initial commit of ebook 19932HEADmain

1 files changed, 2914 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/19932.txt b/19932.txt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..2272992
--- /dev/null
+++ b/19932.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,2914 @@
+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
+       Tennessee Narratives
+
+Author: Work Projects Administration
+
+Release Date: November 27, 2006 [EBook #19932]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ASCII
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Diane Monico 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</p>
+[HW: ***] = Handwritten Note</p>
+
+
+
+
+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 XV
+
+TENNESSEE NARRATIVES
+
+Prepared by
+the Federal Writers' Project of
+the Works Progress Administration
+for the State of Tennessee
+
+
+
+
+INFORMANTS
+
+
+Batson, Frances             1
+
+Casey, Julia                3
+Chappel, Cecelia            5
+Childress, Wiley            9
+
+Falls, Robert              11
+
+Gaines, Rachel             17
+Goole, Frankie             19
+Gray, Precilla             24
+Greer, Jenny               27
+Grisham, Emma              28
+
+Hudson, Measy              31
+Hyde, Patsy                33
+
+Kannon, Ellis Ken          37
+
+Martin, Scott              40
+Matthews, Ann              43
+Moore, Rev. John           47
+Moss, Andrew               49
+Moss, Mollie               55
+
+Odell, Andy                60
+
+Parker, Laura Ramsey       62
+
+Reece, Naisy               64
+
+Simpkins, Millie           66
+Star, Joseph Leonidas      70
+
+Thomas, Dan                74
+
+Watkins, Sylvia            76
+
+Young, Narcissus           80
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+FRANCES BATSON
+1213 Scovel St.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I dunno jes how ole I ez. I wuz baw'n 'yer in Nashville, durin'
+slabery. I must be way pas' 90 fer I member de Yankee soldiers well.
+De chilluns called dem de 'blue mans.' Mah white folks wuz named
+Crockett. Dr. Crockett wuz our marster but I don't member 'im mahse'f.
+He d'ed w'en I wuz small. Mah marster wuz mean ter mah mammy w'en her
+oler chilluns would run 'way. Mah oler br'er went ter war wid mah
+marster. Mah younger br'er run 'way, dey caught 'im, tuk 'im home en
+whup'd 'im. He run 'way en wuz nebber found."
+
+"We wuzn't sold but mah mammy went 'way, en lef' me en I got up one
+mawnin' went ter mah mammy's room, she wuz gon'. I cried en cried fer
+her. Mah Missis wouldn't let me outa' de house, fer fear I'd try ter
+find her. Atter freedum mah br'er en a Yankee soldier kum in a waggin
+en git us. Mah white folks sed, I don' see why you ez takin' dez
+chilluns. Mah brudder said, 'We ez free now.' I member one whup'in mah
+missis gib me. Me en her daughter slipped 'way ter de river ter fish.
+We kotch a fish en mah missis had hit cooked fer us but whup'd us fer
+goin' ter de river."
+
+"Whar de Buena Vista schul ez hit useter be a Yankee soldiers Barrick.
+Eber mawnin' dey hadder music. We chilluns would go on de hill, (whar
+the bag mill ez now) en listen ter dem. I member a black hoss de
+soldiers had, dat ef you called 'im Jeff Davis he would run you."
+
+"I member de ole well on Cedar Street, neah de Capitol, en six mules
+fell in hit. Dat wuz back w'en blackberries wuz growin' on de Capitol
+Hill. En Morgan Park wuz called de pleasure gyarden. En hit wuz full
+ob Yankee soldiers. Atter de war dere wuz so many German peeple ober
+'yer, dat fum Jefferson Street, ter Clay Street, wuz called Dutch
+town."
+
+"I wuzn't bawn w'en de sta'rs fell. We didn't git nothin' w'en we wuz
+freed. Dunno much 'bout de Klu Klux Klan."
+
+"Mah mammy useter tell me how de white folks would hire de slaves out
+ter mek money fer de marster en she tole me sum ob de marsters would
+hide dere slaves ter keep de Yankees fum gittin' dem."
+
+"I don' b'leeve in white en black ma'iages. Mah sistah ma'ied a lite
+man. I wouldin' marry one ef hit would turn me ter gold. Dunno nothin'
+'bout votin', allus tho't dat wuz fer de men."
+
+"I can't think ob any tales er nuthin 'bout ghos'. 'Cept one 'bout a
+marster tyin' a nigger ter a fence en wuz beatin' 'im. A Yankee kum
+'long made 'im untie de nigger en den de nigger beat de white man."
+
+"Dis young peeples ez tough. I think half ob dem'll be hung, de way
+dey throw rocks at ole peoples. Dat's why I's crippled now, a white
+boy hit me wid a rock. I b'long ter de Methodist Chuch."
+
+"Since freedum I'se hired out, washed en cooked fer diff'ent peeple.
+De only song I member: 'Hark Fum de Ground dis Mournful Sound.'"
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+JULIA CASEY
+811 9th Avenue, So.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+I wuz bawn in West Tennessee en wuz six y'ars ole w'en war broke out.
+
+Mah Missis wuz Miss Jennie McCullough en she ma'ried Eldridge Casey.
+Mah Missis's mammy wuz a widder en she gib me, mah mammy, man sistah
+Violet, mah two br'ers Andrew en Alfred ter Miss Jennie fer a wed'un
+gif'. Missis Jennie en Marster Eldridge brung us ter Nashville 'fore
+de war sta'ted.
+
+Mah Missis wuz good ter us. I'se bin w'll tuk keer ob, plenty ter eat
+en warm clothes ter w'ar. Right now I'se got on long underw'ar en mah
+chemise.
+
+Mah mammy d'ed fust y'ar ob freedum. Dey tuk her 'way in a two-hoss
+waggin, 'bout four o'clock one evenin'. Dere wuz no hurses er caskets
+den. W'en mah mammy d'ed, I still stayed wid Missis Jennie. She raised
+me. Dat's why folks say I'se so peculiar. De Yankee soldiers tuk mah
+sistah en two br'ers 'way durin' de war. I ez de mammy ob seven
+chilluns. All d'ed now but one.
+
+Mah white folks didn't send me ter schul but I'se l'arned a few things
+ob how ter act. Don't ax me 'bout der young people. Dey ez pas' me. No
+manners 'tall.
+
+In slavery days you didn't hab ter worry 'bout yo clothes en rations
+but dese days you hab ter worry 'bout eve'ything.
+
+I 'longs ter de Baptist Chuch. Useter go ter camp-meetin's en hab a
+big time wid good things ter eat. Didn't go ter de baptizin' much.
+Dey would leave de chuch singin' en shoutin'. Dere ez three days in
+September dat we hab dinnah on de groun' en all Baptist git tergedder.
+We calls hit de 'sociation.
+
+I'se neber voted cose dat ez de man's job. Mah frens hab nebber had
+political jobs. Don't b'leeve in ma'rige ob white en black en hit
+shouldn't be 'lowed.
+
+Since freedom mah main job wuz cookin' but I'se done washin' en
+ironin'. Atter mah health started failing, I done a lot ob nusin'.
+
+I'se aint abul ter wuk fur de las' five y'ars en de white folks hab
+he'ped me. De relief gibes me groc'eys, coal en pays mah rent. I hope
+ter git de ole age pension soon. Mah ole favo'ite song ez "Mazing
+Grace, How Sweet hit Sounds."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+CECELIA CHAPPEL
+705 Allison Street
+Nashville, Tenn.
+
+
+"I'se bawn in Marshall County, Tennessee. I'm de olest ob ten chilluns
+en I'se 102 ya'rs ole. I feels lak I'se bin 'yer longer dan dat. Mah
+mammy wuz brought ter Nashville en sold ter sum peeple dat tuck her
+ter Mississippi ter live."
+
+"Mah Marster en Missus wuz named Bob en Nancy Lord. Eve'y slave had
+ter say Missus en Marster en also ter de white babies. I still says
+hit, en ef I kum ter yo do'r, I nebber kums in 'till you ax me. Lots
+ob mah folks seze ter me dat I ez too ole fash'on en I seze I don'
+keer I wuz raised wid manners en too ole ter change."
+
+"Our Marster gib us good food en clothes. I wuz l'arnt how ter nit,
+weav, sew en spin. On rainy days we wuz gib a certain 'mount ob
+weavin' ter do en had ter git hit don'. I dunno how ter read er rite.
+De white folks didn' 'low us ter l'arn nuthin'. I declar' you bettuh
+not git kotch wid a papah in you han'. Ef I had half a chance lak you
+chilluns hab, I'd go ter bed wid mah books."
+
+"Our Marster 'lowed us ter go ter chuch. I went bar'foot en had a rag
+tied 'roun mah haid en mah dress kum up ter mah 'nees. Dat
+preacher-man would git up dere en tell us "Now you min' yo Marster en
+Missis en don' steal fum dem." I stayed wid mah Missis fer a long time
+atter I got freedum en I cried lak a fool w'en I had ter leave dem.
+Mah Missis seze "You ez jes as free as I ez," but I allus had good
+clothes en good food en I didn' know how I'd git dem atter I lef'
+her."
+
+"Mah white folks wuz tight on us but, as ole as I ez, I offun think
+dat day nebber hit a lick dat I didn' need. Ef'n dey hadn' raised me
+right, I might hab got in meaness en bin locked up half de time, but I
+ain't nebber bin 'rested, en I'se 'ferd ob de policemans. De fiel'
+slaves wuz whup'd in de fiel's by de oberseer en de Marster en Missis
+did hit at de house."
+
+"I tell you we had a hahd time. Mah Missis woulden' let dem sell me. I
+wuz a nuss en house gal. I wuz whup'd wid a bull whup, en got cuts on
+mah back menny a time. I'se not shamed ter say I got skyars on mah
+back now fum Marster cuttin' hit wid dat bull whup. Mah Missis also
+whup'd me. W'en de Missis got ready ter whup me, she would gib us sum
+wuk ter do, so she would kind ob git ober her mad spell 'fore she
+whup'd us. Sum times she would lock us up in a dark closet en bring
+our food ter us. I hated bein' locked up. Atter dey tuk me out ob de
+house, I wuked in de fiel' lak de urthurs. Long 'fore day break, we
+wuz standin' in de fiel's leanin' on our hoes waitin' fer daylite en
+waitin' fer de horn ter blow so we would start ter wuk. Ef'n we
+wan'ed ter go ter any place we had ter hab a pass wid our Marster's
+name on hit en ef you didn' hab hit, you got tore ter pieces en den
+you Marster tore you up w'en you got home."
+
+"One story mah daddy useter tell us wuz 'bout a slave named Pommpy. He
+wuz allus prayin' fer de good Lawd ter tek 'im 'way. One nite he wuz
+down on his 'nees prayin', "Good Lawd, kum en tek po Pommpy out ob his
+misery." De Marster ob Pommpy 'year'd 'm en de Marster made a leetle
+noise en Pommpy seze, "Who ez dat?" En his Marster seze, "Hits de Lawd
+kum ter tek po Pommpy out ob his misery." Pommpy crawl under de bed en
+seze, "Pommpy has bin gon' two er three days."
+
+"'Nurther story: A partridge en a fox 'greed ter kil' a beef. Dey kilt
+en skinned hit. B'fo dey divide hit de fox said, "Mah wife seze sen'
+her sum beef fer soup," so he tuck a piece ob hit en carried hit down
+de hill, den kum back en said mah wife wants mo' beef fer soup. He kep
+dis up 'til all de beef wuz gon' 'cept de libber. De fox kum back en
+de partridge seze now lets cook dis libber en both ob us eat hit. De
+partridge cooked de libber, et hits part rite quick, en den fell ovuh
+lak hit wuz sick; de fox got skeered en said dat beef ez pizen en he
+ran down de hill en started bringin' de beef back en w'en he brought
+hit all back, he lef' en de partridge had all de beef."
+
+"Don't member much now 'bout de Klu Klux Klan en nothin' 'bout slave
+'risings at any place. I don' member 'bout de sta'rs fallin', but I
+did see de comet, en hit looked lak a sta'r wid a long tail; atter
+freedum, I nebber year'd ob no slave gettin' land er money en I dunno
+nothin' 'bout de slave mart 'yer fer I didn' git ter kum ter town."
+
+"Since freed, I hab nussed, cooked en don' diff'unt things. I wuk'ed
+fer one family fifteen y'ars en didn' miss a day. I has stayed at dis
+place fer de las' five y'ars. I had a stroke en wuz in de hospit'l a
+long time. I cain' git out; en 'roun' 'yer in de house, I has ter walk
+wid a stick."
+
+"I ain' nebber voted. One day sum men kum 'yer ter tek me ter vote. I
+tole dem w'en I got ready ter be a man, I would put on overalls."
+
+"I'se a member ob de Missionary Baptist Chuch. I ain' bin fer a long
+time kaze I ain' able ter go. De ole song I members ez "Dixie Land,"
+en "Run Nigger Run, de Pat-a rollers Will Git You."
+
+"Oh Lawdy! I think sum ob is young peeple ain' no count w'ile sum ob
+dem ez alright. I think each color should ma'rie his own color. Hit
+makes me mad ter think 'bout hit. Ef de good Lawd had wanted dat, he
+would hab had us all one color."
+
+"Fer a long time de relief gib me a quart ob milk a day, but now all I
+has ez w'at mah sistah Harriett gibs me. She sin' got much wuk en sum
+days we don' hab much ter eat. Ef mah Missis wuz livin' I wouldin' go
+hongry."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+WILEY CHILDRESS
+808 Gay St.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I'se 83 Y'ars ole en wuz bawn a slave. Mah mammy b'longed ter de
+Bosley's en mah daddy b'longed ter de Scales."
+
+"W'en Miss Jane Boxley ma'ried Marster Jerry Scales, me en mah mammy,
+br'er en sistah wuz gib ter Miss Jane."
+
+"Durin' de war mah Missis tuk mah mammy en us chilluns wid her ter de
+mount'ins 'till de war wuz gon'. Did'nt see no soldiers. Don't member
+now nuthin' 'bout dem Klu Klux men en don't member de ole songs er
+'bout slaves votin'."
+
+"Dunno 'bout de young persons, white er black, dey ez all so wild
+now."
+
+"W'en we all wuz freed we had nuthin en no place ter go, so dat mah
+mammy lived wid our Missis five y'ars longer."
+
+"De only story dat I member mah people tole me 'bout wuz on Fedd, a
+slave on de next plantation. He wuz a big man en wuz de strongest man
+neah dat part ob de kuntry. He wouldin' 'low nobody ter whup 'in. De
+Marster framed 'im by tellin' 'im ter bring his saddle hoss en w'en he
+kum wid de hoss several men 'peahrd en tole Fedd dat dey wuz gonna
+whup 'im. He struck one ob de mans so hahd dey had ter hab de doctuh.
+De Marster said let 'im 'lone he's too strong ter be whup'd. I'll hab
+ter shoot 'im. One time Fedd run 'way en de white men whar he stopped
+know'd he wuz a good fighter en made a $250.00 bet dat nobody could
+lick 'im. A nigger fum de iron wuks fought Fedd en Fedd won. De iron
+wuks nigger wuz kilt right dere."
+
+"'fore Freedum de slaves wuz promused forty acres ob land w'en freed
+but none eber got hit, en I 'year'd ob no one gittin' any money. I
+dunno nuthin' ob de slave 'risin's, ghostus er dreams, but I member
+mah folks talkin' 'bout fallin' sta'rs en a comet but I don' member
+now w'at dey said."
+
+"I'se wuk'd at a lot ob diff'ent jobs since mah freedum. I wuk'd at de
+Maxwell House 15 years as store room porter, en hit wuz de only
+wo'th-while hotel in Nashville at dat time. I wuk'd fuh de City fuh
+menny y'ars en den I wuk'd fuh Foster & Creighton 'till dey wore me
+out. I off'n think ob deze diff'nt men dat I wuk'd fuh but dey ez all
+de'd. De las' job I had wuz buildin' fiers en odd jobs fuh a lady up
+de street. She would gib me food en coal. She ez de'd now."
+
+"I'se not able ter wuk now en all I has ez a small groc'ey order dat
+de relief gibs me. Dey keep promisin' ter gib me de Old Age Pension en
+I wish dey would hurry hit up."
+
+
+
+
+_SUBJECT_
+_SLAVE STORIES_
+
+ROBERT FALLS
+608 South Broadway
+Knoxville, Tennessee
+
+Interviewed by
+
+Della Yoe, Foreman
+Federal Writers' Project,
+First District, WPA
+Room # 215 Old YMCA Building
+State and Commerce Streets.
+Knoxville, Tennessee
+
+
+Robert Falls was born on December 14, 1840, in the rambling one-story
+shack that accomodated the fifteen slaves of his Old Marster,
+[HW: Harry] Beattie Goforth, on a farm in Claiborne County, North
+Carolina. His tall frame is slightly stooped, but he is not subjected
+to the customary infirmities of the aged, other than poor vision and
+hearing. Fairly comfortable, he is spending his declining years in
+contentment, for he is now the first consideration of his daughter,
+Mrs. Lola Reed, with whom he lives at #608 S. Broadway, Knoxville,
+Tennessee. His cushioned rocking chair is the honor seat of the
+household. His apology for not offering it to visitors, is that he is
+"not so fast on his feet as he used to be."
+
+Despite Uncle Robert's protest that his "mind comes and goes", his
+memory is keen, and his sense of humor unimpaired. His reminiscences
+of slave days are enriched by his ability to recreate scenes and
+incidents in few words, and by his powers of mimicry. "If I had my
+life to live over," he declares, "I would die fighting rather than be
+a slave again. I want no man's yoke on my shoulders no more. But in
+them days, us niggers didn't know no better. All we knowed was work,
+and hard work. We was learned to say, 'Yes Sir!' and scrape down and
+bow, and to do just exactly what we was told to do, make no difference
+if we wanted to or not. Old Marster and Old Mistress would say, 'Do
+this!' and we don' it. And they say, 'Come here!' and if we didn't
+come to them, they come to us. And they brought the bunch of switches
+with them."
+
+"They didn't half feed us either. They fed the animals better. They
+gives the mules, ruffage and such, to chaw on all night. But they
+didn't give us nothing to chaw on. Learned us to steal, that's what
+they done. Why we would take anything we could lay our hands on, when
+we was hungry. Then they'd whip us for lieing when we say we dont know
+nothing about it. But it was easier to stand, when the stomach was
+full."
+
+"Now my father, he was a fighter. He was mean as a bear. He was so bad
+to fight and so troublesome he was sold four times to my knowing and
+maybe a heap more times. That's how come my name is Falls, even if
+some does call me Robert Goforth. Niggers would change to the name of
+their new marster, every time they was sold. And my father had a lot
+of names, but kep the one of his marster when he got a good home. That
+man was Harry Falls. He said he'd been trying to buy father for a long
+time, because he was the best waggoner in all that country abouts. And
+the man what sold him to Falls, his name was Collins, he told my
+father, "You so mean, I got to sell you. You all time complaining
+about you dont like your white folks. Tell me now who you wants to
+live with. Just pick your man and I will go see him." Then my father
+tells Collins, I want you to sell me to Marster Harry Falls. They made
+the trade. I disremember what the money was, but it was big. Good
+workers sold for $1,000 and $2,000. After that the white folks didn't
+have no more trouble with my father. But he'd still fight. That man
+would fight a she-bear and lick her every time."
+
+"My mother was sold three times before I was born. The last time when
+Old Goforth sold her, to the slave speculators,--you know every time
+they needed money they would sell a slave,--and they was taking them,
+driving them, just like a pack of mules, to the market from North
+Carolina into South Carolina, she begun to have fits. You see they had
+sold her away from her baby. And just like I tell you she begun having
+fits. They got to the jail house where they was to stay that night,
+and she took on so, Jim Slade and Press Worthy--them was the slave
+speculators,--couldnt do nothing with her. Next morning one of them
+took her back to Marse Goforth and told him, "Look here. We cant do
+nothing with this woman. You got to take her and give us back our
+money. And do it now,' they says. And they mean it too. So Old Marse
+Goforth took my mother and give them back their money. After that none
+of us was ever separated. We all lived, a brother and two sisters and
+my mother, with the Goforths till freedom."
+
+"And do you know, she never did get over having fits. She had them
+every change of the moon, or leastways every other moon change. But
+she kept on working. She was a hard worker. She had to be. Old
+Mistress see to that. She was meaner than old Marster, she was. She
+would sit by the spinning wheel and count the turns the slave women
+made. And they couldn't fool her none neither. My mother worked until
+ten o'clock almost every night because her part was to 'spend so many
+cuts' a day, and she couldnt get through no sooner. When I was a
+little shaver, I used to sit on the floor with the other little
+fellows while our mothers worked, and sometimes the white folks girls
+would read us a Bible story. But most of the time we slept. Right
+there on the floor. Then later, when I was bigger, I had to work with
+the men at night shelling corn, to take to town early mornings."
+
+"Marster Goforth counted himself a good old Baptist Christian. The one
+good deed he did, I will never forget, he made us all go to church
+every Sunday. That was the onliest place off the farm we ever went.
+Every time a slave went off the place, he had to have a pass, except
+we didnt, for church. Everybody in thet country knowed that the
+Goforth niggers didn't have to have no pass to go to church. But that
+didn't make no difference to the Pattyroolers. They'd hide in the
+bushes, or wait along side of the road, and when the niggers come from
+meeting, the Pattyroolers's say, 'Whar's your pass'? Us Goforth
+niggers used to start running soon as we was out of church. We never
+got caught. That is why I tell you I cant use my legs like I used to.
+If you was caught without no pass, the Pattyroolers give you five
+licks. They was licks! You take a bunch of five to seven Pattyroolers
+each giving five licks and the blood flows."
+
+"Old Marster was too old to go to the war. He had one son was a
+soldier, but he never come home again. I never seen a soldier till the
+war was over and they begin to come back to the farms. We half-grown
+niggers had to work the farm, because all the famers had to give,--I
+believe it was a tenth--of their crops to help feed the soldiers. So
+we didnt know nothing about what was going on, no more than a hog. It
+was a long time before we knowed we was free. Then one night Old
+Marster come to our house and he say he wants to see us all before
+breakfast tomorrow morning and to come on over to his house. He got
+something to tell us."
+
+"Next morning we went over there. I was the monkey, always acting
+smart. But I believe they liked me better than all of the others. I
+just spoke sassy-like and say, "Old Marster, what you got to tell us"?
+My mother said, "Shut your mouth fool. He'll whip you!" And Old
+Marster say,--"No I wont whip you. Never no more. Sit down thar all of
+you and listen to what I got to tell you. I hates to do it but I must.
+You all aint my niggers no more. You is free. Just as free as I am.
+Here I have raised you all to work for me, and now you are going to
+leave me. I am an old man, and I cant get along without you. I dont
+know what I am going to do." Well sir, it killed him. He was dead in
+less than ten months."
+
+"Everybody left right now, but me and my brother and another fellow.
+Old Marster fooled us to believe we was duty-bound to stay with him
+till we was all twenty-one. But my brother, that boy was stubborn.
+Soon he say he aint going to stay there. And he left. In about a year,
+maybe less, he come back and he told me I didnt have to work for Old
+Goforth, I was free, sure enough free, and I went with him and he got
+me a job railroading. But the work was too hard for me. I couldnt
+stand it. So I left there and went to my mother. I had to walk. It was
+forty-five miles. I made it in a day. She got me work there where she
+worked."
+
+"I remember so well, how the roads was full of folks walking and
+walking along when the niggers were freed. Didnt know where they was
+going. Just going to see about something else somewhere else. Meet a
+body in the road and they ask, 'Where you going'? 'Dont know.' 'What
+you going to do'? 'Dont know.' And then sometimes we would meet a
+white man and he would say, 'How you like to come work on my farm'?
+And we say, 'I dont know.' And then maybe he say, "If you come work
+for me on my farm, when the crops is in I give you five bushels of
+corn, five gallons of molasses, some ham-meat, and all your clothes
+and vittals whils you works for me." Alright! That's what I do. And
+then something begins to work up here, (touching his forehead with his
+fingers) I begins to think and to know things. And I knowed then I
+could make a living for my own self, and I never had to be a slave no
+more."
+
+"Now, Old Marster Goforth, had four sisters what owned slaves, and
+they wasnt mean to them like our Old Marster and Mistress. Some of the
+old slaves and their folks are still living on their places right to
+this day. But they never dispute none with their brother about how
+mean he treat his slaves. And him claiming to be such a Christian!
+Well, I reckon he's found out something about slave driving by now.
+The good Lord has to get his work in some time. And he'll take care of
+them low down Pattyroolers and slave speculators and mean Marsters and
+Mistress's. He's took good care of me in the years since I was free'd,
+only now, we needs Him again now and then. I just stand up on my two
+feet, raise my arms to heaven, and say, 'Lord, help me!' He never
+fails me. I asked him this morning, didnt I Lola? Asked him to render
+help. We need it. And here you come. Lola, just watch that lady write.
+If you and me had her education, we'd be fixed now wouldnt we? I never
+had no learning."
+
+"Thank you Lady! (tucking the coin into his pocket wallet, along with
+his tobacco.) And thank you for coming. It does me a heap of good to
+see visitors and talk about the old times. Come again, wont you? And
+next time you come, I want to talk to you about old age pensions. I
+come here from Marian, N.C. three years ago, and they tell me I have
+to live here four, before I gets a pension. And as I done left North
+Carolina, I cant get a pension from them. But maybe you can tell me
+what to do. I likes this place. And I do hopes I get a pension before
+I gets to be a 'hundred."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+RACHEL GAINES
+1025 10th Ave. N.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"Lawdy! I'se dunno how ole I ez. B'leeves I'se 'round 95 ter 100
+y'ars. De fust thing I members ez I wuz tuk in a waggin ter Trenton,
+Kentucky en sold ter Dr. Bainbridge Dickerson jest lak dey sold cows
+en hosses. Mah sistah wuz sold in de same way at Bowling Green,
+Kentucky ter 'nuther Marster."
+
+"I wuz sold only one time in mah life en dat wuz w'en Marster
+Dickinson bought me. Atter freedum wuz 'clared de Marster tole all his
+slaves dat dey could go wharever'y dey pleased but ef'n dey couldn't
+mek dere own livin' ter kum ter 'im en he would he'ps dem."
+
+"Missus Dickinson kep' me dere kaze I wuz nuss ter dere son Howard who
+wuz sho a wild one. I member how he would tote out fried chicken, pig
+meat en uthuh good stuff ter us darkies. Dey 'greed ter pay me $35.00
+a yeah (en keep) en hit wuz gib me eve'y Christmus mawning. Dey
+treated me good, gib me all de clothes en uthuh things I needed ez
+ef'n I wuz one ob de fam'ly."
+
+"Eve'y two weeks de Marster would sen' fer Jordan McGowan who wuz de
+leader ob a string music ban'. Dey would git dere Friday nite early en
+de slaves would dance in de grape house dat nite en all day Saturday
+up ter midnite. You don't hab now as good dance music en as much fun
+as de ole time days had. We allus had a big barbecue er watermelon
+feast eve'y time we had a dance. Neber 'gin 'll dere be as good times
+as we useter hab. In mah time we neber y'ard ob wukouses er pen but
+now dey ez all filled."
+
+"I kin see now in mah mind de ole ice house on de plantation. In de
+wint'r de slaves would fill hit wid ice dey got off de crik en hit wuz
+not used 'til warm wedder cum. 'nother thing I members ez de
+"Pat-a-rollers" (she refers to the Police Patrol of that day) who
+would kotch en whup runaway slaves en slaves 'way fum dere own
+plantations widout a pass wid dere Marsters name signed on hit."
+
+"I member w'en Nashville fust had street cars pulled 'long by hosses
+er mules en I also member de ole dummy cars, run by steam, ter
+Glendale Park also New Town (now called West Nashville)."
+
+"We had sum bad en good luck signs but I'se fergettin' sum, but I'se
+members 'bout a black cat crossin' ovuh de path in frunt ob you dat
+you sho would hab bad luck. W'en dat happened ter me, I would spit on
+de ground, turn 'round en back ober de place de cat crossed en de "bad
+luck" wuz gon' fum me. Ef'n you found a ole hoss shoe dat had bin
+drapt'd by de hoss, hit meant good luck. Sum peeples, white en black,
+w'en dey fin' a hoss shoe, dey would tack hit up on de frunt door
+frame wid de toe ter de groun'."
+
+"Atter de Marster en Missus d'ed, I went ter Nashville en made mah way
+fur menny y'ars by washin' en ironin' fer white peeple but atter I
+went blind I kum 'yer ter live wid mah daughter."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+FRANKIE GOOLE
+204 5th Ave. So.
+Nashville, Tenn.
+
+
+"I wuz bawn in Smith County on uther side ob Lebanon. Ah'll be 85
+y'ars ole Christmas Day.
+
+Mah ole Missis wuz named Sallie, en mah Marster wuz George Waters. Mah
+mammy's name wuz Lucindia, she wuz sold fum me w'en I wuz six weeks
+ole, en mah Missis raised me. I allus slept wid her. Mah Missis wuz
+good ter me, but (her son) mah Marster whup'd me.
+
+Dunno ob any ex-slaves votin' er holdin' office ob any kin.
+
+I member de Ku Klux Klan en Pat-a-rollers. Dey would kum 'roun en whup
+de niggers wid a bull whup. Ef'n dey met a niggah on de road dey'd
+say, "Whar ez you gwin dis time ob mawnin'?" De slaves would say, "We
+ez gwine ovuh 'yer ter stay aw'ile," en den dey would start beatin'
+dem. I'se stod in our do'er en 'yeard de hahd licks, en screams ob de
+ones dat wuz bein' whup'd, en I'd tell mah Missis, "Listen ter dat!"
+She would say, "See, dat ez w'at will happen ter you ef'n you try ter
+leave." I member one nite a Ku Klux Klan rode up ter our do'er. I tole
+mah Missis sum body wuz at de do'er wantin' ter know whar mah Marster
+wuz. She tole 'im he wuz d'ed en her son had gon' 'way dat mawnin'. He
+hunted all thro de house, en up in de loft, en said whar ez de
+niggers? Mah Missis tole i'm [TR: 'im] dey wuz down in de lettle
+house. He went down dere, woke dem up, axed dem 'bout dere Marster en
+den whup'd all ob dem. Ef de had de Ku Klux Klan now dere wouldin' be
+so menny peeples on de kounty road en in de pen.
+
+I useter drive up de cows en mah feet would be so cole en mah toes
+cracked open en bleedin', en I'd be cryin' 'til I got almos' ter de
+house den I'd wipe mah eyes on de bottom ob mah dress, so de Marster
+wouldin' know dat I had bin cryin'. He'd say, "Frankie ain't you
+cryin'?" I'd say, "No suh." "Ez you cole?" "Yes, sir." He would say
+kum on en warm.
+
+W'en de niggers wuz freed, all ob mah Missis slaves slipped 'way,
+'cept me. One mawnin' she tole me ter go down en wake dem up, I went
+down en knocked, no body said nuthin'. I pushed on de do'er--hit kum
+op'n--en I fell in de room en hurt mah chin. I went back ter
+Missis--en she sezs, "W'at ez de matter wid you?" I sezs, "Uncle John
+en all ob dem ez gon'; I pushed on de do'er en fell in." She sezs you
+know dey ez not gone, go back en git dem up. I had ter go back, but
+dey wur'ent dere.
+
+No, I don't member de sta'rs fallin'.
+
+Mah Missis didunt gib me nuthin, cept mah clothes, en she put dem in a
+carpet bag. Atter freedom mah mammy kum fum Lebanon en got me. Ah'll
+neber fergit dat day--Oh Lawdy! I kin see her now. Mah ole Missis'
+daughter-in-law had got a bunch ob switches ter whup me, I wuz
+standin' in de do'er shakin' all ovuh, en de young Missis wuz tellin'
+me ter git mah clothes off. I sezs, "I se'd a 'oman kum'g thro de
+gate." Mah Missis sezs, "Dat ez Lucindia" en de young Missis hid de
+switches. Mah mammy sezs I'se kum ter git mah chile. Mah Missis tole
+her ter let me spend de nite wid her, den she'd send me ter de Court
+House at 9 o'clock next mawnin'. So I stayed wid de Missis dat nite,
+en she tole me ter alluz be a good girl, en don't let a man er boy
+trip me. I didunt know w'at she mean but I allus membered w'at she
+sai. I guess I wuz 'bout 12 y'ars ole w'en I lef' mah Missis en mah
+mammy brought me ter Nashville en put me ter wuk. De mawnin' I lef'
+mah Missis, I went ter de Court House en met mah mammy; de Court room
+wuz jammed wid peeple. De Jedge tole me ter hold my right hand up, I
+wuz so skeered I stuck both hands up. Jedge sezs, "Frankie ez dat yo
+mammy?" I sezs, "I dunno, she sezs she ez." (W'at did I know ob a
+mammy dat wuz tuk fum me at six weeks ole). He sezs, "Wuz yo Marster
+good ter you?" I sezs, "Mah Missis wuz, but mah Marster wasn't--he
+whup'd me." De Jedge said, "Whar did he whup you?" I tole him on mah
+back. He sezs, "Frankie, ez you laughin'?" I sezs, "No, sir." He said
+ter mah mammy, "Lucindia tek dis chile en be good ter her fer she has
+b'en mistreated. Sum day she can mek a livin' fer you." (En thank de
+Lawd I did keep her in her ole days en wuz able ter bury her.) At dat
+time money wuz called chin plaster en w'en I lef' out ob de court room
+diff'ent peeple gib me money en I had mah hat almos' full. Dat was de
+only money I had gib ter me.
+
+I nussed Miss Sadie Pope Fall; she ma'ried Mat Gardner. I also nussed
+Miss Sue Porter Houston. I den wuk'd at de Bline Schul.
+
+De fust pa'r ob shoes I eber had wuz atter I kum ter Nashville. Dey
+had high tops en wuz called bootees. I had sum red striped socks wid
+dem.
+
+De ole songs I member:
+
+"De Ole Time 'ligion."
+"I'm Goin' ter Join de Ban."
+
+W'en dey would sing deze songs hit would almos' mek you ha'r stand up
+on yo haid, de way dem peeples would jump en shout!
+
+I member w'en sum ob de slaves run 'way durin' slavery.
+
+I dunno any tales; mah mammy wasn't a 'oman ter talk much. Maybe ef
+she had bin I would hab had an easier time. As far as I know de
+ex-slaves hab had diff'ent kinds ob wuk since dere freedum. No, I ain'
+nebber se'd any ghos'. I'se bin in de woods en dark places, but didn't
+see nothin', en I'se not goin' ter say I did kaze I might git
+par'lized.
+
+I went ter schul one y'ar at Fisk in de y'ar 1869.
+
+De last man I wuk'd fer wuz at de Link Hotel. Den I started keepin'
+boarders. Hab fed all deze Nashville police. De police ez de ones dat
+hep'ed git deze relief orders fer me. I hab lived on dis street fer 60
+years. I lived 22 y'ars whar de Hermitage Laundry ez. Dat ez whar I
+got de name "Mammie." W'iles livin' dere I raised eighteen chilluns
+white en black, en sum ob dem iz good ter me now.
+
+I had sum papah's 'bout mah age en diff'ent things, but w'en de back
+waters got up, dey got lost. I didn't hab ter move but I kep prayin'
+en talkin' ter de Lawd en I b'leeve he 'Yeard me fer de water didn't
+git in mah house.
+
+I member w'en de yellow fever en de cholera wuz 'yer, in 1870 en 1873.
+Dey didn't hab coffins nuff ter put dem in, so dey used boxes en piled
+de boxes in waggins lak hauling wood.
+
+I'se aint worth a dime now w'en hit kums ter wukin' fer I'se aint able
+ter do nuthin, thoo I can't complain ob mah livin' since de relief has
+bin takin' keer ob me.
+
+Dis young peeples, "Oh mah Lawd!" Dey ain' worth talkin' 'bout. I
+tries ter shame deze 'omen, dey drink (I call hit ole bust haid
+whiskey), en do such mean things. I'se disgusted at mah own color. Dey
+try ter know ter much, en dunno muthin', en dey don' do 'nuff wuk.
+
+I nebber voted en dunno nothin' 'bout hit. Hab nebber had any frens in
+office. Cain' member nothin' 'bout re'structon. I hab bin sick en
+still don' feel right. Sumtimes I feels krazy.
+
+Hab bin tole dat black cat crossin' road in frunt ob you wuz bad luck.
+I nebber did b'leeve in any signs. Ef I ez ter hab bad luck, ah'll hab
+hit.
+
+I b'long ter de Baptist Chuch.
+
+De culored peeples useter hab camp meetin's, en dey'd last fer two
+weeks. Lawd hab mercy did we hab a time at dem meetin's, preachin',
+singin', en shoutin'. En ovuh sum whar neah dey would be cookin'
+mutton en diff'ent good things ter eat. Sum ob dem would shout 'til
+dere throats would be sore en hit seemed dat sum ob dem niggahs didn't
+keer ef dey got home ter wuk er not.
+
+I sumtimes wish fer de good ole days. Deze days folks don't hab time
+fer 'ligion. De dog-gone ole radio en udder things ez takin' hits
+place.
+
+Oh Lawdie how dey did baptize down at de wha'f! De Baptist peeple
+would gather at de wha'f on de fust Sunday in May. Dey would kum fum
+all de Baptist Chuches. Would leave de chuch singin' en shoutin' en
+keep dat up 'til dey got ter de river. Hab seen dem wid new clothes on
+git down on de groun en roll en git covered wid dirt. Sum ob dem would
+almos' luze dere clothes, en dey'd fall down lak dey wuz dying.
+
+Deze last few y'ars dey hab got ter stylish ter shout.
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+Precilla Gray
+807 Ewing Ave.
+Nashville, Tenn.
+
+
+I think I'se 107 Y'ars ole. Wuz bawn in Williamson County 'fore de
+Civil wah. Guess de reason I hab libed so long wuz cose I tuk good
+keer ob mahself en wore warm clo'es en still do, w'ar mah yarn
+pettycoats now. Hab had good health all mah life. Hab tuk very lettle
+medicine en de wust sickness I eber had wuz small-pox. I'se bin a
+widah 'bout 70 y'ars.
+
+Mah mammy d'ed w'en I wuz young but mah daddy libed ter be 103 y'ars
+ole. I nebber went ter schul a day in mah life, ma'ied 'fore freedum
+en w'en I got free, had ter wuk all de time ter mek a libin' fer mah
+two chillen. One libes in California en I lives wid de uther,
+tergedder wid mah great, great, grandson, five y'ars ole, in
+Nashville.
+
+Mah fust marster en missis wuz Amos en Sophia Holland en he made a
+will dat we slaves wuz all ter be kep' among de fam'ly en I wuz heired
+fum one fam'ly ter 'nother. Wuz owned under de "will" by Haddas
+Holland, Missis Mary Haddock en den Missis Synthia Ma'ied Sam Pointer
+en I libed wid her 'til freedum wuz 'clared.
+
+Mah fust mistress had three looms en we had ter mek clothes fer ev'ery
+one on de plan'ashun. I wuz taught ter weav', card, spin en 'nit en
+ter wuk in de fiel's. I wuz 'feared ob de terbacker wums at fust but
+Aunt Frankie went 'long by me en showed me how ter pull de wum's head
+off. Hab housed terbacker till 9 o'clock at nite. Our marster whupped
+us w'en we needed hit. I got menny a whuppin'.
+
+Marster Amos wuz a great hunter en had lots ob dogs en me en mah
+cousin had de job ob cookin' dog food en feedin' de dogs. One day de
+marster went huntin' en lef three dogs in de pen fer us ter feed. One
+ob de dogs licked out ob de pan en we got a bunch ob switches en
+started wearin' de dogs out. We thought de marster wuz miles 'way w'en
+he walked up on us. He finished wearin' de bunch ob switches out on
+us. Dat wuz a whuppin' I'll nebber fergit.
+
+W'en I wuz heired ter Missis Synthis, I wuked in de fiel's 'til she
+started ter raise chillens en den I wuz kep in de house ter see atter
+dem. Missis had a lot ob cradles en dey kep two 'omen in dat room
+takin' keer ob de babies en lettle chillens 'longin' ter dere slaves.
+Soon as de chillens, wuz seven y'ars ole, dey started dem ter
+'nittin'.
+
+Marster Sam Pointer, husband of Missis Synthis, wus a good man en he
+wuz good ter us en he fed en clothed us good. We wore yarn hoods,
+sha'ls, en pantletts which wuz 'nit things dat kum fum yo shoe tops
+ter 'bove yo knees.
+
+De marster wuz also a 'ligious man en he let us go ter chuch. He
+willed land fer a culled chuch at Thompson Station. I 'longs ter de
+foot washin' Baptist, called de Free Will Baptist. De marster bought
+mah husband William Gray en I ma'ied 'im dere.
+
+W'en de Civil wah wuz startin' dere wuz soldiers an tents eve'ywhar. I
+had ter 'nit socks en he'ps mek soldiers coats en durin' de wah, de
+marster sent 100 ob us down in Georgia ter keep de Yankees fum gittin'
+us en we camped out durin' de whole three y'ars.
+
+I member de Klu Klux. One nite a bunch ob us went out, dey got atter
+us. We waded a big crik en hid in de bushes ter keep dem fum gittin'
+us.
+
+Hab gon' ter lots ob camp-meetin's. Dey'd hab lots ob good things ter
+eat en fed eberbody. Dey'd hab big baptizin's down at de Cumberland
+Riber and menny things.
+
+W'en freed, our white folks didn't gib us nuthin'. We got 'way en
+hired out fer an'thin' we could git. Nebber knowed ob any plantashuns
+[TR: illegible, possibly "men"] be divided. D'ant member 'bout slave
+'risings en niggers voting en wuz not ole er'nuff ter member de
+sta'rs fallin'. Songs we use'ter sing wuz, "On Jordan's Bank I Stand
+en Cast a Wistful Eye en Lak Drops ob Sweat, Lak Blood Run Down, I
+Shed mah Tears."
+
+I try not ter think 'bout de ole times. Hit's bin so long ago so I
+don' member any tales now.
+
+I'se had a lot ob good times in mah day. Our white folks would let us
+hab "bran dances" an we'd hab a big time. I has nebber voted en I
+think dat ez a man's wuk. Don't b'leeve in signs, I hab allus tho't
+whut ez gwine ter be will be, en de only way ter be ez de rite way.
+
+Eber since slavery I'se cooked fer peeple. I cooked fer Mr. Lea Dillon
+fifteen y'ars. Wuked at de Union Depot fer y'ars. Five y'ars fer Dr.
+Douglas at his Infirmary en I cooked fer en raised Mrs Grady's baby.
+Hab wuked fer diff'ent folks ovuh town ter mek mah livin'. I ain't bin
+able ter wuk fer eight y'ars. Dunno how much I weigh now, I hab lost
+so much. (she weighs now at least 250 pounds). All de ex-slaves I know
+hab wuked at diff'ent jobs lak I has.
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+EX-SLAVES
+JENNY GREER
+706 Overton, Street.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"Am 84 y'ars ole en wuz bawn in Florence, Alabama, 'bout seben miles
+fum town. Wuz bawn on de Collier plantashun en Marster en Missis wuz
+James en Jeanette Collier. Mah daddy en mammy wuz named Nelson en Jane
+Collier. I wuz named atter one ob mah Missis' daughters. Our family
+wuz neber sold er divided."
+
+"I'se bin ma'ied once. Ma'ied Neeley Greer. Thank de Lawd I aint got
+no chilluns. Chilluns ez so bad now I can't stand dem ter save mah
+life."
+
+"Useter go ter de bap'isin's en dey would start shoutin' en singin'
+w'en we lef' de chuch. Went ter deze bap'isin's in Alabama, Memphis,
+en 'yer in Nashville. Lawdy hab mercy, how we useter sing. Only song I
+members ez 'De Ole Time 'ligion.' I useter go ter camp meetin's.
+Eve'rbody had a jolly time, preachin', shoutin' en eatin' good
+things."
+
+"We didn't git a thing w'en we wuz freed. W'en dey said we wuz free
+mah people had ter look out fer demselves."
+
+"Don' member now 'bout K.K.K. er 'structshun days. Mah mammy useter
+tell us a lot ob stories but I'se fergot dem. I'se neber voted en
+dunno ob any frens bein' in office."
+
+"No mam, no mam, don't b'leeve in diff'ent colurs ma'rin. I member one
+ole sign--'bad luck ter empty ashes atter dark.'"
+
+"I'se hired out wuk'n in white folks house since freedum. I'se a widow
+now en live 'yer wid mah neice en mah sistah."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+EMMA GRISHAM
+1118 Jefferson St.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I wuz bawn in Nashville. I'se up in 90 y'ars, but I tell dem I'se
+still young. I lived on Gallatin Pike long 'fore de war, an uster se'd
+de soldiers ride by."
+
+"Mah marsters name wuz Wm. Penn Harding. Mah daddy wuz sold at Sparta,
+Tennessee 'fore I wuz bawn en Marster Harding bought 'im. Mah mammy
+erready 'longed ter de Hardings."
+
+"I don' member much 'bout slavery I wuz small, but I know I wore a
+leetle ole slip wid two er three bottons in frunt. Mammy would wash me
+en I'd go out frunt en play wid de white chilluns."
+
+"W'en de fightin' got so heavy mah white peeple got sum Irish peeple
+ter live on de plantation, en dey went south, leavin' us wid de Irish
+peeple."
+
+"I wuz leetle en I guess I didn't think much 'bout freedum, I'd allus
+had plenty ter eat en w'ar."
+
+"Dunno ob any slaves gittin' nuthin at freedum."
+
+"Our white folks didn't whup mah peeple; but de oberseers whup'd de
+slaves on uther plantations."
+
+"De Yankees had camps on de Capitol hill. En dere wuz soldier camps in
+east Nashville en you had ter hab a pass ter git thro?"
+
+"I member w'en de pen wuz on 15th en Chuch, en de convicts wuk'd
+'round de Capitol."
+
+"I went ter schul at Fisk a short time, w'en hit wuz neah 12th en
+Cedar, en a w'ile down on Chuch St. Mah teacher allus bragged on me
+fer bein' clean en neat. I didn't git much schuling, mah daddy wuz lak
+mos' ole folks, he though ef'n you knowd yo a, b, c's en could read a
+line, dat wuz 'nuff. En he hired me out. Dunno w'at dey paid me, fer
+hit wuz paid ter mah daddy."
+
+"I wuz hired ter a Mrs. Ryne fer y'ars, whar de Loveman store ez now.
+Dere wuz a theatre whar Montgomery Ward store ez, a lot ob de theatre
+peeple roomed en bo'ded wid Mrs. Ryne, en dey would gib me passes ter
+de sho' en I'd slip up in de gall'ry en watch de sho'. I couldn't read
+a wud but I 'joy'd goin'. Mah daddy wuz a driver fer Mr. Ryan."
+
+"I nussed fer a Mrs. Mitchell en she had a boy in schul. One summer
+she went 'way. A Mrs. Smith wid 10 boys wanted me ter stay wid her
+'til Mrs. Mitchell got back en I staid en laked dem so well dat I
+wouldin go back ter Mrs. Mitchell's."
+
+"I went ter Memphis en ma'ied George Grisham in 1870. He jinned de
+army, as ban' leader, went ter San Antonio, Texas en I kum back ter
+Mrs. Smith's en stayed 'til her mammy lost her mind. Mah husband d'ed
+in Texas, fum heart truble. All his things wuz sent back ter me, en
+eve'y month I got a $30.00 pension fer me en mah daughter. W'en she
+wuz 16 dey cut hit down en I only git $12.00 now."
+
+"I edj'cated mah daughter at Fisk; en she's bin teachin' schul since
+1893. She buy dis place en we live tergedder. We hab good health en
+both ez happy. I hab a 'oman kum eve'y Monday en wash fer us."
+
+"De ole songs I member ez:
+
+"Harp fum de Tomb dis Mournful Sound."
+"Am I a soldier ob de Cross."
+
+"Ole signs ez: Dream ob snakes, sign ob de'th.--Ef a hen crows a sign
+ob de'th.--Sneeze wid food in mouth means de'th.--Ef a black cat
+crosses de road, walk backwards 'til you git pas' whar hit crossed.
+Mah parents useter tell lots ob tales but I can't think ob dem."
+
+"Oh honey, I dunno w'at dis young peeples ez kum'n ter. Dey ez so
+diff'ent fum de way I wuz raised. I don't think much ob dis white en
+black mar'ages. Hit shouldn't be 'lowed."
+
+"I 'long ter de Missionary Baptist."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+MEASY HUDSON
+1209 Jefferson St.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"Wuz bawn' in North Carolina en I'se 90 y'ars ole in November. W'en
+war broke out we kum ter Tennessee en hab bin 'yer eber since. Wuz
+'yer w'en old Hood fi'rd de cannons. He said he wuz kum'n 'yer ter
+Christmas dinnah, but he didn't do hit."
+
+"Mah white folks wuz named Harshaw. Marster Aaron Harshaw d'ed en we
+wuz willed ter his chilluns en dat we wuz not ter be whup'd er 'bused
+in anyway. We wuz sold, but long 'fore de war mah daddy wuz freed en
+mah manny wuz not freed, but kep' a slave."
+
+"De marster's chilluns wuz small en eber New Y'ar Day, we wuz put on a
+block en hired out ter de high bidduh, en de money spent ter school de
+marster's chilluns."
+
+"I wuz tole dat sum ob de white peeples wuz so mean ter dere slaves
+dat de slaves would tek a pot en turn hit down in a hollow ter keep
+dere whites fum yearin' dem singin' en prayin'. De Ku Klux wuz bad on
+de ex-slaves at fust."
+
+"De white folks 'fore de war had w'at dey called "Muster" en I would
+go down wid dem. I would dance en de folks would gib me money er gib
+me candy en durin' de war de soldiers wuz de prettiest things."
+
+"Got nuthin' at freedum en wuz not lookin' fuh nuthin'. Ef marster had
+lived he might hab gib us sump'in. He wuz a good man en good ter us.
+Eber since mah freedum, I'se wuk'd as a laundress. Wuk'd fer one
+fam'ly ober 21 y'ars. 'Bout two y'ars ago I lefted a tub, en hurt
+mahself. I'se not able ter wuk now. I hab bin ma'ied twice en I'se
+voted three times."
+
+"I went ter schul at Fisk, a short time, w'en hit wuz on 12th Avenue,
+but I diden' git ter go long 'nuff ter git en edj'cation."
+
+"Jis 'fore de Civil War I members de comet. Hit wuz lak a big sta'r
+wid a long tail. Eve'body said hit wuz a sign ob Judgement Day."
+
+"Bad luck signs: Ef'n a picture falls, hit's a sign ob de'th--bad luck
+ter step ovuh a broom--ef a clock stop runnin' en later hit strike,
+dat means de'th."
+
+"Sum ob de young peeple terday ez good but sum ob dem don't wan'ter be
+nuthin'. De last war ruined mos' ob de white en de black."
+
+"I b'leeves in de Baptist 'ligion en 'longs ter de Baptist Church, 9th
+Avenue N. on Cedar Street. De white 'oman I wuk'd fuh wan'ed me ter
+join de Christian (colored) chuch. Only song I now members ez "On
+Jordans Banks I Stand." "Don't think dis marrin' ob whites wid blacks
+should be 'lowed en think eve'y culor should stay ter hits-sef."
+
+"I don't member now 'bout any stories tole back in ole times. Our
+white folks wuz Christians en tried ter teach us right en dey diden'
+tek up much time tellin' stories."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+PATSY HYDE
+504 9th Avenue N.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"Dunno how ole I ez. I wuz bawn in slavery en b'longs ter de Brown
+family. Mah Missis wuz Missis Jean R. Brown en she wuz kin ter Abraham
+Lincoln en I useter y'ar dem talkin' 'bout 'im livin' in a log cabin
+en w'en he d'ed she had her house draped in black. Marster Brown wuz
+also good ter his slaves. De Missis promus Marster Brown on his de'th
+bed nebber ter let us be whup'd en she kep her wud. Sum ob de
+oberseers on urthur plantations would tie de slaves ter a stake en gib
+dem a good whup'in fer sump'in dey ought not ter done."
+
+"All cul'ed people wore cotton goods en de younger boys run 'round in
+der shurt tails. Mah Missis nit all de white chilluns stockin' en she
+made me sum. I had ter hold de yarn on mah hans w'en she wuz nittin'.
+I members one time I wuz keepin' flies off de table usin' a bunch ob
+peacock feathers en I went ter sleep standin' up en she tole me ter go
+back ter de kitchen." "I went en finish mah nap."
+
+"One day ole Uncle Elick woke Marster Brown fum his atter-noon nap
+tellin' 'im dat de prettiest men dat I ever seed wuz passin' by on de
+road. He went ter de winder en said, "Good Gawd, hit's dem damn
+Yankees." Mah white folks had a pretty yard en gyarden. Soldiers kum
+en camped dere. I'd slip ter de winder en lissen ter dem." "W'en dey
+wuz fightin' at Fort Negley de cannons would jar our house. De
+soldier's ban' play on Capitol Hill, en play "Rally 'roun' de Flag
+Boys, Rally 'roun de Flag."
+
+"De slaves would tek dere ole iron cookin' pots en turn dem upside
+down on de groun' neah dere cabins ter keep dere white folks fum
+hearin' w'at dey wuz sayin'. "Dey claimed dat hit showed dat Gawd wuz
+wid dem."
+
+"In slavery time peeples b'leeved in dreams. I members one nite I
+dreamed dat a big white thing wuz on de gatepost wida haid. I tole mah
+mammy en she said, "Gawd wuz warning us." De ma'rige cer'mony in de
+days ob slavery wuz by de man en 'oman jumpin' ovuh a broom handle
+tergedder."
+
+"I don' member much 'boud de Ku Klux Klan, but I does member seein'
+dem parade one time in Nashville." (She evidently refers to the Klan's
+last parade in 1869 in Nashville, immediately preceeding the
+disbandment of the Klan at Fort Negley.)
+
+"I members dat de northern soldier's ban' would play Union Ferever,
+Rally 'roun de Flag, en Down Wid de Traitors en up Wid de Sta's en
+Stripes."
+
+"De songs I members ez:
+
+I'se a Soldier ob de Cross.
+Follow de Lamb.
+I would not Live Allus.
+I Axs not ter Stay."
+
+"I member w'en de stars fell. Hit wuz so dark en eberbody wuz skeered,
+en I member a comet dat looked lak a big red ball en had sump'in lak a
+tail on hit. Eber one wuz skeered en wuz 'feard hit would hit de
+groun' en burn de worl' up. I member de fust street lites in
+Nashville. W'en de lamp mans would kum 'round en lite de lamps dey
+would yell out "all ez well" en I also members de Southern money goin'
+out en Yankee money kum'n in, en also w'en dere wuzn't any coal 'yer
+en eve'ythin' wuz wood en mos' ob dis town wuz in de woods."
+
+"De slaves wuz tole dey would git forty ak'rs ob groun' en a mule w'en
+dey wuz freed but dey nebber got hit. W'en we wuz free we wuz tuned
+out widout a thing. Mah grandmammy wuz an "Ole mammie" en de Missis
+kep her. Atter freedum a lot ob Yankee niggah gals kum down 'yer en
+hire out."
+
+"W'en I wuz a young girl hund'eds ob people went ter de wharf at de
+foot ob Broadway on de fust Sunday in May ob eber'y year fer de annual
+baptizin' ob new members inter de Baptist (culored) churches ob de
+city. Thousands ob white people would crowd both sides ob de
+Cumberland Riber, Broadway en de Sparkman Street Bridge ter witnus de
+doin's. On leavin' de chuches de pastor would lead de parade ter de
+wharf. Dey would sing en chant all de way fum de chuch ter de river en
+sum ob de members would be ovuhkum wid 'ligious feelin' en dey would
+hop up en down, singin' en shoutin' all de time, or may be dey would
+start ter runnin' down de street en de brethern would hab ter run dem
+down en bring dem back."
+
+"We useter hav' dem champ meetin's en dey wuz "honeys," en I enjoy dem
+too. We wore bandanna handkerchiefs on our haids en long shawls ovuh
+our shoulders. At deze meetin's dey had all kinds ob good things ter
+eat en drink."
+
+"Atter mah freedum I dun washin' en Ironin' fer white families. Neber
+ma'ried but I neber worries no matter w'at happens en dat's may be
+cause ob mah livin' so long."
+
+"Things ter day ez mighty bad. Not lak de ole days. Worl' ez gwin ter
+end soon."
+
+"Atter I got ter feeble ter do washin' en ironin' fer mah livin', I
+went ter de Relief Office ter git dem ter he'ps me, but dey wouldn't
+do a thing. I had no place ter go er no money ter do wid. Dis culid
+'oman tuk me in en does all she can fer me but now she ez disable ter
+wuk en I dunno w'at ter do. Ef'n I could git a small grocer order each
+week til I git de ole Age Pension hit would he'p lots."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+ELLIS KEN KANNON
+328 5th Avenue N.
+St. Mary's Church
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I dunno jes how ole I ez. I wuz bawn in Tennessee as a slave. Mah
+mammy kum frum Virginia. Our marster wuz Ken Kannon."
+
+"Our Mistress wouldn't let us slaves be whup'd but I member mah daddy
+tellin' 'bout de Overseer whuppin' 'im en he run 'way en hid in a log.
+He tho't de blood hounds, he heered 'bout a half mile 'way, on his
+trail could heer 'im breathe but de hounds nebber fin' 'im. Atter de
+hounds pas' on, mah daddy lef' de log hidin' place en w'en he got ter
+a blacksmith shop, he se'ed a white man wid a nigger who had handcuffs
+on en w'en de white man tuk off de handcuffs, de nigger axed mah daddy
+whar he wuz gwine en he tole 'im back ter mah Mistress en de nigger
+sezs I ez too. Mah daddy slipped 'way fum 'im en went home."
+
+"W'en I wuz a young boy, I didn't wear nothin' but a shirt lak all
+urthur boys en hit wuz a long thing lak a slip dat kum ter our knees.
+Our Mistress had a big fier place en w'en we would kum in cole she
+would say ain't you all cole. (You all was always used in the plural
+and not singular as some writers have it). W'ile we wuz warmin' she
+often played de organ fer us ter heer."
+
+"I waited on mah Marster 'til he d'ed. Dey let me stay rite wid de
+body. Mah Mistress, Mammy ob de Marster, wuz in bad health at dat
+time, en 'fore we sta'ted ter de graveyard, I put a feather bed in de
+car'age en got a pitcher ob water ready en 'fore we git dere she got
+awful sick."
+
+"Durin' slavery de slaves hadder keep quiet en dey would turn a kittle
+upside down ter keep de white folks 'yearin dere prayers en chants.
+W'en a slave wanted ter go ter 'nother plantation he had ter hab a
+pass. Ef' dey disobeyed dey got a whuppin, en ef dey had a pass widout
+de Marsters signature dey got a whuppin. _Ef'n dey had ter hab passes
+now dere wouldin' be no meaness_."
+
+"I member de Klu Klux Klan kumin ter mah daddy's home axin fer water
+en dey would keep us totin' water ter dem fer fifteen ter twenty
+minutes. Dey didn't whup er hurt any ob us. I also member 'yearin mah
+mammy en daddy tellin' us 'bout de sta'rs fallin'. I member de comet.
+Hit wuz a big ball en had a long tail."
+
+"I hab 'yerd dem tell 'bout Mr. Robertson. He wuz mean ter his slaves
+en dey sezs dey could see a ball ob fier rollin' on de fence en w'en
+dey would git ter de spring, a big white thing lak a dog would crawl
+under de rock. De slaves wuz natur'ally superstitious en b'leeved in
+dreams, ole sayings en signs. I hab mahse'f se'ed things dat I ain't
+onderstan'. Hab almost seen de things dat (apostle) John seed."
+
+"Dunno nuthin 'bout any ob de ex-slaves voting er de Nat Turner
+'Bellion."
+
+"Atter freedum mos' ob de slaves wuk'd fer dere livin' jes as I ez. De
+men in de fiel's, de 'omen in de house. I wuk'd at a hotel in
+McMinnville en one day, I wuz keepin' de flies off de table wid a
+brush made frum fine strips ob papah en de string broke en hit fell
+on de table. One man jumped up grabbed a cheer sayin' ah'll knock you
+down wid dis cheer."
+
+"De slave 'pected ter git 40 akers ob land en a mule but nobody eber
+got hit as fur as I know. We didn't git nuthin. Our white peeple
+wuzzent able ter gib us anyting. Eve'ythin' dey had wuz tuk durin' de
+wah. Dey wuz good ter us an stuck wid us en mah peeple stayed wid mah
+Mistress."
+
+"Dis young gineratshun ob niggers, I 'clare dey ez jes 'bout gon'. Dey
+won't wuk, all's stealin' en mabe wuk long 'nuff ter git a few clothes
+ter strut 'round in. I may be wrong but dat ez mah hones' pinion."
+
+"De songs--I member ez:
+
+De Ole Ship ob Zion.
+Do You Think You'll be Able ter tek me Home."
+
+"I has bin 'yer fifteen y'ars en hab wuked onder two Priests en now
+wukin under de third. Dey hab all bin nice ter me. Hab neber had any
+trubble wid white peeple en you'd be sprized how good dey ez ter me.
+Dey don't treat me lak a nigger."
+
+"Eber since I got mah freedum en 'fore I got dis chuch job, I dun all
+kinds ob odd jobs, waited on tables, pressin' clothes en anyting else
+dat kum 'long, but sum jobs wuz small pay but hit kep me 'live."
+
+"Don't member any slave uprisin's. Our peeple wuz good ter us."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+SCOTT MARTIN
+438 Fifth Ave., No.
+
+
+"I'se 90 y'ars ole and wuz bawn in slavery in Sumner County, Tennessee
+and I b'long to Marster Dr. Madison Martin an' mah Misses Mary. And I
+wuk'd wid de stock an' wuz de houseman."
+
+"I hab neber been in any truble, neber 'rested en neber bin in jail. I
+knows how ter behave, but de young peeples ob terday ain' dun rite en
+dey don' 'mounts ter much. Dar am a few dat am all rite. In de ole
+days dey wer' bettuh dan dey ez terday. De white and black ougher not
+ma'rie."
+
+"I has voted two times, but I disremembers who I voted fer. Neber
+hadney frens in office en I nebr met any of de Klu Klux men. I didn'
+go out much en I neber wuz kotched w'en I did git out. I heered lots
+'bout nigger uprisin' but dey wuz away off."
+
+"I b'long ter de Missionary Baptist chuch an' I useter preach in mah
+chuch 'ouse en udders w'en called. Once a y'ar I wud be at de
+Cumberland Riber wha'f en' baptiz' culled peeples all da'. We useter
+hab camp meetin' in de ole days en hab good things ter eat en I would
+preach all day. I went ter schul two sessions en den I went to wuk."
+
+"I member de fust street kar line that run on East side of Cumberland
+Riber ter East end ob de ole wood bridge dat de 'arly settlers build.
+De kars wer' pulled by hosses en' mules. De whites en blacks mixed
+tergedder en den de law made de whites rid' in frunt en the blacks in
+de rearuh. I think dat wuz rite, but sum ob mah race wuz mad 'bout
+hit. I wuz on a kar one day and mules run'd 'way en de ole red mule
+got loose frum de kar en run'd ober a mile 'fore dey ketched him en
+dey brot 'im ba'k en de kar' pas' on. I members de ole L & N Railroad
+on de East side. W'en my folks wud ride de train dey had 'ter hold me
+tite or I wuld git 'way frum dem en run en hide 'hind sum logs. I wuz
+scar'et ter ride on de kars."
+
+"Atter freedum de slaves had'n no truble ter go whar dey wan'. Menny
+lef' but menny stay wid der ole marsters. I stay wid my marster tell
+he d'ed. I den kum an' lib wid mah daddy on Lebanon Road. Atter dat I
+libed on Gallatin Road an' den I kum ter Nashville, an' wuk wid pic'
+and shovel on streets, sewers an' udder jobs. I heered dem sez dat de
+slaves wud git lan', hoss, money er sumpin' but I neber heerd ob
+nobody gittin nuthin'. Dere wuz not slave 'raisings eroun' whar I
+wuz."
+
+"De fallin' st'ars wuz 'fore mah time, but I'se heer'd mah daddy tole
+'bout hit. I se'd de comet wid hit shinnin' tail an' I fust b'leevd
+sumbody put hit up dere."
+
+"Good luck sign wuz w'en a stray cat kum ter yo' house an' stay dere.
+Bad luck sign wuz a black kat crossin' yo' path in frunt ob yer. Ter
+ke'p frum havin' de bad luck yo' back up pas' whar hit crossed yer
+path en den spit an' yer hab no bad luck."
+
+"Dem air ships luk nice but dey ez spoke 'boud in de Holy Bible, dat
+sum day dere wud be flyin' things in de air'h an' I think dat dese
+things am it. De otomobeels kiver nuder passag' in de Bible which seze
+de peeple 'll rid' on de streets widout hosses en mules."
+
+"Mah fav'rite songs am "I Gwine to Jine de Gideon Band," and "Keep Yo'
+Lits Bunnin'."
+
+"Ter ole now ter wuk an' mah haid don' se'm ter be tergedder an' I'se
+gits he'ps frum de Welfare."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+ANN MATTHEWS
+719 9th Ave. South
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I wuz bawn in Murfreesboro on Stones River. I dunno how ole I ez en
+hit meks me 'shamed ter tell peeple dat, but mah mammy would hit me in
+de mouth w'en I'd ax how ole I wuz. She say I wuz jes' tryin' ter be
+grown."
+
+"Mah mammy's name wuz Frankie en mah daddy wuz Henry Ken Kannon. Don'
+member much 'bout mah mammy 'cept she wuz a sho't fat Indian 'oman wid
+a turrible tempah. She d'ed, durin' de war, wid black measles."
+
+"Mah daddy wuz part Indian en couldn't talk plain. W'en he go ter de
+store he'd hab ter put his han' on w'at he want ter buy. He d'ed eight
+months 'fore de Centennial."
+
+"Our marster en missis wuz Landon en Sweenie Ken Kannon. Dey wuz good
+ter us, en we had'n good things ter eat."
+
+"I member de Yankee en Southern soldiers. One day me en mah young
+missis, en sum chilluns went up ter de road en we se'ed sum Yankee
+soldiers kumin', I clum'ed on de fence, de urthurs run 'way en hid.
+One ob de soldiers sezs ter me, 'Lettle girl who wuz dat wid you,' en
+I sezs, 'Hit wuz Miss Puss en sum chilluns.' He laughed en sezs, 'You
+ez brave ain' you?'"
+
+"Our missis let us go ter chuch. I 'long ter de chuch ob Christ."
+
+"I dunno ob but one slave dat got lan' er nothin' w'en freedum wuz
+'clared. We didn't git nuthin at freedum. Mah daddy went back in de
+woods en built us a saplin house en dobbed hit wid mud. Atter freedum
+mah daddy went 'way, en we chilluns staid in dat house in de woods by
+oursel's. Dere wuz two weeks we didn't see a bit ob bre'd. I went up
+w'at ez called de nine mile cut neah Tullahoma, en axed a 'oman ef she
+would let us hab sum bre'd. She gib me sum meat en bre'd, en tole me
+ter kum back. I went back home en we et sump'in, en I went back ter de
+'oman's house, she gib me a sack ob flour en a big piece ob midlin'
+meat. We wuz skeered, bein' dere 'lone so I would set up wile mah
+br'ers slep', den I'd sleep in de daytime. One nite sumbody knocked at
+de do'er en hit wuz mah daddy en he had two sacks ob food, en de
+urthur chilluns got up en we et a big meal."
+
+"I useter 'yer de folks talk 'bout de sta'rs fallin', but dat happen'
+'fore I wuz bawn."
+
+"I didn't go ter schul, mah daddy wouldin' let me. Said he needed me
+in de fiel wors den I needed schul. I wuz allus sassy en stubbun. I
+run 'way fum mah daddy en kum ter Nashville. I stayed at a schul on
+Franklin Pike, run by Mrs. McGathey. I wuz de only cul'ed person dere.
+Dey wuz good ter me en eve'y Chrismus I would git a big box ob clothes
+en things."
+
+"In Manchester de Klu Klux Klan wore big high hats, red handkerchiefs
+on dere faces en red covers on dere hosses. Dey tuk two niggers out ob
+jail en hung dem ter a chestnut tree."
+
+"One nite w'en I wuz gwine wid mah daddy fum de fiel' home, we met sum
+ob de K.K.K. en dey said, 'Ain't you out late Henry? En who ez dat gal
+wid you?' Mah daddy said, 'We ez gwine home fum wuk, en dis ez mah
+daughter.' Dey said, 'Whar has she bin, we ain't nebber se'ed her.' He
+told dem, 'I'd bin in Nashville.' Dey said dey'd be back dat nite but
+we didn't see dem."
+
+"W'en I wuz in Manchester I promus de Lawd I wouldin' dance. But one
+nite I wuz on de ball floor, dancin' fum one end ob de room ter de
+urthur en sump'in sezs go ter de do'er. I didn't go right den en 'gin
+hit sezs you ez not keepin' yo promus. I went ter de do'er en you
+could pick a pin off de groun' hit wuz so light. In de sky wuz de
+prettiest thing you ebber se'ed, so many culors, blue, white, green,
+red en yellow."
+
+"Since freedum I'se wuked wid diff'ent peeple, cookin' en keepin'
+house. I'se de mammy ob three chilluns. Two ob dem ez 'way fum 'yer,
+en I live 'yer wid mah daughter."
+
+"Old songs, I member ez:
+
+Dark wuz de Nite.
+I'll Live wid Gawd Forever, Bye en Bye.
+Fum dis Earth I go, Oh Lawd, W'at Will 'kum ob Me."
+
+"So yer wan't me ter tell you de truf? I think de young peeple ez
+nothin'. Dey think dey ez smaht. Most ob de ex-slaves I'se knowed has
+cooked en nussed, done laundry wuk; wuked in fiel's en diff'ent
+things."
+
+"I'se neber voted en hab neber paid any 'tention ter de niggers
+gittin' ter vote. Don't hab any frens in political office. Can't
+member any tales er signs."
+
+"I don't b'leeve in dese mixed white and black families en hit
+shouldn't be 'lowed."
+
+"Durin' slavery de white folks didn't want de niggahs ter sing en
+pray, but dey would turn a pot down en meet at de pot in de nite en
+sing en pray en de white folks wouldn't 'yer dem."
+
+"Ef a slave died de white folks wouldn't let nobody set up wid de body
+'cept de niggers ob dat plantation, but urthur slaves would slip in
+atter dark, set up en den slip back ter dere plantation 'fore day."
+
+"W'en I useter go ter camp meetin' dey had big dinnahs en spread hit
+on de groun'. Dey preached, sung, shouted en eve'ybody had a good
+time."
+
+"Fum de camp meetin's dey would go ter de wharf en baptize. Dey would
+tie handkerchiefs 'roun dere haids. W'en dey wuz dipped under de water
+sum ob dem would kum up shoutin'."
+
+
+A TALE
+
+One time de preacher wuz in de river fixin' ter baptize a man.
+Eve'ybody wuz singin' ole time 'ligion. A 'oman sung, "I don' lak dat
+thing 'hind you." Bout dat time de pahson en de udder man se'd an
+alligator. De parson sezs, "No-By-God I Don't Either." He turned de
+man loose en dey both run 'way.
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+REV. JOHN MOORE
+809 7th Avenue So.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I wuz bawn in Georgia (exact time not known) en mah mammy wuz half
+Indian en mah daddy a slave. Both ob dem owned by William Moore. Sum
+time atter dat Marster Moore sold mah daddy en den de Moore Sistuhs
+looked atter me en wuz allus good ter me. "Lawdy, dey wuz good white
+folks."
+
+"Durin' slavery times de slaves would hab ter git fum dere marster a
+pas' 'fore dey could visit dere own people on de uther plantations.
+Ef'n you had no pass you would git in trouble ef caught wid out one
+which allus ment a good whuppin' w'en dey returned. At dat time menny
+slaves would run 'way en hide in caves en menny ob dem would go by de
+"ondergroun' railroad" ter Canada whar slavery wuz not recognized."
+(The underground railroad consisted of hiding places throughout the
+states to Canada and the slaves would make the trip under cover from
+station to station.)
+
+"De slaves would slip out at nite ter private meetin's en turn a pot
+bottom up on de groun' en leave a little hole under hit so de sound ob
+dere talkin' would go onder de pot en no one would 'year whut dey wuz
+talkin' 'bout."
+
+"De ex-slaves ob de better class did vote en de white peeple stuck wid
+de good cul'ed folks. I don' member now 'bout de Nat Turner
+'Bellion."
+
+"Atter freedum de slaves wuz 'lowed ter stay on de plantation en
+'lowed ter farm en gib half dey made. Atter slavery I useter wuk fer
+fifty cents en git a peck ob meal, three pounds ob bacon en a quart ob
+syrup which would las' a week."
+
+"De Ku Klux Klan's plan wuz ter whup all white er cul'ed people dat
+didn't stay at home en support dere families but would run 'roun en
+live a bad life. W'en de Klan would be passin' through de slaves would
+call dem ghostus."
+
+"One nite mah br'er en me wuz sleepin' in de dining room. Sumpin woke
+us an we seed sumpin' dat kum through de yard en got hold ob sum
+blocks. Dat thing didn't hab no haid en didn't hab no tale en looked
+lak hit wuz backin' up on all four legs. Nex mawnin' we could fin' no
+tracks ob whuteber hit wuz en de gate wuz also fasened."
+
+"Dis young peoples 'cordin' ter de Bible ez on de broad road ter ruin.
+Dey think dey ez as good as de white people but dey ez classed as
+niggahs in mah eyes."
+
+"Caint member any ob de ole songs now."
+
+
+
+
+SUBJECT--EX-SLAVE STORIES
+
+Andrew Moss
+#88 Auburn Streets
+Knoxville, Tennessee
+
+
+"One ting dat's all wrong wid dis world today," according to Andrew
+Moss, aged negro, as he sits through the winter days before an open
+grate fire in his cabin, with his long, lean fingers clasped over his
+crossed knees, "is dat dey ain no 'prayer grounds'. Down in Georgia
+whar I was born,--dat was 'way back in 1852,--us colored folks had
+prayer grounds. My Mammy's was a ole twisted thick-rooted muscadine
+bush. She'd go in dar and pray for deliverance of de slaves. Some
+colored folks cleaned out knee-spots in de cane breaks. Cane you know,
+grows high and thick, and colored folks could hide de'seves in dar, an
+nobody could see an pester em."
+
+"You see it was jes like dis. Durin' de war, an befo de war too, white
+folks make a heap o fun of de colored folks for alltime prayin.
+Sometime, say, you was a slave en you git down to pray in de field or
+by de side of de road. White Marster come 'long and see a slave on his
+knees. He say, 'What you prayin' 'bout?' An you say, 'Oh, Marster I'se
+jes prayin' to Jesus cause I wants to go to Heaven when I dies.' An
+Marster say, 'Youse my negro. I git ye to Heaven. Git up off'n your
+knees.' De white folks what owned slaves thought that when dey go to
+Heaven de collored folk's would be dar to wait on em. An ef'n it was a
+Yank come 'long, he say too, 'What you prayin' 'bout?' You gives de
+same 'sponse. An he say, 'We'se gwine save you. We goin' to set you
+free. You wants to be free, dont you?' 'Yessir, Boss!' 'Well den, Yank
+say, come go 'long wid me.' Ain no use keep sayin' 'Please sir Boss,
+I'll have to arsk my Master.' Yank say, 'what you mean, Marster? You
+aint got no Marster. We's settin' you free.'"
+
+"Sometimes dey takes a' tie a rope 'round you, and they starts ridin'
+off but dey dont go too fas' so you walks behind. Sometimes 'long
+comes another Yank on a horse an he arsk, 'Boy ain you tired?' 'Yessir
+Boss.' 'Well den you git up here behind me and ride some.' Den he wrop
+de rope all 'round de saddle horn. Wrops and wrops, but leaves some
+slack. But he keeps you tied, so's you wont jump down and run away. An
+many's de time a prayin' negro got took off like dat, and want never
+seen no more."
+
+"'Course ef'n you goes wid em, you 'member your trainin' and 'fore you
+leaves de field, you stacks your hoe nice, like you was quittin' de
+days work. Dey learned the little'uns to do dat, soon's dey begins to
+work in de fields. Dey had little hoes, handles 'bout de size of my
+arm, for de little fellers. I've walked many a mile, when I was a
+little feller, up and down de rows, followin' de grown folks, an
+chopping wid de hoe 'round de corners whar de earth was soft so de
+little uns could hoe easy. Whoopee! Let dat dinner horn blow, and evy
+body stacks dey hoes, nince, neat stacks standin up, and starts to
+run. Some eats in dey own cabins, but dem what eats at de big house,
+sets down at a long table, and gets good grub too! Evy night, our
+Marster give us evy one a glass o whiskey. Dat's to keep off decease.
+Mornins' we had to all drink tar water for de same purpose. Dat want
+so tasty."
+
+"My Marster's name was George Hopper. Dat man paid taxes on more'n
+two-thousand acres of land in two counties. I lived in dem two
+counties. Was born in Wilkes and raised in Lincoln County, Georgia. We
+called it de middle-south. My Marster he never did marry. Lots of
+folks didnt, dey jes took up wid one another. Marster Hopper had five
+children by my grandmother. She was his house woman, dat's what he
+call 'er. An when he died he willed her and all dem chilluns a house,
+some land, and a little money. He'd of left em a heap more money and
+ud been one of the richest men in the country, ef'n de war hadn't
+broke out. When it was over he had a barrel full of 'Federate
+greenbacks. But t'want no count. He done broke den. One day my uncle,
+he was the colored overseer, he went to Danbury, six miles from whar
+we lived at, and he paid $5 for a pound of coffee. Dat was befo de
+North whupped de South, and dey had'n killed-down de money value for
+de South."
+
+"Talk about hard times! We see'd em in dem days, durin' de war and
+most specially after de Surrender. Folks dese days dont know what
+trouble looks like. We was glad to eat ash-cakes and drink parched
+corn and rye 'stead o coffee. I've seed my grandmother go to de smoke
+house, and scrape up de dirt whar de meat had drapped, and take it to
+de house fer seasonin. You see, both armies fed off'n de white folks,
+and dey cleaned out dey barns and cellars and smoke houses when dey
+come. One time, when de Yanks was on de way to Augusta, I was picking
+up chips to make the supper fire, when I see'd em comin'. I hit it out
+from dar and hide behind two little hills down by de big spring. After
+awhile my brother find me and he tell me to come on back to the house
+and see dem white mens dance. De Yanks kep' comin' and dey eat all
+night. By daylight they was through marchin past."
+
+"An den come de Rebels. When dey come we had five-thousand bushel of
+corn, one-hundred head o hogs, three-hundred and fifty galons of syrup
+'en sech. When dey left, they took an set fire to evything, to keep it
+away from the Yanks, aimin to starve em out o dat country. Dat's what
+dey done. Some of dem Rebs was mean as the Yanks. And dat was bein'
+mean. Some called de Yanks, 'de Hornets', 'cause dey fight so. Take a
+Yank an he'd fight acrost a buzz saw and it circlin' fifty mile a
+minute."
+
+"Dat time when the Yanks was goin' to Augusta, an I went to black my
+Marster's boot,--he'd give us a two-cent peice, big as a quarter--for
+boot blackin, I say, 'Marster who is dem soldiers?' An he say to me,
+'Dey's de Yankees, come to try to take you awy from me.' An I say,
+'Looks like to me Marster, ef'n dey wants to take us dey'd arsk you
+fer us.' Marster laughed and say, 'Boy! Dem fellers dont axes wid
+words. Dey does all dey talkin' wid cannons.' Did you know that a
+white woman shot de first cannon dat was ever fired in de state o
+Georgia? She was a Yankee Colonel's wife, dey say, named Miss Anna, I
+dunno the rest o her name. She wants to be de first to fire a cannon
+she say, to set the negroes free. Dat was befo' de war, begin. De roar
+of dat cannon was in folkes ears for more'n five days and nights."
+
+Uncle Andrew gave a little grunt as he lifted himself out of his
+chair. His little frame seemed lost in the broad-shouldered lumber
+jacket that he wore. He had laid aside the paper sack from which he
+had been eating, when the visitor came, and removed an old stocking
+cap from his head. When the visitor suggested that he keep it on, as
+he might catch cold he replied, "I dont humor myself none." The
+sunlight fell upon his head and shoulders as he stood, to steady
+himself on his feet. Traces of his ancestry of Indian blood,--one of
+his grandfathers was a Cherokee Indian,--were evident in his features.
+His skin is jet-black, but his forehead high and his nose straight,
+with nostrils only slightly full. There was dignity in his bearing and
+beauty in his face, with its halo of cotton-white hair and beard, cut
+short and neatly parted in the middle of his chin.
+
+Walking about the room, he called the visitor's attention to family
+portraits on the walls. Some were colored crayons, and a few were
+enlarged snap-shots. Proudly he pointed to the photograph of a
+huge-sized Negro man, apparently in his thirties, and said, "He was
+our first comins'. Reckon he took after his great granddaddy, who was
+eight feet tall and weighed twe-hundred and fifty pounds. That man's
+arms was so long, when dey hung down by his side, his fingers was
+below his knees. Dis grandfather was free-born. My father, Dave Moss,
+he was sold three times. He had twenty-five children. But he had two
+wives. As I aforesaid, folks didn't always marry in dem days, jes took
+up wid one another. My mother was his title-wife. By her, he jes had
+me and my two full-brothers an one sister. My mother died two years
+after de war. My father give my sister to my grandmother. Jes give 'er
+to 'er."
+
+"How come I live in Knoxville, I was a young man, when I started off
+from Georgia, aimin to go over de mountains to Kentucky whar I heard
+dey pay good wages. I stopped in Campbell country, Tennessee wid
+another feller, an' I see'd a pretty gal workin' in de field. An I
+say's, I'm goin' to marry dat gal. Sho 'nough me an her was married in
+less dan six months. Her Marster build us a log house and we lived dar
+'till we come to Knoxville, Tennessee. Now, all o my boys is dead. Evy
+one o em worked for Mr. Peters (Peters and Bradley Flour Mills, of
+Knoxville)--and dey all died workin' fer him. So Mister Willie, he say
+he gwine let me live here, in de company house, the rest o my days."
+
+The four room frame house stands near a creek at the dead end of an
+alley on which both whites and negroes live. The huge double bed,
+neatly made, stands between two windows from which there is an
+unobstructed view of the highway traversing north and south through
+northern Knoxville, several blocks away from Andrew's home. "I jes lay
+down on dat bed nights and watch them autimobiles flyin by. Dey go
+Blip! Blip! and Blip! An I say to my self, 'Watch them fools!' Folkes
+ain got de sense dey's born wid. Ain smart like dey used to be. An
+times ain good like dey was. Ef'n it hadnt been for some of dem crazy
+fools, actin up and smarty, me an my wife'd be gittin maybe a hun'ered
+an' more dollars a month, 'stead o the fifteen we gits 'tween us for
+ole' age help. They'd ought to let Rosevelt alone. An its his own
+folks as is fitin' 'im. He is a big man even ef he is a Democrat. I'm
+a Republican though. Voted my first time for Blaine."
+
+"Yes I votes sometimes now, when dey come gits me. An befo I got sick,
+I would ride the street car to town. An I goes down to de Court House,
+and when I see dem cannons in deyard I cain keep from cryin'. My wife
+arsk me what make me go look at dem cannon ef'n dey makes me cry. An I
+tells her I cry 'bout de good and de bad times dem cannon bringed us.
+But no cannons or nothin' else, seems like going to bring back de good
+old times. But I dont worry 'bout all dese things much. Accordin' to
+de Good Book's promise, weepin' may endure for a night, den come joy
+in de mornin. An I knows dat de day's soon come when I goes to meet my
+folks and my Lord an Marster in his Heaven, whar dey ain no more
+weepin.'"
+
+
+
+
+SUBJECT--EX-SLAVE STORIES
+
+Aunt Mollie Moss
+# 88- Auburn Street,
+Knoxville, Tennessee
+
+
+There is no street sign or a number on any of the ramshackled frame
+cottages that seemingly lean with the breezes, first one direction,
+then another, along the alley that wind's through the city's
+northernmost boundary and stops its meanderings at the doorstep of
+"Uncle Andrew Moss" and his wife, "Aunt Mollie."
+
+The City Directory of Knoxville, Tennessee officially lists the Moss
+residence as # 88 Auburn Street. It rests upon its foundations more
+substantially, and is in better kept condition than its neighbors. In
+lieu of a "reg'lar" house number, the aged negro couple have placed a
+rusty automobile lisence tag of ancient vintage conspicuously over
+their door. It is their jesture of contempt for their nearest white
+neighbors who "dont seem to care whedder folkses know whar dey lib an
+maybe don wants em to."
+
+As for Aunt Mollie, she holds herself superior to all of her
+neighbors. She "Ain got no time for po white trash noway." She shoo'ed
+two little tow-headed white girls from her doorstep with her broom as
+she stood in her door and watched a visitor approach. "G'wan way frum
+here now, can be bodder wid you chillun messin ups my front yard. Take
+yo tings an go on back to yo own place!"
+
+"Dats way dey do," she mummled as she lead the visitor inside the
+cottage, through the dining-room and kitchen into the living-room and
+bedroom. "Don know what I gwine do when come summer time. Keeps me all
+time lookin out for dem chilluns. Dey's dat troublesome. Brings trash
+in on my flo what I jes scoured, an musses 'roun, maybe tryin to steal
+sumpin an me watchin em too. Dey wasnt teached manners and 'havior in
+odder folkses houses like what I war."
+
+When Aunt Mollie learned that it was to hear her story of how she was
+trained in manners end behaviorism, that the visitor had come, and to
+hear something of her recollections of slave days, her belligerent
+mood vanished. The satisfied manner in which she drew up chairs before
+the fire, took a pinch of snuff and settled her skirts, indicated that
+was going to be quite a session. She leaned her elbows on her knees,
+held her head between the palms of her hands and fumbled in her cloudy
+memory to gather a few facts to relate.
+
+Uncle Andrew, the more intelligent of the two, and quick to seize upon
+his opportunity, began his reminiscences immediately, saying "Honey,
+wait now," when his wife thought herself well organized to talk, and
+frequently broke into his narrative. "Wait untell I gits through. Den
+you can talk." Aunt Mollie would frown and grunt, mumble to herself as
+she rocked back and forth in her chair. She pulled the two long braids
+of brown silky hair, streaked with white, and tied at the ends with
+cotton strings. She spat vigorously into the fire, kept muttering and
+shuffling her feet, which were encased in men's shoes.
+
+At last it came Aunt Mollie's turn to talk war-times. Uncle Andrew,
+well pleased with his recital, retired to his corner by the hearth and
+listened "mannerdly"--after first warning the visitor in a gentle
+undertone, that "My wife she ain got much mem'ry an she don hear
+good." Aunt Mollie's rambling reminiscences backed up his statement.
+She began.
+
+"Reckon I mus be 'bout eighty-two, three year old. I dunno exactly. Ef
+I knowed whar to find em, deys some my white folkes lib in dis town.
+Seem like I can 'member dey names. I b'longed to Marster Billy Cain,
+and was raised on his farm in Campbell county, Tennessee. Oh, 'bout
+six, seven mile from Jacksboro. Wish I could go back dar some time.
+Ain been dar sence me an Moss married an live eight, ten or some more
+years in a log cabin he built for us. We was married March 7, de day
+atter Cleveland was 'lected presi-dent. In 1885 did you say? Well,
+reckon you're right. I ain had no schoolin an I can 'member lots o
+tings I used to know."
+
+"Billy Cain worked me in de fields. An his wife Miss Nancy say she
+gwine stop it, 'cause I was so pretty she fraid somebody come steal
+me." Aunt Mollie buried her face in her apron and had a good laugh.
+"Dey said I was de pretties' girl anywhars about. Had teeth jes like
+pearls. Whoops! Look at em now. Ain got 'nuff left to chaw wid. You
+notices how light-complected I is? My own father was a full-blooded
+Cherokee Indian. De Yanks captured him an killed him."
+
+"I was hoein in de field dat time Moss com 'long and see me and say he
+gwine marry me. An, jes like he tell you, we was married in less dan
+six months. We been livin togedder evy since and we gits along good.
+We have had blessins' and got a lot to be thankful for. Could have
+more to eat sometimes, but we gits along someways. I am a good cook.
+Miss Nancy she teached me all kinds o cookin, puttin up berries, makin
+pickles and bakin bread and cake an evy'ting. Her ole man Cain give us
+good grub dem days. Monday mornins' we go to de Cains to git rations
+for de week. Dey gib us three pounds wheat, a peck o meal, a galon o
+molasses, two pound o lard, two pound o brown sugar, rice an evy'ting.
+I use to have plates an china white folks gib me. White woman come one
+day, say she wan buy 'em. Took plum nigh all I had. Did'n pay me much
+o nothin' either."
+
+"Yes, Lord. I does 'member 'bout de war. I've see'd de blue an I've
+see'd de grey. In 1862 I see'd de soldiers formin' in line. I was a
+great big girl. Dem swords glisen' like stars. Can' member whar dey
+was goin dat time. But I ain forgit de times soldiers come foragin.
+Dey got all dey wanted, too. Hep' dey sef's an dont pay for it, never.
+Soldier see a chicken go under de house, he plop down and shoot, and
+den call me to crawl under de house and fetch it out." Aunt Mollie
+buried her head in her apron again and laughed like a child. "Lordy
+how scared I was of de old gander dat blowed at me, whilst I was
+tryin' to drag 'em out alive, when I see'd de soldiers comin'."
+
+"Billy Cain, he was brudder-in-law to Old Townslee, who lived on a
+plantation in Alabama. How come my mother was give to Cain an come to
+Tennessee, was one mornin' Old Townslee rode his horse out under a
+tree to blow up de slaves. Blow de horn you know, to call 'em to work.
+Somebody shot 'im. Right off his horse. It was so dark, 'fore
+daylight, an' couldnt see and dey never did find out who shot 'im.
+Heap o white folks had enemies dem days. So de slaves he owned was
+divided munxt his chilluns. My mother was one of nine dat come to
+Billy Cain dat way."
+
+"Talk 'bout your shootin jest for devilment. Lemme tell you 'bout old
+men John Wynn. He live down dar 'bout ten mile from whar Moss lived
+when he was a boy. I've heard em tell it many a time. Dey say John
+Wynn had 185 slaves. Evy time it come George Washington's birthday,
+Old Wynn he had a feast and invite all de slaves! He celebratin! he
+say. He seta a long table wid all kind good tings to eat. An he count
+de slaves, so's to be sure dey all come. An' den he'd take an pick out
+one and shoot him! Den he say, "Now youse all can go 'head an eat.
+Throw dat nigger 'side an we bury im in mornin'." And he walks off to
+de big house. No! He wasn't drunk. Jes de debil in 'im. Well, he shot
+ten, twelve, maybe thirty dat way. An den de white folks hanged 'im to
+a tree. Hanged im t'well he was good and dead, dey did."
+
+"Now folkes can 'joy dey victuals wid sech goin's on. De slaves git
+so's dey scared to hear de bell ring. Don' know what it mean. Maybe
+death, maybe fire, maybe nudder sale o some body. Gwine take 'em way.
+But when de bell ring dey had to come. Let dat ole bell ring and de
+woods was full o negroes. Maybe 500 hundred come from all over date
+county."
+
+Aunt Mollie was beginning to ramble and babble incoherently, her
+memories of her own and the experiences of others all confused in her
+mind. When she had about finished a story about how one of the slave
+women, "bust de skull" of the head of her marster,'" 'cause she was
+nussin a sick baby an' he tell her she got to git out in dat field an
+hoe" and the gory details of what the shovel did to the white
+marster's head, it was time for the visitors to close the interview.
+
+Both Uncle Andrew and Aunt Mollie followed the visitor to the front
+door, and wished her "All de luck in de world. An thank you for
+comin'. An come see us agin, nudder time."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+ANDY ODELL
+1313 Pearl Street
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I wuz bawn east ob Spring Hill, Tennessee. I dunno in w'at y'ar, but
+I wuz a ful' grown man w'en I wuz freed. (This will make him about 96
+years old.). I wuz an onlies' chile en I nebber knowed mah daddy. Mah
+mammy wuz sold 'way fum me. She ma'ied a man named Brown en dey had
+seven chillun."
+
+"At fust I 'longed ter Marster Jim Caruthers. W'en his daughter ma'ied
+Fount Odell, I wuz willed ter her en den mah marsters wuz Fount en
+Albert Odell who wuz br'ers. Mah white folks let us go ter chuch. I
+b'leeves in de Baptist 'ligion. I nebber knowed any slave dat had ter
+hide ter sing er pray. I members de comet en hit wuz a sta'r wid a
+long tail en looked lak hit wuz burnin'. De sta'rs fell 'fore I wuz
+bawn." (The stars fell in 1833).
+
+"We had ter hab passes en if you didn't hab one, you got whupped. Mah
+marster let me go ter chuch wid' out a pass. I members de Klu Klux
+Klan but dey nebber bothered me, tho I 'yeard a lot 'bout dem. Dey
+called demselves "White Caps" en said dey wuz rite fum de grave. W'en
+a slave got whupped hit wuz cose dey disobey dere white folks en de
+overseer whupped dem. I though mah white folks wuz awful mean ter me
+sumtime."
+
+"I nebber b'leeved in ghos' but hab yeard lots 'bout dem. Lots of
+peeples did b'leeve in dem back in dem times. Uster sing a lot but I
+dunno names ob dem now. I dunno w'at ez gwine ter 'kum ob dis young
+crowd. I sho don't think diff'ent culers oughter ma'rie. De Lawd
+didn't mean fer hit ter be dun. Dunno ob any slave 'risin's in
+Virginia er any uther place. Don't member now de tales en sayin' ob de
+ole times."
+
+"Member well w'en de war broke out en how dey had big dinners en
+marched 'round ovuh de fiel's, gittin' ready fer de war. I had a br'er
+kilt in de war en mah mammy got a lettle money fum 'im. Also member
+dat w'en mah mammy got de money she bought me a hat."
+
+"I don't git nuthin at freedum en I dunno ob any slaves gittin' any
+land er money. I know dat w'en we wuz freed Marster Albert called us
+slaves in en said, "You all ez as free as I ez, but you can stay 'yer
+en wuk fer me ef'n you want ter." I staid wid 'im a good w'ile attar
+freedum."
+
+"Since freedum I hab plowed, hoed, cut wood, en wuk'd in quarries
+pecking rock. Hab nebber wuk'd in town fer I dunno de things 'bout
+town. I hab voted almost eve'y election since freedum 'til dese last
+few years. I hab had two frens in office but both ez de'd now. I uster
+think 'omen shouldn't vote, but I guess hit ez alri'te."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+LAURA RAMSEY PARKER
+715 Gay St.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I'se 87 y'ars ole. Wuz bawn in slavery. Wuz freed w'en de slavery
+stopped. Mack Ramsey wuz mah marster en he wuz sho good ter his
+slaves. He treated dem as human bein's. W'en he turned his slaves
+'loose he gib dem no money, but gib dem lands, clothin' en food 'til
+dey could brang in dere fust crop. Mah daddy rented a strip ob land
+'til he wuz able ter buy de place. He lived on de same fer menny
+y'ars."
+
+"W'en I wuz ole er'nuff I wuz taught ter spin en weav. I bucum de nuss
+ter de marster's onlies' chile. Soon atter I wuz freed, I went ter
+Wisconsin, but only wuz dere fer a y'ar, den I kum back ter Tennessee
+en Nashville. I settled in dis house en I'se bin livin' in hit fer
+ovuh fifty y'ars. Dere wuz no uther houses 'round 'yer at de time. I
+own de place. Hab wuk'd all mah life seem ter me. At one time I wuz a
+chambermaid at de Nicholson House now de Tulane en later 'kum a sick
+nuss, a seamstress, dressmaker but now I pieces en sells bed quilts. I
+does mah own housekeepin' en washin'."
+
+"I don't member now, very much 'bout de Ku Klux Klan. I do member dat
+one nite dey passed our home en I grab'ed a shotgun en said dat I wuz
+gwine ter shoot dem ef dey kum on de place. I members de Battle ob
+Murfreesboro, but I'se got no membrances ob any slave uprisin'."
+
+"I think very lettle ob de younger ginerashon. Dere's many things ter
+day dat should be changed, but I'se 'yer en can't do nuthin' ter
+change hit. I's min'in mah own business. I puts mah faith en trust in
+Gawd's han's; en treats mah nabers right; en lives honest. I 'longs
+ter de Christian Chuch, but don't wan'ter be called a "Campbellite."
+
+"De songs I members ez:
+
+Am I a Soldier ob de Cross.
+Am I Bawn ter Die?
+'Tis 'Ligion Dat Can Gib."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+NAISY REECE
+710 Overton St.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I wuz bawn in slavery, in Williamson County, guess I'se 'bout 80
+y'ars ole. Think I wuz fou' w'en de wah started."
+
+"Mah mammy en daddy wuz Mary en Ennock Brown."
+
+"Mah missis en marster wuz Polly en Randall Brown."
+
+"Dunno ob any ob our fam'ly bein' sold. W'en freedum wuz declar' we
+wuz tu'n loose wid nothin'. Mah daddy tuk us down in de kuntry, raised
+crops en made us wuk in de fiel'."
+
+"I'se cooked a leetle fer urther peeple, but mos' ob mah wuk has bin
+laundry. I didn't go ter schul much. I dunno w'at ter say 'bout de
+younger gineratshun; dere ez sich a diff'unce now ter w'at hit wuz
+w'en I wuz a girl. Dunno any tales dat I useter 'year."
+
+"Didn't see any Klu Klux Klan, but I alluz got skeered en hid w'en
+we'd 'year dey wuz kumin'. I 'long ter de Baptist Church. I neber went
+ter menny camp-meetin's, but went ter a lot ob baptizins."
+
+"Mammy tole us how de sta'rs fell en how skeered eberybody got. I saw
+de long tail comet."
+
+_Signs_: "Good luck ter git up 'fore day-lite ef'n youer gwin sum
+place er start sum wuk." "Bad luck ter sweep flo' atter dark en sweep
+de dirt out."
+
+_Songs_: "I Couldn't Hear Anybody Pray."
+       "Ole Time 'Ligion."
+       "Cross De Riber Jordan."
+
+"I'se neber voted, en hab neber had any frens in office. Neber knowed
+nothin' 'bout de slave mart er de 'structshun days."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+MILLIE SIMPKINS
+"BLACK MAMIE"
+1004 10th Avenue, No.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+I claims I's 109 ye'ars ole en wuz bawn neah Winchester, Tennessee.
+Mah marster wuz Boyd Sims en mah missis wuz Sarah Ann Ewing Sims. Mah
+mammy wus named Judy Ewing en mah daddy wuz Moses Stephens en he wus
+"free bawn." He wuz de marster's stable boy en followed de races. He
+run 'way en nebber kum back.
+
+Mah fust missis wuz very rich. She had two slave 'omen ter dress her
+eve'y mawnin' en I brought her breakfust ter her on a silvah waitah.
+She wuz ma'ied three times, her second husband wuz Joe Carter en de
+third wuz Judge Gork.
+
+Mah fust missis sold me kaze I wuz stubborn. She sent me ter de "slave
+yard" at Nashville. De yard wuz full ob slaves. I stayed dere two
+weeks 'fore marster Simpson bought me. I wuz sold 'way fum mah husband
+en I nebber se'd 'im 'gin. I had one chile which I tuk wid me.
+
+De slave yard wuz on Cedar Street. A Mr. Chandler would bid de slaves
+off, but 'fore dey started biddin' you had ter tek all ob yo Clothes
+off en roll down de hill so dey could see dat you didn't hab no bones
+broken, er sores on yer. (I wouldin' tek mine off). Ef nobody bid on
+you, you wuz tuk ter de slave mart en sold. I wuz sold dere. A bunch
+ob dem wuz sent ter Mississippi en dey had dere ankles fas'end
+tergedder en dey had ter walk w'iles de tradahs rid.
+
+W'en I wuz sold ter marster Simpkins, mah second mistress made me a
+house slave en I wuked only at de big house en mah wuk wus ter nuss en
+dress de chilluns en he'ps mah missis in her dressin'.
+
+De young slaves wuz hired out ter nuss de white chilluns. I wuz hired
+as nuss girl at seven y'ars ole en started cookin' at ten. I nebber
+had a chance ter go ter schul.
+
+I'm de mammy ob 14 chilluns, seven boys en seven gals. I wuz next ter
+de olest ob four chillun. Mah missis useter hire me out ter hotels en
+taverns.
+
+Sum marsters fed dare slaves meat en sum wouldin' let dem hab a bite.
+One marster we useter 'yer 'bout would grease his slaves mouth on
+Sunday mawnin', en tell dem ef any body axed ef dey had meat ter say
+"yes, lots ob hit".
+
+W'en dey got ready ter whup dem dey'd put dem down on a pit widout any
+clothes, stand back wid a bull whup en cut de blood out. I member de
+niggers would run 'way en hide out.
+
+De only fun de young folks had wuz w'en de ole folks had a quiltin'.
+W'ile de ole folks wuz wukin' on de quilt de young ones would git in
+'nuther room, dance en hab a good time. Dey'd hab a pot turned down at
+de do'er ter keep de white folks fum 'yearin' dem. De white folks
+didn't want us ter l'arn nothin' en ef a slave picked up a lettle
+piece ob papah, dey would yell "put dat down you--you wan't ter git in
+our business."
+
+De white folks wouldin' let de slaves pray, ef dey got ter pray hit
+wuz w'iles walkin' 'hind de plow. White folks would whup de slaves ef
+dey 'yeard dem sing er pray.
+
+I wuz a big girl w'en dey build de Capitol. I played on de hill 'fore
+hit wuz built en I toted blocks fum dere w'en hit wuz bein' built. I
+wuz livin' in Dickson County w'en Fort Donelson wuz tuk. I seed de
+fust gun boat dat kum up de Cumberland River. I wuz standin' in de
+Do'er w'en I se'd hit kumin', but hit didn't tek me long ter git back
+in de back ob de house. I wuz skeered dey would shoot.
+
+Mah marster run a fer'y en atter de gun boat kum up de riber, he got
+skeered en gib mah ole man de fer'y, en w'en de soldiers kum ter tek
+Fort Negley he set dem 'cross de river.
+
+A man at Ashland City dat made whisk'y would hab Mr. Simpkins bring a
+load ob logs up ter Ashland City en den bring a load ob whiskey down
+en hide hit so de Yankees would'nt git hit.
+
+Mah marster had a fish trap at de mouth ob Harper en w'en de gun boat
+passed dey shot thro' de trap.
+
+I wuz right 'yer w'en de Civil wah wuz gwin on, en de soldiers wuz
+dressed up en beatin' de drums.
+
+No honey we didn't git nothin' w'en we wuz freed. Jes druv 'way widout
+nothin' ter do wid. We got in a waggin en druv ter nuther man's
+plantashun. Mah ole man made a crap dere. Sum ob de slaves might hab
+got sump'in but I dunno nobody dat did. I wuz skeered ter op'n mah
+do'er atter dark on 'count ob Ku Klux Klan, dey wuz red hot.
+
+I member w'en de sta'rs fell. I wuz small but de ole folks run out en
+looked at dem, kum back set down en cried, dey tho't hit me'nt de
+worl' wuz kumin' ter an end.
+
+De peeple wuz skeered w'en dey se'd de comet wid de long tail. Dey
+tho't hit wuz a sign ob wah.
+
+I'se cooked eve'y since I wuz freed. I stayed in Henry Galbles kitchen
+five long y'ars, en since I'se had dese strokes hit's broke me up
+'till I kin do nothin'. I 'long ter de Methodist Church. I think de
+young peeples ez turrible, en dis white en black mar'iags not be
+'lowed.
+
+De songs I member ez:
+
+"Dark wuz de Night".
+"Good Ole Daniel".
+
+I'se nebber voted but I'se electioneered fer dem. Hab nebber had any
+frens in office.
+
+I wuz 'yer w'en Henry Clay en James K. Polk wuz runnin'. I wuz hired
+at de ole City Hotel ovuh on de river. I wuz din'in room servant dere.
+Mah marster would hab me sing a song fer him 'bout de Democrats.
+"Hooray de kuntry ez risin'; rise up en drown ole Clay en his pizen".
+I guess ole Clay wuz a right good fellow but he played cards wid de
+niggers in de cellar.
+
+De only thing I member 'bout de 'structshun time wuz sum ob de whites
+didn't wan' de niggers ter vote.
+
+I stays 'yer wid mah daughter. Dat ez de only support I hab since I
+had deze strokes en bin unable ter do fer mahse'f.
+
+
+
+
+_Ex-Slave Stories_
+
+Subject: _Joseph_ _Leonidas_ _Star_,
+# 133 Quebec Place,
+_Knoxville_, _Tennessee_
+
+
+If the poetic strain in the Dunbar Negroes of the south is an
+inheritance and not "just a gift from On High," Knoxville, Tennessee's
+aged Negro Poet,--born Joseph Leonidas Star,--but prominently known in
+the community as "Lee" Star, Poet, Politician and Lodge Man,--thinks
+that Georgia's poetic genius Paul Lawrence Dunbar, "maybe took his
+writin' spells" from him.
+
+"My grandfather and Paul Lawrence Dunbar's grandfather was cousins. He
+were a much younger man than I am, for I was eighty-one years old the
+twenty-sixth of December, 1937. So I reckon I give it down to my
+kin-man. But it seem to me, that Poets is just born thataway. Po'try
+is nothin' but Truth anyway, and it's Truth was sets us free. And that
+makes me a free-born citizen bothways and every ways. I were born
+free. I were always happy-natured and I expect to die thataway. One of
+my poems is named, 'Be Satisfied!' and I say in it that if a man's got
+somethin' to eat, and teeth to bite, he should be satisfied. You cant
+take your goods with you. Old man Rockefeller, when he died here
+awhile back, went away from here 'thout his hat and shoes. That's the
+way its goin' to be with all us, no matter what our color is."
+
+"The people 'round here calls me "Lee" Star, and I want to tell you,
+Lee Star is a free-born man. But of course, things bein' as they were,
+both my mother and father were slaves. That is for a few years. They
+lived in Greenville, Tennessee. My mother, Maria Guess, was free'd
+before the emancipation, by the good words of her young white
+mistress, who told 'me [TR: 'em] all when she was about to die, she
+wanted 'em to set Maria free, 'cause she didn't want her little
+playmate to be nobodys else's slave. They was playmates you see. My
+mother was eleven years old when she was freed."
+
+"When she was about fourteen and my father Henry Dunbar wanted to
+marry he had to first buy his freedom. In them times a slave couldn't
+marry a free'd person. So he bought his freedom from his Marster Lloyd
+Bullen, and a good friend of Andrew Johnson, the presi-dent. My father
+an' him was friends too. So he bought his freedom, for just a little
+of somethin' I disremember what, 'cause they didn't aim to make him
+buy his freedom high. He made good money though. He was a carpenter,
+blacksmith, shoe maker and knowed a lot more trades. His Master was
+broadhearted, and good to his slaves, and he let 'em work at anything
+they want to, when they was done their part of white folks
+chore-work."
+
+"Both my father and mother was learned in the shoe makin' trade. When
+they come to Knoxville to live, and where I was born, they had a great
+big shoe shop out there close to where Governor Brownlow lived.
+Knoxville just had three streets, two runnin' east and west and one
+run north and south. I well remember when General Burnside come to
+Knoxville. That was endurin' the siege of Knoxville. Before he marched
+his men out to the Battle of Fort Saunders, he stopped his solider
+[TR: soldier] band in front of our shoe shop and serenaded my mother
+and father. I was a little boy and I climed up on the porch bannisters
+and sat there and lissen' to that music."
+
+"I remember another big man come here once when I was a boy and I
+served the transient trade at a little eatin' place right where the
+Atkin Ho-tel is now. Jeff Davis come there to eat, when he stopped
+over between trains. That was in 1869. No, I disremember what he eat
+or how he behave. He didnt seem no different from any other man. He
+was nince lookin' wore a long tail coat and his boots was plenty
+blacked. He favored pictures of Abraham Lincoln. Was about
+middle-height and had short, dark chin-whiskers. I were very busy at
+the time, an' if they was any excitement I didnt know it."
+
+"Yes, I've seen many a slave in my day. One of my boy playmates was a
+slave child. His name is Sam Rogan and he lives now at the County Poor
+Farm. I make it a point not to dwell too much on slave times. I was
+learned different. I've had considerable schoolin', went to my first
+school in the old First Presbyterian church. My teachers was white
+folks from the North. They give us our education and give us clothes
+and things sent down here from the North. That was just after the
+surrender. I did see a terrible sight once. A slave with chains on him
+as long as from here to the street. He was in an ole' buggy, settin'
+between two white men and they was passin' througn Knoxville. My
+mother and father wouldnt lissen' to me tell 'em about it when I got
+home. And I hope I forget everything I ever knowed or heard about
+salves [TR: slaves], and slave times."
+
+Joseph Leonidas Star, no longer works at the shoemakers trade. He
+writes poetry and lives leisurely in a three room frame shanty, in a
+row of shabbier ones that face each other disconsolately on a typical
+Negro alleyway, that has no shade trees and no paving. "Lee's" house
+is the only one that does not wabble uneasily, flush with the muddy
+alley. His stands on a small brick foundation, a few feet behind a
+privet hedge in front, with a brick wall along the side in which he
+has cemented a few huge conch shells.
+
+After fifty-four years residence here, a political boss in his ward,
+and the only Negro member of the Young White Men's Republican League,
+Star's influence in his community is attested by the fact that when he
+"destructed", the Knoxville City Council to "please do somethin' about
+it, Knoxville being too big a city to keep callin' street's alleys,"
+the City Council promptly and unanimously voted to change the name of
+King's Alley to Quebec Place.
+
+When the interviewer called, Star's door was padlocked. But he
+appeared soon, having received word by the grape-vine system that some
+one "was to see him",--"They told me it was the Sherriff" he laughed.
+He came down the long muddy alley at a lively clip. He claimes he is
+able to walk about 20 miles each day, just to keep in condition. He
+wore a broad-brimmed black "derby-hat", a neatly pressed serge suit in
+two tones, a soiled white pleated shirt and a frazzled-edged black bow
+tie. His coat lapels and vest-front were adorned with badges and
+emblems, including his Masonic pins, a Friendship Medal, his
+Republican button and a silver crucifix. The Catholic church,
+according to Lee, is the only one in Knoxville which permits the black
+man to worship under the same roof with his white brothers.
+
+Many of Star's poems have been published in the local and state
+papers. He keeps a record of deaths of all citizens, and has done so
+for sixty years. He calls the one, which records murders and hanging,
+his "Doomsday Book", and "encoached" in it he claims is an accurate
+date record of all such events of importance in his lifetime. His
+records are neatly inscribed in a printing form and very legible. His
+conversation is marked by grammatical incongruities, but he does not
+speak the Negro dialect.
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+DAN THOMAS
+941 Jefferson Street
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I wuz bawn in slavery in 1847 at Memphis, Tennessee en mah marster
+wuz Deacon Allays. Mah mammy wuz de cook at de big house. Mah mammy
+d'ed soon atter I wuz bawn, en de Missis had me raised on a bottle.
+Marster en Missis treatus all dere slaves kindly en plenty ter eat en
+eve'y one wuz happy. I dunno nuthin 'bout mah daddy er whar he went. I
+hab no kin in dis worl'. All I eber yeard wuz dat all mah folks kum
+fum Africa. Mah Missis would tell me dat I mus' be good en mine en
+eberbody will lak' you en ef she d'ed, dey would tek keer ob me. Dat
+ez w'at dey hab don."
+
+"I wuked 'round de house 'tel I wuz 'bout ten y'ars ole en de Marster
+put me ter wuk in his big whiskey house. W'en I got 'bout 21 y'ars
+ole, I would go out ter collect bills fum Marster's customers en hit
+tuk me 'bout a week ter git all 'round. I wuzn't 'lowed ter tek money
+but had ter git dere checks. I also wuked 18 y'ars as bar tender.
+Marster en Mistress d'ed 'bout four y'ars 'fore whiskey went out ob de
+United States. I stay wid dem 'til dey d'ed."
+
+"Atter de Marster en Missis d'ed de doctor sezs I would hab ter leave
+Memphis on 'count ob my health. I kum ter Nashville en got a job at de
+"Powder Plant" durin' de Worl' War, en stayed dere 'til hit wuz ovuh.
+I den gets wuk at Foster en Creighton in Nashville 'till dey tole me
+dat I wuz too ole ter wuk. I makes mah livin' now by haulin' slop en
+pickin' up things dat de white folks throw in dere trash pile en sum
+ob hit I sell ter de papah en junk dealers. De white peeple he'p me
+now also."
+
+"I se'd dem sell a lot ob slaves in Mississippi, jes' lak hosses en
+hogs, one time w'en de Marster en Mistress made a trip down dere. Lots
+ob times dey made trips 'round de kuntry en dey allus tuk me 'long. I
+se'd sum cru'l Marsters dat hitched up dere slaves ter plows en made
+dem plow lak hosses en mules did."
+
+"Atter de slaves got dere freedum, dey had ter look atter demselves,
+so dey would wuk on plantations till dey got so dey could rent a
+place, lak you rent houses en farms terday. Sum got places whar dey
+wuk'd fer wages."
+
+"I voted three times in mah life but lawdy dat wuz a long time ago. I
+voted fer Teddy Roosevelt en Woodrow Wilson, en mah last vote wuz
+'bout two y'ars pas'."
+
+"Hab no tales handed down by mah peeple. W'en I would try ter git
+info'mation, atter I got o'ler, all dey would say wuz, "You wuz raised
+on a bottle en hab no peeple ob you own."
+
+"Oh mah goodness! Hit jes par'lises me ter see how dem young peeple ez
+doin' terday. Lawdy hab mercy but dere ez as much diff'ent fum ole
+times as day en nite en hit looks lak things hab gone astray. Wuz tole
+lots 'bout de Ku Klux Klan en how dey would catch en whup de cul'ed
+peeple, but mah white folks made me stay in en dey neber got me."
+
+"I member seein' Andrew Jackson, General Grant en Abraham Lincoln,
+member seein' General Andrew Jackson git'in ready fer war by marchin'
+his soldiers erroun'. I se'd 'im ride his big white hoss up en down
+ter see how dey marched."
+
+"One song I lack'd best ob all wuz, 'Mah ole Mammy ez De'd en Gon','
+'Let me Sit B'neath de Willow Tree.' Don't member uther songs now."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+Sylvia Watkins
+411 14th Avenue N.
+Nashville, Tennessee.
+
+
+I'se said ter be 91 y'ars ole. I wuz young w'en de War wuz goin' on. I
+wuz bawn in Bedford County. Mah mammy wuz named Mariah. She had six
+chillun by mah daddy en three by her fust husband.
+
+Mah missis wuz named Emily Hatchet en de young missises wuz Mittie en
+Bettie, dey wuz twins. We had good clothes ter w'ar en w'en we went
+ter de table hit wuz loaded wid good food en we could set down en eat
+our stomachs full. Oh Lawd I wish dem days wuz now so I'd hab sum good
+food. Ob course, we had ter wuk in de fiel's en mek w'at we et.
+
+Wen we'd finish our day's wuk our missis would let us go out en play
+hide en seek, Puss in de corner, en diff'ent games.
+
+Mah mammy wuz sold in Virginia w'en she wuz a gurl. She sezs 'bou 60
+ob em wuz put in de road en druv down 'yer by a slave trader, lak a
+bunch ob cattle. Mah mammy en two ob mah sistahs wuz put on a block,
+sold en carried ter Alabama. We neber 'yeard fum dem nomo', en dunno
+whar dey ez.
+
+I wuz willed ter mah young missis w'en she ma'ried. I wuz young en, ob
+course, she whuped me, but she wasn't mean ter me. I needed eve'y
+whupin' she eber gib me, cause I wuz allus fightin'. Mah missis allus
+called me her lettle nig.
+
+Mah daddy could only see mah mammy Wednesday en Saturday nites, en
+ef'n he kum wid'out a pass de pat-rollers would whup 'im er run 'im
+'til his tongue hung out. On dem nites we would sit up en look fer
+daddy en lots ob times he wuz out ob bref cose he had run so much.
+
+Mah white folks had a loom en we wove our own clothes. I wuz nuss en
+house girl en l'arned how ter sew en nit. Mah young missis wuz blind
+'fore she died. I useter visit her once a Ye'r en she'd load me down
+wid things ter tek home, a linsey petticoat, ham bones, cracklins en
+diff'ent things. She died 18 years ago almos' a 100 ye'r ole.
+
+De white folks wouldn't let de slaves hab a book er papah fer fear
+dey'd l'arn sumpin', en ef dey wan'ed ter pray dey'd tu'n a kettle
+down at dere cabin do'er. I member yearin' mah mammy pray "Oh Father
+op'n up de do'ers en sho us lite." I'd look up ter de ceiling ter see
+ef he wuz gonna op'n up sumpin'; silly, silly me, thinkin' such. I's
+'longs ter de Missionary Baptist chuch but I don't git ter go very
+off'n.
+
+I wuz tole 'fore freedum dat de slaves would git a mule, land en a new
+suit, but our missis didn't gib us a thing. She promis' me, mah
+br'rer, en three sistahs ef'n we would stay wid her a ye'r, en he'p
+her mek a crop she would gib us sump'in ter start us a crop on w'en we
+lef' her.
+
+Mah daddy's marster wus named Bob Rankin, he gib mah daddy a hog, sum
+chickens, let him hab a cow ter milk en land ter raise a crop on. He
+wan'ed mah daddy ter git us tergedder ter he'p daddy raise a crop but
+since mah missis had promised us so much, daddy let us stay wid her a
+ye'r. On de nite mah daddy kum fer us, mah missis sezs I've not got
+nuthin ter gib you, fer I won't hab nobody ter do nuthin fer me. We
+went wid our daddy. We lived dere on Marster Rankin's farm fer ye'rs
+in fact so long we tho't de place 'longed ter mah daddy. We had a
+house wid big cracks in hit, had a big fier place, a big pot dat hong
+on de fier en a skillet dat we cooked corn bread in. Had a hill ob
+taters under de house, would raise up a plank, rake down in de dirt
+git taters, put dem in de fier ter roast. We had meat ter eat in de
+middle ob de day but none at mawnin' er nite. We got one pair ob shoes
+a ye'r, dey had brass on de toes. I uster git out en shine de toes ob
+mine, we called hit gol' on our shoes. We wuked in de fiel' wid mah
+daddy, en I know how ter do eberting dere ez ter do in a fiel' 'cept
+plow, I wuz allus ter slender ter hold a plow. We had grease lamps. A
+thing lak a goose neck wid platted rag wick in hit. Would put grease
+in hit.
+
+Durin' slavery ef one marster had a big boy en 'nuther had a big gal
+da marsters made dem libe tergedder. Ef'n de 'oman didn't hab any
+chilluns, she wuz put on de block en sold en 'nuther 'oman bought. You
+see dey raised de chilluns ter mek money on jes lak we raise pigs ter
+sell.
+
+Mah mammy tole me 'bout de sta'rs fallin' en den I se'ed de second
+fallin' ob sta'rs. Dey didn't hit de groun' lak de fust did. I member
+de comet hit had a long tail. I lef' mah daddy en kum ter Nashville
+wid missis Nellie Rankin, (daddy's young missus) in 1882; hab bin 'yer
+eber since. I'se dun house wuk fer a lot ob peeples. Kep house fer a
+'oman in Belle Meade fer 14 ye'rs. Now I'se aint able ter do nothin.
+I'se bin ma'ried twice. Ma'ried Jimm Ferguson, libed wid 'im 20 ye'ars
+he d'ed. Two ye'ars later I mar'ed George Watkins, lived wid him 8
+ye'ars; two ye'ars ago he died. I'se neber had any chilluns. I kep
+wan'in ter 'dopt a lettle gal, de fust husban' wouldn't do hit. 'Bout
+5-1/2 ye'ars ago de second husban' George kum in wid a tiny baby, sezs
+'yer ez a boy baby I 'dopted. I sezs dat ez you own baby cose hits jes
+like yer. He denied hit, but eben now de boy ez e'zackly lak George.
+He's six ye'rs ole en gwine ter school. I'se got mah hands full tryin'
+ter raise 'im 'lone. W'en George died he had a small inshorance
+policy. I paid mah taxes, I owns dis home, en bought mahself three
+hogs. I sold two en kilt one. Den I got three mor' jes' a short time
+ago. Sum kind ob zeeze got among dem en dey all d'ed.
+
+Yas I'se voted four er five times, but neber had any frens in office.
+I don' think dis white-black mar'iage should be 'lowed. Dey should be
+whupped wid a bull whup.
+
+As far as I know de ex-slaves hab wuked at diff'ent kins ob jobs en
+now sum I know ez in de po-house, sum git' in relief order en urthers
+ez lak mahself, hab dere homes en gettin' 'long bes' dey kin. I needs
+milk en cod liver oil fer dis lettle boy but can't buy it.
+
+I dunno nothin' 'bout slave uprisin's. De songs I member ez:
+
+"All Gawds Chilluns up Yonder."
+"I want ter Shout Salvation."
+"Down by de River Side."
+
+
+
+
+INTERVIEW
+NARCISSUS YOUNG
+Rear 532 1st Street No.
+Nashville, Tennessee
+
+
+"I'se 96 y'ars ole. Bawn in slavery en mah marster wuz Isham Lamb en
+mah missis wuz Martha Lamb. Mah mammy d'ed w'en I wuz three y'ars ole
+en I wuz raised in de house 'til I wuz big 'nuff ter wuk out in de
+fiels wid de uthers. Mah missis l'arn me ter sew, weav en spin. I also
+he'lped ter cook en wuk in de house. Atter I got big'er I went ter
+chuch wid mah white folks en had ter set wid urther slaves in dat part
+ob de chuch whar nobody but slaves would be 'lowed. In slavery I'se
+git no money fer wuk'n but I don' steal as mah white folks sho gib me
+en de uther slaves plenty good things ter eat. Clothes good 'nuff fer
+anybody, candy, en we went ter parties en urther places, en w'at else
+could I'se wan'?"
+
+"Mah missis l'arned me ter pray, "Now I lay me down ter sleep. I pray
+de Lawd mah soul ter keep, but if I should die 'fore I wake, I pray de
+Lawd mah soul ter tek." I jined de Primitive Baptist Chuch w'ile young
+en b'en dere ebe'y since."
+
+"I member de ole song back dere, "Rock a Bye Baby, Yo Daddy's gon' a
+Huntin' ter git a Rabbit Skin ter put de Baby in."
+
+"I wuz whup'd by mah missis fer things dat I ought'n dun, but dat wuz
+rite. De hahdest whup'in she eber gib me wuz 'bout two hen aigs. I had
+gathured de aigs in a bucket en tuk dem ter de house en I se'd de big
+fier in de fier-place so I tuk out two ob de aigs en put dem in de hot
+ashes ter bake. Mah missis se'd de aigs en axed who put dem dere. I
+tole her I didunt do hit, but she knowed I did. So she tole me she
+don' keer 'bout de two aigs, but dat she wuz gwine ter whup me fer
+tellin' a lie. Dey don't raise chilluns lak dat now."
+
+"I don't b'leeve in Niggers en whites ma'rin' en I wuz raised by de
+"quality" en I'se b'leeves eber one should ma'rie in dere culor."
+
+"I think de young peeples ob ter day ez dogs en sluts, en yer kin
+guess de rest."
+
+"One day 'bout 12 o'clock we se'd de Yankee soldiers pas' our house.
+De missus hid her fine things, but dey don' kum on de place. All us
+Niggers run ter de cellar en hid. We found de sugah barrels en we
+scracht 'round fer sum sugah ter eat."
+
+"One time de Ku Klux Klan kum ter our house but dey harm nobody. Guess
+day wuz lookin' fer sum slave er sum one fum 'nother plantation widout
+dere marster's pass."
+
+"I se'd a lot ob sta'rs fall one time but dey neber teched de groun'.
+En I members seein' a comet wid a long bright shinin' tail."
+
+"Atter freedom all de slaves lef' de plantation but I stayed dere a
+long time. I kum ter Nashville ovah thurty y'ars ago en I'se wuk'd as
+cook en house wuk'r twenty y'ars fer one party; eleben y'ars fer
+'nother, en menny y'ars fer 'nother. I knows you won't b'leeve me but
+at one time I weigh ovuh 400 pounds, but now I'm nothin' but skin en
+bon'. (She weighs at least 200 pounds now). I bekum feeble en couldn't
+wuk out, en eber since den I'se bin kum' up a mountain, but now I git
+he'ps by de Social Security."
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+Transcriber's Notes
+
+Corrected the typos per handwritten instructions. The inconsistencies
+in spelling and punctuation have been left as in the original text,
+except for adding the missing opening and closing quotation marks for
+consistency in certain interviews.
+
+One word at the bottom of page 25 was illegible, but upon careful
+examination at high magnification, and considering that the other
+interviewers asked whether families were divided, my best guess is
+the word may be men: Nebber knowed ob any plantashuns men be divided.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+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 ***
+
+***** This file should be named 19932.txt or 19932.zip *****
+This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
+        http://www.gutenberg.org/1/9/9/3/19932/
+
+Produced by Diane Monico 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.