' nothin'. He axed 'em what was de matter and dey told him
+dey had done traded all deir bread to me. Marse Frank den axed me if I
+warn't gittin' enough t'eat, 'cause he 'lowed dere was enough dar for
+all. Den Aunt Tama had to go and tell on me. She said I was wuss dan a
+hog atter biscuits, so our good Marster ordered her to see dat li'l Neal
+had enough t'eat.
+
+"I ain't never gwine to forgit dat whuppin' my own daddy give me. He had
+jus' sharpened up a fine new axe for hisself, and I traded it off to a
+white boy named _Roar_ what lived nigh us when I seed him out tryin' to
+cut wood wid a sorry old dull axe. I sold him my daddy's fine new axe
+for 5 biscuits. When he found out 'bout dat, he 'lowed he was gwine to
+give me somepin to make me think 'fore I done any more tradin' of his
+things. Mist'eas, let me tell you, dat beatin' he give me evermore was
+a-layin' on of de rod.
+
+"One day Miss Serena put me in de cherry tree to pick cherries for her,
+and she told me not to eat none 'til I finished; den I could have all I
+wanted, but I didn't mind her and I et so many cherries I got sick and
+fell out of de tree. Mist'ess was skeered, but Marse Frank said: 'It's
+good enough for him, 'cause he didn't mind.'
+
+"Mammy never did give me but one whuppin' neither. Daddy was gwine to de
+circus and I jus' cut up 'bout it 'cause I wanted to go so bad. Mist'ess
+give me some cake and I hushed long as I was eatin', but soon as de last
+cake crumb was swallowed I started bawlin' again. She give me a stick of
+candy and soon as I et dat I was squallin' wuss dan ever. Mammy told
+Mist'ess den det she knowed how to quiet me and she retch under de bed
+for a shoe. When she had done finished layin' dat shoe on me and put it
+back whar she got it, I was sho willin' to shet my mouth and let 'em all
+go to de circus widout no more racket from me.
+
+"De fust school I went to was in a little one-room 'ouse in our white
+folkses' back yard. Us had a white teacher and all he larnt slave
+chillun was jus' plain readin' and writin'. I had to pass Dr.
+Willingham's office lots and he was all de time pesterin' me 'bout
+spellin'. One day he stopped me and axed me if I could spell 'bumble bee
+widout its tail,' and he said dat when I larnt to spell it, he would
+gimme some candy. Mr. Sanders, at Lexin'ton, gimme a dime onct. It was
+de fust money I ever had. I was plumb rich and I never let my Daddy have
+no peace 'til he fetched me to town to do my tradin'. I was all sot to
+buy myself a hat, a sto-bought suit of clothes, and some shoes what
+warn't brogans, but Missy, I wound up wid a gingercake and a nickel's
+wuth of candy. I used to cry and holler evvy time Miss Serena went off
+and left me. Whenever I seed 'em gittin' out de carriage to hitch it up,
+I started beggin' to go. Sometimes she laughed and said; 'All right
+Neal.' But when she said, 'No Neal,' I snuck out and hid under de
+high-up carrigge seat and went along jus' de same. Mist'ess allus found
+me 'fore us got back home, but she jus' laughed and said: 'Well, Neal's
+my little nigger anyhow.'
+
+"Dem old cord beds was a sight to look at, but dey slept good. Us
+cyarded lint cotton into bats for mattresses and put 'em in a tick what
+us tacked so it wouldn't git lumpy. Us never seed no iron springs dem
+days. Dem cords, criss-crossed from one side of de bed to de other, was
+our springs and us had keys to tighten 'em wid. If us didn't tighten 'em
+evvy few days dem beds was apt to fall down wid us. De cheers was
+homemade too and de easiest-settin' ones had bottoms made out of rye
+splits. Dem oak-split cheers was all right, and sometimes us used cane
+to bottom de cheers but evvybody laked to set in dem cheers what had
+bottoms wove out of rye splits.
+
+"Marster had one of dem old cotton gins what didn't have no engines. It
+was wuked by mules. Dem old mules was hitched to a long pole what dey
+pulled 'round and 'round to make de gin do its wuk. Dey had some gins in
+dem days what had treadmills for de mules to walk in. Dem old treadmills
+looked sorter lak stairs, but most of 'em was turned by long poles what
+de mules pulled. You had to feed de cotton by hand to dem old gins and
+you sho had to be keerful or you was gwine to lose a hand and maybe a
+arm. You had to jump in dem old cotton presses and tread de cotton down
+by hand. It tuk most all day long to gin two bales of cotton and if dere
+was three bales to be ginned us had to wuk most all night to finish up.
+
+"Dey mixed wool wid de lint cotton to spin thread to make cloth for our
+winter clothes. Mammy wove a lot of dat cloth and de clothes made out of
+it sho would keep out de cold. Most of our stockin's and socks was knit
+at home, but now and den somebody would git hold of a sto-bought pair
+for Sunday-go-to-meetin' wear.
+
+"Colored folkses went to church wid deir own white folkses and sot in de
+gallery. One Sunday us was all settin' in dat church listenin' to de
+white preacher, Mr. Hansford, tellin' how de old debbil was gwine to git
+dem what didn't do right." Here Neal burst into uncontrollable laughter.
+His sides shook and tears ran down his face. Finally he began his story
+again: "Missy, I jus' got to tell you 'bout dat day in de meetin' 'ouse.
+A Nigger had done run off from his marster and was hidin' out from one
+place to another. At night he would go steal his somepin t'eat. He had
+done stole some chickens and had 'em wid him up in de church steeple
+whar he was hidin' dat day. When daytime come he went off to sleep lak
+Niggers will do when dey ain't got to hustle, and when he woke up
+Preacher Hansford was tellin' 'em 'bout de debbil was gwine to git de
+sinners. Right den a old rooster what he had stole up and crowed so loud
+it seemed lak Gabriel's trumpet on Judment Day. Dat runaway Nigger was
+skeered 'cause he knowed dey was gwine to find him sho, but he warn't
+skeered nuffin' compared to dem Niggers settin' in de gallery. Dey jus'
+knowed dat was de voice of de debbil what had done come atter 'em. Dem
+Niggers never stopped prayin' and testifyin' to de Lord, 'til de white
+folkses had done got dat runaway slave and de rooster out of de steeple.
+His marster was der and tuk him home and give him a good, sound
+thrashin'.
+
+"Slaves was 'lowed to have prayermeetin' on Chuesday (Tuesday) and
+Friday 'round at de diffunt plantations whar deir marsters didn't keer,
+and dere warn't many what objected. De good marsters all give deir
+slaves prayermeetin' passes on dem nights so de patterollers wouldn't
+git 'em and beat 'em up for bein' off deir marster's lands. Dey 'most
+nigh kilt some slaves what dey cotch out when dey didn't have no pass.
+White preachers done de talkin' at de meetin'houses, but at dem Chuesday
+and Friday night prayermeetin's, it was all done by Niggers. I was too
+little to 'member much 'bout dem meetin's, but my older sisters used to
+talk lots 'bout 'em long atter de war had brung our freedom. Dere warn't
+many slaves what could read, so dey jus' talked 'bout what dey had done
+heared de white preachers say on Sunday. One of de fav'rite texties was
+de third chapter of John, and most of 'em jus' 'membered a line or two
+from dat. Missy, from what folkses said 'bout dem meetin's, dere was sho
+a lot of good prayin' and testifyin', 'cause so many sinners repented
+and was saved. Sometimes at dem Sunday meetin's at de white folkses'
+church dey would have two or three preachers de same dey. De fust one
+would give de text and preach for at least a hour, den another one would
+give a text and do his preachin', and 'bout dat time another one would
+rise up and say dat dem fust two brudders had done preached enough to
+save 3,000 souls, but dat he was gwine to try to double dat number. Den
+he would do his preachin' and atter dat one of dem others would git up
+and say: 'Brudders and Sisters, us is all here for de same and only
+purpose--dat of savin' souls. Dese other good brudders is done preached,
+talked, and prayed, and let the gap down; now I'm gwine to raise it. Us
+is gwine to git 'ligion enough to take us straight through dem pearly
+gates. Now, let us sing whilst us gives de new brudders and sisters de
+right hand of fellowship. One of dem old songs went sort of lak dis:
+
+ 'Must I be born to die
+ And lay dis body down?'
+
+"When dey had done finished all de verses and choruses of dat dey
+started:
+
+ 'Amazin' Grace, How sweet de sound
+ Dat saved a wretch lak me.'
+
+"'Fore dey stopped dey usually got 'round to singin':
+
+ 'On Jordan's stormy banks I stand,
+ And cast a wishful eye,
+ To Canaan's fair and happy land
+ Whar my possessions lie.'
+
+"Dey could keep dat up for hours and it was sho' good singin', for dat's
+one thing Niggers was born to do--to sing when dey gits 'ligion.
+
+"When old Aunt Flora come up and wanted to jine de church she told 'bout
+how she had done seed de Hebenly light and changed her way of livin'.
+Folkses testified den 'bout de goodness of de Lord and His many
+blessin's what He give to saints and sinners, but dey is done stopped
+givin' Him much thanks any more. Dem days, dey 'zamined folkses 'fore
+dey let 'em jine up wid de church. When dey started 'zaminin' Aunt
+Flora, de preacher axed her: 'Is you done been borned again and does you
+believe dat Jesus Christ done died to save sinners?' Aunt Flora she
+started to cry; and she said: 'Lordy, Is He daid? Us didn't know dat. If
+my old man had done 'scribed for de paper lak I told him to, us would
+have knowed when Jesus died?" Neal giggled. "Missy," he said, "ain't dat
+jus' lak one of dem old-time Niggers? Dey jus' tuk dat for ign'ance and
+let her come on into de church.
+
+"Dem days it was de custom for marsters to hire out what slaves dey had
+dat warn't needed to wuk on deir own land, so our marster hired out two
+of my sisters. Sis' Anna hired to a fambly 'bout 16 miles from our
+place. She didn't lak it dar so she run away and I found her hid out in
+our 'tater 'ouse. One day when us was playin' she called to me right low
+and soft lak and told me she was hongry and for me to git her somepin
+t'eat but not to tell nobody she was dar. She said she had been dar
+widout nothin' t'eat for several days. She was skeered Marster might
+whup her. She looked so thin and bad I thought she was gwine to die, so
+I told Mammy. Her and Marster went and brung Anna to de 'ouse and fed
+her. Dat pore chile was starved most to death. Marster kept her at home
+for 3 weeks and fed her up good, den he carried her back and told dem
+folkses what had hired her dat dey had better treat Anna good and see
+dat she had plenty t'eat. Marster was drivin' a fast hoss dat day, but
+bless your heart, Anna beat him back home dat day. She cried and tuk on
+so, beggin' him not to take her back dar no more dat he told her she
+could stay home. My other sister stayed on whar she was hired out 'til
+de war was over and dey give us our freedom.
+
+"Daddy had done hid all Old Marster's hosses when de yankees got to our
+plantation. Two of de ridin' hosses was in de smokehouse and another
+good trotter was in de hen 'ouse. Old Jake was a slave what warn't right
+bright. He slep' in de kitchen, and he knowed whar Daddy had hid dem
+hosses, but dat was all he knowed. Marster had give Daddy his money to
+hide too, and he tuk some of de plasterin' off de wall in Marster's room
+and put de box of money inside de wall. Den he fixed dat plasterin' back
+so nice you couldn't tell it had ever been tore off. De night dem
+yankees come, Daddy had gone out to de wuk 'ouse to git some pegs to fix
+somepin (us didn't have no nails dem days). When de yankees rid up to de
+kitchen door and found Old Jake right by hisself, dat pore old fool was
+skeered so bad he jus' started right off babblin' 'bout two hosses in de
+smoke'ouse and one in de hen 'ouse, but he was tremblin' so he couldn't
+talk plain. Old Marster heared de fuss dey made and he come down to de
+kitchen to see what was de matter. De yankees den ordered Marster to git
+'em his hosses. Marster called Daddy and told him to git de hosses, but
+Daddy, he played foolish lak and stalled 'round lak he didn't have good
+sense. Dem sojers raved and fussed all night long 'bout dem hosses, but
+dey never thought 'bout lookin' in de smoke'ouse and hen 'ouse for 'em
+and 'bout daybreak dey left widout takin' nothin'. Marster said he was
+sho proud of my Daddy for savin' dem good hosses for him.
+
+[TR: 'Horses saved' written in margin.]
+
+"Marster had a long pocketbook what fastened at one end wid a ring. One
+day when he went to git out some money he dropped a roll of bills dat he
+never seed, but Daddy picked it up and handed it back to him right away.
+Now my Daddy could have kept dat money jus' as easy, but he was a
+'ceptional man and believed evvbody ought to do right.
+
+"Aunt Tama's old man, Uncle Griff, come to live wid her on our place
+atter de war was over. 'Fore den he had belonged to a man named
+Colquitt.[HW: !!] Marster pervided a home for him and Aunt Tama 'til dey
+was both daid. When dey was buildin' de fust colored Methodist church in
+dat section Uncle Griff give a whole hundred dollars to de buildin'
+fund. Now it tuk a heap of scrimpin' for him to save dat much money
+'cause he never had made over $10 a month. Aunt Tama had done gone to
+Glory a long time when Uncle Griff died. Atter dey buried him dey come
+back and was 'rangin' de things in his little cabin. When dey moved dat
+little trunk what Aunt Tama used to keep gingerbread in, dey found jus'
+lots of money in it. Marster tuk keer of dat money 'til he found Uncle
+Griff's own sister and den he give it all to her.
+
+"One time Marster missed some of his money and he didn't want to 'cuse
+nobody, so he 'cided he would find out who had done de debbilment. He
+put a big rooster in a coop wid his haid stickin' out. Den he called all
+de Niggers up to de yard and told 'em somebody had been stealin' his
+money, and dat evvybody must git in line and march 'round dat coop and
+tetch it. He said dat when de guilty ones tetched it de old rooster
+would crow. Evvybody tetched it 'cept one old man and his wife; dey jus'
+wouldn't come nigh dat coop whar dat rooster was a-lookin' at evvybody
+out of his little red eyes. Marster had dat old man and 'oman sarched
+and found all de money what had been stole.
+
+"Mammy died about a year atter de war, and I never will forgit how
+Mist'ess cried and said: 'Neal, your mammy is done gone, and I don't
+know what I'll do widout her.' Not long atter dat, Daddy bid for de
+contract to carry de mail and he got de place, but it made de white
+folkses mighty mad, 'cause some white folkses had put in bids for dat
+contract. Dey 'lowed dat Daddy better not never start out wid dat mail,
+'cause if he did he was gwine to be sorry. Marster begged Daddy not to
+risk it and told him if he would stay dar wid him he would let him have
+a plantation for as long as he lived, and so us stayed on dar 'til Daddy
+died, and a long time atter dat us kept on wukin' for Old Marster.
+
+"White folkses owned us back in de days 'fore de war but our own white
+folkses was mighty good to deir slaves. Dey had to larn us 'bedience
+fust, how to live right, and how to treat evvybody else right; but de
+best thing dey larned us was how to do useful wuk. De onliest time I
+'member stealin' anything 'cept Aunt Tama's gingerbread was one time
+when I went to town wid Daddy in de buggy. When us started back home a
+man got in de seat wid Daddy and I had to ride down in de back of de
+buggy whar Daddy had hid a jug of liquor. I could hear it slushin'
+'round and so I got to wantin' to know how it tasted. I pulled out de
+corncob stopper and tuk one taste. It was so good I jus' kep' on tastin'
+'til I passed out, and didn't know when us got home or nuffin else 'til
+I waked up in my own bed next day. Daddy give me a tannin' what I didn't
+forgit for a long time, but dat was de wussest drunk I ever was. Lord,
+but I did love to follow my Daddy.
+
+"Folkses warn't sick much in dem days lak dey is now, but now us don't
+eat strong victuals no more. Us raked out hot ashes den and cooked good
+old ashcakes what was a heap better for us dan dis bread us buys from de
+stores now. Marster fed us plenty ashcake, fresh meat, and ash roasted
+'taters, and dere warn't nobody what could out wuk us.
+
+"A death was somepin what didn't happen often on our plantation, but
+when somebody did die folkses would go from miles and miles around to
+set up and pray all night to comfort de fambly of de daid. Dey never
+made up de coffins 'til atter somebody died. Den dey measured de corpse
+and made de coffin to fit de body. Dem coffins was lined wid black
+calico and painted wid lampblack on de outside. Sometimes dey kivvered
+de outside wid black calico lak de linin'. Coffins for white folkses was
+jus' lak what dey had made up for deir slaves, and dey was all buried in
+de same graveyard on deir own plantations.
+
+"When de war was over dey closed de little one-room school what our good
+Marster had kept in his back yard for his slaves, but out young Miss
+Ellen larnt my sister right on 'til she got whar she could teach school.
+Daddy fixed up a room onto our house for her school and she soon had it
+full of chillun. Dey made me study too, and I sho did hate to have to go
+to school to my own aister for she evermore did take evvy chance to lay
+dat stick on me, but I s'pects she had a right tough time wid me. When
+time come 'round to celebrate school commencement, I was one proud
+little Nigger 'cause I never had been so dressed up in my life before.
+I had on a red waist, white pants, and a good pair of shoes; but de
+grandest thing of all 'bout dat outfit was dat Daddy let me wear his
+watch. Evvybody come for dat celebration. Dere was over 300 folks at dat
+big dinner, and us had lots of barbecue and all sorts of good things
+t'eat. Old Marster was dar, and when I stood up 'fore all dem folks and
+said my little speech widout missin' a word, Marster sho did laugh and
+clap his hands. He called me over to whar he was settin' and said: 'I
+knowed you could larn if you wanted to.' _Best of all, he give me a
+whole dollar._ [TR: 'for reciting a speech' written in margin.] I was
+rich den, plumb rich. One of my sisters couldn't larn nothin'. De only
+letters she could ever say was 'G-O-D.' No matter what you axed her to
+spell she allus said 'G-O-D.' She was a good field hand though and a
+good 'oman and she lived to be more dan 90 years old.
+
+"Now, talkin' 'bout frolickin', us really used to dance. What I means,
+is sho 'nough old-time break-downs. Sometimes us didn't have no music
+'cept jus' beatin' time on tin pans and buckets but most times Old Elice
+Hudson played his fiddle for us, and it had to be tuned again atter evvy
+set us danced. He never knowed but one tune and he played dat over and
+over. Sometimes dere was 10 or 15 couples on de floor at de same time
+and us didn't think nothin' of dancin' all night long. Us had plenty of
+old corn juice for refreshment, and atter Elice had two or three cups of
+dat juice, he could git 'Turkey in de Straw' out of dat fiddle lak
+nobody's business.
+
+"One time a houseboy from another plantation wanted to come to one of
+our Saddy night dances, so his marster told him to shine his boots for
+Sunday and fix his hoss for de night and den he could git off for de
+frolic. Abraham shined his marster's boots 'till he could see hisself in
+'em, and dey looked so grand he was tempted to try 'em on. Dey was a
+little tight but he thought he could wear 'em, and he wanted to show
+hisself off in 'em at de dance. Dey warn't so easy to walk in and he was
+'fraid he might git 'em scratched up walkin' through de fields, so he
+snuck his Marster's hoss out and rode to de dance. When Abraham rid up
+dar in dem shiny boots, he got all de gals' 'tention. None of 'em wanted
+to dance wid de other Niggers. Dat Abraham was sho sruttin' 'til
+somebody run in and told him his hoss had done broke its neck. He had
+tied it to a limb and sho 'nough, some way, dat hoss had done got
+tangled up and hung its own self. Abraham begged de other Nigger boys to
+help him take de deid hoss home, but he had done tuk deir gals and he
+didn't git no help. He had to walk 12 long miles home in dem tight
+shoes. De sun had done riz up when he got dar and it warn't long 'fore
+his Marster was callin': 'Abraham, bring, me my boots.' Dat Nigger would
+holler out: 'Yas sah! I'se a-comin'. But dem boots wouldn't come off
+'cause his foots had done swelled up in 'em. His marster kept on callin'
+and when Abraham seed he couldn't put it off no longer, he jus' cut dem
+boots off his foots and went in and told what he had done. His marster
+was awful mad and said he was a good mind to take de hide off Abraham's
+back. 'Go git my hoss quick, Nigger, 'fore I most kills you,' he yelled.
+Den Abraham told him: 'Marster I knows you is gwine to kill me now, but
+your hoss is done daid.' Den pore Abraham had to out and tell de whole
+story and his marster got to laughin' so 'bout how he tuk all de gals
+away from de other boys and how dem boots hurt him dat it looked lak he
+never would stop. When he finally did stop laughin' and shakin' his
+sides he said: 'Dat's all right Abraham. Don't never let nobody beat
+your time wid de gals.' And dat's all he ever said to Abraham 'bout it.
+
+"When my sister got married, us sho did have a grand time. Us cooked a
+pig whole wid a shiny red apple in its mouth and set it right in de
+middle of de long table what us had built out in de yard. Us had
+evvything good to go wid dat pig, and atter dat supper, us danced all
+night long. My sister never had seed dat man but one time 'fore she
+married him.
+
+"My Daddy and his cousin Jim swore wid one another dat if one died 'fore
+de other dat de one what was left would look atter de daid one's fambly
+and see dat none of de chillun was bound out to wuk for nobody. It
+warn't long atter dis dat Daddy died. I was jus' fourteen, and was
+wukin' for a brick mason larnin' dat trade. Daddy had done been sick a
+while, and one night de fambly woke me up and said he was dyin'. I run
+fast as I could for a doctor but Daddy was done daid when I got back. Us
+buried him right side of Mammy in de old graveyard. It was most a year
+atter dat 'fore us had de funeral sermon preached. Dat was de way
+folkses done den. Now Mammy and Daddy was both gone, but old Marster
+said us chillun could live dar long as us wanted to. I went on back to
+wuk, 'cause I was crazy to be as good a mason as my Daddy was. In
+Lexin'ton dere is a rock wall still standin' 'round a whole square what
+Daddy built in slavery time. Long as he lived he blowed his bugle evvy
+mornin' to wake up all de folkses on Marse Frank's plantation. He never
+failed to blow dat bugle at break of day 'cep on Sundays, and evvybody
+on dat place 'pended on him to wake 'em up.
+
+"I was jus' a-wukin' away one day when Cousin Jim sent for me to go to
+town wid him. Missy, dat man brung ne right here to Athens to de old
+courthouse and bound me out to a white man. He done dat very thing atter
+swearin' to my Daddy he wouldn't never let dat happen. I didn't want to
+wuk dat way, so I run away and went back home to wuk. De sheriff come
+and got me and said I had to go back whar I was bound out or go to jail.
+Pretty soon I runned away again and went to Atlanta, and dey never
+bothered me 'bout dat no more.
+
+"De onliest time I ever got 'rested was once when I come to town to see
+'bout gittin' somebody to pick cotton for me and jus' as I got to a
+certain Nigger's house de police come in and caught 'em in a crap game.
+Mr. McCune, de policeman, said I would have to go 'long wid de others to
+jail, but he would help me atter us got der and he did. He 'ranged it so
+I could hurry back home.
+
+"'Bout de best times us had in de plantation days was de corn shuckin's,
+log rollin's and syrup cookin's. Us allus finished up dem syrup cookin's
+wid a candy pullin'.
+
+"Atter he had all his corn gathered and put in big long piles, Marster
+'vited de folkses from all 'round dem parts. Dat was de way it was done;
+evvybody holped de others git de corn shucked. Nobody thought of hirin'
+folkses and payin' out cash money for extra wuk lak dat. Dey 'lected a
+gen'ral to lead off de singin' and atter he got 'em to keepin' time wid
+de singin' de little brown jug was passed 'round. When it had gone de
+rounds a time or two, it was a sight to see how fast dem Niggers could
+keep time to dat singin'. Dey could do all sorts of double time den when
+dey had swigged enough liquor. When de corn was all shucked dey feasted
+and den drunk more liquor and danced as long as dey could stand up. De
+logrollin's and candy pullin's ended de same way. Dey was sho grand good
+times.
+
+"I farmed wid de white folkses for 32 years and never had no trouble wid
+nobody. Us allus settled up fair and square and in crop time dey never
+bothered to come 'round to see what Neal was doin', 'cause dey knowed
+dis Nigger was wukin' all right. Dey was all mighty good to me. Atter I
+got so old I couldn't run a farm no more I wuked in de white folkses'
+gyardens and tended deir flowers. I had done been wukin' out Mrs. Steve
+Upson's flowers and when she 'come to pay, she axed what my name was.
+When I told her it was Neal Upson she wanted to know how I got de Upson
+name. I told her Mr. Frank Upson had done give it to me when I was his
+slave. She called to Mr. Steve and dey lak to have talked me to death,
+for my Marse Frank and Mr. Steve's daddy was close kinfolkses.
+
+"Atter dat I wuked deir flowers long as I was able to walk way off up to
+deir place, but old Neal can't wuk no more. Mr. Steve and his folkses
+comes to see me sometimes and I'se allus powerful glad to see 'em.
+
+"I used to wuk some for Miss Mary Bacon. She is a mighty good 'oman and
+she knowed my Daddy and our good Old Marster. Miss Mary would talk to me
+'bout dem old days and she allus said: 'Neal, let's pray,' 'fore I left.
+Miss Mary never did git married. She's one of dem solitary ladies.
+
+"Now, Missy, how come you wants to know 'bout my weddin'? I done been
+married two times, but it was de fust time dat was de sho 'nough 'citin'
+one. I courted dat gal for a long, long time while I was too skeered to
+ax her Daddy for her. I went to see her evvy Sunday jus' 'termined to ax
+him for her 'fore I left, and I would stay late atter supper, but jus'
+couldn't git up nerve enough to do it. One Sunday I promised myself I
+would ax him if it kilt me, so I went over to his house early dat
+mornin' and told Lida, dat was my sweetheart's name--I says to her: 'I
+sho is gwine to ax him today.' Well, dinnertime come, suppertime come,
+and I was gittin' shaky in my jints when her Daddy went to feed his hogs
+and I went along wid him. Missy, dis is de way I finally did ax him for
+his gal. He said he was goin' to have some fine meat come winter. I axed
+him if it would be enough for all of his fambly, and he said: 'How come
+you ax dat, boy?' Den I jus' got a tight hold on dat old hog pen and
+said: 'Well, Sir, I jus' thought if you didn't have enough for all of
+'em, I could take Lida.' I felt myself goin' down. He started laughin'
+fit to kill. 'Boy,' he says, 'Is you tryin' to ax for Lida? If so, I
+don't keer 'cause she's got to git married sometime.' I was so happy I
+left him right den and run back to tell Lida dat he said it was all
+right.
+
+"Us didn't have no big weddin'. Lida had on a new calico dress and I
+wore new jeans pants. Marster heared us was gittin' married dat day and
+he sont his new buggy wid a message for us to come right dar to him. I
+told Lida us better go, so us got in dat buggy and driv off, and de rest
+of de folkses followed in de wagon. Marster met us in front of old Salem
+Church. He had de church open and Preacher John Gibson waitin' der to
+marry us. Us warn't 'spectin' no church weddin', but Marster said dat
+Neal had to git married right. He never did forgit his Niggers. Lida
+she's done been daid a long time, and I'se married again, but dat warn't
+lak de fust time."
+
+By now, Neal was evidently tired out but as the interviewer prepared to
+leave, Neal said: "Missy, I'se sho got somepin to tell my old 'oman when
+she gits home. She don't lak to leave me here by myself. I wish dere was
+somebody for me to talk to evvyday, for I'se had sich a good time today.
+I don't s'pect it's gwine to be long 'fore old Neal goes to be wid dem I
+done been tellin' you 'bout, so don't wait too long to come back to see
+me again."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Georgia]
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+JOHN F. VAN HOOK, Age 76
+Newton Bridge Road
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
+Area 6
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+Area Supervisor of
+Federal Writers'
+Project--Areas 6 & 7,
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+Dec. 1, 1938
+
+
+John F. Van Hook was a short, stout man with a shining bald pate, a
+fringe of kinky gray hair, kindly eyes, and a white mustache of the Lord
+Chamberlain variety. His shabby work clothes were clean and carefully
+mended, and he leaned on a cane for support.
+
+John was looking for the "Farm Bureau Office," but he agreed to return
+for an interview after he had transacted his business. When he
+reappeared a short time later and settled down in a comfortable chair he
+gave the story of his early life with apparent enjoyment.
+
+In language remarkably free of dialect, John began by telling his full
+name and added that he was well known in Georgia and the whole country.
+"Until I retired," he remarked, "I taught school in North Carolina, and
+in Hall, Jackson, and Rabun Counties, in Georgia. I am farming now about
+five miles from Athens in the Sandy Creek district. I was born in 1862
+in Macon County, North Carolina, on the George Seller's plantation,
+which borders the Little Tennessee River.
+
+"I don't know anything much, first hand, about the war period, as I was
+quite a child when that ended, but I can tell you all about the days of
+Reconstruction. What I know about the things that took place during the
+war was told me by my mother and other old people.
+
+"My father was Bas Van Hook and he married Mary Angel, my mother. Mother
+was born on Marse Dillard Love's plantation, and when his daughter, Miss
+Jenny, married Marse Thomas Angel's son, Marse Dillard gave Mother to
+Miss Jenny and when Little Miss Jenny Angel was born, Mother was her
+nurse. Marse Thomas and Miss Jenny Angel died, and Mother stayed right
+there keeping house for Little Miss Jenny and looking after her. Mother
+had more sense than all the rest of the slaves put together, and she
+even did Little Miss Jenny's shopping.
+
+"My father was the only darkey Old Man Isaac Van Hook owned, and he did
+anything that came to hand: he was a good carpenter and mechanic and
+helped the Van Hooks to build mills, and he made the shoes for that
+settlement. Thomas Aaron, George, James, Claude, and Washington were my
+five brothers, and my sisters were Zelia, Elizabeth, and Candace. Why,
+Miss, the only thing I can remember right off hand that we children done
+was fight and frolic like youngsters will do when they get together.
+With time to put my mind on it, I would probably recollect our games and
+songs, if we had any.
+
+"Our quarters was on a large farm on Sugar Fork River. The houses were
+what you would call log huts and they were scattered about
+promiscuously, no regular lay-out, just built wherever they happened to
+find a good spring convenient. There was never but one room to a hut,
+and they wern't particular about how many darkies they put in a room.
+
+"White folks had fine four-poster beds with a frame built around the top
+of the bed, and over the frame hung pretty, ruffled white curtains and a
+similar ruffled curtain was around the bottom of the bed; the curtains
+made pretty ornaments. Slaves had beds of this general kind, but they
+warn't quite as pretty and fine. Corded springs were the go then. The
+beds used by most of the slaves in that day and time were called
+'Georgia beds,' and these were made by boring two holes in the cabin
+wall, and two in the floor, and side pieces were run from the holes in
+the wall to the posts and fastened; then planks were nailed around the
+sides and foot, box-fashion, to hold in the straw that we used for
+mattresses; over this pretty white sheets and plenty of quilts was
+spreaded. Yes, mam, there was always plenty of good warm cover in those
+days. Of course, it was home-made, all of it.
+
+"My grandfather was a blacksmith and farmhand owned by Old Man Dillard
+Love. According to my earliest recollection my grandmother Van Hook was
+dead and I have no memories about her. My great, great grandmother,
+Sarah Angel, looked after slave children while their mothers were at
+work. She was a free woman, but she had belonged to Marse Tommy Angel
+and Miss Jenny Angel; they were brother and sister. The way Granny Sarah
+happened to be free was; one of the women in the Angel family died and
+left a little baby soon after one of Granny's babies was born, and so
+she was loaned to that family as wet nurse for the little orphan baby.
+They gave her her freedom and took her into their home, because they did
+not want her sleeping in slave quarters while she was nursing the white
+child. In that settlement, it was considered a disgrace for a white
+child to feed at the breast of a slave woman, but it was all right if
+the darkey was a free woman. After she got too old to do regular work,
+Granny Sarah used to glean after the reapers in the field to get wheat
+for her bread. She had been a favored slave and allowed to do pretty
+much as she pleased, and after she was a free woman the white folks
+continued to look after her every need, but she loved to do for herself
+as long as she was able to be up and about.
+
+"What did we have to eat then? Why, most everything; ash cakes was a
+mighty go then. Cornbread dough was made into little pones and placed on
+the hot rocks close to the fire to dry out a little, then hot ashes were
+raked out to the front of the fireplace and piled over the ash cakes.
+When thoroughly done they were taken out and the ashes washed off; they
+were just like cake to us children then. We ate lots of home-made lye
+hominy, beans, peas, and all kinds of greens, cooked with fat meat. The
+biggest, and maybe the best thing in the way of vegetables that we had
+then was the white-head cabbage; they grew large up there in Carolina
+where I lived. There was just one big garden to feed all the folks on
+that farm.
+
+"Marse George had a good 'possum dog that he let his slaves use at
+night. They would start off hunting about 10 o'clock. Darkies knew that
+the best place to hunt for 'possums was in a persimmon tree. If they
+couldn't shake him out, they would cut the tree down, but the most fun
+was when we found the 'possum in a hollow log. Some of the hunters would
+get at one end of the log, and the others would guard the other end, and
+they would build a fire to smoke the 'possum out. Sometimes when they
+had to pull him out, they would find the 'possum in such a tight place
+that most of his hair would be rubbed off before they could get him out.
+Darkies hunted rabbits, squirrels, coons, all kinds of birds, and
+'specially they was fond of going after wild turkeys. Another great
+sport was hunting deer in the nearby mountains. I managed to get a shot
+at one once. Marse George was right good about letting his darkies hunt
+and fish at night to get meat for themselves. Oh! Sure, there were lots
+of fish and they caught plenty of 'em in the Little Tennessee and Sugar
+Fork Rivers and in the numerous creeks that were close by. Red horse,
+suckers, and salmon are the kinds of fish I remember best. They were
+cooked in various ways in skillets, spiders, and ovens on the big open
+fireplace.
+
+"Now, about the clothes we wore in the days of the war, I couldn't
+rightly say, but my Mother said we had good comfortable garments. In the
+summer weather, boys and men wore plain cotton shirts and jeans pants.
+The home-made linsey-woolsy shirts that we wore over our cotton shirts,
+and the wool pants that we wore in winter, were good and warm; they had
+brogan shoes in winter too. Folks wore the same clothes on Sundays as
+through the week, but they had to be sure that they were nice and clean
+on Sundays. Dresses for the women folks were made out of cotton checks,
+and they had sunbonnets too.
+
+"Marse George Sellars, him that married Miss Ca'line Angel, was my real
+master. They had four children, Bud, Mount, Elizabeth, and, and er; I
+just can't bring to recollect the name of their other girl. They lived
+in a two-story frame house that was surrounded by an oak grove on the
+road leading from Franklin, North Carolina, to Clayton, Georgia. Hard
+Sellars was the carriage driver, and while I am sure Marse George must
+have had an overseer, I don't remember ever hearing anybody say his
+name.
+
+"Really, Miss, I couldn't say just how big that plantation was, but I am
+sure there must have been at least four or five hundred acres in it. One
+mighty peculiar thing about his slaves was that Marse George never had
+more than 99 slaves at one time; every time he bought one to try to make
+it an even hundred, a slave died. This happened so often, I was told,
+that he stopped trying to keep a hundred or more, and held on to his 99
+slaves, and long as he did that, there warn't any more deaths than
+births among his slaves. His slaves had to be in the fields when the sun
+rose, and there they had to work steady until the sun went down. Oh!
+Yes, mam, Marse Tommy Angel was mighty mean to his slaves, but Miss
+Jenny, his sister, was good as could be; that is the reason she gave my
+mother to her sister, Miss Ca'line Sellars; because she thought Marse
+Tommy was too hard on her.
+
+"I heard some talk as to how after the slaves had worked hard in the
+field all day and come to the house at night, they were whipped for
+mighty small offenses. Marse George would have them tied hand and foot
+over a barrel and would beat them with a cowhide, or cat-o'-nine tails
+lash. They had a jail in Franklin as far back as I can recollect. Old
+Big Andy Angel's white folks had him put in jail a heap of times,
+because he was a rogue and stole everything he could get his hands on.
+Nearly everybody was afraid of him; he was a great big double jointed
+man, and was black as the ace of spades. No, mam, I never saw any slaves
+sold, but my father's mother and his sister were sold on the block. The
+white folks that bought 'em took them away. After the war was over my
+father tried to locate 'em, but never once did he get on the right track
+of 'em.
+
+"Oh! Why, my white folks took a great deal of pains teaching their
+slaves how to read and write. My father could read, but he never learned
+to write, and it was from our white folks that I learned to read and
+write. Slaves read the Bible more than anything else. There were no
+churches for slaves on Marse George's plantation, so we all went to the
+white folks' church, about two miles away; it was called Clarke's
+Chapel. Sometimes we went to church at Cross Roads; that was about the
+same distance across Sugar Fork River. My mother was baptized in that
+Sugar Fork River by a white preacher, but that is the reason I joined
+the Baptist church, because my mother was a Baptist, and I was so crazy
+about her, and am 'til yet.
+
+"There were no funeral parlors in those days. They just funeralized the
+dead in their own homes, took them to the graveyard in a painted
+home-made coffin that was lined with thin bleaching made in the loom on
+the plantation, and buried them in a grave that didn't have any bricks
+or cement about it. That brings to my memory those songs they sung at
+funerals. One of them started off something like this, _I Don't Want You
+to Grieve After Me_. My mother used to tell me that when she was
+baptized they sung, _You Shall Wear a Lily-White Robe_. Whenever I get
+to studying about her it seems to me I can hear my mother singing that
+song again. She did love it so much.
+
+"No, mam, there didn't none of the darkies on Marse George Sellar's
+place run away to the North, but some on Marse Tommy Angel's place ran
+to the West. They told me that when Little Charles Angel started out to
+run away a bird flew in front of him and led him all the way to the
+West. Understand me, I am not saying that is strictly so, but that is
+what I heard old folks say, when I was young. When darkies wanted to get
+news to their girls or wives on other plantations and didn't want Marse
+George to know about it, they would wait for a dark night and would tie
+rags on their feet to keep from making any noise that the paterollers
+might hear, for if they were caught out without a pass, that was
+something else. Paterollers would go out in squads at night and whip any
+darkies they caught out that could not show passes. Adam Angel was a
+great big man, weighing about 200 pounds, and he slipped out one night
+without a pass. When the paterollers found him, he was at his girl's
+place where they were out in the front yard stewing lard for the white
+folks. They knew he didn't belong on that plantation, so they asked him
+to show his pass. Adam didn't have one with him, and he told them so.
+They made a dive for him, and then, quick as a flash, he turned over
+that pot of boiling lard, and while they were getting the hot grease off
+of them he got away and came back to his cabin. If they had caught Adam,
+he would have needed some of that spilt grease on him after the beating
+they would have give him. Darkies used to stretch ropes and grapevines
+across the road where they knew paterollers would be riding; then they
+would run down the road in front of them, and when they got to the rope
+or vine they would jump over it and watch the horses stumble and throw
+the paterollers to the ground. That was a favorite sport of slaves.
+
+"After the darkies got in from the field at night, ate their supper, and
+finished up the chores for the day, on nights when the moon shone bright
+the men would work in their own cotton patches that Marse George allowed
+them; the women used their own time to wash, iron, patch, and get ready
+for the next day, and if they had time they helped the men in their
+cotton patches. They worked straight on through Saturdays, same as any
+other day, but the young folks would get together on Saturday nights and
+have little parties.
+
+"How did they spend Sundays? Why, they went to church on Sunday and
+visited around, holding prayermeetings at one another's cabins. Now,
+Christmas morning! Yes, mam, that was a powerful time with the darkies,
+if they didn't have nothing but a little sweet cake, which was nothing
+more than gingerbread. However, Marse George did have plenty of good
+things to eat at that time, such as fresh pork and wild turkeys, and we
+were allowed to have a biscuit on that day. How we did frolic and cut up
+at Christmas! Marse George didn't make much special to do on New Year's
+Day as far as holiday was concerned; work was the primary object,
+especially in connection with slaves.
+
+"Oh-oo-h! Everybody had cornshuckings. The man designated to act as the
+general would stick a peacock tail feather in his hat and call all the
+men together and give his orders. He would stand in the center of the
+corn pile, start the singing, and keep things lively for them. Now and
+then he would pass around the jug. They sang a great deal during
+cornshuckings, but I have forgotten the words to those songs. Great
+excitement was expressed whenever a man found a red ear of corn, for
+that counted 20 points, a speckled ear was 10 points and a blue ear 5
+points, toward a special extra big swig of liquor whenever a person had
+as many as 100 points. After the work was finished they had a big feast
+spread on long tables in the yard, and dram flowed plentiful, then they
+played ball, tussled, ran races, and did anything they knew how to amuse
+themselves.
+
+"Now, Ladies," John said, "please excuse me. I left my wife at home real
+sick, and I just must hurry to the drug store and get some flaxseed so I
+can make a poultice for her." As he made a hasty departure, he agreed to
+complete the story later at his home, and gave careful directions for
+finding the place.
+
+A month later, two visitors called on John at his small, unpainted house
+in the center of a hillside cotton patch.
+
+A tall, thin Negress appeared in the doorway. "Yes, mam, John Van Hook
+lives here. He's down in the field with his hoe, digging 'taters." She
+leaned from the porch and called, "Daddy, Daddy! Somebody wants to see
+you." Asked if John was her father, she answered "No, mam, he is my
+husband. I started calling him Daddy when our child was little, so I've
+been calling him that ever since. My name is Laney."
+
+The walls of the room into which John invited his callers were crudely
+plestered with newspapers and the small space was crowded with furniture
+of various kinds and periods. The ladder-back chairs he designated for
+his guests were beautiful. "They are plantation-made," he explained,
+"and we've had 'em a mighty long time." On a reading table a pencil and
+tablet with a half-written page lay beside a large glass lamp.
+Newspapers and books covered several other tables. A freshly whitewashed
+hearth and mantel were crowned by an old-fashioned clock, and at the end
+of the room a short flight of steps led to the dining room, built on a
+higher floor level.
+
+"Now, let's see! Where was I?," John began. "Oh, yes, we were talking
+about cornshuckings, when I had to leave your office. Well, I haven't
+had much time to study about those cornshucking songs to get all the
+words down right, but the name of one was _General Religh Hoe_, and
+there was another one that was called, _Have a Jolly Crowd, and a Little
+Jolly Johnny_.
+
+"Now you needn't to expect me to know much about cotton pickings, for
+you know I have already told you I was raised in North Carolina, and we
+were too far up in the mountains for cotton growing, but I have lived in
+a cotton growing country for forty-odd years.
+
+"As to parties and frolics, I guess I could have kept those things in
+mind, but when I realized that being on the go every night I could get
+off, week in and week out, was turning my mind and heart away from
+useful living, I tried to put those things out of my life and to train
+myself to be content with right living and the more serious things of
+life, and that's why I can't remember more of the things about our
+frolics that took place as I was growing up. About all I remember about
+the dances was when we danced the cotillion at regular old country
+break-downs. Folks valued their dances very highly then, and to be able
+to perform them well was a great accomplishment. _Turkey in the Straw_
+is about the oldest dance tune I can remember. Next to that is _Taint
+Gonna Rain No More_, but the tune as well as words to that were far
+different from the modern song by that name. _Rabbit Hair_ was another
+favorite song, and there were dozens of others that I just never tried
+to remember until you asked me about them.
+
+"My father lived in Caswell County and he used to tell us how hard it
+was for him to get up in the morning after being out most of the night
+frolicking. He said their overseer couldn't talk plain, and would call
+them long before crack of dawn, and it sounded like he was saying, 'Ike
+and a bike, Ike and a bike.' What he meant was, 'Out and about! Out and
+about!'
+
+"Marriage in those days was looked upon as something very solemn, and it
+was mighty seldom that anybody ever heard of a married couple trying to
+get separated. Now it's different. When a preacher married a couple, you
+didn't see any hard liquor around, but just a little light wine to liven
+up the wedding feast. If they were married by a justice of the peace,
+look out, there was plenty of wine and," here his voice was almost
+awe-stricken, "even whiskey too."
+
+Laney interrupted at this stage of the story with, "My mother said they
+used to make up a new broom and when the couple jumped over it, they was
+married. Then they gave the broom to the couple to use keeping house."
+John was evidently embarrassed. "Laney," he said, "that was never
+confirmed. It was just hearsay, as far as you know, and I wouldn't tell
+things like that.
+
+"The first colored man I ever heard preach was old man Johnny McDowell.
+He married Angeline Pennon and William Scruggs, uncle to Ollie Scruggs,
+who lives in Athens now. After the wedding they were all dancing around
+the yard having a big time and enjoying the wine and feast, and old man
+McDowell, sitting there watching them, looked real thoughtful and sad;
+suddenly he said: 'They don't behave like they knew what's been done
+here today. Two people have been joined together for life. No matter
+what comes, or what happens, these two people must stand by each other,
+through everything, as long as they both shall live.' Never before had I
+had such thoughts at a wedding. They had always just been times for big
+eats, dancing, frolicking, and lots of jokes, and some of them pretty
+rough jokes, perhaps. What he said got me to thinking, and I have never
+been careless minded at a wedding since that day. Brother McDowell
+preached at Clarke's Chapel, about five miles south of Franklin, North
+Ca'lina, on the road leading from England to Georgia; that road ran
+right through the Van Hook place."
+
+Again Laney interrupted her husband. "My mother said they even had
+infare dinners the next day after the wedding. The infare dinners were
+just for the families of the bride and groom, and the bride had a
+special dress for that occasion that she called her infare dress. The
+friends of both parties were there at the big feast on the wedding day,
+but not at the infare dinner."
+
+"And there was no such a thing as child marriages heard of in those
+days," John was speaking again. "At least none of the brides were under
+15 or 16 years old. Now you can read about child brides not more than 10
+years old, 'most ever' time you pick up a paper.
+
+"I don't remember much, about what I played until I got to be about 10
+years old. I was a terrible little fellow to imitate things. Old man
+Tommy Angel built mills, and I built myself a little toy mill down on
+the branch that led to Sugar Fork River. There was plenty of nice
+soapstone there that was so soft you could cut it with a pocket knife
+and could dress it off with a plane for a nice smooth finish. I shaped
+two pieces of soapstone to look like round millstones and set me up a
+little mill that worked just fine.
+
+"We run pretty white sand through it and called that our meal and flour.
+My white folks would come down to the branch and watch me run the little
+toy mill. I used to make toy rifles and pistols and all sorts of nice
+playthings out of that soapstone. I wish I had a piece of that good old
+soapstone from around Franklin, so I could carve some toys like I used
+to play with for my boy."
+
+"We caught real salmon in the mountain streams," John remarked. "They
+weighed from 3 to 25 pounds, and kind of favored a jack fish, only jack
+fishes have duck bills, and these salmon had saw teeth. They were
+powerful jumpers and when you hooked one you had a fight on your hands
+to get it to the bank no matter whether it weighed 3 or 25 pounds. The
+gamest of all the fish in those mountain streams were red horses. When I
+was about 9 or 10 years old I took my brother's fish gig and went off
+down to the river. I saw what looked like the shadow of a stick in the
+clear water and when I thrust the gig at it I found mighty quick I had
+gigged a red horse. I did my best to land it but it was too strong for
+me and pulled loose from my gig and darted out into deep water. I ran
+fast as I could up the river bank to the horseshoe bend where a flat
+bottom boat belonging to our family was tied. I got in that boat and
+chased that fish 'til I got him. It weighed 6 pounds and was 2 feet and
+6 inches long. There was plenty of excitement created around that
+plantation when the news got around that a boy, as little as I was then,
+had landed such a big old fighting fish."
+
+"Suckers were plentiful and easy to catch but they did not give you the
+battle that a salmon or a red horse could put up and that was what it
+took to make fishing fun. We had canoes, but we used a plain old flat
+boat, a good deal like a small ferry boat, most of the time. There was
+about the same difference in a canoe and a flat boat that there is in a
+nice passenger automobile and a truck."
+
+When asked if he remembered any of the tunes and words of the songs he
+sang as a child, John was silent for a few moments and then began to
+sing:
+
+ "A frog went courtin'
+ And he did ride
+ Uh hunh
+ With a sword and pistol
+ By his side
+ Uh hunh.
+
+ "Old uncle Rat laughed,
+ Shook his old fat side;
+ He thought his niece
+ Was going to be the bride.
+ Uh hunh, uh hunh
+
+ "Where shall the wedding be?
+ Uh hunh
+ Where shall the wedding be?
+ Uh hunh
+
+ "Way down yonder
+ In a hollow gum tree.
+ Uh hunh, un hunh, uh hunh.
+
+ "Who shall the waiters be?
+ Uh hunh
+ Granddaddy Louse and a
+ Black-eyed flea.
+ Uh hunh, uh hunh, uh hunh."
+
+Laney reminded him of a song he used to sing when their child was a
+baby. "It is hard for me to formulate its words in my mind. I just
+cannot seem to get them," he answered, "but I thought of this one the
+other night and promised myself I would sing it for you sometime. It's
+_Old Granny Mistletoe_.
+
+ "Old Granny Mistletoe,
+ Lyin' in the bed,
+ Out the window
+ She poked her head.
+
+ "She says, 'Old Man,
+ The gray goose's gone,
+ And I think I heard her holler,
+ King-cant-you-O, King-cant-you-O!'
+
+ "The old fox stepped around,
+ A mighty fast step.
+ He hung the old gray goose
+ Up by the neck.
+
+ "Her wings went flip-flop
+ Over her back,
+ And her legs hung down.
+ Ding-downy-O, ding-downy-O.
+
+ "The old fox marched
+ On to his den.
+ Out come his young ones,
+ Some nine or ten.
+
+ "Now we will have
+ Some-supper-O, some-summer-O.
+ Now we will have
+ Some-supper-O, some-supper-O."
+
+"The only riddle I remember is the one about: 'What goes around the
+house, and just makes one track?' I believe they said it was a
+wheelbarrow. Mighty few people in that settlement believed in such
+things as charms. They were too intelligent for that sort of thing.
+
+"Old man Dillard Love didn't know half of his slaves. They were called
+'Love's free niggers.' Some of the white folks in that settlement would
+get after their niggers and say 'who do you think you are, you must
+think you are one of Dillard Love's free niggers the way you act.' Then
+the slave was led to the whipping post and brushed down, and his marster
+would tell him, 'now you see who is boss.'
+
+"Marse Dillard often met a darkey in the road, he would stop and inquire
+of him, 'Who's nigger is you?' The darkey would say 'Boss I'se your
+nigger.' If Marse Dillard was feeling good he would give the darkey a
+present. Heaps of times he gave them as much as five dollars, 'cording
+to how good he was feeling. He treated his darkies mighty good.
+
+"My grandfather belonged to Marse Dillard Love, and when the war was
+declared he was too old to go. Marse George Sellars went and was
+wounded. You know all about the blanket rolls they carried over their
+shoulders. Well, that bullet that hit him had to go all the way through
+that roll that had I don't know how many folds, and its force was just
+about spent by the time it got to his shoulder; that was why it didn't
+kill him, otherwise it would have gone through him. The bullet was
+extracted, but it left him with a lame shoulder.
+
+"Our Mr. Tommy Angel went to the war, and he got so much experience
+shooting at the Yankees that he could shoot at a target all day long,
+and then cover all the bullet holes he made with the palm of one hand.
+Mr. Tommy was at home when the Yankees come though.
+
+"Folks around our settlement put their darkies on all their good mules
+and horses, and loaded them down with food and valuables, then sent them
+to the nearby mountains and caves to hide until the soldiers were gone.
+Mr. Angel himself told me later that lots of the folks who came around
+pilfering after the war, warn't northerners at all, but men from just
+anywhere, who had fought in the war and came back home to find all they
+had was gone, and they had to live some way.
+
+"One day my father and another servant were laughing fit to kill at a
+greedy little calf that had caught his head in the feed basket. They
+thought it was just too funny. About that time a Yankee, in his blue
+uniform coming down the road, took the notion the men were laughing at
+him. 'What are you laughing at?' he said, and at that they lit out to
+run. The man called my father and made him come back, 'cause he was the
+one laughing so hard. Father thought the Yankee vas going to shoot him
+before he could make him understand they were just laughing at the calf.
+
+"When the war was over, Mr. Love called his slaves together and told
+them they had been set free. He explained everything to them very
+carefully, and told them he would make farming arrangements for all that
+wanted to stay on there with him. Lots of the darkies left after they
+heard about folks getting rich working on the railroads in Tennessee and
+about the high wages that were being paid on those big plantations in
+Mississippi. Some of those labor agents were powerful smart about
+stretching the truth, but those folks that believed them and left home
+found out that it's pretty much the same the world over, as far as folks
+and human nature is concerned. Those that had even average common sense
+got along comfortable and all right in Tennessee and Mississippi, and
+those that suffered out there were the sort that are so stupid they
+would starve in the middle of a good apple pie. My brother that went
+with the others to Tennessee never came back, and we never saw him
+again.
+
+"My father did not want me to leave our home at Franklin, North
+Carolina, and come to Georgia, for he had been told Georgia people were
+awful mean. There was a tale told us about the Mr. Oglethorpe, who
+settled Georgia, bringing over folks from the jails of England to settle
+in Georgia and it was said they became the ruling class of the State.
+Anyway, I came on just the same, and pretty soon I married a Georgia
+girl, and have found the people who live here are all right."
+
+Laney eagerly took advantage of the pause that followed to tell of her
+mother's owner. "Mother said that he was an old, old man and would set
+in his big armchair 'most all day. When he heard good news from the
+soldiers he would drum his fingers on his chair and pat his feet, whilst
+he tried to sing, 'Te Deum, Te Deum. Good news today! We won today!'
+Whenever he heard the southern armies were losing, he would lie around
+moaning and crying out loud. Nobody could comfort him then."
+
+John was delighted to talk about religion. "Yes, mam, after the war,
+darkies used to meet at each others' houses for religious services until
+they got churches of their own. Those meetings were little more than
+just prayermeetings. Our white folks were powerful careful to teach
+their slaves how to do the right thing, and long after we were free Mr.
+Tommy would give long talks at our meetings. We loved to listen to him
+and have him interested in us, for we had never been treated mean like
+heaps of the slaves in that neighborhood had.
+
+"One white man in our county needed the help of the Lord. His name was
+Boney Ridley and he just couldn't keep away from liquor. He was an uncle
+of that famous preacher and poet, Mr. Caleb Ridley. One day when Mr.
+Boney had been drinking hard and kind of out of his head, he was
+stretched out on the ground in a sort of stupor. He opened his eyes and
+looked at the buzzards circling low over him and said, sort of sick and
+fretful-like, 'Git on off, buzzards; I ain't dead yet.'"
+
+"The Reverend Doctor George Truett was a fine boy and he has grown into
+a splendid man. He is one of God's chosen ones. I well remember the
+first time I heard him speak. I was a janitor at the State Normal School
+when he was a pupil there in 1887. I still think he is about the
+greatest orator I ever listened to. In those days, back in 1887, I
+always made it convenient to be doing something around the school room
+when time came for him to recite or to be on a debate. After he left
+that school he went on to the Seminary at Louisville and he has become
+known throughout this country as a great Christian.
+
+"I started teaching in old field schools with no education but just what
+our white folks had taught me. They taught me to read and write, and I
+must say I really was a mighty apt person, and took advantage of every
+opportunity that came my way to learn. You know, teaching is a mighty
+good way to learn. After I had been teaching for some time I went back
+to school, but most of my knowledge was gotten by studying what books
+and papers I could get hold of and by watching folks who were really
+educated; by listening carefully to them, I found I could often learn a
+good deal that way."
+
+Laney could be quiet no longer. "My husband," she said, "is a self-made
+man. His educated brother, Claude, that graduated from Maryville School
+in Tennessee, says that he cannot cope with my husband."
+
+John smiled indulgently and continued: "We were in sad and woeful want
+after the war. Once I asked my father why he let us go so hungry and
+ragged, and he answered: 'How can we help it? Why, even the white folks
+don't have enough to eat and wear now.'
+
+"Eleven years ago I rented a little farm from. Mr. Jasper Thompson, in
+Jackson County. After the boll-weevil got bad I came to the other side
+of the river yonder, where I stayed 7 years. By this time most of the
+children by my first two wives had grown up and gone off up north. My
+first wife's children were Robert, Ella, the twins, Julius and Julia
+Anne, (who died soon after they were grown-up), and Charlie, and Dan.
+Robert is in Philadelphia, Ella in Cincinnati, and Dan is dead.
+
+"Fred, George, and Johnny, my second wife's children are all living, but
+are scattered in far-off places.
+
+"Everybody was powerful sorry to hear about Lincoln's assassination. At
+that time Jefferson Davis was considered the greatest man that ever
+lived, but the effect of Lincoln's life and deeds will live on forever.
+His life grows greater in reputation with the years and his wisdom more
+apparent.
+
+"As long as we were their property our masters were mighty careful to
+have us doctored up right when there was the least sign of sickness.
+There was always some old woman too old for field work that nursed the
+sick on the big plantations, but the marsters sent for regular doctors
+mighty quick if the patient seemed much sick.
+
+"After the war we were slower to call in doctors because we had no
+money, and that's how I lost my good right eye. If I had gone to the
+doctor when it first got hurt it would have been all right now. When we
+didn't have money we used to pay the doctor with corn, fodder, wheat,
+chickens, pork, or anything we had that he wanted.
+
+"We learned to use lots of herbs and other home-made remedies during the
+war when medicine was scarce at the stores, and some old folks still use
+these simple teas and poultices. Comfrey was a herb used much for
+poultices on risings, boils, and the like, and tea made from it is said
+to be soothing to the nerves. Garlic tea was much used for worms, but it
+was also counted a good pneumonia remedy, and garlic poultices helped
+folks to breathe when they had grippe or pneumonia. Boneset tea was for
+colds. Goldenrod was used leaf, stem, blossom, and all in various ways,
+chiefly for fever and coughs. Black snake root was a good cure for
+childbed fever, and it saved the life of my second wife after her last
+child was born. Slippery ellum was used for poultices to heal burns,
+bruises, and any abrasions, and we gargled slippery ellum tea to heal
+sore throats, but red oak bark tea was our best sore throat remedy. For
+indigestion and shortness of the breath we chewed calamus root or drank
+tea made from it. In fact, we still think it is mighty useful for those
+purposes. It was a long time after the war before there were any darkies
+with enough medical education to practice as doctors. Dr. Doyle in
+Gainesville was the first colored physician that I ever saw.
+
+"The world seems to be gradually drifting the wrong way, and it won't
+get any better 'til all people put their belief--and I mean by
+that--simple faith, in the Bible. What they like of it they are in the
+habit of quoting, but they distort it and try to make it appear to mean
+whatever will suit their wicked convenience. They have got to take the
+whole Bible and live by it, and they must remember they cannot leave out
+those wise old laws of the Old Testament that God gave for men
+everywhere to live by."
+
+Laney had quietly left the room, but as the visitors were taking their
+departure she returned with a small package. "This," she explained, "is
+some calamus root that I raised and dried myself, and I hope it comes in
+handy whenever you ladies need something for the indigestion."
+
+"Next time you come, I hope to have more songs remembered and written
+down for you," promised John.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+ADDIE VINSON, Age 86
+653 Dearing Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written By:
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Edited By:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens, Georgia
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+WPA Residency No. 6 & 7
+
+August 23, 1938
+
+
+Perched on an embankment high above the street level is the four-room
+frame cottage where Addie Vinson lives with her daughter. The visitor
+scrambled up the steep incline to the vine covered porch, and a rap on
+the front door brought prompt response. "Who dat?" asked a very black
+woman, who suddenly appeared in the hall. "What you want?... Yassum,
+dis here's Addie, but dey calls me Mammy, 'cause I'se so old. I s'pects
+I'se most nigh a hunnert and eight years old."
+
+The old Negress is very short and stout. Her dark blue calico dress was
+striped with lines of tiny polka dots, and had been lengthened by a band
+of light blue outing flannel with a darker blue stripe, let in just
+below the waist line. Her high-topped black shoes were worn over grey
+cotton hose, and the stocking cap that partially concealed her white
+hair was crowned by a panama hat that flopped down on all sides except
+where the brim was fastened up across the front with two conspicuous
+"safety-first" pins. Addie's eyesight is poor, and she claims it was
+"plum ruint by de St. Vitus's dance," from which she has suffered for
+many years. She readily agreed to tell of her early life, and her eyes
+brightened as she began: "Lawsy, Missy! Is dat what you come 'ere for?
+Oh, dem good old days! I was thinkin' 'bout Old Miss jus' t'other day.
+
+"I was borned down in Oconee County on Marse Ike Vinson's place. Old
+Miss was Marse Ike's mother. My Mammy and Pappy was Peter and 'Nerva
+Vinson and dey was both field hands. Marse Ike buyed my Pappy from Marse
+Sam Brightwell. Me and Bill, Willis, Maze, Harrison, Easter, and Sue was
+all de chillun my Mammy and Pappy had. Dere warn't but four of us big
+enough to wuk when Marse Ike married Miss Ann Hayes and dey tuk Mammy
+wid 'em to dey new home in town. I stayed dar on de plantation and done
+lots of little jobs lak waitin' on table; totin' Old Miss' breakfast to
+her in her room evvy mornin', and I holped 'tend to de grainery. Dey
+says now dat folkses is livin' in dat old grainery house.
+
+"Dat was a be-yootiful place, wid woods, cricks, and fields spread out
+most as fur as you could see. De slave quarters would'a reached from
+here to Milledge Avenue. Us lived in a one-room log cabin what had a
+chimbly made out of sticks and mud. Dem homemade beds what us slep' on
+had big old high posties wid a great big knob on de top of each post.
+Our matt'esses was coarse home-wove cloth stuffed wid field straw. You
+know I laked dem matt'esses 'cause when de chinches got too bad you
+could shake out dat straw and burn it, den scald de tick and fill it wid
+fresh straw, and rest in peace again. You can't never git de chinches
+out of dese cotton matt'esses us has to sleep on now days. Pillows? What
+you talkin' 'bout? You know Niggers never had no pillows dem days,
+leaseways us never had none. Us did have plenty of kivver dough. Folkses
+was all time a-piecin' quilts and having quiltin's. All dat sort of wuk
+was done at night.
+
+"Pappy's Ma and Pa was Grandma Nancy and Grandpa Jacob. Day was field
+hands, and dey b'longed to Marse Obe Jackson. Grandma Lucy and Grandpa
+Toney Murrah was owned by Marse Billy Murrah. Marse Billy was a preacher
+what sho could come down wid de gospel at church. Grandma Lucy was his
+cook. Miss Sadie LeSeur got Grandma Lucy and tuk her to Columbus,
+Georgy, and us never seed our grandma no more. Miss Sadie had been one
+of de Vinson gals. She tuk our Aunt Haley 'long too to wait on her when
+she started out for Europe, and 'fore dey got crost de water, Aunt
+Haley, she died on de boat. Miss Sarah, she had a time keepin' dem
+boatsmens from th'owing Aunt Haley to de sharks. She is buried in de old
+country somewhar.
+
+"Now Missy, how was Nigger chillun gwine to git holt of money in slavery
+time? Old Marse, he give us plenty of somepin t'eat and all de clothes
+us needed, but he sho kep' his money for his own self.
+
+"Now 'bout dat somepin t'eat. Sho dat! Us had plenty of dem good old
+collards, turnips, and dem sort of oatments, and dar was allus a good
+chunk of meat to bile wid 'em. Marse Ike, he kep' plenty of evvy sort of
+meat folkses knowed about dem days. He had his own beef cattle, lots of
+sheep, and he killed more'n a hunnert hogs evvy year. Dey tells me dat
+old bench dey used to lay de meat out on to cut it up is standin' dar
+yet.
+
+"'Possums? Lawd, dey was plentiful, and dat ain't all dere was on dat
+plantation. One time a slave man was 'possum huntin' and, as he was
+runnin' 'round in de bresh, he looked up and dar was a b'ar standin'
+right up on his hind laigs grinnin' and ready to eat dat Nigger up. Oh,
+good gracious, how dat Nigger did run! Dey fetched in 'possums in piles,
+and dere was lots of rabbits, fixes, and coons. Dem coon, fox and
+'possum hounds sho knowed deir business. Lawsy, I kin jus' smell one of
+dem good old 'possums roastin' right now, atter all dese years. You
+parbiled de 'possum fust, and den roasted him in a heavy iron skillet
+what had a big old thick lid. Jus' 'fore de 'possum got done, you peeled
+ash-roasted 'taters and put 'em all 'round da 'possum so as day would
+soak up some of dat good old gravy, and would git good and brown. Is you
+ever et any good old ashcake? You wropped de raw hoecake in cabbage or
+collard leafs and roasted 'em in de ashes. When dey got done, you had
+somepin fit for a king to eat.
+
+"De kitchen was sot off a piece from de big house, and our white folkses
+wouldn't eat deir supper 'fore time to light de lamps to save your life;
+den I had to stan' 'hind Old Miss' cheer and fan her wid a
+turkey-feather fan to keep de flies off. No matter how rich folkses was
+dem days dere warn't no screens in de houses.
+
+"I never will forgit pore old Aunt Mary; she was our cook, and she had
+to be tapped evvy now and den 'cause she had de drapsy so bad. Aunt
+Mary's old man was Uncle Harris, and I 'members how he used to go
+fishin' at night. De udder slaves went fishin' too. Many's de time I'se
+seed my Mammy come back from Barber's Crick wid a string of fish
+draggin' from her shoulders down to de ground. Me, I laked milk more'n
+anything else. You jus' oughta seed dat place at milkin' time. Dere was
+a heap of cows a fightin', chillun hollerin', and sich a bedlam as you
+can't think up. Dat old plantation was a grand place for chillun, in
+summertime 'specially, 'cause dere was so many branches and cricks close
+by what us chillun could hop in and cool off.
+
+"Chillun didn't wear nothin' but cotton slips in summer, but de winter
+clothes was good and warm. Under our heavy winter dresses us wore
+quilted underskirts dat was sho nice and warm. Sunday clothes? Yes
+Mar'm, us allus had nice clothes for Sunday. Dey made up our summertime
+Sunday dresses out of a thin cloth called Sunday-parade. Dey was made
+spenser fashion, wid ruffles 'round de neck and waist. Our ruffled
+petticoats was all starched and ironed stiff and slick, and us jus'
+knowed our long pantalettes, wid deir scalloped ruffles, was mighty
+fine. Some of de 'omans would wuk fancy eyelets what dey punched in de
+scallops wid locust thorns. Dem pantalettes was buttoned on to our
+drawers. Our Sunday dresses for winter was made out of linsey-woolsey
+cloth. White ladies wore hoopskirts wid deir dresses, and dey looked lak
+fairy queens. Boys wore plain shirts in summer, but in winter dey had
+warmer shirts and quilted pants. Dey would put two pair of britches
+togedder and quilt 'em up so you couldn't tell what sort of cloth dey
+was made out of. Dem pants was called suggins.
+
+"All de Niggers went barfoots in summer, but in winter us all wore
+brogans. Old Miss had a shoe shop in de cellar under de big house, and
+when dem two white 'omans dat she hired to make our shoes come, us
+knowed wintertime was nigh. Dem 'omans would stay 'til day had made up
+shoes enough to last us all winter long, den dey would go on to de next
+place what dey s'pected to make shoes.
+
+"Marse Ike Vinson was sho good to his Niggers. He was de hanger, 'cept
+he never hung nobody. Him and Miss Ann had six chillun. Dey was Miss
+Lucy, Miss Myrt, Miss Sarah, Miss Nettie, Marse Charlie, and Marse Tom.
+Marse Ike's ma, Old Miss, wouldn't move to town wid him and Miss Ann;
+she stayed on in de big house on de plantation. To tell de truf I done
+forgot Old Miss' name. De overseer and his wife was Mr. Edmond and Miss
+Betsey, and dey moved up to de big house wid old Miss atter Marse Ike
+and Miss Ann moved to town. Stiles Vinson was de carriage driver, and he
+fotched Marse Ike out to de plantation evvy day. Lord! Gracious alive!
+It would take a week to walk all over dat plantation. Dere was more'n a
+thousand acres in it and, countin' all de chillun, dere was mighty nigh
+a hunnert slaves.
+
+"Long 'fore day, dat overseer blowed a bugle to wake up de Niggers. You
+could hear it far as High Shoals, and us lived dis side of Watkinsville.
+Heaps of folkses all over dat part of de country got up by dat old
+bugle. I will never forgit one time when de overseer said to us chillun,
+'You fellows go to do field and fetch some corn tops.' Mandy said: 'He
+ain't talkin' to us 'cause us ain't fellows and I ain't gwine.' Bless
+your sweet life, I runned and got dem corn tops, 'cause I didn't want no
+beatin'. Dem udder 'chillun got deir footses most cut off wid dem
+switches whan dat overseer got to wuk to sho 'em dey had to obey him.
+Dat overseer sho did wuk de Niggers hard; he driv' 'em all de time. Dey
+had to go to de field long 'fore sunup, and it was way atter sundown
+'fore dey could stop dat field wuk. Den dey had to hustle to finish deir
+night wuk in time for supper, or go to bed widout it.
+
+[HW sidenote: Beating]
+
+"You know dey whupped Niggers den. Atter dey had done wukked hard in de
+fields all day long, de beatin' started up, and he allus had somepin in
+mind to beat 'em about. When dey beat my Aunt Sallie she would fight
+back, and once when Uncle Randall said somepin he hadn't oughta, dat
+overseer beat him so bad he couldn't wuk for a week. He had to be grez
+all over evvy day wid hoalin' ointment for a long time 'fore dem gashes
+got well.
+
+"Rita and Retta was de Nigger 'omans what put pizen in some collards
+what dey give Aunt Vira and her baby to eat. She had been laughin' at a
+man 'cause his coattail was a-flappin' so funny whilst he was dancin',
+and dem two Jezebels thought she was makin' fun of dem. At de graveyard,
+'fore dey buried her, dey cut her open and found her heart was all
+decayed. De overseer driv dem 'omans clear off de plantation, and
+Marster, he was mighty mad. He said he had done lost 'bout $2,000. If he
+had kotched dem 'omans he woulda hung 'em, cause he was de hanger. In
+'bout two weeks dat overseer left dar, and Old Marse had to git him
+anudder man to take his place.
+
+"Sho! Dere was a jail for slaves and a hangin' place right in front of
+de jail, but none of Old Marster's Niggers warn't never put in no
+jailhouse. Oh God! Yes, dey sold slaves. My own granddaddy was made to
+git up on dat block, and dey sold him. One time I seed Old Marse buy
+four boys." At this point the narrative ceased when Addie suddenly
+remembered that she must stop to get supper for the daughter, who would
+soon be returning from work.
+
+The visitor called early in the morning of the following day, and found
+Addie bent over her washtubs in the back yard. "Have dat cheer," was the
+greeting as the old Negress lifted a dripping hand to point out a chair
+under the spreading branches of a huge oak tree, "You knows you don't
+want to hear no more 'bout dat old stuff," she said, "and anyhow, is you
+gittin' paid for doin' dis?" When the visitor admitted that these
+interviews were part of her salaried work, Addie quickly asked: "What is
+you gwine to give me?"
+
+When the last piece of wash had been hung on the line and Addie had
+turned a large lard can upside down for a stool, she settled down and
+began to talk freely.
+
+"No Ma'm, dey didn't low Niggers to larn how to read and write. I had to
+go wid de white chillun to deir school on Hog Mountain road evvy day to
+wait on 'em. I toted water for 'em kep' de fire goin', and done all
+sorts of little jobs lak dat. Miss Martha, de overseer's daughter, tried
+to larn me to read and write, but I wouldn't take it in.
+
+"No Ma'm dere warn't no churches for Niggers in slavery time, so slaves
+had to go to deir white folkses churches. Us went to church at Betty
+Berry (Bethabara) and Mars Hill. When time come for de sermon to de
+Niggers, sometimes de white folkses would leave and den again dey would
+stay, but dat overseer, he was dar all de time. Old man Isaac Vandiver,
+a Nigger preacher what couldn't read a word in de Bible, would git up in
+dat pulpit and talk from his heart. You know dere's heaps of folkses
+what's got dat sort of 'ligion--it's deep in deir hearts. De Reverend
+Freeman was de white folkses' preacher. I laked him best, for what he
+said allus sounded good to me.
+
+"At funerals us used to sing _Hark From De Tomb A Doleful Sound_. I
+never went to no funerals, but Old Marster's and Aunt Nira's, 'fore de
+end of de war.
+
+"When Old Marster went off to de war, he had all his slaves go to de
+musterin' ground to see him leave. He was captain of his company from
+Oconee County, and 'fore he left he had de mens in dat company bury deir
+silver and gold, deir watches, rings, and jus' anything dey wanted to
+keep, on Hog Mountain. Ha lef' a guard to watch de hidin' place so as
+dey would have somepin when dey come back home, den dey marched back to
+de musterin' ground dat was twixt de Hopkins' plantation and Old
+Marster's place. Uncle Solomon went along to de war to tote Marster's
+gun, cook for him, and sich lak. It warn't long 'fore old Marse was kilt
+in dat war, and Uncle Solomon fetches him back in a coffin. All de
+slaves dat went to de buryin' jus' trembled when guns was fired over Old
+Marster's grave. Dat was done to show dat Old Marster had been a
+powerful high-up man in de army.
+
+"Good Gracious! Dere didn't nary a Nigger go off from our place to de
+North, 'cause us was skeered of dem Yankees. Dere was a white
+slave-trader named McRaleigh what used to come to Old Marster's
+plantation to buy up Niggers to take 'em to de Mississippi bottoms. When
+us seed him comin' us lit out for de woods. He got Aunt Rachel; you
+could hear her hollerin' a mile down de road.
+
+"Oh! Good Lord! Dem patterollers was awful. Folkses what dey cotched
+widout no paper, dey jus' plum wore out. Old man John was de fiddler on
+our place, and when de patterollers cotched him dey beat him up de wust
+of all, 'cause him and his fiddle was all de time drawin' Niggers out to
+do dances.
+
+"If Old Marster wanted to send a massage he sont Uncle Randall on a mule
+named Jim. Sometimes dat old mule tuk a notion he didn't want to go; den
+he wouldn't budge. I ricollects one time dey tuk a bundle of fodder and
+tied it to Old Jim's tail, but still he wouldn't move. Old Marster kep'
+a special man to fetch and carry mail for de plantation in a road cyart,
+and nobody warn't 'lowed to go nigh dat cyart.
+
+"When slaves got in from de fields at night dey cooked and et deir
+supper and went to bed. Dey had done been wukin' since sunup. When dere
+warn't so much to do in de fields, sometimes Old Marster let his Niggers
+lay off from wuk atter dinner on Saddays. If de chinches was most eatin'
+de Niggers up, now and den de 'omans was 'lowed to stay to de house to
+scald evvything and clear 'em out, but de menfolkses had to go on to de
+field. On Sadday nights de 'omans patched, washed, and cut off peaches
+and apples to dry in fruit season. In de daytime dey had to cut off and
+dry fruit for Old Miss. When slaves got smart wid deir white folkses,
+deir Marsters would have 'em beat, and dat was de end of de matter. Dat
+was a heap better'n dey does now days, 'cause if a Nigger gits out of
+place dey puts him on de chaingang. [TR: 'Whipping' written in margin.]
+
+"Sunday was a day off for all de slaves on our plantation. Cause, de
+mens had to look atter de stock in de lot right back of de cabins. De
+'omans cooked all day for de next week. If dey tuk a notion to go to
+church, mules was hitched to wagons made lak dippers, and dey jigged off
+down de road. Us had four days holiday for Christmas. Old Miss give us
+lots of good things to eat dem four days; dere was cake, fresh meat, and
+all kinds of dried fruit what had been done stored away. All de Niggers
+tuk dat time to rest but my Mammy. She tuk me and went 'round to de
+white folkses' houses to wash and weave. Dey said I was a right smart,
+peart little gal, and white folkses used to try to hire me from Old
+Miss. When dey axed her for me, Old Miss allus told 'em: 'You don't want
+to hire dat gal; she ain't no 'count.' She wouldn't let nobody hire her
+Niggers, 'cept Mammy, 'cause she knowed Mammy warn't gwine to leave her
+nohow. On New Year's Day, if dere warn't too much snow on de ground, de
+Niggers burnt brush and cleared new ground.
+
+"When Aunt Patience led de singin' at cornshuckin's, de shucks sho'ly
+did fly. Atter de corn was shucked, dey fed us lots of good things and
+give us plenty of liquor. De way cotton pickin' was managed was dis:
+evvybody dat picked a thousand pounds of cotton in a week's time was
+'lowed a day off. Mammy picked her thousand pounds evvy week.
+
+"Dances? Now you's talkin' 'bout somepin' sho' 'nough. Old John, de
+fiddler man, was right dere on our plantation. Niggers dat had done
+danced half de night would be so sleepy when de bugle sounded dey
+wouldn't have time to cook breakfast. Den 'bout de middle of de mawnin'
+dey would complain 'bout bein' so weak and hongry dat de overseer would
+fetch 'em in and have 'em fed. He let 'em rest 'bout a hour and a half;
+den he marched 'em back to de field and wuked 'em 'til slap black dark.
+Aunt Sook was called de lead wench. If de moon warn't out, she put a
+white cloth 'round her shoulders and led 'em on.
+
+"Didn't none of Old Marsters chillun marry in slavery time, but Old
+Miss, she let us see a Nigger gal named Frances Hester git married. When
+I sot down to dat weddin' supper I flung de chicken bones over my
+shoulder, 'cause I didn't know no better. I don't 'member what gals
+played when I was little, but boys played ball all day long if dey was
+'lowed to. One boy, named Sam, played and run so hard he tuk his bed
+Monday and never got up no more.
+
+"I heared tell of Raw Haid and Bloody Bones. Old folkses would skeer us
+most nigh to death tellin' us he was comin'. Mankind! Us made for de
+house den. Missy, please mam, don't ax me 'bout dem ha'nts. I sees 'em
+all de time. Atter she had done died out, Old Miss used to come back all
+de time. She didn't lak it 'cause day wropped her in a windin' sheet and
+buried her by de doorsteps, but I reckon dey done fixed her by now,
+'cause she don't come back no more. Dere's a house in Athens, called de
+Bell House, dat nobody kin live in, 'cause a man run his wife from home
+and atter she died, she come back and ha'nted dat house.
+
+"Lawd have mercy! Look here, don't talk lak dat. I ain't told you before
+but part o' dis here yard is conjured. A man comes here early evvy
+mornin' and dresses dis yard down wid conjuration. Soon as I sot down
+here to talk to you, a pain started in my laigs, and it is done gone all
+over me now. I started to leave you and go in de house. Come on. Let's
+leave dis yard right now. Hurry!" On reaching the kitchen Addie hastily
+grasped the pepper box and shook its contents over each shoulder and on
+her head, saying: "Anything hot lak dis will sho drive dis spell away.
+De reason I shakes lak I does, one day I was in de yard and somepin
+cotch me. It helt fast to my footses, den I started to shake all over,
+and I been shakin' ever since. A white 'oman gimme some white soap, and
+evvy mornin' I washes myself good wid dat soap 'fore I puts on my
+clothes."
+
+Leaving the kitchen, Addie entered the front room which serves as a
+bedroom. "Lawdy, Missy!" she exclaimed, "Does you smell dat funny scent?
+Oh, Good Lawd! Jus' look at dem white powders on my doorstep! Let me git
+some hot water and wash 'em out quick! Now Missy, see how dese Niggers
+'round here is allus up to deir meanness? Dere's a man in de udder room
+bilin' his pizen right now. I has to keep a eye on him all de time or
+dis here old Nigger would be in her grave. I has to keep somepin hot all
+de time to keep off dem conjure spells. I got three pids of pepper most
+ready to pick, and I'se gwine to tie 'em 'round my neck, den dese here
+spells folkses is all de time tryin' to put on me won't do me no harm."
+
+Addie now lowered her voice to a stage whisper. "I found a folded up
+piece of white paper under our back doorstep dis very mornin'. Bless
+your life, I got a stick from de kitchen quick and poked it in a crack
+in de steps and got it out 'fore I put my foots down on dem steps. I sho
+did."
+
+Here Addie reverted to her story of the plantation. "Old Marster was
+mighty good to his Niggers," she said. When any of 'em got sick Old Miss
+sont to town for him, and he allus come right out and fetched a doctor.
+Old Miss done her very best for Pappy when he was tuk sick, but he died
+out jus' de same. Pappy used to drive a oxcart and, when he was bad off
+sick and out of his haid, he hollered out: 'Scotch dat wheel! Scotch dat
+wheel!' In his mind, he was deep in de bad place den, and didn't know
+how to pray. Old Miss, she would say: 'Pray, Pete, Pray.' Old Miss made
+a heap of teas from diff'unt things lak pennyroyal, algaroba wood,
+sassafras, flat tobacco, and mullein. Us wore rabbits foots, little bags
+of asfiddy (asafetida), and garlic tabs 'round our necks to keep off
+mis'ries. I wishes I had a garlic tab to wear 'round my neck now.
+
+"One day Old Miss called us togedder and told us dat us was free as jay
+birds. De Niggers started hollerin': 'Thank de Lawd, us is free as de
+jay birds.' 'Bout dat time a white man come along and told dem Niggers
+if he heared 'em say dat again he would kill de last one of 'em. Old
+Miss axed us to stay on wid her and dar us stayed for 'bout three years.
+It paid us to stay dere 'stead of runnin' off lak some udder Niggars dat
+played de fool done. T'warn't long 'fore dem Yankees come 'long, and us
+hustled off to town to see what dey looked lak. I never seed so many
+mens at one time in my life before. When us got back to de plantation de
+overseer told us not to drink no water out of de well, 'cause somebody
+had done put a peck of pizen in dar. He flung a whole bushel of salt in
+de well to help git rid of de pizen.
+
+"Atter de end of de war, I went to wuk as a plow-hand. I sho did keep
+out of de way of dem Ku Kluxers. Folkses would see 'em comin' and holler
+out: 'De Ku Kluxers is ridin' tonight. Keep out of deir way, or dey will
+sho kill you.' Dem what was skeered of bein' cotched and beat up, done
+deir best to stay out of sight.
+
+"It was a long time atter de war was done over 'fore schools for Niggers
+was sot up, and den when Nigger chillun did git to go to school dey
+warn't 'lowed to use de old blue-back spellin' book 'cause white folkses
+said it larn't 'em too much.
+
+"It was two or three years atter de war 'fore any of de Niggers could
+save up enough money to start buyin' land, and den, if dey didn't watch
+dey steps mighty keerful, de white folkses would find a way to git dat
+land back from de Niggers.
+
+"What! Is I got to tell you 'bout dat old Nigger I got married up wid? I
+don't want to talk 'bout dat low down, no 'count devil. Anyhow, I
+married Ed Griffeth and, sho dat, I had a weddin'. My weddin' dress was
+jus' de purtiest thing; it was made out of parade cloth, and it had a
+full skirt wid ruffles from de knees to de hem. De waist fitted tight
+and it was cut lowneck wid three ruffles 'round de shoulder. Dem puff
+sleeves was full from de elbow to de hand. All dem ruffles was aidged
+wid lace and, 'round my waist I wore a wide pink sash. De underskirt was
+trimmed wid lace, and dere was lace on de bottom of de drawers laigs.
+Dat was sho one purty outfit dat I wore to marry dat no 'count man in. I
+had bought dat dress from my young Mist'ess.
+
+"Us had seven chillun and ten grandchillun. Most of 'em is livin' off up
+in Detroit. If Ed ain't daid by now he ought to be; he was a good match
+for de devil.
+
+"I reckon Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Jeff Davis done right as fur as dey knowed
+how and could. If dem northern folkses hadn't fotched us here, us sho
+wouldn't never have been here in de fust place. Den dey hauled off and
+said de South was mean to us Niggers and sot us free, but I don't know
+no diffunce. De North sho let us be atter dat war, and some of de old
+Niggers is still mad 'cause dey is free and ain't got no Marster to feed
+'em and give 'em good warm clothes no more.
+
+"Oh! You gits happy when you jines up wid de church. I sho don't want to
+go to de bad place. Dere ain't but two places to go to, Heaven and hell,
+and I'se tryin' to head for Heaven. Folkses says dat when Old Dives done
+so bad he had to go to de bad place, a dog was sot at his heels for to
+keep him in dar. No Mam, if it's de Good Lawd's will to let me git to
+Heaven, I is sho gwine to keep out of hell, if I kin.
+
+"Goodbye, Missy. Next time you comes fetch me a garlic tab to keep de
+conjure spells 'way from me," was Addie's parting request.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+EMMA VIRGEL, Age 73
+1491 W. Broad Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Grace McCune
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+Augusta, Ga.
+[Date Stamp: MAY 13 1938]
+
+
+Hurrying for shelter from a sudden shower, the interviewer heard a
+cheerful voice singing "Lord I'se Comin' Home," as she rushed up the
+steps of Aunt Emma's small cabin. Until the song was ended she quietly
+waited on the tiny porch and looked out over the yard which was
+attractive with roses and other old-fashioned flowers; then she knocked
+on the door.
+
+Dragging footsteps and the tap, tap of a crutch sounded as Aunt Emma
+approached the door. "Come in out of dat rain, chile, or you sho' will
+have de pneumony," she said. "Come right on in and set here by my fire.
+Fire feels mighty good today. I had to build it to iron de white folkses
+clothes." Aunt Emma leaned heavily on her crutch as she wielded the iron
+with a dexterity attainable only by long years of experience. Asked if
+her lameness and use of a crutch made her work difficult, she grinned
+and answered: "Lawsy chile, I'se jus' so used to it, I don't never think
+'bout it no more. I'se had to wuk all of my life, no matter what was in
+de way." The comfort, warmth and cheer of the small kitchen encouraged
+intimate conversation and when Aunt Emma was asked for the story of her
+childhood days and her recollections of slavery, she replied: "I was too
+little to 'member much, but I'se heared my Ma tell 'bout dem days.
+
+"My Pa and Ma was Louis and Mary Jackson. Dey b'longed to Marse John
+Montgomery, way down in Oconee County. Marse John didn't have no wife
+den, 'cause he didn't git married 'til atter de War. He had a big place
+wid lots of slaves. He was sho' good to 'em, and let 'em have plenty of
+evvything. De slave quarters was log cabins wid big fireplaces, whar dey
+done de cookin'. Dey had racks to hang pots on to bile and dey baked in
+ovens set on de harth (hearth). Dat was powerful good eatin'. Dey had a
+big old gyarden whar dey raised plenty of corn, peas, cabbages,
+potatoes, collards, and turnip greens. Out in de fields dey growed
+mostly corn, wheat, and cotton. Marster kep' lots of chickens, cows,
+hogs, goats, and sheep; and he fed 'em all mighty good.
+
+"Marster let his slaves dance, and my Ma was sho' one grand dancer in
+all de breakdown's. Dey give 'em plenty of toddy and Niggers is dancers
+f'um way back yonder while de toddy lasts.
+
+"Slaves went to deir Marster's meetin's and sot in de back of de church.
+Dey had to be good den 'cause Marster sho' didn't 'low no cuttin' up
+'mongst his Niggers at de church. Ma said he didn't believe in whuppin'
+his Niggers lessen it jus' had to be done, but den dey knowed he was
+'round dar when he did have to whup 'em.
+
+"Ma said when dey had big baptizin's in de river dey prayed and shouted
+and sung 'Washin' 'way my Sins,'--'Whar de Healin' Water Flows,' and
+'Crossin' de River Jerdan.' De white preacher baptized de slaves and den
+he preached--dat was all dere was to it 'ceppen de big dinner dey had in
+de churchyard on baptizin' days.
+
+"When slaves died, dey made coffins out of pine wood and buried 'em whar
+de white folkses was buried. If it warn't too fur a piece to de
+graveyard, dey toted de coffin on three or four hand sticks. Yessum,
+hand sticks, dat's what day called 'em. Dey was poles what dey sot de
+coffin on wid a Nigger totin' each end of de poles. De white preacher
+prayed and de Niggers sung 'Hark f'um de Tomb.'
+
+"Ma said she had a grand big weddin'. She wore a white swiss dress wid a
+bleachin' petticoat, made wid heaps of ruffles and a wreath of flowers
+'round her head. She didn't have no flower gals. Pa had on a long, frock
+tail, jim swinger coat lak de preacher's wore. A white preacher married
+'em in de yard at de big house. All de Niggers was dar, and Marster let
+'em dance mos' all night.
+
+"I was de oldest of Ma's 10 chillun. Dey done all gone to rest now
+'ceptin' jus' de three of us what's lef in dis world of trouble. Yessum,
+dere sho' is a heap of trouble here.
+
+"Atter de War, Ma and Pa moved on Mr. Bill Marshall's place to farm for
+him and dar's whar I was born. Dey didn't stay dar long 'fore dey moved
+to Mr. Jim Mayne's place away out in de country, in de forks of de big
+road down below Watkinsville. I sho' was a country gal. Yessum, I sho'
+was. Mr. Mayne's wife was Mrs. Emma Mayne and she took a lakin' to me
+'cause I was named Emma. I stayed wid her chilluns all de time, slep' in
+de big house, and et dar too, jus' lak one of dem, and when dey bought
+for dey chillun dey bought for me too.
+
+"Us wore homespun dresses and brass toed shoes. Sometimes us would git
+mighty mad and fuss over our games and den Miss Emma would make us come
+in de big house and set down. No Ma'am, she never did whup us. She was
+good and she jus' talked to us, and told us us never would git to Heb'en
+lessen us was good chillun. Us played games wid blocks and jumped de
+rope and, when it was warm, us waded in de crick. Atter I was big
+'nough, I tuk de white chillun to Sunday School, but I didn't go inside
+den--jus' waited on de outside for 'em. I never got a chanct to go to
+school none, but de white chilluns larnt me some.
+
+"Marse Jim was mighty good to de Niggers what wukked for him, and us all
+loved him. He didn't 'low no patterollers or none of dem Ku Kluxers
+neither to bother de Niggers on his place. He said he could look atter
+'em his own self. He let 'em have dances, and evvy Fourth of July he had
+big barbecues. Yessum, he kilt hogs, goats, sheep and sometimes a cow
+for dem barbecues. He believed in havin' plenty to eat.
+
+"I 'members dem big corn shuckin's. He had de mostes' corn, what was in
+great big piles put in a circle. All de neighbors was axed to come and
+bring deir Niggers. De fus' thing to do was to 'lect a gen'ral to stand
+in de middle of all dem piles of corn and lead de singin' of de reels.
+No Ma'am, I don't 'member if he had no shuck stuck up on his hat or not,
+and I can't ricollec' what de words of de reels was, 'cause us chillun
+was little den, but de gen'ral he pulled off de fus' shuck. Den he
+started singin' and den dey all sung in answer to him, and deir two
+hands a-shuckin' corn kep' time wid de song. As he sung faster, dey jus'
+made dem shucks more dan fly. Evvy time de gen'ral would speed up de
+song, de Niggers would speed up deir corn shuckin's. If it got dark
+'fore dey finished, us chillun would hold torch lights for 'em to see
+how to wuk. De lights was made out of big pine knots what would burn a
+long time. Us felt mighty big when us was 'lowed to hold dem torches.
+When dey got done shuckin' all de corn, dey had a big supper, and Honey,
+dem was sho' some good eatments--barbecue of all sorts--jus' thinkin'
+'bout dem pies makes me hongry, even now. Ma made 'em, and she couldn't
+be beat on chicken pies and sweet potato pies. Atter dey done et and
+drunk all dey wanted, Marse Jim would tell 'em to go to it. Dat was de
+word for de gen'ral to start up de dancin', and dat lasted de rest of de
+night; dat is if dey didn't all fall out, for old time corn shuckin'
+breakdowns was drag-outs and atter all dem 'freshments, hit sho' kept
+somebody busy draggin' out dem what fell out. Us chillun was 'lowed to
+stay up long as us wanted to at corn shuckin's, and sometimes us would
+git out and try to do lak de grown-up Niggers. Hit was de mos' fun.
+
+"Dey went huntin' and fishin' and when dey cotch or kilt much, dey had a
+big supper. I 'members de fus' time I ever cooked 'possum. Ma was sick
+in de bed, and de mens had done been 'possum huntin'. Ma said I would
+jus' have to cook dem 'possums. She told me how to fix 'em and she said
+to fix 'em wid potatoes and plenty of butter and red pepper. Den she
+looked at me right hard and said dat dey had better be jus' right. Dat
+skeered me so I ain't never been so I could eat no 'possum since den.
+Yessum, dey was cooked jus' right, but cookin' 'em jus' once when I was
+skeered cured me of de taste for eatin' 'possum.
+
+"Us chillun didn't git out and go off lak dey does dese days. Us stayed
+dar on de plantation. In winter us had to wear plenty of clothes, wid
+flannel petticoats and sich lak, and us stayed in by de fire. Big boys
+had clothes made out of jeans, but little boys wore homespun shirts. On
+hot days us jus' wore one piece of clothes, a sort of shirt what was
+made long and had a yoke in it.
+
+"Dey made me use snuff to cure my sore eyes when I was little, and I
+never could quit usin' it no more. When I was 'bout 15, Ma and Pa moved
+to Athens and I went to wuk for Mr. Joe Webb's fambly. I wukked for 'em
+for 30 years and raised all deir chillun. Dey was all mighty good to me
+and seed dat I had plenty of evvything. I would still be dar, but de old
+folkses all done died out and gone to dey rest and de younguns done
+married and lef' here.
+
+"I was wukkin' right in de house wid 'em when I 'cided to git married.
+Yes Ma'am, I sho' done had one swell elegant weddin'. Jus' evvything
+heart could ask for. I married at my Ma's house, but my white folkses
+was all right dar, and dey had done fixed de house up pretty wid flowers
+all over it. Dey give me my white flannel weddin' dress and it was sho'
+pretty, but dey warn't nothin' lackin' 'bout my second day dress. My
+white folkses bought dat too,--It was a bottle green silk. Lawsy, but I
+was sho' one dressed up bride. It was 8 o'clock dat night when de
+preacher got finished wid tyin' dat knot for me and Sam Virgel. My
+sister and her fellow stood up wid us and us had a big crowd at our
+weddin' supper. Dere was one long table full of our white folkses,
+'sides all de Niggers, and I jus' never seed so much to eat. My white
+folkses said dat Emma jus' had to have plenty for her weddin' feast and
+dey evermore did lay out good things for dat supper, and dem Niggers
+sho' did hide dat chicken and cake away lak dey hadn't never seed none
+before.
+
+"I wukked on for de Webbs 'til dey was all gone. De old folks is in
+Heb'en whar I 'spects to see 'em some day when de Lord done called me
+home. De younguns moved away, but I still loves 'em evvyone, 'cause dey
+looked atter old Emma so good when dey was here. Us never had no chillun
+and Sam done been gone to his res' long years ago. I'se jus' a-wukkin
+and a-waitin 'til I gits called to go too. I don't have plenty all de
+time now lak I used to, and nobody here looks atter old Emma no more,
+but I makes out.
+
+"I'se mighty glad it rained if dat's what sont you to my door. It's been
+nice to talk wid white folkses again. I wisht I had somepin' nice for
+you! Let me cut you a bunch of my flowers?" She carefully placed her
+iron on the hearth and hobbled out in the yard. The May shower had been
+followed by sunshine as she handed her guest a huge bouquet of roses,
+Aunt Emma bowed low. "Good-bye, Missy," she said, "please come back to
+see me."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 7
+Ex-Slave #110]
+Adella S. Dixon
+
+INTERVIEW WITH RHODUS WALTON, EX-SLAVE, Age 84
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+Ten years before the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, a son was
+born to Antony and Patience Walton who lived in Lumpkin, Stewart County,
+Ga. When this son, Rhodus, was three weeks old, his mother, along with
+the three younger children, was sold. His father and the thirteen sons
+and daughters that she left behind were never seen again. His parents'
+birthplace and the name they bore before moving to the Walton home are
+unknown to Rhodus and he never was able to trace his family even after
+"freedom."
+
+The Walton plantation, home of Mr. Sam B. Walton who purchased his
+mother, was a very large one with the "Big House" on an elevation near
+the center. The majestic colonial home with its massive columns was seen
+for miles around and from its central location the master was able to
+view his entire estate.
+
+Approximately one block from the planter's home, the "quarters" were
+clustered. These were numerous loghouses with stick-and-clay chimneys in
+which the slave families dwelt. Each house was composed of one room
+sparsely furnished. The beds were corded with rope and as large families
+were stressed, it was often necessary for several members to sleep on
+the floor. There was an open fireplace at which family meals were
+prepared. Equipment consisted of an iron pot suspended by a hanger and a
+skillet with long legs that enabled the cook to place fire beneath it.
+Bread known as "ash cake" was sometimes cooked on the hot coals.
+
+The auction block was located not far from this old home. Here Rhodus
+Walton with other young children watched slaves emerge from boxcars,
+where they had been packed so closely that there was no room to sit, to
+be sold to the highest bidder. This was one of his most vivid
+recollections.
+
+As Rhodus' father did not come to this home with his family, he knows
+nothing of him. Except for brief intervals his mother worked in the
+house where cotton and wool were spun into thread and then woven into
+cloth from which the slaves' clothing was made. An elder sister nursed
+the master's smaller children. Rhodus' first duties were to drive the
+cows to and from the pastures and to keep the calves from annoying the
+milkers.
+
+His master was a very cruel man whose favorite form of punishment was to
+take a man (or woman) to the edge of the plantation where a rail fence
+was located. His head was then placed between two rails so that escape
+was impossible and he was whipped until the overseer was exhausted. This
+was an almost daily occurrence, administered on the slightest
+provocation.
+
+Saturday was the only afternoon off and Christmas was the only vacation
+period, but one week of festivities made this season long remembered.
+Many "frolics" were given and everyone danced where banjoes were
+available; also, these resourceful people secured much of their music
+from an improvised fiddle fashioned from a hand saw. Immediately after
+these festivities, preparations began for spring planting. New ground
+was cleared; old land fertilized and the corn fields cleared of last
+year's rubbish.
+
+Courtship began at a later age than is customary now but they were much
+more brief. Gifts to one's sweetheart were not permitted, but verses
+such as:
+
+ Roses are red,
+ Violets blue,
+ I don't love
+ No one but you
+
+were invariably recited to the loved one. Young negro men always
+"cocked" their hats on one side of their heads when they became
+interested in the other sex. Marriages were performed by the master.
+Common law situations did not exist.
+
+Serious illnesses were not frequent and home remedies compounded of
+roots and herbes usually sufficed. Queensy's light root, butterfly
+roots, scurry root, red shank root, bull tongue root were all found in
+the woods and the teas made from their use were "cures" for many
+ailments. Whenever an illness necessitated the services of a physician,
+he was called. One difference in the old family doctor and those of
+today was the method of treatment. The former always carried his
+medicine with him, the latter writes prescriptions. The fee was also
+much smaller in olden times.
+
+Food was distributed weekly in quantities according to the size of the
+family. A single man would receive:
+
+ 1 pk. meal on Sunday
+
+ 1 qt. syrup flour (seconds)
+
+ 3-1/2 lbs. meat Holidays--July 4th and Christmas
+ fresh meat.
+
+Peas, pepper grass, polk salad were plentiful in the fields. Milk and
+"pot likker" could be had from the big house when desired, although
+every family cooked for itself. Saturday afternoon was the general
+fishing time and each person might catch as many as he needed for his
+personal use.
+
+The slaves did most of the weaving on the plantation, but after the
+cloth was woven the problem of giving it color presented itself. As they
+had no commercial dye, certain plants were boiled to give color. A plant
+called indigo, found in the cotton patch, was the chief type of dye,
+although thare was another called copperas. The dresses made from this
+material were very plain.
+
+Walton believes in most of the old signs and superstitions because he
+has "watched them and found that they are true." The continuous singing
+of a whipporwill near a house is a sign of death, but if an iron is
+placed in the fire and allowed to remain there, the bird will fly away.
+
+When the news of the war finally reached the plantation, the slaves
+followed the progress with keen interest and when battles were fought
+near Columbus, and firing of guns was heard, they cried joyfully--"It
+ain't gonna be long now." Two of their master's sons fought in the
+Confederate Army, but both returned home before the close of the war.
+One day news came that the Yankee soldiers were soon to come, and Walton
+began to hide all valuables. The slaves were sent to the cemetery to dig
+very deep graves where all manner of food was stored. They were covered
+like real graves and wooden slabs placed at either end. For three days
+before the soldiers were expected, all the house servants were kept busy
+preparing delicacies with which to tempt the Yankees and thus avoid
+having their place destroyed. In spite of all this preparation, they
+were caught unawares and when the "blue coats" were seen approaching,
+the master and his two sons ran. The elder made his way to the woods;
+the younger made away on "Black Eagle" a horse reputed to run almost a
+mile a minute. Nearly everything on the place was destroyed by these
+invaders. One bit of information has been given in every interview where
+Northern soldiers visited a plantation, they found, before coming,
+whether the Master was mean or kind and always treated him as he had
+treated his slaves. Thus Mr. Walton was "given the works" as our modern
+soldiers would say.
+
+When the war ended the slaves were notified that they were free. Just
+before Rhodus' family prepared to move, his mother was struck on the
+head by a drunken guest visiting at the "big house." As soon as she
+regained consciousness, the family ran off without communicating with an
+elder sister who had been sold to a neighbor the previous year. A year
+later, news of this sister reached them through a wagoner who recognized
+the small boys as he passed them. He carried the news to the family's
+new residence back to the lost sister and in a few weeks she arrived at
+Cuthbert to make her home with her relatives.
+
+For the past 9 years Rhodus has been unable to work as he is a victim of
+a stroke on his left side; both sides have been ruptured, and his nerves
+are bad. He attributes his long life to his faith in God.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 5
+Ex-slave #111
+(Ross)]
+
+AN ACCOUNT Of SLAVERY RELATED BY WILLIAM WARD--EX-SLAVE
+[Date Stamp: 10-8-1937]
+
+
+In a small one-room apartment located on one of Atlanta's back streets
+lives William Ward, an ex-slave, whose physical appearance in no way
+justifies his claim to being 105 years of age. He is about five ft. in
+height with a rather smooth brown complexion. What hair he has is gray.
+He moves about like a much younger person. For a person of his age his
+thoughts and speech are remarkably clear.
+
+On a bright sunny afternoon in September this writer had an opportunity
+of talking with Mr. Ward and in the course of the conversation some very
+interesting things were learned regarding the institution of slavery and
+its customs. Ward took a dip of snuff from his little tin box and began
+his story by saying that he is the son of Bill and Leana Ward who were
+brought to this country from Jamaica, B.W.I. The first thing he
+remembers was the falling of the stars in 1833. From that time until he
+was 9 years old he played around the yard with other slave children.
+Then his parents were sent back to Jamaica by their master, the former
+Governor Joseph E. Brown. While he was in bondage he carried the name of
+his masters instead of Ward, his parents' name.
+
+From the age of 9 until he was old enough to do heavy work, he kept the
+master's yard clean.
+
+Although Mr. Brown owned between 50 and 75 slaves, he had no plantation
+but hired his slaves out to other men who needed more help but were not
+able to own as many slaves as their work required.
+
+Mr. Ward and his fellow slaves lived in one-room houses in the rear of
+the master's home. The furnishings consisted of a bed which was known as
+a "Grand Rascal" due to its peculiar construction. The mattress made in
+the form of a large bag was stuffed with hat and dried grass.
+
+At daybreak each morning they were called from these crude beds to
+prepare for the day's work. Breakfast, which consisted of white bacon,
+corn bread, and imitation coffee, was served before they left for the
+scene of their day's work. Incidentally the slaves under Mr. Brown's
+ownership never had any other form of bread than corn bread.
+
+This imitation coffee was made by putting corn meal in a pan, parching
+it until it reached a deep golden brown and steeping it in boiling
+water. At noon, dinner was brought to them in the field in wash tubs
+placed on carts drawn by oxen. Dinner consisted of fat meat, peas and
+corn bread. Often all laundry was done in these same tubs.
+
+The only time that this diet ever varied was at Christmas time when the
+master had all slaves gathered in one large field. Then several hogs
+were killed and barbecued. Everyone was permitted to eat as much as he
+could, but was forbidden to take anything home. When some one was
+fortunate enough to catch a possum or a coon, he had a change of food.
+
+On Sundays the slaves were permitted to have a religious meeting of
+their own. This usually took place in the back yard or in a building
+dedicated for this purpose. They sang spirituals which gave vent to
+their true feelings. Many of these songs are sung today. There was one
+person who did the preaching. His sermon was always built according to
+the master's instructions which were that slaves must always remember
+that they belonged to their masters and were intended to lead a life of
+loyal servitude. None of the slaves believed this, although they
+pretended to believe because of the presence of the white overseer. If
+this overseer was absent sometimes and the preacher varied in the text
+of his sermon, that is, if he preached exactly what he thought and felt,
+he was given a sound whipping.
+
+Mr. Brown was a kind person and never mistreated his slaves, although he
+did furnish them with the whip for infractions of rules such as
+fighting, stealing, visiting other plantations without a "pass", etc.
+Ward vividly recalls that one of the soundest thrashings he ever got was
+for stealing Mr. Brown's whisky. His most numerous offenses were
+fighting. Another form of punishment used in those days was the stocks,
+such as those used in early times in England. Serious offenses like
+killing another person was also handled by the master who might hang him
+to a tree by the feet or by the neck, as he saw fit.
+
+Few slaves ever attempted to escape from Mr. Brown, partially because of
+his kindliness and partically because of the fear inspired by the pack
+of blood hounds which he kept. When an escaped slave was caught he was
+returned to his master and a sound beating was administered.
+
+As far as marriage was concerned on the Brown estate, Mr. Brown, himself
+placed every two individuals together that he saw fit to. There was no
+other wedding ceremony. If any children were born from the union, Mr.
+Brown named them. One peculiarity on the Brown estate was the fact that
+the slaves were allowed no preference or choice as to who his or her
+mate would be. Another peculiarity was these married couples were not
+permitted to sleep together except when the husband received permission
+to spend the night with his wife. Ward is the father of 17 children
+whose whereabouts he does not know.
+
+At this point Ward began to smile, and when he was asked the cause of
+his mirth, he replied that he was thinking about his fellow slaves
+beliefs in conjuring one another. This was done by putting some sort of
+wild berries in the person's food. What he can't understand is why some
+of this black magic was not tried on the white people since they were
+holding the Negroes as slaves.
+
+Ward recalls vividly Sherman's march through Georgia. When Sherman
+reached the present site of Hapeville, he bombarded Atlanta with cannon,
+afterwards marching through and burning the city. The white residents
+made all sorts of frantic attempts to hide their money and other
+valuables. Some hiding places were under stumps of trees and in sides of
+hills. Incidentally Sherman's army found quite a bit of the hidden
+wealth. Slaves were never allowed to talk over events and so very few,
+if any, knew about the war or its results for them before it actually
+happened. At the time that Sherman marched through Atlanta, Ward and
+other slaves were living in an old mansion at the present site of
+Peachtree and Baker Streets. He says that Sherman took him and his
+fellow slaves as far as Virginia to carry powder and shot to the
+soldiers. He states that he himself did not know whether Sherman
+intended to keep him in slavery or free him. At the close of the war,
+his master, Mr. Brown, became ill and died later. Before His death he
+informed the slaves that they could remain on his property or go where
+they wanted to. Ward was taken to Mississippi where he remained in
+another form of slavery (Peonage System) for 40 years. He remembers when
+Atlanta was just a few hills without any buildings. Some of the
+buildings he worked on are the Herman Building and the original Kimball
+House, a picture of which is attached.
+
+He attributes his old age to his belief in God and living a sane life.
+Whenever he feels bad or in low spirits, a drink of coffee or a small
+amount of whisky is enough to brace him. He believes that his remedy is
+better than that used in slavery which consisted mainly of pills and
+castor oil.
+
+With a cheerful good-bye, Ward asked that the writer stop in to see him
+again; said that he would rather live in the present age under existing
+conditions than live in slavery.
+
+
+
+
+Driskell
+JWL 10-12-37
+
+[MR. WILLIAM WARD]
+
+
+Following is Mr. William Ward's description of the bed called "The Grand
+Rascal."
+
+"De beds dat all o' de slaves slept in wus called 'Grand Rascals'. Dey
+wus made on de same order as a box. De way dey made 'em wus like dis:
+dey took four strips of narrow wood, each one of 'em 'bout a foot wide,
+an' den dey nailed 'em together so dat dey wus in de shape of a square.
+Den dey nailed a bottom onto dis square shape. Dis bottom wus called de
+slats. When dis wus finished dey set dis box on some legs to keep it
+off'n de floor, an' den dey got busy wid de mattress. Dey took ol' oat
+sacks an' filled 'em wid straw an' hay an' den dey put dis in de box an'
+slept on it. Dere wusn't no springs on dese bunks an' everybody had a
+hard time sleepin'.
+
+"De real name of dese wus 'Sonova-Bitches' but de slaves called 'em
+'Grand Rascals' 'cause dey didn't want people to hear 'em use a bad
+word.
+
+"After Sherman come through Atlanta he let de slaves go, an' when he
+did, me an' some of de other slaves went back to our ol' masters. Ol'
+man Gov. Brown wus my boss man. After de war wus over Ol' man Gordon
+took me an' some of de others out to Mississippi. I stayed in peonage
+out dere fer 'bout forty years. I wus located at jes' 'bout forty miles
+south of Greenwood, an' I worked on de plantations of Ol' man Sara Jones
+an' Ol' man Gordon.
+
+"I couldn't git away 'cause dey watched us wid guns all de time. When de
+levee busted dat kinda freed me. Man, dey was devils; dey wouldn't 'low
+you to go nowhere--not even to church. You done good to git sumpin' to
+eat. Dey wouldn't give you no clothes, an' if you got wet you jes' had
+to lay down in whut you got wet in.
+
+"An', man, dey would whup you in spite of de devil. You had to ask to
+git water--if you didn't dey would stretch you 'cross a barrel an' wear
+you out. If you didn't work in a hurry dey would whup you wid a strap
+dat had five-six holes in it. I ain't talkin' 'bout whut I heard--I'm
+talkin' 'bout whut I done see'd.
+
+"One time dey sent me on Ol' man Mack Williams' farm here in Jasper
+County, Georgia. Dat man would kill you sho. If dat little branch on his
+plantation could talk it would tell many a tale 'bout folks bein'
+knocked in de head. I done seen Mack Williams kill folks an' I done seen
+'im have folks killed. One day he tol' me dat if my wife had been good
+lookin', I never would sleep wid her again 'cause he'd kill me an' take
+her an' raise chilluns off'n her. Dey uster take women away fum dere
+husbands an' put wid some other man to breed jes' like dey would do
+cattle. Dey always kept a man penned up an' dey used 'im like a stud
+hoss.
+
+"When you didn't do right Ol' Mack Williams would shoot you or tie a
+chain 'roun your neck an' throw you in de river. He'd git dem other
+niggers to carry dem to de river an' if dey didn't he'd shoot 'em down.
+Any time dey didn't do whut he said he would shoot 'em down. He'd tell
+'em to "Ketch dat nigger", an' dey would do it. Den he would tell 'em to
+put de chain 'roun dere neck an' throw 'em in de river. I ain't heard
+dis--I done seen it.
+
+"In 1927 I wus still in peonage but I wus back in Mississippi on
+Gordon's farm. When de levee broke in May of dat same year I lost my
+wife an' three chilluns. I climbed a tree an' stayed dere fer four days
+an' four nights. Airplanes dropped food an' when I got ready to eat I
+had to squeeze de water out of de bread. After four days I got out of de
+tree an' floated on logs down de river 'till I got to Mobile, Alabama,
+an' I wade fum dere to Palmetto, Georgia, where I got down sick. De boss
+mans dere called Gov. Harden an' he sent de Grady Hospital examiners
+down dere an' got me an' I been in Atlanta since dat time."
+
+
+
+
+Willie H. Cole
+10-8-37
+
+THE STORY OF AN EX-SLAVE
+[MRS. LULA WASHINGTON, Age 84]
+
+
+Mrs. Lula Washington was born a slave. She claims to be eighty-four
+years old.
+
+Mrs. Washington was confined to bed because of a recent accident in
+which she received a broken leg.
+
+She is the mother of twenty-three children of which only two are living.
+She lives in one room at 64 Butler St., N.E. with one of her daughters.
+Since the death of her husband several years ago she has been making her
+living as a dray-women, driving a mule and wagon.
+
+Following are some of the events she remembers. "Ah wuz born in
+Randolph, Alabama on de plantation of Marster John Terrell, de sixth
+child of my mammy and pappy".
+
+"When ah wuz six years old marster John sold me an' my sister, Lize and
+brother, Ben to Marster Charlie Henson."
+
+"Marster Charlie wuz good to his niggers.
+
+"He never whipped dem 'less dey done somethin' awful bad, like stealin
+chickens or slipping off de plantation without permission."
+
+"It wuz funny, de white folks would whipped de niggers for stealin' but
+if dey saw a hog in de woods, dey would make the niggers catch de hog an
+kill him an hide him under dey bushes. Den at night de niggers would
+hafta' go down to de spring, build a fire, heat water an skin de hog."
+
+"De man on de plantation next to us' shore wuz mean to his niggers,
+Marster Jim Roberts wus his name. He would take his niggers an strip
+there clothes to dere waist an' lay dem 'cross a barrel an beat dem 'til
+the blood run. Den he would pore salt water on de sore places."
+
+"Oh 'member one time he tied two wimmen by dere thumbs to a limb of a
+tree for blessin' out the missus."
+
+"Us had plenty to eat and plenty to wear, calico dresses an' brogan
+shoes. Sometimes dere misses would give the wimmen some of her old
+clothes".
+
+"All de niggers on Marster Charlie's plantation had to work in de field
+'cept Malindy Lu, a Mulatto nigger gal. Marster Charlie kept her in de
+house to take care of Missus Jane, dat wuz Marster Charlie wife."
+
+"One thing 'bout de mulatto niggers, wuz, dey thought dey wuz better
+than de black niggers. I guess it wuz 'cause dey was half white. Dere
+wuz a bad feelin' 'tween the mulatto slaves an de black ones."
+
+Asked, how did the slaves marry? She replied, "Ah jest don't 'member
+seeing any marry 'cause ah wuz so small. Ah wuz jest eleven years old de
+time of de war but ah' members hearing some of dem say dat when two
+slaves wanted to git married dey would hafta get permission from dere
+marster. Den dey would come 'fore de marster an' he would have dem to
+jump over a broom an den 'nounce dem married."
+
+"When de Yankees come thru" de white folks told us to go down to de
+swamp an hide cause dey would git us. When de war wuz over de white
+folks told us we wuz free."
+
+"Marster Terrell gave my mammy an pappy a oxcart an mule an a bushel of
+meal. Den my pappy an mammy come got me an my sister an' brother. Den we
+come from Randolph, Alabama to Georgia."
+
+"Sometimes I wish I wuz back in slavery, times is so hard."
+
+Mrs. Washington's chief concern now is getting her old-age pension.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+GREEN WILLBANKS, Age 77
+347 Fairview Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Mrs. Sadie B. Hornsby
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Mrs. Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Sept. 19, 1938
+
+
+Fairview Street, where Green Willbanks lives is a section of shabby
+cottages encircled by privet hedges.
+
+As the visitor carefully ascended the shaky steps to his house a mulatto
+man, who was sitting on the veranda, quickly arose. "Good morning," he
+said, "Yes mam, this is Green Willbanks. Have a seat in the swing." The
+porch furniture was comprised of a chair, a swing, and a long bench.
+Green is tall, slender, and stooped; a man with white hair and grizzled
+face. A white broadcloth shirt, white cotton trousers, blue socks, and
+low-cut black shoes made up his far from immaculate costume.
+
+The old man's eyes brightened when he was asked to give the story of his
+life. His speech showed but little dialect, except when he was carried
+away by interest and emotion, and his enunciation was remarkably free
+from Negroid accent.
+
+"I don't mind telling you what I know," he began, "but I was such a
+little chap when the war ended that there's mighty little I can
+recollect about slavery time, and it seems that your chief interest is
+in that period. I was born on a plantation the other side of Commerce,
+Georgia, in Jackson County. My Ma and Pa were Mary and Isom Willbanks;
+they were raised on the same plantation where I was born. Ma was a field
+hand, and this time of the year when work was short in the
+field--laying-by time, we called it--and on rainy days she spun thread
+and wove cloth. As the thread left the spinning wheel it went on a reel
+where it was wound into hanks, and then it was carried to the loom to be
+woven into cloth. Pa had a little trade; he made shoes and baskets, and
+Old Boss let him sell them. Pa didn't make shoes for the slaves on our
+plantation; Old Boss bought them ready-made and had them shipped here
+from the West.
+
+"Me and Jane, Sarah, Mitchell, and Willie were the five children in our
+family. Oh! Miss, I was not big enough to do much work. About the most I
+done was pick up chips and take my little tin bucket to the spring to
+get a cool, fresh drink for Old Miss. Us children stayed 'round the
+kitchen and drunk lots of buttermilk. Old Miss used to say, 'Give my
+pickaninnies plenty of buttermilk.' I can see that old churn now; it
+helt about seven or eight gallons.
+
+"Our houses? Slaves lived in log cabins built the common way. There was
+lots of forest pine in those days. Logs were cut the desired length and
+notches put in each end so they would fit closely and have as few cracks
+as possible, when they stacked them for a cabin. They sawed pine logs
+into blocks and used a frow to split them into planks that were used to
+cover the cracks between the logs. Don't you know what a frow is? That's
+a wooden wedge that you drive into a pine block by hitting it with a
+heavy wooden mallet, or maul, as they are more commonly called. They
+closed the cracks in some of the cabins by daubing them with red mud.
+The old stack chimneys were made of mud and sticks. To make a bed, they
+first cut four posts, usually of pine, and bored holes through them with
+augers; then they made two short pieces for the head and foot. Two long
+pieces for the sides were stuck through the auger holes and the bedstead
+was ready to lay on the slats or cross pieces to hold up the mattress.
+The best beds had heavy cords, wove crossways and lengthways, instead of
+slats. Very few slaves had corded beds. Mattresses were not much; they
+were made of suggin sacks filled with straw. They called that straw
+'Georgia feathers.' Pillows were made of the same things. Suggin cloth
+was made of coarse flax wove in a loom. They separated the flax into two
+grades; fine for the white folks, and coarse for the Negroes.
+
+"The only one of my grandparents I can bring to memory now is Grandma
+Rose on my Pa's side. She was some worker, a regular man-woman; she
+could do any kind of work a man could do. She was a hot horse in her
+time and it took an extra good man to keep up with her when it came to
+work.
+
+"Children were not allowed to do much work, because their masters
+desired them to have the chance to grow big and strong, and therefore
+they had few opportunities to earn money of their own. I never did own
+any money during slavery days, but I saw plenty of ten cent greenbacks
+(shinplasters).
+
+"White children and slave children played around the plantation together
+but they were not allowed to fight. They had to be on friendly terms
+with each other.
+
+"What about our food? The biggest thing we had was buttermilk, some
+sweet milk, and plenty of cornbread, hog meat, and peas. As a rule we
+had wheat bread once a week, usually on Sunday. All kinds of fruits were
+plentiful in their seasons. Each slave family was permitted to have
+separate garden space, in fact, Old Boss insisted that they work their
+own gardens, and they raised plenty of vegetables. Grown folks had
+rabbits and 'possums but I never did get much 'quainted with them. We
+fished in the cricks and rills 'round the plantation and brought in lots
+of hornyheads and perch. You never saw any hornyheads? Why they is just
+fish a little bigger and longer than minnows and they have little horns
+on their heads. We caught a good many eels too; they look like snakes,
+but folks call them eels. I wasn't much 'quainted with them fish they
+brought from way down South; they called them mullets.
+
+"The kitchen was a separate log house out in the back yard. The
+fireplace, where the cooking was done, took up one end of the kitchen,
+and there was a rack acrost it to hang the cook-pots on for biling.
+Baking and frying was done in ovens and heavy iron skillets that sat on
+trivets so coals could be piled underneath, as well as over the lids.
+
+"The long shirts slave boys wore in summer were straight like a meal
+sack open at both ends, with holes in the sides for your arms to go
+through. You stuck your head in one end and it came out the other; then
+you were fully dressed for any whole summer day. These summer shirts
+were made of thin osnaburg. Our winter clothes were made of woolen cloth
+called merino. Old Boss kept enough sheep to provide plenty of wool and
+some mighty good food. Slave children had no extra or special clothes
+for Sunday; they wore the same kind of gowns, or long shirts, seven days
+a week. Old Boss provided brass-toed brogans for winter, but we never
+thought of such a thing as shoes to wear in hot weather.
+
+"My owners were Marse Solomon and his wife, Miss Ann Willbanks. We
+called them Old Boss and Old Miss. As I saw it, they were just as good
+as they could be. Old Boss never allowed nobody to impose on his slave
+children. When I was a little chap playing around the big house, I would
+often drop off to sleep the minute I got still. Good Old Boss would pick
+me up and go lay me on his own bed and keep me there 'til Ma come in
+from the field.
+
+"Old Boss and Old Miss had five children. The boys were Solomon, Isaac,
+James, and Wesley. For the life of me I can't bring to memory the name
+of their only daughter. I guess that's because we frolicked with the
+four boys, but we were not allowed to play with Little Miss.
+
+"It was a right decent house they lived in, a log house with a fine rock
+chimney. Old Boss was building a nice house when the war come on and he
+never had a chance to finish it. The log house was in a cedar grove;
+that was the style then. Back of the house were his orchards where fruit
+trees of every kind we knew anything about provided plenty for all to
+eat in season as well as enough for good preserves, pickles, and the
+like for winter. Old Boss done his own overseeing and, 'cording to my
+memory, one of the young bosses done the driving.
+
+"That plantation covered a large space of land, but to tell you how many
+acres is something I can't do. There were not so many slaves. I've
+forgot how they managed that business of getting slaves up, but I do
+know we didn't get up before day on our place. Their rule was to work
+slaves from sunup to sundown. Before they had supper they had a little
+piddlin' around to do, but the time was their own to do as they pleased
+after they had supper. Heaps of times they got passes and went off to
+neighboring plantations to visit and dance, but sometimes they went to
+hold prayer-meetings. There were certain plantations where we were not
+permitted to go and certain folks were never allowed on our place. Old
+Boss was particular about how folks behaved on his place; all his slaves
+had to come up to a certain notch and if they didn't do that he punished
+them in some way or other. There was no whipping done, for Old Boss
+never did believe in whipping slaves.
+
+"None of the slaves from our place was ever put in that county jail at
+Jefferson. That was the only jail we ever heard of in those days. Old
+Boss attended to all the correction necessary to keep order among his
+own slaves. Once a slave trader came by the place and offered to buy Ma.
+Old Boss took her to Jefferson to sell her on the block to that man. It
+seemed like sales of slaves were not legal unless they took place on the
+trading block in certain places, usually in the county site. The trader
+wouldn't pay what Old Boss asked for her, and Old Miss and the young
+bosses all objected strong to his selling her, so he brought Ma back
+home. She was a fine healthy woman and would have made a nice looking
+house girl.
+
+"The biggest part of the teaching done among the slaves was by our young
+bosses but, as far as schools for slaves was concerned, there were no
+such things until after the end of the war, and then we were no longer
+slaves. There were just a few separate churches for slaves; none in our
+part of the country. Slaves went to the same church as their white folks
+and sat in the back of the house or in a gallery. My Pa could read the
+Bible in his own way, even in that time of slavery; no other slave on
+our place could do that.
+
+"Not one slave or white person either died on our plantation during the
+part of slavery that I can bring to memory. I was too busy playing to
+take in any of the singing at funerals and at church, and I never went
+to a baptizing until I was a great big chap, long after slavery days
+were over.
+
+"Slaves ran off to the woods all right, but I never heard of them
+running off to no North. Paterollers never came on Old Boss' place
+unless he sont for them, otherwise they knowed to stay off. They sho was
+devils in sheeps' clothing; that's what we thought of them paterollers.
+Slaves worked all day Saddays when there was work to be done, but that
+night was their free time. They went where they pleased just so Old Boss
+gave them a pass to protect them from paterollers.
+
+"After slaves went to church Sunday they were free the rest of the day
+as far as they knowed. Lots of times they got 'em a stump
+speaker--usually a Negro--to preach to them. There were not as many
+preachers then as now.
+
+"'Bout Christmas Day? They always had something like brandy, cider, or
+whiskey to stimulate the slaves on Christmas Day. Then there was fresh
+meat and ash-roasted sweet 'taters, but no cake for slaves on our place,
+anyhow, I never saw no cake, and surely no Santa Claus. All we knowed
+bout Christmas was eating and drinking. As a general thing there was a
+big day's work expected on New Years Day because we had to start the
+year off right, even if there was nothing for the slaves to do that day
+but clean fence corners, cut brush and briers, and burn off new ground.
+New Years Day ended up with a big old pot of hog jowl and peas. That was
+for luck, but I never really knowed if it brought luck or not.
+
+"Well, yes, once a year they had big cornshuckings in our section and
+they had generals to lead off in all the singing; that was done to whoop
+up the work. My Pa was one of the generals and he toted the jug of
+liquor that was passed 'round to make his crowd hustle. After the corn
+was shucked the crowd divided into two groups. Their object was to see
+which could reach the owner of the corn first and carry him where he
+wanted to go. Usually they marched with him on their shoulders to his
+big house and set him down on his porch, then he would give the word for
+them to all start eating the good things spread out on tables in the
+yard. There was a heap of drinking done then, and dancing too--just all
+kinds of dancing that could be done to fiddle and banjo music. My Pa was
+one of them fiddlers in his young days. One of the dances was the
+cotillion, but just anybody couldn't dance that one. There was a heap of
+bowing and scraping to it, and if you were not 'quainted with it you
+just couldn't use it.
+
+"When any of the slaves were bad sick Old Boss called in his own family
+doctor, Dr. Joe Bradbury. His plantation hit up against ours. The main
+things they gave for medicine them days was oil and turpentine.
+Sometimes folks got black snakeroot from the woods, biled it, and gave
+the tea to sick folks; that was to clean off the stomach. Everybody wore
+buckeyes 'round their necks to keep off diseases for we never knowed
+nothing about asefetida them days; that came later.
+
+"When the Yankees came through after the surrender Old Boss and Old Miss
+hid their valuables. They told us children, 'Now, if they ask you
+questions, don't you tell them where we hid a thing.' We knowed enough
+to keep our mouths shut. We never had knowed nothing but to mind Old
+Boss, and we were scared 'cause our white folks seemed to fear the
+Yankees.
+
+"Old Boss had done told slaves they were free as he was and could go
+their own way, but we stayed on with him. He provided for Pa and give
+him his share of the crops he made. All of us growed up as field hands.
+
+"Them night-riders were something else. They sho did beat on Negroes
+that didn't behave mighty careful. Slaves didn't buy much land for a
+long time after the war because they didn't have no money, but schools
+were set up for Negroes very soon. I got the biggest part of my
+education in West Athens on Biggers Hill. When I went to the Union
+Baptist School my teacher was Professor Lyons, the founder of that
+institution.
+
+"When me and Molly Tate were married 50 years ago we went to the church,
+because that was the cheapest place to go to have a big gathering. Molly
+had on a common, ordinary dress. Folks didn't dress up then like they
+does now; it was quite indifferent. Of our 10 children, 8 are living now
+and we have 14 grandchildren. Six of our children live in the North and
+two have remained here in Athens. One of them is employed at Bernstein's
+Funeral Home and the other works on the university campus. I thanks the
+Lord that Molly is still with me. We bought this place a long time ago
+and have farmed here ever since. In fact, I have never done nothing but
+farm work. Now I'm too old and don't have strength to work no more.
+
+"I thinks Abraham Lincoln was a all right man; God so intended that we
+should be sot free. Jeff Davis was all right in his way, but I can't say
+much for him. Yes mam, I'd rather be free. Sho! Give me freedom all the
+time. Jesus said: 'If my Son sets you free, you shall be free indeed.'
+
+"When I jined the church, I felt like I was rid of my burden. I sot
+aside the things I had been doing and I ain't never been back to pick
+'em up no more. I jined the Baptist church and have been teaching a
+class of boys every Sunday that I'm able to go. I sho am free from sin
+and I lives up to it.
+
+"I wonder if Molly's got them sweet 'taters cooked what I dug this
+morning. They warn't much 'count 'cause the sun has baked them hard and
+it's been so dry. If you is through with me, I wants to go eat one of
+them 'taters and then lay this old Nigger on the bed and let him go to
+sleep."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist 5]
+Josephine Lowell
+
+[HW: ELIZA WILLIAMSON]
+
+[TR: This interview contained many handwritten edits; where text was
+transposed or meaning was significantly changed, it has been noted.]
+
+
+Just a few recollections of life in slavery time, as told me by [TR:
+illegible] who was Eliza Taliaferro Williamson, daughter of Dickerson
+and Polly Taliaferro. My mother was born at Mt. Airy, North Carolina,
+near the Virginia line, and always went to school, across the line, in
+Virginia. Her grandfather was John Taliaferro, slave holder, tobacco
+raiser, and farmer. The Negro quarters were near the main or Big House.
+Mother said that great-grandfather would go to the back door each night
+and call every slave to come in for family prayer. They came and knelt
+in the Big House, while old marster prayed. Mother said it was like a
+camp-meeting when he died--wailing and weeping by the Negroes for their
+old Marster. She said the slaves had the same food that the white family
+had and the same warm clothes for winter. All clothing, bed sheeting,
+table linen, towels, etc. were hand woven. They raised sheep for wool,
+and flax for linen, but I don't know where they got the cotton they
+used. The work of the house and farm was divided as with a big family.
+Some of the women cooked, sewed, wove, washed, milked, but was never
+sent to the field. None of the Toliver family believed in women working
+in the field. When each of great-grandfather's children married, he or
+she was given a few slaves. I think he gave my grandfather, Dickerson
+Taliaferro, three slaves, and these he brought with him to Georgia when
+they settled in Whitfield County.
+
+My grandfather was a member of the Legislature from Whitfield County for
+two terms. He was as gentle with his slaves as a father would have been,
+and was never known to abuse one of them. One of his slaves, who was a
+small boy at the close of the War, stayed with my grandfather until he
+was a grown man, then after a few years away from home, came home to old
+Marster to die. This is the picture of good slave holders, but sad to
+say all were not of that type. [TR: deleted: 'See next sheet for'] a
+picture of horror, which was also told me by my mother. [TR: deleted:
+'The thought of it'] was like a nightmare to my childish mind.
+
+
+The Story of little Joe.
+
+[TR: deleted: 'Mother said there were'] two families lived on farms
+adjacent to her father. They were the two Tucker brothers, tobacco
+raisers. One of the wives, Polly, or Pol, as she was called, hated the
+family of her husband's brother because they were more affluent than she
+liked them to be. It [HW: Her jealousy] caused the two families to live
+in disagreement.
+
+Little Joe belonged to Pol's family, and was somewhere between ten and
+fourteen years old. Mother said Pol made Joe work in the field at night,
+and forced him to sing so they would know he wasn't asleep. He wore
+nothing in summer but an old shirt made of rough factory cloth which
+came below his knees. She said the only food Pol would give him was
+swill [HW: scraps] from the table--handed to him out the back door.
+Mother said Pol had some kind of impediment in her speech, which caused
+her to say 'ah' at the close of a sentence. So, when she called Joe to
+the back door to give him his mess of scraps, she would say, "Here, Joe,
+here's your truck, ah." Mother was a little girl then, and she and
+grandmother felt so sorry for Joe that they would bake baskets of sweet
+potatoes and slip [TR: 'to the field to give him' replaced with
+illegible text ending 'in the field']. She said he would come through
+the corn, almost crawling, so Pol wouldn't see him, and take the sweet
+potatoes in the tail of his shirt and scuttle back through the tall
+stuff where he might hide and eat it them.
+
+She had a Negro woman who had a baby (and there may have been other
+women) but this Negro woman was not allowed to see her baby except just
+as a cow would be let in to her calf at certain times during the day,
+[TR: 'then' replaced by ??] she had to go to the field and leave it
+alone. Mother said that Pol either threw or kicked the baby into the
+yard because it cried, and it died. I don't know why the authorities
+didn't arrest her, but she may have had an alibi, or some excuse for the
+death of the child.
+
+
+The Burning of the Tobacco Barn
+
+The [HW: other] Tucker brother had made a fine crop of tobacco that
+year, more than a thousand dollars worth in his big barn. Pol made one
+of her slaves go with her, [HW: when] and she set fire to the tobacco
+barn of her brother-in-law's barn, and not being able to get away [HW:
+unable to escape] before the flames [HW: brought] a crowd, she hid in
+the grass, right near the path where the people were running to the
+fire. She had some kind of stroke, perhaps from fright, or pure deviltry
+which 'put her out of business'. I wish I could remember whether it
+killed her or just made a paralytic of her, but this is a true story.
+
+
+
+
+PLANTATION LIFE AS VIEWED BY AN EX-SLAVE
+
+FRANCES WILLINGHAM, Age 78
+288 Bridge Street
+Athens, Georgia
+
+Written by:
+Sadie B. Hornsby
+Athens
+
+Edited by:
+Sarah H. Hall
+Athens
+
+Leila Harris
+Augusta
+
+and
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Residencies 6 & 7
+
+
+The interviewer arrived at Frances Willingham's address on a sultry July
+morning, and found a fat and very black Negress sweeping the sidewalk
+before the three-room frame house. There was no front yard and the front
+steps led up from the sidewalk into the house. A vegetable garden was
+visible at the rear of the lot. The plump sweeper appeared to be about
+five feet tall. Her wooly white hair was plaited in tiny braids, and she
+wore a brown print dress trimmed in red and blue. A strand of red beads
+encircled her short neck, and a blue checked coat and high topped black
+shoes completed her costume. Asked if Frances Willingham was at home,
+the woman replied: "Dis is her you is a-talkin' to. Come right in and
+have a seat."
+
+When Frances was asked for the story of her life, her daughter who had
+doubtless been eavesdropping, suddenly appeared and interrupted the
+conversation with, "Ma, now don't you git started 'bout dem old times.
+You knows your mind ain't no good no more. Tomorrow your tongue will be
+runnin' lak a bell clapper a-talkin' to yourself." "Shut your big mouth,
+Henrietta." Frances answered. "I been sick, and I knows it, but dere
+ain't nothin' wrong wid my mind and you knows it. What I knows I'se
+gwine to tell de lady, and what I don't know I sho' ain't gwine tell no
+lie about. Now, Missus, what does you want to know? Don't pay no
+'tention to dis fool gal of mine 'cause her mouth is big as dis room.
+
+"I was born way off down in Twiggs County 'bout a mile from de town of
+Jeffersonville. My Pa and Ma was Otto and Sarah Rutherford. Our
+Mist'ess, dat was Miss Polly, she called Ma, Sallie for short. Dere was
+nine of us chillun, me and Esau, Harry, Jerry, Bob, Calvin, Otto, Sallie
+and Susan. Susan was our half-sister by our Pa's last marriage. Us
+chillun never done much but play 'round de house and yards wid de white
+chillun. I warn't but four years old when dey made us free." Henrietta
+again interrupted, "See dere, I told you she don't know what she's
+a-talkin' 'bout."
+
+Frances ignored the interruption and continued: "Us lived in log cabins
+what had jus' one room wid a stick and mud chimbly at de end. Our
+bedsteads was made out of rough planks and poles and some of 'em was
+nailed to de sides of de cabins. Mattress ticks was made out of osnaburg
+and us filled 'em wid wheat straw in season. When dat was used up us got
+grass from de fields. Most any kind of hay was counted good 'nough to
+put in a slave's mattress. Dey let us mix some cotton wid de hay our
+pillows was stuffed wid.
+
+"My grandmas lived on another plantation. I 'members once Grandma Suck,
+she wes my Ma's mammy, come to our house and stayed one or two days wid
+us. Daddy's Ma was named Puss. Both my grandmas was field hands, but Ma,
+she was a house gal 'til she got big enough to do de cyardin' and
+spinnin'. Aunt Phoebie done de weavin' and Aunt Polly was de seamster.
+All de lak of dat was done atter de craps was done laid by.
+
+"No Ma'am, nobody never give slave chillun no money in dem times. I
+never had none 'til atter us had done been give our freedom. I used to
+see Old Marster countin' of it, but de slaves never did git none of dat
+money.
+
+"Our Old Marster was a pow'ful rich man, and he sho' b'lieved in givin'
+us plenty to eat. It warn't nothin' fine, but it was good plain eatin'
+what filled you up and kept you well. Dere was cornbread and meat,
+greens of all sorts, 'taters, roas'en-ears and more other kinds of
+veg'tables dan I could call up all day. Marster had one big old gyarden
+whar he kept most evvything a-growin' 'cept cabbages and 'matoes. He
+said dem things warn't fittin' for nobody to eat. Marster let Daddy go
+huntin' enough to fetch in lots of 'possums, coons, rabbits, and
+squirrels. Us cooked 'em 'bout lak us does now, only us never had no
+stoves den, and had to do all de cookin' in open fireplaces in big old
+pots and long handled skillets what had big old heavy lids. I'se seed Ma
+clean many a 'possum in hot ashes. Den she scalded him and tuk out his
+innards. She par-boiled and den baked him and when she fetched him to de
+table wid a heap of sweet 'taters 'round him on de dish, dat was sho'
+somepin good to eat. Daddy done his fishin' in Muddy Crick 'cause slaves
+wern't 'lowed to leave de plantation for nothin' lak dat.
+
+"Summertimes us wore homespun dresses, made wid full skirts sewed on to
+tight fittin' waisties what was fastened down de back wid buttons made
+out of cows and rams horns. Our white petticoat slips and pantalettes
+was made on bodices. In winter us wore balmorals what had three stripes
+'round de bottom, and over dem us had on long sleeved ap'ons what was
+long as de balmorals. Slave gals' pantalettes warn't ruffled and tucked
+and trimmed up wid lace and 'broidery lak Miss Polly's chilluns' was.
+Ours was jus' made plain. Grown folks wore rough brogans, but me, I wore
+de shoes what Miss Polly's chillun had done outgrowed. Dey called 'em
+Jackson shoes, 'cause dey was made wid a extra wide piece of leather
+sewed on de outside so as when you knocked your ankles 'gainst one
+another, it wouldn't wear no holes in your shoes. Our Sunday shoes
+warn't no diffunt from what us wore evvyday.
+
+[TR: HW sidenote: 'durable', regarding Jackson Shoes]
+
+"Marse Lish Jones and his wife--she was Miss Polly--was our Marster and
+Mist'ess. Dey sho' did love to be good to deir little Niggers. Dey had
+five chillun of deir own, two gals and three boys. Dey was: Mary, Anna
+Della, Steve, John, and Bob. 'Bout deir house! Oh, Missus, dat was
+somepin to see for sho'. It was a big old fine two-story frame house wid
+a porch 'cross de front and 'round both sides. Dere was five rooms on de
+fust floor and three upstairs. It sho' did look grand a-settin' back dar
+in dat big old oak grove.
+
+"Old Marster had a overseer but he never had no car'iage driver 'cause
+he loved to drive for hisself so good. Oh Lord! How big was dat
+plantation? Why, it must have been as big as from here to town. I never
+did know how many slaves Marster had, but dat old plantation was plumb
+full of 'em. I ain't never seed Old Marster do nothin' 'cept drive his
+car'iage, walk a little, and eat all he wanted to. He was a rich man,
+and didn't have to do nothin'.
+
+"Our overseer got all de slaves up 'fore break of day and dey had to be
+done et deir breakfast and in de field when de sun riz up. Dat sun would
+be down good 'fore dey got to de house at night. I never seed none of de
+grown folks git whupped, but I sho' got a good beatin' myself one time.
+I had done got up on top of de big house porch and was a-flappin' my
+arms and crowin' lak a rooster. Dey told me to come on down, but I
+wouldn't mind nobody and kept on a-crowin' and a-flappin', so dey
+whupped me down.
+
+"Dey had jails in Jeffersonville, but dem jails was for white folks what
+didn't be-have deirselfs. Old Marster, de overseer, and de patterollers
+kept de slaves straight. Dey didn't need no jails for dem.
+
+"I ain't never been to school a day in my life, 'cause when I was
+little, Niggers warn't 'lowed to larn to read and write. I heared Ma say
+de colored preacher read out of de Bible, but I never seed him do it,
+'cause I never went to church none when I was a chap. Colored folks had
+deir own church in a out settlement called John De Baptist. Dat's whar
+all de slaves went to meetin'. Chilluns was 'lowed to go to baptizin's.
+Evvybody went to 'em. Dey tuk dem converts to a hole in de crick what
+dey had got ready for dat purpose. De preacher went fust, and den he
+called for de converts to come on in and have deir sins washed away.
+
+"Our Marster sot aside a piece of ground 'long side of his own place for
+his Niggers to have a graveyard. Us didn't know nothin' 'bout no
+fun'rals. When one of de slaves died, dey was put in unpainted home-made
+coffins and tuk to de graveyard whar de grave had done been dug. Dey put
+'em in dar and kivvered 'em up and dat was all dey done 'bout it.
+
+"Us heared a plenty 'bout patterollers beatin' up Niggers what dey
+cotched off deir Marsters' plantations widout no passes. Sometimes dey
+cotched one of our Marster's slaves and sometimes dey didn't, but dey
+was all time on deir job.
+
+"When slaves come in from de fields at night de 'omans cleant up deir
+houses atter dey et, and den washed and got up early next mornin' to put
+de clothes out to dry. Mens would eat, set 'round talkin' to other mens
+and den go to bed. On our place evvybody wukked on Saddays 'til 'bout
+three or four o'clock and if de wuk was tight dey wukked right on 'til
+night lak any other day. Sadday nights de young folks got together to
+have deir fun. Dey danced, frolicked, drunk likker, and de lak of dat.
+Old Marster warn't too hard on 'em no time, but he jus' let 'em have dat
+night to frolic. On Sunday he give dem what wanted 'em passes to go to
+church and visit 'round.
+
+"Christmas times, chilluns went to bed early 'cause dey was skeered
+Santa Claus wouldn't come. Us carried our stockin's up to de big house
+to hang 'em up. Next mornin' us found 'em full of all sorts of good
+things, 'cept oranges. I never seed nary a orange 'til I was a big gal.
+Miss Polly had fresh meat, cake, syrup puddin' and plenty of good sweet
+butter what she 'lowanced out to her slaves at Christmas. Old Marster,
+he made syrup by de barrel. Plenty of apples and nuts and groundpeas was
+raised right dar on de plantation. In de Christmas, de only wuk slaves
+done was jus' piddlin' 'round de house and yards, cuttin' wood, rakin'
+leaves, lookin' atter de stock, waitin' on de white folks and little
+chores lak dat. Hard work started again on de day atter New Year's Day.
+Old Marster 'lowed 'em mighty little rest from den 'til atter de craps
+was laid by.
+
+"Course Marster let his slaves have cornshuckin's, cornshellin's, cotton
+pickin's, and quiltin's. He had grove atter grove of pecan, chestnut,
+walnut, hickor'nut, scalybark, and chinquapin trees. When de nuts was
+all gathered, Old Marster sold 'em to de big men in de city. Dat was why
+he was so rich. Atter all dese things was gathered and tended to, he
+give his slaves a big feast and plenty to drink, and den he let 'em rest
+up a few days 'fore dey started back to hard wuk.
+
+"I never seed but one marriage on Old Marster's plantation, and I never
+will forgit dat day. Miss Polly had done gimme one of little Miss Mary's
+sho' 'nough pretty dresses and I wore it to dat weddin', only dey never
+had no real weddin'. Dey was jus' married in de yard by de colored
+preacher and dat was all dere was to it.
+
+"Ma used to tell us if us didn't be-have Raw Head and Bloody Bones would
+come git us and take us off. I tried to see him but I never did. Grown
+folks was all time skeerin' chillun. Then us went to bed at night, us
+used to see ghosties, what looked lak goats tryin' to butt us down. Ma
+said I evermore used to holler out in my sleep 'bout dem things I was so
+skeered of.
+
+
+[HW sidenote: Home remedies]
+
+"White folks was mighty good and kind when deir slaves got sick. Old
+Marster sont for Dr. 'Pree (DuPree) and when he couldn't git him, he got
+Dr. Brown. He made us swallow bitter tastin' powders what he had done
+mixed up in water. Miss Polly made us drink tea made out of Jerusalem
+oak weeds. She biled dem weeds and sweetened de tea wid syrup. Dat was
+good for stomach trouble, and us wore elder roots strung 'round our
+necks to keep off ailments.
+
+"Mercy me! I'se seed plenty of dem yankees a-gwine and comin'. Dey come
+to our Marster's house and stole his good mules. Dey tuk what dey wanted
+of his meat, chickens, lard and syrup and den poured de rest of de syrup
+out on de ground. Atter de war was over Niggers got so rowdy dem Ku
+Kluxers come 'long to make 'em be-have deirselfs.' Dem Niggers and
+Kluxers too jus' went hog wild.
+
+"What did Niggers have to buy no land wid, when dey never had no money
+paid 'em for nothin' 'til atter dey was free? Us jus' stayed on and
+wukked for Old Marster, 'cause dere warn't no need to leave and go to no
+other place. I was raised up for a field hand, and I ain't never wukked
+in no white folks house.
+
+"Me I'se sho' glad Mr. Lincoln sot us free. Iffen it was still slav'ry
+time now old as I is, I would have to wuk jus' de same, sick or no. Now
+I don't have to ax nobody what I kin do. Dat's why I'se glad I'se free.
+
+"Now, 'bout my marriage; I was a-living in Putnam County at dat time,
+and I got married up wid Green Willingham. He had come dar from Jasper
+County. I didn't have no weddin'. Ma jus' cooked a chicken for us, and I
+was married in a white dress. De waist had ruffles 'round de neck and
+sleeves. Us had 17 chilluns in all, seven boys and 10 gals, dere was 19
+grandchillun and 21 great grandchillun. Dey ain't all of 'em livin', and
+my old man, he's done been daid a long time ago."
+
+Henrietta again made her appearance and addressed her mother: "Hush your
+mouth Ma, for you knows you ain't got all dem chillun. I done told de
+lady you ain't got your right mind." Frances retorted: "You shut up your
+mouth, Henrietta. I is so got my right mind, and I knows how many
+chillun of mine dere was. One thing sho' you is got more mouth dan all
+de rest of my chillun put together."
+
+The interviewer closed her notebook and took her departure, leaving
+Frances dozing in her chair.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist-1-2
+Ex-slave #114
+(Mrs. Stonestreet)]
+
+ADELINE WILLIS--EX-SLAVE
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+Who is the oldest ex-slave in Wilkes County? This question was answered
+the other day when the quest ended on the sunny porch of a little
+cottage on Lexington Road in Washington-Wilkes, for there in a straight
+old-fashioned split-bottom chair sat "Aunt" Adeline Willis basking in
+the warm October sunshine. She is remarkable for her age--she doesn't
+know just exactly how old she is, from all she tells and what her "white
+folks" say she is around a hundred. Her general health is good, she
+spends her days in the open and tires only on the days she cannot be out
+in her place in the sun. She has the brightest eyes, her sight is so
+good she has never had to wear glasses; she gets around in the house and
+yard on her cane. Her memory is excellent, only a time or two did she
+slowly shake her head and say apologetically--"Mistress, it's been so
+long er go, I reckon I done forgot".
+
+From her long association with white people she uses very little Negro
+dialect and always refers to her Mother as "Mother", never as Ma or
+Mammy as most Negroes do. This is very noticable.
+
+Her mother was Marina Ragan, "cause she belonged to the Ragans,"
+explained Aunt Adeline, "and she was born on the Ragan Plantation right
+down on Little River in Greene County" (Georgia). When Marina's "young
+Mistress" married young Mr. Mose Wright of Oglethorpe County, she took
+Marina to her new home to be her own servant, and there is where Adeline
+was born. The place was known as the Wright Plantation and was a very
+large one.
+
+Adeline doesn't remember her father, and strange to say, she cannot
+recall how many brothers and sisters she had though she tried hard to
+name them all. She is sure, however, there were some older and some
+younger, "I reckon I must er come along about the middle", she said.
+
+After a little while Aunt Adeline was living far back in the past and
+talked freely--with questions now and then to encourage her
+reminiscences, she told many interesting things about her life as a
+slave.
+
+She told about the slaves living in the Quarters--log houses all in a
+long row near the "white folks' house", and how happy they were. She
+couldn't remember how many slaves were on the plantation, but was sure
+there were many: "Yas'm, my Marster had lots of niggers, jest how many,
+I don't know, but there sho' was a sight of us". They were given their
+allowance of "rations" every week and cooked their own meals in their
+cabins. They had good, plain, home-raised things to eat--"and we was
+glad to get it too. We didn't have no fancy fixings, jest plain food".
+Their clothes were made by Negro sewing women out of cloth spun and
+woven right there in the Quarters. All the little dresses were made
+alike. "When they took a notion to give us striped dresses we sho' was
+dressed up. I never will forget long as I live, a hickory
+stripe--(that's what they called stripes in them days)--dress they made
+me, it had brass buttons at the wrist bands. I was so proud of that
+dress and felt so dressed up in it I jest strutted er round with it on",
+and she chuckled over the recollection of that wonderful dress she wore
+so long ago.
+
+When asked what was the very first thing she remembered, Aunt Adeline
+gave a rather surprising answer: "The first thing I recollect is my love
+for my Mother--I loved her so and would cry when I couldn't be with her,
+and as I growed up I kept on loving her jest that a-way even after I
+married and had children of my own."
+
+The first work she did was waiting in the house. Before she could read
+her mistress taught her the letters on the newspapers and what they
+spelled so she could bring them the papers they wanted. Her mother
+worked in the field: she drove steers and could do all kinds of farm
+work and was the best meat cutter on the plantation. She was a good
+spinner too, and was required to spin a broach of "wool spinning" every
+night. All the Negro women had to spin, but Aunt Adeline said her mother
+was specially good in spinning wool and "that kind of spinning was
+powerful slow". Thinking a moment, she added: "And my mother was one of
+the best dyers anywhere 'round, and I was too. I did make the most
+colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I recollect the
+prettiest sort of a lilac color I made with maple bark and pine bark,
+not the outside pine bark, but that little thin skin that grows right
+down next to the tree--it was pretty, that color was."
+
+Aunt Adeline thinks they were more fortunate than any other little
+slaves she knew because their marster had a little store right there
+where he would give them candy every now and then--bright pretty sticks
+of candy. She remembers one time he gave them candy in little tin cups,
+and how proud of those cups they were. He never gave them money, but out
+of the store they could get what money bought so they were happy. But
+they had to have whippings, "yas'um, good er bad we got them whippings
+with a long cowhide kept jest fer that. They whipped us to make us grow
+better, I reckon".
+
+Although they got whippings a-plenty they were never separated by sale.
+"No mam, my white folks never believed in selling their niggers", said
+Aunt Adeline, and related an incident proving this. "I recollect once my
+oldest brother done something Marster didn't like an' he got mighty mad
+with him an' said 'Gus, I'm goin' ter sell you, I ain't a-goin' to keep
+you no longer'. Mistress spoke up right quick and said: 'No you ain't
+a-goin' to sell Gus, neither, he's nussed and looked after all our
+oldest chillun, and he's goin' to stay right here'. And that was the
+last of that, Gus was never sold--he went to war with his young Marster
+when he went and died up there in the war cause he was homesick, so
+Marster come back and said."
+
+Aunt Adeline was surprised when asked if the Doctor ever was called in
+to see her or any of the slaves when they were sick back in slavery
+days--in fact she was a bit indignant as she answered; "_No mam_, I was
+born, growed up, married, had sixteen children and never had no Doctor
+with me 'til here since I got so old". She went on to say that her white
+folks looked after their Negroes when they were sick.
+
+They were given tonics and things to keep them well so sickness among
+them was rare. No "store-bought" medicines, but good old home-made
+remedies were used. For instance, at the first sniffle they were called
+in and given a drink of fat lightwood tea, made by pouring boiling water
+over finely split kindling--"that" explained Aunt Adeline, "was cause
+lightwood got turpentine in it". In the Springtime there was a mixture
+of anvil dust (gathered up from around the anvil in the blacksmith's
+shop) and mixed with syrup, and a teaspoon full given every morning or
+so to each little piccaninny as they were called up in the "white folks'
+yard". Sometimes instead of this mixture they were given a dose of
+garlic and whisky--all to keep them healthy and well.
+
+There was great rejoicing over the birth of a Negro baby and the white
+folks were called upon to give the little black stranger a name.
+
+Adeline doesn't remember anything about the holidays and how they were
+spent, not even Christmas and Thanksgiving, but one thing she does
+remember clearly and that is: "All my white folks was Methodist folks,
+and they had fast days and no work was done while they was fastin' and
+prayin'. And we couldn't do no work on Sunday, no mam, everybody had to
+rest on that day and on preachin' days everybody went to church, white
+and black to the same church, us niggers set up in the gallery that was
+built in the white folks' church for us".
+
+There wasn't any time for play because there was so much work to do on a
+big plantation, but they had good times together even if they did have
+so much to do.
+
+Before Adeline was grown her "young Mistress," Miss Mary Wright, married
+Mr. William Turner from Wilkes County, so she came to the Turner
+Plantation to live, and lived there until several years after the War.
+Adeline hadn't been in her new home long before Lewis Willis, a young
+Negro from the adjoining plantation, started coming to see her. "Lewis
+come to see me any time 'cause his Marster, Mr. Willis, give him a pass
+so he wasn't scared to be out at night 'count of the Patterollers. They
+didn't bother a nigger if he had a pass, they sho' did beat him." [HW: ?]
+
+When Adeline was fourteen years old she and Lewis married, or rather it
+was like this: "We didn't have no preacher when we married, my Marster
+and Mistess said they didn't care, and Lewis's Master and Mistress said
+they didn't care, so they all met up at my white folks' house and had us
+come in and told us they didn't mind our marryin'. My Marster said, 'Now
+you and Lewis wants to marry and there ain't no objections so go on and
+jump over the broom stick together and you is married'. That was all
+there was to it and we was married. I lived on with my white folks and
+he lived on with his and kept comin' to see me jest like he had done
+when he was a courtin'. He never brought me any presents 'cause he
+didn't have no money to buy them with, but he was good to me and that
+was what counted."
+
+Superstition and signs still have a big place in the life of this woman
+even after a hundred long years. She has outlived or forgotten many she
+used to believe in, but still holds fast to those she remembers. If a
+rooster crows anywhere near your door somebody is coming "and you might
+as well look for 'em, 'cause that rooster done told you". When a person
+dies if there is a clock in the room it must be stopped the very minute
+of death or it will never be any more good--if left ticking it will be
+ruined. Every dark cloudy day brings death--"Somebody leaving this
+unfriendly world today". Then she is sure when she "feels sadness" and
+doesn't know why, it a sign somebody is dying "way off somewhere and we
+don't know it". Yes, she certainly believes in all the signs she
+remembers even "to this good day", as she says.
+
+When asked about the war Aunt Adeline said that times were much harder
+then: "Why we didn't have no salt--jest plain salt, and couldn't get
+none them days. We had to get up the dirt in the smokehouse where the
+meat had dripped and 'run it' like lye, to get salt to put on
+things--yas'm, times was sho' hard and our Marster was off in war all
+four years and we had to do the best we could. We niggers wouldn't know
+nothing about it all if it hadn't a been for a little old black, sassy
+woman in the Quarters that was a talkin' all the time about 'freedom'.
+She give our white folks lots of trouble--she was so sassy to them, but
+they didn't sell her and she was set free along with us. When they all
+come home from the war and Marster called us up and told us we was free,
+some rejoiced so they shouted, but some didn't, they was sorry. Lewis
+come a runnin' over there an' wanted me and the chillun to go on over to
+his white folks' place with him, an' I wouldn't go--_No mam_, I wouldn't
+leave my white folks. I told Lewis to go on and let me 'lone, I knowed
+my white folks and they was good to me, but I didn't know his white
+folks. So we kept living like we did in slavery, but he come to see me
+every day. After a few years he finally 'suaded me to go on over to the
+Willis place and live with him, and his white folks was powerful good to
+me. After a while, tho' we all went back and lived with my white folks
+and I worked on for them as long as I was able to work and always felt
+like I belonged to 'em, and you know, after all this long time, I feel
+like I am their's."
+
+"Why I live so long, you asking? 'Cause I always been careful and took
+good care of myself, eat a plenty and stayed out in the good fresh open
+air and sunshine when I could--and then I had a good husband that took
+care of me." This last reason for her long life was added as an after
+thought and since Lewis, her husband, has been dead these forty years
+maybe those first named causes were the real ones. Be that as it may,
+Aunt Adeline is a very remarkable old woman and is most interesting to
+talk with.
+
+
+
+
+FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECTS
+Augusta-Athens
+Supervisor: Miss Velma Bell
+
+EXCERPTS FROM SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+UNCLE WILLIS
+[Date Stamp: APR 8 1937]
+
+[TR: Also in combined interviews as Willis Bennefield.]
+
+
+"Uncle Willis" lived with his daughter, Rena, who is 74 years old. "I
+his baby," said Rena. "All dead but me and I ain't no good for him now,
+'cause I kain't tote nothin'."
+
+When asked where her father was, Rena looked out over the blazing cotton
+field and called:
+
+"Pap! Oh--pappy! Stop pickin' cotton and come in awhile. Dey's some
+ladies wants to see you."
+
+Uncle Willis hobbled slowly to the cabin, which was set in the middle of
+the cotton patch. He wore clean blue overalls, obviously new. His small,
+regular features had high cheekbones. There was a tuft of white hair on
+his chin, and his head was covered with a "sundown" hat.
+
+"Mawnin," he said. "I bin sick. So I thought I might git some cotton
+terday."
+
+Willis thinks he is 101 years old. He said: "I was 35 years old when
+freedom declared." He belonged to a doctor in Burke County, who, Willis
+at first said, had three or four plantations. Later he stated that the
+good doctor had five or six places, all in Burke County.
+
+"I wuk in de fiel'," he went on: "and I drove de doctor thirty years. He
+owned 300 slaves. I never went to school a day in my life, 'cept Sunday
+school, but I tuk de doctor's sons four miles ev'y day to school. Guess
+he had so much business in hand he thought de chillun could walk. I used
+to sit down on de school steps 'till dey turn out. I got way up de
+alphabet by listenin', but when I went to courtin' I forgot all dat."
+
+Asked what his regular duties were, Willis answered with pride:
+
+"Marster had a ca'yage and a buggy too. My father driv' de doctor.
+Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed, and had to hitch up my horse and go
+five or six mile. I had a regular saddle horse, two pair of horses for
+ca'yage. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County. He made
+his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to Bath,
+wheh he had a house on Tena Hill. We driv' down in de ca'yage. Sundays
+we went to church when Dr. Goulding preach. De darkies went in de side
+do'. I hear him preach many times."
+
+Asked about living conditions on the plantation, Willis replied:
+
+"De big house was set in a half acre yard. 'Bout fifty yards on one side
+was my house, and fifty yards on de yudder side was de house o' Granny,
+a woman what tended de chillun and had charge o'de yard when we went to
+Bath." Willis gestured behind him. "Back yonder was de quarters, half a
+mile long; dey wuz one room 'crost, and some had shed room. When any of
+'em got sick, Marster would go round to see 'em all."
+
+As to church, Willis said:
+
+"I belongst to Hopeful Church. Church people would have singin' and
+prayin' and de wicked people would have dancin' and singin'." Willis
+chuckled. "At dat time I wuz a regular dancer! I cut de pigeon wing high
+enough! Not many cullud peoples know de Bible in slavery time. We had
+dances, and prayers, and sing, too. We sang a song, 'On Jordan's stormy
+banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye.'"
+
+"How about marriages?" Willis was asked.
+
+"Colored preacher marry 'em. You had to get license and give it to de
+preacher and he marry 'em. When de men on our plantation had wives on
+udder plantations, dey call 'em broad wives."
+
+"Did you give your wife presents when you were courting?" he was asked.
+
+"I went to courtin' and never give her nuthin' till I marry her."
+
+As to punishments, Willis said that slaves were whipped as they needed
+it, and as a general rule the overseer did the whipping.
+
+"When derky wouldn't take whippin' from de overseer," he said, "he had
+to ca'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin' de marster brush
+'em. Why, de darkies would whip de overseer!"
+
+Willis was asked to describe how slaves earned money for personal use,
+and replied:
+
+"Dey made dey own money. In slavery time, if you wanted four-five acre
+of land to plant you anything on, marster give it to you and whatever
+dat land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it
+any way you wanted. Still he give you somethin' to eat and clothe you,
+but dat patch you mek cotton on, sometimes a whole bale, dat money
+yours."
+
+Willis thought the plantation house was still there, "but it badly
+wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobuddy living in it now. It
+south of Waynesboro."
+
+"When de soldiers come thoo'," continued Willis, "dey didn't burn dat
+place, but dey went in dere and took out ev'yting dey want and give it
+to de cullud people. Dey kep' it till dey got free. De soldiers tuk de
+doctor's horses and ca'y 'em off. Got in de crib and tek de corn. Got in
+de smoke 'ouse and tek de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver
+in an iron chist. Dey tuk it 300 yards away to a clump o' trees and bury
+it. It tuk fo' men to ca'y it. Dere was money widout mention in dat
+chist! After de soldiers pass thoo' dey went down and got it back."
+
+"What did you do after freedom was declared?"
+
+Willis straightened up.
+
+"I went down to Augusta to de Freedman's Bureau to see if twas true we
+wuz free. I reckon dere was over a hundred people dere. De man got up
+and stated to de people: 'You all is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got
+no mistis and no marster. Work when you want.' On Sunday morning Old
+Marster sont de house gal and tell us to all come to de house. He said:
+
+'What I want to send for you all is to tell you dat you are free. You
+hab de privilege to go anywheh you want, but I don't want none o' you to
+leave me now. I wants you-all to stay right wid me. If you stay, you
+mus' sign to it.'
+
+I asked him:
+
+'What you want me to sign for? I is free.'
+
+'Dat will hold me to my word and hold you to yo' word,' he say.
+
+"All my folks sign it, but I wouldn't sign. Marster call me up and say:
+'Willis, why wouldn't you sign?' I say: 'If I is already free, I don't
+need to sign no paper. If I was workin' for you and doin' for you befo'
+I got free, I kin do it still, if you wants me to stay wid you.'
+
+"My father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My
+mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I say:
+'Den I kin go somewheh else.'
+
+"Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a month, other hands $10.00, and
+den on down to five and six dollars. He give rations like dey always
+have. When Christmus' come, all come up to be paid off. Den he calls me.
+Ask whar is me? I was standin' roun' de corner of de house. 'Come up
+here, Willis,' he say. 'You didn't sign dat paper but I reckon I hab to
+pay you too.' He paid me and my wife $180.00. I said: 'Well, you-all
+thought he wouldn't pay me, but I got my money too.'
+
+"I stayed to my marster's place one year after de war, den I lef' dere.
+Nex' year I decided I would quit dere and go somewheh else. It was on
+account o' my wife. You see, Marster bought her off, as de highes'
+bidder, down in Waynesboro, and she ain't seen her mother and father for
+fifteen years. When she got free, she went down to see 'em. Waren't
+willin' to come back. T'was on account o' Mistis and her. Dey bofe had
+chilluns, five-six year old. De chilluns had disagreement. Mistis slap
+my gal. My wife sass de Mistis. But my marster, he wuz as good a man as
+ever born. I wouldn't have lef' him for nobody, just on account of his
+wife and her fell out."
+
+"What did your master say when you told him you were going to leave? Was
+he sorry?"
+
+"I quit and goes over three miles to another widow lady's house, and mek
+bargain wid her," said Willis. "I pass right by de do'. Old boss sittin'
+on de pi--za. He say: 'Hey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say: 'I 'cided to
+go.' I wuz de fo'man' o' de plow-han' den. I saw to all de looking up,
+and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He come out to de gate.
+'tell you what I give you to stay on here. I give you five acre of as
+good land as I got, and $30.00 a month, to stay here and see to my
+bizness.'"
+
+Willis paused a moment, thinking back on that long distant parting.
+
+"I say," he went on, "'I can't, marster. It don't suit my wife 'round
+here. She won't come back. I can't stay.'
+
+"He turn on me den, and busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise
+up a darky dat would talk dat-a-way,' he said. Well, I went on off. I
+got de wagon and come by de house. Marster say: 'Now, you gwine off but
+don't forget me, boy. Remember me as you always done.' I said: 'All
+right.'"
+
+Willis chewed his tobacco reflectively for a few minutes, spat into the
+rosemary bush and resumed his story.
+
+"I went over to dat widow lady's house and work. Along about May I got
+sick. She say: 'I going send for de doctor.' I say: 'Please ma'am, don't
+do dat.' (I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him.) She say: 'Well,
+I gwine send fo' him.' I in desprut condition. When I know anything, he
+walk up in de do'. I was laying' wid my face toward de do', and I turn
+over.
+
+"Doctor come up to de bed. 'Boy, how you gettin' on?' 'I bad off,' I
+say. He say: 'see you is. Yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, whut you think of
+him?' Doctor say: 'Mistis, it mos' too late, but I do all I kin.' She
+say: 'Please do all you kin, he 'bout de bes' han' I got.'
+
+"Doctor fix up med'cine and tole her to give it to me.
+
+"She say: 'Uncle Will, tek dis med'cine. I 'fraid to tek it. 'Fraid he
+wuz tryin' to kill me. Den two men, John and Charlie, come in. Lady say:
+'Get dis med'cine in Uncle Will.' One o' de men hold my hand and dey gag
+me and put it in me. Nex' few days I kin talk and ax for somethin' to
+eat so I git better. (I say: "Well, he didn't kill me when I tuk de
+med'cine!')
+
+"I stayed dere wid her," continued Willis. "Nex' year I move right back
+in two miles, other side wheh I always live, wid anudder lady. I stay
+dere three year. Got along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef'
+dere wid $300.00 and plenty corn and hog. Everything I want, and three
+hundred cash dollars in my pocket!"
+
+It was plain that in his present status of relief ward, Uncle Willis
+looked back on that sum of money as a small fortune. He thought about it
+awhile, spat again, and went on:
+
+"Fourth year I lef and went down to anudder place near de Creek. I stay
+dere 33 years in dat one place."
+
+"Uncle Willis, did you ever see the doctor again?"
+
+"He die 'fore I know it," he replied. "I was 'bout fifteen miles from
+him, and by de time I year o' his death, he bury on plantation near de
+creek."
+
+Willis was asked about superstitions and answered with great
+seriousness:
+
+"Eve'ybuddy in de worl' hab got a sperrit what follow 'em roun' and dey
+kin see diffrunt things. In my sleep I hab vision."
+
+"Pappy, tell de ladies 'bout de hant," urged Aunt Rena from her post in
+the doorway, and Willis took up the story with eagerness:
+
+"One night I was gwine to a lady's store, ridin' a horse. De graveyard
+was 100 yards from de road I wuz passin'. De moon was shinin' bright as
+day. I saw somethin' comin' out of dat graveyard. It come across de
+road, right befo' me. His tail were draggin' on de ground--a long tail.
+He had hair on both sides of him, layin' down on de road. He crep' up. I
+pull de horse dis way. He move too. I yell out: 'What in de name o' God
+is dat?' And it turn right straight around and went back to de
+graveyard. I went on to de lady's house and done my shoppin'. I tell you
+I wuz skeered, 'cause I was sho' I would see it going back, but I never
+saw it. De horse was turrible skeered of it. It looked like a Maryno
+sheep and it had a long, swishy tail."
+
+Uncle Willis was asked if he had ever seen a person "conjured" and he
+answered:
+
+"Dey is people in de worl' got sense enough to kill out de conjur in
+anybuddy, but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say, if a person conjur
+you, you'll git somethin' in you dat would kill you."
+
+Asked to what he attributed his long, healthy life, Willis raised his
+head with a preaching look and replied:
+
+"I tell you, Missis, 'zactly what I believe, I bin tryin' to serve God
+ever since I come to be a man of family. I bin tryin' to serve de Lawd
+79 years, and I live by precept of de word. Until today nobuddy can turn
+me away from God business. I am a man studying my gospel, I ain't able
+to go to church, but I still keep serving God."
+
+
+[TR: Return visit]
+
+A week later Uncle Willis was found standing in his cabin door.
+
+"Do you want to ride to the old plantation to-day?" he was asked. His
+vitality was almost too low for him to grasp the invitation.
+
+"I'se mighty weak to-day," he said in a feeble voice. "I don't feel good
+for much."
+
+"Where is Aunt Rena?" he was asked. "Do you think she would mind your
+taking an automobile trip?"
+
+"She gone to town on de bus, to see de Fambly Welfare."
+
+"Have you had breakfast?"
+
+"I had some coffee, but I ain't eat none."
+
+"Well, come on, Uncle Willis. We'll get you some breakfast and then
+we'll take you to the plantation and take your picture in the place
+where you were born, 101 years ago."
+
+Uncle Willis appeared to be somewhat in a daze as he padlocked the cabin
+door, put on his "sundown" hat, took up his stout stick and tottered
+down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater with several layers of shirts
+showing at the cuffs. On the way he recalled the first railroad train
+that passed through Burke County.
+
+"I kinder skeered," he recollected. "We wuz all 'mazed to see dat train
+flying' long 'thout any horses. De people wuz all afraid."
+
+"Had you heard of airplanes before you saw one, Uncle Willis?"
+
+"Yes, ma'am. I yeared o' dem but you couldn't gimme dis car full o'
+money to fly. Dey's too high off de ground. I never is gwine in one!"
+
+Uncle Willis was deposited on the porch of one of the remaining slave
+cabins to eat his "breakkus," while his kidnapers sought over hill and
+field for "The big house," but only two cabins and the chimney
+foundations of a large burned dwelling rewarded the search.
+
+The old ex-slave was posed in front of the cabin, to one side of the
+clay and brick chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony, rearing
+his head up straight so that his white beard stuck out.
+
+The brutal reality of finding the glories of the plantation forever
+vanished must have been a severe blow for the old man. Several times on
+the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again at his cabin in
+the cottonfield, his vitality reasserted itself, and he greeted his
+curious dusky neighbors with the proud statement.
+
+"Dey tuk me when I was bred and born! I ain't ax no better time!"
+
+Willis' farewell words were:
+
+"Goo'bye! I hopes you all gits to Paradise!"
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist 1-2
+Ex-Slave #116]
+
+EX-SLAVE INTERVIEW
+
+CORNELIA WINFIELD, Age 82
+Richmond County
+1341 Ninth Street
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+BY: (Mrs.) Margaret Johnson--Editor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+Cornelia Winfield, 1341 Ninth Street, was born in Crawford, Oglethorpe
+County, Georgia March 10, 1855. Her father, being the same age as her
+master, was given to him as a little boy. They grew up together, playing
+games, and becoming devoted to each other. When her master was married
+her father went to his home with him and became the overseer of all the
+slaves on the plantation. "My father and mother wuz house servants. My
+marster served my father's plate from his own table and sent it to him,
+every meal. He had charge of the work shop, and when marster was away he
+always stayed at the Big House, to take care of my Missis and the
+children. My mother was a seamstress and had three younger seamsters
+under her, that she taught to sew. We made the clothes for all the house
+servants and fiel' hans. My mother made some of the clothes for my
+marster and missis. My mother was a midwife too, and useter go to all
+the birthings on our place. She had a bag she always carried and when
+she went to other plantations she had a horse and buggy to go in.
+
+"All the slaves on our place wuz treated well. I never heard of any of
+'em bein' whipped. I was ten years old when freedom come, and I always
+knowed I wuz to belong to one of marster's daughters. After freedom my
+father and mother worked on just the same for marster. When my father
+died, marster's fam'ly wanted him buried in the fam'ly lot but I wanted
+him to lie by my mother."
+
+Cornelia's husband was a Methodist preacher, and she lived with him to
+celebrate their Golden Wedding. During the last years of his life they
+lived in Augusta. For sixteen years she washed all the blankets for the
+Fire Department, and did some of the washing for the firemen. Cornelia
+is now 82 years of age, but her memory is good and her mind active; and
+she is extremely loquacious. She is quite heavy, and crippled, having to
+use a crutch when she walks. Her room was clean, but over-crowded with
+furniture, every piece of which has recently been painted. Of the
+wardrobe in her room Cornelia told the following story. "All the planks
+eny of our family was laid out on, my father kep'. When he came to
+Augusta he brought all these planks and made this here wardrobe. When
+the fire burnt me out, this here wardrobe was the only thing in my house
+that was saved."
+
+During the past summer she put up quantities of preserves, pickles and
+canned fruits. These she sells in a little shop-room adjoining her
+house, and when the weather permits, on the steps of the Post Office.
+
+Cornelia can read, and spends much of time reading the Bible but she
+learned to read after "Freedom." She is greatly interested to tell of
+the "best families" she has worked for and the gifts she has received
+from them.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 5
+Ex-Slave #117]
+E. Driskell
+Whitley
+1-20-37
+
+GEORGE WOMBLE
+EX-SLAVE
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+One of the relics of Slavery is George Womble. From all appearances Mr.
+Womble looks to be fifty-three years of age instead of the ripe old age
+of ninety-three that he claims. He is about five and one-half or six
+feet in height, weighs one-hundred and seventy-five pounds or more, and
+has good sight and hearing in addition to a skin that is almost devoid
+of any wrinkle. Besides all of this he is a clear thinker and has a good
+sense of humor. Following is an account of the experiences of Mr. Womble
+as a slave and of the conditions in general on the plantations where he
+lived:
+
+"I was born in the year of 1843 near the present site of what is now
+known as Clinton, Georgia. The names of my parents were Patsy and
+Raleigh Ridley. I never saw my father as he was sold before I was old
+enough to recognize him as being my father. I was still quite young when
+my mother was sold to a plantation owner who lived in New Orleans, La.
+As she was being put on the wagon to be taken away I heard her say: "Let
+me see my poor child one more time because I know I'll never see him
+again". That was the last I ever saw or heard of her. As I had no
+brothers or sisters or any other relatives to care for me my master, who
+was Mr. Robert Ridley, had me placed in his house where I was taught to
+wait tables and to do all kinds of house work. Mr. Ridley had a very
+large plantation and he raised cotton, corn, oats, wheat, peas, and live
+stock. Horses and mules were his specialty--I remember that he had one
+little boy whose job was to break these animals so that they could be
+easily sold. My job was to wait tables, help with the house cleaning,
+and to act as nurse maid to three young children belonging to the
+master. At other times I drove the cows to and from the pasture and I
+often helped with the planting in the fields when the field hands were
+rushed. Out of the forty-odd slaves that were held by the Ridleys all
+worked in the field with the exception of myself and the cook whose name
+was Harriet Ridley." Continuing, Mr. Womble says: "I believe that Mr.
+Ridley was one of the meanest men that ever lived. Sometimes he whipped
+us, especially us boys, just to give himself a little fun. He would tie
+us in such a way as to cause our bodies to form an angle and then he
+preceeded to use the whip. When he had finished he would ask: "Who do
+you belong to?" and we had to answer; "Marse Robert". At other times he
+would throw us in a large tank that held about two-thousand gallons of
+water. He then stood back and laughed while we struggled to keep from
+drowning."
+
+"When Marse Robert died I was still a small boy. Several months after
+his death Mrs. Ridley gave the plantation up and took her share of the
+slaves (ten in number) of which I was one, and moved to Tolbert County,
+Georgia near the present location of Talbottom, Georgia. The other
+slaves and the plantation were turned over to Marse Robert's relatives.
+After a few months stay in this place I was sold to Mrs. Ridley's
+brother, Enoch Womble. On the day that I was sold three doctors examined
+me and I heard one of them say: "This is a thoroughbred boy. His teeth
+are good and he has good muscles and eyes. He'll live a long time." Then
+Mr. Womble said: "He looks intelligent too. I think I'll take him and
+make a blacksmith out of him." And so to close the deal he paid his
+sister five-hundred dollars for me."
+
+According to Mr. Womble his new master was even meaner than the deceased
+Mr. Ridley. He was likewise a plantation owner and a farmer and as such
+he raised the same things that Mr. Ridley did with the exception of the
+horses and the mules. In all there were about five-hundred acres to the
+plantation. There were six children in the Womble family in addition to
+Mr. Womble and his wife, and they all lived in a large one-storied frame
+house. A large hickory tree grew through the center of the porch where a
+hole had been cut out for its growth.
+
+Mr. Womble says that his reputation of being an excellent house boy had
+preceded him, and so here too he was put to work in the master's house
+where he helped with the cooking, washed the dishes, cleaned the house,
+and also acted as nurse for the younger white children. In addition to
+this, he was also required to attend to the cows. He remembers how on
+one night at a very late hour he was called by the master to go and
+drive the cows from the pasture as the sleet and snow might do them more
+harm than good. He was so cold that on the way back from the pasture he
+stopped at the pig pens where he pushed one or two of them out of the
+spots where they had lain so that he could squat there, and warm his
+feet in the places left warm by their bodies. To add to his discomfort
+the snow and sleet froze in his long hair and this made him even more
+miserable than ever.
+
+Mr. Womble was asked to tell what time he had to arise in the morning to
+be at his day's work, and he replied that sometimes he didn't even go to
+sleep as he had to keep one hand on the baby crib to keep it from
+crying. Most of the time he got up at four o'clock in the morning, and
+went to the kitchen where he helped the cook prepare breakfast. After
+this was done, and he had finished waiting on the master and his family
+he started to clean the house. When he had finished this, he had to take
+care of the younger Womble children, and do countless the other things
+to be done around a house. Of the other slaves, Mr. Womble says: "None
+of them ever suffered from that disease known as "mattress fever". They
+all got up long before day, and prepared their breakfasts and then
+before it was light enough to see clearly they were standing in the
+field holding their hoes and other implements--afraid to start work for
+fear that they would cover the cotton plants with dirt because they
+could'nt see clearly due to the darkness." An overseer was hired by the
+master to see that the work was done properly. If any of the slaves were
+careless about their work they were made to take off their clothes in
+the field before all the rest and then a sound whipping was
+administered. Field hands also get whippings when they failed to pick
+the required three-hundred pounds of cotton daily. To avoid a whipping
+for this they sprinkled the white sand of the fields on the dew soaked
+cotton and at the time it was weighed they were credited with more
+pounds than they had actually picked. Around ten or eleven o'clock in
+the morning they were all allowed to go to the cook house where they
+were given dinner by the plantation cook. By one o'clock they were all
+back in the field where they remained until it was too dark to see
+clearly, and then they were dismissed by the overseer after he had
+checked the number of pounds of cotton that they had picked.
+
+The slaves knew that whenever Mr. Womble hired a new overseer he always
+told the prospect that if he could'nt handle the slaves his services
+would not be needed. The cook had heard the master tell a prospective
+overseer this and so whenever a new one was hired the slaves were quick
+to see how far they could go with him. Mr. Womble says that an overseer
+had to be a very capable man in order to keep his job as overseer on the
+Womble plantation because if the slaves found out that he was afraid of
+them fighting him (and they did sometimes) they took advantage of him so
+much so that the production dropped and the overseer either found
+himself trying to explain to his employer or else looking for another
+job. The master would never punish a slave for beating an overseer with
+his fists stated Mr. Womble.
+
+During rainy weather the slaves shucked corn, piled manure in the barns,
+and made cloth. In the winter season the men split rails, built fences,
+and dug ditches, while the women did the weaving and the making of
+cloth. These slaves who were too old to work in the fields remained at
+home where they nursed the sick slaves (when there was sickness) and
+attended to the needs of those children who were too young for field
+work. Those children who were still being fed from their mother's
+breasts were also under the care of one of these old persons. However,
+in this case the mothers were permitted to leave the field twice a day
+(once between breakfast and dinner and once between dinner and supper)
+so that these children could be fed.
+
+At times Mr. Womble hired some of his slaves out to work by the day for
+some of the other nearby plantation owners. Mr. Geo. Womble says that he
+was often hired out to the other white ladies of the community to take
+care of their children and to do their housework. Because of his ability
+to clean a house and to handle children he was in constant demand.
+
+The men worked every day in the week while the women were given Saturday
+afternoon off so that they might do their personal work such as the
+washing and the repairing of their clothing etc. The women were required
+to do the washing and the repairing of the single men's clothing in
+addition to their own. No night work was required of any of them except
+during the winter when they were given three cuts of thread to card,
+reel, and spin each night.
+
+There were some days when the master called them all to his back yard
+and told them that they could have a frolic. While they danced and sang
+the master and his family sat and looked on. On days like the Fourth of
+July and Christmas in addition to the frolic barbecue was served and
+says Mr. Womble: "It was right funny to see all of them dancing around
+the yard with a piece of meat in one hand and a piece of bread in the
+other.
+
+Mr. Womble stated further that clothes were given to all the slaves once
+a year. An issue for the men usually consisted of one or two pairs of
+pants and some shirts, underwear, woolen socks, and a pair of heavy
+brogans that had been made of horse hide. These shoes were reddish in
+appearance and were as stiff as board according to Mr. Womble. For
+special wear the men were given a garment that was made into one piece
+by sewing the pants and shirt together. This was known as a
+"roundabout". The women were given one or two dresses that had been made
+of the same material as that of the men's pants. As the cloth that these
+clothes were made of was very coarse and heavy most of them lasted until
+the time for the next issue. None of the clothing that the slaves wore
+was bought. After the cloth had been made by the slaves who did all the
+spinning and the weaving the master's wife cut the clothes out while the
+slave women did the sewing. One of the men was a cobbler and it was he
+who made all of the shoes for slave use. In the summer months the field
+hands worked in their bare feet regardless of whether they had shoes or
+not. Mr. Womble says that he was fifteen years of age when he was given
+his first pair of shoes. They were a pair of red boots and were so stiff
+that he needed help to get them on his feet as well as to get them off.
+Once when the master had suffered some few financial losses the slaves
+had to wear clothes that were made of crocus material. The children wore
+sacks after holes had been cut out for their heads and arms. This
+garment looked like a slightly lengthened shirt in appearance. A dye
+made from red clay was used to give color to these clothes.
+
+The bed clothing consisted of bagging sacks and quilts that were made
+out of old clothes.
+
+At the end of the week all the field hands met in the master's backyard
+where they were given a certain amount of food which was supposedly
+enough to last for a week. Such an issue was made up of three pounds of
+fat meat, one peck of meal, and one quart of black molasses. Mr. Womble
+was asked what the slaves did if their allowance of food ran out before
+the end of the week, and he replied in the following manner: "If their
+food gave out before the time for another issue they waited until night
+and then one or two of them would go to the mill-house where the flour
+and the meal was kept. After they had succeeded in getting in they would
+take an auger and bore a hole in the barrel containing the meal. One
+held the sack while the other took a stick and worked it around in the
+opening made by the auger so as to make the meal flow freely. After
+their bags were filled the hole was stopped up, and a hasty departure
+was made. Sometimes when they wanted meat they either went to the smoke
+house and stole a ham or else they would go to the pen where the pigs
+were kept and take a small pig out. When they got to the woods with this
+animal they proceeded to skin and clean it (it had already been killed
+with a blow in the head before they left the pen). All the parts that
+they did not want were either buried or thrown in the nearby river.
+After going home all of this meat was cooked and hidden. As there was
+danger in being caught none of this stolen meat was ever fried because
+there was more danger of the odor of frying meat going farther away than
+that odor made by meat being boiled." At this point Mr. Womble stated
+that the slaves were taught to steal by their masters. Sometimes they
+were sent to the nearby plantations to steal chickens, pigs, and other
+things that could be carried away easily. At such times the master would
+tell them that he was not going to mistreat them and that he was not
+going to allow anyone else to mistreat them and that by taking the above
+mentioned things they were helping him to be more able to take care of
+them.
+
+At breakfast the field hands ate fried meat, corn bread, and molasses.
+When they went to the house for dinner they were given some kind of
+vegetable along with pot liquor and milk. When the days work was done
+and it was time for the evening meal there was the fried meat again with
+the molasses and the corn bread. Mr. Womble says that they ate this kind
+of food every day in the week. The only variation was on Sunday when
+they were given the seconds of the flour and a little more molasses so
+that they might make a cake. No other sweetening was used except the
+molasses.
+
+As for Mr. Womble and the cook they fared better as they ate the same
+kind of food that the master and his family did. He remembers how he
+used to take biscuits from the dishes that were being sent to the
+masters table. He was the waiter and this was an easy matter. Later he
+took some of these biscuits and sold them to the other little boys for a
+nickle each. Neither the master or the slaves had real coffee. They all
+drank a type of this beverage that had been made by parching bran or
+meal and then boiled in water.
+
+The younger children were fed from a trough that was twenty feet in
+length. At meal time each day the master would come out and supervise
+the cook whose duty it was to fill the trough with food. For breakfast
+the milk and bread was all mixed together in the trough by the master
+who used his walking cane to stir it with. At dinner and supper the
+children were fed pot liquor and bread and sometimes milk that had been
+mixed together in the same manner. All stood back until the master had
+finished stirring the food and then at a given signal they dashed to the
+trough where they began eating with their hands. Some even put their
+mouths in the trough and ate. There were times when the master's dogs
+and some of the pigs that ran round the yard all came to the trough to
+share these meals. Mr. Womble states that they were not permitted to
+strike any of these animals so as to drive them away and so they
+protected their faces from the tongues of the intruders by placing their
+hands on the sides of their faces as they ate. During the meal the
+master walked from one end of the trough to the other to see that all
+was as it should be. Before Mr. Womble started to work in the master's
+house he ate as the other children for a short time. Some of the times
+he did not have enough food to eat and so when the time came to feed the
+cows he took a part of their food (a mixture of cotton seed, collard
+stalks, and small ears of corn) and ate it when night came. When he
+started working in the house regularly he always had sufficient food
+from then on.
+
+All the food that was eaten was grown on the plantation in the master's
+gardens. He did not permit the slaves to have a garden of their own
+neither could they raise their own chickens and so the only time that
+they got the chance to enjoy the eating of chicken was when they decided
+to make a special trip to the master's poultry yard.
+
+The housing facilities varied with the work a slave was engaged in on
+the Womble plantation according to Mr. Womble. He slept in the house
+under the dining-room table all of the time. The cook also slept in the
+house of her owner. For those who worked on the fields log cabins (some
+distance behind the master's house.) were provide [sic]. Asked to
+describe one of these cabins Mr. Womble replied: "They were two roomed
+buildings made out of logs and daubed with mud to keep the weather out.
+At one end there was a chimney that was made out of dried mud, sticks
+and stones. The fireplace was about five or six feet in length and on
+the inside of it there were some hooks to hang the pots from when there
+was cooking to be done.
+
+"There was only one door and this was the front one. They would'nt put a
+back door in a cabin because it would be easy for a slave to slip out of
+the back way if the master or the overseer came to punish an occupant.
+There were one or two small openings cut in the back so that they could
+get air."
+
+"The furniture was made by the blacksmith", continued Mr. Womble. "In
+one corner of the room there was a large bed that had been made out of
+heavy wood. Rope that ran from side to side served as the springs while
+the mattress was a large bag that had been stuffed with wheat straw. The
+only other furnishings were a few cooking utensils and one or two
+benches." As many as four families lived in one of these cabins although
+the usual number to a cabin was three families. There was one other
+house where the young children were kept while their parents worked in
+the fields.
+
+Most of the sickness on the Womble plantation was due to colds and
+fever. For the treatment of either of these ailments the master always
+kept a large can filled with a mixture of turpentine and caster oil.
+When anyone complained of a cold a dose of this oil was prescribed. The
+master gave this dose from a very large spoon that always hung from the
+can. The slaves also had their own home made remedies for the treatment
+of different ailments. Yellow root tea and black-hall tea were used in
+the treatment of colds while willow tea was used in the treatment of
+fever. Another tea made from the droppings of sheep was used as a remedy
+for the measles. A doctor was always called when anyone was seriously
+ill. He was always called to attend those cases of childbirth. Unless a
+slave was too sick to walk he was required to go to the field and work
+like the others. If, however, he was confined to his bed a nurse was
+provided to attend to his needs.
+
+On Sundays all of the slaves were allowed to attend the white church
+where they listened to the services from the rear of the church. When
+the white minister was almost through he would walk back to where the
+slaves sat and tell them not to steal their master's chickens, eggs, or
+his hogs and their backs would not be whipped with many stripes. After
+this they were dismissed and they all left the church wondering what the
+preacher's sermon meant. Some nights they went to the woods and
+conducted their own services. At a certain spot they all knelt and
+turned their faces toward the ground and then they began moaning and
+praying. Mr. Womble says that by huddling in this circle and turning
+their voices toward the ground the sound would not travel very far.
+
+None of them ever had the chance to learn how to read and write. Some
+times the young boys who carried the master's children's books to and
+from school would ask these children to teach them to write but as they
+were afraid of what their father might do they always refused. On the
+adjoining plantation the owner caught his son teaching a little slave
+boy to write.
+
+He was furious and after giving his son a severe beating he then cut the
+thumb and forefinger off of the slave. The only things that were taught
+the slaves was the use of their hands. Mr. Womble says that all the
+while that he was working in the master's house they still found the
+time for him to learn to be a blacksmith.
+
+When a male slave reached the age of twenty-one he was allowed to court.
+The same was true of a girl that had reached the age of eighteen. If a
+couple wished to marry they had to get permission from the master who
+asked each in turn if they wished to be joined as man and wife and if
+both answered that they did they were taken into the master's house
+where the ceremony was performed. Mr. Womble says that he has actually
+seen one of these weddings and that it was conducted in the following
+manner: "A broom was placed in the center of the floor and the couple
+was told to hold hands. After joining hands they were commanded to jump
+over the broom and then to turn around and jump back.
+
+"After this they were pronounced man and wife." A man who was small in
+stature was never allowed to marry a large, robust woman. Sometimes when
+the male slaves on one plantation were large and healthy looking and the
+women slaves on some nearby plantation looked like they might be good
+breeders the two owners agreed to allow the men belonging to the one
+visit the women belonging to the other, in fact they encouraged this
+sort of thing in hopes that they would marry and produce big healthy
+children. In such cases passes were given freely.
+
+All of the newly born babies were named by the master. "The only
+baptisms that any of us get was with a stick over the head and then we
+baptised our cheeks with our tears," stated Mr. Wombly.
+
+Continuing, Mr. Wombly stated that the slaves on the Womble plantation
+were treated more like animals rather than like humans. On one or two
+occasions some of them were sold. At such a time those to be sold were
+put in a large pen and then they were examined by the doctors and
+prospective buyers and later sold to the highest bidder the same as a
+horse or a mule. They were sold for various reasons says Mr. Womble. His
+mother was sold because she was too hard to rule and because she made it
+difficult to discipline the other slaves.
+
+Mr. Womble further reported that most of his fellow slaves believed in
+signs. They believed that if a screech owl or a "hoot" owl came near a
+house and made noises at night somebody was going to die and instead of
+going to heaven the devil would get them. "On the night that old Marse
+Ridley died the screech owls like to have taken the house away," he
+says.
+
+There was always a great amount of whipping on this plantation. This was
+practically the only form of punishment used. Most of them were whipped
+for being disobedient or for being unruly. Mr. Womble has heard his
+master say that he would not have a slave that he could not rule and to
+be sure that the slaves held him and his family in awe he even went so
+far as to make all of them go and pay their respects to the newly born
+white children on the day after their birth. At such a time they were
+required to get in line outside of the door and then one by one they
+went through the room and bowed their heads as they passed the bed and
+uttered the following words: "Young Marster" or if the baby was a girl
+they said: "Young Mistress". On one occasion Mr. Womble says that he has
+seen his master and a group of other white men beat an unruly slave
+until his back was raw and then a red hot iron bar was applied to his
+back. Even this did not make the slave submissive because he ran away
+immediately afterwards. After this inhuman treatment any number of the
+slaves ran away, especially on the Ridley plantation. Some were caught
+and some were not. One of the slaves on the Womble plantation took his
+wife and ran away. He and his wife lived in a cave that they found in
+the woods and there they raised a family. When freedom was declared and
+these children saw the light of day for the first time they almost went
+blind stated Mr. Womble.
+
+Mr. Womble says that he himself has been whipped to such an extent by
+his master, who used a walking cane, that he had no feeling in his legs.
+One other time he was sent off by the master and instead of returning
+immediately he stopped to eat some persimmons. The master came upon him
+at the tree and started beating him on the head with a wagon spoke. By
+the time he reached the house his head was covered with knots the size
+of hen eggs and blood was flowing from each of them.
+
+The slaves on the Womble plantation seldom if ever came in contact with
+the "Paddle-Rollers" who punished those slaves who had the misfortune to
+be caught off of their plantations without passes. In those days the
+jails were built for the white folks because the masters always punished
+the slaves when they broke any of the laws exclaimed Mr. Womble.
+
+Several years before the war Mr. Wombly was sold to Mr. Jim Wombly, the
+son of Mr. Enoch Wombly. He was as mean as his father or meaner, Mr.
+Wombly says that the first thing that he remembers in regard to the war
+was to hear his master say that he was going to join the army and bring
+Abe Lincoln's head back for a soap dish. He also said that he would wade
+in blood up to his neck to keep the slaves from being freed. The slaves
+would go to the woods at night where they sang and prayed. Some used to
+say; "I knew that some day we'll be free and if we die before that time
+our children will live to see it."
+
+When the Yankees marched through they took all of the silver and gold
+that had been hidden in the wall on the Womble plantation. They also
+took all of the live stock on the plantation, most of which had been
+hidden in the swamps. These soldiers then went into the house and tore
+the beds up and poured syrup in the mattresses. At the time all of the
+white people who lived on the plantation were hiding in the woods. After
+the soldiers had departed (taking these slaves along who wished to
+follow) Mrs. Womble went back into the house and continued to make the
+clothes and the bandages that were to be used by the Confederate
+Soldiers.
+
+After the slaves were set free any number of them were bound over and
+kept, says Mr. Womble. He himself was to remain with the Womble family
+until he reached the age of twenty-one. When this time came Mr. Womble
+refused to let him go. However, Mrs. Womble helped him to escape but he
+was soon caught one night at the home of an elderly white lady who had
+befriended him. A rope was tied around his neck and he was made to run
+the entire way back to the plantation while the others rode on horse
+back. After a few more months of cruel treatment he ran away again. This
+time he was successful in his escape and after he had gone what he
+considered a safe distance he set up a blacksmith shop where he made a
+living for quite a few years. Later one of the white men in that
+community hired him to work in his store. After a number of years at
+this place he decided to come to Atlanta where he has been since.
+
+Mr. Womble concluded by saying that he has been able to reach his
+present age because he has never done any smoking or drinking. An old
+lady once told him not to use soap on his face and he would not wrinkle.
+He accounts for his smooth skin in this manner.
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 5
+Ex. Slave #118
+E. Driskell]
+
+SLAVERY AS SEEN THROUGH THE EYES OF
+HENRY WRIGHT--EX-SLAVE, Age 99
+
+
+In Atlanta among that ever decreasing group of persons known as
+ex-slaves there is an old Negro man named Henry Wright. Although Mr.
+Wright is 99 years of age his appearance is that of a much younger man.
+He is about 5 feet in height; his dark skin is almost free of wrinkles
+and his head is thickly covered with gray hair. His speech and thought
+indicate that he is very intelligent and there is no doubt that he still
+possesses a clear and active mind.
+
+As he noisily puffed on a battered old pipe he related the following
+tale of his experiences in slavery and of conditions in general as he
+saw them at that time.
+
+Mr. Wright was born on the plantation of Mr. Phil House. This plantation
+was located near the present site of Buckhead, Ga. His parents were
+Henry Wright and Margaret House. In those days it was customary for
+slaves to carry the name of their owners. His father was owned by Mr.
+Spencer Wright and his mother was owned by Mr. Phil House. Both of these
+slave owners lived in the same district. His grandparents, Kittie and
+Anite House also belonged to Mr. Phil House and it was they who told him
+how they had been sold like cattle while in Virginia to a speculator
+(slave dealer) and brought to Decatur, Ga. where they were sold to Mr.
+House.
+
+Mr. Wright lived with his mother on the House plantation for several
+years then he was given to Mr. George House, the brother of Phil House,
+as a wedding present. However, he saw his parents often as they were all
+allowed "passes" so that they might visit one another.
+
+According to Mr. Wright, his master was a very rich man and a very
+intelligent one. His plantation consisted of about three or four hundred
+acres of land on which he raised cotton, cane, corn, vegetables and live
+stock. Although he was not very mean to his slaves or "servants" as he
+called them, neither did his kindness reach the gushing or overflowing
+stage.
+
+On this plantation there were a large number of slaves, some of whom
+worked in "Old Marster's" (as Mr. House was called) house and some of
+whom worked in the fields.
+
+As a youngster Mr. Wright had to pick up chips around the yard, make
+fires and keep the house supplied with water which he got from the well.
+When he was ten years of age he was sent to the field as a plow-boy. He
+remembers that his mother and father also worked in the fields. In
+relating his experience as a field hand Mr. Wright says that he and his
+fellow slaves were roused each morning about 3 o'clock by the blowing of
+a horn. This horn was usually blown by the white overseer or by the
+Negro foreman who was known among the slaves as the "Nigger Driver." At
+the sounding of the horn they had to get up and feed the stock. Shortly
+after the horn was blown a bell was rung and at this signal they all
+started for the fields to begin work for the day. They were in the field
+long before the sun was up. Their working hours were described as being
+from "sun to sun." When the time came to pick the cotton each slave was
+required to pick at least 200 lbs. of cotton per day. For this purpose
+each was given a bag and a large basket. The bag was hung around the
+neck and the basket was placed at the end of the row. At the close of
+the day the overseer met all hands at the scales with the lamp, the
+slate and the whip. If any slave failed to pick the required 200 lbs. he
+was soundly whipped by the overseer. Sometimes they were able to escape
+this whipping by giving illness as an excuse. Another form of strategy
+adopted by the slaves was to dampen the cotton or conceal stones in the
+baskets, either of which would make the cotton weigh more.
+
+Sometimes after leaving the fields at dark they had to work at
+night--shucking corn, ginning cotton or weaving. Everyday except Sunday
+was considered a work day. The only form of work on Sunday was the
+feeding of the live stock, etc.
+
+When Mr. Wright was asked about the treatment that was given the house
+slaves in comparison to that given the field slaves, he replied with a
+broad grin that "Old Marster" treated them much the same as he would a
+horse and a mule. That is, the horse was given the kind of treatment
+that would make him show off in appearance, while the mule was given
+only enough care to keep him well and fit for work. "You see," continued
+Mr. Wright, "in those days a plantation owner was partially judged by
+the appearance of his house servants." And so in addition to receiving
+the discarded clothes of "Old Marster" and his wife, better clothing was
+bought for the house slaves.
+
+The working hours of the house slave and the field slave were
+practically the same. In some cases the house slaves had to work at
+night due to the fact that the master was entertaining his friends or he
+was invited out and so someone had to remain up to attend to all the
+necessary details.
+
+On the plantation of Mr. House the house slaves thought themselves
+better than the field slaves because of the fact that they received
+better treatment. On the other hand those slaves who worked in the
+fields said that they would rather work in the fields than work in the
+house because they had a chance to earn spending money in their spare or
+leisure time. House servants had no such opportunity.
+
+In bad weather they were not required to go to the fields--instead they
+cut hedges or did other small jobs around the house. The master did not
+want them to work in bad weather because there was too much danger of
+illness which meant a loss of time and money in the end.
+
+Mr. House wanted his slaves to learn a trade such as masonry or
+carpentry, etc., not because it would benefit the slave, says Mr.
+Wright, but because it would make the slave sell for more in case he had
+"to get shet (rid) of him." The slaves who were allowed to work with
+these white mechanics, from whom they eventually learned the trade, were
+eager because they would be permitted to hire themselves out. The money
+they earned could be used to help buy their freedom, that is, what money
+remained after the master had taken his share. On the other hand the
+white mechanic had no particular objection to the slaves being there to
+help him, even though they were learning the trade, because he was able
+to place all the hard work on the slave which made his job easier. Mr.
+Wright remembers how his grandfather used to hire his time out doing
+carpentry work, making caskets and doing some masonry. He himself can
+plaster, although he never hired out during slavery.
+
+Clothing was issued once per year usually around September. An issue
+consisted mostly of the following: 1 pair of heavy shoes called "Negro
+Brogans." Several homespun shirts, woolen socks and two or three pairs
+of jeans pants. The women were either given dresses and underskirts that
+were already made or just the plain cloth to make these garments from.
+Some of their clothing was bought and some was made on the plantation.
+The wool socks were knitted on the plantation along with the homespun
+which was woven there. The homespun was dyed by placing it in a boiling
+mixture of green walnut leaves or walnut hulls. In the event that plaid
+material was to be made the threads were dyed the desired color before
+being woven. Another kind of dye was made from the use of a type of red
+or blue berry, or by boiling red dirt in water (probably madder). The
+house slaves wore calico dresses or sometimes dresses made from woolen
+material.
+
+Often this clothing was insufficient to meet the individual needs. With
+a broad smile and an almost imperceptible shake of his old gray head Mr.
+Wright told how he had worked in the field without shoes when it was so
+cold until the skin cracked and the blood flowed from these wounds. He
+also told how he used to save his shoes by placing them under his arm
+and walking barefooted when he had a long distance to go. In order to
+polish these shoes a mixture of soot and syrup was used.
+
+The young slave children wore a one-piece garment with holes cut for the
+head and arms to go through. In appearance it resembled a slightly long
+shirt. As Mr. House did not give blankets, the slaves were required to
+make the necessary cover by piecing together left over goods. After this
+process was completed, it was padded with cotton and then dyed in much
+the same way as homespun. After the dyeing was completed the slave was
+the owner of a new quilt.
+
+The food that the slaves ate [**TR: was] all raised on the plantation. At
+the end of each week each slave was given 3 lbs. of meat (usually pork),
+1 peck of meal and some syrup. Breakfast and dinner usually consisted of
+fried meat, corn bread and syrup. Vegetables were usually given at
+dinner time. Sometimes milk was given at supper. It was necessary to
+send the meals to the field slaves as they were usually too far away
+from the house to make the trip themselves. For this purpose there was a
+woman who did all the cooking for the field hands in a cook house
+located among the slave cabins.
+
+Mr. House permitted his slaves to have a garden and chickens of their
+own. In fact, he gave each of them land, a small plot of ground for this
+purpose. The benefit of this was twofold as far as the slave was
+concerned. In the first place he could vary his diet. In the second
+place he was able to earn money by selling his produce either in town or
+to "Old Marster." Sometimes Old Marster took the produce to town and
+sold it for them. When he returned from town the money for the sale of
+this produce was given to the slave. Mr. Wright says that he and all the
+other slaves felt that they were being cheated when the master sold
+their goods. Mr. House also permitted his slaves to hunt and fish both
+of which were done at night for the most part.
+
+Coffee was made by parching meal and then placing it in boiling water.
+To sweeten this coffee, syrup was used. One delicacy that he and the
+other slaves used to have on Sunday was biscuit bread which they called
+"cake bread."
+
+All children who were too young to work in the field were cared for by
+some old slave woman who was too old to go to the field. She did all of
+their cooking, etc. The diet of these children usually consisted of pot
+liquor, milk, vegetables and in rare cases, meat. Mr. Wright laughed
+here as he stated that these children were given long handled spoons and
+were seated on a long bench before a trough out of which they all ate
+like little pigs. Not a slave ever suffered the pangs of hunger on the
+plantation of Mr. George House.
+
+The houses or cabins of the slaves were located a short distance in the
+rear of "Old Marster's" house. These houses were usually made from
+logs--the chinks being closed with mud. In some cases boards were used
+on the inside of the cabin to keep the weather out, but according to Mr.
+Wright, mud was always the more effective. The floor was usually covered
+with boards and there were two or three windows to each cabin, shutters
+being used in place of glass. The chimney and fireplace were made of
+mud, sticks and stones. All cooking was done on the fireplace in iron
+utensils, which Mr. Wright declares were a lot better than those used
+today. For boiling, the pots hung from a long hook directly above the
+fire. Such furniture as each cabin contained was all made by the slaves.
+This furniture usually consisted of a wooden bench, instead of a chair,
+and a crude bed made from heavy wood. Slats were used in the place of
+springs. The mattress was made stuffing a large bag with wheat straw.
+"This slept as good as any feather bed" says Mr. Wright. Candles were
+used to furnish light at night.
+
+On this plantation each family did not have an individual cabin.
+Sometimes as many as three families shared a cabin, which of course was
+rather a large one. In this case it was partitioned off by the use of
+curtains.
+
+Besides having to take care of the young children, these older slaves
+were required to care for those slaves who were ill. Mr. House employed
+a doctor to attend his slaves when their cases seemed to warrant it. If
+the illness was of a minor nature he gave them castor oil, salts or
+pills himself. Then, too, the slaves had their own home remedies. Among
+these were different tonics made from "yarbs" (herbs), plasters made
+from mustard, and whisky, etc. Most illnesses were caused by colds and
+fevers. Mr. Wright says that his two brothers and his sister, all of
+whom were younger than he, died as a result of typhoid fever.
+
+Even with all the hardships that the slaves had to suffer they still had
+time to have fun and to enjoy themselves, Mr. Wright continued. At
+various times Mr. House permitted them to have a frolic. These frolics
+usually took place on such holidays as 4th of July, Christmas or
+"laying-by time", after the cultivating of the crops was finished and
+before gathering time. During the day the master provided a big barbecue
+and at night the singing and dancing started. Music was furnished by
+slaves who were able to play the banjo or the fiddle. The slaves usually
+bought these instruments themselves and in some cases the master bought
+them. "In my case," declared Mr. Wright, "I made a fiddle out of a large
+sized gourd--a long wooden handle was used as a neck, and the hair from
+a horse's tail was used for the bow. The strings were made of cat-gut.
+After I learned to play this I bought a better violin." Sometimes the
+slaves slipped away to the woods to indulge in a frolic. As a means of
+protection they tied ropes across the paths where they would be less
+likely to be seen. These ropes were placed at such a height as to knock
+a man from his horse if he came riding up at a great speed. In this way
+the master or the overseer was stopped temporarily, thereby giving the
+slaves time to scamper to safety. In addition to the presents given at
+Christmas (candy and clothing) the master also gave each family half a
+gallon of whisky. This made the parties more lively. One of the songs
+that the slaves on the House plantation used to sing at their parties
+runs as follows:
+
+ "Oh, I wouldn't have a poor girl,
+ (another version says, "old maid")
+ And I'll tell you the reason why,
+ Her neck's so long and stringy,
+ I'm afraid she'd never die."
+
+On Sundays Mr. House required all of his slaves to attend church. All
+attended a white church where they sat in the back or in the balcony.
+After preaching to the white audience, the white pastor turned his
+attention to the slaves. His sermon usually ran: "Obey your master and
+your mistress and the Lord will love you." Sometimes a colored preacher
+was allowed to preach from the same rostrum after the white pastor had
+finished. His sermon was along similar lines because that is what he had
+been instructed to say. None of the slaves believed in the sermons but
+they pretended to do so.
+
+Marriages were usually performed by the colored preacher although in
+most cases it was only necessary for the man to approach "Old Marster"
+and tell him that he wanted a certain woman for his wife. "Old Marster"
+then called the woman in question and if she agreed they were pronounced
+man and wife. If the woman was a prolific breeder and if the man was a
+strong, healthy-looking individual she was forced to take him as a
+husband whether she wanted to or not.
+
+When Mr. Wright was asked if he had ever been arrested and placed in
+jail for any offense while he was a slave he replied that in those days
+few laws, if any, applied to slaves. He knows that it was against the
+law for anyone to teach a slave to write because on one occasion his
+father who had learned to do this with the help of his master's son was
+told by the master to keep it to himself, because if the men of the
+community found out that he could write they would cut his fingers or
+his hand off. Horse stealing or house burning was another serious crime.
+On the House plantation was a mulato slave who was to have been given
+his freedom when he reached the age of 21. When this time came Mr. House
+refused to free him and so an attempt was made to burn the House
+mansion. Mr. Wright remembers seeing the sheriff come from town and take
+this slave. Later they heard on the plantation that said slave had been
+hanged.
+
+For the most part punishment consisted of severe whipping sometimes
+administered by the slaves' master and sometimes by the white men of the
+community known as the Patrol. To the slaves this Patrol was known as
+the "Paddle" or "Paddie-Rollers." Mr. Wright says that he has been
+whipped numerous times by his master for running away. When he was
+caught after an attempted escape he was placed on the ground where he
+was "spread-eagled," that is, his arms and feet were stretched out and
+tied to stakes driven in the ground. After a severe beating, brine water
+or turpentine was poured over the wounds. This kept the flies away, he
+says. Mr. House did not like to whip his slaves as a scarred slave
+brought very little money when placed on the auction block. A slave who
+had a scarred back was considered as being unruly. Whenever a slave
+attempted to escape the hounds were put on his trail. Mr. Wright was
+caught and treed by hounds several times. He later found a way to elude
+them. This was done by rubbing his feet in the refuse material of the
+barnyard or the pasture, then he covered his legs with pine tar. On one
+occasion he managed to stay away from the plantation for 6 months before
+he returned of his own accord. He ran away after striking his master who
+had attempted to whip him. When he returned of his own accord his master
+did nothing to him because he was glad that he was not forever lost in
+which case a large sum of money would have been lost. Mr. Wright says
+that slave owners advertised in the newspapers for lost slaves, giving
+their description, etc. If a slave was found after his master had
+stopped his advertisements he was placed on the block and sold as a
+"stray." While a fugitive he slept in the woods, eating wild berries,
+etc. Sometimes he slipped to the plantation of his mother or that of his
+father where he was able to secure food.
+
+He took a deep puff on his pipe and a look of satisfaction crossed his
+face as he told how he had escaped from the "Paddle Rollers." It was the
+"Paddle-Rollers" duty to patrol the roads and the streets and to see
+that no slave was out unless he had a "pass" from his master. Further,
+he was not supposed to be any great distance away from the place he had
+been permitted to go. If a slave was caught visiting without a "pass" or
+if at any time he was off his plantation without said "pass" and had the
+misfortune to be caught by the "Paddle-Rollers" he was given a sound
+whipping and returned to his master.
+
+When the Civil War began all the slaves on the House plantation grew
+hopeful and glad of the prospect of being set free. Mr. House was heard
+by some of the slaves to say that he hoped to be dead the day Negroes
+were set free. Although the slaves prayed for their freedom they were
+afraid to even sing any type of spiritual for fear of being punished.
+
+When the Yankee troops came through near the House plantation they asked
+the slaves if their master was mean to them. As the answer was "no" the
+soldiers marched on after taking all the livestock that they could find.
+At the adjoining plantation where the master was mean, all property was
+burned. Mr. House was not present for when he heard of the approach of
+Sherman he took his family, a few valuables and some slaves and fled to
+Augusta. He later joined the army but was not wounded. However, his
+brother, Phil House, lost a leg while in action.
+
+Mr. Wrights says that he witnessed one battle which was fought just a
+few miles beyond his plantation near Nancy's Creek. Although he did not
+officially join the Yankee army he cooked for them while they were
+camped in his vicinity.
+
+When freedom was declared he says that he was a very happy man. Freedom
+to him did not mean that he could quit work but that he could work for
+himself as he saw fit to. After he was freed he continued working for
+his master who was considerably poorer than he had ever been before.
+After the war things were in such a state that even common table salt
+was not available. He remembers going to the smokehouse and taking the
+dirt from the floor which he later boiled. After the boiling process of
+this water which was now salty was used as a result of the dripping from
+the meats which had been hung there to be smoked in the "good old days."
+
+After seven years of share-cropping with his former master Mr. Wright
+decided to come to Atlanta where he has been since. He attributes his
+ripe old age to sane and careful living. In any case he says that he
+would rather be free than be a slave but--and as he paused he shook his
+head sadly--"In those days a man did not have to worry about anything to
+eat as there was always a plenty. It's a lot different now."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. 6
+Ex-Slave #119 v.3]
+
+"MAMMY DINK"
+[HW: DINK WALTON YOUNG], Age 96
+
+Place of birth:
+On the Walton plantation, near old Baughville,
+Talbot County, Georgia
+
+Date of Birth: About 1840
+
+Present residence:
+Fifth Avenue, between 14th and 15th Streets,
+Columbus, Georgia
+
+Interviewed: August 1, 1936
+
+
+Dink Walton Young, better known as "Mammy Dink", is one of the oldest
+ex-slaves living in Muscogee County. She was born the chattel of Major
+Jack Walton, the largest ante-bellum planter and slave-holder of Talbot
+County, a man who owned several hundred Negroes and ten thousand or more
+acres of land. As a child, "Mammy Dink" was "brung up" with the Walton
+white children, often joining and playing with them in such games as
+"Mollie Bright", "William Trembletoe", and "Picking up Sticks".
+
+The boys, white and black, and slightly older than she, played "Fox" and
+"Paddle-the-Cat" together. In fact, until the white boys and girls were
+ten or twelve years of age, their little Negro playmates, satellites,
+bodyguards, "gangs", and servants, usually addressed them rather
+familiarly by their first names, or replied to their nicknames that
+amounted to titles of endearment. Thus, Miss Susie Walton--the later
+Mrs. Robert Carter--was "Susie Sweet" to a host of little Negro girls of
+her age. Later on, of course, this form of familiarity between slave
+child and white child definitely ceased; but for all time there existed
+a strong bond of close friendship, mutual understanding, and spirit of
+comradeship between the Whites and Blacks of every plantation. As an
+example, Pat Walton, aged 18, colored and slave, "allowed" to his young
+master in 1861: "Marse Rosalius, youse gwine to de war, ain't yer?" and
+without waiting for an answer, continued: "So is Pat. You knows you
+ain't got no bizness in no army 'thout a Nigger to wait on yer an keep
+yer outa devilment, Marse Rosalius. Now, doen gin me no argyment, Marse
+Rosalius, case ise gwine 'long wid yer, and dat settles it, sah, it do,
+whether you laks it or you don't lak it." Parenthetically, it might be
+here inserted that this speech of Pat's to his young master was typical
+of a "style" that many slaves adopted in "dictating" to their white
+folks, and many Southern Negroes still employ an inoffensive, similar
+style to "dominate" their white friends.
+
+According to "Mammy Dink", and otherwise verified, every time a Negro
+baby was born on one of his plantations, Major Dalton gave the mother a
+calico dress and a "bright, shiny", silver dollar.
+
+All Walton slaves were well fed and clothed and, for a "drove" of about
+fifty or sixty little "back-yard" piccaninnies, the Waltons assumed all
+responsibility, except at night. A kind of compound was fenced off for
+"dese brats" to keep them in by day.
+
+When it rained, they had a shelter to go under; play-houses were built
+for them, and they also had see-saws, toys, etc. Here, their parents
+"parked dese younguns" every morning as they went to the fields and to
+other duties, and picked them up at night. These children were fed about
+five times a day in little wooden trough-like receptacles. Their
+principal foods were milk, rice, pot-licker, vegetables and corn
+dumplings; and they stayed so fat and sleek "dat de Niggers calt 'em
+Marse Major's little black pigs."
+
+The average weekly ration allowed an adult Walton slave was a peck of
+meal, two "dusters" of flour (about six pounds), seven pounds of flitch
+bacon, a "bag" of peas, a gallon of grits, from one to two quarts of
+molasses, a half pound of green coffee--which the slave himself parched
+and "beat up" or ground, from one to two cups of sugar, a "Hatful" of
+peas, and any "nicknacks" that the Major might have--as extras.
+
+Many acres were planted to vegetables each year for the slaves and, in
+season, they had all the vegetables they could eat, also Irish potatoes,
+sweet potatoes, roasting ears, watermelons and "stingy green" (home
+raised tobacco). In truth, the planters and "Niggers" all used "stingy
+green", there then being very little if any "menufro" (processed
+tobacco) on the market.
+
+The standard clothes of the slaves were: jeans in the winter for men and
+women, cottonades and osnabergs for men in the summer, and calicos and
+"light goods" for the women in the summer time. About 75% of the cloth
+used for slaves' clothing was made at home.
+
+If a "Nigger come down sick", the family doctor was promptly called to
+attend him and, if he was bad off, the Major "sat up" with him, or had
+one of his over-seers do so.
+
+Never in her life was "Mammy Dink" whipped by any of the Waltons or
+their over-seers. Moreover, she never knew a Negro to be whipped by a
+white person on any of the dozen or more Walton plantations. She never
+"seed" a pataroler in her life, though she "has heard tell dat Judge
+Henry Willis, Marses Johnnie B. Jones, Ned Giddens, Gus O'Neal, Bob
+Baugh, an Jedge Henry Collier rid as patarolers" when she was a girl.
+
+When the Yankee raiders came through in '65, "Mammy Dink" was badly
+frightened by them. She was also highly infuriated with them for
+"stealin de white fokes' things", burning their gins, cotton and barns,
+and conducting themselves generally as bandits and perverts.
+
+In 1875, the year of the cyclone "whooch kilt sebenteen fokes twixt
+Ellesli (Ellerslie) and Talbotton", including an uncle of her's. "Mammy
+Dink" was living at the Dr. M.W. Peter's place near Baughville. Later,
+she moved with her husband--acquired subsequent to freedom--to the Dr.
+Thomas D. Ashford's place, in Harris County, near Ellerslie. There, she
+lost her husband and, about thirty-five years ago, moved to Columbus to
+be near Mrs. John T. Davis, Jr., an only daughter of Dr. Ashford, to
+whom she long ago became very attached.
+
+When interviewed, "Mammy Dink" was at Mrs. Davis' home, "jes piddlin
+'round", as she still takes a pride in "waiting on her white fokes."
+
+Naturally, for one of her age, the shadows are lengthening. "Mammy Dink"
+has never had a child; all her kin are dead; she is 96 and has no money
+and no property, but she has her memories and, "thank Gawd", Mrs.
+Davis--her guardian-angel, friend and benefactress.
+
+
+
+
+Whitley,
+4-29-37
+Ex-Slave #119
+
+MAMMY DINK IS DEAD
+[HW: (From Columbus News-Record of Dec-8-1936)]
+
+
+Mammy Dink, who cooked and served and gained pure joy through faithful
+service, has gone to the Big House in the skies. She lacked but a few
+years of a hundred and most of it was spent in loving service. She was
+loyal to the families she worked for and was, to all practical intents,
+a member of the family circle. She was 94 or 95 when she passed
+away--Mammy was about to lose track of mere age, she was so busy with
+other things--and she was happily at work to within a week of her death.
+She was an institution in Columbus, and one of the best known of the
+many faithful and loyal colored servants in this city.
+
+Mammy Dink--her full name, by the way, was Dink Young--started out as a
+cook in a Talbot county family and wound up her career as cook for the
+granddaughter of her original employer. She was first in service in the
+home of Dr. M.W. Peters, in Talbot county, and later was the cook in the
+family of Dr. T.R. Ashford, at Ellerslie, in Harris county. Then, coming
+to Columbus, she was cook in the home of the late Captain T.J. Hunt for
+some 20 years.
+
+For the last 27 years she had been cook for Mrs. John T. Davis, just as
+she had been cook in the home of her father, Dr. Ashford, and her
+grandfather, Dr. Peters.
+
+Mammy, in leisure hours, used to sit on the coping at the Sixteenth
+street school, and watch the world go by. But her greatest joy was in
+the kitchen.
+
+The Davis family was devoted to the faithful old servant. A week ago she
+developed a severe cold and was sent to the hospital. She passed away
+Saturday night--the old body had given out. The funeral service was
+conducted yesterday afternoon from St. Philips colored church in Girard.
+She was buried in a churchyard cemetery, two or three miles out, on the
+Opelika road. The white people who were present wept at the departure of
+one who was both servant and friend.
+
+Thus passes, to a sure reward, Mammy Dink, whose life was such a
+success.
+
+[HW: Mammy Dink died Saturday night, Dec. 5th, 1936]
+
+
+
+
+COMBINED INTERVIEWS
+
+[HW: Dist 1-2
+Ex-Slave #24]
+
+FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECTS,
+Augusta-Athens
+Supervisor: Miss Velma Bell
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+EXCERPTS FROM SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+
+[ADELINE]
+
+"Aunt Adeline," an ex-slave of Wilkes County, Georgia, thinks she is
+"around a hundred." Her first memory is, in her own words, "my love for
+my mother. I loved her so! I would cry when I couldn't be with her. When
+I growed up, I kep' on loving her jes' that-a-way, even after I married
+and had children of my own."
+
+Adeline's mother worked in the field, drove steers, and was considered
+the best meat cutter on the plantation. The slave women were required to
+spin, and Adeline's mother was unusually good at spinning wool, "and
+that kind of spinning was powerful slow," added the old woman. "My
+mother was one of the best dyers anywhere around. I was too. I made
+colors by mixing up all kinds of bark and leaves. I made the prettiest
+sort of lilac color with maple bark and pine bark--not the outside pine
+bark, but that little thin skin that grows right down next to the tree."
+Adeline remembers one dress she loved: "I never will forget it as long
+as I live. It was a hickory stripe dress they made for me, with brass
+buttons at the wrist bands. I was so proud of that dress and felt so
+dressed up in it, I just strutted!"
+
+She remembers the plantation store and the candy the master gave the
+Negro children. "Bright, pretty sticks of candy!" Tin cups hold a
+special niche in her memory. But there were punishments, too. "Good or
+bad, we got whippings with a long cowhide kept just for that. They
+whipped us to make us grow better, I reckon!"
+
+Asked about doctors, Adeline replied:
+
+"I was born, growed up, married and had sixteen children and never had
+no doctor till here since I got so old!"
+
+Plantation ingenuity was shown in home concoctions and tonics. At the
+first sniffle of a cold, the slaves were called in and given a drink of
+fat lightwood tea, made by pouring boiling water over split kindling.
+"'Cause lightwood got turpentine in it," explained Adeline. She said
+that a springtime tonic was made of anvil dust, gathered at the
+blacksmith's shop, mixed with syrup. This was occasionally varied with a
+concoction of garlic and whiskey!
+
+Adeline adheres to traditional Negro beliefs, and concluded her
+recountal of folklore with the dark prediction: "Every gloomy day brings
+death. Somebody leaving this unfriendly world to-day!"
+
+
+[EUGENE]
+
+Another version of slavery was given by Eugene, an Augusta Negro. His
+mother was brought to Augusta from Pennsylvania and freed when she came
+of age. She married a slave whose master kept a jewelry store. The freed
+woman was required to put a guardian over her children. The jeweler paid
+Eugene's father fifty cents a week and was angry when his mother refused
+to allow her children to work for him. Eugene's mother supported her
+children by laundry work. "Free colored folks had to pay taxes," said
+Eugene, "And in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to
+house. You couldn't go out at night in Augusta after 9 o'clock. They had
+a bell at the old market down yonder, and it would strike every hour and
+half hour. There was an uptown market, too, at Broad and McKinne."
+
+Eugene told of an old Negro preacher, Ned Purdee, who had a school for
+Negro children in his back yard, in defiance of a law prohibiting the
+education of Negroes. Ned, said Eugene, was put in jail but the
+punishment of stocks and lashes was not intended to be executed. The
+sympathetic jailor told the old man: "Ned, I won't whip you. I'll just
+whip down on the stock, and you holler!" So Ned made a great noise, the
+jailor thrashed about with his stick, and no harm was done.
+
+Eugene touched on an unusual angle of slavery when he spoke of husbands
+and wives discovering that they were brother and sister. "They'd talk
+about their grandfathers and grandmothers, and find out that they had
+been separated when they were children," he said. "When freedom was
+declared, they called the colored people down to the parade ground. They
+had built a big stand, and the Yankees and some of the leading colored
+men made addresses. 'You are free now. Don't steal. Work and make a
+living. Do honest work. There are no more masters. You are all free.' He
+said the Negro troops came in, singing:
+
+ "Don't you see the lightning?
+ Don't you hear the thunder?
+ It isn't the lightning,
+ It isn't the thunder,
+ It's the buttons on
+ The Negro uniforms!"
+
+
+[MARY]
+
+Mary is a tiny woman, 90 years old. "I'd love to see some of the white
+folks boys and girls," she said, smiling and showing a set of strong new
+teeth. "We had school on our plantation, and a Negro teacher named
+Mathis, but they couldn't make me learn nothin'. I sure is sorry now!"
+
+Mary's plantation memories, in contrast to those of slaves who remember
+mostly molasses and corn-pone, include tomato rice, chickens, baked,
+fried and stewed. "And chicken pies!" Mary closed her eyes. "Don't talk
+about 'em! I told my grand children last week, I wanted to eat some
+old-time potato pie!"
+
+They played "peep-squirrel," Mary remembered. "I never could put up to
+dance much, but none could beat me runnin'. "Peep Squirrel" was a game
+we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the men,
+and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a kildee
+bird, I was so little and could run so fast! They said I was married
+when I was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I had the finest
+kind of marrying dress that my father bought for me. It had great big
+grapes hanging down from the sleeves and around the skirt." Mary sighed.
+"I wish't I had-a kep' it for my children to saw!"
+
+
+[RACHEL]
+
+Rachel's master called his people "servants", not Negroes or slaves. "He
+de bes' marster in de worl'," said Rachel. "I love his grave!"
+
+Rachel nursed her aunt's children while the mother acted as nurse for
+"de lady's baby whut come fum Russia wid de marster's wife." The czarina
+was godmother for the ambassador's baby. "Marster bin somewheh in de
+back part o' de worl'." explained the old woman, "You see, he wuz de
+guv'nor. He knowed all de big people, senetras and all." Rachel laughed.
+"I was a old maid when I married," she said. "De broom wuz de law. All
+we hadder do was step over de broom befo' witnesses and we wuz marry!"
+
+
+[LAURA]
+
+"As far as I kin rekellec'," said Laura, "my mother was give." She could
+not remember her age, but estimated that she might be 75 years old. Her
+native dignity was evident in her calm manner, her neat clothing and the
+comfortable, home-like room. "Dey say in dem days," she continued, "when
+you marry, dey give you so many colored people. My mother, her brother
+and her aunt was give to young Mistis when she marry de Baptis' preacher
+and come to Augusta. When dey brought us to Augusta, I wuz de baby.
+Round wheh de barracks is now, was de Baptis' parsonage. My mother was a
+cook. I kin remember de Yankees comin' down Broad Street. Dey put up
+wheh de barracks is on Reynolds Street. Dey ca'yed me to de fairground.
+De man was speakin'. I thought it wuz up in de trees, but I know now it
+muster been a platform in bushes. Mistis say to me: 'Well, Laura, what
+did you see?' I say: 'Mistis, we is all free.' I such a lil' chile she
+jus' laugh at me for saying sich a thing. When I was sick, she nuss me
+good."
+
+Laura remembered a long house with porches on Ellis Street, "running
+almost to Greene," between 7th and 8th, where slaves were herded and
+kept for market day. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," she
+said, "and look in de mouf' at dey teeth. Den dey march 'em down
+together to market, in crowds, first Tuesday sale day."
+
+
+[MATILDA]
+
+In contrast to the pleasant recollections of most of the ex-slaves,
+Matilda gave a vivid picture of the worst phase of plantation life on a
+Georgia plantation. She had been plowing for four years when the war
+started.
+
+"I wuz in about my thirteen when de war end," she mumbled, "Fum de fus'
+overseer, dey whu-op me to show me how to wuk. I wuk hard, all de time.
+I never had no good times. I so old I kain't rekellec' my marster's
+name. I kain't 'member, honey. I had too hard time. We live in, a
+weather-board house, jus' hulled in. We had to eat anyting dey give us,
+mos'ly black 'lasses in a great big ole hogshead. When de war gwine on,
+we had to live on rice, mos'ly, what dey raise. We had a hard time.
+Didn't know we wuz free for a long time. All give overseer so mean, de
+slaves run away. Dey gits de blood-houn' to fin' 'em. Dey done dug cave
+in de wood, down in de ground, and hide dere. Dey buckle de slave down
+to a log and beat de breaf' outter dem, till de blood run all over
+everywhere. When night come, dey drug 'em to dey house and greases 'em
+down wid turpentine and rub salt in dey woun's to mek 'em hurt wuss. De
+overseer give de man whiskey to mek him mean. When dey whu-op my mother,
+I crawl under de house and cry."
+
+One of Matilda's younger friends, listening, nodded her head in
+sympathy.
+
+"When Matilda's mind was clearer she told us terrible stories," she
+said. "It makes all the rest of us thankful we weren't born in those
+times."
+
+Matilda was mumbling end weeping.
+
+"Dey wuz mean overseer," she whispered. "But dey wuz run out o' de
+country. Some white ladies in de neighborhood reported 'um and had 'um
+run out."
+
+
+[EASTER]
+
+"Aunt Easter" is from Burke County. Her recollections are not quite so
+appalling as Matilda's, but they are not happy memories.
+
+"Dey didn' learn me nothin' but to churn and clean up house. 'Tend day
+boy, churn dat milk, spin and cyard dat roll."
+
+Asked if the slaves were required to go to Church, Easter shook her
+head.
+
+"Too tired. Sometime we even had to pull fodder on Sunday. Sometime we
+go to church, but all dey talk about wuz obeyin' Massa and obeyin'
+Missus. Befo' we went to church, we had to git up early and wash and
+iron our clo'es."
+
+Easter's brother was born the day Lee surrendered. "Dey name him
+Richmond," she said.
+
+
+[CARRIE]
+
+Carrie had plenty to eat in slavery days. "I'd be a heap better off if
+it was dem times now," she said, "My folks didn't mistreet de slaves.
+When freedom come, de niggers come 'long wid dere babies on dey backs
+and say I wuz free. I tell 'em I already free! Didn't mek no diffrunce
+to me, freedom!"
+
+
+[MALINDA]
+
+Malinda would gladly exchange all worldly possessions and freedom to
+have plantation days back again. She owns her home and has a garden of
+old-fashioned flowers, due to her magic "growing hand."
+
+"I belonged to a preacher in Ca'lina," said Malinda. "A Baptis'
+preacher. My fambly wasn't fiel' han's, dey wuz all house servants.
+Marster wouldn't sell none o' his slaves. When he wanted to buy one,
+he'd buy de whole fambly to keep fum having 'em separated."
+
+Malinda and her sister belonged to the young girls. "Whar'ever da young
+Mistises visited, we went right erlong. My own mammy tuk long trips wid
+ole Mistis to de Blue Ridge Mountings and sometimes over de big water."
+Malinda said the slaves danced to "quills," a home-made reed instrument.
+"My mammy wuz de bes' dancer on de planteshun," asserted the old woman.
+"She could dance so sturdy, she could balance a glass of water on her
+head and never spill a drap!"
+
+
+[AMELIA]
+
+Amelia, like many of the old slaves in Augusta to-day, came from South
+Carolina.
+
+"I put on a hoopskirt one time," she said. "I wanted to go to church wid
+a hoop on. I such a lil' gal, all de chillun laugh at me, playin' lady.
+I take it off and hide it in de wood."
+
+Amelia remembered her young mistresses with affection. "Dey wuz so good
+to me," she said, "dey like to dress me up! I was a lil' gal wid a tiny
+wais'. Dey put corsets on me and lace me up tight, and then dey take off
+all dey medallion and jewelry and hang 'em roun' my neck and put long
+sash on me. I look pretty to go to dance. When I git back, I so tired I
+thow myself on de bed and sleep wid dat tight corset on me!"
+
+
+
+FOUR SLAVES INTERVIEWED
+by
+MAUDE BARRAGAN, EDITH BELL LOVE, RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD
+
+
+
+ELLEN CAMPBELL, 1030 Brayton Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1846.
+
+
+Ellen Campbell lives in a little house in a garden behind a picket
+fence. Ellen is a sprightly, erect, black woman ninety years old. Beady
+little eyes sparkled behind her glasses as she talked to us. Her manner
+is alert, her mind is very keen and her memory of the old days very
+clear. Though the temperature was in the high nineties she wore two
+waists, and her clothes were clean and neatly patched. There was no
+headcloth covering the fuzzy grey wool that was braided into innumerable
+plaits.
+
+She invited us into her tiny cabin. The little porch had recently been
+repaired, while the many flowers about the yard and porch gave evidence
+of constant and loving care to this place which had been bought for her
+long ago by a grandson who drove a "hack." When she took us into the
+crowded, but clean room, she showed us proudly the portrait of this big
+grandson, now dead. All the walls were thickly covered with framed
+pictures of different members of her family, most of whom are now dead.
+In their midst was a large picture of Abraham Lincoln.
+
+"Dere's all my chillun. I had fo' daughter and three 'grands', but all
+gone now but one niece. I deeded de place to her. She live out north
+now, but she send back de money fer de taxes and insurance and to pay de
+firemens."
+
+Then she proudly pointed out a framed picture of herself when she was
+young.
+
+"Why Auntie, you were certainly nice looking then."
+
+Her chest expanded and her manner became more sprightly as she said, "I
+wus de pebble on de beach den!"
+
+"And I suppose you remember about slavery days?"
+
+"Yes ma'm, I'm ninety years old--I wus a grown 'oman when freedom come.
+I 'longed to Mr. William Eve. De plantachun was right back here--all dis
+land was fields den, slap down to Bolzes'."
+
+"So you remember a lot about those times?"
+
+She laughed delightedly. "Yas'm. I 'longed to Miss Eva Eve. My missus
+married Colonel Jones. He got a boy by her and de boy died."
+
+"You mean Colonel Jones, the one who wrote books?"
+
+"Yas'm. He a lawyer, too, down to de Cote House. My missus was Mrs.
+Carpenter's mother, but she didn't brought her here."
+
+"You mean she was her step-mother?"
+
+"Yas'm, dat it. I go to see dem folks on de hill sometime. Dey good to
+me, allus put somepen in mah hands."
+
+"What kind of work did you do on the plantation?"
+
+"When I wus 'bout ten years old dey started me totin' water--you know
+ca'in water to de hands in de field. 'Bout two years later I got my
+first field job, 'tending sheep. When I wus fifteen my old Missus gib me
+to Miss Eva--you know she de one marry Colonel Jones. My young missus
+wus fixin' to git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she
+brought me to town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house.
+De rent was paid to my missus. One day I wus takin' a tray from de
+out-door kitchen to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food
+spill all over de ground. De lady got so mad she picked up a butcher
+knife and chop me in de haid. I went runnin' till I come to de place
+where my white folks live. Miss Eva took me and wash de blood out mah
+head and put medicine on it, and she wrote a note to de lady and she
+say, 'Ellen is my slave, give to me by my mother. I wouldn't had dis
+happen to her no more dan to me. She won't come back dere no more.'"
+
+"Were you ever sold during slavery times, Aunt Ellen?"
+
+"No'm. I wa'nt sold, but I knows dem whut wus. Jedge Robinson he kept de
+nigger trade office over in Hamburg."
+
+"Oh yes, I remember the old brick building."
+
+"Yas'm, dat it. Well, all de colored people whut gonner be sold was kept
+dere. Den dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale.
+Anybody fixin' to buy 'em, 'zamines 'em to see if dey all right. Looks
+at de teef to tell 'bout de age."
+
+"And was your master good to you, Auntie?"
+
+"I'll say dis fer Mr. William Eve--he de bes' white man anywhere round
+here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves. My boss would feed 'em
+well. He wus killin' hogs stidy fum Jinury to March. He had two
+smoke-houses. Dere wus four cows. At night de folks on one side de row
+o' cabins go wid de piggins fer milk, and in de mawnin's dose on de
+odder side go fer de piggins o' milk."
+
+"And did you have plenty of other things to eat?"
+
+"Law, yas'm. Rations wus given out to de slaves; meal, meat and jugs o'
+syrup. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de
+gyrden patch, and chickens. Marster buy eggs and chickens fum us at
+market prices."
+
+"Did the overseers ever whip the slaves or treat them cruelly?"
+
+"Sometimes dey whup 'em--make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup 'em on de
+bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men dey call
+drivers. If dey didn't done right dey dus whup you and turn you loose."
+
+"Did the Eves have a house on the plantation, too?"
+
+"No'm, dey live in town, and he come back and fo'th every day. It warn't
+but three miles. De road run right fru de plantachun, and everybody
+drive fru it had to pay toll. Dat toll gate wus on de D'Laigle
+plantachun. Dey built a house fer Miss Kitty Bowles down by de double
+gate where dey had to pay de toll. Dat road where de Savannah Road is."
+
+When asked about war times on the plantation Ellen recalled that when
+the Northern troops were around Waynesboro orders were sent to all the
+masters of the nearby plantations to send ten of their best men to build
+breastworks to hold back the northern advance.
+
+"Do you remember anything about the good times or weddings on the
+plantation?"
+
+She laughed delightedly. "Yas'm. When anybody gwine be married dey tell
+de boss and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, atter dey be
+married, she put on de white dress she be married in and dey go up to
+town so de boss see de young couple."
+
+"Den sometimes on Sadday night we have a big frolic. De nigger frum
+Hammond's place and Phinizy place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle
+place all git togedder fer big dance and frolic. A lot o' de young white
+sports used to come dere and push de nigger bucks aside and dance wid de
+wenches."
+
+"What happened, Auntie, if a slave from one plantation wanted to marry a
+slave from another?"
+
+She laughed significantly. "Plenty. Old Mr. Miller had a man name Jolly
+and he wanner marry a woman off anudder plantachun, but Jolly's Marster
+wanna buy de woman to come to de plantachun. He say, 'Whut's fair fer de
+goose is fair fer de gander.' When dey couldn't come to no 'greement de
+man he run away to de woods. Den dey sot de bloodhounds on 'im. Dey let
+down de rail fence so de hounds could git fru. Dey sarch de woods and de
+swamps fer Jolly but dey neber find him.
+
+"De slaves dey know whar he is, and de woman she visit him. He had a den
+down dere and plenty o' grub dey take 'im, but de white folks neber find
+him. Five hundred dollars wus what Miller put out for whomsover git
+him."
+
+"And you say the woman went to visit him?"
+
+"Yes, Ma'm. De woman would go dere in de woods wid him. Finally one
+night when he was outer de swamp he had to lie hidin' in de ditch all
+night, cross from de nigger hospital. Den somebody crep' up and shot
+him, but he didn't die den. Dey cay'ed his [TR: sic] crost to de
+hospital and he die three days later."
+
+"What about church? Did you go to church in those days?"
+
+"Yas'm, we used to go to town. But de padderolas wus ridin' in dem days,
+and you couldn't go off de plantachun widout a pass. So my boss he build
+a brick church on de plantachuhn, and de D'Laigles build a church on
+dere's."
+
+"What happened if they caught you off without a pass?"
+
+"If you had no pass dey ca'y you to de Cote House, and your marster
+hadder come git you out."
+
+"Do you remember anything about the Yankees coming to this part of the
+country?"
+
+At this her manner became quite sprightly, as she replied, "Yas'm, I
+seen 'em comin' down de street. Every one had er canteen on he side, a
+blanket on his shoulder, caps cocked on one side de haid. De cavalry had
+boots on and spurros on de boots. First dey sot de niggers free on Dead
+River, den dey come on here to sot us free. Dey march straight up Broad
+Street to de Planters' Hotel, den dey camped on Dead River, den dey
+camped on de river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place
+free. When dey campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey
+clo'es fer a good price. Dey had hard tack to eat. Dey gib us de hard
+tack and tell us to soak it in Water, and fry it in de meat gravy. I
+ain't taste nothing so good since. Dey say, 'Dis hard tack whut we
+hadder lib on while we fightin' to sot you free."
+
+
+
+RACHEL SULLIVAN, 1327 Reynolds Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852.
+
+
+We found Rachel Sullivan sitting on the porch of a two room house on
+Reynolds Street. She is a large, fleshy woman. Her handmade yellow
+homespun was baggy and soiled, and her feet were bare, though her shoes
+were beside her rocker.
+
+We approached her cautiously. "Auntie, we heard you were one of the
+slaves who used to live on Governor Pickens' place over near Edgefield."
+
+"Yas'm, Yas'm. I shore wus. He gin us our chu'ch--de one over yonder on
+de Edgefield road. No'm you can't see it fum de road. You has to cross
+de creek. Old Marster had it pulled out de low ground under de brush
+arbor, and set it dere."
+
+"And what did you do on the plantation, Auntie?"
+
+"I wus a nu's gal, 'bout 'leben years old. I nu'sed my Auntie's chillun,
+while she nu'sed de lady's baby whut come from Russia wid de Marster's
+wife--nu'sed dat baby fum de breas's I mean. All de white ladies had wet
+nusses in dem days. Her master had just returned from Russia, where he
+had been ambassador. Her baby had the czarina for a godmother."
+
+"And so you used to look after you aunt's children?"
+
+"Yas'm. I used to play wid 'em in de big ground wid de monuments all
+around."
+
+"Miss Lucy Holcome was Governor Pickens' second wife, wasn't she?"
+
+"Musta wus, ma'm."
+
+"And were you born on the plantation at Edgefield?"
+
+"I wus born at Ninety-six. Log Creek place was Marster's second place.
+Oh, he had plantachuns everywhere, clear over to Alabama. He had
+overseers on all de places, ma'm."
+
+"Did the overseers whip you or were they good?"
+
+"Overseers wus good. Dey better been good to us, Marster wouldn't let
+'em been nothin' else. And Marster wus good. Lawdy, us had de bes'
+Marster in de world. It wus great times when he come to visit de
+plantachun. Oh Lord, when de Governor would come--dey brung in all de
+sarvants. Marster call us 'sarvants', not 'niggers.' He say 'niggers wuk
+down in de lagoons.' So when de Governor come dey brung in all de
+sarvants, and all de little chillun, line 'em's up whar Marster's
+cai'age gwine pass. And Marster stop dere in de lane and 'zamine us all
+to see is us all right. He de bes' Marster in de world. I love his
+grave!"
+
+"Den he'd talk to de overseer. Dere was Emmanuel and Mr. DeLoach. He gib
+'em a charge. Dey couldn't whup us or treat us mean."
+
+"How many slaves did your Master have, Auntie?"
+
+"Oh, I don't know 'xactly--over a thousand in all I reckon. He had
+plantachuns clear over to Alabama. Marster wus a world manager! Lordy, I
+luv my Marster. Dere wus 'bout seventy plower hands, and 'bout a hunnard
+hoe hands."
+
+"Did your master ever sell any of the slaves off his plantation?"
+
+"No'm--not 'less dey did wrong. Three of 'em had chillun by de overseer,
+Mr. Whitefield, and Marster put 'em on de block. No ma'm he wouldn't
+tolerate dat. He say you keep de race pure. Lawdy, he made us lib right
+in dem time."
+
+"And what did he do to the overseer?"
+
+"He sont him off--he sont him down to de low place."
+
+"I guess you had plenty to eat in those good old days?"
+
+"Oh, yes ma'm--dey's kill a hunnard hogs."
+
+"And what kind of houses did you have?"
+
+"Des like dis street--two rows facin' each odder, only dey wus log
+houses."
+
+"Did they have only one room?"
+
+"Yas'm. But sometimes dey drap a shed room down if dere wus heap o'
+chullun.'
+
+"Did you have a good time at Christmas?"
+
+"Oh yas'm. No matter where Marster wus--crost de water er ennywhere he
+send us a barrel o' apples, and chestnuts--dey had chestnuts in dem
+days--and boxes o' candy. He sont 'em to 'Manuel and Mr. DeLoach to gib
+out."
+
+"So your master would sometimes be across the water?"
+
+"Lawdy, yas'm, he be dere somewhere in de back part o' de world. You see
+he wus gov'nur. He knowed all de big people--Mr. Ben Tillman and all--he
+was senetra."
+
+"Auntie do you remember seeing any of the soldiers during the war?"
+
+"Does I? Law honey! Dey come dere to de plantachun 'bout ten o'clock
+after dey surrender. Oh and dey wus awful, some of 'em wid legs off or
+arms off. De niggers took all de mules and put 'em down in de sand
+field. Den dey took all de wimmens and put 'em in de chillun's house.
+And dey lef' a guard dere to stand over 'em, and tell him not to git off
+de foot. You know dey didn't want put no temptation in de way o' dem
+soldiers."
+
+"What kind of work did some of the slave women do?"
+
+"Everything. I had a one-legged auntie--she was de seamster. She sew fum
+one year end to de odder. Anodder auntie wus a loomer."
+
+"And where did you go to church?"
+
+"We went to de Salem Chu'ch. Yas'm we all go to chu'ch. Marster want us
+to go to chu'ch. We sit on one side--so--and dey sit over dere. Dey wus
+Methodis'. My mother was Methodis', but dey gib her her letter when
+freedom come."
+
+"How about dances, Auntie? Did they have dances and frolics?"
+
+"Yassum, on Sadday night. But boys had to git a pass when dey go out or
+de Padderola git 'em."
+
+"So you had a happy time in those days, eh?"
+
+"Lawdy, yas'm. If de world would done now like dey did den de world
+wouldn't be in such a mess. I gwine on eighty-five, but I wish de young
+ones wus raise now like I was raise. Marster taught us to do right."
+
+"How many children have you?"
+
+"I had 'leben--seben livin now." Then she laughed. "But I wus ole maid
+when I git married."
+
+"I wus twenty years old! In dem days all dey hadder do to git married
+wus step over de broom."
+
+"Step over the broom. Didn't your master have the preacher come and
+marry you?"
+
+"Lawdy, no'm. De broom wus de law!" Then she laughed. "Jus' say you
+wanner be married and de couple git together 'fore witnesses and step
+ober de broom."
+
+"Do you remember when freedom came?"
+
+"Lawdy yas'm. Mr. DeLoach come riding up to de plantachun in one o' dem
+low-bellied ca'yages. He call to Jo and James--dem de boys what stay
+round de house to bring wood and rake de grass and sich--he sont Jo and
+Jim down to all de fields to tell all de hands to come up. Dey unhitch
+de mules fum de plows and come wid de chains rattlin', and de cotton
+hoers put dey hoes on dey shoulders--wid de blades shinin' in de sun,
+and all come hurrying to hear what Mr. DeLoach want wid'em. Den he read
+de freedom warrant to 'em. One man so upset he start runnin' and run
+clear down to de riber and jump in."
+
+
+
+
+EUGENE WESLEY SMITH, 1105 Robert Street, Augusta, Ga., Born 1852
+
+
+Eugene is 84 years old. He has thin features, trembling lips and a
+sparse beard. His skin is a deep brown, lined and veined. His legs
+showing over white socks are scaly. His hands are palsied, but his mind
+is intelligent. He shows evidences of association with white people in
+his manner of speech, which at times is in the manner of white persons,
+again reverting to dialect.
+
+Eugene stated that his father was a slave who belonged to Steadman Clark
+of Augusta, and acted as porter in Mr. Clark's jewelry store on Broad
+Street. His grandmother came from Pennsylvania with her white owners. In
+accordance with the laws of the state they had left, she was freed when
+she came of age, and married a man named Smith. Her name was Louisa.
+Eugene's "Arnt" married a slave. As his mother was free, her children
+were free, but Eugene added:
+
+"She had put a Guardian over us, and Captain Crump was our guardian.
+Guardians protected the Negro children who belonged to them."
+
+To illustrate that children were considered the property of the mothers'
+owners, he added that his uncle went to Columbia County and married a
+slave, and that all of her children belonged to her master.
+
+Mr. Clark, who owned Eugene's father, paid him 50c a week, and was angry
+when Louisa refused to allow her children to work for him.
+
+"He was good in a way," admitted Eugene, "Some masters were cruel to the
+colored people, but a heap of white people won't believe it.
+
+"I was too little to do any work before freedom. I just stayed with my
+mother, and ran around. She did washing for white folks. We lived in a
+rented house. My father's master, Mr. Clark, let him come to see us
+sometimes at night. Free colored folks had to pay taxes. Mother had to
+pay taxes. Then when they came of age, they had to pay taxes again. Even
+in Augusta you had to have a pass to go from house to house. They had
+frolics. Sometimes the white people came and looked at 'em having a good
+time. You couldn't go out at night in Augusta after 9 o'clock. They had
+a bell at the old market down yonder, and it would strike every hour and
+every half hour. There was an uptown market, too, at Broad and McKinne."
+
+Asked about school, Eugene said:
+
+"Going to school wasn't allowed, but still some people would slip their
+children to school. There was an old Methodist preacher, a Negro named
+Ned Purdee, he had a school for boys and girls going on in his back
+yard. They caught him and put him in jail. He was to be put in stocks
+and get so many lashes every day for a month. I heard him tell many
+times how the man said: 'Ned, I won't whip you. I'll whip on the stock,
+and you holler.' So Ned would holler out loud, as if they were whipping
+him. They put his feet and hands in the holes, and he was supposed to be
+whipped across his back."
+
+"I read in the paper where a lady said slaves were never sold here in
+Augusta at the old market, but I saw them selling slaves myself. They
+put them up on something like a table, bid 'em off just like you would
+horses or cows. Dey was two men. I kin rekellect. I know one was called
+Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculating. The other was named
+Wilson. They would sell your mother from the children. That was the
+reason so many colored people married their sisters and brothers, not
+knowing until they got to talking about it. One would say, 'I remember
+my grandmother,' and another would say, "that's _my_ grandmother," then
+they'd find out they were sister and brother.
+
+"Speculators used to steal children," said Eugene. "I saw the wagons.
+They were just like the wagons that came from North Carolina with apples
+in. Dey had big covers on them. The speculators had plantations where
+they kept the children until they were big enough to sell, and they had
+an old woman there to tend to those children."
+
+"I was a butler." (A dreamy look came into Eugene's old eyes.) "So I
+were young. I saw a girl and fell in love with her, and asked her to
+marry me. 'Yes,' she said, 'when I get grown!' I said, 'I am not quite
+grown myself.' I was sixteen years old. When I was twenty-one years old
+I married her in my father's house. My mother and father were dead then.
+I had two sisters left, but my brothers were dead too."
+
+"I quit butling when I got married. They was enlarging the canal here.
+It was just wide enough for the big flats to go up with cotton. They
+widened it, and I went to work on dat, for $1.25 a day. They got in some
+Chinese when it was near finished, but they wasn't any good. The
+Irishmen wouldn't work with niggers, because they said they could make
+the job last eight years--the niggers worked too fast. They accomplished
+it in about four years.
+
+"After working on the canal, I left there and helped dig the foundations
+of Sibley Mill. The raceway, the water that run from canal to river, I
+helped dig that. Then after that, I went to Mr. Berckmans and worked for
+him for fifty years. All my children were raised on his place. That's
+how come my boy do garden work now. I worked for 50c a day, but he give
+me a house on the place. He 'lowed me to have chickens, a little fence,
+and a garden. He was very good to us. That was Mr. P.J. Berckmans. I
+potted plants all day long. I used to work at night. I wouldn't draw no
+money, just let them keep it for me. After they found out I could read
+and write and was an honest fellow, they let me take my work home, and
+my children helped me make the apple grass and plum grass, and mulberry
+grass. A man come and told me he would give me $60 a month if I would go
+with him, but I didn't I couldn't see hardly at all then--I was wearing
+glasses. Now, in my 84th year, I can read the newspaper, Bible and
+everything without glasses. My wife died two years ago." (Tears came
+into Eugene's eyes, and his face broke up) "We lived together 62 years!"
+
+Asked if his wife had been a slave, Eugene answered that she was but a
+painful effort of memory did not reveal her owner's name.
+
+"I do remember she told me she had a hard time," he went on slowly. "Her
+master and misses called themselves 'religious people' but they were not
+good to her. They took her about in the barouche when they were
+visiting. She had to mind the children. They had a little seat on the
+back, and they'd tie her up there to keep her from falling off. Once
+when they got to a big gate, they told her to get down and open it for
+the driver to go through, not knowing the hinges was broken. That big
+gate fell on her back and she was down for I don't know how long. Before
+she died, she complained of a pain in her back, and the doctor said it
+must have been from a lick when she was a child.
+
+"During the war there were some Southern soldiers went through. I and
+two friends of mine were together. Those soldiers caught us and made us
+put our hands down at our knees, and tied 'em, and run the stick through
+underneath.
+
+"It was wintertime. They had a big fire. They pushed us nearer and nearer
+the fire, until we hollered. It was just devilment. They was having fun
+with us, kept us tied up about a half hour. There was a mulatto boy with
+us, but they thought he was white, and didn't bother him. One time they
+caught us and throwed us up in blankets, way up, too--I was about 11
+years old then."
+
+Asked about church, Eugene said:
+
+"We went to bush meetings up on the Sand Hill out in the woods. They
+didn't have a church then."
+
+Eugene's recollections were vivid as to the ending of the war:
+
+"The Northern soldiers come to town playing Yankee Doodle. When freedom
+come, they called all the white people to the courthouse first, and told
+them the darkies was free. Then on a certain day they called all the
+colored people down to the parade ground. They had built a big stand,
+and the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up and spoke,
+and told the Negroes:
+
+"You are free now. Don't steal. Now work and make a living. Do honest
+work, make an honest living to support yourself and children. No more
+masters. You are free."
+
+Eugene said when the colored troops come in, they sang:
+
+ "Don't you see the lightning?
+ Don't you hear the thunder?
+ It isn't the lightning,
+ It isn't the thunder,
+ But its the button on
+ The Negro uniforms!
+
+"The slaves that was freed, and the country Negroes that had been run
+off, or had run away from the plantations, was staying in Augusta in
+Guv'ment houses, great big ole barns. They would all get free provisions
+from the Freedmen's Bureau, but people like us, Augusta citizens, didn't
+get free provisions, we had to work. It spoiled some of them. When the
+small pox come, they died like hogs, all over Broad Street and
+everywhere."
+
+
+
+
+WILLIS BENNEFIELD, HEPHZIBAH, GA., Born 1835.
+
+[TR: "Uncle Willis" in individual interviews.]
+
+
+"Uncle Willis" lives with his daughter Rena Berrian, who is 74 years
+old. "I his baby," said Rena, "all dead but me, and I ain't no good for
+him now 'cause I can't tote nothin'."
+
+When asked where Uncle Willis was, Rena looked out over the blazing
+cotton field and called:
+
+"Pap! Oh--pappy! Stop pickin' cotton and come in awhile. Dey's some
+ladies wants to see you."
+
+Uncle Willis hobbled slowly to the cabin, set in the middle of the
+cotton patch. He wore clean blue overalls, obviously new. His small,
+regular features had high cheekbones. There was a tuft of curly white
+hair on his chin, and his head was covered with a "sundown" hat.
+
+"Mawnin," he said, "I bin sick. So I thought I might git some cotton
+terday."
+
+Willis thinks he is 101 years old. He said, "I was 35 years old when
+freedom delcared." He belonged to Dr. Balding Miller, who lived on Rock
+Creek plantation. Dr. Miller had three or four plantations, Willis said
+at first, but later stated that the good doctor had five or six places,
+all in Burke County.
+
+"I wuk in de fiel'," he went on, "and I drove de doctor thirty years. He
+owned 300 slaves. I never went to school a day in my life, 'cept Sunday
+school, but I tuk de doctor's sons fo' miles ev'y day to school. Guess
+he had so much business in hand he thought the chillun could walk. I
+used to sit down on de school steps 'till dey turn out. I got way up in
+de alphabet by listenin', but when I went to courtin' I forgot all dat."
+
+Asked what his regular duties were, Willis answered with pride:
+
+"Marster had a cay'age and a buggy too. My father driv' de cay'age and I
+driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixing to go to bed, and had to hitch up
+my horse and go five or six miles. I had a regular saddle horse, two
+pairs for cay'age. Doctor were a rich man. Richest man in Burke County.
+He made his money on his farm. When summertime come, I went wid him to
+Bath, wheh he had a house on Tena Hill. We driv' down in de cay'age.
+Sundays we went to church when Dr. Goulding preach. De darkies went in
+de side do'. I hear him preach many times."
+
+Asked about living conditions on Rock Creek plantation, Willis replied:
+
+"De big house was set in ahalf acre yard. 'Bout fifty yards on one side
+was my house, and fifty yards on de udder side was de house of granny, a
+woman that tended de chillun and had charge of de yard when we went to
+Bath," Willis gestured behind him, "and back yonder was de quarters, a
+half mile long; dey wuz one room 'crost, and some had shed room. When
+any of 'em got sick, Marster would go round to see 'em all."
+
+Asked about church and Bible study, Willis said:
+
+"I belongst to Hopeful Church. Church people would have singin' and
+prayin', and de wicked would have dancin' and singin'. At dat time I was
+a regular dancer" Willis chuckled. "I cut de pigeon wing high enough!
+Not many cullud people know de Bible in slavery time. We had dances, and
+prayers and sing too," he went on, "and we sang a song, 'On Jordan's
+stormy banks I stand, and cast a wishful eye.'"
+
+"How about marriages?" he was asked.
+
+"Colored preacher marry 'em. You had to get license and give it to the
+preacher, and he marry 'em. Then de men on our plantation had wives on
+udder plantations, dey call 'em broad wives."
+
+"Did you give your wife presents when you were courting?" he was asked.
+
+"I went to courtin' and never give her nuthin' till I marry her."
+
+As to punishment, Willis said that slaves were whipped as they needed
+it, and as a general rule the overseer did the whipping.
+
+"When darky wouldn't take whippin' from de overseer," he said, he had to
+cay'y dem to de boss; and if we needed any brushin' de marster brush
+'em. Why, de darkies would whip de overseer!"
+
+Willis was asked to describe how slaves earned money for personal use,
+and replied:
+
+"Dey made dey own money. In slavery time, if you wanted four or five
+acres of land to plant anything on, marster give it to you, and whatever
+dat land make, it belong to you. You could take dat money and spend it
+any you wanted to. Still he give you somethin' to eat and clothe you,
+but dat patch you mek cotton on, sometimes a whole bale, dat money
+yours."
+
+Willis thought the plantation house was still there, "but it badly
+wounded," he said. "Dey tell me dere ain't nobody living in it now. It
+seven miles from Waynesboro, south."
+
+"When de soldiers come thoo'," continued Willis, "dey didn't burn dat
+place, but dey went in dere and took out ev'thing dey want, and give it
+to de cullud people. Dey kep' it till dey got free. De soldiers tuk Dr.
+Millers horses and carry 'em off. Got in de crib and tuk de corn. Got in
+de smoke'ouse and tuk de meat out. Old Marssa bury his money and silver
+in a iron chist. Dey tuk it 300 yards away to a clump of trees and bury
+it. It tuk fo' men to ca'y it. Dere was money without mention in dat
+chist! After de soldiers pass thoo, de went down and got it back."
+
+"What did you do after freedom was declared?"
+
+Willis straightened up.
+
+"I went down to Augusta to de Freedmen's Bureau to see if twas true we
+wuz free. I reckon dere was, over a hundred people dere. The man got up
+and stated to de people, "you is jus' as free as I am. You ain't got no
+mistis and no marster. Work wheh you want." On Sunday morning old
+Marster sent de house girl and tell us to all come to de house. He said:
+
+"What I want to send for you all, is to tell you you are free. You hab
+de privilege to go anywhere you want, but I don't want none of you to
+leave me now. I wants you-all to stay right wid me. If you stay, you you
+mus' sign to it' I asked him: "What you want me to sign for?, I is
+free." 'Dat will hold me to my word, and hold you to yo' word,' he say.
+All my folks sign it, but I wouldn't sign. Marster call me up and say:
+'Willis, why wouldn't you sign?' I say: 'If I already is free, I don't
+need to sign no paper. If I was working for you, and doing for you befo'
+I got free, I can do it still, if you want me to stay wid yo'.' My
+father and mother tried to git me to sign, but I wouldn't sign. My
+mother said: 'You oughter sign. How you know Marster gwine pay?' I said:
+'Den I kin go somewhere else.' Marster pay first class hands $15.00 a
+month, other hands $10.00, and den on down to five and six dollars. He
+give rations like dey always. When Christmas come, all come up to be
+paid off. Den he call me. Ask whar is me? I wus standin' roun' de corner
+of de house. 'Come up here,' he say, 'you didn't sign dat paper, but I
+reckon I have to pay you too.' He paid me and my wife $180.000. I said:
+'Well, you-all thought he wouldn't pay me, but I got my money too.' I
+stayed to my marster's place one year after de war den I lef'dere. Nex'
+year I decided I wuld quit dere and go somewhere else. It was on account
+of my wife. You see, Marster bought her off, as de highes', and she
+hadn't seen her mother and father in Waynesboro for 15 years.
+
+When she got free, she went down to see 'em. Waren't willin' to come
+back. T'was on account Mistis and her. Dey bofe had chilluns, five-six
+years old. De chillun had disagreement. Mistis slap my girl. My wife
+sass de Mistis. But my marster, he was as good a man as ever born. I
+wouldn't have lef' him for anybody, just on account of his wife and her
+fell out."
+
+"What did your marster say when you told him you were going to leave?
+Was he sorry?"
+
+"I quit and goes over three miles to another widow lady house, and mek
+bargain wid her," said Willis. "I pass right by de do'. Old boss sitting
+on de pi-za. He say: 'Hey, boy, wheh you gwine?' I say; 'I 'cided to
+go.' I was de fo'man of de plow-han' den. I saw to all de locking up,
+and things like dat. He say: 'Hold on dere.' He come out to de gate. 'I
+tell you what I give you to stay on here, I give you five acre of as
+good land as I got, and $30.00 a month, to stay here and see to my
+bizness.'"
+
+Willis paused a moment, thinking back on that long distant parting.
+
+"I say," he went on, "I can't, Marster. It don't suit my wife 'round
+here, and she won't come back, and I can't stay.' He turn on me den, and
+busted out crying. 'I didn't tho't I could raise up a darky that would
+talk thataway,' he said to me. Well, I went on off. I got de wagon and
+come by de house. Marster says: 'Now you gwone off, but don't forget me,
+boy. Remember me as you always done.' I said: 'All right.'"
+
+Willis chewed his tobacco reflectively for a few minutes, spat into the
+rosemary bush, and resumed his story:
+
+"I went over to dat widow lady's house and work. Along about May I got
+sick. She say: 'I going to send for de doctor.' I said: 'Please ma'am,
+don't do dat.' I thought maybe he kill me 'cause I lef' him. She say:
+'Well, I gwine send fo' him.' I in desprut condition. When I know
+anything, he walk up in de do'. I was laying wid my face toward de do'
+and I turn over.
+
+"Doctor come up to de bed. 'Boy, how you getting on?' 'I bad off,' I
+say. He say: 'I see you is. 'yeh.' Lady say: 'Doctor, what you think of
+him?' 'Mistis, it mos' too late,' he say, 'but I do all I kin.' She say:
+'Please do all yo' kin, he 'bout de bes' han' I got.'
+
+"Doctor fix up med'cine and tole her to give it to me. She say: 'Uncle
+Will, tek dis med'cine.' I 'fraid to tek it, 'fraid he wuz tryin' to
+kill me. Den two men, John and Charles, come in. Lady say: 'Get dis
+med'cine in Uncle Will.' One of de men hold my hand, one hold my head,
+and dey gagged me and put it in me. Nex few days I kin talk, and ax for
+somethin' to eat, so I git better. I say: 'Well, he didn't kill me when
+I tuk de Med'cine.'
+
+"I stayed dere wid her. Nex' yar I move right back in two miles other
+side wheh I always live, wid anudder lady. I stay dere three years. Got
+along all right. When I lef' from there, I lef' dere wid $300.00 and
+plenty corn and hog. Everything I want, and three hundred dollars cash
+in my pocket!"
+
+(It was plain that in his present status of relief ward, Uncle Willis
+looked back on that sum of money as a small fortune. He thought about it
+awhile, spat again, and went on:)
+
+"Fourth year I lef' and went down to de John Fryer place on Rock Creek.
+I stayed dere 33 years in dat one place."
+
+"Uncle Willis, did you ever see the doctor again?"
+
+"He die 'fore I know it," he replied, "I was 'bout fifteen miles from
+him and be de time I hear of his death, he bury on plantation near Rock
+Creek."
+
+Willis was asked about superstitions, and answered with great
+seriousness:
+
+"Eberybody in de worl' have got a spirit what follow 'em roun' and dey
+kin see diffrunt things. In my sleep I hab vision."
+
+"Pappy, tell de ladies 'bout de hant," urged Aunt Rena from her post in
+the doorway, and Willis took up the story with eagerness:
+
+"One night I was gwine to a lady's store, riding a horse. De graveyard
+was 100 yards from de road I wuz passing. De moon was shining bright as
+day. I saw somethin' coming out of dat graveyard. It come across de
+road, right befo' me. His tail were dragging on de ground, a long tail.
+He had hair on both sides of him, laying down on de road. He crep' up. I
+pull de horse dis way, he move too. I pull him dat way, he move too. I
+yell out: 'What in de name o' God is dat?' And it turn right straight
+'round de graveyard and went back. I went on to de lady's store, and
+done my shoppin'. I tell you I was skeered, 'cause I was sho' I would
+see it going back, but I never saw it. De horse was turrible skeered of
+it. It looked like a Maryno sheep, and it had a long, swishy tail."
+
+Uncle Willis was asked if he had ever seen a person "conjured" and he
+answered:
+
+"Dey is people in de worl' got sense to kill out de conjur in anybody,
+but nobuddy ever conjur me. I year 'um say if a person conjur you,
+you'll git somethin' in you dat would kill you."
+
+Asked to what he attributed his long, healthy life, he raised his head
+with a preaching look and replied:
+
+"I tell you, Missis, 'zactly what I believe. I bin tryin' to serve God
+ever since I come to be a man of family. I bin trying to serve de Lawd
+79 years, and I live by precepts of de word. Until today nobuddy can
+turn me away from God business. I am a man studying my gospel. I ain't
+able to go to church, but I still keep serving God."
+
+A week later Uncle Willis was found standing in the cabin door.
+
+"Do you want to ride to the old plantation to-day?" he was asked. His
+vitality was almost too low form to grasp the invitation.
+
+"I'se might weak today," he said in a feeble voice. "I don't feel good
+for much."
+
+"Where is Aunt Rena?" he was asked. "Do you think she would mind your
+taking an automobile trip?"
+
+"She gone to town on de bus, to see de Fambly Welfare."
+
+"Have you had breakfast?" His weak appearance indicated lack of food.
+
+"I had some coffee, but I ain't eat 'none."
+
+"Well, come on, Uncle Willis. We'll get you some breakfast, and then
+we'll take you to the plantation and take your picture in the place
+where you were born 101 years ago."
+
+Uncle Willis appeared to be somewhat in a daze as he padlocked the cabin
+door, put on his "sundown" hat, took up his stout stick and tottered
+down the steps. He wore a frayed sweater, with several layers of shirts
+showing at the cuffs. On the way he recalled the first railroad train
+that passed through Burke County.
+
+"I kinder scared," he recollected, "we wuz all 'mazed to see dat train
+flyin' long 'thout any horses. De people wuz all afraid."
+
+"Had you hear of airplanes before you saw one, Uncle Willis?"
+
+"Yes, ma'am. I yeared o' them, but you couldn't gimme dis car full of
+money to fly, they's too high off de ground. I never is gwine in one."
+
+Uncle Willis was deposited on the porch of one of the remaining slave
+cabins to eat his "brekkus," while his kidnappers sought over hill and
+field for "the big house," but only two cabins and the chimney
+foundation of a large burned dwelling rewarded the search.
+
+He was posed in front of the cabin, just in front of the clay and brick
+end chimney, and took great pleasure in the ceremony, rearing his head
+up straight so that his white beard stuck out.
+
+The brutal reality of finding the glories of Rock Creek plantation
+forever vanished must have been a severe blow for the old man, for
+several times on the way back he wiped tears from his eyes. Once again
+at his cabin in the cotton field, his vitality reasserted itself, and he
+greeted his curious dusky neighbors with the proud statement:
+
+"Dey tuk me wheh I was bred and born. I don't ax no better time."
+
+His farewell words were:
+
+"Goo'bye. I hopes you all gits to Paradise."
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE
+
+Interviews obtained from:
+MRS. EMMALINE HEARD, 239 Cain St. NE
+MRS. ROSA MILLEGAN, 231 Chestnut Ave. NE
+MR. JASPER MILLEGAN, 231 Chestnut Ave. NE
+Atlanta, Ga.
+[Date Stamp: MAY 12 1937]
+
+
+[MRS. EMMALINE HEARD]
+
+Mrs. Emmaline Heard, who resides at 239 Cain St. NE has proved to be a
+regular storehouse for conjure and ghost stories. Not only this but she
+is a firm believer in the practice of conjure. To back up her belief in
+conjure is her appearance. She is a dark brown-skinned woman of medium
+height and always wears a dirty towel on her head. The towel which was
+at one time white gives her the weird look of an old-time fortune
+teller.
+
+Tuesday, December 8, 1936 a visit was made to her home and the following
+information was secured:
+
+"There wuz onct a house in McDonough and it wuz owned by the Smiths that
+wuz slave owners way back yonder. Now, this is the trufe cause it wuz
+told ter me by old Uncle Joe Turner and he 'spirience it. Nobody could
+live in this house I don't care how they tried. Dey say this house wuz
+hanted and anybody that tried to stay there wuz pulled out of bed by a
+hant. Well, sir, they offered the house and $1,000 to anyone who could
+stay there over night. Uncle Joe said he decided to try it so sho nuff
+he got ready one night and went ter this house to stay. After while,
+says he, something come in the room and started over ter the bed, but
+fore it got there, he said, "What in the name of the Lord you want with
+me." It said, 'follow me. There is a pot of gold buried near the
+chimney; go find it and you won't be worried with me no more.' Der next
+morning Uncle Joe went out there and begin ter dig and sho nuff he found
+the gold; and sides that he got the house. Dis here is the trufe. Uncle
+Joe's house is right there in McDonough now and anybody round there will
+tell you the same thing cause he wuz well-known. Uncle Joe is dead now.
+
+"Anudder story that happened during slavery time and wuz told ter me by
+father wuz this; The master had a old man on his plantation named
+Jimson. Well, Jimson's wife wuz sick and had been fer nearly a year. One
+day there she wanted some peas, black eyed peas; but old man Harper
+didn't have none on his plantation, so Jimson planned ter steal off that
+night and go ter old Marse Daniel's farm, which wuz 4 miles from Marse
+Harper's farm, and steal a few peas for his wife. Well, between midnight
+and day he got a sack and started off down the road. Long after while a
+owl started hootin, sho-o-o are-e-e, who-o-o-o-, and it wounded jest lak
+someone saying 'who are you.' Jimson got scared, pulled off his cap and
+run all the way to old man Daniel's farm. As he run he wuz saying, "Sir,
+dis is me, old Jimson" over and over again. Now, when he got near the
+farm Old Daniel heard him and got up in the loft ter watch him. Finally
+old Jimson got dar and started creeping up in the loft. When he got up
+dar, chile, Marse Daniel grabbed his whip and 'most beat Jimson ter
+death.
+
+"This here story happened in Mississippi years ago, but den folks that
+tell it ter me said it wuz the trufe. 'There wuz a woman that wuz sick;
+her name wuz Mary Jones. Well, she lingered and lingered till she
+finally died. In them days folks all around would come ter the settin-up
+if somebody wuz dead. They done sent some men after the casket. Since
+they had ter go 30 miles they wuz a good while getting back, so the
+folkses decided ter sing. After while they heard the men come up on the
+porch and somebody got up ter let 'em in. Chile, jest as they opened the
+door that 'oman set straight up on that bed; and sech another runnin and
+getting out of that house you never heard; but some folks realized she
+wuzn't dead so they got the casket out der way so she wouldn't see it,
+cause they wuz fraid she would pass out sho nuff; jest the same they wuz
+fraid of her, too. The man went off and come back with postols, guns,
+sticks, and everything; and when this 'oman saw 'em she said, 'don't
+run, I won't bother you.' but, chile, they left there in a big hurry,
+too. Well, this here Mary went to her sister's house and knocked on the
+door, and said: 'Let me in. This is Mary. I want to talk to you and tell
+you where I've been.' The sister's husband opened the door and let her
+in. This 'oman told 'em that God had brought her to and that she had
+been in a trance with the Lord. After that every one wuz always afraid
+of that 'oman and they wouldn't even sit next ter her in the church.
+They say she is still living.
+
+"This happened right yonder in McDonough years ago. A gal went to a party
+with her sweet'art and her ma told her not ter go. Well, she went on
+anyhow in a buggy; when they got ter the railroad crossing a train hit
+the buggy and killed the gal, but the boy didn't git hurted at all.
+Well, while they wuz sittin up with this dead gal, the boy comes long
+there in his buggy with anudder gal, and do you know that horse stopped
+right in front uv that house and wouldn't budge one inch. No matter how
+hard he whip that horse it wouldn't move; instid he rared and kicked and
+jumped about and almost turned the buggy over. The gal in the buggy
+fainted. Finally a old slavery time man come along and told him to git a
+quart of whiskey and pour it around the buggy and the hant would go
+away. So they done that and the sperit let 'em pass. If a hant laked
+whisky in they lifetime, and you pour it round where they's at, they
+will go away."
+
+The following are true conjure stories supposedly witnessed by Mrs.
+Heard: "There wuz a Rev. Dennis that lived below the Federal Prison.
+Now, he wuz the preacher of the Hardshell Baptist Church in this
+community. This man stayed sick about a year and kept gittin different
+doctors and none uv them did him any good. Well, his wife kept on at him
+till he decided ter go ter see Dr. Geech. His complaint wuz that he felt
+something run up his legs ter his thighs. Old Dr. Geech told him that he
+had snakes in his body and they wuz put there by the lady he had been
+going wid. Dr. Geech give him some medicine ter take and told him that
+on the 7th day from then that 'oman would come and take the medicine off
+the shelf and throw it away. Course Rev. Dennis didn't believe a thing
+he said, so sho nuff she come jest lak Dr. Geech said and took the
+medicine away. Dr. Geech told him that he would die when the snakes got
+up in his arm, but if he would do lak he told him he would get all
+right. Dis 'oman had put this stuff in some whiskey and he drunk it so
+the snakes breed in his body. After he quit taking the medicine he got
+bad off and had ter stay in the bed; sho nuff the morning he died you
+could see the snake in his arm; the print uv it wuz there when he died.
+The snake stretched out in his arm and died, too.
+
+"I got a son named Jack Heard. Well, somebody fixed him. I wuz in
+Chicago when that happened and my daughter kept writing ter me ter come
+home cause Jack wuz acting funny and she thought maybe he wuz losing his
+mind. They wuz living in Thomasville then and every day he would go sit
+round the store and laugh and talk, but jest as soon as night would come
+and he would eat his supper them fits would come on him. He would squeal
+jest lak a pig and he would get down on his knees and bark jest lak a
+dog. Well, I come home and went ter see a old conjure doctor. He says
+ter me, 'that boy is hurt and when you go home you look in the corner of
+the mattress and you will find it. 'Sho nuff I went home and looked in
+the corner of the mattress and there the package wuz. It wuz a mixture
+of his hair and bluestone wrapped up in red flannel with new needles
+running all through it. When I went back he says ter me, 'Emmaline, have
+you got 8 dimes?' No, I said, but I got a dollar. 'Well, get that dollar
+changed into 10 dimes and take 8 of 'em and give 'em ter me. Then he
+took Jack in a room, took off his clothes and started ter rubbin him
+down with medicine; all at the same time he wuz saying a ceremony over
+him; then he took them 8 dimes, put 'em in a bag and tied them around
+Jack's chest somewhere so that they would hang over his heart. 'Now,
+wear them always,' says he ter Jack. Jack wore them dimes a long time
+but he finally drunk 'em up anyway, that doctor cured him cause he sho
+would a died."
+
+The following aroma [HW: is a] few facts as related by Mrs. Heard
+concerning an old conjure doctor known as Aunt Barkas [TR: Darkas
+throughout rest of story].
+
+
+"Aunt Darkas lived in McDonough, Ga. until a few years ago. She died
+when she wuz 128 years old; but, chile, lemme tell you that 'oman knowed
+just what ter do fer you. She wuz blind but she could go ter the woods
+and pick out any kind of root or herb she wanted. She always said the
+Lord told her what roots to get and always fore sun-up you would see her
+in the woods with a short handled pick. She said she had ter pick 'em
+for sun-up; I don't know why. If you wuz sick all you had ter do wuz go
+ter see Aunt Darkas and tell her. She had a well and after listening to
+your complaint she would go out there and draw a bucket of water and set
+it on the floor, and then she would wave her hand over it and say
+something. She called this healing the water. After this she would give
+you a drink of water. As she hand it ter you, she would say, 'now drink,
+take this and drink.' Honey, I had some of that water myself and blieve
+me it goes all over you and makes you feel so good. Old Aunt Darkas
+would give you a supply of water and tell you ter come back fer more
+when that wuz gone. Old Aunt Darkas said the Lord gave her power and
+vision, and she used to fast for a week at a time. When she died there
+wuz a piece in the paper bout her.
+
+"This here is sho the trufe, and if you don't believe it, go out ter
+Southview Cemetery and see Sid Heard, my oldest son; he been out there
+over 20 years as sexton and bookkeeper. Yessir, he tole it ter me and I
+believe it. This happen long ago, 10 or 15 years. There wuz a couple
+that lived in Macon, Ga., but their home wuz in Atlanta and they had a
+lot out ter Southview. Well, they had a young baby that tuck sick and
+died so they had the baby's funeral there in Macon; then they put the
+coffin in the box, placed the label on the box, then brought it ter
+Atlanta. Folkes are always buried so that they head faces the east. They
+say when Judgment Day come and Gabriel blow that trumpet everybody will
+rise up facing the east. Well, as I wuz saying, they came here. Sid
+Heard met 'em out yonder and instructed his men fer arrangements fer the
+grave and everything. A few weeks later the 'oman called Sid Heard up
+long distance. She said, 'Mr. Heard.' Yesmam, he said. 'I call you ter
+tell you me and my husband can't rest at all.' 'Why?' he asked. 'Because
+we can hear our baby crying every night and it is worrying us ter death.
+Our neighbors next door say our baby must be buried wrong.' Sid Heard
+said, Well, I buried the baby according ter the way you got the box
+labeled. 'I am not blaming you, Mr. Heard, but if I pay you will you
+take my baby up?' Yesmam, I will if you want me to; jest let me know the
+day you will be here and I'll have everything ready. Alright, said she.
+
+'Well,' said Sid Heard, 'the day she wuz ter come she wuz sick and
+instead sent a car load of her friends. The men got busy and started
+digging till they got ter the box; when they took it up sho nuff after
+they opened it, they found the baby had been buried wrong; the head was
+facing the west instead of the east. They turned the box around and
+covered it up. The folks then went on back to Macon. A week later the
+'omen called up again. 'Mr. Heard,' she says. Yesmam, says he. 'Well, I
+haven't heard my baby cry at all in the past week. I wuzn't there but I
+know the exact date you took my baby up, cause I never heard it cry no
+more.'
+
+
+[MRS. ROSA MILLEGAN AND MR. JASPER MILLEGAN]
+
+On December 10, 1936 Mr. and Mrs. Millegan who reside at 231 Chestnut
+Ave. NE. were interviewed on the subject of superstitions, signs,
+conjure, etc. Mrs. Rosa Millegan studied awhile after the facts of the
+interview were made clear to her. Finally she said; "I kin tell you more
+bout conjure; that's all I know bout cause I done been hurted myself and
+every word of it is the trufe.
+
+"Well, it happen lak this. I wuz suffering with rheumatism in my arm and
+a old man in the neighborhood came ter me and gave me some medicine that
+he said would help me. Well, I done suffered so I thought mebbe it might
+help me a little. Chile honey, 'after I done tuck some of that stuff I
+nearly went crazy. I couldn't talk; couldn't hardly move and my head
+look lak it bust open. I didn't know what ter do. I called medical
+doctors and they jest didn't do me no good. Let me tell you right here,
+when you done been conjured, medical doctors can't do you no good; you
+got ter get a nudder conjur doctor ter get it off you. Well, one day I
+says to my daughter, "I'm through wid medical doctors. I'm gwine ter Sam
+Durham. They say he is good and I go find out. Chile, folks done give me
+up ter die. I use ter lay in bed and hear 'em say, she won't never get
+up. Well, I went ter Sam Durham and he looked at me and said: 'You is
+hurt in the mouth.' He carried me in a small room, put some medicine
+around my face, and told me ter sit down a while. After while my mouth
+and face begin ter feel lak it wuz paralyzed, and he begin ter talk.
+'That man that give you that medicine is mad wid you about his wife and
+he fixed you. Now do what I tell you and you will overcome it. He is
+coming ter your door and is gwine want ter shake your hand. Don't let
+him touch you, but speak ter him in the name of the Lord and throw your
+hands over your head; by doing this you will overcome him and the
+devil.' Anudder thing he says; 'This man is coming from around the back
+of your house.' Then he give me 5 vials of different lengths and a half
+cup of pills, and told me ter take all that medicine. He told me too ter
+get a rooster and let him stay on my porch all the time and he couldn't
+get ter me no more. Sho nuff, that nigger come jest lak he said he wuz
+going ter do, but I fixed him. Later on this same man tried ter fix his
+wife cause he thought she had anudder man. Do you know that oman
+couldn't drink water in her house? and when he died he wuz nearly crazy;
+they had ter strap him in the bed; all the while he wuz cussin God and
+raving."
+
+The next stories were told to the writer by Mr. Jasper Millegan:
+
+"My uncle wuz poisoned. Yes, sir, somebody fixed him in coffee. He
+lingered and lingered and finally got so he wuz confined ter bed fer
+good. Somebody put scorpions in him and whenever they would crawl under
+his skin he would nearly go crazy, and it looked lak his eyes would jest
+pop out. He waited so long ter go ter the conjure doctors they couldn't
+do him any good. And the medical doctors ain't no good fer nothing lak
+that. Yes, sir, them snakes would start in his feet and run up his leg.
+He nebber did get any better and he died.
+
+"A long time ago I saw a lady that wuz conjured in her feet; somebody
+put something down fer her ter walk over. Well, anyway she got down with
+her feet and couldn't travel from her bed ter a chair. Well, she got a
+old conjure doctor ter come treat her and he rubbed her feet with
+medicine and after he done that a while he told her that something wuz
+coming out of her feet. Sho nuff, I see'd them maggots with my own eyes
+when they come out of her feet; but she got well."
+
+The following are preventatives to use against conjure; also a few home
+treatments for different sickness.
+
+"Ter keep from being conjured, always use plenty salt and pepper. Always
+get up soon in the morning so nobody can see you and sprinkle salt and
+pepper around your door and they sho can't git at you.
+
+"If you think you done been poisoned or conjured, take a bitter gourd
+and remove the seeds, then beat 'em up and make a tea. You sho will
+heave all of it up.
+
+"Ef you think you will have a stroke, go to running water and get four
+flint rocks; heat 'em and lay on all of them, and believe me, it will
+start your blood circulating and prevent the stroke. Another way to
+start your blood circulating; heat a brick and (lay) lie on it.
+
+"To get rid of corns, bathe your feet in salt water and take a little
+salt and put it 'tween your toes."
+
+Mrs. Millegan closed her interview by telling the writer that every
+morning found her sprinkling her salt and pepper, cause she knows what
+it means ter be fixed. As the writer started out the door she noticed a
+horse shoe hanging over the door.
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE
+(Negro)
+Minnie B. Ross
+
+[MRS. CAMILLA JACKSON]
+
+
+On November 24, 1936 Mrs. Camilla Jackson was interviewed concerning
+superstitions, signs, etc. Mrs. Jackson, an ex-slave, is about 80 years
+of age and although advanced in years she is unusually intelligent in
+her speech and thoughts. The writer was well acquainted with her having
+previously interviewed her concerning life as a slave.
+
+Mrs. Jackson related to the writer the following signs and incidents:
+
+If a tree is standing in your yard or near your house and an owl lights
+in it and begins to hoot, some one in the family will die.
+
+If, during the illness of a person, a cat comes in the room, or the
+house, and whines, the person will die.
+
+Another sure sign of death and one that has been experienced by Mrs.
+Jackson is as follows: Listen child if a bird flies in your house some
+one is going to die. My daughter and I were ironing one day and a bird
+flew in the window right over her head. She looked up and said, "mama
+that bird came after me or you, but I believe it came for me." One month
+later my daughter took sick with pneumonia and died.
+
+My mother said before the Civil War ended her mistress owned an old
+slave woman 100 years old. This old woman was very wicked and the old
+miss used to visit her cabin and read the Bible to her. Well sir, she
+died and do you know the horses balked and would go every way but the
+right way to the grave. They rared and kicked and would turn straight
+around in the road 'cause the evil spirits were frightening them. It was
+a long time before they could get the body to the grave.
+
+Mrs. Jackson before relating the following experiences emphatically
+stated her belief in seeing the dead but only believes that you can see
+them in a dream.
+
+"Many a night my sister has come to me all dressed in white. I have
+heard her call me too; but I have never answered. No longer than one
+night last week old Mr. and Mrs. Tanner came to me in a dream. The old
+lady came in my room and stood over my bed. Her hair was done up on the
+top of her head just like she always wore it. She was distressed and
+spoke about some one being after her. Old Mr. Tanner came and led her
+away. They really were in my room, you see both of them died in this
+house years ago."
+
+Mrs. Jackson could not relate any stories of conjuring; but did mention
+the fact that she had often heard of people wearing money around their
+legs to keep from being conjured. She also spoke of people keeping a
+horseshoe over the door for good luck.
+
+During slavery and since that time, if you should go out doors on a
+drizzling night for any thing, before you could get back Jack O'lantern
+would grab you and carry you to the swamps. If you hollowed and some one
+bring a torch to the door the Jack O'lantern would turn you aloose.
+Another way to get rid of them is to turn your pockets wrong side out.
+
+One day a man came here selling roots called "John the Conqueror" and
+sister Blakely there, paid him 10c for one of the plants, but she never
+did plant it. He said the plant would bring good luck.
+
+
+[MRS. ANNA GRANT]
+
+On the same day Mrs. Jackson was interviewed, Mrs. Anna Grant told the
+writer that if she didn't mind she would relate to her a ghost story
+that was supposed to be true. In her own words the writer gives the
+following story:
+
+Onst a 'oman, her husband and two chillun wuz travelin'. This 'oman wuz
+a preacher and only wanted to stop over night. Now this 'oman's husban'
+wuz a sinner, but she wuz a christian. Well she saw an old empty house
+setting in a field but when she went ter inquire 'bout it she wuz told
+that it wuz hanted and no one had ebber been able ter stay there over
+night. De lady dat owned de house offered her pillows, bed clothes,
+sheets, etc., if she intended to stay, and even told her that she would
+give her de house if she could stay there. The woman that owned the
+house told her butler to go and make a fire for the family and carry the
+pillows, sheets, etc. Well, they all got there the 'oman built a fire,
+cooked supper and fed 'em all. Her husband and children went ter bed.
+The husband wanted to know why his wife wanted him to go to bed and she
+wanted ter stay up. The wife didn't say nothin', just told him ter go to
+bed, then she laid the Bible on the table bottom side up and kept
+looking behind her. The house wuz two story and after while something
+came ter the top steps and said, "Can I throw down," she said "throw
+down in the name of the father, son and Holy Ghost." Two thighs and a
+foot came down. Later the same voice sed, "Can I throw down," and she
+said, "throw down in the name of the father, son and the Holy Ghost,"
+and then a whole body came down. The husband woke up when he heard the
+noise and ran away from the house. The ghost told the 'oman ter follow
+her, and she picked up her Bible and kept on reading and went on behind
+the ghost. The ghost showed her where some money was buried near a big
+oak tree and then vanished. The next morning the 'oman dug and found der
+money, but the 'oman of the house wouldn't take a penny, said she didn't
+want it, sides that she gave her the house. They said this wuz a true
+story and der reason dat house wus hanted wuz 'cause der family dat used
+to live there got killed about money. Mrs. Grant ended by saying "Deres
+a horseshoe over my door right now for luck."
+
+
+[MRS. EMMALINE HEARD]
+
+Mrs. Emmaline Heard lives on Cain St. between Fort and Butler Sts. She
+is an ex-slave and on a previous occasion had given the writer an
+interesting account of slavery as she knew it. When the writer
+approached her concerning superstitious signs, ghost tales, conjure
+etc., Mrs. Heard's face became lit with interest and quickly assured the
+writer that she believed in conjuring, ghosts, and signs. It was not
+long before our interview began. Mrs. Heard, although seventy or
+seventy-five years old, is very intelligent in her expression of her
+different thoughts. This interview, as nearly as possible, was taken in
+the exact words of the person interviewed.
+
+"If you are eating with a mouthful of food and sneeze, that sho is a
+true sign of death. I know that 'cause years ago I wuz havin' breakfast
+with my son Wylie and one other boy and Wylie sneezed and said "Mama I'm
+so sorry I jist coundn't help it the sneeze came on me so quick." I jist
+sat there and looked at him and began ter wonder. Two weeks later my
+brother rode up and announced my mother's death. That is one sign thats
+true, yes sir.
+
+If a picture falls off the wall some one in the family will die.
+
+If you dream about teeth, if one falls out thats another sign of death.
+
+Another sign of death jest as sho as you live is ter dream of a person
+naked. I dreamed my son was naked but his body was covered with hair.
+Three months later he died. Yes sir, that sho is a true sign.
+
+Jest as sho as your left hand itches you will receive money. If fire
+pops on you from the stove, or fire place, you will get a letter.
+
+If the left side of your nose itches a man is coming to the house. If it
+itches on the tip, he will come riding.
+
+If the right side of your nose itches a woman is coming to the house.
+
+Following are stories told to Mrs. Heard by her parents, which took
+place during the period of slavery. They are supposed to be true as they
+were experienced by the persons who told them.
+
+"My mother told me a story that happened when she was a slave. When her
+mistress whipped her she would run away ter the woods; but at night she
+would sneak back to nurse her babies. The plantation was on old
+McDonough road, so ter get ter the plantation she had ter come by a
+cemetery and you could see the white stones shining in the moonlight.
+This cemetery was near a cut in the road that people said was hanted and
+they still say old McDonough road is hanted. One night, mama said she
+was on her way to the plantation walking on the middle of the road and
+the moon was shining very bright. When she reached this cut she heard a
+noise, Clack! Clack! Clack!, and this noise reminded a person of a lot
+of machines moving. All at once a big thing as large as a house came
+down the side of the road. She said it looked like a lot of chains,
+wheels, posts all mangled together, and it seemed that there were more
+wheels and chains than anything else. It kept on by making that noise,
+clack! clack! clack!. She stood right still till it passed and came on
+ter the farm. On her way back she say she didn't see it any more, but
+right till ter day that spot is hanted. I have knowed horses to run away
+right there with people and hurt them. Then sometimes they have rared
+and kicked and turned to go in the other direction. You see, horses can
+see hants sometimes when folks can't. Now the reason fer this cut being
+hanted was because old Dave Copeland used to whip his slaves to death
+and bury them along there."
+
+The next story was told to Mrs. Heard by her father, who experienced it,
+as a slave boy.
+
+"My father sed when he wuz a boy him and two more boys run away from the
+master 'cause the master whipped 'em. They set out and walked till it
+got dark, and they saw a big old empty house settin' back from der road.
+Now this house was 3 or 4 miles from any other house. So they went in
+and made a fire, and laid down 'cause they wuz tired from running from
+the Pader rollers. Soon they heard something say tap! tap! tap!, down
+the stairs it came, a loud noise and then "Oh Lordy Master, I aint goin'
+do it no more; let me off this time." After a while they heard this same
+noise like a house falling in and the same words "Oh Lordy Master, I ant
+goin' do it no more. Let me off this time." By this time they had got
+good and scared, so my pa sed he and his friends looked at each other
+and got up and ran away from that house jest as fast as they could go.
+Nobody knowed why this old house wuz hanted; but they believed that some
+slaves had been killed in it."
+
+The next is a story of the Jack O'lantern as told by Mrs. Heard.
+
+"Old South River on' the Jonesboro road is jest full of swampy land and
+on a rainy drizzly night Jack O'lanterns will lead you. One night my
+uncle started out ter see his girl end he had ter go through the woods
+and the swamps. When he got in der swamp land he had ter cross a branch
+and the night wuz dark and drizzly, so dark you could hardly see your
+hand before your face. Way up the creek he saw a little bright light, so
+he followed it thinking he wuz on his way. All night long he sed he
+followed this light up and down the swamp, but never got near ter it.
+When day came he was still in the creek and had not gone any distance at
+all. He went home and told the folks and they went back ter the swamps
+and saw his tracks up and down in the mud. Later a group of 'em set out
+to find the Jack O'lantern and way down the creek they found it on a
+bush. It looked like soot hanging down from a bush, burnt out. My uncle
+went ter bed 'cause he wuz sleepy and tired down from walking all
+night."
+
+The following three stories related by Mrs. Heard deals with practices
+of conjure. She definitely states that they are true stories; and backs
+up this statement by saying she is a firm believer in conjure.
+
+"As I told you before, my daddy came from Virginia. He wuz bought there
+by Old Harper and brought ter McDonough as a slave boy. Well as the
+speculator drove along south, he learned who the different slaves were.
+When he got here he wuz told by the master to live with old uncle Ned
+'cause he wuz the only bachelor on the plantation. The master said ter
+old Ned, "Well Ned, I have bought me a fine young plow boy. I want him
+ter stay with you and you treat him right." Every night uncle Ned would
+make a pallet on the floor for daddy and make him go to bed. When he got
+in bed he (uncle Ned) would watch him out of the corner of his eye, but
+daddy would pretend he wuz asleep and watch old uncle Ned to see what he
+wuz going ter do. After a while uncle Ned would take a broom and sweep
+the fireplace clean, then he would get a basket and take out of it a
+whole lot of little bundles wrapped in white cloth. As he lay out a
+package he would say "grass hoppers," "spiders", "scorpian," "snake
+heads", etc., then he, would take the tongs and turn 'em around before
+the blaze so that they would parch. Night after night he would do this
+same thing until they had parched enough, then he would beat all of it
+together and make a powder; then put it up in little bags. My daddy wuz
+afraid ter ask old uncle Ned what he did with these bags, but heard he
+conjured folks with 'em. In fact he did conjure a gal 'cause she
+wouldn't pay him any attention. This gal wuz very young and preferred
+talking to the younger men, but uncle Ned always tried ter hang around
+her and help hoe, but she would always tell him to go do his own work
+'cause she could do hers. One day he said ter her "All right madam, I'll
+see you later, you wont notice me now but you'll wish you had. When the
+dinner came, and they left the field they left their hoes standing so
+they would know jest where ter start when they got back. When that gal
+went back ter the field the minute she touched that hoe she fell dead.
+Some folks say they saw uncle Ned dressing that hoe with conjure.
+
+"My sister Lizzie sho did get fixed, honey, and it took a old conjurer
+ter get the spell off of her. It wuz like this: Sister Lizzie had a
+pretty peachtree and one limb spreaded out over the walk and jest as
+soon as she would walk under this limb, she would stay sick all the
+time. The funny part 'bout it wuz that while she wuz at other folks
+house she would feel all right, but the minute she passed under this
+limb, she would begin ter feel bad. One day she sent fer a conjurer, and
+he looked under the house, and sho nuff, he found it stuck in the sill.
+It looked like a bundle of rags, red flannel all stuck up with needles
+and every thing else. This old conjurer told her that the tree had been
+dressed for her an t'would be best fer her ter cut it down. It wuz a
+pretty tree and she sho did hate to cut it down, but she did like he
+told her. Yes child, I don't know whither I've ever been conjured or
+not, but sometimes my head hurts and I wonder."
+
+Mrs. Heard asked the writer to return at a later date and she would
+probably be able to relate more interesting incidents.
+
+
+
+
+FOLKLORE
+(Negro)
+Edwin Driscoll
+
+[MRS. JULIA RUSH, MR. GEORGE LEONARD, MR. HENRY HOLMES, MR. ELLIS
+STRICKLAND, MR. SAM STEVENS, JOE (a boy)]
+
+
+The Negro folklore as recounted below was secured from the following
+persons: Mrs. Julia Rush (an ex-slave) who lives at 878 Coleman Street,
+S.W.; Mr. George Leonard (a very intelligent elderly person) whose
+address is 148 Chestnut Avenue N.E.; and Mr. Henry Holmes (an ex-slave);
+Mr. Ellis Strickland; Mr. Sam Stevens and a young boy known only as Joe.
+The latter named people can be found at the address of 257 Old Wheat
+Street, N.E. According to these people this lore represents the sort of
+thing that their parents and grandparents believed in and at various
+times they have been heard to tell about these beliefs.
+
+
+VOODOO AND CONJURE
+
+Mr. Leonard says: "In dem days de old folks b'lieved in witch-craft and
+conjure and sicha stuff like dat. Dey b'lieved dat an old person could
+punish anybody by taking a piece of chip and spitting on it and den dey
+would throw it on 'em. Dey said dat in two weeks time maggots would be
+in 'em."
+
+"I have seen 'em take a black cat an' put 'im in a sack an' den dey took
+'im an' put 'im in a pot of boiling hot water alive. Man de cat would
+almos' tear dat pot up tryin' to git out. After dey had cooked all de
+meat off de cat dey took one of his bones (I don't know which one of
+'em) and put it crossways in their front teeth while dey mumbled
+somethin' under their breath an' den dey took dis bone an' throwed it
+'cross de right shoulder an' when dey went an' picked it up an' put it
+in their pocket it was supposed to give 'em de bes' kind of luck. Dey
+could say or do anything dey wanted to an' ole marster couldn't hit
+'em."
+
+Regarding the Black cat's bone Mr. Strickland told the following story
+which he says he once heard an old man tell his father:
+
+"You goes out in de valley in de woods an' you takes a live black cat
+an' throws 'im in a pot of boiling water. You boils 'im 'till he gits
+done all to pieces an' den you takes all de bones an' throws 'em in de
+creek an' de one dat floats up de creek is de one to use. You takes dis
+bone an' draws it through your teech an' gits all de meat off an' den
+you can take dat bone an' do all kinds of majic. You can talk to folks
+an' dey can't see you. You can even disappear an' come right back. It
+takes a good 'un to do dat (get a black cat's bone). While you's boilin'
+de cat dat thunder an' lightnin' look like it goin' tear up de face of
+de earth--you can even see de wind which is like a red blaze of fire."
+
+Continuing Mr. Strickland says: "Some of de roots dat dey used to bring
+'im luck an' to trick folks wid wuz Rattle-Snake Marster, and John de
+Conquerer. John de Conquerer is supposed to conquer any kind of trouble
+you gits intuh. Some folks says dat you can tote it in your pocket an'
+have good luck.
+
+"I once knowed a woman who had some lodestone dat she uster work. She
+could take men an' dere wives apart an' den put 'em back together again.
+She say dat she had killed so many folks (by the use of conjure and
+majic etc.) dat she did'nt know whether she would ever git fit fer
+forgiveness. She sold She sold herself to de devil fer twenty years."
+
+"Aint nuthin wrong wid folks all de time when dey thinks dey is
+tricked," says Mr. Strickland. "I had a friend named Joe once an' he
+uster fool 'roun wid roots an' stuff like dat. One day he heard about a
+man who had promised to pay five-hundred dollars to anybody dat could
+cure him of de misery in his stomach. He thought somebody had "tricked"
+him by puttin' a snake in 'im. Joe stayed wid 'im fer two days an' he
+did'nt git no better an' so he went out de nex' day an' bought a rubber
+snake an den he come back an' give de man some medecine to make 'im
+vomit. When he comited Joe throwed de snake in de can an' den he said to
+de man: "Dere it is, I knowed somebody had fixed you." De man said: "Dey
+tol' me somebody had put a snake in me." Joe took de snake an' done away
+wid it an' de nex' day de man wuz up walkin' 'roun. He never did know
+how he had been fooled an' Joe made de five-hundred dollars."
+
+According to Mrs. Rush the wife of the colored foreman on her master's
+plantation was always working with roots. She says "One day I come in
+fum de field to nurse my baby an' when I got to my house dere was dis
+woman standing at my door." I said to her: "Name o' God Aunt Candis (dat
+wus her name) whut is you doin'?" She wus makin' all kings of funny
+motions when I come up on her. If you aint scared of 'em dey can't do
+nuthin to you. When I hollored at her de sweat broke out on her face. By
+dis time I had stayed away fum de field too long an' I knowed I wus
+goin' to git a whippin' but Candis gimme some of de roots she had in her
+mouth an'in her pockets. She tol' me to put piece of it in my mouth an'
+chew it. When I got near de overseer I was to spit some of de juice
+towars him an' I would'nt git a whippin'. I tied a piece of it 'roun my
+waist an' put some in my trunk too. I did'nt git a whippin' when I got
+to de field but when I went to look fer de root 'roun my waist it wus
+gone. When I went back to de house dat night de other piece was gone
+too. I aint seed it fum dat day to dis. De rest of de women on de
+plantation honored Candis but I did'nt. Dey say dat folks like dem can
+put stuff down fer you to walk in er set in or drink an' dat dey can fix
+you lie dat. But dey can't do nuthin' wid you if you aint scared of
+'em."
+
+"Not so long ago a woman whut uster live back of me tried to do sumpin'
+to me after we had a fuss. I woke up one mornin' an' looked out by my
+back fence an' dere wus a lotsa salt an' sulphur an' stuff all 'roun de
+yard. De other women wus scared fer me but I wus'nt."
+
+Several of my informants say that salt can be used as a weapon of
+conjure. According to Joe salt may be used to make a gambler lose all of
+his money. To do this all that is necessary is to stand behind the
+person to be conjured and then sprinkle a small amount of salt on his
+back. From that instant on he will lose money. Joe has also seen a woman
+use the following method to make her male friend remain at home: "She
+taken some salt an' pepper an' sprinkled it up an' down de steps," says
+Joe, "an' den she taken a plain eatin' fork an' stuck it under de door
+steps an' de man stayed right in de house until she moved de fork."
+
+Mr. Stevens says: "If you want to fix somebody all you got to do is to
+sprinkle some salt an' petter 'roun 'em an' it'll make 'em bus' dere
+brains out. If you wants to make 'em move you go out to de grave yard
+an' stick your hand down in de middle of a grave an' git a handful of
+dat red graveyard dirt an' den you comes back an' sprinkles it 'roun
+dere door an' dey's gone, dey can't stay dere. Another conjuration is
+fer a woman to make three waves over a man's head. I saw one do dat
+once."
+
+Another method used to fix or conjure people, according to Mrs. Rush, is
+to take a lizard and parch it. The remains must be put in something that
+the person is to eat and when the food is eaten the individual will be
+conjured. Mr. Holmes says if a black cat's tail is tied on someone's
+doorknob it will "cut dey luck off."
+
+Silver money tied around the leg will ward off the effects of conjure.
+Mrs. Rush says if you are feeling ill and you wish to determine whether
+or not someone has been trying to conjure you or not just take a silver
+coin and place it in your mouth. If it turns black somebody is working
+conjure on you. "I knowed a man who went to Newnan to see his mother who
+wus sick," stated Mrs. Rush. "She wus so sick dat she could'nt tell whut
+wus de matter wid her an' so her son took a silver quarter an' put it in
+her mouth an' it turned as black as a kettle."
+
+Says Mr. Holmes: "If anybody comes to your house an' you don't want 'em
+dere, when dey leaves you take some salt an' throw it at 'em when dey
+gits out of hearin' you cuss at 'em an' dey won't never come back
+again."
+
+Following are some songs that used to be sung about conjure, etc.:
+
+ SON:
+
+ "Mother, make my bed down
+ I will freely lie down,
+ Mother, make my bed down
+ I will freely lie down"
+
+ MOTHER:
+
+ "Ransom, my son, what did she give you to eat?
+ Ransom, my son, what did she give you to eat?
+
+ SON:
+
+ "Red head (parched lizard) and speckle back
+ Oh, make my bed down I will freely lie down."
+
+ "I'm goin' to pizen (poison) you, I'm goin' to pizen you,
+ I'm jus' sick an' tired of de way you do,
+ I'm goin' to sprinkle spider legs 'roun yo' bed
+ an' you gonna wake up in de mornin' an find yourself dead"
+
+ "You beat me an' you kick me an' you black my eyes,
+ I'm gonna take dis butcher knife an' hew you down to my size,
+ You mark my words, my name is Lou,
+ You mind out what I say, I'm goin' to pizen you."
+
+
+POSITIVE CURES AND CONTROLS
+
+ Mrs. Rush says that backache can be cured by rubbing a hot iron up and
+ down the afflicted person's back.
+
+ Asafetida tied around the neck will prevent smallpox.
+
+ Risings can be cured by rubbing them with a poultice made from
+ House-Leak root.
+
+ To prevent a fall while walking from one side of a creek to the other on
+ a log, place a small stick crosswise in the front-teeth and no mishap
+ will result.
+
+ Hold the mouth full of water while peeling onions and the onion juice
+ will not get in the eyes.
+
+ If a man wishes to make a woman fall in love with him all that he has to
+ do is to take some of her hair, tie it up, and then throw it in running
+ water. In a short while she will fall deeply in love with him.
+
+ A man may also cause a woman to fall in love with him by letting her
+ drink whiskey in which he has allowed "Gin-Root" to soak.
+
+ If a woman wishes to make a man fall in love with her she has only to
+ take the small bow usually found in the back of a man's cap on the
+ sweatband, or the bow usually found on the band of the man's hat. After
+ this has been secured it must be taken and worn under her clothes next
+ to her body.
+
+
+WITCH RIDING
+
+Mrs. Betty Brown of 74 Butler Street, N.E. says that when people die
+angry with someone they usually come back after death in the form of a
+witch and then they ride the person that they were angry with at the
+time of their death.
+
+According to Mr. Favors who lives at 78 Raymond Street, when a witch
+rides anyone it is a sign that a man, a woman, or a dog, is after that
+person.
+
+Mrs. Julia Rush says: "De old folks uster call witches hags. Dey wus
+some kind of sperrits (spirits) an' dey would ride anybody. My
+grandmother uster sleep wid de sissors under her pillow to keep 'em
+away."
+
+"I once heerd a woman dat a witch come to a house one night an' took her
+skin off an' went through de key hole. Somebody foun' de skin an'
+sprinkled salt on it an' when de witch come out she could'nt git in de
+skin an' she started saying: 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you know me?'"
+
+Regarding witches Mr. Leonard made the following statement: "The old
+folks b'lieved dat any house a person died in was "hainted" and dat de
+dead person's spirit was a witch dat would come back at night. They used
+to put a pan of salt on de corpse to keep it fum purgin' an' to keep de
+witches away. They burned lamps all night long fer about three weeks
+after de person was dead an' they sprinkled salt an' pepper 'roun too to
+keep de witches away."
+
+Another informant claims that if a person sleeps with his or her shoes
+under the bed the witches are liable to ride him.
+
+Mr. Strickland says that when the witches are riding anyone if that
+person can say any three words of the Bible such as: "Lord have mercy,"
+or "Jesus save me" the witch will stop riding.
+
+
+APPARITIONS AND GHOSTS
+
+Mr. Henry Holmes claims that he has seen the Jack O'Lantern and that at
+one time he even followed it. He says: "One night me an' two more
+fellows followed de Jack O'Lantern. It looked like a light in a house or
+sumpin. We did'nt know where we wus until de nex' mornin' an' when we
+did find ourselfs we wus at home. All de while we followed it it jus'
+kep' goin' further an' further until it jus' vanished."
+
+According to Mr. Leonard the Jack O'Lantern is a light that comes out of
+the swamps at night and after getting in front of a person it will lead
+him on and on. The old folks also used to think that the vapor seen
+rising out of the swamps at night were ghosts. One night he and his
+grandfather were walking down the railroad tracks when suddenly his
+grandfather said: "Stand back dere George don't you see dat man walkin'
+'long dere wid no head?" He says, however, that he himself failed to see
+any such thing.
+
+According to both Mrs. Brown and Mrs. [Rush?] people who are born with
+cauls (a kind of a veil) over their eyes are able to see ghosts.
+
+
+CUSTOMS CONCERNING COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE
+
+Mr. Leonard says that a young man wishing to accompany a young woman to
+her home always spoke in the following manner: "Dear kind Miss, if you
+have no objection of my being your protection, I'm going in your
+direction." It was in this manner that he asked her to allow him to
+escort her home.
+
+For several years after freedom was declared it was the custom for the
+bride and the groom to jump over the broom together before they were
+pronounced man and wife.
+
+
+HUNTING LORE
+
+The best time to hunt 'possums is on a cloudy night just before the
+break of day. All of the big ones are out then Mr. Favors claims.
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION FOLKLORE INTERVIEWS--RICHMOND COUNTY
+
+CONJURATION
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth,
+District Supervisor,
+Residencies 6 & 7,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+
+CONJURATION
+
+Richmond County's older colored citizens, particularly the few surviving
+ex-slaves, are outspoken in their firm belief concerning powers of
+conjurers and root workers.
+
+"When it comes to conjuration, don't nobody know more 'bout that, and
+there ain't nobody had as much of it done to 'em as I have," said a
+wizened old woman. "I know nobody could stand what I have stood. The
+first I knowed 'bout conjuration was when a woman named Lucinda hurt my
+sister. She was always a 'big me,' and her chillun was better than
+anybody elses. Well her oldest child got pregnant and that worried
+Lucinda nearly to death. She thought everybody she seed was talkin'
+'bout her child. One day she passed my sister and another 'oman standin'
+on the street laughin' and talkin'. Lucinda was so worried 'bout her
+daughter she thought they was laughin' at her. She got so mad she cussed
+'em out right there and told 'em their 'turn was in the mill.' My sister
+called the other 'oman in the house and shut the door to keep from
+listenin' at her. That made it wuss.
+
+"'Bout three weeks later my sister started complainin'. Us had two or
+three doctors with her, but none of 'em done her any good. The more
+doctors us got the wuss she got. Finally all of the doctors give her up
+and told us there warn't nothin' they could do. After she had been sick
+'bout two months she told us 'bout a strange man comin' to her house a
+few days 'fore she took sick. She said he had been there three or four
+times. She 'membered it when he come back after she took sick and
+offered to do somethin' for her. The doctors hadn't done her no good and
+she was just 'bout to let him doctor on her when this 'oman that was
+with her the day Lucinda cussed 'em out told her he was Lucinda's great
+uncle. She said that everybody called him the greatest root worker in
+South Carolina. Then my sister thought 'bout how this man had come to
+her house and asked for water every time. He wouldn't ever let her get
+the water for him, he always went to the pump and got it hisself. After
+he had pumped it off real cool he would always offer to get a bucket
+full for her. She didn't think nothin' 'bout it and she would let him
+fill her bucket. That's how he got her.
+
+"She stayed sick a long time and Mamie stayed by her bed 'til she died.
+I noticed Mamie wipin' her mouth every few minutes, so one day I asked
+her what did she keep wipin' from my sister's mouth. She told me it
+wasn't nothin' but spit. But I had got very anxious to know so I stood
+by her head myself. Finally I seed what it was. Small spiders came
+crawlin' out of her mouth and nose. Mamie thought it would skeer me,
+that's why she didn't want me to know.
+
+"That happened on Tuesday and that Friday when she died a small snake
+come out of her forehead and stood straight up and stuck his tongue out
+at us. A old man who was sittin' there with us caught the snake, put him
+in a bottle, and kept him 'bout two weeks before he died.
+
+"Don't think Lucinda didn't have pore Mamie conjured too. Mamie took
+sick just one month after my sister died. After she found out the
+doctors couldn't do her no good, she got a real good root worker to
+doctor on her. He got her up and she stayed up for nearly a year before
+Lucinda doubled the dose. That time pore Mamie couldn't git up. She
+suffered and suffered before she died. But Lucinda got her pay for all
+of it. When Mamie died Lucinda come to see her and said 'some folks was
+better off dead anyhow'. Mamie's daughter started to jump on her but
+some of the old folks wouldn't let her.
+
+"Lucinda went a long time, but when she fell she sho' fell hard. She
+almost went crazy. She stayed sick as long as my sister and Mamie put
+together. She got so bad off 'til nobody couldn't even go in her house.
+Everybody said she was reapin' what she sowed. She wouldn't even let her
+own chillun come in the house. After she got so sick she couldn't get
+off the bed she would cuss 'em and yell to the top of her voice 'til
+they left. Nobody didn't feel sorry for her 'cause they knowed she had
+done too much devilment.
+
+"Just 'fore she died, Lucinda was so sick and everybody was talkin'
+'bout it was such a shame for her to have to stay there by herself that
+her youngest daughter and her husband went to live with her. Her
+daughter was 'fraid to go by herself. When she died you could stand in
+the street and hear her cussin' and yellin'. She kept sayin' 'take 'em
+off of me, I ain't done nothin' to 'em. Tell 'em I didn't hurt 'em,
+don't let 'em kill me.' And all of a sudden she would start cussin' God
+and anybody she could think of. When she died it took four men to hold
+her down in the bed."
+
+"I've been sick so much 'til I can look at other folks when they're sick
+and tell if its natural sickness or not. Once I seed my face always
+looked like dirty dish water grease was on it every mornin' 'fore I
+washed it. Then after I washed it in the places where the grease was
+would be places that looked like fish scales. Then these places would
+turn into sores. I went to three doctors and every one of 'em said it
+was poison grease on my face. I knowed I hadn't put no kind of grease on
+it, so I couldn't see where it was comin' from. Every time I told my
+husband 'bout it he got mad, but I never paid too much 'tention to that.
+Then one day I was tellin' a friend of mine 'bout it, and she told me my
+husband must be doin' it. I wondered why he would do such a thing and
+she said he was just 'bout jealous of me.
+
+"The last doctor I went to give me somethin' to put on my face and it
+really cleared the sores up. But I noticed my husband when my face got
+clear and he really looked mad. He started grumblin' 'bout every little
+thing, right or wrong. Then one day he brought me a black hen for
+dinner. My mind told me not to eat the chicken so I told him I wanted to
+keep the hen and he got mad 'bout that. 'Bout two or three days later I
+noticed a big knot on the side of the chicken's head and it bursted
+inside of that same week. The chicken started drooping 'round and in a
+week's time that chicken was dead. You see that chicken was poison.
+
+"After that my husband got so fussy I had to start sleepin' in another
+room. I was still sick, so one day he brought me some medicine he said
+he got from Dr. Traylor. I tried to take a dose 'cause I knowed if it
+was from Dr. Traylor it was all right, but that medicine burnt me just
+like lye. I didn't even try to take no more of it. I got some medicine
+from the doctor myself and put it in the bottom of the sideboard. I took
+'bout three doses out of it and it was doing me good, but when I started
+to take the fourth dose it had lye in it and I had to throw it away. I
+went and had the doctor to give me another bottle and I called myself
+hidin' it, but after I took 'bout six doses, lye was put in it. Then one
+day a friend of mine, who come from my husband's home, told me he was a
+root worker and she thought I already knowed it. Well I knowed then how
+he could find my medicine everytime I hid it. You see he didn't have to
+do nothin' but run his cards. From then on I carried my medicine 'round
+in my apron pocket.
+
+"I started sleepin' in the kitchen on a cot 'cause his mother was usin'
+the other room and I didn't want to sleep with her. Late at night he
+would come to the window and blow somethin' in there to make me feel
+real bad. Things can be blowed through the key hole too. I know 'cause I
+have had it done to me. This kept up for 'bout a year and five or six
+months. Then 'cause he seed he couldn't do just what he wanted to, he
+told me to get out. I went 'cause I thought that might help me to git
+out of my misery. But it didn't 'cause he come where I was every night.
+He never did try to come in, but us would hear somebody stumblin' in the
+yard and whenever us looked out to see who it was us always found it was
+him. Us told him that us seed him out there, but he always denied it. He
+does it right now or sometimes he gets other root workers to do it for
+him. Whenever I go out in the yard my feet always feel like they are
+twistin' over and I can't stop 'em; my legs and knees feel like
+somethin' is drawin' 'em, and my head starts swimmin'. I know what's
+wrong, it just what he had put down for me.
+
+"When I get up in the mornin' I always have to put sulphur and salt and
+pepper in my shoes to keep down the devilment he puts out for me. A man
+who can do that kind of work give me somethin' to help me, but I was
+s'posed to go back in six months and I ain't been back. That's why it's
+started worryin' me again.
+
+"My sister was conjured by openin' the door and eatin' afterwards
+without washin' her hands," an 80-year old ex-slave remarked. "She had
+just come home and opened her front door and went in the house to eat
+before goin' to church. She et her supper and started to church with
+another of my sisters. After she had gone 'bout two or three blocks she
+started feelin' sick and walkin' as if she was drunk. My sister tried to
+make her go back home but she wouldn't. When they got to church she
+couldn't hardly get up the steps and they warn't in church over fifteen
+minutes 'fore she had a stroke. Somebody took a car and carried her
+home. She couldn't even speak for more than a week. The doctor come and
+'xamined her, but he said he didn't see nothin' that would cause her to
+have a stroke. He treated her for 'bout two weeks but she didn't get no
+better. A friend told us to try a root worker. She said she knowed one
+that was good on such things. Us was afraid at first, but after the
+three doctors us had tried didn't seem to do her no good, us decided to
+get the root worker.
+
+"The root worker come that Wednesday mornin' and looked at her, but he
+never touched her. He told us she had been hurt, but he could have her
+on her feet in 'bout a week or ten days. He didn't give her no medicine,
+and he never come back 'til after she was up and walkin' 'round. She got
+up in 'bout seven days, and started talkin' earlier than that. The root
+worker told her she had got conjured by puttin' her hands on somethin'
+and eatin' without washin' 'em.
+
+"She got along fine for 'bout three years, 'til one day she got home
+from work and found her house open. She thought her son had gone out and
+forgot to lock the door. When he come home he told her he had not been
+back since he left that mornin'. She knowed she didn't forget to lock
+it, so she guessed somebody had jus 'bout gone in through the window and
+come out the door. But it was too late then 'cause she had et what was
+left in the house and had drunk some water.
+
+"That night she had her second stroke. Us sent for the same man who had
+got her up before, but he said he doubted gettin' her up this time
+'cause the person had made a good job of it by puttin' somethin' in her
+water and t'eat. He treated her, and she got strong enough to sit up in
+the house, but she soon had the third stroke and then he give her up.
+She died 'bout two months later.
+
+"I know you don't know how folks can really conjure you. I didn't at one
+time, but I sho' learnt. Everytime somebody gets sick it ain't natchel
+sickness. I have seed folks die with what the doctors called
+consumption, and yet they didn't have it. I have seed people die with
+heart trouble, and they didn't have it. Folks is havin' more strokes now
+than ever but they ain't natchel. I have seed folks fixed so they would
+bellow like a cow when they die, and I have seed 'em fixed so you have
+to tie them down in bed to die. I've got so I hardly trust anybody."
+
+Estella Jones thinks conjurers and root workers are much more skillful
+now than formerly. "Folks don't kill you like they used to kill you.
+They used to put most anythin' in you, but now they got so wise or
+afraid that somebody will know zactly what killed you, 'til they do it
+slick as a eel.
+
+"Once a man named John tried to go with a girl but her step-pa, Willie,
+run him away from the house just like he mought be a dog, so John made
+it up in his mind to conjure Willie. He went to the spring and planted
+somethin' in the mouth of it, and when Willie went there the next day to
+get a drink he got the stuff in the water. A little while after he drunk
+the water he started gettin' sick. He tried to stay up but every day he
+got wuss and wuss 'til he got flat down in bed.
+
+"In a few days somethin' started growin' in his throat. Every time they
+tried to give him soup or anythin' to eat, somethin' would come crawlin'
+up in his throat and choke him. That was what he had drunk in the
+spring, and he couldn't eat nothin' or drink nothin'. Finally he got so
+bad off he claimed somethin' was chokin' him to death, and so his wife
+sont off and got a fortune teller. This fortune teller said it was a
+turtle in his throat. He 'scribed the man that had conjured Willie but
+everybody knowed John had done it 'fore the fortune teller told us. It
+warn't long after that 'fore Willie was dead. That turtle come up in his
+throat and choked him to death.
+
+"Some folk don't believe me, but I ain't tellin' no tale 'bout it. I
+have asked root workers to tell me how they does these things, and one
+told me that it was easy for folks to put snakes, frogs, turtles,
+spiders, or most anythin' that you couldn't live with crawlin' and
+eatin' on the inside of you. He said these things was killed and put up
+to dry and then beat up into dust like. If any of this dust is put in
+somethin' you have to eat or drink, these things will come alive like
+they was eggs hatchin' in you. Then the more they grow, the worse off
+you get.
+
+"My aun't son had took a girl away from another man who was going with
+her too. As soon as this man heard they was going to marry, he started
+studyin' some way to stop it. So he went to a root worker and got
+somethin' and then went to this girl's house one night when he knew my
+cousin was there. Finally when he got ready to leave, he was smart
+enough to get my cousin to take a drink with him.
+
+"That next mornin' the boy was feelin' a little bad, but he never paid
+too much 'tention to it. Next day he felt a little wuss, and everyday
+from then on he felt wuss and wuss 'til he got too sick to stay up. One
+day a old lady who lived next door told us to try a root worker who
+lived on Jones Street. This man came and told us what was wrong, but
+said us had waited too long to send for him. He give us some thin' to
+'lieve the boy of his misery. Us kept givin' this to him 'til he finally
+got up. Course he warn't well by no means and this medicine didn't help
+his stomach. His stomach got so big everybody would ask what was wrong.
+He told everybody that asked him and some who didn't ask him 'bout the
+frogs in his stomach. The bigger these frogs got, the weaker he got.
+
+"After he had been sick 'bout four months and the frogs had got to be a
+pretty good size, you could hear 'em holler everytime he opened his
+mouth. He got to the place where he wouldn't talk much on account of
+this. His stomach stuck out so far, he looked like he weighed 250
+pounds.
+
+"After these frogs started hollerin' in him, he lived 'bout three weeks,
+and 'fore he died you could see the frogs jumpin' 'bout in him and you
+could even feel 'em.
+
+"T'ain't no need talkin'; folks can do anythin' to you they wants to.
+They can run you crazy or they can kill you. Don't you one time believe
+that every pore pusson they has in the 'sylum is just natchelly crazy.
+Some was run crazy on account of people not likin' 'em, some 'cause they
+was gettin' 'long a little too good. Every time a pusson jumps in the
+river don't think he was just tryin' to kill hisself; most times he just
+didn't know what he was doin'.
+
+"My daughter was fixed right here under our noses. She was married and
+had five little chillun and she was the picture of health. But she had a
+friend that she trusted too much and this friend was single and in love
+with my daughter's husband. Diff'unt people told Liza 'bout this girl,
+but she just didn't believe 'em. Every day this girl was at Liza's house
+'til time for Lewis to git off from work. She helped Liza wash, clean
+up, iron and cook, but she always left at the time for Lewis to git off
+from work.
+
+"This went on for more'n a year, but I kept tellin' Liza to ween off
+from this girl 'cause I seed she didn't mean her no good. But Liza was
+grown and nobody couldn't tell her nothin'. I think she had Liza fixed
+so she would be crazy 'bout her. People can make you love 'em, even
+marry 'em when if you was in your right mind you wouldn't give 'em a
+thought. Anyhow Liza went on with the girl 'til one afternoon while she
+was comin' from the store she seed Lewis and Edna goin' in a house
+together. He come home 'bout three hours later, and when Liza asked him
+why he was so late he told her they had to work late. He didn't know she
+had seed him and she never told him.
+
+"After this she started watchin' him and Edna, and she soon found out
+what folks had been tellin' her was true. Still she never told Lewis
+nothin' 'bout it. She told Edna 'bout seein' 'em and asked her to please
+let Lewis alone. Edna made up some kind of s'cuse but she never let him
+alone, and she kept goin' to Liza's house. When things finally went too
+far, Liza spoke to Lewis 'bout it and asked him to leave Edna alone. He
+did, but that made Edna mad and that's when she 'cided to kill Liza.
+Lewis really loved Liza and would do anythin' she asked him to.
+
+"One day Edna come to see Liza, after she had stayed away for 'bout
+three weeks, and she was more lovin' than ever. She hung around 'til she
+got a chance to put somethin' in the water bucket, then she left. People
+can put somethin' in things for you and everybody else can eat or drink
+it, but it won't hurt nobody but the one it's put there for. When Liza
+drunk water, she said it tasted like it had salt-peter in it. When she
+went to bed that night, she never got out 'til she was toted out. She
+suffered and suffered and we never knowed what was wrong 'til Edna told
+it herself. She took very sick and 'fore she died she told one of her
+friends 'bout it and this friend told us, but it was too late then, Liza
+was dead."
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY--EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+FOLK REMEDIES AND SUPERSTITION
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+
+Belief in charms and conjurs is still prevalent among many of Augusta's
+older Negroes. Signs and omens also play an important part in their
+lives, as do remedies and cures handed down by word of mouth from
+generation to generation.
+
+ If a wrestler can get dirt from the head of a fresh grave, sew it up
+ in a sack, and tie it around his waist, no one can throw him.
+
+ To make a person leave town, get some dirt out of one of his tracks,
+ sew it up in a sack, and throw it in running water. The person will
+ keep going as long as the water runs.
+
+ To take a hair out of a person's head and put it in a live fishes
+ mouth will make the person keep traveling as long as the fish
+ swims.
+
+ If someone dies and comes back to worry you, nail some new lumber into
+ your house and you won't be bothered any more.
+
+ When the hands of a dead person remain limp, some other member of the
+ family will soon follow him in death.
+
+ When a spider builds a web in your house, you may expect a visitor the
+ same color as the spider.
+
+ A singing fire is a sign of snow.
+
+ If a cat takes up at your house it's a sign of good luck; a dog--bad
+ luck.
+
+ If a spark of fire pops on you, it is a sign that you will receive
+ some money or a letter.
+
+ To dream of muddy water, maggots, or fresh meat is a sign of death.
+ To dream of caskets is also a sign of death. You may expect to hear
+ of as many deaths as there are caskets in the dream.
+
+ To dream of blood is a sign of trouble.
+
+ To dream of fish is a sign of motherhood.
+
+ To dream of eggs is a sign of trouble unless the eggs are broken. If
+ the eggs are broken, your trouble is ended.
+
+ To dream of snakes is a sign of enemies. If you kill the snakes, you
+ have conquered your enemies.
+
+ To dream of fire is a sign of danger.
+
+ To dream of a funeral is a sign of a wedding.
+
+ To dream of a wedding is a sign of a funeral.
+
+ To dream of silver money is a sign of bad luck; bills--good luck.
+
+ To dream of dead folk is a sign of rain.
+
+ Wear a raw cotton string tied in nine knots around your waist to cure
+ cramps.
+
+ To stop nosebleed or hiccoughs cross two straws on top of your head.
+
+ Lick the back of your hand and swallow nine times without stopping to
+ cure hiccoughs.
+
+ Tea made from rue is good for stomach worms.
+
+ Corn shuck tea is good for measles; fodder tea for asthma.
+
+ Goldenrod tea is good for chills and fever.
+
+ Richet weed tea is good for a laxative.
+
+ Tea made from parched egg shells or green coffee is good for
+ leucorrhoea.
+
+ Black snuff, alum, a piece of camphor, and red vaseline mixed together
+ is a sure cure for piles.
+
+ To rid yourself of a corn, grease it with a mixture of castor oil and
+ kerosine and then soak the foot in warm water.
+
+ Sulphur mixed with lard is good for bad blood.
+
+ A cloth heated in melted tallow will give relief when applied to a
+ pain in any part of the body.
+
+ Take a pinch of sulphur in the mouth and drink water behind it to
+ cleanse the blood.
+
+ Dog fern is good for colds and fever; boneset tea will serve the same
+ purpose.
+
+ Catnip tea is good for measles or hives.
+
+ If your right shoe comes unlaced, someone is saying good things about
+ you; left shoe--bad things.
+
+ If a chunk of fire falls from the fireplace a visitor is coming. If
+ the chunk is short and large the person will be short and fat, etc.
+
+ Don't buy new things for a sick person; if you do he will not live to
+ wear it out.
+
+ If a person who has money dies without telling where it is, a friend
+ or relative can find it by going to his grave three nights in
+ succession and throwing stones on it. On the fourth night he must go
+ alone, and the person will tell him where the money is hidden.
+
+ If a witch rides you, put a sifter under the bed and he will have to
+ count the holes in the sifter before he goes out, thus giving you time
+ to catch him.
+
+ Starch your sweetheart's handkerchief and he will love you more.
+
+ Don't give your sweetheart a knife. It will cut your love in two.
+
+ If it rains while the sun is shining the devil is beating his wife.
+
+ To bite your tongue while talking is a sign that you have told a lie.
+
+ Persons with gaps between their front teeth are big liars.
+
+ Cut your finger nails on Monday, you cut them for news;
+ Cut them on Tuesday, get a new pair of shoes;
+ Cut them on Wednesday, you cut them for wealth;
+ Cut them on Thursday, you cut them for health;
+ Cut them on Friday, you cut them for sorrow;
+ Cut them on Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow;
+ Cut them on Sunday, its safety to seek;
+ But the devil will have you the rest of the week.
+
+ If you start some place and forget something don't turn around without
+ making a cross mark and spitting in it, if you do you will have bad
+ luck.
+
+ To stump your right foot is good luck, but to stump your left foot is
+ bad luck. To prevent the bad luck you must turn around three times.
+
+ It is bad luck for a black cat to cross you to the left, but good luck
+ if he crosses you to the right.
+
+ If a picture of a person falls off the wall it is a sign of death.
+
+ To dream of crying is a sign of trouble.
+
+ To dream of dancing is a sign of happiness.
+
+ If you meet a gray horse pulling a load of hay, a red haired person
+ will soon follow.
+
+ If you are eating and drop something when you are about to put it in
+ your mouth someone wishes it.
+
+ If a child never sees his father he will make a good doctor.
+
+ To dream that your teeth fall out is a sign of death in the family.
+
+ To dream of a woman's death is a sign of some man's death.
+
+ To dream of a man's death is the sign of some woman's death.
+
+ If a chicken sings early in the morning a hawk will catch him before
+ night.
+
+ Always plant corn on the waste of the moon in order for it to yield
+ a good crop. If planted on the growing of the moon there will be more
+ stalk than corn.
+
+ When there is a new moon, hold up anything you want and make a wish
+ for it and you will get it.
+
+ If you hear a voice call you and you are not sure it is really
+ someone, don't answer because it may be your spirit, and if you answer
+ it will be a sure sign of death.
+
+ Cross eyed women are bad luck to other women, but cross eyed men are
+ good luck to women and vice-versa for men.
+
+ To wear a dime around your ankle will ward off witch craft.
+
+ To put a silver dime in your mouth will determine whether or not you
+ have been bewitched. If the dime turns black, someone has bewitched
+ you, but if it keeps its color, no one has bewitched you.
+
+ To take a strand of a person's hair and nail it in a tree will run
+ that person crazy.
+
+ If a rooster crows on your back steps you may look for a stranger.
+
+ Chinaberries are good for wormy children.
+
+ The top of a pine tree and the top of a cedar tree placed over a
+ large coal of fire, just enough to make a good smoke, will cure
+ chillblain feet.
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+MISTREATMENT OF SLAVES
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth,
+District Supervisor,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Georgia
+
+
+There are many ex-slaves living in Richmond County and Augusta who have
+vivid recollections of the days when their lives were inseparably bound
+to those of their masters. These people have a past rich in tradition
+and sentiment, and their memories of customs, habits of work and play,
+and the superstitious beliefs, which still govern their actions to a
+large extent weave a colorful pattern in local history.
+
+Mistreatment at the hands of their masters and the watchdog overseers is
+outstanding in the memory of most of them. "When I was in slavery, us
+had what you call good white folk. They warn't rich by no means, but
+they was good. Us had rather have 'em poor and good than rich and mean.
+Plenty of white folk mistreated they slaves, but ours never mistreated
+us. They was a man lived in callin' distance, on the next plantation,
+who worked his slaves day and night and on Sunday for a rarety. You
+could hear 'em coming from the field about 12 o'clock at night, and they
+had to be back in the fields by daylight. They couldn't get off on
+Saturday nights like everbody else. Whenever he bought their clothes, it
+was on Sunday when they warn't workin'. He was mean, but he was good
+about buyin' for 'em, new shoes or a suit or anything of the like they
+said they needed.
+
+"Marster had overseers, but he wouldn't let 'em whip his slaves
+unmerciful. They always whipped us just as your mamas whips you now.
+
+"Bob Lampkin was the meanest slave owner I ever knowed. He would beat
+his slaves and everybody else's he caught in the road. He was so mean
+'til God let him freeze to death. He come to town and got drunk and when
+he was going back home in his buggy, he froze stiff going up Race Creek
+Hill. White and colored was glad when he died.
+
+"His slaves used to run away whenever they got a chance. I 'member he
+had a real pretty gal on his place. She was light brown and was built up
+better than anybody I ever saw. One of the overseers was crazy about
+her, but her mother had told her not to let any of 'em go with her. So
+this old overseer would stick close 'round her when they was workin',
+just so he could get a chance to say somethin' to her. He kept followin'
+this child and followin' this child until she almost went crazy. Way
+afterwhile she run away and come to our house and stayed 'bout three
+days. When my marster found out she was there, he told her she would
+have to go back, or at least she would have to leave his place. He
+didn't want no trouble with nobody. When that child left us she stayed
+in the woods until she got so hungry she just had to go back. This old
+man was mad with her for leavin', and one day while she was in the field
+he started at her again and when she told him flat footed she warn't
+goin' with him he took the big end of his cow hide and struck her in the
+back so hard it knocked her plumb crazy. It was a big lake of water
+about ten yards in front of 'em, and if her mother hadn't run and caught
+her she would have walked right in it and drowned.
+
+"In them times white men went with colored gals and women bold. Any time
+they saw one and wanted her, she had to go with him, and his wife didn't
+say nothin' 'bout it. Not only the men, but the women went with colored
+men too. That's why so many women slave owners wouldn't marry, 'cause
+they was goin' with one of their slaves. These things that's goin' on
+now ain't new, they been happenin'. That's why I say you just as well
+leave 'em alone 'cause they gwine to do what they want to anyhow.
+
+"My marster never did whip any grown folk. He whipped chillun when they
+did anything wrong. He didn't 'low us to eat plums before breakfus, but
+all the chillun, his too, would die or do it, so every time he caught us
+he would whip us."
+
+Another ex-slave recalled that "you had to call all your marster's
+chillun marster or mistis, even the babies. You never wore enough
+clothes and you always suffered for comfort. Us warn't even 'lowed to
+have fire. If you had a fireplace in your house, it was took out and the
+place closed up. If you was ever caught with fire you was beat 'most to
+death. Many mothers died in confinement on account of takin' cold 'cause
+us couldn't have fire.
+
+"My young marster tried to go with me, and 'cause I wouldn't go with him
+he pretended I had done somethin' and beat me. I fought him back because
+he had no right to beat me for not goin' with him. His mother got mad
+with me for fightin' him back and I told her why he had beat me. Well
+then she sent me to the courthouse to be whipped for fightin' him. They
+had stocks there where most people would send their slaves to be
+whipped. These stocks was in the shape of a cross, and they would strap
+your clothes up around your waist and have nothin' but your naked part
+out to whip. They didn't care about who saw your nakedness. Anyway they
+beat me that day until I couldn't sit down. When I went to bed I had to
+lie on my stomach to sleep. After they finished whippin' me, I told them
+they needn't think they had done somethin' by strippin' me in front of
+all them folk 'cause they had also stripped their mamas and sisters. God
+had made us all, and he made us just alike.
+
+"They never carried me back home after that; they put me in the Nigger
+Trader's Office to be sold. About two days later I was sold to a man at
+McBean. When I went to his place everbody told me as soon as I got there
+how mean he was and they said his wife was still meaner. She was jealous
+of me because I was light; said she didn't know what her husband wanted
+to bring that half white nigger there for, and if he didn't get rid of
+me pretty quick she was goin' to leave. Well he didn't get rid of me and
+she left about a month after I got there. When he saw she warn't comin'
+back 'til he got rid of me, he brought me back to the Nigger Trader's
+Office.
+
+"As long as you warn't sold, your marster was 'sponsible for you, so
+whenever they put you on the market you had to praise yourself in order
+to be sold right away. If you didn't praise yourself you got a beatin'.
+I didn't stay in the market long. A dissipated woman bought me and I
+done laundry work for her and other dissipated women to pay my board
+'til freedom come. They was all very nice to me.
+
+"Whenever you was sold your folk never knowed about it 'til afterwards,
+and sometimes they never saw you again. They didn't even know who you
+was sold to or where they was carryin' you, unless you could write back
+and tell 'em.
+
+"The market was in the middle of Broad and Center Streets. They made a
+scaffold whenever they was goin' to sell anybody, and would put the
+person up on this so everybody could see him good. Then they would sell
+him to the highest bidder. Everybody wanted women who would have
+children fast. They would always ask you if you was a good breeder, and
+if so they would buy you at your word, but if you had already had too
+many chillun, they would say you warn't much good. If you hadn't ever
+had any chillun, your marster would tell 'em you was strong, healthy,
+and a fast worker. You had to have somethin' about you to be sold. Now
+sometimes, if you was a real pretty young gal, somebody would buy you
+without knowin' anythin' 'bout you, just for yourself. Before my old
+marster died, he had a pretty gal he was goin' with and he wouldn't let
+her work nowhere but in the house, and his wife nor nobody else didn't
+say nothin' 'bout it; they knowed better. She had three chillun for him
+and when he died his brother come and got the gal and the chillun.
+
+"One white lady that lived near us at McBean slipped in a colored gal's
+room and cut her baby's head clean off 'cause it belonged to her
+husband. He beat her 'bout it and started to kill her, but she begged so
+I reckon he got to feelin' sorry for her. But he kept goin' with the
+colored gal and they had more chillun.
+
+"I never will forget how my marster beat a pore old woman so she
+couldn't even get up. And 'cause she couldn't get up when he told her
+to, he hit her on the head with a long piece of iron and broke her
+skull. Then he made one of the other slaves take her to the jail. She
+suffered in jail all night, and the jailer heard her moanin' and
+groanin', so the next mornin' he made marster come and get her. He was
+so mad 'cause he had to take her out of jail that he had water pumped
+into her skull just as soon as he got back home. Then he dropped her
+down in a field and she died 'fore night. That was a sad time. You saw
+your own folk killed and couldn't say a word 'bout it; if you did you
+would be beat and sometimes killed too.
+
+"A man in callin' distance from our place had a whippin' pole. This man
+was just as mean as he could be. I know he is in hell now, and he ought
+to be. A woman on his place had twins and she warn't strong from the
+beginnin'. The day after the chillun was borned, he told her to go over
+to his house and scrub it from front to back. She went over to the house
+and scrubbed two rooms and was so sick she had to lay down on the floor
+and rest awhile. His wife told her to go on back to her house and get in
+bed but she was afraid. Finally she got up and scrubbed another room and
+while she was carryin' the water out she fainted. The mistress had some
+of the men carry her home and got another slave to finish the scrubbin'
+so the marster wouldn't beat the pore nigger. She was a good woman but
+her husband was mean as the devil. He would even beat her. When he got
+home that night he didn't say nothin' 'cause the house had been
+scrubbed, but the next mornin' one of the chillun told him about the
+woman faintin' and the other girl finishin' the scrubbin'. He got mad
+and said his wife was cloakin' for the slaves, that there was nothin'
+wrong with the woman, she was just lazy. He beat his wife, then went out
+and tied the pore colored woman to a whippin' pole and beat her
+unmerciful. He left her hangin' on the pole and went to church. When he
+got back she was dead. He had the slaves take her down and bury her in a
+box. He said that laziness had killed her and that she warn't worth the
+box she was buried in. The babies died the next day and he said he was
+glad of it 'cause they would grow up lazy just like their mother.
+
+"My marster had a barrel with nails drove in it that he would put you in
+when he couldn't think of nothin' else mean enough to do. He would put
+you in this barrel and roll it down a hill. When you got out you would
+be in a bad fix, but he didn't care. Sometimes he rolled the barrel in
+the river and drowned his slaves.
+
+"I had a brother who worked at the acadamy and every night when the
+teacher had his class he would let my brother come in. He taught him to
+read and write too. He learned to read and write real well and the
+teacher said he was the smartest one in the class. Marster passed our
+window one night and heard him readin'. The next mornin' he called him
+over to the house and fooled him into readin' and writin', told him he
+had somethin' he wanted him to do if he could read and write good
+enough. My brother read everythin' marster give him and wrote with a
+pencil and ink pen. Marster was so mad that he could read and write
+better than his own boy that he beat him, took him away from the
+academy, and put him to work in the blacksmith shop. Marster wouldn't
+let him wear no shoes in the shop 'cause he wanted the hot cinders to
+fall on his feet to punish him. When the man in charge of the shop told
+marster he wouldn't work my brother unless he had on shoes, he bought
+some brogans that he knowed he couldn't wear, and from then on he made
+him do the hardest kind of work he could think of.
+
+"My marster never whipped us himself. He had a coachman do all the
+whippin' and he stood by to see that it was done right. He whipped us
+until we was blistered and then took a cat-o-nine-tails and busted the
+blisters. After that he would throw salty water on the raw places. I
+mean it almost gave you spasms. Whenever they sent you to the courthouse
+to be whipped the jail keeper's daughter give you a kick after they put
+you in the stocks. She kicked me once and when they took me out I sho
+did beat her. I scratched her everwhere I could and I knowed they would
+beat me again, but I didn't care so long as I had fixed her."
+
+One ex-slave "belonged to an old lady who was a widow. This lady was
+very good to me. Of course most people said it was 'cause her son was my
+father. But she was just good to all of us. She did keep me in the house
+with her. She knowed I was her son's child all right. When I married, I
+still stayed with my mistress 'til she died. My husband stayed with his
+marster in the day time and would come and stay with me at night.
+
+"When my mistress died I had to be sold. My husband told me to ask his
+marster to buy me. He didn't want me to belong to him because I would
+have to work real hard and I hadn't been use to no hard work, but he was
+so afraid somebody would buy me and carry me somewhere way off, 'til he
+decided it was best for his marster to buy me. So his marster bought me
+and give me and my husband to his son. I kept house and washed for his
+son as long as he was single. When he married his wife changed me from
+the house and put me in the field and she put one of the slaves her
+mother give her when she married, in the kitchen. My marster's wife was
+very mean to all of us. She didn't like me at all. She sold my oldest
+child to somebody where I couldn't ever see him any more and kept me.
+She just did that to hurt me. She took my baby child and put her in the
+house with her to nurse her baby and make fire. And all while she was in
+the house with her she had to sleep on the floor.
+
+"Whenever she got mad with us she would take the cow hide, that's what
+she whipped us with, and whip us 'til the blood ran down. Her house
+was high off the ground and one night the calf went under the house
+and made water. The next morning she saw it, so she took two of my
+sister-in-law's chillun and carried 'em in the kitchen and tied 'em. She
+did this while her husband was gone. You see if he had been there he
+wouldn't have let her done that. She took herself a chair and sit down
+and made one of the slaves she brought there with her whip those chillun
+so 'til all of the slaves on the place was cryin'. One of the slaves run
+all the way where our marster was and got him. He come back as quick as
+he could and tried to make her open the door, but she wouldn't do it so
+he had to break the door in to make her stop whippin' them chillun. The
+chillun couldn't even cry when he got there. And when he asked her what
+she was whippin' them for she told him that they had went under the
+house and made that water. My master had two of the men to take 'em over
+to our house, but they was small and neither one ever got over that
+whippin'. One died two days later and the other one died about a month
+afterwards. Everybody hated her after that.
+
+"Just before freedom declared, my husband took very sick and she took
+her husband and come to my house to make him get up. I told her that he
+was not able to work, but my husband was so scared they would beat me to
+death 'til he begged me to hush. I expect marster would have if he
+hadn't been scared of his father. You see his father give me to him. He
+told me if the legislature set in his behalf he would make me know a
+nigger's place. You know it was near freedom. I told him if he made my
+husband get out of bed as sick as he was and go to work, I would tell
+his father if he killed me afterwards. And that's one time I was goin'
+to fight with 'em. I never was scared of none of 'em, so I told 'em if
+they touched my husband they wouldn't touch nothin' else. They wouldn't
+give us nothin' to eat that whole day.
+
+"Course we never did have much to eat. At night they would give us a
+teacup of meal and a slice of bacon a piece for breakfus' the next
+mornin'. If you had chillun they would give you a teacup of meal for two
+chillun. By day light the next mornin' the overseer was at your house to
+see if you was out, and if you hadn't cooked and eat and got out of that
+house he would take that bull whip, and whip you nearly to death. He
+carried that bull whip with him everywhere he went.
+
+"Those folks killed one of my husband's brothers. He was kind of
+crack-brained, and 'cause he was half crazy, they beat him all the time.
+The last time they beat him we was in the field and this overseer beat
+him with that bull hide all across the head and everywhere. He beat him
+until he fell down on his knees and couldn't even say a word. And do you
+know he wouldn't even let a one of us go to see about him. He stayed
+stretched out in the the field 'til us went home. The next mornin' he
+was found dead right where he had beat him that evenin'.
+
+"'Bout two or three weeks later than that they told one of the slaves
+they was goin' to beat him after we quit work that evenin'. His name was
+Josh.
+
+"When the overseer went to the other end of the field Josh dropped his
+hoe and walked off. Nobody saw him anymore for about three weeks. He was
+the best hand us had and us sho' did need him. Our master went
+everywhere he could think of, lookin' for Josh, but he couldn't find him
+and we was glad of it. After he looked and looked and couldn't find him
+he told all of us to tell Josh to come back if we knowed where he was.
+He said if Josh would come back he wouldn't whip him, wouldn't let the
+overseer whip him. My husband knowed where he was but he warn't goin' to
+tell nobody. Josh would come to our house every night and us would give
+him some of what us had for dinner and supper. Us always saved it for
+him. Us would eat breakfus' at our house, but all of us et dinner and
+supper at the mess house together. Everyday when I et dinner and supper
+I would take a part of mine and my husband would take a part of his and
+us would carry it to our house for pore Josh. 'Bout 'leven o'clock at
+night, when everybody was sleep, Josh would come to the side window and
+get what us had for him. It's really a shame the way that pore man had
+to hide about just to keep from bein' beat to death 'bout nothin'. Josh
+said the first day he left he went in the woods and looked and looked
+for a place to hide. Later he saw a tree that the wind had blowed the
+top off and left 'bout ten feet standin'. This was rather a big tree and
+all of the insides had rotted out. I reckon you have seen trees like
+that. Well that's the way this one was. So Josh climbed up this tree and
+got down inside of it. He didn't know there was nothin' down in that
+tree, but there was some little baby bears in there. Then there he was
+down there with no way to come out, and knowin' all the time that the
+mama bear was comin' back. So he thought and thought and thought. After
+while he thought 'bout a knife he had in his pocket. You see he couldn't
+climb out of the tree, it was too tall. When he heard the bear climbin'
+up the tree he opened his knife. Have you ever seen a bear comin' down a
+tree? Well he comes down backwards. So when this bear started down
+inside of the tree he went down backwards, and Josh had his knife open
+and just caught him by the tail and begin stickin' him with the knife.
+That's the way Josh got out of that tree. When he stuck the bear with
+the knife the bear went back up the tree, and that pulled Josh up. And
+when the bear got to the top of the tree Josh caught a hold of the tree
+and pulled himself on out, but the bear fell and broke his neck. Well
+Josh had to find him somewhere else to hide. In them times there was big
+caves in the woods, not only the woods but all over the country, and
+that's where pore Josh hid all while he was away. Josh stayed there in
+that cave a long time then he come on back home. He didn't get a
+whippin' either."
+
+Childhood memories were recalled by an old woman who said: "When I was
+about nine years old, for about six months, I slept on a crocus bag
+sheet in order to get up and nurse the babies when they cried. Do you
+see this finger? You wonder why its broke? Well one night the babies
+cried and I didn't wake up right away to 'tend to 'em and my mistess
+jumped out of bed, grabbed the piece of iron that was used to push up
+the fire and began beatin' me with it. That's the night this finger got
+broke, she hit me on it. I have two more fingers she broke beatin' me at
+diff'unt times. She made me break this leg too. You see they would put
+the women in stocks and beat 'em whenever they done somethin' wrong.
+That's the way my leg was broke. You see us had to call all of our
+marster's chillun 'mistess' or 'marster.' One day I forgot to call one
+of my young mistesses, 'miss.' She was about eight or nine months old.
+My mistess heard me and put me in a stock and beat me. While she was
+beatin' me, I turned my leg by some means and broke it. Don't you think
+she quit beatin' me 'cause I had broke my leg. No, that made no
+diff'unce to her. That's been years ago, but it still worries me now.
+Now other times when you called your marster's chillun by their names,
+they would strip you and let the child beat you. It didn't matter
+whether the child was large or small, and they always beat you 'til the
+blood ran down.
+
+"Have you ever slept in the grave yard? I know you haven't but I have.
+Many a time when I was told that I was goin' to get a beatin', I would
+hide away in the cemetery where I stayed all night layin' in gullies
+between graves prayin'. All night long I could see little lights runnin'
+all over the grave yard, and I could see ha'nts, and hear 'em sayin'
+'Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh, Uh,' which meant they were pityin' my case.
+
+"When they whipped the men, all their clothes was took off, their hands
+was fastened together and then they wound 'em up in the air to a post
+and tied their feet to the bottom of the post. They would begin whippin'
+'em at sundown, and sometimes they would be whippin' 'em as late as
+'leven o'clock at night. You could hear 'em cryin' and prayin' a long
+ways off. When they prayed for the Lord to have mercy, their marster
+would cuss the Lord and tell 'em they better not call his name again."
+
+The whipping pole, as described by Lizzie, was a long post several feet
+in diameter to which was attached a long rope through a pulley. On one
+end was a device, similiar to the modern handcuff--the other end was
+used to draw the hand to an upward position, thereby, rendering the
+individual helpless. At the base of the pole was a clamp like instrument
+which held the feet in a motionless position.
+
+Roy Redfield recalls going to the courthouse and seeing the older slaves
+whipped. "When I would go there with my young marster I would see 'em
+whippin' the slaves. You see they had stocks there then, and they
+wouldn't put you in jail like they do now. Your marster or mistess would
+send you to the courthouse with a note and they would put you in them
+stocks and beat you, then they would give you a note and send you back.
+They never did beat me, if they had my old mistess would have raised
+sand with 'em. Whenever I was whipped my mother did it. I warn't no
+slave and my ma neither, but my pa was.
+
+"When they whipped you they would strap you down in them stocks, then a
+man would wind the whippin' machine and beat you 'til they had given you
+the number of lashes your boss had on the note. I didn't see them
+whippin' any women there, so I can't say they did and I can't say they
+didn't.
+
+"My master wouldn't let us go to school, but his chillun would slip
+'round and teach us what they could out of their books. They would also
+give us books to read. Whenever their pa or ma caught them tryin' to
+teach us they always whipped them. I learned to read and write from 'em
+and I'll never forget how hard it was for 'em to get a chance to teach
+me. But if they caught you tryin' to write they would cut your finger
+off and if they caught you again they would cut your head off.
+
+"When I was a young man, a old man stole the head and pluck (pluck is
+the liver and lites) out of the hog (some people call it the haslet) and
+hid it up in the loft of his house. When his marster missed it he went
+to this man's house lookin' for it. The man told him that he didn't have
+it. He had already told his wife if his marster come not to own it
+either. Well his master kept askin' him over and over 'bout the head and
+pluck, but they denied having it. The marster told 'em if they didn't
+give it to him and that quick he was goin' to give 'em a thousand lashes
+each, if less didn't kill 'em. This woman's husband told her not to own
+it. He told her to take three thousand lashes and don't own it. So their
+marster whipped her and whipped her, but she wouldn't own it. Finally he
+quit whippin' her and started whippin' the old man. Just as soon as he
+started whippin' the man he told his wife to go up in the loft of the
+house and throw the head and pluck down 'cause he didn't want it.
+
+"You always had to get a pass when goin' out. Sometimes, when you
+wouldn't be thinking, a patter roller would step up to the door and ask
+who was there. If any visitor was there they would ask 'em to show their
+pass. If you didn't have a pass they would take you out and beat you,
+then make you go home and when you got home, your marster would take you
+to the barn, strip you buck naked, tie you to a post and beat you. Us
+didn't have to get passes whenever us wanted to go visitin'. All us had
+to do was tell 'em who us belonged to, and they always let us by. They
+knowed our marster would let us go 'thout passes.
+
+"Us used to go to barn dances all the time. I never will forget the
+fellow who played the fiddle for them dances. He had run away from his
+marster seven years before. He lived in a cave he had dug in the ground.
+He stayed in this cave all day and would come out at night. This cave
+was in the swamp. He stole just 'bout everythin' he et. His marster had
+been tryin' to catch him for a long time. Well they found out he was
+playin' for these dances and one night us saw some strange lookin' men
+come in but us didn't pay it much 'tention. Us always made a big oak
+fire and thats where us got mos' of our light from. Well these men
+danced with the girls a good while and after a while they started goin'
+out one by one. Way after while they all came back in together, they had
+washed the blackenin' off their faces, and us seen they was white. This
+man had a song he would always sing. 'Fooled my marster seven
+years--expect to fool him seven more.' So when these men came in they
+went to him and told him maybe he had fooled 'em for seven years, but he
+wouldn't fool 'em seven more. When they started to grab him he just
+reached in the fire and got a piece of wood that was burnin' good on one
+end and waved it all around (in a circle) until he set three of 'em on
+fire. While they was puttin' this fire out he run out in the swamp and
+back in his cave. They tried to catch him again. They painted their
+faces and done just like they did the first time, but this time they
+carried pistols. When they pulled their pistols on him he did just like
+he did the first time, and they never did catch him. He stopped comin'
+to play for the dances after they was straight after him. Dogs couldn't
+trail him 'cause he kept his feet rubbed with onions.
+
+"I have seen some marsters make their slaves walk in snow knee deep,
+barefooted. Their heels would be cracked open jus' like corn bread.
+
+"The only real mean thing they did to us when I was young was to sell my
+father when our marster died. They sold him to somebody way off, and
+they promised to bring him back to see us, but they never did. We always
+wished he would come, but until this day us hasn't laid eyes on him
+again. My mother worried 'bout him 'til she died.
+
+"Chillun didn't know what shoes was 'til they was 'bout fifteen years
+old. They would go a mile or a mile and a half in the snow for water
+anytime, and the only thin' they ever had on their feet would be
+somethin' made out of home-spun. You don't hardly hear of chilblain feet
+now, but then most every child you saw had cracked heels. The first pair
+of shoes I ever wore, I was sixteen years old, was too small for me and
+I pulled 'em off and throwed 'em in the fire."
+
+
+
+
+[HW: Dist. #2
+Ex. Slave #99]
+
+SLAVERY
+by
+RUBY LORRAINE RADFORD
+
+COMPILATION MADE FROM
+INTERVIEWS WITH 30 SLAVES
+AND INFORMATION FROM SLAVERY
+LAWS AND OLD NEWSPAPER FILES
+[Date Stamp: MAY 8 1937]
+
+
+SLAVERY
+
+The ex-slaves interviewed ranged in ages from 75 to 100 years old. Out
+of about thirty-five negroes contacted only two seemed to feel bitter
+over memories of slave days. All the others spoke with much feeling and
+gratitude of the good old days when they were so well cared for by their
+masters. Without exception the manners of these old men and women were
+gentle and courteous. The younger ones could pass on to us only
+traditional memories of slavery times, as given them by their parents;
+on some points a few were vague, while others could give clear-cut and
+vivid pictures.
+
+Practically all the Negroes interviewed seemed to be of pure African
+blood, with black or dark brown skin, Negroid features, and kinky,
+tightly wrapped wool. Most of the women were small and thin. We found
+one who had a strain of Indian blood, a woman named Mary, who belonged
+to John Roof. Her grandfather was an Indian, and her grandmother was
+part Indian, having migrated into South Carolina from Virginia.
+
+Sarah Ray, who was born on the Curtis Lowe place in McDuffie County was
+one of the few ex-slaves contacted, who was admittedly half-white.
+Although now wrinkled and weazened with age she has no definite Negroid
+features. Her eyes are light hazel and her hair fluffs about her face in
+soft ringlets instead of the tight kinks of the pure Negro.
+
+"My father was a white man, de overseer," said Sarah. "Leastways, dey
+laid me to him."
+
+Sarah was brought up like the Negro children on the plantation. She had
+no hard work to do. Her mother was a field hand, and they lived in a
+little house in the quarters. "De ve'y fust thing I kin remember is
+ridin' down de road in de ox cart wid my mammy," she said. "Ole man Eli
+wus drivin'. We wus goin' to Miss Meg's on de odder side o' Hart's
+Branch. Marster had give us to Miss Meg when she married Mr. Obediah
+Cloud."
+
+
+HOUSING CONDITIONS
+
+The slave houses were called "quarters," which consisted generally of a
+double row of houses facing each other in a grove of trees behind the
+"big house." On prosperous plantations each of these cabins had a garden
+plot and a chicken yard. Some of them were built of logs, but many were
+of planks. Most of them were large, one-room, unceiled, with open
+fireplaces at one end for cooking. When families grew too large a shed
+room would be "drap down on de back." Another type of slave cabin was
+called the "Double-pen" house. This was a large two-room cabin, with a
+chimney between the two rooms, and accommodating two families. On the
+more prosperous plantations the slave quarters were white-washed at
+intervals.
+
+On plantations housing arrangements were left entirely to the discretion
+of the owner, but in the cities strict rules were made. Among the
+ordinances of the City Council of Augusta, dated from August 10th,
+1820-July 8, 1829, Section 14, is the following law concerning the
+housing of slaves:
+
+"No person of color shall occupy any house but that of some white person
+by whom he or she is owned or hired without a license from the City
+Council. If this license is required application must first be made for
+permission to take it out. If granted the applicant shall give bond with
+approved security, not exceeding the sum of $100.00 for his or her good
+behavior. On execution of charge the Clerk shall issue the license. Any
+person renting a house, or tenament contrary to this section or
+permitting the occupancy of one, may be fined in a sum not exceeding
+$50.00."
+
+Descriptions were given of housing conditions by quite a number of
+slaves interviewed. Fannie Fulcher, who was a slave on Dr. Balding
+Miller's plantation in Burke County described the slave quarters thus:
+"Houses wus built in rows, one on dat side, one on dis side--open space
+in de middle, and de overseer's house at de end, wid a wide hall right
+through it. (Fannie was evidently referring to the breezeway or dogtrot,
+down the middle of many small plantation houses). We cook on de
+fireplace in de house. We used to have pots hanging right up in de
+chimbley. When dere wus lots of chillun it wus crowded. But sometimes
+dey took some of 'em to de house for house girls. Some slep' on de flo'
+and some on de bed. Two-three houses had shed rooms at de back. Dey had
+a patch sometime. My father, he used to have a patch. He clean it up
+hisself at night in de swamp."
+
+Susie Brown, of the Evans Plantation on Little River in Columbia County
+said, in describing the Quarters, "Dey look like dis street." She
+indicated the unpaved street with its rows of unpainted shacks. "Some of
+dem wus plank houses and some wus log houses, two rooms and a shed room.
+And we had good beds, too--high tester beds wid good corn shuck and hay
+mattresses."
+
+On the plantation of John Roof the slave cabins were of logs. Large
+families had two or three rooms; smaller ones one or two rooms.
+
+Susannah Wyman, who was a slave on the Starling Freeman place near Troy,
+S.C. said, "Our houses wus made outer logs. We didn't have nothin' much
+nohow, but my mammy she had plenty o' room fer her chillun. We didn't
+sleep on de flo', we had bed. De people in de plantachun all had bed."
+
+Others described mattresses made of straw and corn shucks. Another said,
+"Yas'm, we had good cotton mattresses. Marster let us go to de gin house
+and git all de cotton we need."
+
+Another described the sleeping conditions thus, "Chillun pretty much
+slep' on de flo' and old folks had beds. Dey wus made out o' boards
+nailed togedder wid a rope strung across it instead o' springs, and a
+cotton mattress across it."
+
+
+FOOD
+
+Many of the Negroes with whom we talked looked back on those days of
+plenty with longing. Rations of meal, bacon and syrup were given out
+once a week by the overseer. Vegetables, eggs and chickens raised in the
+little plots back of the cabins were added to these staples.
+
+Ellen Campbell, who was owned by Mr. William Eve of Richmond County
+said, "My boss would feed 'em good. He was killin' hogs stidy fum
+Jinuary to March. He had two smokehouses. Dere wus four cows. At night
+de folks on one side de row o' cabins go wid de piggins fer milk, and in
+de mawnin's, dose on de odder side go fer de piggins o' milk."
+
+"And did you have plenty of other good things to eat?" we asked.
+
+"Law, yas'm. Rations wus give out to de slaves; meal, meat, and jugs o'
+syrup. Dey give us white flour at Christmas. Every slave family had de
+gyarden patch and chickens. Marster buy eggs and chickens fum us at
+market prices."
+
+Another slave told us that when the slaves got hungry before dinner time
+they would ask the nursing mothers to bring them back hoe-cake when they
+went to nurse the babies. Those hot hoe-cakes were eaten in mid-morning,
+"to hold us till dinner-time."
+
+On one plantation where the mother was the cook for the owner, her
+children were fed from the big kitchen.
+
+A piece of iron crossed the fireplace, and the pots hung down on hooks.
+"Us cooked corn dodgers," one ex-slave recalled, "the hearth would be
+swept clean, the ash cakes wrapped up into corn shucks and cooked brown.
+They sure was good!"
+
+
+TYPES OF WORK
+
+The large plantations were really industrial centers in which almost
+everything necessary to the life of the white family and the large
+retinue of slaves was grown or manufactured. On estates where there were
+many slaves there were always trained blacksmiths, coopers, carpenters,
+tanners, shoemakers, seamstresses, laundresses, weavers, spinners, cooks
+and house servants; all employed in the interest of the community life
+of the plantation. Those who could not learn to do any of this skilled
+work were turned into the fields and called, "hands". Both men and women
+were employed in the fields where cotton, corn, rice and tobacco were
+cultivated. House servants ware always considered superior to field
+hands.
+
+Melinda Mitchell, who was born a slave in Edgefield, S.C., said, "My
+family wasn't fiel' hands. We wus all house servants. My father wus de
+butler, and he weighed out de rations fer de slaves. My mammy wus de
+house 'oman and her mother and sister wus de cooks. Marster wouldn't
+sell none of his slaves, and when he wanted to buy one he'd buy de whole
+fambly to keep fum havin' 'em separated."
+
+At an early age Melinda and her younger sister were given to the two
+young ladies of the house as their personal maids. "I wus given to Miss
+Nettie," Melinda said, "Our young Mistresses visited, too, and wherever
+dey went my sister and me went erlong. My own mammy took long trips with
+ole Mistis to de Blue Ridge Mountains and sometimes over de big water."
+
+Susannah Wyman of the Starling Freeman plantation in South Carolina
+said, "The house servants wuz trained to cook, clean up, de man wuz
+trained to make shoes. I don't think us had carpenters. I toted water in
+de field, hoed some. I wuz quite young. I spun but I didn't weave. Dere
+wuz a lady dey had on de place did de weavin'. I had many a striped
+dress woven on dat big loom and dey wuz pretty, too."
+
+Susie Brown, who used to live on the Evans plantation on Little River in
+Columbia County was too little to do any hard work during slavery times.
+"I jus' stayed at home and 'tend de baby," she said. "But my mother was
+a cook and my father a blacksmith."
+
+Mary's mother was a plantation weaver. "Mistis would cut out dresses out
+of homespun. We had purple dyed checks. They was pretty. I had to sew
+seams. Marster had to buy shoes for us, he give us good-soled ones."
+
+Easter Jones, who had only bitter memories of the slavery period said,
+"Sometimes we eben had to pull fodder on Sunday. But what I used to hate
+worse'n anything was wipin' dishes. Dey'd make me take de dish out de
+scaldin' water, den if I drap it dey whip me. Dey whip you so hard your
+back bleed, den dey pour salt and water on it. And your shirt stick to
+your back, and you hadder get somebody to grease it 'fore you kin take
+it off."
+
+Ellen Campbell, who used to belong to Mr. William Eve said she did only
+simple jobs about the plantation in childhood, "When I was 'bout ten
+years old dey started me totin' water--you know ca'yin' water to de
+hands in de field. 'Bout two years later I got my first field job
+'tending sheep. When I wus fifteen year old Missus gib me to Miss Eva,
+you know she de one marry Colonel Jones. My young Mistus was fixin' to
+git married, but she couldn't on account de war, so she brought me to
+town and rented me out to a lady runnin' a boarding house. De rent wus
+paid to my Mistus. One day I was takin' a tray from de out-door kitchen
+to de house when I stumbled and dropped it. De food spill all over de
+ground. Da lady got so mad she picked up de butcher knife and chop me in
+de haid. I went runnin' till I come to da place where mah white folks
+live. Miss Eva took me and wash de blood out mah head and put medicine
+on it, and she wrote a note to de lady and she say, 'Ellen is my slave,
+give to me by my mother. I wouldn't had dis happen to her no more dan to
+me. She won't come back dere no more.'"
+
+Willis Bennefield, who was a slave on Dr. Balding Miller's plantation in
+Burke County, said, "I wuk in de fiel' and I drove him 30 years. He was
+a doctor. He had a ca'iage and a buggy, too. My father driv de ca'iage.
+I driv de doctor. Sometimes I was fixin' to go to bed and had to hitch
+up my horse and go five or six miles. He had regular saddle horses, two
+pair o' horses fer de ca'iage. He was a rich man--riches' man in Burke
+County--had three hundred slaves. He made his money on de plantachuns,
+not doctorin'."
+
+Fannie Fulcher, who was also one of Dr. Miller's slaves, and Willis
+Bennefield's sister gives this account of the slaves' work in earning
+extra money. "De marster give 'em ev'y day work clothes, but dey bought
+de res' deyselves. Some raise pumpkins, squashes, potatoes, all sich
+things like dat in dey patches; sell 'em to different stores. Jus' like
+somebody want ground clear up, dey git big torches fer light, clean up
+de new groun' at night, dat money b'long to dem. I year my mother and
+father say de slaves made baskets and quilts and things and sell 'em for
+they-selves."
+
+
+EDUCATION
+
+The following appears in the Statue Laws of Georgia for 1845 concerning
+educating negroes, under Section II, Minor Offences.
+
+ "Punishment for teaching slaves or free persons of color to
+ read. If any slave, negro, or free person of color, or any
+ white person, shall teach any other slave, negro or free
+ person of color, to read or write either written or printed
+ characters, the said free person of color or slave shall be
+ punished by fine and whipping, or fine or whipping, at the
+ direction of the court."
+
+Among the ordinances passed by the City of Augusta, effective between
+August 10th, 1820 and July 8th, 1829, was the following concerning the
+teaching of negroes:
+
+ "No person shall teach a negro or person of color to read or
+ cause any one to be taught within the limits of the City, nor
+ shall any person suffer a school for the instruction of
+ negroes, or persons of color to be kept on his or her lot."
+
+None of the ex-slaves whom we interviewed could either read or write.
+Old Willis Bennefield, who used to accompany his young master to school,
+said he "larned something then. I got way up in my A B Cs, but atter I
+got to thinkin' 'bout gals I fergit all 'bout dat."
+
+Another slave said, "We had a school on our plantation and a Negro
+teacher named, Mathis, but they couldn't make me learn nothin'. I sure
+is sorry now."
+
+Easter Jones, who was once a slave of Lawyer Bennet, on a plantation
+about ten miles from Waynesboro, said, when we asked if she had been to
+school, "Chillun didn't know whut a book wus in dem days--dey didn't
+teach 'em nothin' but wuk. Dey didn' learn me nothin' but to churn and
+clean up house, and 'tend to dat boy and spin and cyard de roll."
+
+
+RELIGION
+
+Most of the ex-slaves interviewed received their early religious
+training in the churches of their masters. Many churches which have
+slave sections in this district are still standing. Sometimes the slaves
+sat in pews partitioned off at the back of the church, and sometimes
+there was a gallery with a side entrance.
+
+The old Bath Presbyterian Church had a gallery and private entrance of
+this kind. Sunday Schools were often conducted for the slaves on the
+plantation.
+
+Among the ordinances passed by the City of Augusta, February 7, 1862,
+was section forty-seven, which concerned negro preaching and teaching:
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall be allowed to preach,
+ exhort or teach, in any meeting of slaves or free persons of
+ color, for public worship or religious instruction in this
+ city, but except at funerals or sitting up with the dead,
+ without a license in writing from the Inferior Court of
+ Richmond County, and Mayor of the City, regularly granted
+ under the Act of the General Assembly of this State, passed
+ on the 23rd day of December, 1843.
+
+ "No colored preacher residing out of the County of Richmond,
+ shall preach, exhort, or teach, until he has produced his
+ license granted under the Act aforesaid, and had the same
+ countersigned by the Mayor of this City, or in his absence
+ by two members of Council.
+
+ "Persons qualified as aforesaid, may hold meetings in this city
+ for the purpose aforesaid, at any time during the Sabbath day,
+ and on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday nights. No other meetings
+ of slaves or free persons of color for religious purposes shall
+ be held, except by permission of Council.
+
+ "No meeting of slaves or free persons of color for the purpose
+ aforesaid, shall continue at any time later than 10:30 at
+ night, and all such meetings shall be superintended by one or
+ more citizens, appointed by the ministers in charge of their
+ respective denominations, and approved by the Mayor. All slaves
+ or free persons of color attending such meetings, after that
+ hour, shall be arrested, and punished, under the Section,
+ whether with or without tickets from their owners; and all such
+ persons returning from such meetings after the ringing of the
+ Market Bell, without tickets, shall be arrested and punished
+ as in other cases.
+
+ "Every offense against this section shall be punished by
+ whipping, not exceeding 39 lashes, or fined not exceeding
+ $50.00."
+
+Harriet White, who told us some of her father's slavery experiences
+said, "Yas'm, dey let'em go to chu'ch, but de colored folks hadder sit
+behind a boarded up place, so dey hadder stretch dey neck to see de
+preacher, and den day hadder jine de Master's chu'ch--de Methodis'
+Chu'ch. De spirit done tole my father to jine da Baptis' Chu'ch--dat de
+right t'ing, but he hadder jine de Methodis', 'cause his Master was
+Methodis'. But when he come to Augusta he wus baptise in de river. He
+say he gwine ca'y God's point."
+
+We asked Ellen Campbell of the Eve Plantation in Richmond County about
+church going. She replied, "Yas'm, we used to go to town. But de
+Padderolas wus ridin' in dem days, and you couldn' go off de plantachun
+widout a pass. So my boss he built a brick chu'ch on de plantachun, and
+de D'Laigles built a chu'ch on dere's."
+
+Susie Brown, who was a slave on the Evans Plantation in Columbia County,
+said, in speaking of her mother getting religion, "My Maw and Paw wasn't
+married till after freedom. When my Maw got 'ligion dey wouldn' let her
+be baptise till she was married." She stated that her mother had seven
+children then. Aunt Susie had had eight children herself, but her
+husband was now dead. When asked why she didn't get married again, she
+replied, "Whut I wanner git married fer? I ain' able to wuk fer myself
+let alone a man!"
+
+Augustus Burden, who was born a slave on General Walker's plantation at
+Windsor Springs, Ga., said, "We had no churches on our place. We went to
+the white people's church at Hale's Gate. Then after they stopped the
+colored people going there to church, they had their little meetings
+right at home. We had one preacher, a real fine preacher, named Ned
+Walker, who was my uncle by marriage."
+
+Fannie Fulcher, a former slave on Dr. Miller's plantation in Burke
+County, gave this unique account of the slave children's early religious
+trainings: "Dey had a ole lady stay in de quarters who tuk care o' de
+chillun whilst de mother wus in de fiel'. Den dey met at her house at
+dark, and a man name, Hickman, had prayers. Dey all kneel down. Den de
+chillun couln' talk till dey got home--if you talk you git a whippin'
+frum de ole lady nex' night. Ole granny whip 'em."
+
+Fannie said the slaves went to the "white folks church," and that "white
+folks baptise 'em at Farmer's Bridge or Rock Creek." A white preacher
+also married the slaves.
+
+
+DISCIPLINE
+
+In 1757 the Patrol System was organized. This was done as a result of
+continual threats of uprisings among the slaves. All white male citizens
+living in each district, between the ages of 16 and 45 were eligible for
+this service. The better class of people paid fines to avoid this duty.
+Members of the patrol group could commit no violence, but had power to
+search Negro houses and premises, and break up illegal gatherings. They
+were on duty from nine at night until dawn.
+
+By 1845 there were many laws on the Statute books of Georgia concerning
+the duties of patrols. The justice of the peace in each captain's
+district of the state was empowered to decide who was eligible to patrol
+duty and to appoint the patrol. Every member of the patrol was required
+to carry a pistol while on duty. They were required to arrest all slaves
+found outside their master's domain without a pass, or who was not in
+company with some white person. He was empowered to whip such slave with
+twenty lashes. He also had power to search for offensive weapons and
+fugitive slaves. Every time a person evaded patrol duty he was required
+to pay the sum of five dollars fine.
+
+The entire life of the slave was hedged about with rules and
+regulations. Beside those passed by individual masters for their own
+plantations there were many city and state laws. Severe punishment, such
+as whipping on the bare skin, was the exception rather than the rule,
+though some slaves have told of treatment that was actually inhuman.
+
+In 1845 the following laws had been passed in Georgia, the violation of
+which brought the death penalty:
+
+ "Capital crimes when punished with death: The following shall
+ be considered as capital offenses, when committed by a slave or
+ free person of color: insurrection or an attempt to excite it;
+ committing a rape, or attempting it on a free white female;
+ murder of a free white person, or murder of a slave or free
+ person of color, or poisoning a human being; every and each of
+ these offenses shall, on conviction, be punished with death."
+
+There were severe punishments for a slave striking a white person,
+burning or attempting to burn a house, for circulating documents to
+incite insurrection, conspiracy or resistance of slaves. It was against
+the law for slaves to harbor other fugitive slaves, to preach without a
+license, or to kill or brand cattle without instructions.
+
+In Section Forty-Five of the Ordinances of the City of Augusta, passed
+on Feb. 7, 1862, were the following restrictions:
+
+ "Any slave or free person of color found riding or driving
+ about the city, not having a written pass from his or her
+ owner, hirer, or guardian, expressing the date of such pass,
+ the name of the negro to whom it is given, the place or places
+ to which he or she is going, how long he or she is to be
+ absent, and in the case of a slave, that such slave is in the
+ services of the person before the Recorder's Court by which he
+ or she shall be tried, and on conviction shall be punished by
+ whipping not to exceed 39 lashes.
+
+ "No slave or free person of color, other than Ministers of the
+ Gospel, having charge of churches, in the discharge of their
+ duties, and funeral processions, shall be allowed to ride or
+ drive within the limits of the city, on the Sabbath, without
+ written permission from his or her owner, or employer, stating
+ that such slave or free parson of color is on business of such
+ owners or employer.
+
+ "Every slave or free person of color not excepted as aforesaid,
+ who shall be found riding or driving in the city on the
+ Sabbath, without such permission from his or her owner or
+ employer shall be arrested and taken to Recorder's Court; and
+ if such slave or free person of color was actually engaged in
+ the business of said owner or employer, the said slave or free
+ person of color shall be convicted and punished by whipping,
+ not to exceed 39 lashes, which punishment in no case be
+ commuted by a fine.
+
+ "It shall be the duty of the officer making the arrest of such
+ slave or free person of color as aforesaid, to take into his
+ possession the horse or horse and vehicle, or horses and
+ vehicles, so used by such slave or free person of color, which
+ property may be redeemed by the owner, if white, upon the
+ payment of $10.00, and if the owner of such property is a slave
+ or free person of color, he or she shall be punished by
+ whipping not less than 15 lashes."
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall be allowed to attend
+ military parades, or any procession of citizens, or at the
+ markethouse on public sale days under the penalty of receiving
+ not exceeding 15 lashes, for each and every offense, to be
+ inflicted by the Chief of Police, Captain or any lieutenant;
+ provided no person shall be prevented from having the
+ attendance of his own servant on such occasions."
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall walk with a cane, club,
+ or stick, except such slave or free person of color be blind or
+ infirm; nor smoke a pipe or cigar in any street, lane, alley or
+ other public place, under a penalty of not exceeding 25 lashes,
+ to be inflicted by any officer of the City, by order of the
+ Recorder's Court."
+
+
+SECTION FORTY-THIRD
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall play upon any
+ instrument of music after sunset, without permission from the
+ mayor or two members of Council, unless employed in the house
+ of some citizen. No slave or free person of color shall be
+ absent from his or her house 15 minutes after the bell shall
+ have been rung, without a sufficient pass, under the penalty
+ of 25 lashes, to be inflicted by the Chief of Police, or any
+ officer of the City, and be confined in the Guard-Room for
+ further examination, if found under suspicious circumstances.
+ No slave or person of color shall keep lights in the house
+ which they occupy after 10:00 at night, unless in case of
+ necessity."
+
+
+SECTION FORTY-FOUR
+
+ "No slave or free person of color shall in the streets or
+ alleys, fight, quarrel, riot, or otherwise, act in a disorderly
+ manner, under the penalty of chastisement by any officer of the
+ city, not exceeding 25 lashes, and in all cases of conviction
+ before the Recorder's Court, he or she shall be punished by
+ whipping, not exceeding 75 lashes.
+
+ "No slave or free person of color, shall be allowed to keep a
+ shop or shops for the sale of beer, cake, fruit, soda water, or
+ any similar articles on their own account or for the benefit
+ of any other person whomsoever. Any slave or slaves, or free
+ person of color, found keeping a shop and selling, bartering,
+ or trading in any way, shall be taken up and punished by
+ whipping, with not more than 30 lashes for each and every
+ offense, and shall stand committed until the officer's fees
+ are paid."
+
+Most of the slaves interviewed were too young during the slavery period
+to have experienced any of the more cruel punishments, though some
+remembered hearing tales of brutal beatings. Most of the punishments
+inflicted were mild chastisements or restrictions.
+
+Susie Brown, who was a slave on the Evans' plantation on Little River in
+Columbia, said, "My Marster wus good to me, good as he could be--only
+thing he whup me fer wus usin' snuff. And when he go to whup me, Mistis
+beg him to stop, and he only gib me a lick or two. And if Mistis try to
+whup me, he make her stop. No, dey didn't had to do much whuppin'. Dey
+wus good to de hand." When asked about her overseer she replied, "Dere
+wus a overseer, but I disremember his name."
+
+Most of these old ex-slaves' recollections had to do with the
+"Patterolas", as the Patrol was called. One of them said about the
+Patrol, "Oh yes, ma'm, I seed da Patterolas, but I never heard no song
+about 'em. Dey wus all white mens. Jus' like now you want to go off your
+Marster's place to another man's place, you had to get a pass from your
+boss man. If you didn't have dat pass, de Patterolas would whip you."
+
+A woman who lived on the Roof plantation said, "I worked under four
+overseers, one of 'em was mean, and he had a big deep voice. When the
+niggers was at the feed lot, the place where they carried the dinner
+they brought to the fields, he would hardly give 'em time to eat before
+he hollered out, 'Git up and go back to work!'"
+
+She also said that Mars. Thomas, the red-haired young master, was mean
+about slaves over-staying pass time. "If they want off and stayed too
+long, when they came back, he'd strip them stark, mother nekked, tie 'em
+to a tree, and whip 'em good. But old Marster, he didn't believe in
+whipping. It was different when the boys took possession after he died."
+
+Very few slaves ran away, but when they did the master hunted them with
+dogs.
+
+When Carrie Lewis, who belonged to Captain Ward, was asked if the slaves
+were ever whipped on their plantation, she replied, "No ma'm, de Marster
+say to de overseer, 'If you whup dem, I whup you.' No ma'm, he wouldn't
+keep a overseer dat wus mean to us--Cap'n Ward wus good to us. He
+wouldn't let de little ones call him 'Marster', dey had to call him and
+de Missus, 'Grampa' and 'Gramma'. My folks didn't mistreat de slaves.
+I'd be better off now if it wus dem times now."
+
+We asked Ellen Campbell, a Richmond County slave if her master was good
+to her and she replied, "I'll say fer Mr. William Eve--he de bes' white
+man anywhere round here on any dese plantachuns. Dey all own slaves.
+Sometimes de overseer whup 'em--make 'em strip off dey shirt and whup
+'em on de bare skin. My boss had a white overseer and two colored men
+dey call drivers. If dey didn't done right dey dus whup 'em and turn 'em
+loose."
+
+It was said that those who refused to take whippings were generally
+negroes of African royal blood, or their descendants.
+
+Edward Glenn of the Clinton Brown plantation in Forsythe County, Ga.,
+said, "My father would not take a whipping. He would die before he would
+take a whipping. The Marster thought so much of him, he made young
+Marster Clinton promise he would never sell him or put a stripe on him.
+Once, when he wanted to punish him, he give him a horse and bridle and
+fifty dollars. 'Go on off somewhere and get somebody to buy you.' My
+father stayed away a month. One day he come home, he had been off about
+100 miles. He brought with him a man who wanted to buy him. Marster put
+the man up for the night, fed his horse, and father went on out to
+mother. Next day when the man made him a price on father, Marster said,
+'I was just foolin'. I wouldn't sell him for nothing. I was trying to
+punish him. He is true and honest, but he won't take a whipping.'
+
+"Sometimes a slave was treated so bad by his owners he was glad if they
+put him up to be sold. If he was a bad man, they handcuffed him, put him
+on a stand, like for preachings and auctioned him off to the highest
+bidder.
+
+"When runaway slave was brought back they was punished. Once in Alabama
+I saw a woman stripped naked, laid over a stump in a field with her head
+hangin' down on one side, her feet on the other, and tied to the stump.
+Then they whipped her hard, and you could hear her hollering far off,
+'Oh, Lawd a'musay! Lawd a-musay!'."
+
+Another punishment Edward said, was called the "Gameron Stick",
+(sometimes called the Gamlin stick, or Spanish Buck). The slave's arms
+were bound around the bent knees and fastened to a stick run beneath
+them. This was called the "Spanish Buck" punishment. They stripped the
+slave, who was unable to stand up, and rolled him on one side and
+whipped him till the blood came. They called the whip the "cowhide".
+Slaves were whipped for small things, such as forgetting orders or
+spilling food.
+
+
+OVERSEERS
+
+The most important person in the disciplining of negro slaves was the
+overseer. However, he occupied an unfortunate position socially. He was
+not regarded as the equal of the owner's family, and was not allowed to
+mix socially with the slaves. His was a hard lot, and consequently this
+position was generally filled by men of inferior grade. However, he was
+supposed to have an education so that he could handle the finances of
+the plantation accurately, and to be possessed of a good moral character
+in order to enforce the regulations. On most Georgia plantations
+overseers were given a house near the slave quarters. In some instances
+he lived in the house with the plantation owner. The average pay for
+overseers was from three to five hundred dollars a year.
+
+Next in authority to the overseer was the driver, who directed the work
+in the fields. Every morning the driver blew the horn or rang the
+plantation bell to summon slaves to their work. Next to him was some
+trusted slave, who carried the keys to the smokehouse and commissary,
+and helped to give out rations once a week.
+
+Many of the overseers were naturally cruel and inclined to treat the
+slaves harshly. Often strict rules and regulations had to be made to
+hold them in check. Overseers were generally made to sign these
+regulations on receiving their appointments.
+
+In 1840 the Southern Cultivator and Monthly Journal published the
+following rules of the plantation:
+
+
+RULES OF THE PLANTATION
+
+ Rule 1st. The overseer will not be expected to work in the
+ crop, but he must constantly with the hands, when not
+ otherwise engaged in the employer's business, and will be
+ required to attend on occasions to any pecuniary transactions
+ connected with the plantation.
+
+ Rule 2nd. The overseer is not expected to be absent from the
+ plantation unless actual necessity compels him, Sundays
+ excepted, and then it is expected that he will, on all
+ occasions, be at home by night.
+
+ Rule 3rd. He will attend, morning, noon and night, at the
+ stable, and see that the mules and horses are ordered, curried,
+ and fed.
+
+ Rule 4th. He will see that every negro is out by daylight in
+ the morning--a signal being given by a blast of the horn, the
+ first horn will be blown half an hour before day. He will also
+ visit the negro cabins at least once or twice a week, at night,
+ to see that all are in. No negro must be out of his house after
+ ten oclock in summer and eleven in winter.
+
+ Rule 5th. The overseer is not to give passes to the negroes
+ without the employer's consent. The families the negroes are
+ allowed to visit will be specified by the employer; also those
+ allowed to visit the premises. Nor is any negro allowed to
+ visit the place without showing himself to the employer or
+ overseer.
+
+ Rule 6th. The overseer is required not to chat with the
+ negroes, except on business, nor to encourage tale bearing, nor
+ is any tale to be told to him or employer, by any negro, unless
+ he has a witness to his statements, nor are they allowed, in
+ any instance, to quarrel and fight. But the employer will
+ question any negro, if confidence can be placed in him, without
+ giving him cause of suspicion, about all matters connected with
+ the plantation, if he has any reason to believe that all things
+ are not going on right.
+
+ Rule 7th. As the employer pays the overseer for his time and
+ attention, it is not to be expected he will receive much
+ company.
+
+ Rule 8th. As the employer employs an overseer, not to please
+ himself, but the employer, it will be expected that he will
+ attend strictly to all his instructions. His opinion will be
+ frequently asked relative to plantation matters, and
+ respectfully listened to, but it is required they be given in
+ a polite and respectful manner, and not urged, or insisted
+ upon; and if not adopted, he must carry into effect the views
+ of the employer, and with a sincere desire to produce a
+ successful result. He is expected to carry on all experiments
+ faithfully and carefully note the results, and he must, when
+ required by the employer, give a fair trial to all new methods
+ of culture, and new implements of agriculture.
+
+ Rule 9th. As the whole stock will be under immediate charge
+ of the overseer, it is expected he will give his personal
+ attention to it, and will accompany the hog feeder once a week
+ and feed them, and count and keep a correct number of the same.
+ The hog feeder is required to attend to feeding them every
+ morning.
+
+ Rule 10th. The negroes must be made to obey, and to work,
+ which may be done by an overseer who attends regularly to his
+ business, with very little whipping; for much whipping indicates
+ a bad tempered or an inattentive manager. He must _never_, on
+ any occasion, unless in self-defense, kick a negro, or strike
+ him with his fist, or butt end of his whip. No unusual
+ punishment must be resorted to without the employer's consent.
+ He is not expected to punish the foreman, except on some
+ extraordinary emergency that will not allow of delay, until
+ the employer is consulted. Of this rule the foreman is to be
+ kept in entire ignorance.
+
+ Rule 11th. The sick must be attended to. When sick they are to
+ make known the fact to him; if in the field, he is requested
+ to send them to the employer, if at home; and if not, the
+ overseer is expected to attend to them in person, or send for
+ a physician if necessary. Suckling and pregnant women must be
+ indulged more than others. Sucklers are to be allowed time to
+ visit their children, morning, noon and evening, until they are
+ eight months old, and twice a day from thence until they are
+ twelve months old--they are to be kept working near their
+ children. No lifting, pulling fodder, or hard work is expected
+ of pregnant women.
+
+ Rule 12th. The negroes are to appear in the field on Monday
+ mornings cleanly clad. To carry out said rule they are to be
+ allowed time (say one hour by sun) every Saturday evening for
+ the purpose of washing their clothes.
+
+ Rule 13th. The overseer is particularly required to keep the
+ negroes as much as possible out of the rain, and from all kind
+ of exposure.
+
+ Rule 14th. It will be expected of a good manager, that he will
+ constantly arrange the daily work of the negroes, so that no
+ negro may wait to know what to go to doing. Small jobs that
+ will not reasonably admit of delay must be forthwith attended
+ to.
+
+ Rule 15th. It is required of him, to keep the tools, ploughs,
+ hoes &c. out of the weather and have all collected after they
+ are done using them. The wagon and cart must be kept under a
+ shed. He is expected to keep good gates, bars and fences.
+
+ Rule 16th. The employer will give him a list of all the tools
+ and farming utensils and place the same in his care, and he is
+ to return them at the years' end to the employer; if any are
+ broke, the pieces are expected to be returned.
+
+ Rule 17th. He is not to keep a horse or dog against the
+ employer's approbation--and dogs kept for the purpose of
+ catching negroes will not be allowed under any consideration.
+
+ Rule 18th. He is required to come to his meals at the blowing
+ of the horn. It is not expected he will leave the field at
+ night before the hands quit their work.
+
+ Rule 19th. It will be expected he will not speak of the
+ employer's pecuniary business, his domestic affairs, or his
+ arrangements to any one. He will be expected to inform the
+ employer of anything going on that may concern his interest.
+
+ Rule 20th. He is to have no control whatever over the
+ employer's domestic affairs; nor to take any privileges in
+ the way of using himself, or loaning the employers property to
+ others.
+
+ Rule 21st. He is expected to be guilty of no disrespectful
+ language in the employer's presence--such as vulgarity,
+ swearing &c; nor is he expected to be guilty of any
+ indecencies, such as spitting on the floor, wearing his hat in
+ the house, sitting at the table with his coat off, or whistling
+ or singing in the house (Such habits are frequently indulged
+ in, in Bachelor establishments in the South). His room will be
+ appropriated to him, and he will not be expected to obtrude
+ upon the employer's private chamber, except on business.
+
+ Rule 22nd. It will be expected of him that he will not get
+ drunk, and if he returns home in that state he will be
+ immediately discharged. He will also be immediately discharged,
+ if it is ascertained he is too intimate with any of the negro
+ women.
+
+ Rule 23rd. It is distinctly understood, in the agreement with
+ every overseer, should they separate, from death or other
+ cause--and either is at liberty to separate from the other
+ whenever dissatisfied--without giving his reasons for so doing;
+ in said event the employer, upon settlement, is not expected to
+ pay the cash nor settle for the year, but for the time only he
+ remained in the employer's service, by note, due January next
+ (with interest) pro rata, he was to pay for the year.
+
+
+AMUSEMENTS
+
+In spite of the many restrictions that hedged the slaves about there
+were many good times on the plantation. Old Mary of the Roof plantation
+described their frolics thus:
+
+"We would sing and there was always a fiddle. I never could put up to
+dance much but nobody could beat me runnin' 'Peep Squirrel'. That was a
+game we made up on the plantation. The girls peeped out, then ran by the
+men, and they'd be caught and twirled around. They said I was like a
+kildee bird, I was so little and could run so fast. When we growed up we
+walked the boys to death! They used to say we walked the heels off their
+boots. We would have dances every Christmas, on different plantations. I
+tell my grandchildren sometimes that my brother-in-law would carry us to
+dances and wouldn' allow us to sleep, we'd dance all night long. We had
+a good time, us girls!"
+
+When the negroes got married long tables were set under the trees in the
+back yard and the people from the big house came down to see how the
+slaves were dressed and to wish them well.
+
+Concerning her own marriage Mary said, "They say I was married when I
+was 17 years old. I know it was after freedom. I married a boy who
+belonged to the Childs plantation. I had the finest kind of marrying
+dress, my father bought it for me. It had great big grapes hanging down
+from the sleeves and around the skirt." She sighed and a shadow passed
+over her placid old face, as she added, "I wish't I had a kep' it for my
+children to saw."
+
+A slave from the Starling Freeman plantation in South Carolina said,
+"When cullud people wus married, white people give a supper. A cullud
+man whut lives on de place marries 'em."
+
+"I used to sing good myself," continued Susannah, "you could hear the
+echo of my voice way out yonder, but I can't sing no more." Here
+Susannah stuck out her legs, covered with long-ribbed pink stockings.
+"My legs got de misery in 'em now, and my voice gone. In my mother's
+house dey never trained us to sing things like the mos' o' people. We
+sung the good old hymns, like, 'A Charge to Keep I have, a God to
+Glorify.'"
+
+Old Tim, who used to live on a plantation in Virginia, said in speaking
+of good times before the war, "Sho', we had plenty o' banjo pickers!
+They was 'lowed to play banjos and guitars at night, if de Patterolas
+didn' interfere. At home de owners wouldn' 'low de Patterolas to tech
+their folks. We used to run mighty fast to git home after de frolics!
+Patterolas wus a club of men who'd go around and catch slaves on strange
+plantations and break up frolics, and whip 'em sometimes."
+
+We asked Aunt Ellen Campbell, who was a slave on the Eve plantation in
+Richmond County, about good times in slavery days. She laughed
+delightedly and said, "When anybody gwine be married dey tell de boss
+and he have a cake fix. Den when Sunday come, after dey be married she
+put on de white dress she be married in and dey go up to town so de boss
+can see de young couple."
+
+She was thoughtful a moment, then continued, "Den sometimes on Sadday
+night we have a big frolic. De nigger fum Hammond's place and Phinizy
+place, Eve place, Clayton place, D'Laigle place, all git together fer a
+big dance and frolic. A lot o' de young sports used to come dere and
+push de young nigger bucks aside and dance wid de wenches."
+
+"We used to have big parties sometime," said Fannie Fulcher, a former
+slave on Dr. Miller's plantation in Burke County. "No white folks--jus'
+de overseer come round to see how dey git erlong. I 'member dey have a
+fiddle. I had a cousin who played fer frolics, and fer de white folks,
+too."
+
+According to Melinda Mitchell, who lived on the plantation of Rev. Allen
+Dozier in Edgefield County, South Carolina, the field hands and house
+servants forgot cares in merriment and dancing after the day's work was
+over. When asked about her master, a Baptist preacher, condoning dancing
+Melinda replied with the simple statement, "He wasn't only a preacher,
+he was a religious man. De slaves danced at de house of a man who
+'tended de stack, way off in de fiel' away fum de big house." They
+danced to the tunes of banjos and a homemade instrument termed, "Quill",
+evidently some kind of reed. It was fairly certain that the noise of
+merriment must have been heard at the big house, but the slaves were not
+interrupted in their frolic.
+
+"My mammy wus de bes' dancer on de plantachun," Melinda said proudly.
+"She could dance so sturdy she could balance a glass o' water on her
+head an never spill a drop." She recalls watching the dancers late into
+the night until she fell asleep.
+
+She could tell of dances and good times in the big house as well as in
+the quarters. The young ladies were belles. They were constantly
+entertaining. One day a wandering fortune-teller came on the piazza
+where a crowd of young people were gathered, and asked to tell the young
+ladies' fortunes. Everything was satisfactory until he told Miss Nettie
+she would marry a one-armed man. At this the young belle was so
+indignant that the man was driven off and the dogs set on him. "But de
+fortune teller told true-true," Melinda said. A faint ominous note crept
+into her voice and her eyes seemed to be seeing events that had
+transpired almost three-quarters of a century ago. "After de war Miss
+Nettie did marry a one-arm man, like de fortune-teller said, a
+Confederate officer, Captain Shelton, who had come back wid his sleeve
+empty."
+
+
+SLAVE SALES
+
+There were two legal places for selling slaves in Augusta; the Lower
+Market, at the corner of Fifth and Broad Street, and the Upper Market at
+the corner of Broad and Marbury Streets. The old slave quarters are
+still standing in Hamburg, S.C., directly across the Savannah River from
+the Lower Market in Augusta. Slaves who were to be put up for sale were
+kept there until the legal days of sales.
+
+Advertisements in the newspapers of that day seem to point to the fact
+that most slave sales were the results of the death of the master, and
+the consequent settlement of estates, or a result of the foreclosure of
+mortgages.
+
+In the Thirty-Seventh Section of the Ordinances of the City of Augusta,
+August 10, 1820-July 8, 1829, is the following concerning Vendue
+Masters:
+
+ "If any person acts as a Vendue Master within the limits of
+ this City without a license from the City Council, he shall be
+ fined in a sum not exceeding $1,000.00. There shall not be more
+ than four Vendue Masters for this city. They shall be appointed
+ by ballot, and their license shall expire on the day proceeding
+ the 1st Saturday in October of every year. No license shall
+ be issued to a Vendue Master until he has given bond, with
+ securities according to the laws of this State, and also a bond
+ with approved security to the Council for the faithful discharge
+ of his duties in the sum of $5,000.00."
+
+The newspapers of the time regularly carried advertisements concerning
+the sale of slaves. The following is a fair sample:
+
+ "Would sell slaves: With this farm will be sold about Thirty
+ Likely Negroes mostly country born, among them a very good
+ bricklayer, and driver, and two sawyers, 17 of them are fit for
+ field or boat work, and the rest fine, thriving children."
+
+The following advertisement appeared in _The Georgia Constitutionalist_
+on January 17, 1769: "To be sold in Savannah on Thursday the 15th. inst.
+a cargo of 140 Prime Slaves, chiefly men. Just arrived in the Scow
+Gambia Captain Nicholas Doyle after a passage of six weeks directly from
+the River Gambia." by Inglis and Hall.
+
+Most of the advertisements gave descriptions of each slave, with his age
+and the type of work he could do. They were generally advertised along
+with other property belonging to the slave owner.
+
+The following appeared in the Chronicle and Sentinel of Augusta on
+December 23rd, 1864: "Negro Sales. At an auction in Columbus the annexed
+prices were obtained: a boy 16 years old, $3,625.
+
+"At a late sale in Wilmington the annexed prices were obtained: a girl
+14 years old $5,400; a girl 22 years old, $4,850; a girl 13 years
+$3,500; a negro boy, 22 years old $4,900."
+
+Very few of the slaves interviewed had passed through the bitter
+experience of being sold. Janie Satterwhite, who was born on a Carolina
+plantation, and was about thirteen years old when she was freed,
+remembered very distinctly when she was sold away from her parents.
+
+"Yes'm, my Mama died in slavery, and I was sold when I was a little
+tot," she said. "I 'member when dey put me on de block."
+
+"Were you separated from your family?" we asked.
+
+"Yes'm. We wus scattered eberywhere. Some went to Florida and some to
+odder places. De Missus she die and we wus all sold at one time. Atter
+dat nobody could do nothin' on de ole plantachun fer a year--till all
+wus settled up. My brudder he wasn't happy den. He run away fer five
+years."
+
+"Where was he all that time?"
+
+"Lawd knows, honey. Hidin', I reckon, hidin in de swamp."
+
+"Did you like your new master?"
+
+"Honey, I wus too little to have any sense. When dat man bought me--dat
+Dr. Henry, he put me in a buggy to take me off. I kin see it all right
+now, and I say to Mama and Papa, 'Good-bye, I'll be back in de mawnin'.'
+And dey all feel sorry fer me and say, 'She don' know whut happenin'."
+
+"Did you ever see your family again?"
+
+"Yes'm. Dey wusn't so far away. When Christmas come de Marster say I can
+stay wid Mama de whole week."
+
+Easter Jones, who had many bitter memories of slavery days back on the
+Bennet plantation near Waynesboro, said, when asked if she was ever sold
+into slavery, "Dey had me up fer sale once, but de horse run away and
+broke de neck o' de man whut gwine buy me."
+
+Harriet White, whose father was a slave, gives this account of his sale,
+"Yas'm, he tell me many times 'bout when he wus put up for sale on
+Warren Block (in Augusta). Father say dey put him on de block down here.
+De gemmen whut bought him name Mr. Tom Crew. But when dey tryin' to sell
+him--dat right durin' de war, one man say, 'No, I don' want him--he know
+too much.' He'd done been down to Savannah wid de Yankees. Den my father
+say, 'If you buy me you can't take me oudder de state of Georgia, 'cause
+de Yankees all around."
+
+Carrie Lewis, who was owned by Captain Phillip Ward and lived on a
+plantation down in Richmond County said, "No'm, I wasn't never sold, but
+my Mama was sold fum me. See, I belonged to de young girl and old
+Marster fool Missus away fum de house so he git to sell my Mama."
+
+"Did you ever see your mother afterwards?" we asked.
+
+"No, ma'm. I wouldn' know my Mammy no more den you would."
+
+"But were you happy on the plantation?"
+
+A smile brightened her wrinkled old face as she replied, "I'd be a heap
+better off if it was dem times now."
+
+When we asked Ellen Campbell if she was ever sold during slavery times
+she replied, "No'm. I wa'n't sold, but I know dem whut wus. Jedge
+Robinson he kept a nigger trade office over in Hamburg."
+
+"Oh yes, we remember--the old brick building."
+
+"Yas'm, dat it. Well, all de colored people whut gonner be sold was kept
+dere. Den dey brung 'em over to de market and put 'em up fer sale.
+Anybody fixin' to buy 'em, 'zamines 'em to see if day all right. Looks
+at de teef to tell 'bout de age."
+
+Laura Steward, who was a slave in a Baptist preacher's family in Augusta
+told some interesting things about slave sales here: "Slaves were sold
+at the Augusta market, in spite of what white ladies say." She stated
+that there was a long house with porches on Ellis between 7th and 8th,
+where a garage now stands. In this building slaves were herded for
+market. "Dey would line 'em up like horses or cows," said Laura, "and
+look in de mouf at dey teef; den dey march 'em down togedder to market
+in crowds, first Tuesday sale day."
+
+Old Mary used to live on the Roof plantation with her mother, while her
+father lived on a nearby plantation. She said her father tried for a
+long time to have his owner buy his wife and children, until finally,
+"One day Mr. Tom Perry sont his son-in-law to buy us in. You had to get
+up on what they called the block, but we just stood on some steps. The
+bidder stood on the ground and called out the prices. There was always a
+speculator at the sales. We wus bought all right and moved over to the
+Perry place. I had another young marster there. He had his own hands and
+didn't sell them at all. Wouldn't none of us been sold from the Roof
+place, except for my father beggin' Mr. Perry to buy us, so we wouldn't
+be separated."
+
+Susannah Wyman of the Freeman plantation in South Carolina said, "Once
+de Marster tried to sell my brudder and anodder youngster fer a pair o'
+mules, and our Mistis said, 'No! You don' sell my chillun for no mules!'
+And he didn't sell us neider. They never sold anybody off our
+plantation. But people did sell women, old like I am now--or if they
+didn't have no chillun. The fus' spec-lator come along and wants to buy
+'em, he kin have 'em. De Marster say, 'Bring me han's in. I want
+han's!'"
+
+Eugene Smith, who used to belong to Mr. Steadman Clark of Augusta said,
+"I read in the papers where a lady said slaves were never sold here in
+Augusta at the old market, but I saw 'em selling slaves myself. They put
+'em up on something like a table, bid 'em off just like you would do
+horses or cows. Dere wus two men. I kin recollect. I know one was call
+Mr. Tom Heckle. He used to buy slaves, speculatin'. The other was name
+Wilson. They would sell a mother from her children. That's why so many
+colored people married their sisters and brothers, not knowin' till they
+got to talking 'bout it. One would say: 'I remember my grandmother,' and
+another would say, 'that's _my_ grandmother!' Then they'd find out they
+were sister and brother."
+
+
+WAR MEMORIES
+
+Most of the ex-slaves interviewed were too young to have taken any part
+in war activities, though many of them remembered that the best slaves
+were picked and sent from each plantation to help build breastworks for
+the defense of Waynesboro. On some places the Yankees were encamped and
+on others the southern soldiers were entertained.
+
+"De Yankees come through de plantation on Sunday," said Hannah Murphy, a
+former slave on a Georgia plantation. "I'll never forgit dat! Dey wus
+singin' Dixie, 'I wisht I wus in Dixie, look away!' Dey wus all dress in
+blue. Dey sot de gin house afire, and den dey went in de lot and got all
+de mules and de horses and ca'y 'em wid 'em. Dey didn't bother de smoke
+house where de food wuz, and dey didn't tek no hogs. But dey did go to
+de long dairy and thowed out all de milk and cream and butter and stuff.
+Dey didn' bother us none. Some o' de cullard folks went wid de Yankees.
+De white folks had yeared dey wuz comin' and dey had lef'--after de
+Yankees all gone away, de white folks come back. De cullud folks stayed
+dere a while, but de owners of de place declaimed dey wuz free, and sont
+de people off. I know dat my mother and father and a lot o' people come
+heah to Augusta."
+
+Old Tim, from a plantation in Virginia, remembers when Lee was fighting
+near Danville, and how frightened the negroes were at the sound of the
+cannon. "They cay'd the wounded by the 'bacco factory," he said, "on de
+way to de horspittle."
+
+The northern troops came to the William Morris plantation in Burke
+County. Eliza Morris, a slave, who was her master's, "right hand bough"
+was entrusted with burying the family silver. "There was a battle over
+by Waynesboro," Eliza's daughter explained to us. "I hear my mother
+speak many times about how the Yankees come to our place." It seems that
+some of the other slaves were jealous of Eliza because of her being so
+favored by her master. "Some of the niggers told the soldiers that my
+mother had hidden the silver, but she wouldn' tell the hidin' place. The
+others were always jealous of my mother, and now they tried to made the
+Yankees shoot her because she wouldn' tell where the silver was hidden.
+My mother was a good cook and she fixed food for the Yankees camped on
+the place, and this softened the soldiers' hearts. They burned both the
+plantation houses, but they give my mother a horse and plenty of food to
+last for some time after they left."
+
+"What did your mother do after the war?" we asked.
+
+"She spent the rest of her life cookin' for her young Mistis, Mrs. Dr.
+Madden in Jacksonville. She was Cap'n Bill's daughter. That was her home
+till shortly after the World War when she died."
+
+"Did your Master live through the war?"
+
+"Yas'm. He come home. Some of the old slaves had stayed on at the
+plantation; others followed the Yankees off. Long time afterward some of
+'em drifted back--half starved and in bad shape."
+
+"'Let'em come home'", Marster said. "And them that he couldn' hire he
+give patches of land to farm."
+
+"'Member de war? Course I do!" said Easter Jones, "My Marster went to
+Savannah, and dey put him in prison somewhere. He died atter he come
+back, it done him so bad. I 'member my brudder was born dat Sunday when
+Lee surrender. Dey name him Richmond. But I was sick de day dey came and
+'nounced freedom."
+
+Augustus Burden, a former slave on General Walker's plantation at
+Windsor Springs, Ga., served as valet for his master, said, "Master was
+killed at Chickamauga. When the war ceased they brought us home--our old
+master's home. My old Mistis was living and we came back to the old
+lady."
+
+When the Yankees came through Georgia the Walkers and Schleys asked for
+protection from gunfire. Because of school associations with Northern
+officers nothing on the plantation was disturbed.
+
+"Mrs. Jefferson Davis came there to visit the Schleys," said Augustus,
+and his face lit up with enthusiasm, "She was a mighty pretty woman--a
+big lady, very beautiful. She seemed to be real merry amongst the white
+folks, and Miss Winnie was a pretty little baby. She was talking then."
+
+
+Louis Jones was seven years old when he was freed. He said, "I kin
+'member de Yankees comin'. I wasn't skeered. I wanted to see 'em. I hung
+on de fence corners, and nearabouts some sich place. After freedom my Ma
+didn't go 'way. She stayed on de plantation till she could make more
+money cookin' some udder place. I don't think dey did anything to de
+plantation whar I wus. I yeared dey cay'd out de silver and mebbe hid it
+in places whar de Yankees couldn't find it."
+
+When Ellen Campbell of the Eve plantation in Richmond County, was asked
+if she remembered anything about the Yankees coming through this part of
+the country, she replied:
+
+"Yas'm, I seen 'em comin' down de street. Every one had er canteen on de
+side, a blanket on de shoulder, caps cocked on one side de haid. De
+Cavalry had boots on, and spurros on de boots. First dey sot de niggers
+free on Dead River, den dey come on here and sot us free. Dey march
+straight up Broad Street to de Planters Hotel, den dey camped on de
+river. Dey stayed here six months till dey sot dis place free. When dey
+campin' on de river bank we go down dere and wash dey clo'se fer a good
+price. Day had hard tack to eat. Dey gib us hard tack and tell us to
+soak it in water, and fry it in meat gravy. I ain't taste nothin' so
+good since. Dey say, 'Dis hard tack whut we hadder lib on while we
+fightin' to sot you free.'"
+
+
+FREEDOM
+
+Although the Emancipation Proclamation was delivered on January 1st,
+1863 it was not until Lee's final surrender that most of the negroes
+knew they were free. The Freedman's Bureau in Augusta gave out the news
+officially to the negroes, but in most cases the plantation owners
+themselves summoned their slaves and told them they were free. Many
+negroes stayed right with their masters.
+
+Carrie Lewis, a slave on Captain Ward's plantation in Richmond County,
+said, when asked where she went when freedom came, "Me? I didn't went
+nowhere. Da niggers come 'long wid de babies and dey backs, and say I
+wus free, and I tell 'em I was free already. Didn't make no diffunce to
+me--freedom."
+
+Old Susannah from the Freeman plantation said, "When freedom come I got
+mad at Marster. He cut off my hair. I was free so I come from Ca'lina to
+Augusta to sue him. I walk myself to death! Den I found I couldn't sue
+him over here in Georgia! I had to go back. He was jus' nachally mad
+'cause we was free. Soon as I got here, dere was a lady on de street,
+she tole me to come in, tek a seat. I stayed dere. Nex' mornin' I
+couldn't stand up. My limbs was hurtin' all over."
+
+Tim from the plantation in Virginia remembers distinctly when freedom
+came to his people. "When we wus about to have freedom," he said, "they
+thought the Yankees was a-goin' to take all the slaves so they put us on
+trains and run us down south. I went to a place whut they call 'Butler'
+in Georgia, then they sent me on down to the Chattahoochee, where they
+were cuttin' a piece of railroad, then to Quincy, then to Tallahassee.
+When the war ended I weren't 'xactly in 'Gusta, I was in Irwinville,
+where they caught Mars. Jeff Davis. Folks said he had de money train,
+but I never seed no gold, nor nobody whut had any. I come on up to
+'Gusta and jined de Bush Arbor Springfield Church.
+
+
+"When freedom came they called all the white people to the court house
+first, and told them the darkies ware free. Then on a certain day they
+called all the colored people down to the parade ground. They had a big
+stand," explained Eugene Wesley Smith, whose father was a slave in
+Augusta. "All the Yankees and some of our leading colored men got up
+there and spoke, and told the negroes: "You are free. Don't steal! Now
+work and make a living. Do honest work, make an honest living and
+support yourself and children. There are no more masters. You are free!"
+
+"When the colored troops came in, they came in playing:
+
+ 'Don't you see the lightning?
+ Don't you hear the thunder?
+ It isn't the lightning,
+ It isn't the thunder
+ But the buttons on the Negro uniform!'
+
+"The negroes shouted and carried on when they heard they were free."
+
+This story of freedom was told by Edward Glenn of Forsythe County: "A
+local preacher, Walter Raleigh, used to wait by the road for me every
+day, and read the paper before I give it to Mistis. One day he was
+waiting for me, and instead of handing it back to me he tho'wed it down
+and hollered, 'I'm free as a frog!' He ran away. I tuk the paper to
+Mistis. She read it and went to cryin'. I didn't say no more. That was
+during the week. On Sunday morning I was talking to my brother's wife,
+who was the cook. We were talking about the Yankees. Mistis come in and
+say, 'Come out in the garden with me.' When we got outside Mistis said:
+'Ed, you suppose them Yankees would spill their blood to come down here
+to free you niggers?'
+
+"I said, 'I dunno, but I'se free anyhow, Miss Mary.'"
+
+"'Shut up, sir, I'll mash your mouth!"
+
+"That day Marster was eating, and he said, 'Doc' (they called me Doc,
+'cause I was the seventh son). 'You have been a good boy. What did you
+tell your Mistis?'"
+
+"I said, 'I told her the truth, that I knowed I was free.'
+
+"He said, 'Well, Doc, you aren't really free. You are free from me, but
+you aren't of age yet, and you still belong to your father and mother.'
+
+"One morning I saw a blue cloud of Yankees coming down the road. The
+leader was waving his arms and singing:
+
+ 'Ha, ha, ha! Trabble all the day!
+ I'm in the Rebel's Happy Land of Caanan.
+ Needn't mind the weather,
+ Jump over double trouble,
+ I'm in the Rebel's Happy Land of Caanan.'
+
+"The Yankee captain, Captain Brown, gathered all us negroes in the fair
+ground, July or August after freedom, and he made a speech. Lawsy! I can
+see that crowd yet, a-yelling and a-stomping! And the captain waving his
+arms and shouting!
+
+"'We have achieved the victory over the South. Today you are all free
+men and free women!'
+
+"We had everybody shouting and jumping, and my father and mother shouted
+along with the others. Everybody was happy."
+
+
+Janie Satterwhite's memories were very vivid about freedom. "Oh yas'm,"
+she said, "my brudder comed fer me. He say, 'Jane, you free now. You
+wanna go home and see Papa?' But old Mars say, 'Son, I don' know you and
+you don' know me. You better let Jane stay here a while.' So he went
+off, but pretty soon I slip off. I had my little black bonnet in my
+hand, and de shoes Papa give me, and I started off 'Ticht, ticht; crost
+dat bridge.
+
+"I kept on till I got to my sister's. But when I got to de bridge de
+river wus risin'. And I hadder go down de swamp road. When I got dere,
+wus I dirty? And my sister say, 'How come you here all by yourself?' Den
+she took off my clo'es and put me to bed. And I remember de next mornin'
+when I got up it wus Sunday and she had my clo'es all wash and iron. De
+fus' Sunday atter freedom."
+
+
+FOLK LORE
+
+As most of the ex-slaves interviewed were mere children during the
+slavery period they remembered only tales that were told them by their
+parents. Two bits of folk lore were outstanding as they were repeated
+with many variations by several old women. One of these stories may be a
+relic of race memory, dating back to the dawn of the race in Africa.
+Several negroes of the locality gave different versions of this story of
+the woman who got out of her skin every night. Hannah Murphy, who was
+once a slave and now lives in Augusta gives this version:
+
+"Dere was a big pon' on de plantation, and I yeared de ole folks tell a
+story 'bout dat pon', how one time dere was a white Mistis what would go
+out ev'y evenin' in her cay'age and mek de driver tak her to de pon'.
+She would stay out a long time. De driver kep' a wonderin' whut she do
+here. One night he saw her go thu' de bushes, and he crep' behin' her.
+He saw her step out o' her skin. Da skin jus' roll up and lay down on de
+groun', and den de Mistis disappear. De driver wus too skeered to move.
+In a little while he yeared her voice sayin', 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you
+know me? Den de skin jump up and dere she wus again, ez big as life. He
+watch her like dat for a lot o' nights, and den he went and tole de
+Marster. De Marster wus so skeered o' her he run away frum de plantation
+and quit her."
+
+Laura Stewart, who was born a slave in Virginia, gives this verson of
+the same story:
+
+"Dey always tole me de story 'bout de ole witch who git out her skin. I
+ain't know it all. In dem days I guess dose kinder things went on. Dey
+said while she was out ridin' wid de ole witch she lef' her skin behind
+her, and when she come back, de other woman had put salt and pepper on
+it; and whan she say, 'Skinny, Skinny, don't you know me?' de ole skin
+wouldn't jump up, so she ain't had no skin a-tall."
+
+"Granny," Laura's granddaughter called to her, "tell the ladies about
+the Mistis what got bury."
+
+"Oh yes," Laura recalled, "dey didn' bury her so far. A bad man went
+dere to git her gold ring off her finger. She make a sound like 'Shs'
+like her bref comin' out, and de man got skeered. He run off. She got up
+direckly and come to de house. Dey was skeered o' dat Mistis de res' o'
+her life and say she were a hant."
+
+
+INTERESTING CUSTOMS
+
+On one southern plantation soap was made at a certain time of the year
+and left in the hollowed-out trough of a big log.
+
+Indigo was planted for blueing. Starch was made out of wheat bran put in
+soak. The bran was squeezed out and used to feed the hogs, and the
+starch was saved for clothes.
+
+A hollow stump was filled with apples when cider was to be made. A hole
+was bored in the middle, and a lever put inside, which would crush the
+apples. As Mary put it, "you put the apples in the top, pressed the
+lever, the cider come out the spout, and my, it was good!"
+
+
+DRESS
+
+Most of the old ex-slave women interviewed wore long full skirts, and
+flat loose shoes. In spite of what tradition and story claim, few of the
+older negroes of this district wear head clothes. Most of them wear
+their wooly hair "wropped" with string. The women often wear men's
+discarded slouch hats. Though many of the old woman were interviewed in
+mid-summer, they wore several waists and seemed absolutely unaware of
+the heat.
+
+One man, wearing the typical dress of the poverty-stricken old person of
+this district, is Tim Thornton, who used to live on the Virginia
+plantation of Mrs. Lavinia Tinsley. His ragged pants are sewed up with
+cord, and on his coat nails are used where buttons used to be. In the
+edges of his "salt and pepper" hair are stuck matches, convenient for
+lighting his pipe. His beard is bushy and his lower lip pendulous and
+long, showing strong yellow teeth. His manner is kindly, and he is known
+as "Old Singing Tim" because he hums spirituals all day long as he
+stumps around town leaning on a stick.
+
+
+NUMBER OF SLAVES
+
+Plantations owned by Dr. Balding Miller in Burke County had about eight
+hundred slaves. Governor Pickens of South Carolina was said to have had
+about four hundred on his various plantations. The William Morris
+plantations in Burke County had about five hundred slaves.
+
+
+
+BIBLIOGRAPHY
+
+Flanders, Ralph Betts
+Plantation Slavery in Georgia.
+Chapel Hill: The University Press of N.C., 326 pages,
+p. 1933, c. 1933, pp. 254-279.
+
+Hotchkiss, William A.
+Statute Laws of Georgia and State Papers;
+Savannah, Ga.; John M. Cooper, pub., 990 pages, p. 1845, c. 1845,
+pp. 810, 817, 838, 839, 840.
+
+Rutherford, John
+Acts of the General Assembly of the State of Georgia
+Savannah, Ga.: Samuel T. Chapman, State Printer,
+620 pages, p. 1854, c. 1854, p. 103.
+
+Jones, J.W., Editor,
+Southern Cultivator
+Augusta, Ga.: J.W. and W.S. Jones, pubs., Vol. 1, 1843.
+
+Ordinances of the City Council of Augusta.
+August 10, 1820; July 8, 1829; Feb. 7, 1862.
+
+The Daily Chronicle & Sentinel
+Vol. XXVIII. No. 306.
+Augusta, Ga., Dec. 23, 1864.
+Clipping.
+
+
+
+
+COMPILATION RICHMOND COUNTY EX-SLAVE INTERVIEWS
+
+WORK, PLAY, FOOD, CLOTHING, MARRIAGE, etc.
+
+Written by:
+Louise Oliphant
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+Edited by:
+John N. Booth
+District Supervisor,
+Federal Writers' Project
+Augusta, Ga.
+
+
+In recalling habits of work and play, marriage customs, and like
+memories of Southern life before the Civil War, Richmond County's
+ex-slaves tell varied stories. One said: "I didn't start workin' 'til I
+was 'bout nine years old. Before that I had watched chickens, carried in
+wood, gathered eggs and such light work as that. But when I was nine I
+started workin' in the field. I didn't plow then because I was too
+small, but I hoed and did other light jobs.
+
+"Our marster made our shoes for us out of raw cow hide. Us got two pairs
+of shoes a year, one for every day and one for Sunday. Us made
+everythin' us needed. The old women, who couldn't work in the field,
+would make cloth on the looms and the spinnin' wheels. Us didn't have
+chairs; us made benches and stools to sit on. Us didn't know what swings
+was. Us used to tie ropes in trees and swing in 'em.
+
+"Everybody had his own tin plate and tin cup to eat out of. On Saturday
+they would give everybody three pounds of meat, twelve pounds of flour,
+twelve pounds of meal, and one quart of syrup. This was to last a week.
+Us always had plenty to eat 'til the war started, then us went hungry
+many a day because they took the food and carried it to the soldiers. Us
+stole stuff from everybody durin' that time.
+
+"They always blowed a horn for you to go to work by and get off for
+dinner by and stop work in the evening by. When that horn blowed, you
+couldn't get them mules to plow another foot. They just wouldn't do it.
+Us always et dinner out in the yard, in the summer time, at a long
+bench. In cold weather us always went inside to eat. Whenever us didn't
+have enough to eat us would tell the overseer and he seed to it that us
+got plenty. Our overseers was colored."
+
+Another old woman said she "started working at the age of seven as a
+nurse. I nursed, made fire in the house and around the wash pots 'til I
+was old enough to go to work in the fields. When I got big enough I hoed
+and later plowed. Us didn't wait 'til sun up to start workin', us
+started as soon as it was light enough. When it come to field work, you
+couldn't tell the women from the men. Of course my marster had two old
+women on the place and he never made them work hard, and he never did
+whip' em. They always took care of the cookin' and the little chillun.
+
+"I'll tell you one thing, they had better doctors then than they do now.
+When folks had high blood pressure the doctors would cut you in your
+head or your arm and folks would get over it then. They took better care
+of themselves. Whenever anybody was caught in the rain they had to go to
+the marster's house and take some medicine. They had somethin' that
+looks like black draught looks now, and they would put it in a gallon
+jug, fill it a little over half full of boiling water, and finish
+fillin' it with whiskey. It was real bitter, but it was good for colds.
+Young folk didn't die then like they do now. Whenever anybody died it
+was a old person.
+
+"I know more about conjuration than I'll ever be able to tell. I didn't
+believe in it at one time, but I've seen so much of it that I can almost
+look at a sick person and tell whether he is conjured or not. I wouldn't
+believe it now if I hadn't looked at snakes come out of my own sister's
+daughter. She married a man that had been goin' 'round with a old woman
+who wasn't nothin'. Well one day this woman and my niece got in a fight
+'bout him, and my niece whipped her. She was already mad with my niece
+'bout him, and after she found she couldn't whip her she decided to get
+her some way and she just conjured her.
+
+"My niece was sick a long time and we had 'bout seven or eight diff'unt
+doctors with her, but none of 'em done her any good. One day us was
+sittin' on the porch and a man walked up. Us hadn't never seen him
+before, and he said he wanted to talk with the lady of the house. I
+'vited him in and he asked to speak to me alone. So I went in the front
+room and told him to come on in there. When he got there he said just
+like this: 'You have sickness don't you?' I said, 'yes.' Then he said:
+'I know it, and I come by here to tell you I could cure her. All I want
+is a chance, and you don't have to pay me a cent 'til I get her back on
+her feet, and if I don't put her back on her feet you won't be out one
+cent. Just promise you'll pay me when the work is done.' I told him to
+come back the next day 'cause I would have to talk with her husband and
+her mother 'fore I could tell him anythin'.
+
+"Us all agreed to let him doctor on her since nobody else had did her
+any good. Two days later he brought her some medicine to take and told
+us to have her say: 'relieve me of this misery and send it back where it
+come from.' Seven days from the day she started takin' this medicine she
+was up and walkin' 'round the room. 'Fore that time she had been in bed
+for more than five weeks without puttin' her feet on the floor. Well
+three days after she took the first medicine, she told us she felt like
+she wanted to heave. So we gave her the bucket and that's what come out
+of her. I know they was snakes because I know snakes when I see 'em. One
+was about six inches long, but the others was smaller. He had told us
+not to be scared 'bout nothin' us saw, so I wasn't, but my sister was.
+After that day my niece started to get better fast. I put the snakes in
+a bottle and kept 'em 'til the man come back and showed 'em to him. He
+took 'em with him. It was 'bout three weeks after this that the other
+woman took sick and didn't live but 'bout a month."
+
+Roy Redfield recalls that "when a person died several people would come
+in and bathe the body and dress it. Then somebody would knock up some
+kind of box for 'em to be buried in. They would have the funeral and
+then put the body on a wagon and all the family and friends would walk
+to the cemetery behind the wagon. They didn't have graves like they does
+now; they would dig some kind of hole and put you in it, then cover you
+up.
+
+"In olden times there was only a few undertakers, and of course there
+warn't any in the country; so when a person died he was bathed and
+dressed by friends of the family. Then he was laid on a ironing board
+and covered with a sheet.
+
+"For a long while us knowed that for some cause a part of the person's
+nose or lips had been et off, but nobody could find out why. Finally
+somebody caught a cat in the very act. Most people didn't believe a cat
+would do this, but everybody started watchin' and later found out it was
+so. So from then on, 'til the caskets come into use, a crowd of folks
+stayed awake all night sittin' up with the dead."
+
+One old woman lived on a plantation where "every Saturday they would
+give you your week's 'lowance. They would give you a plenty to eat so
+you could keep strong and work. They weighed your meat, flour, meal and
+things like that, but you got all the potatoes, lard and other things
+you wanted. You got your groceries and washed and ironed on Saturday
+evenin' and on Saturday night everybody used that for frolicin'. Us
+would have quiltin's, candy pullin's, play, or dance. Us done whatever
+us wanted to. On these nights our mist'ess would give us chickens or
+somethin' else so us could have somethin' extra. Well, us would dance,
+quilt, or do whatever us had made up to do for 'bout three hours then us
+would all stop and eat. When us finished eatin' us would tell tales or
+somethin' for a while, then everybody would go home. Course us have
+stayed there 'til almost day when us was havin' a good time.
+
+"My marster wanted his slaves to have plenty of chillun. He never would
+make you do much work when you had a lot of chillun, and had them fast.
+My ma had nineteen chillun, and it looked like she had one every ten
+months. My marster said he didn't care if she never worked if she kept
+havin' chillun like that for him. He put ma in the kitchen to cook for
+the slaves who didn't have families.
+
+"People who didn't have families would live in a house together, but
+whenever you married you lived in a house to yourself. You could fix up
+your house to suit yourself. The house where everybody lived that warn't
+married, had 'bout a dozen and a half beds in it. Sometimes as many as
+three and four slept in a bed together when it was cold. The others had
+to sleep on the floor, but they had plenty of cover. Us didn't have
+anythin' in this house but what was made by some of us. There warn't but
+one room to this house with one fire place in it. Us never et in this
+room, us had another house where everybody from this house and from the
+house for the men who warn't married, et. Our beds was diff'unt from
+these you see now. They was made by the slaves out of rough lumber. Our
+marster seed to it that all the chillun had beds to sleep in. They was
+taken good care of. Us had no such things as dressers or the like. Us
+didn't have but a very few chairs 'cause the men didn't have time to
+waste makin' chairs, but us had plenty of benches. Our trunks was made
+by the men.
+
+"People who had families lived by theyselves, but they didn't have but
+one room to their houses. They had to cook and sleep in this one room,
+and as their chillun got old enough they was sent over to the big house.
+Everybody called it that. The house you lived in with your family was
+small. It had a fire place and was only big enough to hold two beds and
+a bench and maybe a chair. Sometimes, if you had chillun fast enough,
+five and six had to sleep in that other bed together. Mothers didn't
+stay in after their chillun was born then like they do now. Whenever a
+child was born the mother come out in three days afterwards if she was
+healthy, but nobody stayed in over a week. They never stayed in bed but
+one day.
+
+"When they called you to breakfast it would be dark as night. They did
+this so you could begin workin' at daybreak. At twelve o'clock they
+blowed the horn for dinner, but they didn't have to 'cause everybody
+knowed when it was dinner time. Us could tell time by the sun. Whenever
+the sun was over us so us could almost step in our shadow it was time to
+eat. When us went in to eat all the victuals was on the table and the
+plates was stacked on the table. You got your plate and fork, then got
+your dinner. Some would sit on the floor, some in chairs, and some would
+sit on the steps, but mos' everybody held their plates in their laps.
+Whenever any of the slaves had company for dinner, us was allowed to set
+the table and you and your company would eat at the table. In our
+dinin'-room, we called it mess house, us only had one long table, one
+small table, a stove, some benches, a few chairs, and stools. Whenever
+us got out of forks the men would make some out of wood to be used 'til
+some more could be bought. The food we got on Saturday would be turned
+over to the cook.
+
+"When you married, your husband didn't stay with you like they do now.
+You had to stay with your marster and he had to stay with his. He was
+'lowed to come every Saturday night and stay with you and the chillun
+'til Monday mornin'. If he was smart enough to have a little garden or
+to make little things like little chairs for his chillun to sit in or
+tables for 'em to eat on and wanted you to have 'em 'fore he could get
+back to see you, they would be sent by the runner. They had one boy they
+always used just to go from one place to the other, and they called him
+a runner. The runner wouldn't do anythin' else but that.
+
+"Us made everythin' us wore. Us knitted our socks and stockin's. Things
+was much better then than they are now. Shoes lasted two and three
+years, and clothes didn't tear or wear out as easy as they do now. Us
+made all our cloth at night or mos' times durin' the winter time when us
+didn't have so much other work to do.
+
+"When a person died he was buried the same day, and the funeral would be
+preached one year later. The slaves made your coffin and painted it with
+any kind of paint they could find, but they usually painted the outside
+box black.
+
+"The slaves 'tended church with their marsters and after their service
+was over they would let the slaves hold service. They always left their
+pastor to preach for us and sometimes they would leave one of their
+deacons. When they left a deacon with us one of our preachers would
+preach. They only had two kinds of song books: Baptist Cluster, and
+Methodist Cluster. I kept one of these 'til a few years ago. Our
+preachers could read some, but only a very few other slaves could read
+and write. If you found one that could you might know some of his
+marster's chillun had slipped and learned it to him 'cause one thing
+they didn't 'low was no colored folk to learn to read and write. Us had
+singin' classes on Sunday, and at that time everybody could really sing.
+People can't sing now."
+
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: A Folk History of
+Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration
+
+*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: A FOLK ***
+
+***** This file should be named 18485.txt or 18485.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+ http://www.gutenberg.org/1/8/4/8/18485/
+
+Produced by Robert Fry and the Online Distributed
+Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was
+produced from images generously made available by the
+Library of Congress, Manuscript Division)
+
+
+Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
+will be renamed.
+
+Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
+one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation
+(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
+permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules,
+set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to
+copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
+protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project
+Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
+charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you
+do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the
+rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose
+such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
+research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do
+practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is
+subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
+redistribution.
+
+
+
+*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
+
+THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
+PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
+
+To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
+distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work
+(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
+http://gutenberg.org/license).
+
+
+Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic works
+
+1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to
+and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
+(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all
+the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy
+all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession.
+If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the
+terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or
+entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
+
+1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be
+used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who
+agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few
+things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
+even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See
+paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement
+and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works. See paragraph 1.E below.
+
+1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation"
+or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the
+collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an
+individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are
+located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from
+copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative
+works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg
+are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project
+Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by
+freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of
+this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with
+the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by
+keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project
+Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
+
+1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern
+what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in
+a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check
+the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement
+before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or
+creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
+Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning
+the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
+States.
+
+1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:
+
+1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate
+access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently
+whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the
+phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project
+Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed,
+copied or distributed:
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived
+from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is
+posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied
+and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees
+or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work
+with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the
+work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1
+through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
+Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
+1.E.9.
+
+1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted
+with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution
+must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional
+terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked
+to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
+permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.
+
+1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this
+work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
+
+1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this
+electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
+prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with
+active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm License.
+
+1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary,
+compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any
+word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or
+distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than
+"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
+posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org),
+you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a
+copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon
+request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other
+form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
+
+1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying,
+performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
+unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
+
+1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing
+access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided
+that
+
+- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from
+ the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method
+ you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is
+ owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
+ has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the
+ Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments
+ must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you
+ prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax
+ returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and
+ sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the
+ address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to
+ the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation."
+
+- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies
+ you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he
+ does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm
+ License. You must require such a user to return or
+ destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium
+ and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of
+ Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any
+ money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the
+ electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days
+ of receipt of the work.
+
+- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
+ distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works.
+
+1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm
+electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
+forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from
+both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
+Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the
+Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
+
+1.F.
+
+1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable
+effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread
+public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
+collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
+"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
+corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual
+property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a
+computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
+your equipment.
+
+1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right
+of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
+Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
+Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
+liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
+fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT
+LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
+PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
+TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE
+LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR
+INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH
+DAMAGE.
+
+1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a
+defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can
+receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a
+written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you
+received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with
+your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with
+the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a
+refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity
+providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
+receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy
+is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further
+opportunities to fix the problem.
+
+1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth
+in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER
+WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
+WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
+
+1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied
+warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages.
+If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the
+law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be
+interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by
+the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any
+provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.
+
+1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the
+trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
+providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance
+with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production,
+promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works,
+harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees,
+that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do
+or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm
+work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any
+Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
+
+
+Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
+electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers
+including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists
+because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from
+people in all walks of life.
+
+Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
+assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's
+goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
+remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project
+Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure
+and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations.
+To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation
+and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
+and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org.
+
+
+Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
+Foundation
+
+The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
+501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
+state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
+Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification
+number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
+http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
+permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
+
+The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
+Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered
+throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at
+809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email
+business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact
+information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
+page at http://pglaf.org
+
+For additional contact information:
+ Dr. Gregory B. Newby
+ Chief Executive and Director
+ gbnewby@pglaf.org
+
+Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg
+Literary Archive Foundation
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
+spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
+increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be
+freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest
+array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations
+($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt
+status with the IRS.
+
+The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
+charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
+States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a
+considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up
+with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations
+where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To
+SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
+particular state visit http://pglaf.org
+
+While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we
+have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition
+against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who
+approach us with offers to donate.
+
+International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make
+any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
+outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.
+
+Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
+methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other
+ways including checks, online payments and credit card
+donations. To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate
+
+
+Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
+works.
+
+Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm
+concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared
+with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project
+Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.
+
+Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
+editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
+unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily
+keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
+
+Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility:
+
+ http://www.gutenberg.org
+
+This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
+including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
+Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
+subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.
+
+*** END: FULL LICENSE ***
+
diff --git a/18485.zip b/18485.zip
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a41bde6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/18485.zip
Binary files differ
diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6312041
--- /dev/null
+++ b/LICENSE.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements,
+metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be
+in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES.
+
+Procedures for determining public domain status are described in
+the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org.
+
+No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in
+jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize
+this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright
+status under the laws that apply to them.
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8d9faba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/README.md
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for
+eBook #18485 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18485)
generated by cgit v1.2.3 (git 2.25.1) at 2025-12-17 11:47:05 +0000