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diff --git a/old/28973-h.zip b/old/28973-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index acad533..0000000 --- a/old/28973-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/old/28973-h/28973-h.htm b/old/28973-h/28973-h.htm deleted file mode 100644 index 68f0b36..0000000 --- a/old/28973-h/28973-h.htm +++ /dev/null @@ -1,2538 +0,0 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> - -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> - <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of Slave Narratives, Volume XVII, - Virginia Narratives, by the Federal Writers' Project of - the Works Progress Administration for the State of Virginia - </title> - <style type="text/css"> - - body {margin-left: 12%; - margin-right: 12%; - } - - p {margin-top: .75em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .75em; - } - - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; - } - - hr {width: 100%; /* horiz. rules */ - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - clear: both; - } - hr.hr5 {width: 5%;} - hr.hr33 {width: 33%;} - hr.hr65 {width: 65%;} - hr.hrtitl {width: 45%; - height: 1px; - margin-top: .5em; - margin-bottom: .5em; - } - - table {margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - line-height: 90%; - } - - a:link {color: navy; text-decoration: none} /* unvisited link */ - a:visited {color: maroon; text-decoration: none} /* visited link */ - a:hover {text-decoration: underline} /* mouse over link */ - a:active {color: navy} /* selected link */ - - .pagenum {position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: small; - text-align: right; - color: gray - } - - .hoverlink {border-style: none;} /* mousehover box */ - .hoverbox {border-bottom: .07em dotted gray;} /* underlined typos */ - - .center {text-align: center;} - .right {text-align: right;} - .left {text-align: left;} - - .font130 {font-size: 130%;} - .hw {font-size: 90%;} - .bold {font-weight: bold;} - .serif {font-family: serif;} - .u {text-decoration: underline;} - .o {text-decoration: overline;} - .struck {text-decoration: line-through;} - - .rightfloat {float: right; - width: auto;} - - .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} - .poem br {display: none;} - .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} - .poem span.i8 {display: block; margin-left: 8em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - .poem span.i12 {display: block; margin-left: 12em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - .poem span.i13 {display: block; margin-left: 13em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} - - .tranotes {font-size: 75%; /* transcriber notes box */ - width: 85%; - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; - padding-left: 1em; - padding-right: 1em; - background: #fbf5e6; /* cream */ - } - - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery -in the United States, From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: Slave Narratives: a Folk History of Slavery in the United States, From Interviews with Former Slaves - Virginia Narratives - -Author: Work Projects Administration - -Release Date: May 26, 2009 [EBook #28973] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: VIRGINIA *** - - - - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by the -Library of Congress, Manuscript Division) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - -<h1>SLAVE NARRATIVES</h1> - -<h3><i>A Folk History of Slavery in the United States<br /> -From Interviews with Former Slaves</i></h3> - -<div class="center bold"> -<br /> -<br /> -TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY<br /> -THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT<br /> -1936-1938<br /> -ASSEMBLED BY<br /> -THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT<br /> -WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION<br /> -FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA<br /> -SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS<br /> -<br /><br /><br /><br /> -<hr class="hrtitl" /> - -WASHINGTON 1941 -<br /><br /><br /> -</div> - -<hr class="hr65" /> -<p><br /><br /></p> - -<h3><a name="VOLUME_XVII" id="VOLUME_XVII"></a>VOLUME XVII</h3> - -<h3>VIRGINIA NARRATIVES</h3> - -<div class="bold center"><br /><br /> -Prepared by<br /> -the Federal Writers' Project of<br /> -the Works Progress Administration<br /> -for the State of Virginia -<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> -</div> - -<div class="tranotes"> -<p>Transcriber's Note:<br /> -To reflect the individual character of this document, most -inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and formatting have been -retained. Obvious typos and some punctuation (mostly quotation marks) -have been fixed. Spelling changes are underlined in the text with a dotted line: -original text appears in a mouse hoverbox over each corrected word, like -<span title=" thsi " class="hoverbox">this</span>. All strike-outs over words were hand-written. -<br /><br /> -[HW: text] denotes hand-written addition unless otherwise noted.<br /> -[TR: text] denotes transcriber's note.<br/></p> -</div> - -<h2><br /><br /><a name="INFORMANTS" id="INFORMANTS">INFORMANTS</a></h2> - -<div class="center"> - -<table border="0" cellpadding="2" width="60%" cellspacing="0" summary="CONTENTS"> - -<tr> - <td align="left">Berry, Fannie</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#BERRY">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Crawley, Charles</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#CRAWLEY">7</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Fulkes, Minnie</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#FULKES">11</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Giwbs (Gibbs?), Georgina</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#GIWBS">15</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Goodwin, Candis</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#GOODWIN">17</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Grandy, Charles</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#GRANDY">21</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Harris, Della</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#HARRIS">24</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Hines, Marriah</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#HINES">27</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Hopson, Moble</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#HOPSON">31</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Jones, Albert</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#JONES">42</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Kelly, Susan, and Stokes, Simon</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#KELLY">44</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Slaughter, Richard</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#SLAUGHTER">46</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Sparks, Elizabeth</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#SPARKS">50</a></td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td> </td> - <td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> - <td align="left">Wilson, Mary Jane</td> - <td align="right"><a href="#WILSON">55</a></td> -</tr> -</table></div> - -<hr class="hr65" /> - - -<p class="font130"><br /><br /><a name="BERRY" id="BERRY" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450009</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[1]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mrs. Fannie Berry, Ex-slave<br /> -861 E. Bank Street—Petersburg, Virginia<br /> -By Susie Byrd, Petersburg, Virginia<br /> -Date—February 26, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">NAT TURNER</p> - -<p>Back 'fore the sixties, I can 'member my Mistress, Miss Sara Ann, -comin' to de window an' hollerin', "De niggers is arisin'! De niggers is -arisin'! De niggers is killin' all de white folks, killin' all de babies -in de cradle!" It must have been Nat Turner's Insurrection; which wuz -sometime 'fo de breakin' of de Civil War.</p> - -<p>I wuz waitin' on table in dinin' room an' dis day dey had finished -eatin' early an' I wuz cleanin' off table. Don't you know I must have -been a good size gal.</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">JOHN BROWN</p> - -<p>Yes, I 'member something 'bout him too. I know my Master came home -an' said, dat on his way to de gallows ole John stopped an' kissed a -little nigger child. "How com' I don't 'member? Don't tell me I don't -'cause I do. I don't care if its done bin a thousand years." I know -what Master said an' it is as fresh in my mind as it wuz dat day. Dis is -de song I herd my Master sing:</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i8">Old John Brown came to Harpers Ferry Town,<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Purpose to raise an insurrection;<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Old Governor Wise put the specks upon his eyes<br /></span> -<span class="i8">An' showed him the happy land of Canaan.<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">INVENTION</p> - -<p>My Master tole us dat de niggers started the railroad, an' dat a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[2]</a></span> -nigger lookin' at a boilin' coffee pot on a stove one day got the idea -dat he could cause it to run by putting wheels on it. Dis nigger being -a blacksmith put his thoughts into action by makin' wheels an' put coffee -on it, an' by some kinder means he made it run an' the idea wuz stole -from him an' dey built de steamengine.</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">RELATIONSHIP</p> - -<p>I wuz one slave dat de poor white man had his match. See Miss Sue? -Dese here ol' white men said, "what I can't do by fair means I'll do by -foul." One tried to throw me, but he couldn't. We tusseled an' knocked -over chairs an' when I got a grip I scratched his face all to pieces; an -dar wuz no more bothering Fannie from him; but oh, honey, some slaves -would be beat up so, when dey resisted, an' sometimes if you'll 'belled -de overseer would kill yo'. Us Colored women had to go through a plenty, -I tell you.</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">MARRIAGE</p> - -<p>Elder Williams married me in Miss Delia Mann's (white) parlor on de -crater road. The house still stands. The house wuz full of Colored people. -Miss Sue Jones an' Miss Molley Clark (white), waited on me. Dey took de -lamps an' we walked up to de preacher. One waiter joined my han' an' one -my husband's han'. After marriage de white folks give me a 'ception; an', -honey, talkin' 'bout a table—hit wuz stretched clean 'cross de dinin' -room. We had everythin' to eat you could call for. No, didn't have no -common eats. We could sing in dar, an' dance ol' squar' dance all us choosed, -ha! ha! ha! Lord! Lord! I can see dem gals now on dat flo'; jes skippin' an' a -trottin'. An' honey, dar wuz no white folks to set down an' eat 'fo yo'.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[3]</a></span></p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">WAR</p> - -<p>Now, Miss Sue, take up. I jes' like to talk to you, honey 'bout dem -days ob slavery; 'cause you look like you wan'ta hear all 'bout 'em. All -'bout de ol' rebels; an' dem niggers who left wid de Yankees an' were sat -free, but, poor things, dey had no place to go after dey got freed. Baby, -all us wuz helpless an' ain't had nothin'.</p> - -<p>I wuz free a long time 'fo' I knew it. My Mistess still hired me out, -'til one day in talkin' to de woman she hired me to, she, "God bless her -soul", she told me, "Fannie yo' are free, an' I don't have to pay your Master -for you now." You stay with me. She didn't give me no money, but let -me stay there an' work for vitals an' clothes 'cause I ain't had no where -to go. Jesus, Jesus, God help us! Um, Um, Um! You Chillun don't know. -I didn't say nothin' when she wuz tellin' me, but done 'cided to leave her -an' go back to the white folks dat fus own me.</p> - -<p>I plan' to 'tend a big dance. Let me see, I think it wuz on a Thursday -night. Some how it tooken got out, you know how gals will talk an' it -got to ol' Bil Duffeys ears (ol' dog!) an', baby do you know, mind you -'twont slavery time, but de 'oman got so mad cause I runned away from her -dat she get a whole passel of 'em out looking for me. Dar wuz a boy, who -heard 'em talkin' an' sayin' dey wuz goin' to kill me if I were found. I -will never forget dis boy com' up to me while I wuz dancin' wid another -man an' sed, "nobody knowes where you ar', Miss Moore, dey is lookin' fer -you, an' is gwine kill you, so yo' come on wid me." Have mercy, have mercy -my Lord, honey, you kin jes 'magin' my feelin' fer a minute. I couldn't -move. You know de gals an' boys all got 'round me an' told me to go wid -Squreball, dat he would show me de way to my old Mistess house. Out we -took, an' we ran one straight mile up de road, den through de woods, den -we had to go through a straw field. Dat field seem' like three miles.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[4]</a></span> -After den, we met another skit of woods. Miss Sue, baby my eyes, (ha! ha! ha!) -wuz bucked an' too if it is setch a thin' as being so scared yo' hair stand -on yo' head, I know, mine did. An' dat wasn't all, dat boy an' me puffed -an' sweated like bulls. Was feared to stop, cause we might have been -tracked.</p> - -<p>At last we neared de house an' I started throwin' rocks on de porch. -Child I look an' heard dat white 'oman when she hit dat floor, bouncin' out -dat bed she mus' felt dat I wuz comin' back to her. She called all de men -an' had 'em throw a rope to me an' day drawed me up a piece to de window, -den I held my arms up an' dey snatched me in. Honey, Squreball fled to -de woods. I ain't never heard nothin' 'bout him. An' do you know, I didn't -leave day 'oman's house no more for fifteen years?</p> - -<p>Lord! Lord! honey, Squreball an' I use to sing dis song.</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i8">'Twas 1861, the Yankees made de Rebels run<br /></span> -<span class="i8">We'll all go stone blin'<br /></span> -<span class="i8">When de Johny's come a marchin' home.<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>Child an' here's another one we use to sing. 'Member de war done -bin when we would sing dese songs. Listen now:</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i8">Ain't no more blowin' of dat fo' day horn<br /></span> -<span class="i8">I will sing, brethern, I will sing.<br /></span> -<span class="i8">A col' frosty mornin' de nigger's mighty good<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Take your ax upon your shoulder.<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Nigger talk to de woods,<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Ain't no mor' blowin' of dat fo' day horn.<br /></span> -<span class="i8">I will sing brethern, I will sing.<br /></span> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[5]</a></span> -</div></div> - -<p><br /></p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i12">SONG</span> -<p><br /></p> -<span class="i8">Kemo, Kimo, dar you are<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Heh, ho rump to pume did'dle.<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Set back pinkey wink,<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Come Tom Nippecat<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Sing song Kitty cat, can't<br /></span> -<span class="i8">You carry me o'er?<br /></span> -<p><br /></p> -<span class="i13 u">2<br /></span> -<p><br /></p> -<span class="i8">Up de darkies head so bold<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Sing song, Kitty, can't you<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Carry me O'er?<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Sing Song, Kitty, can't yo'<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Carry me home?<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>I wuz at Pamplin an' de Yankees an' Rebels were fightin' an' dey -were wavin' the bloody flag an' a confederate soldier wuz upon a post an' -they were shootin' terribly. Guns were firin' everywhere.</p> - -<p>All a sudden dey struck up Yankee Doodle Song. A soldier came along [<span class="hw">HW</span>: and] -called to me, "How far is it to the Rebels", an I honey, wuz feared to -tell him. So, I said, "I don't know". He called me again. Scared to -death [<span class="hw">HW</span>: I was]. I recollect gittin' behind the house an' pointed in -the direction. You see, ef de Rebels knew dat I told the soldier, they -would have killed me.</p> - -<p>These were the Union men goin' after Lee's army which had don' bin -'fore dem to Appomattox.</p> - -<p>The Colored regiment came up behind an' when they saw the Colored -regiment they put up the white flag. (Yo' <span title=" 'menber " class="hoverbox">'member</span> -'fo' dis red or bloody flag was up). Now, do you know why dey raised dat white flag? Well, -honey, dat white flag wuz a token dat Lee, had surrendered.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[6]</a></span> -Glory! Glory! yes, child the Negroes are free, an' when they knew dat -dey were free dey, Oh! Baby! began to sing:</p> - -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i8">Mamy don't yo' cook no mo',<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free.<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Rooster don't yo' crow no mo',<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free.<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Ol' hen, don't yo' lay no mo' eggs,<br /></span> -<span class="i8">Yo' free, yo' free.<br /></span> -</div></div> - -<p>Sech rejoicing an' shoutin', you never he'rd in you' life.</p> - -<p>Yes, I can recollect de blowin' up of the Crater. We had fled, but -I do know 'bout the shellin' of Petersburg. We left Petersburg when de -shellin' commenced an' went to Pamplin in box cars, gettin' out of de -way. Dem were scared times too, cause you looked to be kilt any minute -by stray bullets. Just before the shellin' of Petersburg, dey were sellin' -niggers for little nothin' hardly.</p> - -<p>Junius Broadie, a white man bought some niggers, but dey didn't -stay slave long, cause de Yankees came an' set 'em free.</p> - -<hr class="hr33"/> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="CRAWLEY" id="CRAWLEY" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450003</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[7]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mr. Charles Crawley, Ex-slave<br /> -By—Susie Byrd—Petersburg, Virginia<br /> -Date—February 20, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">THE STORY OF CHARLES CRAWLEY, EX-SLAVE</p> - -<p>God knows how old I am. All I know is I wuz born 'fore de -war.</p> - -<p>Yes, I wuz a slave an' belonged to a family of Allen's in -Luenburg County, came here to dis Petersburg de second week of -Lee's surrender.</p> - -<p>My Marster and Mistess wuz good to me as well as all us -slaves. Dey owned 'bout fifty head of colored people. All de work -I did wuz to play an' drive cows, being only a boy worked around as -chillun; doin' dis, an' dat, little things de white folks would -call me to do.</p> - -<p>Marster Allen, owned my Mother, an' sister too; we emigrant -(emigrated) here, came to dis town of Petersburg after Lee's surrender, -I mean you now de ending of de Civil War. My mother, -sister, and I came on down de road in a box car, which stopped outside -de outskirts; hit didn't go through de city. Yes, I know when -de first railroads were built, de Norfolk and Western an' de -Atlantic Coast Line, dey were run through Petersburg an' in dem days -it wuz called de Southern.</p> - -<p>Mis and Mars' Allen didn't want us to leave dat part of de -Country to come to dis here place down de road, but we comed ourselves -to make a home fo' ourselves. Well now, we worked here an' -dar, wid dis here man an' dat man; O well, wid different people 'til -we bought us selves a home an' paid for it. Mother died right here -in dis here house; twelve years ago, dis comin' March 'leventh. I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[8]</a></span> -am yet livin' in dis same house, dat she an' us all labored an' -worked fo' by de sweat of our brow, an' wid dese hands, Lord! Lord! -Child dem days wuz some days. Lemme finish, baby, tellin' you 'bout -dis house. De groun' wad bought from a lady (colored) name Sis -Jackey, an' she wuz sometimes called in dem days de Mother of Harrison -Street Baptis' Church. I reccon dis church is de ol'est one -in Petersburg.</p> - -<p>O, yes, honey, I can 'member when de Yankees came into dis town; -dey broke in stores an' told all de niggers to go in an' git anything -dey wanted.</p> - -<p>When slaves ran away they were brought back to their Master and -Mistess; when dey couldn't catch 'em they didn't bother, but let 'em -go. Sometimes de slaves would go an' take up an' live at tother -places; some of 'em lived in de woods off of takin' things, sech as -hogs, corn, an' vegetables from other folks' farm. Well, if dese slaves -was caught, dey were sold by their new masters to go down South. Dey -tell me dem Masters down South wuz so mean to slaves dey would let -'em work dem cotton fields 'til dey fall dead wid hoes in dare hands, -'en would beat dem. I'm glad to say, we had good owners.</p> - -<p>There was a auction block, I saw right here in Petersburg on the -corner of Sycamore street and Bank street. Slaves were auctioned off -to de highest bidder. Some refused to be sold. By dat I mean, "cried". -Lord! Lord! I done seen dem young'uns fought and kick like crazy folks; -child it wuz pitiful to see 'em. Den dey would handcuff an' beat 'em -unmerciful. I don' like to talk 'bout back dar. It brun' a sad feelin' -up me. If slaves 'belled, I done seed dem whip 'em wid a strop cal' -"cat nine tails." Honey, dis strop wuz 'bout broad as yo' hand, from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[9]</a></span> -thum' to little finger, an' 'twas cut in strips up. Yo' done seen dese -whips dat they whip horses wid? Well dey was used too.</p> - -<p>You sed somethin' 'bout how we served God. Um, um, child, I tell -you jest how we use to do. We use to worship at different houses. You -see you would git a remit to go to dese places. You would have to show -your remit. If de Pattyrollers, caught you dey would whip yo'. Dats -de wa' dey done in dem da's. Pattyrollers, is a gang of white men gitting -together goin' through de country catching slaves, an' whipping an' -beatin' 'em up if dey had no remit. Marster Allen wouldn't 'llow no -one to whip an' beat his slaves, an' he would handle anybody if dey did; -so, Marster's slaves met an' worshipped from house to house, an honey, -we talked to my God all us wanted.</p> - -<p>You know we use to call Marster Allen, Colonel Allen. His name was -Robert. He was a home general, an' a lawyer, too. When he went to court -any slave he said to free, was freed an' turned aloose. De white fo'ks -as well as slaves obeyed Marster Allen.</p> - -<p>Did you know poor whites like slaves had to git a pass? I mean, a -remit like as slaves, to sell anythin' an' to go places, or do anythin'. -Jest as we colored people, dey had to go to some big white man like -Colonel Allen, dey did. If Marster wanted to, he would give dem a remit -or pass; an' if he didn't feel like it, he wouldn't do it. It was jes as -he felt 'bout hit. Dats what made all feared him. Ol' Marster was -more hard on dem poor white folks den he was on us niggers.</p> - -<p>I don't know but two sets of white folks slaves up my way; one was -name Chatman, an' de tother one Nellovies. Dese two families worked on -Allen's farm as we did. Off from us on a plot called Morgan's lot, -there dey lived as slaves jes like us Colored fo'ks. Yes de poor white -man had some dark an' tough days, like us poor niggers; I mean were<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[10]</a></span> -lashed an' treated, some of 'em, jes as pitiful an' unmerciful. Lord! -Lord! baby, I hope yo' young fo'ks will never know what slavery is, an' -will never suffer as yo' foreparents. O God! God! I'm livin' to tell -de tale to yo', honey. Yes, Jesus, yo've spared me.</p> - -<p>For clothin' we were 'lowed two suits a year—one fer spring, an' -one fer winter, was all yo' had. De underclothes were made at home. -Yo' also got two pairs of shoes an' homemade hats an' caps. The white -folks or your slave owners would teach dem who could catch on easy an' -dey would teach de other slaves, an' dats how dey kept all slaves -clothed. Our summer hats were made out of plaited straw, underclothes -made out of sacks an' bags.</p> - -<p>We had plenty of food such as 'twas—cornbread, butter milk, sweet -potatoes, in week days. Ha! Ha! honey, guess dat's why niggers don't -like cornbread today; dey got a dislike for dat bread from back folks. -On Sunday we had biscuits, and sometimes a little extra food, which ole -Mistess would send out to Mother for us.</p> - -<p>Fer as I think, if slavery had lasted, it would have been pretty -tough. As it was, some fared good, while others fared common. You know, -slaves who were beat an' treated bad; some of dem had started gittin' -together an' killin' de white folks when dey carried dem out to de field to -work. God is punishin' some of dem ol' suckers an' their chillun right -now fer de way dey use to treat us poor colored fo'ks.</p> - -<p>I think by Negro gittin' educated he has profited, an' dis here -younger generation is gwine to take nothin' off dese here poor white folks -when dey don't treat dem right, cause now dis country is a free country; no -slavery now.</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="FULKES" id="FULKES" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450013</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mrs. Minnie Fulkes<br /> -459 E. Byrne Street—Petersburg, Virginia<br /> -By—<span title=" Susue " class="hoverbox">Susie</span> Byrd<br /> -March 5, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>I was born the twenty-fifth of December and I am 77 years old. My mother -was a slave and she belonged to Dick Belcher in Chesterfield County. Old Dick -sold us again to Gelaspe Graves. 'Member now fifteen of mother's chillun went -with her having de same master.</p> - -<p>Honey, I don't like to talk 'bout dem times, 'cause my mother did suffer -<span title=" misert " class="hoverbox">misery.</span> You know dar was an' overseer -who use to tie mother up in de barn with a rope aroun' her arms up over -her head, while she stood on a block. Soon as dey got her tied, dis -block was moved an' her feet dangled, yo' know—couldn't tech de -flo'.</p> - -<p>Dis ol' man, now, would start beatin' her nekkid 'til the blood run down -her back to her heels. I took an' seed th' whelps an' scars fer my own self wid -dese here two eyes. (<span class="struck">this whip she said,</span> was a whip like -dey use to use on horses); it wuz a <span title=" peice " class="hoverbox">piece</span> -of leather 'bout as wide as my han' from little finger to thumb. After -dey had beat my muma all dey wanted another overseer. Lord, Lord, I hate -white people and de flood waters gwine drown some mo. Well honey dis man -would bathe her in salt and water. Don't you kno' dem places was a -hurtin'. Um, um.</p> - -<p>I asked mother what she done fer 'en to beat and do her so? She said, -nothin', tother than she refused to be wife to dis man.</p> - -<p>An' muma say, if he didn't treat her dis way a dozen times, it wasn't -nary one.</p> - -<p>Mind you, now muma's marster didn't know dis wuz going on. You know, if -slaves would tell, why dem overseers would kill 'em.</p> - -<p>An' she sed dat dey use to have meetings an' sing and pray an' th' ol' -paddy rollers would hear dem, so to keep th' sound from goin' out, slaves would<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -put a great big iron pot at the door, an' you know some times dey would fer git -to put ol' pot dar an' the paddy rollers would come an' horse whip every las' one -of 'em, jes cause poor souls were praying to God to free 'em from dat awful bondage.</p> - -<p>Ha! ha! ha! dar wuz one ol' brudder who studied fer 'em one day an' tol -all de slaves how to git even wid 'em.</p> - -<p>He tol' 'em to tie grape vines an' other vines across th' road, den when de -Paddy rollers come galantin' wid their horses runnin' so fast you see dem vines -would tangle 'em up an' cause th' horses to stumble and fall. An' lots of times, -badly dey would break dere legs and horses too; one interval one ol' poor devil -got tangled so an' de horse kept a carryin' him, 'til he fell off horse and next -day a sucker was found in road whar dem vines wuz wind aroun' his neck so many -times yes had choked him, dey said, "He totely dead." Serve him right 'cause dem -ol' white folks treated us so mean.</p> - -<p>Well, sometimes, you know dey would, the others of 'em, keep going 'til -dey fin' whar dis meeting wuz gwine on. Dey would come in and start whippin' an' -beatin' the slaves unmerciful. All dis wuz done to keep yo' from servin' God, an' -do you know some of dem devils wuz mean an' sinful 'nough to say, "Ef I ketch you -here agin servin' God I'll beat you. You haven't time to serve God. We bought you -to serve us." Um, um.</p> - -<p>God's gwine 'rod dem wicket marsters. Ef hit 'taint 'em whut gits hit, -hits gonna fall on deir chillun.</p> - -<p>In dem back days child, meetings wuz carried on jes like we do today, somewhatly. -Only difference is the slave dat knowed th' most 'bout de Bible would tell -and explain what God had told him in a vision (yo' young folks say, "dream") -dat dis freedom would come to pass; an' den dey prayed fer dis vision to come to -pass, an' dars whar de paddy rollers would whip 'em ag'in.</p> - -<p>Lord! Lord dey, pew! pew! pew! Baby, I jes kno' I could if I knowed how<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -to write, an' had a little learning I could put off a book on dis here situation. -Yo' kno what I mean 'bout dese way back questions yo' is a asking me to tell yo' -'bout; as fer as I can recallect in my mind.</p> - -<p>When Graves bought us, he sold three of us an' three slaves. My brother an' -sister went down south. Muma sed to de cotton country an' too, she say, "they were -made to <span title=" wrok " class="hoverbox">work</span> in th' cotton fields by their -new marster, out in dem white fields in th' brawlin' sun from th' time -it breaked day 'till yo' couldn't see at night an', yes indeedy, an' if -God isn't my right'ous judge they were given not half to eat, no not -'nough, to eat. Dey wuz beaten ef dey ask'd for any mo'".</p> - -<p>As to marriage, when a slave wanted to marry, why he would jes ask his marster -to go over and ask de tother marster could he take unto himself dis certain gal -fer a wife. Mind you now, all de slaves dat marster called out of quarters an' he'd -make 'em line up see, stand in a row like soldiers, and de slave man is wid his -marster when dis askin' is gwine on, and he pulls de gal to him he wants; an' de -marster den make both jump over broom stick an' after dey does, dey is prenounced -man an' wife, both stayin' wid same marsters (I mean ef John marries Sallie, John -stay wid his ol' marster an' Sal' wid hers, but had privileges, you know, like -married folks; an' ef chillun were born all of 'em, no matter how many, belonged -to de marster whar de woman stayed).</p> - -<p>If I aint made a mistake, I think it wuz in April when de war surrendered -an' muma an' all us wuz turned aloose in May. Yes dat ol' wench, a ol' heifer, -oh child, it makes my blood bile when I think 'bout it. Yes she kept muma ig'runt. -Didn't tell her nuthing 'bout being free 'til den in May.</p> - -<p>Den her mistess, Miss Betsy Godsey, tol' her she wuz free, an' she (muma) -coul' cook fer her jes th' same dat she would give her something to eat an' help -clothe us chillun, dat wuz ef muma continual' to sta wid her an' work.</p> - -<p>You see, we didn't have nuthin' an' no whar to go, um, um, um so we all, you -know, jes took en stayed 'til we wuz able wid God's help to pull us selves together. -But my God it wuz 'ginst our will, but, baby, couldn't help ourselves.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span></p> - -<p>My fathers master tol' him he could farm one half fer th' tother an' -when time rolled 'roun' fer dem 'viding crops he took an' give to him his part -like any honest man would do. Ah, Lord child, dem wuz terrible times too, oh! -it makes me shudder when I think of some slaves had to stay in de woods an' git -long best way dey could after freedom done bin' clared; you see slaves who had -mean master would rather be dar den whar dey lived. By an' by God opened a way -an' dey got wid other slaves who had huts. You see, after th' render no white -folks could keep slaves. Do yo' know even now, honey, an' dat done bin way bac' -yonder, dese ol' white folks think us poor colored people is made to work an' -slave fer dem, look! dey aint give you no wages worth nuthin'. Gal cook all week -fer two an' three dollars. How can you live off it, how kin, how kin yo'?</p> - -<p>My father waited on soldiers and after de s'render dey carried him an' -his brother as fer as Washington D.C. I think we all use to say den, "Washington -City." Aint you done heard folks talk 'bout dat city? 'Tis a grade big city, -daus whar de President of dis here country stay; an' in bac' days it wuz known -as 'vidin' lin' fer de North an' South. I done hear dem white folks tell all -'bout dem things—dis line. As I wuz tellin' you, his brother wuz kept, but dey -sent father bac' home. Uncle Spencer wuz left in Prince Williams County. All -his chillun ar' still dar. I don't know de name of Yankee who carried him off.</p> - -<p>Lord, Lord, Honey, dem times too over sad, 'cause Yankees took lots of -slaves away an' dey made homes. An' whole heap of families lost sight of each -other. I know of a case whar after hit wuz ten years a brother an' sister -lived side by side an' didn't know dey wuz blood kin.</p> - -<p>My views 'bout de chillun in dem bac' days is dat dese here chillun -what is now comin' up is too pizen brazen fer me.</p> - -<p>No jes' lem me tell you how I did I married when I wuz 14 years old. -So help me God, I didn't know what marriage meant. I had an idea when you loved -de man, you an' he could be married an' his wife had to cook, clean up, wash, -an' iron fer him was all. I slept in bed he on his side an' I on mine fer -<!--missing page number<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14b" id="Page_14b">[Pg 14b]</a></span>--> -three months an' dis aint no lie. Miss Sue, he never got close to me 'cause -muma had sed "Don't let no body bother yo' principle," 'cause dat wuz all yo' -had. I 'bey my muma, an' tol' him so, and I said to go an' ask muma an' ef she -sed he could get close to me hit was alright. An' he an' I went to gether to see -and ask muma.</p> - -<p>Den muma said "Come here chillun," and she began tellin' me to please my husband, -an' 'twas my duty as a wife, dat he had married a pu'fect lady.</p> - -<p>Dese here chillun don't think of deir principle. Run purfectly wild. Old -women too. Dey ain't all 'em true to one, but have two.</p> - -<p>Jes what is gittin' into dis generation; is hit de worl' comin' to an end?</p> - -<p>Ha! ha! ha! I goin' tel' yo' som'thin' else.</p> - -<p>I had a young man to come to see me one evenin' an' he sed dis to me, -"Miss Moore" "Let me jin my fence to your plantation."</p> - -<p>I give him his hat. I say, "no" yo' go yo' way an' I go mine. I wuz through -wid him, an' mind yo' I from dat da' 'til dis aint knowed what he wuz talkin' -'bout an' wuz ashamed to ask muma; but I thought he insulted me.</p> - -<p>I didn't never go to school. Had to work an' am working now an' when hit -breaks good weather, I go fishing. And who works dat big garden out dar? No body -but me.</p> - -<p>You know I'm mother of eleven chillun', an' 'tis seven living an' four of -dem ded.</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p><span class="font130"><a name="GIWBS" id="GIWBS" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450014</span></a></span> -<span class="rightfloat">Duplicate—Copy #1</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span class="bold">Interview of Mrs. Georgina Giwbs, Ex-slave<br /> -By—Thelma Dunston<br /> -Portsmouth, Virginia<br /> -January 15, 1937</span><br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>Mrs. Georgina Giwbs, an ex-slave, resides at 707 Lindsey Avenue, Portsmouth, -Virginia. The old lady marveled at the great change that has been made in the -clothings, habits and living conditions of the Negro since she was a child. She -described the clothing of the slaves in a calm manner, "All of de cloth during -slavery time was made on de loom. My mastah had three slaves who worked in de -loom house. After de cloth was made, mastah sent hit over town to a white woman -who made hit in clothes. We had to knit all our stockings and gloves. We'd plait -blades of wheat to make us bonnets. We had to wear wooden bottom shoes. Dere won't -no stores, so we growed everything we et, an' we'd make everything we'd wear."</p> - -<p>"We had a washing house. Dere wuz five women who done de washing an' ironing. -Dey had to make de soap. Dat wuz done by letting water drip over oak ashes. Dis -made oak ash lye, and dis wuz used in making soap. After de clothes had soaked -in dis lye-soap and water, dey put de clothes on tables and beat 'em 'till dey -wuz white."</p> - -<p>"Mastah give us huts to live in. De beds wuz made of long boards dat wuz -nailed to de wall. De mattress wuz stuffed wif straw and pine tags. De only light -we had wuz from de fire-place. We didn't use no matches, 'stead we'd strick a -rock on a piece of steel. We'd let the sparks fall on some cotton."</p> - -<p>"My mastah had 'bout five hundred slaves. He'd never sell none of his slaves, -but he'd always buy more. Dat keeps de slaves from marrying in dere famblies. When -yer married, yer had to jump over a broom three times. Dat wuz de licence. Ef mastah -seen two slaves together too much he would marry them. Hit didn't make no difference -ef yer won't but fourteen years old."</p> - -<p>"Work began at sun rise and last 'till sun down. When I wuz eight years old, -I started working in de field wif two paddles to keep de crows from eatin' de crops.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span> -We had a half day off on Sunday, but you won't 'lowed to visit. Sometimes de men -slaves would put logs in de beds, and dey'd cover 'em up, den dey go out. Mastah -would see de logs and think dey wuz de slaves."</p> - -<p>"My father told me dere wuz once a mastah who sold a slave woman and her -son. Many years after dis, de woman married. One day when she wuz washing her -husband's back she seen a scar on his back. De woman 'membered de scar. It wuz -de scar her mastah had put on her son. 'Course dey didn't stay married, but de -woman wouldn't ever let her son leave her."</p> - -<p class="bold center"><br />Superstitions told by Mrs. Georgina Giwbs</p> - -<p>1. "Ef a dog turns on his back and howls', 'tis a sign of death."</p> - -<p>2. "Ef yer drops a dish rag on de floor and it spreads out, 'tis de sign dat -a hungry woman is gwine ter come to yer house. Ef de rag don't spread out -den a hungry man is a coming."</p> - -<p>3. "Ef a black cat crosses yer path going to de right, 'tis good luck. Ef -de cat goes to de left 'tis bad luck."</p> - -<p>4. "Ef a girl walks aroung wif one shoe off and one on, she'll stay single as -many years as de number of steps she taken."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="GOODWIN" id="GOODWIN" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450006</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mrs. Candis Goodwin<br /> -Aged 80<br /> -Cape Charles, Virginia<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>Ah ain't knowd, 'xactly, how ol' ah is, but ah bawn 'fo' de war. Bawn ovuh -yonder at Seaview, on ol' Masser Scott's plantation. Tain't fur f'om here. Yes, -reckon ah 'bout six yeah ol' when de Yankees come, jes' a lil' thin', you know.</p> - -<p>My white people dey good tuh me. Cose dey gits mad wid you but dey don' beat -non o' us; jes' ack lak it. Why, ah was jes lak dey's chullun; ah played wid 'em, -et wid 'em an' eb'n slep' wid 'em. Ah kinder chillish, ah reckon. Had muh own way. -Muh mommer, she wuck in de quater kitchen. She ain' ha' tuh wuck hawd lak some. Had -it kinder easy, too. Jes' lak ah tells yuh ah al'ys had my way. Ah gits whut ah -wants an' ef'n dey don't gi' tuh me, ah jes' teks it.</p> - -<p>No neber had no wuck to do in dem days 'ceptin' nursin' de babies. 'Twas -jes' lak play; twan no wuck. Uster go ober to Nottingham's tuh play, go long wid -Missus chillun, yuh know. Ah laks tuh go ober there cause dey has good jam an' -biscuits. Ef'n dey don gi' me none, ah jes' teks some. Dey don do nuttin'; jes' -say, "Tek yuh han' out dat plate". But ah got whut ah wants den. Why we chillun -user hab a time 'round ol' Missus' place. All us chillun uster git togeder an' -go in de woods tuh play. Yes, de white and black uns, too. De grea' big whi' boys -uster go 'long wid us, too. Know how we play? We tek de brown pine shadows an' -mek houses outer 'em an' den mek grass outer de green uns. Den we go ober Missus' -dairy and steal inything we want an' tek it to our houses in de woods. Dem was -good ol' times, ah tel yuh, honey.</p> - -<p>Tel yuh, whut ah uster do. Ah uster play pranks on ol' Masser Scott. Ah's -regular lil' devil, ah was. Come night, ev'y body sit 'round big fire place in -living room. Soon it git kinder late, Massa git up outer his cheer tuh win' up, -de clock. Ah gits hin' his cheer ret easy, an' quick sneak his cheer f'om un'er -him; an' when he finish he set smack on de flow! Den he say "Dogone yuh lil' -cattin', ah gwan switch yuh!" Ah jes' fly out de room. Wont sceered though cause<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -ah knows Massa won' gon do nottin' 'tuh me.</p> - -<p>What ah know 'bout whippin'. Well ah ain' had uh whippin' in my life. But -ah hear tel o' how dey whips um though. Yuh know dey uster tek dat cowhide an' -cut 'em till dey backs beeds. Some jes' lak see de blood run down. Better not -cry neider. Mek yuh holler, "Oh pray! oh pray!" Couldn't say nottin' else. But -Massa Scott neber had none dat kinder stuff on his place. He say tain't right. -Didn't 'low no paddyrollers 'round eider. Say dey "trechous". Massa Nottin'ham -neber had 'em on his place neider. He didn' neber strike one o' his niggers; nobody -else better not neider.</p> - -<p>Honey, ah teh yuh ah growd jes' as good's any chil' in dis country. Ol' -Missus Scott gimme good clothes; cose ah didn't git 'em mone twice a yeah, but -dey's good when ah gits 'em. She gimmie Sis' dresses. Sis' one ob Missus' little -girls. An' de whi' chillun dey learn me how tuh read, too. Cose de whi' folks -din wan' yuh to learn. Ah 'member jes' as clare as yestidy how one dem chillun -learn me how tuh read "compress-i-bility". Thought ah was suppin' den! Ah kin -read Bible lil now but ah can' write; neber learn tuh write.</p> - -<p>Did ah eber go tuh church? Cose ah did! Went ret 'long wid Missus' chillun. -Had tuh set in de back, but dat won' nottin'. My mommer, she went tuh church too. -Sometime de ol' folk uster git togedder in de quater-kitchen tuh shout an' pray. -Dats where my mommer git 'ligion. She kinder tender 'oman; couldn' stan' dat -preachin' no longer.</p> - -<p>What 'bout muh pappy? Dat's suppin' ah ain' tol' yuh 'bout. Well, yuh know -Uncle Stephen, he kinder overseer fo' some widow 'omans. He Mommer husband. He -come see muh mommer any time he gits ready. But ah fin' out he ain' muh pappy. -Ah knowd dat since when ah's a lil' thin'. Ah uster go ovur tuh massa William's -plantation. Dey tell me all 'bout. De folks ober dere dey uster say tuh me, -"Who's yuh pappy? Who's yuh pappy?" Ah jes' say "Tuckey buzzard lay me an' de sun -hatch me" an' den gwan 'bout my business. Cose all de time dey knows an' ah knows<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -too dat Massa Williams was muh pappy. Ah tell yuh suppin' else. Got uh brother -libin' ret on dis here street; one den toof doctors, yuh know, what pulls yer teef. -Cose he's white. But tain't knowed 'roun' here. 'Twould ruin him. He's a nice man -though. Uster go tuh see muh son an' his wife, lots uh times. Yes dey's good frien's.</p> - -<p>Yes, dey had overseers. Sometime dey call dem stewards. Had colored uns too. -Massa Scott had white overseers, good man though; but Massa Nottin'ham, he had big -black boss on his place. [<span class="hw">HW illegible over</span>: <span class="struck">cain'</span>] -'member his name. He ain' had to git no p'mission -tuh come tuh our place. He jes' come an' goes when he gits ready.</p> - -<p>Kin ah 'member de war? Yes, indeed! 'Member jes' lak 'twas yestidy. Well -dey had a stow down de conner f'om Massa's plantation, an' dey al'ys sen' me tuh -stow fo' tuh buy things. Uster go down dere, an' dem Yankees be sittin' all 'long -de road wid dey blue coats; ret pretty site; 'twas. But ah's sceard tuh deaf, when -ah gits neah 'em. Ah gits what ah wants f'om de stow, an' flys pass 'em. Dem Yankees -show had dey way. Dey went in all de white folks house; tek dey silver, an' inything -dey big 'nough carry out. Jes' ruin Missus furniture; get up on de table an' jes' -cut capper. Nasty things! Den de Yankees goes 'round at night, tek anybody dey wants -tuh help 'em fight. Twas dey "Civil right". Got my Jake, cose ah neber knowd him -den. He twelve yeah oller ah is.</p> - -<p>Lemmie tell yuh 'bout muh Jake, how he did in de war. He big man in dey war. -He drill soldiers ev'y day. Firs' he be in one dem companies—Company "C" ah -bliebe. Den he wucked up to be sergent-Major, in de Tenth Regiment. Jacob -[<span class="hw">HW illegible over</span>: <span class="struck">Godium</span>] -his name was. He say all look up tuh him an' 'spect him too. See dat "Sowd" ov'in -dat coner? Dat's de ve'y sowd he used in de war, an' ah kep' it all dese yeahs. -No de soldiers neber did no fighting 'round here's ah know of. But plenty ob 'em -camped here.</p> - -<p>My Jake, he hansome man, he was. 'Member, how we firs' got togeder. We all -was tuh church one Sunday, an' Jake he kep' cidin' up to me. An' ah lookin' at him -outer de coner muh eye, till finally he come up an' took holt muh han's. 'Twas af't -de war ah had growd up. Ah was in muh early teens den. Dey say ah's de purtiet girl -on de Shore. An' when Jake an' me got married, ev'ybody said, "You show maks a purty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span> -couple."</p> - -<p>De ol' Scott chillun what ah growd up wid? No, mone dem lef' now. Dey las' -girl died heah las' yeah an' hur daughter come way down here f'om up in Maryland -tuh tell "An' Candis" 'bout it. Wouldn' tell me sceard 'twould 'cite me. But ah hea'd -hur tellin' my chil dere all 'bout it. Ol' Massa Scott's chillun, some dem, dey still -comes tuh see me. Slip me some money now'n den, an' suppin' t'eat, too. Dey's all -moughty nice folks, dem Scotts is.</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="GRANDY" id="GRANDY" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450011</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mr. Charles Grandy, Ex-slave<br /> -By—David Hoggard<br /> -Date—February 26, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p>[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Norfolk, Va.]</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">History of Ex-slave and Civil War Veteran</p> - -<p>Charles Grandy was born February 19, 1842, in Mississippi. While -still an infant, he was brought to Norfolk. When the family arrived in -Norfolk his father was arrested on some pretentious charge, and the whole -family was placed in prison. After their release, they were taken to a -plantation near Hickory Ground, Virginia, and sold. Slaves, at this time, -were often taken to rural districts in carts, and sold to owners of plantations, -as they were needed. Family life, friendships, and love affairs -were often broken up; many times never to be united.</p> - -<p>Following the general routine of slaves, the Grandy family was given -a shanty; food and clothing was also issued to them, and had to last until -the master decided to give out another supply. Usually, he issued them -their allowance of food weekly. Often the supply was insufficient for -their needs.</p> - -<p>Charles played around the plantation "big house", doing small errands -until he reached the age of five, then his play days ended. While playing -on the wood pile one morning, his master called him, "boy do you see this -grass growing along the side of the fence? Well pull it -<span title=" al " class="hoverbox">all</span> up." When his -first task was finished, he was carried to the field to pull the grass -from the young cotton and other growing crops. This work was done by hand -because he was still too young to use the farm implements. Now he went to -his task daily; from early in the morning until late in the evening. The -long toilsome days completely exhausted the youngster. Often he would fall -asleep before reaching home and spend a good portion of the night on the -bare ground. Awakening, he would find it quite a problem to locate his -home in the darkness of night.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span></p> - -<p>From the stage of grass pulling by hand, he grew strong enough, in a -few years, to use the hoe rake and sickle. While attempting to carry out -his master's orders to cut corn tassels with a large sharp knife, his elbow -was seriously cut. He was taken to the house and treated, the application -being chimney soot, to stop the bleeding. After this treatment the arm -was placed in a sling, and eventually became deformed from insufficient -care. He was sent back to the fields to pick cotton, with one free hand -and his teeth, while painfully carrying the other hand in the sling. Failing -to obey this command, he would have been given a whipping, or sent to -the southlands. Sending slaves to the plantations of Mississippi and other -southern states was a type of punishment all slaves feared.</p> - -<p>Slaves were not allowed much freedom of worship. The Yankee soldiers -and officers played a great part in the slave's moral training, and religious -worship. They secretly instructed small gatherings of slaves, at night. The -points stressed most were, obedience and the evils of stealing. There were -some sections where masters were liberal in their views toward their slaves, -and permitted them to worship openly.</p> - -<p>Slaves were allowed to have small quantities of whiskey, even during the -days of their worship, to use for medicinal purposes. It was a common occurrence -to see whiskey being sold at the foot of the hill near the churchyard.</p> - -<p>The news of war, and the possibility of Negroes enlisting as soldiers -was truly a step closer to the answering of their prayers for freedom. Upon -hearing of this good news Grandy joined a few of the others in this break for -freedom. One night, he and a close friend packed a small quantity of food in -a cloth and set out about midnight to join the northern army. Traveling at -night most of the time, they were constantly confronted with the danger of -being recaptured. Successfully eluding their followers, they reached Portsmouth -after many narrow escapes. From Portsmouth they moved to Norfolk.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -Arriving in Norfolk, Grandy and his friend decided to take different roads -of travel. Several days and nights found him wandering about the outskirts -of Norfolk, feeding on wild berries, etc. While picking berries along a -ditch bank, he was hailed by a Yankee soldier, who having come in contact -with run away slaves before, greeted him friendly, and questioned him of -his home and of his knowledge of work. He was taken to camp and assigned -as cook. At first, he was not very successful in his job, but gradually -improvement was shown. He was asked what wages he would accept. It was -such a pleasure to know that he had escaped the clutches of slavery, he did -not ask for wages; but instead, he was willing to work for anything they -would give him, no matter how small, as long as he didn't have to return to -slavery.</p> - -<p>Within a short period he was given a uniform and gun; was fully enlisted -as a soldier, in the 19th regiment of Wisconsin, Company E. Here he remained -in service until November, 1862, after which time he returned to Norfolk -to spend some time with his mother, who was still living. While -sitting in the doorway one day, with his Mother, he was again confronted with -the proposition of reenlisting. He agreed to do so for one year, to serve -as guard at Fortress Monroe. He remained there until the close of the War, -offering brave and faithful services.</p> - -<p>Mr. Grandy is now <span title=" ninty-five " class="hoverbox">ninety-five</span> -years old, residing at 609 Smith Street, Norfolk, Virginia. He is still -able to attend the various conventions of Civil War Veterans. He can -read, write, and has a fair knowledge of the Bible. His main interest is -the organization of Negroes into strong groups. He enjoys talking about -religion and is quite an interesting and intelligent person to talk -with.</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="HARRIS" id="HARRIS" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450005</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mrs. Della Harris<br /> -2 E. Byrne Street<br /> -Petersburg, Virginia<br /> -By—Susie Byrd<br /> -February 5, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>"I don't know just how old I is. Muma sent me to private school wid -white chillun fo' one week. I was 13 years old at de time uh Lee's -surrender. I belong to Peter or Billy Buck Turnbull Warrenton, N.C. -<span class="u">Put this down.</span> My mother and family all belong to Peter Buck as his -slaves. We didn't work until after the war; then we came to Petersburg. -I went to dancing school wid the white folks and can dance any kind of -dance sets. My father was a musicianer. He belonged to John Carthan, in -Warrenton, N.C. In dem days you had to take your Moster's and Mistess' -name. In slavery time when a slave married he had to ask his Moster and -Mistess.</p> - -<p>"We never went to church. We used to hear de bells ringing loud, baby, -yes, clear and strong. No, never seen [<span class="hw">HW</span>: no] Sunday school, and the -first time I went in a church I looked all around, and baby, I thought -dat I was in heaven. It wasn't long, Miss Sue, before I got 'ligeon, -and, yes, I jined [<span class="hw">HW</span>: de] church, 15 years old I wuz. Never will forget -the time, or dat place. Den I lived here with an ant, muma's sister, who -was named Kate Williams. Her husband wuz my uncle, and he worked and -died at de White House in Washington City.</p> - -<p>"I don't know de name of de President he worked for, but you can find dat -out on dem books. You know you young folks calls um records.</p> - -<p>"Yes child I'm proud of my age never gave no body no trouble.</p> - -<p>"I have 8 children dead and now only one son living. Peter Turnbull was good -to all his slaves, as far as I know. Mama was a cook in slavery time. She died in -Petersburg, yes, right here in dis hole.</p> - -<p>"No muma never owned any thing, always rented and aint never owned nothing but -a passel of children.</p> - -<p>"My muma was a <span title=" geniune " class="hoverbox">genuine</span> Indian. -Some people say you can't own Indians. I don't know how cum, but I do -know she was owned by these people, but she surely was an -Indian. Every body knows me all over Virginia.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span></p> - -<p>"When I use to be in dining room service I would hear de white folks talk, -and, do you know, Miss Sue you can hear a lot that way?</p> - -<p>"Moster said he couldn't sell me 'cause I was so little. Just kept me fur to -wait on de little chillun in de house.</p> - -<p>"Miss Sue, you'll have to give me something for telling you all dis here, if -it ain nothing but a horse cake.</p> - -<p>"I've seen lots of dis world in travel. Done bin to Baltimore City; done bin -to Philidelphia.</p> - -<p>"I aint gwine give you no more, gal.</p> - -<p>"Yes, to Lynchburg, den I worked at Mont Royal School, Baby, where Mrs -McDaniel was manager.</p> - -<p>"The man gwine say, 'dat woman bin some where.' If I stayed long enough I -mighta got some learning but I stayed only one year. Got tired of that place. From -one season to another is a year, aint it? Ah! Lord!</p> - -<p>"Young folks now adays are just fur a good time, and a good time too they have. -Yes, Siree Bob!</p> - -<p>"Gwine stop now, Miss Sue, aint gwine give you no mo'. Man gwine say, Miss Sue, -where in the devil did you get this stuff? Gal, you are a mess. You gonna write most -all dat book about Della. Go on now, dats nough.</p> - -<p>"In dem days chillun were chillun, now every body is grown. Chillun then were -seen and not heard. When old persons came around muma sent us out and you better not -be seen. Now every body [<span class="hw">HW</span>: act] grown. Make the man laugh.</p> - -<p>"I've always enjoyed good health. Never had a Doctor in my life, not even when -my chillun wuz born. Dis rubbing when people got pain just rubs it in. Eating so -much and late hours is cause you young folks dying. All muma's chillun wuz healthy.</p> - -<p>"[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Real] food in dem days, yes, muma fed us good vituals -from white folks. I tell you, we had good owners. I didn't see sun set when I wuz a child. -Always went to bed early,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span> -child, I wish I could call back dem days. Muma said people lived so much longer -because they took care of themselves.</p> - -<p>"All dis here education an' people just now got it."</p> - -<p>[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Question:] Do you think, Mrs. Harris, education has helped our race?</p> - -<p>"Well, child, I don' know. Folks are so indifferent now I am afraid to say. -Pshaw.... Colored folks now. Some are messy [<span class="hw">HW</span>: an'] don't -know how to be polite.</p> - -<p>"Talking about lightning days. Its lightning at every bodys house. Lord have -mercy on dese here young folks and deliber me from the plantation, I pray.</p> - -<p>"Courting dem days wuz like everything I reckon you all do now adays. -You promise to 'bey the man, but before you finish its cussing, Honey.</p> - -<p>"In olden days husbands loved. Sho God did tend to wife and took care of -them and they had to stay home cause it wuz always a new baby. I tell you, Miss -Sue, man ought not never had you to find history 'cause you gwine tell it all. -As I said, we loved. Is de young folks marrying fur love? Dey don't stay together -long enough to warm hands. We went to church together and praised God; -led prayer meetings and, yes siree, would feel good.</p> - -<p>"Now you all done start opening theatres on Sunday. Miss Sue, all dat stuff -you putting down will sure make the man laugh."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="HINES" id="HINES" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450004</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Mrs. Marriah Hines<br /> -E. Avenue R.F.D. 1.<br /> -Oakwood Norfolk, Virginia<br /> -By—David Hoggard<br /> -March 26, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>Mrs. Marriah Hines—Born July 4, 1835, South Hampton County Virginia, a -slave on James Pressmans plantation. Now residing on E. Avenue, Oakwood, Norfolk, -Virginia R.F.D. 1.</p> - -<p>[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Insert last paragraph] [<span class="hw">TR</span>: appropriate -paragraph inserted here] Marriah is about four feet and a half tall and weighs about one -hundred pounds. She has a pretty head of white hair covering her round -brown face. Her memory of her mother and father is very vague, due to -their death when she was young. She is able to dress herself practically -without help, and to get about from place to place alone, enjoying -talking about religion and [<span class="hw">HW</span>: what she knows about] the world -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: of] today.</p> - -<p>Even though the general course of slavery was cruel, Marriah Hines was -fortunate enough, not to have to endure its severities. James Pressman was one -of the few slave masters that looked upon the slave with a certain degree of compassion, -to whom Marriah was fortunate, to be owned by. Although slavery in its -self was cruel; but the fact that Mr. Pressman was generous and kind to the slaves -that he owned, because of necessity in the process of his farming, should not be -overlooked. It is quite true that slave masters near him did not grant their slaves -such priviliges as he did. I do not wish to impress the idea that Mr. Pressman did -not approve of slavery, but only his general attitude toward his slaves was different -from the majority of the slaves holders. From the following story of Marriah's life -in slavery, it may be clearly seen that her master was an exception.</p> - -<p><span class="struck">Upon interviewing her, she relates her life story as follows—</span></p> - -<p>"I lived with good people, my white folks treated us good. There was plenty of -'em that didn't fare as we did. Some of the poor folks almost starved to death. -Why the way their masters treated them was scandalous, treated them like cats and -dogs. We always had plenty of food, never knowed what it was to want food bad enough -to have to steal it like a whole lot of 'em. Master would always give us plenty -when he give us our rations. Of course we slaves were given food and clothing and -just enough to keep us goin good. Why master would buy cloth by the loads and heaps, -shoes by the big box full; den he'd call us to the house and give each on 'us our -share. Plenty to keep us comfortable, course it warn't silk nor satin, no ways the -best there was, but 'twas plenty good 'nough for us, and we was plenty glad to git<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -it. When we would look and see how the slaves on the 'jining farm was fareing, 'twould -almost make us shed tears. It made us feel like we was gitting 'long most fine. Dat's -why we loved 'spected master; 'course he was so good to us.</p> - -<p>"'Cause master was good and kind to us, some of the other white folks used to -call him 'nigger lover.' He didn't pay dat no mind though. He was a true Christian -man, and I mean he sho' lived up to it. He never did force any of us to go to church, -if we didn't want to, dat was left to us to 'cide. If you wanted to you could, if you -didn't you didn't have to, but he'd always tell us, you ought to go.</p> - -<p>"Not only was master good but his whole family was too. When the weather was -good we worked in the fields and on other little odd jobs that was needed done. We -slaves would eat our breakfast, and go to the fields, dare wont no hurry-scurry. Lots -o'times when we got in the fields the other slaves had been in the field a long time. -Dar was times though we had to git to it early, too, 'pecially if it had been rainy -weather and the work had been held up for a day or so. Master didn't make us work a -'tall in bad weather neither when it got real cold. The men might have to git in fire -wood or sumpin' of that sort but no all day work in the cold—just little odd jobs. -We didn't even have to work on Sundays not even in the house. The master and the -preacher both said dat was the Lord's day and you won't spose to work on that day. -So we didn't. We'd cook the white folks victuals on Saturday and lots o'times dey eat -cold victuals on Sundays. Master would sometimes ask the preacher home to dinner. 'You -plenty welcome to go home with me for dinner, but you'll have to eat cold victuals -'cause there aint no cooking on Sundays at my house.' Lots of times we slaves would -take turns on helping 'em serve Sunday meals just 'cause we liked them so much. We -hated to see Missie fumbling 'round in the kitchen all out 'a'her place. We didn't -have to do it, we just did it on our own free will. Master sometimes gives us a little -money for it too, which made it all the better. Master and Missus was so good to us -we didn't mind working a little on Sundays, in the house. Master had prayer with the -whole family every night, prayed for us slaves too. Any of the slaves that wanted to -jine him could. Or if they wanted to pray by dem selves they could. Sundays we went<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -to church and stayed the biggest portion of the day. No body had to rush home. On -our plantation we had general prayer meeting every Wednesday night at church. 'Cause -some of the masters didn't like the way we slaves carried on we would turn pots down, -and tubs to keep the sound from going out. Den we would have a good time, shouting -singing and praying just like we pleased. The paddarollers didn't pay us much 'tention -coused they knew how master let us do. Dey would say nasty things 'bout master 'cause -he let us do like we did.</p> - -<p>"We had plenty time to ourselves. Most of the time we spent singing and praying -'cause master was sich a good Christian and most of us had 'fessed religion. Evenings -we would spin on the old spinning wheel, quilt make clothes, talk, tell jokes, and a -few had learned to weave a little bit from Missus. We would have candy pulls, from -cooked molasses, and sing in the moonlight by the tune of an old banjo picker. Chillen -was mostly seen, not heard, different from youngens of today talking backward and -foward cross their mammies and pappies. Chillen dat did dat den would git de breath -slapped out on 'em. Your mammies didn't have to do it either; any old person would, -and send you home to git another lickin'. We slaves had two hours off for dinner, -when we could go home and eat before we finished work 'bout sun down. We aint had -no colored overseers to whip us nor no white ones. We just went 'long so and did what -we had to, wid out no body watching over us. Every body was just plum crazy 'bout -master. Doing the day you could see him strutting down the field like a big turkey -gobbler to see how the work was going on. Always had a smile and a joke wid you. He -allu's tell us we was doing fine, even sometimes when we want. We'd always catch -up our work, so he wouldn't have to fuss. We loved Misses and the chillen so much -we wouldn't even let 'em eat hardly. Missus didn't have to do nothing, hardly. -Dare was always some of us round the house.</p> - -<p>"'Bout a year fore we heard 'bout freedom, master took sick and the slaves -wouldn't'er looked sadder if one of their own youngens had been sick. Dey 'spected -him to die, and he kept calling for some cabbage. Misses finally let me cook him some -cabbage, and let him have some 'pot licker' (the water the cabbage was cooked in).<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -He didn't die den but a few years later he did die. Dat was the first and the last -time any cooking ever was done in that house on Sunday.</p> - -<p>"When master told us we was free it didn't take much 'fect on us. He told us we -could go where we pleased and come when we pleased that we didn't have to work for him -any more 'less we wanted to. Most of us slaves stayed right there and raised our own -crops. Master helped us much as he could. Some of us he gave a cow or a mule or anything -he could spare to help us. Some of us worked on the same plantation and bought -our own little farms and little log cabins, and lived right there till master dies and -the family moved away. Some of us lived there right on. Master married me to one of the -best colored men in the world, Benjamin F. Hines. I had five chullun by him, four -girls and one boy, two of the girls and the boy are dead. Dey died 'bout 1932 or 33. -I stay with one awhile, den I go and stay awhile wid the other one.</p> - -<p>"We didn't have no public schools in dem days 'n time. What little learning you -got it from the white chillen."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="HOPSON" id="HOPSON" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450012</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<p>[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Terms and phrasing to be checked -and verified in further interviews.]</p> - -<p class="bold center"> -THE STORY OF "UNCLE" MOBLE HOPSON.<br /> -(pronounced Mobile)<br /> -<br /> -Interview Saturday, November 28th at his home on the Poquoson River.<br /> -(Recorded from memory within 1 hour after "being talked to by him.")<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>Uncle Moble hobbles unsteadily from his little shade beside -the outhouse into the warm kitchen, leaning heavily on -the arm of his niece. He looks up on hearing my voice, and extends -a gnarled and tobacco-stained hand. He sinks fumblingly -into a chair. It is then that I see that Uncle Moble is blind.</p> - -<p>"No, don't mind effen yuh ast me questions. Try tuh answer -'em, I will, best ways I kin. Don't mind et all, effen yuh tell -me whut yuh want to know. Born'd in fifty-two, I was, yessuh, -right here over theer wheer dat grade big elum tree usta be. -Mammy was uh Injun an' muh pappy was uh white man, least-ways -he warn't no slave even effen he was sorta dark-skinned.</p> - -<p>"Ole pappy tole me 'bout how cum the whites an' the blacks an' the -Injuns get all mixed up. Way back 'long in dere it war, <span title=" be " class="hoverbox">he</span> -nevuh tell me jes' what year, dey was a tribe uh Injuns livin<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -'long dis ribber. Dey was kin to de Kink-ko-tans, but dey wasn't de -same. Dey had ober on the James de Kink-ko-tans an' dey had dis tribe -ober here.</p> - -<p>"Well, de white man come. Not fum ober dere. De white -man cum cross de Potomac, an' [<span class="hw">HW</span>: den he] cross de York ribber, an' den -he cum on cross de Poquoson ribber into dis place. My pappy -tell me jes' how cum dey cross all uh dose ribbers. He ain't -see it, yuh unnerstand, but he hear tell how et happen.</p> - -<p>"Dis whut de white man do. He pick hisself a tall ellum -long side de ribber an' he clumb to de top an' he mark out on -de trunk wid he ax uh section 'long 'bout, oh, 'long 'bout -thirty-fo'ty feet. Den he cut de top off an' den he cut de -bottom off so de thick trunk fall right on de edge uh de ribber. -An' den he hollar out dat ellum log tell he make hisself uh bout -an' he skin off de bark so et don't ketch in de weeds. Den he -make hisse'f uh pattle an' dey all makes pattles an' dey floats -dat boat an' pattles cross to de udder side.</p> - -<p>"Well, dey cross de Potomac an' dey has tuh fight de Injuns an' -dey cross de York an' fit some more tell dey kilt all de Injuns<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -or run 'em way. When dey cross de Poquoson dey fine de -Injuns ain't aimin' tuh fight but dey kilt de men an' tek -de Injun women fo' dey wives. Coursen dey warn't no marryin' -dem at dat time.</p> - -<p>"Well dat's how cum my people started. Ah hear tell -on how dey hafta fight de Injuns now an den, an' den de -Britishers come an' dey fit de British.</p> - -<p>"An' all uh dat time dere warn't no black blood mixed -in 'em, least wise, not as I heer'd tell uh any. Plenty blacks -'round; ah seen 'em. My pappy nevuh would have none. My -oncle had 'em, ober on dat pasture land dere was his land.</p> - -<p>"Why I usta get right out dere many uh day and watch 'em -<span class="struck">at</span> workn' [<span class="hw">HW</span>: in de 'baccy fields.] -Big fellars dey was, wid cole-black skins ashinin' -wid sweat jes' lak dey rub hog-fat ober dere faces. Ah ain't -nevuh bothered 'em but my bruther—he daid now sence ninety-three -he got uh hidin' one day fo' goin' in de field wid de blacks.</p> - -<p>[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Insert] "Well we all heer tell uh de was, -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: an ah listen to de grown folk talk on et,] but dey ain't paid so -much mind to et. Tell one day de blacks out in de field an' dey -ain't no one out dere tuh mek 'em work. An' dey stand 'round<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -an' laugh an' dey get down an' wait, but dey don' leave dat -field all de mawning. An' den de word cum dat de Yankees -was a comin,' an' all dem blacks start tuh hoopin' an' holl'rin', -an' den dey go on down to deer shacks an' dey don' do no work -at all dat day.</p> - -<p>"An' when do Yanks [<span class="hw">HW</span>: git heer] dey ain't non uh de slave-holders -no whers round. Dey all cleared out an' de blacks is singin' an' -prayin' an' shoutin' fo' joy cause Marse Lincoln done set em -free.</p> - -<p>"Well, dey tuk de blacks an' dey march em down de turnpike -to Hampton, an' den dey put em tuh work at de fort. Ah ain't nevuh -go ober dere but ah heer tell how de blacks come dere fum all -'round tell dey git so many dey ain't got work fo' 'em tuh do, so -dey put 'em tuh pilin' up logs an' teking 'em down agin, an' de -Yankees come and go an' new ones come but dey ain't troublin -nothin' much 'ceptin' tuh poach uh hawg or turkey now an' den.</p> - -<p>"Ah was jes' a little shaver gittin' in my teens den but ah -'member clear as day all ah dat. An' ah heer tell uh uh big<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -battle up Bethel way an' dey say dey kilt up dere uh bunch uh -men, de 'federates an' de Yankees both. But ah ain't seed it, -though Oncle Shep Brown done tole me all 'bout et.</p> - -<p>"Oncle Shep Brown lived down aways on de ribber. 'Long 'fore -de Yankees come he jined up wid de 'federates. He fit in dat -battle at Big Bethel but he ain't get uh scratch. He tell me -all 'bout de war when he come back home. He tell me all 'bout de fall -uh Richmond, he did.</p> - -<p>"Was one day down [<span class="hw">HW</span>: en] de lower woods in de shade he tell me -'bout Richmond, Oncle Shep did. Why, I remember et jes' lak it -was yestiddy. Was whittlin' uh stick, he was, settin' on uh stump -wid his game laig hunched up ontuh uh bent saplin'. He was whittlin' -away fo' uh 'long time 'thout sayin' much, an' all at once he -jump in de air an' de saplin' sprang up an he start in tuh cussin.</p> - -<p>"'Gawdammit, gawdammit, gawdammit,' he kept sayin' tuh hisse'f -an' limpin' round on dat laig game wid de roomatissum. Ah -know he gonna tell me sompin den cause when Oncle Shep git ehcited<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -he always got uh lot tuh say.</p> - -<p>"'Gawdammit,' he say, 'twas de niggahs tak Richmond.'</p> - -<p>"'How dey do dat Oncle Shep?' ah ast, though ah knowed he was -gonna tell me anyway.</p> - -<p>"'De niggahs done tuk Richmond,' he keep on sayin' an' -finally he tell me how dey tak Richmond.</p> - -<p>"'Ah seed et muhse'f,' he say, 'my comp'ny was stationed -on de turnpike close tuh Richmond. We was in uh ole warehouse,' -he told me, 'wid de winders an' de doors all barred up an' -packed wid terbaccy bales awaitin' fo' dem Yanks tuh come. An' -we was a-listenin' an' peepin' out an' we been waitin' dere most -all de ev'nin'. An' den we heer [<span class="hw">HW</span>: uh] whistlin' an' uh roarin' like uh big -blow an' it kep' gittin' closer. But we couldn't see nothin' uh -comin' de night was so dark. <span class="struck">But</span> Dat roarin' kep' a-gittin' louder -an' louder an' 'long 'bout day break there cum fum down de pike -sech uh shoutin' an uh yellin' as nevuh in muh born days ah'd -heerd.'</p> - -<p>"'An' de men in dat warehouse kept askinkin' away in de -darkness widdout sayin' nothin', cause dey didn't know what<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -debbils de Yankees was alettin' loose. But ah stayed -right there wid dem dat had de courage tuh face et, cause ah -know big noise mean uh little storm.'</p> - -<p>"'Dar was 'bout forty of us left in dat ole warehouse -ahidin' back of dem bales uh cotton an terbaccy, an' peepin out -thew da cracks.'</p> - -<p>"'An' den dey come. Down de street dey come—a shoutin' -an' aprancin' an' a yellin' an' asingin' an' makin' such uh -noise like as ef all hell done been turn't loose. Uh [<span class="hw">HW</span>: mob uh] -nigguhs. Ah ain't <span title=" nevub " class="hoverbox">nevuh</span> knowed -nigguhs—even all uh dem <span title=" niggubs " class="hoverbox">nigguhs</span>—could -mek sech uh ruckus. One huge sea uh black faces filt de streets -fum wall tuh wall, an' dey wan't nothin' but nigguhs in sight.'</p> - -<p>"'Well, suh, dey warn't no usen us firin' on dem cause dey -ain't no way we gonna kill all uh dem nigguhs. An pretty soon -dey bus' in de do' uh dat warehouse, an' we stood dere whilst dey -pranced 'rounst us a hoopin' an' holl'rin' an' not techin' us at -all tell de Yankees soljers cum up, an' tek away our guns, an' mek -us prisoners an' perty soon dey march us intuh town an' lock us -up in ole Libby Prison.'<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span></p> - -<p>"'Thousings of 'em—dem nigguhs.' he say, 'Yassir—was de -nigguhs dat tuk Richmond. Time de Yankees get dere de -<span title=" niggubs " class="hoverbox">nigguhs</span> -done had got de city tuk.'"</p> - -<p class="center"><br/> -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: <span class="bold serif">II</span>]<br /> -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: <span class="bold u">Why Uncle Moble is a Negro</span>]<br /> -</p> - -<p>Uncle Moble is a noble figure. He turns his head toward -me at my questions, just as straight as if he actually is looking at me.</p> - -<p>"Yuh wanta know why I'm put with the colored people? -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Sure, ah got white skin, leastwise, was white las' time ah' see et.] -Well, ah ain't white an' ah ain't black, leastwise -not so fur as ah know. 'Twas the war done that. Fo de -war dere warn't no question come up 'bout et. Ain't been no -schools 'round here tuh bothuh 'bout. Blacks work in de fields, -an' de whites own de fields. Dis land here, been owned by de -Hopson's sence de fust Hopson cum here, I guess, back fo' de -British war, fo' de Injun war, ah reck'n. Ustuh go tuh de -church school wid ole Shep Brown's chillun, sat on de same bench, -ah did.</p> - -<p>"But de war changed all dat. Arter de soljers come back home, -it was diff'runt. First dey say dat all whut ain't white, is black.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -An' [<span class="hw">HW</span>: den] dey tell de Injuns yuh kain't marry no more de whites. An' -den dey tell usen dat we kain't cum no more tuh church school. -An' dey won't let us do no bisness wid de whites, so we is th'own -in wid de blacks.</p> - -<p>"Some [<span class="hw">HW</span>: uh our folk] moved away, but dey -warn't no use uh movin' cause ah hear tell et be de same ev'y wheer. So -perty soon et come time tuh marry, an' dey ain't no white woman fo' me -tuh marry so ah marries uh black woman. An' dat make me black, ah 'spose -'cause ah ben livin' black ev'y sence.</p> - -<p>"But mah bruther couldn't fine no black woman dat suited -him, ah reckon, cause he married his fust cousin, who was a -Hopson huhse'f.</p> - -<p>"Den dere only chile married hisse'f uh Hopson, and -Hopsons been marryin' Hopsons ev'y sence, ah reck'n."</p> - -<p class="center"><span class="bold"><br/>Uncle Moble Tells Where to Dig A Well</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span></p> - -<p>"That well out dere? Naw, dat ain't old. Dat ain't been dere mo'un fifteen-twenty -year. De ole well, she was ole, though she nevuh war much good. Paw ain't -dug et in de right place. Old Shep Brown tolt him, but my old man ain't nevuh pay -no mine to old Shep.</p> - -<p>"But old Shep sho' did know how tuh dig uh well. Ah kin see now him ah comin' -up de lane when paw was adiggin'. <span title=" Mobile " class="hoverbox">Moble</span> -he say—my paw an' me had de same name—<span title=" Mobile " class="hoverbox">Moble</span>, -ye ain't diggin' dat well de right place.</p> - -<p>"'Diggin' et wheer ah wants et,' answers paw, a diggin' away en de hole -shoulder deep.</p> - -<p>"'Well, ye ain't gonna git much water. Oughta got yo'se'f uh ellum stick.'</p> - -<p>"'Don' need no ellum stick. Diggin' dis well in my own youd an' ah'm gonna dig -et jes' wheer ah wants et. Go haid an' dig yo' own well.'</p> - -<p>"Well, old Shep musta got sorta mad, cause he goes home an' de nex' day he -digs hisse'f uh well.</p> - -<p>"Ah seen him. Ah watched him when he figgered wheer tuh dig dat well. Sho' -nuf old Shep got hisse'f uh prime ellum stick fum ah good sized branch dat was forked. -First he skint all de bark off.</p> - -<p>"'Kain't fine no water lessen ye skin de bark off,' he tell me. Long 'bout 2-3 -feet on each limb, et was. Well, old Shep tek dat ellum stick wid one fork in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -each hand an' de big end straight up in de air an' he holt it tight an' started -tuh walk around, wid me followin' right on his heels. An sho' nuff, perty soon -ah seed dat branch commence tuh shake an' den et started tuh bend an' old Shep -let et lead him across de field wid et bendin' lower all de time tell perty soon -de big end uh dat ellum stick point straight down.</p> - -<p>"Old Shep marked de spot an' got his pick an' commence tuh dig out dat spot. -An' fo' old Shep had got down mo'un five uh six feet ah be dawg ef he don' hit uh -stream uh water dat filt up de well in uh hurry so dat he git his laigs all wet -fo' he kin clamb out.</p> - -<p>"An' yuh moughten believe et but ah know dat tuh be uh fac', cause ah tuk -dat ellum stick in muh own han's an' ah felt dat stick apullin' me back tuh dat -water. No matter which way ah turn, dat stick keep atwistin' me roun' toward dat -water. An' ah tried tuh pull et back an' old Shep tuk hole uh et wid me an' tried -tuh hole et up straight but de big end uh dat ellum branch pult down and pointed -tuh dat well spite uh both uh us.</p> - -<p>"Still dere? Nawsuh, ah reckon dat old well been crumbled in an' filled up -long time now. Old Shep died back en 93, ah reckon. His old shack blowed down, an' -ah reckon dat ole well all covered up. But dat was some well while she lasted. -Gave mo' water dan all de udder wells in Poquoson, ah reckon."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="JONES" id="JONES" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450008</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span></p> - -<p>[<span class="hw">HW</span>: <span class="bold">Jones, Albert</span>]</p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Ex-slave and<br /> -Civil War Veteran<br /> -Portsmouth, Virginia<br /> -By—Thelma Dunston<br /> -January 8, 1937<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">Civil War Veteran of Portsmouth, Virginia</p> - -<p>On the outskirts of Portsmouth, Virginia, where one seldom hears of or goes -for sightseeing lives Mr. Albert Jones. In a four room cottage at 726 Lindsey -Avenue, the aged Civil War Veteran lives alone with the care of Mr. Jones' niece, -who resides next door to him. He has managed to survive his ninety-fifth year. -It is almost a miracle to see a man at his age as -<span title=" supple " class="hoverbox">suple</span> as he.</p> - -<p>On entering a scanty room in the small house, Mr. Jones was nodding in a -chair near the stove. When asked about his early life, he straightened up -<span class="struck">on his spine</span>, crossed his legs and said, "I's perty -old—ninety six. I was born a slave in Souf Hampton county, but my mastah -wuz mighty good to me. He won't ruff; dat is 'f yer done right."</p> - -<p>The aged man cleared his throat and chuckled. Then he said, "But you better -never let mastah catch yer wif a book or paper, and yer couldn't praise God so he -could hear yer. If yer done dem things, he sho' would beat yer. 'Course he wuz good -to me, 'cause I never done none of 'em. My work won't hard neiver. I had to wait on -my mastah, open de gates fer him, drive de wagon and tend de horses. I was sort of -a house boy."</p> - -<p>"Fer twenty years I stayed wif mastah, and I didn't try to run away. When I -wuz twenty one, me and one of my brothers run away to fight wif the Yankees. Us left -Souf Hampton county and went to Petersburg. Dere we got some food. Den us went to -Fort Hatton where we met some more slaves who had done run away. When we got in Fort -Hatton, us had to cross a bridge to git to de Yankees. De rebels had torn de bridge -down. We all got together and builded back de bridge, and we went on to de Yankees. -Dey give us food and clothes.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span>"</p> - -<p>The old man then got up and emptied his mouth of the tobacco juice, scratched -his bald head and continued. "Yer know, I was one of de first colored cavalry soljers, -and I fought in Company 'K'. I fought for three years and a half. Sometimes I slept -out doors, and sometimes I slept in a tent. De Yankees always give us plenty of -blankets."</p> - -<p>"During the war some uh us had to always stay up nights and watch fer de -rebels. Plenty of nights I has watched, but de rebels never 'tacked us when I wuz -on."</p> - -<p>"Not only wuz dere men slaves dat run to de Yankees, but some uh de women -slaves followed dere husbands. Dey use to help by washing and cooking."</p> - -<p>"One day when I wuz fighting, de rebels shot at me, and dey sent a bullet -through my hand. I wuz lucky not to be kilt. Look. See how my hand is?"</p> - -<p>The old man held up his right hand, and it was half closed. Due to the wound -he received in the war, that was as far as he could open his hand.</p> - -<p>Still looking at his hand Mr. Jones said, "But dat didn't stop me, I had it -bandaged and kept on fighting."</p> - -<p>"The uniform dat I wore wuz blue wif brass buttons; a blue cape, lined wif -red flannel, black leather boots and a blue cap. I rode on a bay color horse—fact -every body in Company 'K' had bay color horses. I tooked my knap-sack and blankets -on de horse back. In my knap-sack I had water, hard tacks and other food."</p> - -<p>"When de war ended, I goes back to my mastah and he treated me like his brother. -Guess he wuz scared of me 'cause I had so much ammunition on me. My brother, who went -wif me to de Yankees, caught rheumatism doing de war. He died after de war ended."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p><span class="font130"><a name="KELLY" id="KELLY" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">W11805</span></a></span> [<span -class="hw">TR</span>: moved from bottom of page]<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span></p> - -<p><span class="bold"> -Writer—Jayne, Lucille B.<br /> -Capahosic, Virginia.<br /> -Gloucester Co.<br /> -Typist—Nicholas</span><br /> -<br /> -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: C. Moore]<br /> -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Tales]<br /> -[<span class="hw">HW</span>: Virginia/1938-9]<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center"><span class="u">FOLKLORE</span></p> - -<p class="bold center">Material from Upper Guinea.</p> - -<p>In the upper part of Guinea, generally known as the "Hook," you will find -two very interesting characters, both Negroes. Aunt Susan Kelly, who is a -hundred years old, and Simon Stokes, who is near a hundred.</p> - -<p>Aunt Susan is loved by all who know her, for she is a very lovable old Negro.</p> - -<p class="bold center"><br/><span class="u">Aunt Susan's Story</span></p> - -<p>"My mammy, Anna Burrell, was a slave, her massa wuz Col. Hayes, of Woodwell; -he wuz very good ter his slaves. He nebber sold mammy or us chilluns; he kept -we alls tergether, and we libed in a little cabin in de yard.</p> - -<p>"My job wuz mindin' massa's and missus' chilluns all dey long, and puttin' -dem ter baid at night; dey had ter habe a story told ter dem befo' dey would go -ter sleep; and de baby hed ter be rocked; and I had ter sing fo' her 'Rock a-by -baby, close dem eyes, befo' old san man comes, rock a-by baby don' let old san -man cotch yo' peepin',' befo' she would go ter sleep.</p> - -<p>"Mammy used ter bake ash-cakes; dey wuz made wid meal, wid a little salt and -mixed wid water; den mammy would rake up de ashes in de fire-place; den she would -make up de meal in round cakes, and put dem on de hot bricks ter bake; wen dey -hed cooked roun' de edges, she would put ashes on de top ob dem, and wen dey wuz -nice and brown she took dem out and washed dem off wid water.</p> - -<p>"Mammy said it wuz very bad luck ter meet a woman early in de mornin' walkin'; -and nebber carry back salt dat yo' habe borrowed, fo' it will bring bad luck ter -yo' and ter de one yo' brung it ter. If yo' nose iches on de right side a man -is comin', if de lef' side iches a woman is comin'; if it iches on de end a man -and woman is sho' ter come in a short.</p> - -<p>"For a hawk ter fly ober de house is sho' sign ob death, fo' de hawk will call -corpses wen he flies ober."</p> - -<hr class="hr5" /> - -<p>Simon Stokes, son of Kit and Anna Stokes, is quite a type. He and his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -parents with his brothers and sisters were slaves; owned by George W. Billups, -of Mathews County, who later moved to Gloucester County and bought a farm near -Gloucester Point. They had eleven children, Simon is the only one living.</p> - -<p class="bold center"><br/><span class="u">Simon's Story</span></p> - -<p>"Massa George and missus wuz good ter his slaves. My mammy wuz missus' -cook; and him and de odder boys on de farm worked in de co'n and de terbaccer -and cotton fields.</p> - -<p>"Me sho' didn't lik dat job, pickin' worms off de terbaccer plants; fo' our -oberseer wuz de meanes old hound you'se eber seen, he hed hawk eyes fer seein' -de worms on de terbaccer, so yo' sho' hed ter git dem all, or you'd habe ter bite -all de worms dat yo' miss into, <span title=" ot " class="hoverbox">or</span> git three lashes on yo' back wid his old -lash, and dat wuz powful bad, wusser dan bittin' de worms, fer yo' could bite -right smart quick, and dat wuz all dat dar wuz ter it; but dem lashes done last -a pow'ful long time.</p> - -<p>"Me sho' did like ter git behind de ox-team in de co'n field, fo' I could -sing and holler all de day, 'Gee thar Buck, whoa thar Peter, git off dat air -co'n, what's de matter wid yo' Buck, can't yo hear, gee thar Buck.'</p> - -<p>"In de fall wen de simmons wuz ripe, me and de odder boys sho' had a big -time possum huntin', we alls would git two or three a night; and we alls would -put dem up and feed dem hoe-cake and simmons ter git dem nice and fat; den my -mammy would roast dem wid sweet taters round them. Dey wuz sho' good, all -roasted nice and brown wid de sweet taters in de graby.</p> - -<p>"We alls believed dat it wuz bad luck ter turn back if yer started anywher, -if yo' did bad luck would sho' foller yer; but ter turn yo' luck, go back and -make a cross in yo' path and spit in it."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="SLAUGHTER" id="SLAUGHTER" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450001</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold center">Autobiography of Richard Slaughter</p> - -<p class="bold center">(Given by himself as an oral account during an interview between himself -and writer, December 27, 1936.) Claude W. Anderson—Hampton, Virginia</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>"Come in, son. Have a seat, who are you and how are you? My life? -Oh! certainly you don't want to hear that! Well, son, have you been -born again? Do you know Christ? Well, that's good. Good for you. Amen. -I'm glad to hear it. Always glad to talk to any true Christian liver. -God bless you, son.</p> - -<p>"I was born January 9, 1849 on the James at a place called Epps -Island, City Point. I was born a slave. How old am I! Well, there's the -date. Count it up for yourself. My owner's name was Dr. Richard S. Epps. -I stayed there until I was around thirteen or fourteen years old when I -came to Hampton.</p> - -<p>"I don't know much about the meanness of slavery. There was so -many degrees in slavery, and I belonged to a very nice man. He never -sold but one man, fur's I can remember, and that was cousin Ben. Sold -him South. Yes. My master was a nice old man. He ain't living now. Dr. -Epps died and his son wrote me my age. I got it upstairs in a letter now.</p> - -<p>"It happened this a-way. Hampton was already burnt when I came here. -I came to Hampton in June 1862. The Yankees burned Hampton and the fleet -went up the James River. My father and mother and cousins went aboard -the Meritanza with me. You see, my father and three or four men left -in the darkness first and got aboard. The gun boats would fire on the -towns and plantations and run the white folks off. After that they would -carry all the colored folks back down here to Old Point and put 'em -behind the Union lines. I know the names of all the gunboats that came -up the river. Yessir. There was the Galena, we called her the old cheese -box, the Delware, the Yankee, the Mosker, and the Meritanza which was -the ship I was board of. That same year the Merrimac and Monitor fought off<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -Newport News Point. No, I didn't see it. I didn't come down all the way on the -gunboat. I had the measles on the Meritanza and was put off at Harrison's Landing. -When McCellan retreated from Richmond through the peninsula to Washington, -I came to Hampton as a government water boy.</p> - -<p>"While I was aboard the gunboat, she captured a rebel gunboat at a -place called Drury's Bluff. When I first came to Hampton, there were only -barracks where the Institute is; when I returned General Armstrong had done -rite smart.</p> - -<p>"I left Hampton still working as a water boy and went to Quire Creek, Bell -Plains, Va., a place near Harper's Ferry. I left the creek aboard a steamer, the -General Hooker, and went to Alexandria, Va. Abraham Lincoln came aboard the -steamer and we carried him to Mt. Vernon, George Washington's old home. What did -he look like? Why, he looked more like an old preacher than anything I know. -Heh! Heh! Heh! Have you ever seen any pictures of him? Well, if you seen a picture -of him, you seen him. He's just like the picture.</p> - -<p>"You say you think I speak very good English. Heh! Heh! Heh! Well, son -I ought to. I been everywhere. No I never went to what you would call school -except to school as a soldier. I went to Baltimore in 1864 and enlisted. I was -about 17 years old then. My officers' names were Capt. Joe Reed, Lieutenant -Stimson, and Colonel Joseph E. Perkins. I was assigned to the Nineteenth Regiment -of Maryland Company B. While I was in training, they fought at Petersburg. -I went to the regiment in '64 and stayed in until '67. I was a cook. They -taken Richmond the fifth day of April 1865. On that day I walked up the road -in Richmond.</p> - -<p>"When we left Richmond, my brigade was ordered to Brownsville, Texas. -We went there by way of Old Point Comfort, where we went aboard a transport. -When we got to Brownsville, I was detailed to a hospital staff. We arrived -in Brownsville in January 1867. The only thing that happened in Brownsville<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -while I was there was the hanging of three Mexicans for the murder of an -aide. In September we left Brownsville and came back to Baltimore. Before -we left I was sent up the Rio Grande to Ringo Barracks as boss cook.</p> - -<p>"I then returned to Hampton and lived as an oysterman and fisherman -for over forty years.</p> - -<p>"I have never been wounded. My clothes have been cut off me by -bullets but the Lord kept them off my back, I guess.</p> - -<p>"I tell you what I did once. My cousin and I went down to the shore -once. The river shore, you know, up where I was born. While we were walking -along catching tadpoles, mimows, and anything we could catch, I happened to -see a big moccasin snake hanging in a sumac bush just a swinging his head back -and forth. I swung at 'im with a stick and he swelled his head all up big and -rared back. Then I hit 'im and knocked him on the ground flat. His belly was -very big so we kept hittin' 'im on it until he opened his mouth and a catfish -as long as my arm (forearm), jumped out jest a flopping. Well the catfish -had a big belly too, so we beat 'em on his belly until he opened his -mouth and out came one of these women's snapper pocketbooks. You know the -kind that closes by a snap at the top. Well the pocket book was swelling all -out, so we opened it, and guess what was in it? Two big copper pennies. I -gave my cousin one and I took one. Now you mayn't believe that, but it's true. -I been trying to make people believe that for near fifty years. You can put -it in the book or not, jest as you please, but it's true. That fish swallowed -some woman's pocketbook and that snake just swallowed him. I have told men -that for years and they wouldn't believe me.</p> - -<p>"While I was away my father died in Hampton. He waited on an officer. -My mother lived in Hampton and saw me married in 1874. I bought a lot on Union -Street for a hundred dollars cash. I reared a nephew, gave him the lot and the -house I built on it an he threw it away. When I moved around here, I paid<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -cash for this home.</p> - -<p>"Did slaves ever run away! Lord yes, all the time. Where I was born, -there is a lots of water. Why there used to be as high as ten and twelve -Dutch three masters in the habor at a time. I used to catch little snakes and -other things like terapins and sell 'em to the sailor for to eat roaches on -the ships. In those days a good captain would hide a slave way up in the -top sail and carry him out of Virginia to New York and Boston.</p> - -<p>"I never went in the Spanish American War. Too old, but I had some -cousins that enlisted. That was during McKinley's time. He went down the Texas -and some of them other ships they gave Puerto Rico Hail Columbia. They blew -up the Maine with a mine. She was blowed up inward. The Maine left Hampton -Roads going towards Savannah. When they looked at what was left of her all -the steel was bent inward which shows that she was blowed up from the outside -in. Understand. During the World War I went to Washington and haven't -been anyplace since. I'm a little hard of hearing and have high blood -pressure. So I have to sit most of the time. Got an invitation in there now -wantin' me to come to a grand reunion of Yankees and the Rebels this year -but I can't go. Getting too old. Well goodbye, son. Glad to have you come -again sometime."</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="SPARKS" id="SPARKS" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450010</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold center">Autobiography of Elizabeth Sparks</p> - -<p class="bold center">(Interviewed at Matthews Court House, Virginia January 13, 1937. -By Claude W. Anderson.)</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p>Come in boys. Sure am glad ter see ya. You're lookin' so well. That's whut -I say. Fight boys! Hold em! You're doin' alright. Me, I'm so mean nothin' can hurt -me. What's that! You want me to tell yer 'bout slavery days. Well I kin tell yer, -but I ain't. S'all past now; so I say let 'er rest 's too awful to tell anyway. Yer're -too young to know all that talk anyway. Well I'll tell yer some to put in yer book, -but I ain'ta goin' tell yer the worse.</p> - -<p>My mistress's name was Miss Jennie Brown. No, I guess I'd better not tell yer. -Done forgot about dat. Oh well, I'll tell yer. Some, I guess. She died 'bout four -years ago. Bless her. She 'uz a good woman. Course I mean she'd slap an' beat yer -once in a while but she warn't no woman fur fighting fussin' an' beatin' yer all day -lak some I know. She was too young when da war ended fur that. Course no white folks -perfect. Her parents a little rough. Whut dat? Kin I tell yer about her parents? Lord -yes! I wasn't born then but my parents told me. But I ain't a goin' tell yer nuffin. -No I ain't. Tain't no sense fur yer ta know 'bout all those mean white folks. Dey -all daid now. They meany good I reckon. Leastways most of 'em got salvation on their -death beds.</p> - -<p>Well I'll tell yer some, but I ain'ta goin' tell yer much more. No sir. Shep -Miller was my master. His ol' father, he was a tough one. Lord! I've seen 'im kill -'em. He'd git the meanest overseers to put over 'em. Why I member time after he was -dead when I'd peep in the closet an' jes' see his old clothes hangin' there an' jes' -fly. Yessir, I'd run from them clothes an' I was jes' a little girl then. He wuz that -way with them black folks. Is he in heaven! No, he ain't in heaven! Went past heaven. -He was clerk an' was he tough! Sometimes he beat 'em until they couldn't work. Give -'em more work than they could do. They'd git beatin' if they didn't get work done. -Bought my mother, a little girl, when he was married. She wuz a real Christian an' -he respected her a little. Didn't beat her so much. Course he beat her once in a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -while. Shep Miller was terrible. There was no end to the beatin' I saw it wif -my own eyes.</p> - -<p>Beat women! Why sure he beat women. Beat woman jes' lak men. Beat women -naked an' wash 'em down in brine. Some times they beat 'em so bad, they jes' -couldn't stand it an' they run away to the woods. If yer git in the woods, they -couldn't git yer. Yer could hide an' people slip yer somepin' to eat. Then he -call yer every day. After while he tell one of colored foreman tell yer come on -back. He ain'ta goin' beat yer anymore. They had colored foreman but they always -have a white overseer. Foreman git yer to come back an' then he beat yer to death -again.</p> - -<p>They worked six days fum sun to sun. If they forcin' wheat or other crops, -they start to work long 'fo day. Usual work day began when the horn blow an' stop -when the horn blow. They git off jes' long 'nuf to eat at noon. Didn't have much -to eat. They git some suet an' slice a bread fo' breakfas. Well, they give the -colored people an allowance every week. Fo' dinner they'd eat ash cake baked on -blade of a hoe.</p> - -<p>I lived at Seaford then an' was roun' fifteen or sixteen when my mistress -married. Shep Miller lived at Springdale. I 'member jes' as well when they gave me -to Jennie. We wuz all in a room helpin' her dress. She was soon to be married, an' -she turns 'roun an' sez to us. Which of yer niggers think I'm gonna git when I -git married? We all say, "I doan know." An' she looks right at me an' point her -finger at me like this an' sayed "yer!" I was so glad. I had to make 'er believe -I 'us cryin', but I was glad to go with 'er. She didn't beat. She wuz jes' a -young thing. Course she take a whack at me sometime, but that weren't nuffin'. -Her mother wuz a mean ol' thin'. She'd beat yer with a broom or a leather strap -or anythin' she'd git her hands on.</p> - -<p>She uster make my aunt Caroline knit all day an' when she git so tired -aftah dark that she'd git sleepy, she'd make 'er stan' up an knit. She work her -so hard that she'd go to sleep standin' up an' every time her haid nod an' her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -knees sag, the lady'd come down across her haid with a switch. That wuz Miss -Jennie's mother. She'd give the cook jes' so much meal to make bread fum an' -effen she burnt it, she'd be scared to death cause they'd whup her. I 'member -plenty of times the cook ask say, "Marsa please 'scuse dis bread, hits a little -too brown." Yessir! Beat the devil out 'er if she burn dat bread.</p> - -<p>I went wif Miss Jennie an' worked at house. I didn't have to cook. I got -permission to git married. Yer always had to git permission. White folks -'ud give yer away. Yer jump cross a broom stick tergether an' yer wuz -married. My husband lived on another plantation. I slep' in my -mistress's room but I ain't slep' in any bed. Nosir! I slep' on a -carpet, an' ole rug, befo' the fiahplace. I had to git permission to go -to church, everybody did. We could set in the gallery at the white folks -service in the mornin' an' in the evenin' the folk held baptize service -in the gallery wif white present.</p> - -<p>Shep went to war but not for long. We didn't see none of it, but the -slaves knew what the war wuz 'bout. After the war they tried to fool the slaves -'bout freedom an' wanted to keep 'em on a workin' but the Yankees told 'em they -wuz free. They sent some of the slaves to South Carolina, when the Yankees came -near to keep the Yankees from gittin' 'em. Sent cousin James to South Carolina. -I nevah will forgit when the Yankees came through. They wuz takin' all the livestock -an' all the men slaves back to Norfolk, wid 'em to break up the system. White -folks head wuz jes' goin' to keep on havin' slaves. The slaves wanted freedom, but -they's scared to tell the white folks so. Anyway the Yankees wuz givin' everythin' -to the slaves. I kin heah 'em tellin' ol' Missy now. "Yes! give'er clothes. Let'er -take anythin' she wants." They even took some of Miss Jennie's things an' offered -'em to me. I didn't take 'em tho' cause she'd been purty nice to me. Whut tickled -me wuz my husban', John Sparks. He didn't want to leave me an' go cause he didn't -know whah they's takin' 'em nor what they's gonna do, but he wanted to be free; -so he played lame to keep fum goin'. He was jes' a limpin' 'round. It was all I<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span> -could do to keep fum laffin'. I kin hear Miss Jennie now yellin' at them Yankees. No! -who are yer to Judge. I'll be the judge. If John Sparks wants to stay here, he'll -stay. They was gonna take 'im anyhow an' he went inside to pack an' the baby started -cryin'. So one of 'em said that as long as he had a wife an' a baby that young they -guess he could stay. They took all the horses, cows, and pigs and chickens an' anything -they could use an' left. I was about nineteen when I married. I wuz married -in 1861, my oldest boy was born in 1862 an' the fallin' of Richmond came in 1865.</p> - -<p>Before Miss Jennie was married she was born an' lived at her old home right -up the river heah. Yer kin see the place fum ou side heah. On the plantation my mother -wuz a house woman. She had to wash white folks clothes all day an' huh's after dark. -Sometimes she'd be washin' clothes way up 'round midnight. Nosir, couldn't wash any -nigguh's clothes in daytime. My mother lived in a big one room log house wif an' -upstairs. Sometimes the white folks give yer 'bout ten cents to spend. A woman with -children 'ud git 'bout half bushel of meal a week; a childless woman 'ud git 'bout -a peck an' a half of meal a week. If yer wuz workin', they'd give yer shoes. Children -went barefooted, the yeah 'round. The men on the road got one cotton shirt an' jacket. -I had five sisters an' five brothers. Might as well quit lookin' at me. I ain't gonna -tell yer any more. Cain't tell yer all I know. Ol Shep might come back an' git me. -Why if I was to tell yer the really bad things, some of dem daid white folks would -come right up outen dere graves. Well, I'll tell somemore, but I cain't tell all.</p> - -<p>Once in a while they was free nigguhs come fum somewhah. They could come -see yer if yer was their folks. Nigguhs used to go way off in quarters an' slip an' -have meetin's. They called it stealin' the meetin'. The children used to teach me to -read. Schools! Son, there warn't no schools for niggers. Slaves went to bed when they -didn't have anything to do. Most time they went to bed when they could. Sometimes the -men had to shuck corn till eleven and twelve o'clock at night.</p> - -<p>If you went out at night the paddyrols 'ud catch yer if yer was out aftah -time without a pass. Mos' a the slaves was afeared to go out.</p> - -<p>Plenty of slaves ran away. If they ketch 'em they beat 'em near to death.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span> -But yer know dey's good an' bad people every where. That's the way the white folks -wuz. Some had hearts; some had gizzards 'stead o' hearts.</p> - -<p>When my mothers's master died, he called my mother an' brother Major an' got -religion an' talked so purty. He say he so sorry that he hadn't found the Lord -before an' had nuttin' gainst his colored people. He was sorry an' scared, but -confessed. My mother died twenty years since then at the age of seventy-fo'. -She wuz very religious an' all white folks set store to 'er.</p> - -<p>Old Massa done so much wrongness I couldn't tell yer all of it. Slave girl -Betty Lilly always had good clothes an' all the priviliges. She wuz a favorite of -his'n. But cain't tell all! God's got all! We uster sing a song when he was shippin' -the slaves to sell 'em 'bout "Massa's Gwyne Sell Us Termerrer." No, I cain't sing -it for yer. My husban' lived on the plantation nex' to my mistress. He lived with -a bachelor master. He tell us say once when he was a pickinnany ol' Marse Williams -shot at 'im. He didn't shoot 'em; he jes' shoot in the air an' ol' man wuz so sceered -he ran home an' got in his mammy's bed. Massa Williams uster play wif 'em; then dey -got so bad that they'ud run an' grab 'is laige so's he couldn't hardly walk so when -he sees 'em he jes' shoots in de air. Ol' Massa, he, jes' come on up ter the cabin -an' say "mammy whah dat boy?" She say, in dah undah the bed. Yer done scared 'im -to deaf! Ol' Massa go on in an' say, Boy! What's the mattah wid yer. Boy say, yer -shot me master yer shot me! Master say, aw Gwan!—Git up an' come along. I ain't -shot yer. I jes' shot an' scared yer. Heh! Heh! Heh! Yessir my ol' husban' sayed -he sure was scared that day.</p> - -<p>Now yer take dat an' go. Put that in the book. Yer kin make out wif dat. -I ain't a gonna tell yer no more. Nosir. The end a time is at hand anyway. 'Tain't -no use ter write a book. The Bible say when it git so's yer cain't tell one season -from t'other the worl's comin' to end; here hit is so warm in winter that [<span class="hw">HW</span>: it] feels like -summer. Goodbye. Keep lookin' good an' come again.</p> - -<hr class="hr33" /> - - -<p class="font130"><a name="WILSON" id="WILSON" href="#INFORMANTS"> -<span title=" Return to INFORMANTS. " class="hoverlink">450002</span></a> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span></p> - -<p class="bold"> -Interview of Miss Mary Jane Wilson<br /> -Portsmouth, Virginia<br /> -By—Thelma Dunston<br /> -</p> - -<p><br /></p> -<p class="bold center">NEGRO PIONEER TEACHER OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA</p> - -<p>One of the rooms in the Old Folks Home for Colored in Portsmouth, Virginia -is occupied by an ex-slave—one of the first Negro teachers of Portsmouth.</p> - -<p>On meeting Miss Mary Jane Wilson, very little questioning was needed to get -her to tell of her life. Drawing her chair near a small stove, she said, "my -Mother and Father was slaves, and when I was born, that made me a slave. I -was the only child. My Mother was owned by one family, and my Father was -owned by another family. My mother and father was allowed to live together. -One day my father's mastah took my father to Norfolk and put him in a jail to -stay until he could sell him. My missus bought my father so he could be with -us."</p> - -<p>"During this time I was small, and I didn't have so much work to do. I -jus helped around the house."</p> - -<p>"I was in the yard one day, and I saw so many men come marching down the -street, I ran and told my mother what I'd seen. She tried to tell me what it was -all about, but I couldn't understand her. Not long after that we was free."</p> - -<p>Taking a long breath, the old woman said, "My father went to work in the -Norfolk Navy Yard as a teamster. He began right away buying us a home. We was -one of the first Negro land owners in Portsmouth after emancipation. My father -<span title=" builed " class="hoverbox">builded</span> his own house. It's only two -blocks from here, and it still stands with few improvements."</p> - -<p>With a broad smile Miss Wilson added, "I didn't get any teachings when I -was a slave. When I was free, I went to school. The first school I went to was -held in a church. Soon they builded a school building that was called, 'Chestnut -Street Academy', and I went there. After finishing Chestnut Street Academy, -I went to Hampton Institute. In 1874, six years after Hampton Institute was -started, I graduated."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> - -<p>At this point Miss Wilson's pride was unconcealed. She continued her -conversation, but her voice was much louder and her speech was much faster. -She remarked, "My desire was to teach. I opened a school in my home, and I -had lots of students. After two years my class grew so fast and large that -my father built a school for me in our back yard. I had as many as seventy-five -pupils at one time. Many of them became teachers. I had my graduation -exercises in the Emanuel A. M. E. Church. Those were my happiest days."</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Slave Narratives: a Folk History of -Slavery in the United States, From Interviews with Former Slaves, by Work Projects Administration - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: VIRGINIA *** - -***** This file should be named 28973-h.htm or 28973-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/9/7/28973/ - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://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. 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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 - Virginia Narratives - -Author: Work Projects Administration - -Release Date: May 26, 2009 [EBook #28973] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SLAVE NARRATIVES: VIRGINIA *** - - - - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by the -Library of Congress, Manuscript Division) - - - - - - - - - -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 - - -WASHINGTON 1941 - - - - -VOLUME XVII - -VIRGINIA NARRATIVES - - -Prepared by -the Federal Writers' Project of -the Works Progress Administration -for the State of Virginia - - - - -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -Transcriber's Note: - -To reflect the individual character of this document, most -inconsistencies in spelling, punctuation, and formatting have been -retained. Obvious typos and some punctuation (mostly quotation marks) -have been fixed. Spelling changes are noted within the text. - -[HW: text] denotes hand-written addition unless otherwise noted. -[TR: text] denotes transcriber's note. -[SP: text] denotes misspelled word that was corrected. -~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - - - - -INFORMANTS - - -Berry, Fannie 1 - -Crawley, Charles 7 - -Fulkes, Minnie 11 - -Giwbs (Gibbs?), Georgina 15 -Goodwin, Candis 17 -Grandy, Charles 21 - -Harris, Della 24 -Hines, Marriah 27 -Hopson, Moble 31 - -Jones, Albert 42 - -Kelly, Susan, and Stokes, Simon 44 - -Slaughter, Richard 46 -Sparks, Elizabeth 50 - -Wilson, Mary Jane 55 - - - - -450009 - -Interview of Mrs. Fannie Berry, Ex-slave -861 E. Bank Street--Petersburg, Virginia -By Susie Byrd, Petersburg, Virginia -Date--February 26, 1937 - - -NAT TURNER - -Back 'fore the sixties, I can 'member my Mistress, Miss Sara Ann, comin' -to de window an' hollerin', "De niggers is arisin'! De niggers is -arisin'! De niggers is killin' all de white folks, killin' all de babies -in de cradle!" It must have been Nat Turner's Insurrection; which wuz -sometime 'fo de breakin' of de Civil War. - -I wuz waitin' on table in dinin' room an' dis day dey had finished -eatin' early an' I wuz cleanin' off table. Don't you know I must have -been a good size gal. - - -JOHN BROWN - -Yes, I 'member something 'bout him too. I know my Master came home an' -said, dat on his way to de gallows ole John stopped an' kissed a little -nigger child. "How com' I don't 'member? Don't tell me I don't 'cause I -do. I don't care if its done bin a thousand years." I know what Master -said an' it is as fresh in my mind as it wuz dat day. Dis is de song I -herd my Master sing: - - Old John Brown came to Harpers Ferry Town, - Purpose to raise an insurrection; - Old Governor Wise put the specks upon his eyes - An' showed him the happy land of Canaan. - - -INVENTION - -My Master tole us dat de niggers started the railroad, an' dat a nigger -lookin' at a boilin' coffee pot on a stove one day got the idea dat he -could cause it to run by putting wheels on it. Dis nigger being a -blacksmith put his thoughts into action by makin' wheels an' put coffee -on it, an' by some kinder means he made it run an' the idea wuz stole -from him an' dey built de steamengine. - - -RELATIONSHIP - -I wuz one slave dat de poor white man had his match. See Miss Sue? Dese -here ol' white men said, "what I can't do by fair means I'll do by -foul." One tried to throw me, but he couldn't. We tusseled an' knocked -over chairs an' when I got a grip I scratched his face all to pieces; an -dar wuz no more bothering Fannie from him; but oh, honey, some slaves -would be beat up so, when dey resisted, an' sometimes if you'll 'belled -de overseer would kill yo'. Us Colored women had to go through a plenty, -I tell you. - - -MARRIAGE - -Elder Williams married me in Miss Delia Mann's (white) parlor on de -crater road. The house still stands. The house wuz full of Colored -people. Miss Sue Jones an' Miss Molley Clark (white), waited on me. Dey -took de lamps an' we walked up to de preacher. One waiter joined my han' -an' one my husband's han'. After marriage de white folks give me a -'ception; an', honey, talkin' 'bout a table--hit wuz stretched clean -'cross de dinin' room. We had everythin' to eat you could call for. No, -didn't have no common eats. We could sing in dar, an' dance ol' squar' -dance all us choosed, ha! ha! ha! Lord! Lord! I can see dem gals now on -dat flo'; jes skippin' an' a trottin'. An' honey, dar wuz no white folks -to set down an' eat 'fo yo'. - - -WAR - -Now, Miss Sue, take up. I jes' like to talk to you, honey 'bout dem days -ob slavery; 'cause you look like you wan'ta hear all 'bout 'em. All -'bout de ol' rebels; an' dem niggers who left wid de Yankees an' were -sat free, but, poor things, dey had no place to go after dey got freed. -Baby, all us wuz helpless an' ain't had nothin'. - -I wuz free a long time 'fo' I knew it. My Mistess still hired me out, -'til one day in talkin' to de woman she hired me to, she, "God bless her -soul", she told me, "Fannie yo' are free, an' I don't have to pay your -Master for you now." You stay with me. She didn't give me no money, but -let me stay there an' work for vitals an' clothes 'cause I ain't had no -where to go. Jesus, Jesus, God help us! Um, Um, Um! You Chillun don't -know. I didn't say nothin' when she wuz tellin' me, but done 'cided to -leave her an' go back to the white folks dat fus own me. - -I plan' to 'tend a big dance. Let me see, I think it wuz on a Thursday -night. Some how it tooken got out, you know how gals will talk an' it -got to ol' Bil Duffeys ears (ol' dog!) an', baby do you know, mind you -'twont slavery time, but de 'oman got so mad cause I runned away from -her dat she get a whole passel of 'em out looking for me. Dar wuz a boy, -who heard 'em talkin' an' sayin' dey wuz goin' to kill me if I were -found. I will never forget dis boy com' up to me while I wuz dancin' wid -another man an' sed, "nobody knowes where you ar', Miss Moore, dey is -lookin' fer you, an' is gwine kill you, so yo' come on wid me." Have -mercy, have mercy my Lord, honey, you kin jes 'magin' my feelin' fer a -minute. I couldn't move. You know de gals an' boys all got 'round me an' -told me to go wid Squreball, dat he would show me de way to my old -Mistess house. Out we took, an' we ran one straight mile up de road, den -through de woods, den we had to go through a straw field. Dat field -seem' like three miles. After den, we met another skit of woods. Miss -Sue, baby my eyes, (ha! ha! ha!) wuz bucked an' too if it is setch a -thin' as being so scared yo' hair stand on yo' head, I know, mine did. -An' dat wasn't all, dat boy an' me puffed an' sweated like bulls. Was -feared to stop, cause we might have been tracked. - -At last we neared de house an' I started throwin' rocks on de porch. -Child I look an' heard dat white 'oman when she hit dat floor, bouncin' -out dat bed she mus' felt dat I wuz comin' back to her. She called all -de men an' had 'em throw a rope to me an' day drawed me up a piece to de -window, den I held my arms up an' dey snatched me in. Honey, Squreball -fled to de woods. I ain't never heard nothin' 'bout him. An' do you -know, I didn't leave day 'oman's house no more for fifteen years? - -Lord! Lord! honey, Squreball an' I use to sing dis song. - - 'Twas 1861, the Yankees made de Rebels run - We'll all go stone blin' - When de Johny's come a marchin' home. - -Child an' here's another one we use to sing. 'Member de war done bin -when we would sing dese songs. Listen now: - - Ain't no more blowin' of dat fo' day horn - I will sing, brethern, I will sing. - A col' frosty mornin' de nigger's mighty good - Take your ax upon your shoulder. - Nigger talk to de woods, - Ain't no mor' blowin' of dat fo' day horn. - I will sing brethern, I will sing. - - SONG - - Kemo, Kimo, dar you are - Heh, ho rump to pume did'dle. - Set back pinkey wink, - Come Tom Nippecat - Sing song Kitty cat, can't - You carry me o'er? - - 2 - - Up de darkies head so bold - Sing song, Kitty, can't you - Carry me O'er? - Sing Song, Kitty, can't yo' - Carry me home? - -I wuz at Pamplin an' de Yankees an' Rebels were fightin' an' dey were -wavin' the bloody flag an' a confederate soldier wuz upon a post an' -they were shootin' terribly. Guns were firin' everywhere. - -All a sudden dey struck up Yankee Doodle Song. A soldier came along [HW: -and] called to me, "How far is it to the Rebels", an I honey, wuz feared -to tell him. So, I said, "I don't know". He called me again. Scared to -death [HW: I was]. I recollect gittin' behind the house an' pointed in -the direction. You see, ef de Rebels knew dat I told the soldier, they -would have killed me. - -These were the Union men goin' after Lee's army which had don' bin 'fore -dem to Appomattox. - -The Colored regiment came up behind an' when they saw the Colored -regiment they put up the white flag. (Yo' 'member [SP: 'menber] 'fo' dis -red or bloody flag was up). Now, do you know why dey raised dat white -flag? Well, honey, dat white flag wuz a token dat Lee, had surrendered. -Glory! Glory! yes, child the Negroes are free, an' when they knew dat -dey were free dey, Oh! Baby! began to sing: - - Mamy don't yo' cook no mo', - Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free. - Rooster don't yo' crow no mo', - Yo' ar' free, yo' ar' free. - Ol' hen, don't yo' lay no mo' eggs, - Yo' free, yo' free. - -Sech rejoicing an' shoutin', you never he'rd in you' life. - -Yes, I can recollect de blowin' up of the Crater. We had fled, but I do -know 'bout the shellin' of Petersburg. We left Petersburg when de -shellin' commenced an' went to Pamplin in box cars, gettin' out of de -way. Dem were scared times too, cause you looked to be kilt any minute -by stray bullets. Just before the shellin' of Petersburg, dey were -sellin' niggers for little nothin' hardly. - -Junius Broadie, a white man bought some niggers, but dey didn't stay -slave long, cause de Yankees came an' set 'em free. - - - - -450003 - -Interview of Mr. Charles Crawley, Ex-slave -By--Susie Byrd--Petersburg, Virginia -Date--February 20, 1937 - - -THE STORY OF CHARLES CRAWLEY, EX-SLAVE - -God knows how old I am. All I know is I wuz born 'fore de war. - -Yes, I wuz a slave an' belonged to a family of Allen's in Luenburg -County, came here to dis Petersburg de second week of Lee's surrender. - -My Marster and Mistess wuz good to me as well as all us slaves. Dey -owned 'bout fifty head of colored people. All de work I did wuz to play -an' drive cows, being only a boy worked around as chillun; doin' dis, -an' dat, little things de white folks would call me to do. - -Marster Allen, owned my Mother, an' sister too; we emigrant (emigrated) -here, came to dis town of Petersburg after Lee's surrender, I mean you -now de ending of de Civil War. My mother, sister, and I came on down de -road in a box car, which stopped outside de outskirts; hit didn't go -through de city. Yes, I know when de first railroads were built, de -Norfolk and Western an' de Atlantic Coast Line, dey were run through -Petersburg an' in dem days it wuz called de Southern. - -Mis and Mars' Allen didn't want us to leave dat part of de Country to -come to dis here place down de road, but we comed ourselves to make a -home fo' ourselves. Well now, we worked here an' dar, wid dis here man -an' dat man; O well, wid different people 'til we bought us selves a -home an' paid for it. Mother died right here in dis here house; twelve -years ago, dis comin' March 'leventh. I am yet livin' in dis same -house, dat she an' us all labored an' worked fo' by de sweat of our -brow, an' wid dese hands, Lord! Lord! Child dem days wuz some days. -Lemme finish, baby, tellin' you 'bout dis house. De groun' wad bought -from a lady (colored) name Sis Jackey, an' she wuz sometimes called in -dem days de Mother of Harrison Street Baptis' Church. I reccon dis -church is de ol'est one in Petersburg. - -O, yes, honey, I can 'member when de Yankees came into dis town; dey -broke in stores an' told all de niggers to go in an' git anything dey -wanted. - -When slaves ran away they were brought back to their Master and Mistess; -when dey couldn't catch 'em they didn't bother, but let 'em go. -Sometimes de slaves would go an' take up an' live at tother places; some -of 'em lived in de woods off of takin' things, sech as hogs, corn, an' -vegetables from other folks' farm. Well, if dese slaves was caught, dey -were sold by their new masters to go down South. Dey tell me dem Masters -down South wuz so mean to slaves dey would let 'em work dem cotton -fields 'til dey fall dead wid hoes in dare hands, 'en would beat dem. -I'm glad to say, we had good owners. - -There was a auction block, I saw right here in Petersburg on the corner -of Sycamore street and Bank street. Slaves were auctioned off to de -highest bidder. Some refused to be sold. By dat I mean, "cried". Lord! -Lord! I done seen dem young'uns fought and kick like crazy folks; child -it wuz pitiful to see 'em. Den dey would handcuff an' beat 'em -unmerciful. I don' like to talk 'bout back dar. It brun' a sad feelin' -up me. If slaves 'belled, I done seed dem whip 'em wid a strop cal' "cat -nine tails." Honey, dis strop wuz 'bout broad as yo' hand, from thum' -to little finger, an' 'twas cut in strips up. Yo' done seen dese whips -dat they whip horses wid? Well dey was used too. - -You sed somethin' 'bout how we served God. Um, um, child, I tell you -jest how we use to do. We use to worship at different houses. You see -you would git a remit to go to dese places. You would have to show your -remit. If de Pattyrollers, caught you dey would whip yo'. Dats de wa' -dey done in dem da's. Pattyrollers, is a gang of white men gitting -together goin' through de country catching slaves, an' whipping an' -beatin' 'em up if dey had no remit. Marster Allen wouldn't 'llow no one -to whip an' beat his slaves, an' he would handle anybody if dey did; so, -Marster's slaves met an' worshipped from house to house, an honey, we -talked to my God all us wanted. - -You know we use to call Marster Allen, Colonel Allen. His name was -Robert. He was a home general, an' a lawyer, too. When he went to court -any slave he said to free, was freed an' turned aloose. De white fo'ks -as well as slaves obeyed Marster Allen. - -Did you know poor whites like slaves had to git a pass? I mean, a remit -like as slaves, to sell anythin' an' to go places, or do anythin'. Jest -as we colored people, dey had to go to some big white man like Colonel -Allen, dey did. If Marster wanted to, he would give dem a remit or pass; -an' if he didn't feel like it, he wouldn't do it. It was jes as he felt -'bout hit. Dats what made all feared him. Ol' Marster was more hard on -dem poor white folks den he was on us niggers. - -I don't know but two sets of white folks slaves up my way; one was name -Chatman, an' de tother one Nellovies. Dese two families worked on -Allen's farm as we did. Off from us on a plot called Morgan's lot, there -dey lived as slaves jes like us Colored fo'ks. Yes de poor white man had -some dark an' tough days, like us poor niggers; I mean were lashed an' -treated, some of 'em, jes as pitiful an' unmerciful. Lord! Lord! baby, I -hope yo' young fo'ks will never know what slavery is, an' will never -suffer as yo' foreparents. O God! God! I'm livin' to tell de tale to -yo', honey. Yes, Jesus, yo've spared me. - -For clothin' we were 'lowed two suits a year--one fer spring, an' one -fer winter, was all yo' had. De underclothes were made at home. Yo' also -got two pairs of shoes an' homemade hats an' caps. The white folks or -your slave owners would teach dem who could catch on easy an' dey would -teach de other slaves, an' dats how dey kept all slaves clothed. Our -summer hats were made out of plaited straw, underclothes made out of -sacks an' bags. - -We had plenty of food such as 'twas--cornbread, butter milk, sweet -potatoes, in week days. Ha! Ha! honey, guess dat's why niggers don't -like cornbread today; dey got a dislike for dat bread from back folks. -On Sunday we had biscuits, and sometimes a little extra food, which ole -Mistess would send out to Mother for us. - -Fer as I think, if slavery had lasted, it would have been pretty tough. -As it was, some fared good, while others fared common. You know, slaves -who were beat an' treated bad; some of dem had started gittin' together -an' killin' de white folks when dey carried dem out to de field to work. -God is punishin' some of dem ol' suckers an' their chillun right now fer -de way dey use to treat us poor colored fo'ks. - -I think by Negro gittin' educated he has profited, an' dis here younger -generation is gwine to take nothin' off dese here poor white folks when -dey don't treat dem right, cause now dis country is a free country; no -slavery now. - - - - -450013 - -Interview of Mrs. Minnie Fulkes -459 E. Byrne Street--Petersburg, Virginia -By--Susie [SP: Susue] Byrd -March 5, 1937 - - -I was born the twenty-fifth of December and I am 77 years old. My mother -was a slave and she belonged to Dick Belcher in Chesterfield County. Old -Dick sold us again to Gelaspe Graves. 'Member now fifteen of mother's -chillun went with her having de same master. - -Honey, I don't like to talk 'bout dem times, 'cause my mother did suffer -misery. [SP: misert] You know dar was an' overseer who use to tie mother -up in de barn with a rope aroun' her arms up over her head, while she -stood on a block. Soon as dey got her tied, dis block was moved an' her -feet dangled, yo' know--couldn't tech de flo'. - -Dis ol' man, now, would start beatin' her nekkid 'til the blood run down -her back to her heels. I took an' seed th' whelps an' scars fer my own -self wid dese here two eyes. ([HW struck out: this whip she said,] was a -whip like dey use to use on horses); it wuz a piece [SP: peice] of -leather 'bout as wide as my han' from little finger to thumb. After dey -had beat my muma all dey wanted another overseer. Lord, Lord, I hate -white people and de flood waters gwine drown some mo. Well honey dis man -would bathe her in salt and water. Don't you kno' dem places was a -hurtin'. Um, um. - -I asked mother what she done fer 'en to beat and do her so? She said, -nothin', tother than she refused to be wife to dis man. - -An' muma say, if he didn't treat her dis way a dozen times, it wasn't -nary one. - -Mind you, now muma's marster didn't know dis wuz going on. You know, if -slaves would tell, why dem overseers would kill 'em. - -An' she sed dat dey use to have meetings an' sing and pray an' th' ol' -paddy rollers would hear dem, so to keep th' sound from goin' out, -slaves would put a great big iron pot at the door, an' you know some -times dey would fer git to put ol' pot dar an' the paddy rollers would -come an' horse whip every las' one of 'em, jes cause poor souls were -praying to God to free 'em from dat awful bondage. - -Ha! ha! ha! dar wuz one ol' brudder who studied fer 'em one day an' tol -all de slaves how to git even wid 'em. - -He tol' 'em to tie grape vines an' other vines across th' road, den when -de Paddy rollers come galantin' wid their horses runnin' so fast you see -dem vines would tangle 'em up an' cause th' horses to stumble and fall. -An' lots of times, badly dey would break dere legs and horses too; one -interval one ol' poor devil got tangled so an' de horse kept a carryin' -him, 'til he fell off horse and next day a sucker was found in road whar -dem vines wuz wind aroun' his neck so many times yes had choked him, dey -said, "He totely dead." Serve him right 'cause dem ol' white folks -treated us so mean. - -Well, sometimes, you know dey would, the others of 'em, keep going 'til -dey fin' whar dis meeting wuz gwine on. Dey would come in and start -whippin' an' beatin' the slaves unmerciful. All dis wuz done to keep yo' -from servin' God, an' do you know some of dem devils wuz mean an' sinful -'nough to say, "Ef I ketch you here agin servin' God I'll beat you. You -haven't time to serve God. We bought you to serve us." Um, um. - -God's gwine 'rod dem wicket marsters. Ef hit 'taint 'em whut gits hit, -hits gonna fall on deir chillun. - -In dem back days child, meetings wuz carried on jes like we do today, -somewhatly. Only difference is the slave dat knowed th' most 'bout de -Bible would tell and explain what God had told him in a vision (yo' -young folks say, "dream") dat dis freedom would come to pass; an' den -dey prayed fer dis vision to come to pass, an' dars whar de paddy -rollers would whip 'em ag'in. - -Lord! Lord dey, pew! pew! pew! Baby, I jes kno' I could if I knowed how -to write, an' had a little learning I could put off a book on dis here -situation. Yo' kno what I mean 'bout dese way back questions yo' is a -asking me to tell yo' 'bout; as fer as I can recallect in my mind. - -When Graves bought us, he sold three of us an' three slaves. My brother -an' sister went down south. Muma sed to de cotton country an' too, she -say, "they were made to work [SP: wrok] in th' cotton fields by their -new marster, out in dem white fields in th' brawlin' sun from th' time -it breaked day 'till yo' couldn't see at night an', yes indeedy, an' if -God isn't my right'ous judge they were given not half to eat, no not -'nough, to eat. Dey wuz beaten ef dey ask'd for any mo'". - -As to marriage, when a slave wanted to marry, why he would jes ask his -marster to go over and ask de tother marster could he take unto himself -dis certain gal fer a wife. Mind you now, all de slaves dat marster -called out of quarters an' he'd make 'em line up see, stand in a row -like soldiers, and de slave man is wid his marster when dis askin' is -gwine on, and he pulls de gal to him he wants; an' de marster den make -both jump over broom stick an' after dey does, dey is prenounced man an' -wife, both stayin' wid same marsters (I mean ef John marries Sallie, -John stay wid his ol' marster an' Sal' wid hers, but had privileges, you -know, like married folks; an' ef chillun were born all of 'em, no matter -how many, belonged to de marster whar de woman stayed). - -If I aint made a mistake, I think it wuz in April when de war -surrendered an' muma an' all us wuz turned aloose in May. Yes dat ol' -wench, a ol' heifer, oh child, it makes my blood bile when I think 'bout -it. Yes she kept muma ig'runt. Didn't tell her nuthing 'bout being free -'til den in May. - -Den her mistess, Miss Betsy Godsey, tol' her she wuz free, an' she -(muma) coul' cook fer her jes th' same dat she would give her something -to eat an' help clothe us chillun, dat wuz ef muma continual' to sta wid -her an' work. - -You see, we didn't have nuthin' an' no whar to go, um, um, um so we all, -you know, jes took en stayed 'til we wuz able wid God's help to pull us -selves together. But my God it wuz 'ginst our will, but, baby, couldn't -help ourselves. - -My fathers master tol' him he could farm one half fer th' tother an' -when time rolled 'roun' fer dem 'viding crops he took an' give to him -his part like any honest man would do. Ah, Lord child, dem wuz terrible -times too, oh! it makes me shudder when I think of some slaves had to -stay in de woods an' git long best way dey could after freedom done bin' -clared; you see slaves who had mean master would rather be dar den whar -dey lived. By an' by God opened a way an' dey got wid other slaves who -had huts. You see, after th' render no white folks could keep slaves. Do -yo' know even now, honey, an' dat done bin way bac' yonder, dese ol' -white folks think us poor colored people is made to work an' slave fer -dem, look! dey aint give you no wages worth nuthin'. Gal cook all week -fer two an' three dollars. How can you live off it, how kin, how kin -yo'? - -My father waited on soldiers and after de s'render dey carried him an' -his brother as fer as Washington D.C. I think we all use to say den, -"Washington City." Aint you done heard folks talk 'bout dat city? 'Tis a -grade big city, daus whar de President of dis here country stay; an' in -bac' days it wuz known as 'vidin' lin' fer de North an' South. I done -hear dem white folks tell all 'bout dem things--dis line. As I wuz -tellin' you, his brother wuz kept, but dey sent father bac' home. Uncle -Spencer wuz left in Prince Williams County. All his chillun ar' still -dar. I don't know de name of Yankee who carried him off. - -Lord, Lord, Honey, dem times too over sad, 'cause Yankees took lots of -slaves away an' dey made homes. An' whole heap of families lost sight of -each other. I know of a case whar after hit wuz ten years a brother an' -sister lived side by side an' didn't know dey wuz blood kin. - -My views 'bout de chillun in dem bac' days is dat dese here chillun what -is now comin' up is too pizen brazen fer me. - -No jes' lem me tell you how I did I married when I wuz 14 years old. So -help me God, I didn't know what marriage meant. I had an idea when you -loved de man, you an' he could be married an' his wife had to cook, -clean up, wash, an' iron fer him was all. I slept in bed he on his side -an' I on mine fer three months an' dis aint no lie. Miss Sue, he never -got close to me 'cause muma had sed "Don't let no body bother yo' -principle," 'cause dat wuz all yo' had. I 'bey my muma, an' tol' him so, -and I said to go an' ask muma an' ef she sed he could get close to me -hit was alright. An' he an' I went to gether to see and ask muma. - -Den muma said "Come here chillun," and she began tellin' me to please my -husband, an' 'twas my duty as a wife, dat he had married a pu'fect lady. - -Dese here chillun don't think of deir principle. Run purfectly wild. Old -women too. Dey ain't all 'em true to one, but have two. - -Jes what is gittin' into dis generation; is hit de worl' comin' to an -end? - -Ha! ha! ha! I goin' tel' yo' som'thin' else. - -I had a young man to come to see me one evenin' an' he sed dis to me, -"Miss Moore" "Let me jin my fence to your plantation." - -I give him his hat. I say, "no" yo' go yo' way an' I go mine. I wuz -through wid him, an' mind yo' I from dat da' 'til dis aint knowed what -he wuz talkin' 'bout an' wuz ashamed to ask muma; but I thought he -insulted me. - -I didn't never go to school. Had to work an' am working now an' when hit -breaks good weather, I go fishing. And who works dat big garden out dar? -No body but me. - -You know I'm mother of eleven chillun', an' 'tis seven living an' four -of dem ded. - - - - -450014 Duplicate--Copy #1 - -Interview of Mrs. Georgina Giwbs, Ex-slave -By--Thelma Dunston -Portsmouth, Virginia -January 15, 1937 - - -Mrs. Georgina Giwbs, an ex-slave, resides at 707 Lindsey Avenue, -Portsmouth, Virginia. The old lady marveled at the great change that has -been made in the clothings, habits and living conditions of the Negro -since she was a child. She described the clothing of the slaves in a -calm manner, "All of de cloth during slavery time was made on de loom. -My mastah had three slaves who worked in de loom house. After de cloth -was made, mastah sent hit over town to a white woman who made hit in -clothes. We had to knit all our stockings and gloves. We'd plait blades -of wheat to make us bonnets. We had to wear wooden bottom shoes. Dere -won't no stores, so we growed everything we et, an' we'd make everything -we'd wear." - -"We had a washing house. Dere wuz five women who done de washing an' -ironing. Dey had to make de soap. Dat wuz done by letting water drip -over oak ashes. Dis made oak ash lye, and dis wuz used in making soap. -After de clothes had soaked in dis lye-soap and water, dey put de -clothes on tables and beat 'em 'till dey wuz white." - -"Mastah give us huts to live in. De beds wuz made of long boards dat wuz -nailed to de wall. De mattress wuz stuffed wif straw and pine tags. De -only light we had wuz from de fire-place. We didn't use no matches, -'stead we'd strick a rock on a piece of steel. We'd let the sparks fall -on some cotton." - -"My mastah had 'bout five hundred slaves. He'd never sell none of his -slaves, but he'd always buy more. Dat keeps de slaves from marrying in -dere famblies. When yer married, yer had to jump over a broom three -times. Dat wuz de licence. Ef mastah seen two slaves together too much -he would marry them. Hit didn't make no difference ef yer won't but -fourteen years old." - -"Work began at sun rise and last 'till sun down. When I wuz eight years -old, I started working in de field wif two paddles to keep de crows from -eatin' de crops. We had a half day off on Sunday, but you won't 'lowed -to visit. Sometimes de men slaves would put logs in de beds, and dey'd -cover 'em up, den dey go out. Mastah would see de logs and think dey wuz -de slaves." - -"My father told me dere wuz once a mastah who sold a slave woman and her -son. Many years after dis, de woman married. One day when she wuz -washing her husband's back she seen a scar on his back. De woman -'membered de scar. It wuz de scar her mastah had put on her son. 'Course -dey didn't stay married, but de woman wouldn't ever let her son leave -her." - - -Superstitions told by Mrs. Georgina Giwbs - -1. "Ef a dog turns on his back and howls', 'tis a sign of death." - -2. "Ef yer drops a dish rag on de floor and it spreads out, 'tis de sign -dat a hungry woman is gwine ter come to yer house. Ef de rag don't -spread out den a hungry man is a coming." - -3. "Ef a black cat crosses yer path going to de right, 'tis good luck. -Ef de cat goes to de left 'tis bad luck." - -4. "Ef a girl walks aroung wif one shoe off and one on, she'll stay -single as many years as de number of steps she taken." - - - - -450006 - -Interview of Mrs. Candis Goodwin -Aged 80 -Cape Charles, Virginia - - -Ah ain't knowd, 'xactly, how ol' ah is, but ah bawn 'fo' de war. Bawn -ovuh yonder at Seaview, on ol' Masser Scott's plantation. Tain't fur -f'om here. Yes, reckon ah 'bout six yeah ol' when de Yankees come, jes' -a lil' thin', you know. - -My white people dey good tuh me. Cose dey gits mad wid you but dey don' -beat non o' us; jes' ack lak it. Why, ah was jes lak dey's chullun; ah -played wid 'em, et wid 'em an' eb'n slep' wid 'em. Ah kinder chillish, -ah reckon. Had muh own way. Muh mommer, she wuck in de quater kitchen. -She ain' ha' tuh wuck hawd lak some. Had it kinder easy, too. Jes' lak -ah tells yuh ah al'ys had my way. Ah gits whut ah wants an' ef'n dey -don't gi' tuh me, ah jes' teks it. - -No neber had no wuck to do in dem days 'ceptin' nursin' de babies. 'Twas -jes' lak play; twan no wuck. Uster go ober to Nottingham's tuh play, go -long wid Missus chillun, yuh know. Ah laks tuh go ober there cause dey -has good jam an' biscuits. Ef'n dey don gi' me none, ah jes' teks some. -Dey don do nuttin'; jes' say, "Tek yuh han' out dat plate". But ah got -whut ah wants den. Why we chillun user hab a time 'round ol' Missus' -place. All us chillun uster git togeder an' go in de woods tuh play. -Yes, de white and black uns, too. De grea' big whi' boys uster go 'long -wid us, too. Know how we play? We tek de brown pine shadows an' mek -houses outer 'em an' den mek grass outer de green uns. Den we go ober -Missus' dairy and steal inything we want an' tek it to our houses in de -woods. Dem was good ol' times, ah tel yuh, honey. - -Tel yuh, whut ah uster do. Ah uster play pranks on ol' Masser Scott. -Ah's regular lil' devil, ah was. Come night, ev'y body sit 'round big -fire place in living room. Soon it git kinder late, Massa git up outer -his cheer tuh win' up, de clock. Ah gits hin' his cheer ret easy, an' -quick sneak his cheer f'om un'er him; an' when he finish he set smack on -de flow! Den he say "Dogone yuh lil' cattin', ah gwan switch yuh!" Ah -jes' fly out de room. Wont sceered though cause ah knows Massa won' gon -do nottin' 'tuh me. - -What ah know 'bout whippin'. Well ah ain' had uh whippin' in my life. -But ah hear tel o' how dey whips um though. Yuh know dey uster tek dat -cowhide an' cut 'em till dey backs beeds. Some jes' lak see de blood run -down. Better not cry neider. Mek yuh holler, "Oh pray! oh pray!" -Couldn't say nottin' else. But Massa Scott neber had none dat kinder -stuff on his place. He say tain't right. Didn't 'low no paddyrollers -'round eider. Say dey "trechous". Massa Nottin'ham neber had 'em on his -place neider. He didn' neber strike one o' his niggers; nobody else -better not neider. - -Honey, ah teh yuh ah growd jes' as good's any chil' in dis country. Ol' -Missus Scott gimme good clothes; cose ah didn't git 'em mone twice a -yeah, but dey's good when ah gits 'em. She gimmie Sis' dresses. Sis' -one ob Missus' little girls. An' de whi' chillun dey learn me how -tuh read, too. Cose de whi' folks din wan' yuh to learn. Ah 'member -jes' as clare as yestidy how one dem chillun learn me how tuh read -"compress-i-bility". Thought ah was suppin' den! Ah kin read Bible lil -now but ah can' write; neber learn tuh write. - -Did ah eber go tuh church? Cose ah did! Went ret 'long wid Missus' -chillun. Had tuh set in de back, but dat won' nottin'. My mommer, she -went tuh church too. Sometime de ol' folk uster git togedder in de -quater-kitchen tuh shout an' pray. Dats where my mommer git 'ligion. She -kinder tender 'oman; couldn' stan' dat preachin' no longer. - -What 'bout muh pappy? Dat's suppin' ah ain' tol' yuh 'bout. Well, yuh -know Uncle Stephen, he kinder overseer fo' some widow 'omans. He Mommer -husband. He come see muh mommer any time he gits ready. But ah fin' out -he ain' muh pappy. Ah knowd dat since when ah's a lil' thin'. Ah uster -go ovur tuh massa William's plantation. Dey tell me all 'bout. De folks -ober dere dey uster say tuh me, "Who's yuh pappy? Who's yuh pappy?" Ah -jes' say "Tuckey buzzard lay me an' de sun hatch me" an' den gwan 'bout -my business. Cose all de time dey knows an' ah knows too dat Massa -Williams was muh pappy. Ah tell yuh suppin' else. Got uh brother libin' -ret on dis here street; one den toof doctors, yuh know, what pulls yer -teef. Cose he's white. But tain't knowed 'roun' here. 'Twould ruin him. -He's a nice man though. Uster go tuh see muh son an' his wife, lots uh -times. Yes dey's good frien's. - -Yes, dey had overseers. Sometime dey call dem stewards. Had colored uns -too. Massa Scott had white overseers, good man though; but Massa -Nottin'ham, he had big black boss on his place. [HW illegible over -struck out: cain'] 'member his name. He ain' had to git no p'mission tuh -come tuh our place. He jes' come an' goes when he gits ready. - -Kin ah 'member de war? Yes, indeed! 'Member jes' lak 'twas yestidy. Well -dey had a stow down de conner f'om Massa's plantation, an' dey al'ys -sen' me tuh stow fo' tuh buy things. Uster go down dere, an' dem Yankees -be sittin' all 'long de road wid dey blue coats; ret pretty site; 'twas. -But ah's sceard tuh deaf, when ah gits neah 'em. Ah gits what ah wants -f'om de stow, an' flys pass 'em. Dem Yankees show had dey way. Dey went -in all de white folks house; tek dey silver, an' inything dey big 'nough -carry out. Jes' ruin Missus furniture; get up on de table an' jes' cut -capper. Nasty things! Den de Yankees goes 'round at night, tek anybody -dey wants tuh help 'em fight. Twas dey "Civil right". Got my Jake, cose -ah neber knowd him den. He twelve yeah oller ah is. - -Lemmie tell yuh 'bout muh Jake, how he did in de war. He big man -in dey war. He drill soldiers ev'y day. Firs' he be in one dem -companies--Company "C" ah bliebe. Den he wucked up to be sergent-Major, -in de Tenth Regiment. Jacob [HW illegible over struck out: Godium] his -name was. He say all look up tuh him an' 'spect him too. See dat "Sowd" -ov'in dat coner? Dat's de ve'y sowd he used in de war, an' ah kep' it -all dese yeahs. No de soldiers neber did no fighting 'round here's ah -know of. But plenty ob 'em camped here. - -My Jake, he hansome man, he was. 'Member, how we firs' got togeder. We -all was tuh church one Sunday, an' Jake he kep' cidin' up to me. An' ah -lookin' at him outer de coner muh eye, till finally he come up an' took -holt muh han's. 'Twas af't de war ah had growd up. Ah was in muh early -teens den. Dey say ah's de purtiet girl on de Shore. An' when Jake an' -me got married, ev'ybody said, "You show maks a purty couple." - -De ol' Scott chillun what ah growd up wid? No, mone dem lef' now. Dey -las' girl died heah las' yeah an' hur daughter come way down here f'om -up in Maryland tuh tell "An' Candis" 'bout it. Wouldn' tell me sceard -'twould 'cite me. But ah hea'd hur tellin' my chil dere all 'bout it. -Ol' Massa Scott's chillun, some dem, dey still comes tuh see me. Slip me -some money now'n den, an' suppin' t'eat, too. Dey's all moughty nice -folks, dem Scotts is. - - - - -450011 - -Interview of Mr. Charles Grandy, Ex-slave -By--David Hoggard -Date--February 26, 1937 - -[HW: Norfolk, Va.] - - -History of Ex-slave and Civil War Veteran - -Charles Grandy was born February 19, 1842, in Mississippi. While still -an infant, he was brought to Norfolk. When the family arrived in Norfolk -his father was arrested on some pretentious charge, and the whole -family was placed in prison. After their release, they were taken to a -plantation near Hickory Ground, Virginia, and sold. Slaves, at this -time, were often taken to rural districts in carts, and sold to owners -of plantations, as they were needed. Family life, friendships, and love -affairs were often broken up; many times never to be united. - -Following the general routine of slaves, the Grandy family was given a -shanty; food and clothing was also issued to them, and had to last until -the master decided to give out another supply. Usually, he issued them -their allowance of food weekly. Often the supply was insufficient for -their needs. - -Charles played around the plantation "big house", doing small errands -until he reached the age of five, then his play days ended. While -playing on the wood pile one morning, his master called him, "boy do you -see this grass growing along the side of the fence? Well pull it all -[SP: al] up." When his first task was finished, he was carried to the -field to pull the grass from the young cotton and other growing crops. -This work was done by hand because he was still too young to use the -farm implements. Now he went to his task daily; from early in the -morning until late in the evening. The long toilsome days completely -exhausted the youngster. Often he would fall asleep before reaching home -and spend a good portion of the night on the bare ground. Awakening, he -would find it quite a problem to locate his home in the darkness of -night. - -From the stage of grass pulling by hand, he grew strong enough, in a -few years, to use the hoe rake and sickle. While attempting to carry -out his master's orders to cut corn tassels with a large sharp knife, -his elbow was seriously cut. He was taken to the house and treated, -the application being chimney soot, to stop the bleeding. After this -treatment the arm was placed in a sling, and eventually became deformed -from insufficient care. He was sent back to the fields to pick cotton, -with one free hand and his teeth, while painfully carrying the other -hand in the sling. Failing to obey this command, he would have been -given a whipping, or sent to the southlands. Sending slaves to the -plantations of Mississippi and other southern states was a type of -punishment all slaves feared. - -Slaves were not allowed much freedom of worship. The Yankee soldiers -and officers played a great part in the slave's moral training, and -religious worship. They secretly instructed small gatherings of slaves, -at night. The points stressed most were, obedience and the evils of -stealing. There were some sections where masters were liberal in their -views toward their slaves, and permitted them to worship openly. - -Slaves were allowed to have small quantities of whiskey, even during the -days of their worship, to use for medicinal purposes. It was a common -occurrence to see whiskey being sold at the foot of the hill near the -churchyard. - -The news of war, and the possibility of Negroes enlisting as soldiers -was truly a step closer to the answering of their prayers for freedom. -Upon hearing of this good news Grandy joined a few of the others in this -break for freedom. One night, he and a close friend packed a small -quantity of food in a cloth and set out about midnight to join the -northern army. Traveling at night most of the time, they were constantly -confronted with the danger of being recaptured. Successfully eluding -their followers, they reached Portsmouth after many narrow escapes. From -Portsmouth they moved to Norfolk. Arriving in Norfolk, Grandy and his -friend decided to take different roads of travel. Several days and -nights found him wandering about the outskirts of Norfolk, feeding on -wild berries, etc. While picking berries along a ditch bank, he was -hailed by a Yankee soldier, who having come in contact with run away -slaves before, greeted him friendly, and questioned him of his home and -of his knowledge of work. He was taken to camp and assigned as cook. At -first, he was not very successful in his job, but gradually improvement -was shown. He was asked what wages he would accept. It was such a -pleasure to know that he had escaped the clutches of slavery, he did not -ask for wages; but instead, he was willing to work for anything they -would give him, no matter how small, as long as he didn't have to return -to slavery. - -Within a short period he was given a uniform and gun; was fully enlisted -as a soldier, in the 19th regiment of Wisconsin, Company E. Here he -remained in service until November, 1862, after which time he returned -to Norfolk to spend some time with his mother, who was still living. -While sitting in the doorway one day, with his Mother, he was again -confronted with the proposition of reenlisting. He agreed to do so for -one year, to serve as guard at Fortress Monroe. He remained there until -the close of the War, offering brave and faithful services. - -Mr. Grandy is now ninety-five [SP: ninty-five] years old, residing at -609 Smith Street, Norfolk, Virginia. He is still able to attend the -various conventions of Civil War Veterans. He can read, write, and has a -fair knowledge of the Bible. His main interest is the organization of -Negroes into strong groups. He enjoys talking about religion and is -quite an interesting and intelligent person to talk with. - - - - -450005 - -Interview of Mrs. Della Harris -2 E. Byrne Street -Petersburg, Virginia -By--Susie Byrd -February 5, 1937 - - -"I don't know just how old I is. Muma sent me to private school wid -white chillun fo' one week. I was 13 years old at de time uh Lee's -surrender. I belong to Peter or Billy Buck Turnbull Warrenton, N.C. _Put -this down._ My mother and family all belong to Peter Buck as his slaves. -We didn't work until after the war; then we came to Petersburg. I went -to dancing school wid the white folks and can dance any kind of dance -sets. My father was a musicianer. He belonged to John Carthan, in -Warrenton, N.C. In dem days you had to take your Moster's and Mistess' -name. In slavery time when a slave married he had to ask his Moster and -Mistess. - -"We never went to church. We used to hear de bells ringing loud, baby, -yes, clear and strong. No, never seen [HW: no] Sunday school, and the -first time I went in a church I looked all around, and baby, I thought -dat I was in heaven. It wasn't long, Miss Sue, before I got 'ligeon, -and, yes, I jined [HW: de] church, 15 years old I wuz. Never will forget -the time, or dat place. Den I lived here with an ant, muma's sister, who -was named Kate Williams. Her husband wuz my uncle, and he worked and -died at de White House in Washington City. - -"I don't know de name of de President he worked for, but you can find -dat out on dem books. You know you young folks calls um records. - -"Yes child I'm proud of my age never gave no body no trouble. - -"I have 8 children dead and now only one son living. Peter Turnbull was -good to all his slaves, as far as I know. Mama was a cook in slavery -time. She died in Petersburg, yes, right here in dis hole. - -"No muma never owned any thing, always rented and aint never owned -nothing but a passel of children. - -"My muma was a genuine [SP: geniune] Indian. Some people say you can't -own Indians. I don't know how cum, but I do know she was owned by these -people, but she surely was an Indian. Every body knows me all over -Virginia. - -"When I use to be in dining room service I would hear de white folks -talk, and, do you know, Miss Sue you can hear a lot that way? - -"Moster said he couldn't sell me 'cause I was so little. Just kept me -fur to wait on de little chillun in de house. - -"Miss Sue, you'll have to give me something for telling you all dis -here, if it ain nothing but a horse cake. - -"I've seen lots of dis world in travel. Done bin to Baltimore City; done -bin to Philidelphia. - -"I aint gwine give you no more, gal. - -"Yes, to Lynchburg, den I worked at Mont Royal School, Baby, where Mrs -McDaniel was manager. - -"The man gwine say, 'dat woman bin some where.' If I stayed long enough -I mighta got some learning but I stayed only one year. Got tired of that -place. From one season to another is a year, aint it? Ah! Lord! - -"Young folks now adays are just fur a good time, and a good time too -they have. Yes, Siree Bob! - -"Gwine stop now, Miss Sue, aint gwine give you no mo'. Man gwine say, -Miss Sue, where in the devil did you get this stuff? Gal, you are a -mess. You gonna write most all dat book about Della. Go on now, dats -nough. - -"In dem days chillun were chillun, now every body is grown. Chillun then -were seen and not heard. When old persons came around muma sent us out -and you better not be seen. Now every body [HW: act] grown. Make the man -laugh. - -"I've always enjoyed good health. Never had a Doctor in my life, not -even when my chillun wuz born. Dis rubbing when people got pain just -rubs it in. Eating so much and late hours is cause you young folks -dying. All muma's chillun wuz healthy. - -"[HW: Real] food in dem days, yes, muma fed us good vituals from white -folks. I tell you, we had good owners. I didn't see sun set when I wuz -a child. Always went to bed early, child, I wish I could call back dem -days. Muma said people lived so much longer because they took care of -themselves. - -"All dis here education an' people just now got it." - -[HW: Question:] Do you think, Mrs. Harris, education has helped our -race? - -"Well, child, I don' know. Folks are so indifferent now I am afraid to -say. Pshaw.... Colored folks now. Some are messy [HW: an'] don't know -how to be polite. - -"Talking about lightning days. Its lightning at every bodys house. Lord -have mercy on dese here young folks and deliber me from the plantation, -I pray. - -"Courting dem days wuz like everything I reckon you all do now adays. -You promise to 'bey the man, but before you finish its cussing, Honey. - -"In olden days husbands loved. Sho God did tend to wife and took care of -them and they had to stay home cause it wuz always a new baby. I tell -you, Miss Sue, man ought not never had you to find history 'cause you -gwine tell it all. As I said, we loved. Is de young folks marrying fur -love? Dey don't stay together long enough to warm hands. We went to -church together and praised God; led prayer meetings and, yes siree, -would feel good. - -"Now you all done start opening theatres on Sunday. Miss Sue, all dat -stuff you putting down will sure make the man laugh." - - - - -450004 - -Interview of Mrs. Marriah Hines -E. Avenue R.F.D. 1. -Oakwood Norfolk, Virginia -By--David Hoggard -March 26, 1937 - - -Mrs. Marriah Hines--Born July 4, 1835, South Hampton County Virginia, a -slave on James Pressmans plantation. Now residing on E. Avenue, Oakwood, -Norfolk, Virginia R.F.D. 1. - -[HW: Insert last paragraph] [TR: appropriate paragraph inserted here] -Marriah is about four feet and a half tall and weighs about one hundred -pounds. She has a pretty head of white hair covering her round brown -face. Her memory of her mother and father is very vague, due to their -death when she was young. She is able to dress herself practically -without help, and to get about from place to place alone, enjoying -talking about religion and [HW: what she knows about] the world -[HW: of] today. - -Even though the general course of slavery was cruel, Marriah Hines was -fortunate enough, not to have to endure its severities. James Pressman -was one of the few slave masters that looked upon the slave with a -certain degree of compassion, to whom Marriah was fortunate, to be owned -by. Although slavery in its self was cruel; but the fact that Mr. -Pressman was generous and kind to the slaves that he owned, because of -necessity in the process of his farming, should not be overlooked. It is -quite true that slave masters near him did not grant their slaves such -priviliges as he did. I do not wish to impress the idea that Mr. -Pressman did not approve of slavery, but only his general attitude -toward his slaves was different from the majority of the slaves holders. -From the following story of Marriah's life in slavery, it may be clearly -seen that her master was an exception. - -[HW struck out: Upon interviewing her, she relates her life story as -follows--] - -"I lived with good people, my white folks treated us good. There was -plenty of 'em that didn't fare as we did. Some of the poor folks almost -starved to death. Why the way their masters treated them was scandalous, -treated them like cats and dogs. We always had plenty of food, never -knowed what it was to want food bad enough to have to steal it like a -whole lot of 'em. Master would always give us plenty when he give us our -rations. Of course we slaves were given food and clothing and just -enough to keep us goin good. Why master would buy cloth by the loads and -heaps, shoes by the big box full; den he'd call us to the house and give -each on 'us our share. Plenty to keep us comfortable, course it warn't -silk nor satin, no ways the best there was, but 'twas plenty good 'nough -for us, and we was plenty glad to git it. When we would look and see -how the slaves on the 'jining farm was fareing, 'twould almost make us -shed tears. It made us feel like we was gitting 'long most fine. Dat's -why we loved 'spected master; 'course he was so good to us. - -"'Cause master was good and kind to us, some of the other white folks -used to call him 'nigger lover.' He didn't pay dat no mind though. He -was a true Christian man, and I mean he sho' lived up to it. He never -did force any of us to go to church, if we didn't want to, dat was left -to us to 'cide. If you wanted to you could, if you didn't you didn't -have to, but he'd always tell us, you ought to go. - -"Not only was master good but his whole family was too. When the weather -was good we worked in the fields and on other little odd jobs that was -needed done. We slaves would eat our breakfast, and go to the fields, -dare wont no hurry-scurry. Lots o'times when we got in the fields the -other slaves had been in the field a long time. Dar was times though we -had to git to it early, too, 'pecially if it had been rainy weather and -the work had been held up for a day or so. Master didn't make us work a -'tall in bad weather neither when it got real cold. The men might have -to git in fire wood or sumpin' of that sort but no all day work in the -cold--just little odd jobs. We didn't even have to work on Sundays not -even in the house. The master and the preacher both said dat was the -Lord's day and you won't spose to work on that day. So we didn't. We'd -cook the white folks victuals on Saturday and lots o'times dey eat cold -victuals on Sundays. Master would sometimes ask the preacher home to -dinner. 'You plenty welcome to go home with me for dinner, but you'll -have to eat cold victuals 'cause there aint no cooking on Sundays at my -house.' Lots of times we slaves would take turns on helping 'em serve -Sunday meals just 'cause we liked them so much. We hated to see Missie -fumbling 'round in the kitchen all out 'a'her place. We didn't have to -do it, we just did it on our own free will. Master sometimes gives us a -little money for it too, which made it all the better. Master and Missus -was so good to us we didn't mind working a little on Sundays, in the -house. Master had prayer with the whole family every night, prayed for -us slaves too. Any of the slaves that wanted to jine him could. Or if -they wanted to pray by dem selves they could. Sundays we went to church -and stayed the biggest portion of the day. No body had to rush home. On -our plantation we had general prayer meeting every Wednesday night at -church. 'Cause some of the masters didn't like the way we slaves carried -on we would turn pots down, and tubs to keep the sound from going out. -Den we would have a good time, shouting singing and praying just like we -pleased. The paddarollers didn't pay us much 'tention coused they knew -how master let us do. Dey would say nasty things 'bout master 'cause he -let us do like we did. - -"We had plenty time to ourselves. Most of the time we spent singing and -praying 'cause master was sich a good Christian and most of us had -'fessed religion. Evenings we would spin on the old spinning wheel, -quilt make clothes, talk, tell jokes, and a few had learned to weave a -little bit from Missus. We would have candy pulls, from cooked molasses, -and sing in the moonlight by the tune of an old banjo picker. Chillen -was mostly seen, not heard, different from youngens of today talking -backward and foward cross their mammies and pappies. Chillen dat did dat -den would git de breath slapped out on 'em. Your mammies didn't have to -do it either; any old person would, and send you home to git another -lickin'. We slaves had two hours off for dinner, when we could go home -and eat before we finished work 'bout sun down. We aint had no colored -overseers to whip us nor no white ones. We just went 'long so and did -what we had to, wid out no body watching over us. Every body was just -plum crazy 'bout master. Doing the day you could see him strutting down -the field like a big turkey gobbler to see how the work was going on. -Always had a smile and a joke wid you. He allu's tell us we was doing -fine, even sometimes when we want. We'd always catch up our work, so he -wouldn't have to fuss. We loved Misses and the chillen so much we -wouldn't even let 'em eat hardly. Missus didn't have to do nothing, -hardly. Dare was always some of us round the house. - -"'Bout a year fore we heard 'bout freedom, master took sick and the -slaves wouldn't'er looked sadder if one of their own youngens had been -sick. Dey 'spected him to die, and he kept calling for some cabbage. -Misses finally let me cook him some cabbage, and let him have some 'pot -licker' (the water the cabbage was cooked in). He didn't die den but a -few years later he did die. Dat was the first and the last time any -cooking ever was done in that house on Sunday. - -"When master told us we was free it didn't take much 'fect on us. He -told us we could go where we pleased and come when we pleased that we -didn't have to work for him any more 'less we wanted to. Most of us -slaves stayed right there and raised our own crops. Master helped us -much as he could. Some of us he gave a cow or a mule or anything he -could spare to help us. Some of us worked on the same plantation and -bought our own little farms and little log cabins, and lived right there -till master dies and the family moved away. Some of us lived there right -on. Master married me to one of the best colored men in the world, -Benjamin F. Hines. I had five chullun by him, four girls and one boy, -two of the girls and the boy are dead. Dey died 'bout 1932 or 33. I stay -with one awhile, den I go and stay awhile wid the other one. - -"We didn't have no public schools in dem days 'n time. What little -learning you got it from the white chillen." - - - - -450012 - -[HW: Terms and phrasing to be checked and verified in further -interviews.] - -THE STORY OF "UNCLE" MOBLE HOPSON. -(pronounced Mobile) - -Interview Saturday, November 28th at his home on the Poquoson River. -(Recorded from memory within 1 hour after "being talked to by him.") - - -Uncle Moble hobbles unsteadily from his little shade beside the outhouse -into the warm kitchen, leaning heavily on the arm of his niece. He looks -up on hearing my voice, and extends a gnarled and tobacco-stained hand. -He sinks fumblingly into a chair. It is then that I see that Uncle Moble -is blind. - -"No, don't mind effen yuh ast me questions. Try tuh answer 'em, I will, -best ways I kin. Don't mind et all, effen yuh tell me whut yuh want to -know. Born'd in fifty-two, I was, yessuh, right here over theer wheer -dat grade big elum tree usta be. Mammy was uh Injun an' muh pappy was uh -white man, least-ways he warn't no slave even effen he was sorta -dark-skinned. - -"Ole pappy tole me 'bout how cum the whites an' the blacks an' the -Injuns get all mixed up. Way back 'long in dere it war, he [SP: be] -nevuh tell me jes' what year, dey was a tribe uh Injuns livin 'long dis -ribber. Dey was kin to de Kink-ko-tans, but dey wasn't de same. Dey had -ober on the James de Kink-ko-tans an' dey had dis tribe ober here. - -"Well, de white man come. Not fum ober dere. De white man cum cross de -Potomac, an' [HW: den he] cross de York ribber, an' den he cum on cross -de Poquoson ribber into dis place. My pappy tell me jes' how cum dey -cross all uh dose ribbers. He ain't see it, yuh unnerstand, but he hear -tell how et happen. - -"Dis whut de white man do. He pick hisself a tall ellum long side de -ribber an' he clumb to de top an' he mark out on de trunk wid he ax uh -section 'long 'bout, oh, 'long 'bout thirty-fo'ty feet. Den he cut de -top off an' den he cut de bottom off so de thick trunk fall right on de -edge uh de ribber. An' den he hollar out dat ellum log tell he make -hisself uh bout an' he skin off de bark so et don't ketch in de weeds. -Den he make hisse'f uh pattle an' dey all makes pattles an' dey floats -dat boat an' pattles cross to de udder side. - -"Well, dey cross de Potomac an' dey has tuh fight de Injuns an' dey -cross de York an' fit some more tell dey kilt all de Injuns or run 'em -way. When dey cross de Poquoson dey fine de Injuns ain't aimin' tuh -fight but dey kilt de men an' tek de Injun women fo' dey wives. Coursen -dey warn't no marryin' dem at dat time. - -"Well dat's how cum my people started. Ah hear tell on how dey hafta -fight de Injuns now an den, an' den de Britishers come an' dey fit de -British. - -"An' all uh dat time dere warn't no black blood mixed in 'em, least -wise, not as I heer'd tell uh any. Plenty blacks 'round; ah seen 'em. My -pappy nevuh would have none. My oncle had 'em, ober on dat pasture land -dere was his land. - -"Why I usta get right out dere many uh day and watch 'em [HW struck out: -at] workn' [HW: in de 'baccy fields.] Big fellars dey was, wid -cole-black skins ashinin' wid sweat jes' lak dey rub hog-fat ober dere -faces. Ah ain't nevuh bothered 'em but my bruther--he daid now sence -ninety-three he got uh hidin' one day fo' goin' in de field wid de -blacks. - -[HW: Insert] "Well we all heer tell uh de was, [HW: an ah listen to de -grown folk talk on et,] but dey ain't paid so much mind to et. Tell one -day de blacks out in de field an' dey ain't no one out dere tuh mek 'em -work. An' dey stand 'round an' laugh an' dey get down an' wait, but dey -don' leave dat field all de mawning. An' den de word cum dat de Yankees -was a comin,' an' all dem blacks start tuh hoopin' an' holl'rin', an' -den dey go on down to deer shacks an' dey don' do no work at all dat -day. - -"An' when do Yanks [HW: git heer] dey ain't non uh de slave-holders no -whers round. Dey all cleared out an' de blacks is singin' an' prayin' -an' shoutin' fo' joy cause Marse Lincoln done set em free. - -"Well, dey tuk de blacks an' dey march em down de turnpike to Hampton, -an' den dey put em tuh work at de fort. Ah ain't nevuh go ober dere but -ah heer tell how de blacks come dere fum all 'round tell dey git so many -dey ain't got work fo' 'em tuh do, so dey put 'em tuh pilin' up logs an' -teking 'em down agin, an' de Yankees come and go an' new ones come but -dey ain't troublin nothin' much 'ceptin' tuh poach uh hawg or turkey now -an' den. - -"Ah was jes' a little shaver gittin' in my teens den but ah 'member -clear as day all ah dat. An' ah heer tell uh uh big battle up Bethel -way an' dey say dey kilt up dere uh bunch uh men, de 'federates an' de -Yankees both. But ah ain't seed it, though Oncle Shep Brown done tole me -all 'bout et. - -"Oncle Shep Brown lived down aways on de ribber. 'Long 'fore de Yankees -come he jined up wid de 'federates. He fit in dat battle at Big Bethel -but he ain't get uh scratch. He tell me all 'bout de war when he come -back home. He tell me all 'bout de fall uh Richmond, he did. - -"Was one day down [HW: en] de lower woods in de shade he tell me 'bout -Richmond, Oncle Shep did. Why, I remember et jes' lak it was yestiddy. -Was whittlin' uh stick, he was, settin' on uh stump wid his game laig -hunched up ontuh uh bent saplin'. He was whittlin' away fo' uh 'long -time 'thout sayin' much, an' all at once he jump in de air an' de -saplin' sprang up an he start in tuh cussin. - -"'Gawdammit, gawdammit, gawdammit,' he kept sayin' tuh hisse'f an' -limpin' round on dat laig game wid de roomatissum. Ah know he gonna tell -me sompin den cause when Oncle Shep git ehcited he always got uh lot -tuh say. - -"'Gawdammit,' he say, 'twas de niggahs tak Richmond.' - -"'How dey do dat Oncle Shep?' ah ast, though ah knowed he was gonna tell -me anyway. - -"'De niggahs done tuk Richmond,' he keep on sayin' an' finally he tell -me how dey tak Richmond. - -"'Ah seed et muhse'f,' he say, 'my comp'ny was stationed on de turnpike -close tuh Richmond. We was in uh ole warehouse,' he told me, 'wid de -winders an' de doors all barred up an' packed wid terbaccy bales -awaitin' fo' dem Yanks tuh come. An' we was a-listenin' an' peepin' out -an' we been waitin' dere most all de ev'nin'. An' den we heer [HW: uh] -whistlin' an' uh roarin' like uh big blow an' it kep' gittin' closer. -But we couldn't see nothin' uh comin' de night was so dark. [HW struck -out: But] Dat roarin' kep' a-gittin' louder an' louder an' 'long 'bout -day break there cum fum down de pike sech uh shoutin' an uh yellin' as -nevuh in muh born days ah'd heerd.' - -"'An' de men in dat warehouse kept askinkin' away in de darkness widdout -sayin' nothin', cause dey didn't know what debbils de Yankees was -alettin' loose. But ah stayed right there wid dem dat had de courage tuh -face et, cause ah know big noise mean uh little storm.' - -"'Dar was 'bout forty of us left in dat ole warehouse ahidin' back of -dem bales uh cotton an terbaccy, an' peepin out thew da cracks.' - -"'An' den dey come. Down de street dey come--a shoutin' an' aprancin' -an' a yellin' an' asingin' an' makin' such uh noise like as ef all hell -done been turn't loose. Uh [HW: mob uh] nigguhs. Ah ain't nevuh [SP: -nevub] knowed nigguhs--even all uh dem nigguhs [SP: niggubs]--could mek -sech uh ruckus. One huge sea uh black faces filt de streets fum wall tuh -wall, an' dey wan't nothin' but nigguhs in sight.' - -"'Well, suh, dey warn't no usen us firin' on dem cause dey ain't no way -we gonna kill all uh dem nigguhs. An pretty soon dey bus' in de do' uh -dat warehouse, an' we stood dere whilst dey pranced 'rounst us a hoopin' -an' holl'rin' an' not techin' us at all tell de Yankees soljers cum up, -an' tek away our guns, an' mek us prisoners an' perty soon dey march us -intuh town an' lock us up in ole Libby Prison.' - -"'Thousings of 'em--dem nigguhs.' he say, 'Yassir--was de nigguhs dat -tuk Richmond. Time de Yankees get dere de nigguhs [SP: niggubs] done had -got de city tuk.'" - - -[HW: II] -[HW: _Why Uncle Moble is a Negro_] - -Uncle Moble is a noble figure. He turns his head toward me at my -questions, just as straight as if he actually is looking at me. - -"Yuh wanta know why I'm put with the colored people? [HW: Sure, ah got -white skin, leastwise, was white las' time ah' see et.] Well, ah ain't -white an' ah ain't black, leastwise not so fur as ah know. 'Twas the war -done that. Fo de war dere warn't no question come up 'bout et. Ain't -been no schools 'round here tuh bothuh 'bout. Blacks work in de fields, -an' de whites own de fields. Dis land here, been owned by de Hopson's -sence de fust Hopson cum here, I guess, back fo' de British war, fo' de -Injun war, ah reck'n. Ustuh go tuh de church school wid ole Shep Brown's -chillun, sat on de same bench, ah did. - -"But de war changed all dat. Arter de soljers come back home, it was -diff'runt. First dey say dat all whut ain't white, is black. An' [HW: -den] dey tell de Injuns yuh kain't marry no more de whites. An' den dey -tell usen dat we kain't cum no more tuh church school. An' dey won't let -us do no bisness wid de whites, so we is th'own in wid de blacks. - -"Some [HW: uh our folk] moved away, but dey warn't no use uh movin' -cause ah hear tell et be de same ev'y wheer. So perty soon et come time -tuh marry, an' dey ain't no white woman fo' me tuh marry so ah marries -uh black woman. An' dat make me black, ah 'spose 'cause ah ben livin' -black ev'y sence. - -"But mah bruther couldn't fine no black woman dat suited him, ah reckon, -cause he married his fust cousin, who was a Hopson huhse'f. - -"Den dere only chile married hisse'f uh Hopson, and Hopsons been -marryin' Hopsons ev'y sence, ah reck'n." - - -Uncle Moble Tells Where to Dig A Well - -"That well out dere? Naw, dat ain't old. Dat ain't been dere mo'un -fifteen-twenty year. De ole well, she was ole, though she nevuh war much -good. Paw ain't dug et in de right place. Old Shep Brown tolt him, but -my old man ain't nevuh pay no mine to old Shep. - -"But old Shep sho' did know how tuh dig uh well. Ah kin see now him ah -comin' up de lane when paw was adiggin'. Moble [SP: Mobile] he say--my -paw an' me had de same name--Moble [SP: Mobile], ye ain't diggin' dat -well de right place. - -"'Diggin' et wheer ah wants et,' answers paw, a diggin' away en de hole -shoulder deep. - -"'Well, ye ain't gonna git much water. Oughta got yo'se'f uh ellum -stick.' - -"'Don' need no ellum stick. Diggin' dis well in my own youd an' ah'm -gonna dig et jes' wheer ah wants et. Go haid an' dig yo' own well.' - -"Well, old Shep musta got sorta mad, cause he goes home an' de nex' day -he digs hisse'f uh well. - -"Ah seen him. Ah watched him when he figgered wheer tuh dig dat well. -Sho' nuf old Shep got hisse'f uh prime ellum stick fum ah good sized -branch dat was forked. First he skint all de bark off. - -"'Kain't fine no water lessen ye skin de bark off,' he tell me. Long -'bout 2-3 feet on each limb, et was. Well, old Shep tek dat ellum stick -wid one fork in each hand an' de big end straight up in de air an' he -holt it tight an' started tuh walk around, wid me followin' right on his -heels. An sho' nuff, perty soon ah seed dat branch commence tuh shake -an' den et started tuh bend an' old Shep let et lead him across de field -wid et bendin' lower all de time tell perty soon de big end uh dat ellum -stick point straight down. - -"Old Shep marked de spot an' got his pick an' commence tuh dig out dat -spot. An' fo' old Shep had got down mo'un five uh six feet ah be dawg ef -he don' hit uh stream uh water dat filt up de well in uh hurry so dat he -git his laigs all wet fo' he kin clamb out. - -"An' yuh moughten believe et but ah know dat tuh be uh fac', cause ah -tuk dat ellum stick in muh own han's an' ah felt dat stick apullin' me -back tuh dat water. No matter which way ah turn, dat stick keep -atwistin' me roun' toward dat water. An' ah tried tuh pull et back an' -old Shep tuk hole uh et wid me an' tried tuh hole et up straight but de -big end uh dat ellum branch pult down and pointed tuh dat well spite uh -both uh us. - -"Still dere? Nawsuh, ah reckon dat old well been crumbled in an' filled -up long time now. Old Shep died back en 93, ah reckon. His old shack -blowed down, an' ah reckon dat ole well all covered up. But dat was some -well while she lasted. Gave mo' water dan all de udder wells in -Poquoson, ah reckon." - - - - -450008 - -[HW: Jones, Albert] - -Interview of Ex-slave and -Civil War Veteran -Portsmouth, Virginia -By--Thelma Dunston -January 8, 1937 - - -Civil War Veteran of Portsmouth, Virginia - -On the outskirts of Portsmouth, Virginia, where one seldom hears of or -goes for sightseeing lives Mr. Albert Jones. In a four room cottage at -726 Lindsey Avenue, the aged Civil War Veteran lives alone with the care -of Mr. Jones' niece, who resides next door to him. He has managed to -survive his ninety-fifth year. It is almost a miracle to see a man at -his age as suple [SP: supple] as he. - -On entering a scanty room in the small house, Mr. Jones was nodding in a -chair near the stove. When asked about his early life, he straightened -up [HW struck out: on his spine], crossed his legs and said, "I's perty -old--ninety six. I was born a slave in Souf Hampton county, but my -mastah wuz mighty good to me. He won't ruff; dat is 'f yer done right." - -The aged man cleared his throat and chuckled. Then he said, "But you -better never let mastah catch yer wif a book or paper, and yer couldn't -praise God so he could hear yer. If yer done dem things, he sho' would -beat yer. 'Course he wuz good to me, 'cause I never done none of 'em. My -work won't hard neiver. I had to wait on my mastah, open de gates fer -him, drive de wagon and tend de horses. I was sort of a house boy." - -"Fer twenty years I stayed wif mastah, and I didn't try to run away. -When I wuz twenty one, me and one of my brothers run away to fight wif -the Yankees. Us left Souf Hampton county and went to Petersburg. Dere we -got some food. Den us went to Fort Hatton where we met some more slaves -who had done run away. When we got in Fort Hatton, us had to cross a -bridge to git to de Yankees. De rebels had torn de bridge down. We all -got together and builded back de bridge, and we went on to de Yankees. -Dey give us food and clothes." - -The old man then got up and emptied his mouth of the tobacco juice, -scratched his bald head and continued. "Yer know, I was one of de first -colored cavalry soljers, and I fought in Company 'K'. I fought for three -years and a half. Sometimes I slept out doors, and sometimes I slept in -a tent. De Yankees always give us plenty of blankets." - -"During the war some uh us had to always stay up nights and watch fer de -rebels. Plenty of nights I has watched, but de rebels never 'tacked us -when I wuz on." - -"Not only wuz dere men slaves dat run to de Yankees, but some uh de -women slaves followed dere husbands. Dey use to help by washing and -cooking." - -"One day when I wuz fighting, de rebels shot at me, and dey sent a -bullet through my hand. I wuz lucky not to be kilt. Look. See how my -hand is?" - -The old man held up his right hand, and it was half closed. Due to the -wound he received in the war, that was as far as he could open his hand. - -Still looking at his hand Mr. Jones said, "But dat didn't stop me, I had -it bandaged and kept on fighting." - -"The uniform dat I wore wuz blue wif brass buttons; a blue cape, lined -wif red flannel, black leather boots and a blue cap. I rode on a bay -color horse--fact every body in Company 'K' had bay color horses. I -tooked my knap-sack and blankets on de horse back. In my knap-sack I had -water, hard tacks and other food." - -"When de war ended, I goes back to my mastah and he treated me like his -brother. Guess he wuz scared of me 'cause I had so much ammunition on -me. My brother, who went wif me to de Yankees, caught rheumatism doing -de war. He died after de war ended." - - - - -W11805 [TR: moved from bottom of page] - -Writer--Jayne, Lucille B. -Capahosic, Virginia. -Gloucester Co. -Typist--Nicholas - -[HW: C. Moore] -[HW: Tales] -[HW: Virginia/1938-9] - - -_FOLKLORE_ - -Material from Upper Guinea. - -In the upper part of Guinea, generally known as the "Hook," you will -find two very interesting characters, both Negroes. Aunt Susan Kelly, -who is a hundred years old, and Simon Stokes, who is near a hundred. - -Aunt Susan is loved by all who know her, for she is a very lovable old -Negro. - - -_Aunt Susan's Story_ - -"My mammy, Anna Burrell, was a slave, her massa wuz Col. Hayes, of -Woodwell; he wuz very good ter his slaves. He nebber sold mammy or us -chilluns; he kept we alls tergether, and we libed in a little cabin in -de yard. - -"My job wuz mindin' massa's and missus' chilluns all dey long, and -puttin' dem ter baid at night; dey had ter habe a story told ter dem -befo' dey would go ter sleep; and de baby hed ter be rocked; and I had -ter sing fo' her 'Rock a-by baby, close dem eyes, befo' old san man -comes, rock a-by baby don' let old san man cotch yo' peepin',' befo' she -would go ter sleep. - -"Mammy used ter bake ash-cakes; dey wuz made wid meal, wid a little salt -and mixed wid water; den mammy would rake up de ashes in de fire-place; -den she would make up de meal in round cakes, and put dem on de hot -bricks ter bake; wen dey hed cooked roun' de edges, she would put ashes -on de top ob dem, and wen dey wuz nice and brown she took dem out and -washed dem off wid water. - -"Mammy said it wuz very bad luck ter meet a woman early in de mornin' -walkin'; and nebber carry back salt dat yo' habe borrowed, fo' it will -bring bad luck ter yo' and ter de one yo' brung it ter. If yo' nose -iches on de right side a man is comin', if de lef' side iches a woman is -comin'; if it iches on de end a man and woman is sho' ter come in a -short. - -"For a hawk ter fly ober de house is sho' sign ob death, fo' de hawk -will call corpses wen he flies ober." - - * * * * * - -Simon Stokes, son of Kit and Anna Stokes, is quite a type. He and his -parents with his brothers and sisters were slaves; owned by George W. -Billups, of Mathews County, who later moved to Gloucester County and -bought a farm near Gloucester Point. They had eleven children, Simon is -the only one living. - - -_Simon's Story_ - -"Massa George and missus wuz good ter his slaves. My mammy wuz missus' -cook; and him and de odder boys on de farm worked in de co'n and de -terbaccer and cotton fields. - -"Me sho' didn't lik dat job, pickin' worms off de terbaccer plants; fo' -our oberseer wuz de meanes old hound you'se eber seen, he hed hawk eyes -fer seein' de worms on de terbaccer, so yo' sho' hed ter git dem all, or -you'd habe ter bite all de worms dat yo' miss into, or [SP: ot] git -three lashes on yo' back wid his old lash, and dat wuz powful bad, -wusser dan bittin' de worms, fer yo' could bite right smart quick, and -dat wuz all dat dar wuz ter it; but dem lashes done last a pow'ful long -time. - -"Me sho' did like ter git behind de ox-team in de co'n field, fo' I -could sing and holler all de day, 'Gee thar Buck, whoa thar Peter, git -off dat air co'n, what's de matter wid yo' Buck, can't yo hear, gee thar -Buck.' - -"In de fall wen de simmons wuz ripe, me and de odder boys sho' had a big -time possum huntin', we alls would git two or three a night; and we alls -would put dem up and feed dem hoe-cake and simmons ter git dem nice and -fat; den my mammy would roast dem wid sweet taters round them. Dey wuz -sho' good, all roasted nice and brown wid de sweet taters in de graby. - -"We alls believed dat it wuz bad luck ter turn back if yer started -anywher, if yo' did bad luck would sho' foller yer; but ter turn yo' -luck, go back and make a cross in yo' path and spit in it." - - - - -450001 - -Autobiography of Richard Slaughter - -(Given by himself as an oral account during an interview between himself -and writer, December 27, 1936.) Claude W. Anderson--Hampton, Virginia - - -"Come in, son. Have a seat, who are you and how are you? My life? Oh! -certainly you don't want to hear that! Well, son, have you been born -again? Do you know Christ? Well, that's good. Good for you. Amen. I'm -glad to hear it. Always glad to talk to any true Christian liver. God -bless you, son. - -"I was born January 9, 1849 on the James at a place called Epps Island, -City Point. I was born a slave. How old am I! Well, there's the date. -Count it up for yourself. My owner's name was Dr. Richard S. Epps. I -stayed there until I was around thirteen or fourteen years old when I -came to Hampton. - -"I don't know much about the meanness of slavery. There was so many -degrees in slavery, and I belonged to a very nice man. He never sold but -one man, fur's I can remember, and that was cousin Ben. Sold him South. -Yes. My master was a nice old man. He ain't living now. Dr. Epps died -and his son wrote me my age. I got it upstairs in a letter now. - -"It happened this a-way. Hampton was already burnt when I came here. I -came to Hampton in June 1862. The Yankees burned Hampton and the fleet -went up the James River. My father and mother and cousins went aboard -the Meritanza with me. You see, my father and three or four men left in -the darkness first and got aboard. The gun boats would fire on the towns -and plantations and run the white folks off. After that they would carry -all the colored folks back down here to Old Point and put 'em behind the -Union lines. I know the names of all the gunboats that came up the -river. Yessir. There was the Galena, we called her the old cheese box, -the Delware, the Yankee, the Mosker, and the Meritanza which was the -ship I was board of. That same year the Merrimac and Monitor fought off -Newport News Point. No, I didn't see it. I didn't come down all the way -on the gunboat. I had the measles on the Meritanza and was put off at -Harrison's Landing. When McCellan retreated from Richmond through the -peninsula to Washington, I came to Hampton as a government water boy. - -"While I was aboard the gunboat, she captured a rebel gunboat at a place -called Drury's Bluff. When I first came to Hampton, there were only -barracks where the Institute is; when I returned General Armstrong had -done rite smart. - -"I left Hampton still working as a water boy and went to Quire Creek, -Bell Plains, Va., a place near Harper's Ferry. I left the creek aboard a -steamer, the General Hooker, and went to Alexandria, Va. Abraham Lincoln -came aboard the steamer and we carried him to Mt. Vernon, George -Washington's old home. What did he look like? Why, he looked more like -an old preacher than anything I know. Heh! Heh! Heh! Have you ever seen -any pictures of him? Well, if you seen a picture of him, you seen him. -He's just like the picture. - -"You say you think I speak very good English. Heh! Heh! Heh! Well, son I -ought to. I been everywhere. No I never went to what you would call -school except to school as a soldier. I went to Baltimore in 1864 and -enlisted. I was about 17 years old then. My officers' names were Capt. -Joe Reed, Lieutenant Stimson, and Colonel Joseph E. Perkins. I was -assigned to the Nineteenth Regiment of Maryland Company B. While I was -in training, they fought at Petersburg. I went to the regiment in '64 -and stayed in until '67. I was a cook. They taken Richmond the fifth day -of April 1865. On that day I walked up the road in Richmond. - -"When we left Richmond, my brigade was ordered to Brownsville, Texas. We -went there by way of Old Point Comfort, where we went aboard a -transport. When we got to Brownsville, I was detailed to a hospital -staff. We arrived in Brownsville in January 1867. The only thing that -happened in Brownsville while I was there was the hanging of three -Mexicans for the murder of an aide. In September we left Brownsville and -came back to Baltimore. Before we left I was sent up the Rio Grande to -Ringo Barracks as boss cook. - -"I then returned to Hampton and lived as an oysterman and fisherman for -over forty years. - -"I have never been wounded. My clothes have been cut off me by bullets -but the Lord kept them off my back, I guess. - -"I tell you what I did once. My cousin and I went down to the shore -once. The river shore, you know, up where I was born. While we were -walking along catching tadpoles, mimows, and anything we could catch, I -happened to see a big moccasin snake hanging in a sumac bush just a -swinging his head back and forth. I swung at 'im with a stick and he -swelled his head all up big and rared back. Then I hit 'im and knocked -him on the ground flat. His belly was very big so we kept hittin' 'im on -it until he opened his mouth and a catfish as long as my arm (forearm), -jumped out jest a flopping. Well the catfish had a big belly too, so we -beat 'em on his belly until he opened his mouth and out came one of -these women's snapper pocketbooks. You know the kind that closes by a -snap at the top. Well the pocket book was swelling all out, so we opened -it, and guess what was in it? Two big copper pennies. I gave my cousin -one and I took one. Now you mayn't believe that, but it's true. I been -trying to make people believe that for near fifty years. You can put it -in the book or not, jest as you please, but it's true. That fish -swallowed some woman's pocketbook and that snake just swallowed him. I -have told men that for years and they wouldn't believe me. - -"While I was away my father died in Hampton. He waited on an officer. My -mother lived in Hampton and saw me married in 1874. I bought a lot on -Union Street for a hundred dollars cash. I reared a nephew, gave him the -lot and the house I built on it an he threw it away. When I moved around -here, I paid cash for this home. - -"Did slaves ever run away! Lord yes, all the time. Where I was born, -there is a lots of water. Why there used to be as high as ten and twelve -Dutch three masters in the habor at a time. I used to catch little -snakes and other things like terapins and sell 'em to the sailor for to -eat roaches on the ships. In those days a good captain would hide a -slave way up in the top sail and carry him out of Virginia to New York -and Boston. - -"I never went in the Spanish American War. Too old, but I had some -cousins that enlisted. That was during McKinley's time. He went down the -Texas and some of them other ships they gave Puerto Rico Hail Columbia. -They blew up the Maine with a mine. She was blowed up inward. The Maine -left Hampton Roads going towards Savannah. When they looked at what was -left of her all the steel was bent inward which shows that she was -blowed up from the outside in. Understand. During the World War I went -to Washington and haven't been anyplace since. I'm a little hard of -hearing and have high blood pressure. So I have to sit most of the time. -Got an invitation in there now wantin' me to come to a grand reunion of -Yankees and the Rebels this year but I can't go. Getting too old. Well -goodbye, son. Glad to have you come again sometime." - - - - -450010 - -Autobiography of Elizabeth Sparks - -(Interviewed at Matthews Court House, Virginia January 13, 1937. By -Claude W. Anderson.) - - -Come in boys. Sure am glad ter see ya. You're lookin' so well. That's -whut I say. Fight boys! Hold em! You're doin' alright. Me, I'm so mean -nothin' can hurt me. What's that! You want me to tell yer 'bout slavery -days. Well I kin tell yer, but I ain't. S'all past now; so I say let 'er -rest 's too awful to tell anyway. Yer're too young to know all that talk -anyway. Well I'll tell yer some to put in yer book, but I ain'ta goin' -tell yer the worse. - -My mistress's name was Miss Jennie Brown. No, I guess I'd better not -tell yer. Done forgot about dat. Oh well, I'll tell yer. Some, I guess. -She died 'bout four years ago. Bless her. She 'uz a good woman. Course I -mean she'd slap an' beat yer once in a while but she warn't no woman fur -fighting fussin' an' beatin' yer all day lak some I know. She was too -young when da war ended fur that. Course no white folks perfect. Her -parents a little rough. Whut dat? Kin I tell yer about her parents? Lord -yes! I wasn't born then but my parents told me. But I ain't a goin' tell -yer nuffin. No I ain't. Tain't no sense fur yer ta know 'bout all those -mean white folks. Dey all daid now. They meany good I reckon. Leastways -most of 'em got salvation on their death beds. - -Well I'll tell yer some, but I ain'ta goin' tell yer much more. No sir. -Shep Miller was my master. His ol' father, he was a tough one. Lord! -I've seen 'im kill 'em. He'd git the meanest overseers to put over 'em. -Why I member time after he was dead when I'd peep in the closet an' jes' -see his old clothes hangin' there an' jes' fly. Yessir, I'd run from -them clothes an' I was jes' a little girl then. He wuz that way with -them black folks. Is he in heaven! No, he ain't in heaven! Went past -heaven. He was clerk an' was he tough! Sometimes he beat 'em until they -couldn't work. Give 'em more work than they could do. They'd git beatin' -if they didn't get work done. Bought my mother, a little girl, when he -was married. She wuz a real Christian an' he respected her a little. -Didn't beat her so much. Course he beat her once in a while. Shep -Miller was terrible. There was no end to the beatin' I saw it wif my own -eyes. - -Beat women! Why sure he beat women. Beat woman jes' lak men. Beat women -naked an' wash 'em down in brine. Some times they beat 'em so bad, they -jes' couldn't stand it an' they run away to the woods. If yer git in the -woods, they couldn't git yer. Yer could hide an' people slip yer -somepin' to eat. Then he call yer every day. After while he tell one of -colored foreman tell yer come on back. He ain'ta goin' beat yer anymore. -They had colored foreman but they always have a white overseer. Foreman -git yer to come back an' then he beat yer to death again. - -They worked six days fum sun to sun. If they forcin' wheat or other -crops, they start to work long 'fo day. Usual work day began when the -horn blow an' stop when the horn blow. They git off jes' long 'nuf to -eat at noon. Didn't have much to eat. They git some suet an' slice a -bread fo' breakfas. Well, they give the colored people an allowance -every week. Fo' dinner they'd eat ash cake baked on blade of a hoe. - -I lived at Seaford then an' was roun' fifteen or sixteen when my -mistress married. Shep Miller lived at Springdale. I 'member jes' as -well when they gave me to Jennie. We wuz all in a room helpin' her -dress. She was soon to be married, an' she turns 'roun an' sez to us. -Which of yer niggers think I'm gonna git when I git married? We all say, -"I doan know." An' she looks right at me an' point her finger at me like -this an' sayed "yer!" I was so glad. I had to make 'er believe I 'us -cryin', but I was glad to go with 'er. She didn't beat. She wuz jes' a -young thing. Course she take a whack at me sometime, but that weren't -nuffin'. Her mother wuz a mean ol' thin'. She'd beat yer with a broom or -a leather strap or anythin' she'd git her hands on. - -She uster make my aunt Caroline knit all day an' when she git so tired -aftah dark that she'd git sleepy, she'd make 'er stan' up an knit. She -work her so hard that she'd go to sleep standin' up an' every time her -haid nod an' her knees sag, the lady'd come down across her haid with a -switch. That wuz Miss Jennie's mother. She'd give the cook jes' so much -meal to make bread fum an' effen she burnt it, she'd be scared to death -cause they'd whup her. I 'member plenty of times the cook ask say, -"Marsa please 'scuse dis bread, hits a little too brown." Yessir! Beat -the devil out 'er if she burn dat bread. - -I went wif Miss Jennie an' worked at house. I didn't have to cook. I got -permission to git married. Yer always had to git permission. White folks -'ud give yer away. Yer jump cross a broom stick tergether an' yer wuz -married. My husband lived on another plantation. I slep' in my -mistress's room but I ain't slep' in any bed. Nosir! I slep' on a -carpet, an' ole rug, befo' the fiahplace. I had to git permission to go -to church, everybody did. We could set in the gallery at the white folks -service in the mornin' an' in the evenin' the folk held baptize service -in the gallery wif white present. - -Shep went to war but not for long. We didn't see none of it, but the -slaves knew what the war wuz 'bout. After the war they tried to fool the -slaves 'bout freedom an' wanted to keep 'em on a workin' but the Yankees -told 'em they wuz free. They sent some of the slaves to South Carolina, -when the Yankees came near to keep the Yankees from gittin' 'em. Sent -cousin James to South Carolina. I nevah will forgit when the Yankees -came through. They wuz takin' all the livestock an' all the men slaves -back to Norfolk, wid 'em to break up the system. White folks head wuz -jes' goin' to keep on havin' slaves. The slaves wanted freedom, but -they's scared to tell the white folks so. Anyway the Yankees wuz givin' -everythin' to the slaves. I kin heah 'em tellin' ol' Missy now. "Yes! -give'er clothes. Let'er take anythin' she wants." They even took some of -Miss Jennie's things an' offered 'em to me. I didn't take 'em tho' cause -she'd been purty nice to me. Whut tickled me wuz my husban', John -Sparks. He didn't want to leave me an' go cause he didn't know whah -they's takin' 'em nor what they's gonna do, but he wanted to be free; so -he played lame to keep fum goin'. He was jes' a limpin' 'round. It was -all I could do to keep fum laffin'. I kin hear Miss Jennie now yellin' -at them Yankees. No! who are yer to Judge. I'll be the judge. If John -Sparks wants to stay here, he'll stay. They was gonna take 'im anyhow -an' he went inside to pack an' the baby started cryin'. So one of 'em -said that as long as he had a wife an' a baby that young they guess he -could stay. They took all the horses, cows, and pigs and chickens an' -anything they could use an' left. I was about nineteen when I married. I -wuz married in 1861, my oldest boy was born in 1862 an' the fallin' of -Richmond came in 1865. - -Before Miss Jennie was married she was born an' lived at her old home -right up the river heah. Yer kin see the place fum ou side heah. On the -plantation my mother wuz a house woman. She had to wash white folks -clothes all day an' huh's after dark. Sometimes she'd be washin' clothes -way up 'round midnight. Nosir, couldn't wash any nigguh's clothes in -daytime. My mother lived in a big one room log house wif an' upstairs. -Sometimes the white folks give yer 'bout ten cents to spend. A woman -with children 'ud git 'bout half bushel of meal a week; a childless -woman 'ud git 'bout a peck an' a half of meal a week. If yer wuz -workin', they'd give yer shoes. Children went barefooted, the yeah -'round. The men on the road got one cotton shirt an' jacket. I had five -sisters an' five brothers. Might as well quit lookin' at me. I ain't -gonna tell yer any more. Cain't tell yer all I know. Ol Shep might come -back an' git me. Why if I was to tell yer the really bad things, some of -dem daid white folks would come right up outen dere graves. Well, I'll -tell somemore, but I cain't tell all. - -Once in a while they was free nigguhs come fum somewhah. They could come -see yer if yer was their folks. Nigguhs used to go way off in quarters -an' slip an' have meetin's. They called it stealin' the meetin'. The -children used to teach me to read. Schools! Son, there warn't no schools -for niggers. Slaves went to bed when they didn't have anything to do. -Most time they went to bed when they could. Sometimes the men had to -shuck corn till eleven and twelve o'clock at night. - -If you went out at night the paddyrols 'ud catch yer if yer was out -aftah time without a pass. Mos' a the slaves was afeared to go out. - -Plenty of slaves ran away. If they ketch 'em they beat 'em near to -death. But yer know dey's good an' bad people every where. That's the -way the white folks wuz. Some had hearts; some had gizzards 'stead o' -hearts. - -When my mothers's master died, he called my mother an' brother Major an' -got religion an' talked so purty. He say he so sorry that he hadn't -found the Lord before an' had nuttin' gainst his colored people. He was -sorry an' scared, but confessed. My mother died twenty years since then -at the age of seventy-fo'. She wuz very religious an' all white folks -set store to 'er. - -Old Massa done so much wrongness I couldn't tell yer all of it. Slave -girl Betty Lilly always had good clothes an' all the priviliges. She wuz -a favorite of his'n. But cain't tell all! God's got all! We uster sing a -song when he was shippin' the slaves to sell 'em 'bout "Massa's Gwyne -Sell Us Termerrer." No, I cain't sing it for yer. My husban' lived on -the plantation nex' to my mistress. He lived with a bachelor master. He -tell us say once when he was a pickinnany ol' Marse Williams shot at -'im. He didn't shoot 'em; he jes' shoot in the air an' ol' man wuz so -sceered he ran home an' got in his mammy's bed. Massa Williams uster -play wif 'em; then dey got so bad that they'ud run an' grab 'is laige -so's he couldn't hardly walk so when he sees 'em he jes' shoots in de -air. Ol' Massa, he, jes' come on up ter the cabin an' say "mammy whah -dat boy?" She say, in dah undah the bed. Yer done scared 'im to deaf! -Ol' Massa go on in an' say, Boy! What's the mattah wid yer. Boy say, yer -shot me master yer shot me! Master say, aw Gwan!--Git up an' come along. -I ain't shot yer. I jes' shot an' scared yer. Heh! Heh! Heh! Yessir my -ol' husban' sayed he sure was scared that day. - -Now yer take dat an' go. Put that in the book. Yer kin make out wif dat. -I ain't a gonna tell yer no more. Nosir. The end a time is at hand -anyway. 'Tain't no use ter write a book. The Bible say when it git so's -yer cain't tell one season from t'other the worl's comin' to end; here -hit is so warm in winter that [HW: it] feels like summer. Goodbye. Keep -lookin' good an' come again. - - - - -450002 - -Interview of Miss Mary Jane Wilson -Portsmouth, Virginia -By--Thelma Dunston - - -NEGRO PIONEER TEACHER OF PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA - -One of the rooms in the Old Folks Home for Colored in Portsmouth, -Virginia is occupied by an ex-slave--one of the first Negro teachers of -Portsmouth. - -On meeting Miss Mary Jane Wilson, very little questioning was needed to -get her to tell of her life. Drawing her chair near a small stove, she -said, "my Mother and Father was slaves, and when I was born, that made -me a slave. I was the only child. My Mother was owned by one family, and -my Father was owned by another family. My mother and father was allowed -to live together. One day my father's mastah took my father to Norfolk -and put him in a jail to stay until he could sell him. My missus bought -my father so he could be with us." - -"During this time I was small, and I didn't have so much work to do. I -jus helped around the house." - -"I was in the yard one day, and I saw so many men come marching down the -street, I ran and told my mother what I'd seen. She tried to tell me -what it was all about, but I couldn't understand her. Not long after -that we was free." - -Taking a long breath, the old woman said, "My father went to work in the -Norfolk Navy Yard as a teamster. He began right away buying us a home. -We was one of the first Negro land owners in Portsmouth after -emancipation. My father builded [SP: builed] his own house. It's only -two blocks from here, and it still stands with few improvements." - -With a broad smile Miss Wilson added, "I didn't get any teachings when I -was a slave. When I was free, I went to school. The first school I went -to was held in a church. Soon they builded a school building that was -called, 'Chestnut Street Academy', and I went there. After finishing -Chestnut Street Academy, I went to Hampton Institute. In 1874, six years -after Hampton Institute was started, I graduated." - -At this point Miss Wilson's pride was unconcealed. She continued her -conversation, but her voice was much louder and her speech was much -faster. She remarked, "My desire was to teach. I opened a school in my -home, and I had lots of students. After two years my class grew so fast -and large that my father built a school for me in our back yard. I had -as many as seventy-five pupils at one time. Many of them became -teachers. I had my graduation exercises in the Emanuel A. M. E. Church. -Those were my happiest days." - - - - - -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: VIRGINIA *** - -***** This file should be named 28973.txt or 28973.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/2/8/9/7/28973/ - -Produced by René Anderson Benitz and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at https://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. 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