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padding-top: 1px } + .vfill { margin-top: 20% } + h2.title { margin-top: 20% } +} +</style> +<style type="text/css"> +.pageno { position: absolute; right: 95%; font: medium sans-serif; } +.pageno:after { color: gray; content: '[' attr(title) ']' } +.toc-pageref { float: right } +pre { font-family: monospace; font-size: 0.9em; white-space: pre-wrap } +</style> +</head> +<body> +<div>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 35381 ***</div> +<div class="document" id="slave-narratives"> +<h1 class="document-title level-1 pfirst title with-subtitle">Slave Narratives</h1> +</div> +<div class="vspace" style="height: 4em"> +</div> +<div class="container" id="pg-produced-by"> +<p class="noindent pfirst">Produced by the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at <a class="reference external" href="http://www.pgdp.net">http://www.pgdp.net</a>.</p> +<div class="vspace" style="height: 1em"> +</div> +</div> +</div> +<p class="center larger pfirst">SLAVE NARRATIVES</p> +<div class="center larger vspace" style="height: 2em"> +</div> +<p class="center pnext"><em class="italics">A Folk History of Slavery in the United States</em></p> +<p class="center pnext"><em class="italics">From Interviews with Former Slaves</em></p> +<div class="center vspace" style="height: 2em"> +</div> +<p class="center pnext smaller">TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">1936-1938</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">ASSEMBLED BY</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS</p> +<div class="center smaller vspace" style="height: 2em"> +</div> +<p class="center pnext"><em class="italics">Illustrated with Photographs</em></p> +<p class="center pnext">WASHINGTON 1941</p> +<div class="center vspace" style="height: 2em"> +</div> +<p class="center larger pnext">VOLUME XVI</p> +<p class="center larger pnext">TEXAS NARRATIVES—PART 4</p> +<div class="center larger vspace" style="height: 2em"> +</div> +<p class="center pnext smaller">Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">the Works Progress Administration</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">for the State of Texas</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">[HW:] Handwritten note</p> +<p class="center pnext smaller">[TR:] Transcriber's note</p> +<div class="center smaller vspace" style="height: 2em"> +</div> +<div class="contents level-2 section" id="id1"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title">INFORMANTS</h2> +<ul class="simple"> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#mazique-sanco" id="id52">Mazique Sanco</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#clarissa-scales" id="id53">Clarissa Scales</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#hannah-scott" id="id54">Hannah Scott</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#abram-sells" id="id55">Abram Sells</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#george-selman" id="id56">George Selman</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#callie-shepherd" id="id57">Callie Shepherd</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#betty-simmons" id="id58">Betty Simmons</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#george-simmons" id="id59">George Simmons</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#ben-simpson" id="id60">Ben Simpson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#giles-smith" id="id61">Giles Smith</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#james-w-smith" id="id62">James W. Smith</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#jordon-smith" id="id63">Jordon Smith</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#millie-ann-smith" id="id64">Millie Ann Smith</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#susan-smith" id="id65">Susan Smith</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#john-sneed" id="id66">John Sneed</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#mariah-snyder" id="id67">Mariah Snyder</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#patsy-southwell" id="id68">Patsy Southwell</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#leithean-spinks" id="id69">Leithean Spinks</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#guy-stewart" id="id70">Guy Stewart</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#william-stone" id="id71">William Stone</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#yach-stringfellow" id="id72">Yach Stringfellow</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#bert-strong" id="id73">Bert Strong</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#emma-taylor" id="id74">Emma Taylor</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#mollie-taylor" id="id75">Mollie Taylor</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#jake-terriell" id="id76">Jake Terriell</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#j-w-terrill" id="id77">J.W. Terrill</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#allen-thomas" id="id78">Allen Thomas</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#bill-and-ellen-thomas" id="id79">Bill and Ellen Thomas</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#lucy-thomas" id="id80">Lucy Thomas</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#philles-thomas" id="id81">Philles Thomas</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#william-m-thomas" id="id82">William M. Thomas</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#mary-thompson" id="id83">Mary Thompson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#penny-thompson" id="id84">Penny Thompson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#albert-todd" id="id85">Albert Todd</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#aleck-trimble" id="id86">Aleck Trimble</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#reeves-tucker" id="id87">Reeves Tucker</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#lou-turner" id="id88">Lou Turner</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#irella-battle-walker" id="id89">Irella Battle Walker</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#john-walton" id="id90">John Walton</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#sol-walton" id="id91">Sol Walton</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#ella-washington" id="id92">Ella Washington</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#rosa-washington" id="id93">Rosa Washington</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#sam-jones-washington" id="id94">Sam Jones Washington</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#william-watkins" id="id95">William Watkins</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#dianah-watson" id="id96">Dianah Watson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#emma-watson" id="id97">Emma Watson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#james-west" id="id98">James West</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#adeline-white" id="id99">Adeline White</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#sylvester-sostan-wickliffe" id="id100">Sylvester Sostan Wickliffe</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#daphne-williams" id="id101">Daphne Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#horatio-w-williams" id="id102">Horatio W. Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#lou-williams" id="id103">Lou Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#millie-williams" id="id104">Millie Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#rose-williams" id="id105">Rose Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#steve-williams" id="id106">Steve Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#wayman-williams" id="id107">Wayman Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#willie-williams" id="id108">Willie Williams</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#lulu-wilson" id="id109">Lulu Wilson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#wash-wilson" id="id110">Wash Wilson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#willis-winn" id="id111">Willis Winn</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#rube-witt" id="id112">Rube Witt</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#ruben-woods" id="id113">Ruben Woods</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#willis-woodson" id="id114">Willis Woodson</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#james-g-woorling" id="id115">James G. Woorling</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#caroline-wright" id="id116">Caroline Wright</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#sallie-wroe" id="id117">Sallie Wroe</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#fannie-yarbrough" id="id118">Fannie Yarbrough</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#litt-young" id="id119">Litt Young</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#louis-young" id="id120">Louis Young</a></li> +<li class="level-2 toc-entry"><a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#teshan-young" id="id121">Teshan Young</a></li> +</ul> +</div> +<p class="larger pfirst"><strong class="bold">ILLUSTRATIONS</strong></p> +<div class="larger line-block"> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id2">Mazique Sanco</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id3">Clarissa Scales</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id4">Abram Sells</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id5">George Selman</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id6">Callie Shepherd</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id7">Betty Simmons</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id8">George Simmons</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id9">Giles Smith</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id10">James W. Smith</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id11">Jordon Smith</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id12">Millie Ann Smith</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id13">John Sneed</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id14">Mariah Snyder</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id15">Leithean Spinks</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id16">William Stone</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id17">Yach Stringfellow</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id18">Bert Strong</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id19">Emma Taylor</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id20">Allen Thomas</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id21">Bill and Ellen Thomas</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id22">Lucy Thomas</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id23">Philles Thomas</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id24">William M. Thomas</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id25">Mary Thompson</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id26">Penny Thompson</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id27">Albert Todd</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id28">Reeves Tucker</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id29">Lou Turner</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id30">Sol Walton</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id31">Rosa Washington</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id32">Sam Jones Washington</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id33">William Watkins</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id34">Emma Watson</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id35">James West</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id36">Adeline White</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id37">Daphne Williams</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id38">Lou Williams</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#lou-williams-house">Lou Williams' House</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id39">Millie Williams</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id40">Steve Williams</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#wayman-williams-and-henry-freeman">Wayman Williams and Henry Freeman</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id41">Willie Williams</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id42">Lulu Wilson</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id43">Wash Wilson</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id44">Willis Winn</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id45">Rube Witt</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id46">Ruben Woods</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id47">Willis Woodson</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id48">Sallie Wroe</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id49">Litt Young</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id50">Louis Young</a></div> +<div class="line"> +<a class="reference internal pginternal" href="#id51">Teshan Young</a></div> +<div class="line"> + </div> +<div class="line"> + </div> +<div class="line"> + </div> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="mazique-sanco"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id52">Mazique Sanco</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Mazique Sanco was born a slave of Mrs. Louisa Green, in Columbia, +South Carolina, on February 10, 1849. Shortly after Mazique was freed, +he enlisted in the army and was sent with the Tenth Cavalry to San +Angelo, then Fort Concho, Texas. After Mazique left the army he became +well-known as a chef, and worked for several large hotels. Mazique uses +little dialect. When asked where Mazique is, his young wife says, "In +his office," and upon inquiry as to the location of this office, she +replies mirthfully, "On de river," for since he is too old to work, +Mazique spends most of his time fishing.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My mistress owned a beautiful home and three hundred twenty acres of +land in the edge of Columbia, in South Carolina, just back of the state +house. Her name was Mrs. Louisa Green and she was a widow lady. That's +where I was born, but when her nephew, Dr. Edward Flemming, married Miss +Dean, I was given to him for a wedding present, and so was my mother and +her other children. I was a very small boy then, and when I was ten Dr. +Flemming gave me to his crippled mother-in-law for a foot boy. She got +crippled in a runaway accident, when her husband was killed. He had two +fine horses, fiery and spirited as could be had. He called them Ash and +Dash, and one day he and his wife were out driving and the horses ran +the carriage into a big pine tree, and Mr. Dean was killed instantly, +and Mrs. Dean couldn't ever help herself again. I waited on her. I had a +good bed and food and was let to earn ten cent shin plasters.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When the war was over she called up her five families of slaves and +told us we could go or stay. Some went and some stayed. I was always an +adventurer, wanting to see and learn things, so I left and went back to +my mother with Mrs. Flemming.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 20%; width: 60%" id="id2"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Mazique Sanco" src="images/image01mazique.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Mazique Sanco</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I only stayed there a few months and hired out to Major Legg, and +worked for him several years. I felt I wasn't learning enough, so I +joined the United States Army and with a hundred and eighty-five boys +went to St. Louis, Missouri. From there we were transferred with the +Tenth Cavalry to Fort Concho. I helped haul the lumber from San Antonio +to finish the buildings at the fort. I was there five years.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After I went to work at private employment I did some carpenter work, +but most of the houses were adobe or pecan pole buildings, so I got a +job from Mr. Jimmy Keating as mechanic for awhile, and then drifted to +Mexico. Odd jobs were all I could get for awhile, so I landed in El Paso +and got a job in a hotel.</p> +<p class="pnext">"That was the start of my success, for I learned to be a skilled chef +and superintended the kitchens in some of the largest hotels in Texas. I +made as high as $80.00, in Houston. My last work was done at the St. +Angelus Hotel here in San Angelo and if you don't believe I'm a good +cook, just look at my wife over there. When I married her she was +fourteen years old and weighed a hundred and fifteen pounds. Now it's +been a long time since I could get her on the scales, not since she +passed the two hundred pound mark."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="clarissa-scales"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id53">Clarissa Scales</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Clarissa Scales, 79, was born a slave of William Vaughan, on his +plantation at Plum Creek, Texas. Clarissa married when she was fifteen. +She owns a small farm near Austin, but lives with her son, Arthur, at +1812 Cedar Ave., Austin.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy's name was Mary Vaughan and she was brung from Baton Rouge, +what am over in Louisiana, by our master. He went and located on Plum +Creek, down in Hays County.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy was a tall, heavy-set woman, more'n six foot tall. She was +a maid-doctor after freedom. Dat mean she nussed women at childbirth. +She allus told me de last thing she saw when she left Baton Rouge was +her mammy standin' on a big, wood block to be sold for a slave. Dat de +last time she ever saw her mammy. Mammy died 'bout fifty years ago. +She was livin' on a farm on Big Walnut Creek, in Travis County. Daddy +done die a year befo' and she jes' grieves herself to death. Daddy was +sho' funny lookin', 'cause he wore long whiskers and what you calls a +goatee. He was field worker on de Vaughan plantation.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Master Vaughan was good and treated us all right. He was a great +white man and didn't have no over seer. Missy's name was Margaret, and +she was good, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My job was tendin' fires and herdin' hawgs. I kep' fire goin' when de +washin' bein' done. Dey had plenty wood, but used corn cobs for de fire. +Dere a big hill corn cobs near de wash kettle. In de evenin' I had to +bring in de hawgs. I had a li'l whoop I druv dem with, a eight-plaited +rawhide whoop on de long stick. It a purty sight to see dem hawgs go +under de slip-gap, what was a rail took down from de bottom de fence, +so de hawgs could run under.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Injuns used to pass our cabin in big bunches. One time dey give mammy +some earrings, but when they's through eatin' they wants dem earrings +back. Dat de way de Injuns done. After feedin' dem, mammy allus say, 'Be +good and kind to everybody.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day Master Vaughan come and say we's all free and could go and do +what we wants. Daddy and mammy rents a place and I stays until I's +fifteen. I wanted to be a teacher, but daddy kep' me hoein' cotton most +de time. Dat's all he knowed. He allus told me it was 'nough larnin' +could I jes' read and write. He never even had dat much. But he was de +good farmer and good to me and mammy.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere was a school after freedom. Old Man Tilden was de teacher. One +time a bunch of men dey calls de Klu Klux come in de room and say, 'You +git out of here and git 'way from dem niggers. Don' let us cotch you +here when we comes back.' Old Man Tilden sho' was scart, but he say, +'You all come back tomorrow.' He finishes dat year and we never hears of +him 'gain. Dat a log schoolhouse on Williamson Creek, five mile south of +Austin.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id3"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Clarissa Scales" src="images/image03clarissa.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Clarissa Scales</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Den a cullud teacher named Hamlet Campbell come down from de north. He +rents a room in a big house and makes a school. De trustees hires and +pays him and us chillen didn't have to pay. I got to go some, and I +allus tells my granddaughter how I's head of de class when I does go. +She am good in her studies, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I's fifteen I marries Benjamin Calhoun Scales and he was a farmer. +We had five chillen and three boys is livin'. One am a preacher and +Arthur am a cement laborer and Chester works in a printin' shop.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Benjie dies on February 15th, dis year (1937). I lives with Arthur and +de gov'ment gives me $10.00 de month. I has de li'l farm of nineteen +acres out near Oak Hill and Floyd, de preacher, lives on dat. All my +boys is good to me. Dey done good, and better'n we could, 'cause we +couldn't git much larnin' dem days. I's had de good life. But we +'preciated our chance more'n de young folks does nowadays. Dey has so +much dey don't have to try so hard. If we'd had what dey got, we'd thunk +we was done died and gone to Glory Land. Maybe dey'll be all right when +deys growed."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="hannah-scott"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id54">Hannah Scott</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Hannah Scott was born in slavery, in Alabama. She does not know her +age but says she was grown when her last master, Bat Peterson, set her +free. Hannah lives with her grandson in a two-room house near the +railroad tracks, in Houston, Texas. Unable to walk because of a +paralytic stroke, Hannah asked her grandson to lift her from the bed to +a chair, from which she told her story.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Son, move de chair a mite closer to de stove. Dere, dat's better, +'cause de heat kind of soople me up. Ain't nothin' left of me but some +skin and bones, nohow.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Lemme see now. I's born in Alabama and I think dey calls it Fayette +County. Mama's name was Ardissa and she 'long to Marse Clark Eccles, but +us chillen allus call him White Pa. Miss Hetty, his wife, we calls her +White Ma.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never knowed my own pa, 'cause he 'long to 'nother man and was sold +away 'fore I's old 'nough to know him. Mama has five us chillen, but dey +all dead 'ceptin' me. Dey didn't have no marriage back den like now. Dey +just puts black folks together in de sight of man and not in de sight of +Gawd, and dey puts dem asunder, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marse Eccles didn't have no big place and only nine slaves. I guess he +what you calls 'poor folks,' but he mighty good to he black folks. I +'member when he sold us to Bat Peterson. He and White Ma break down and +cry when old Bat puts us in de wagon and takes us off to Arkansas. I +heared mama say something 'bout White Pa sellin' us for debt and he +gits a hunerd dollars for me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Whoosh, it sho' was a heap dif'ent from Alabama. Marse Bat had +niggers. I reckon he must of had a hunerd of dem and two nigger drivers, +Uncle Green and Uncle Jake, and a overseer. Marse Bat was mean, too, and +work he slaves from daylight till nine o'clock at night. I carries water +for de hands. I carries de bucket on my head and 'fore long I ain't got +no more hair on my head den you has on de palm of you hand. No, suh!</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I gits bigger, de overseer puts me in de field with de rest. Marse +Bat grow mostly cotton and it don't make no dif'ence is you big or li'l, +you better keep up or de drivers burn you up with de whip, sho' 'nough. +Old Marse Bat never put a lick on me all de years I 'longs to him, but +de drivers sho' burnt me plenty times. Sometime I gits so tired come +night, I draps right in de row and gone to sleep. Den de driver come +'long and, wham, dey cuts you 'cross de back with de whip and you wakes +up when it lights on you, yes, suh! 'Bout nine o'clock dey hollers +'cotton up' and dat de quittin' signal. We goes to de quarters and jes' +drap on de bunk and go to sleep without nothin' to eat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On old Bat's place dat all us know, is work and more work. De onlies' +time we has off am Sunday and den we has to wash and mend clothes. De +first Sunday of de month a white preacher come, but all he say is +'bedience to de white folks, and we hears 'nough of dat without him +tellin' us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member when White Pa come to try git mama and us chillen back. We +been in Arkansas five, six year, and, whoosh, I sho' wants to go back to +my White Pa, but old Bat wouldn't let us go. He come to our quarters +dat night and tell mama if she or us chillen try to run off he'll kill +us. Dey sho' watch us for awhile.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometimes one of de niggers runs off but he ain't gone long. He gits +hongry and comes back. Den he gits a burnin' with de bullwhip. Does he +run 'way again, Marse Bat say he got too much rabbit in him and chains +him up till he goes to Little Rock and sells him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I heared some white folks treat dey slaves good and give dem time off, +but Marse Bat don't. We has plenty to eat and clothes, but dat all. Dat +de way it was till we's freed, only it wasn't in Arkansas. It was down +to Richmond, here in Texas, 'cause Marse Bat rents a farm at Richmond. +He thunk if he brung us to Texas he wouldn't have to set us free. But he +got fooled, 'cause a gov'ment man come tell us we's free. We had de crop +planted and old Bat say if we'll stay through pickin' he'll pay us. Mama +and us stayed awhile.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I gits married legal with Richard Scott and we comes to Harrisburg and +he gits a job on de section of de railroad. I's lived here ever since. +My husban' and me raises five chillen, but only de one gal am alive now. +My grandson takes care of me. He tells me iffen my husband lived so +long, he be 107 years old. I know he was older dan me, but not 'xactly +how much.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometime I feel I's been here too long, 'cause I's paralyzed and can't +move round none. But maybe de Lawd ain't ready for me yet, and de Debbil +won't have me."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="abram-sells"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id55">Abram Sells</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Abram Sells was born a slave on the Rimes Plantation, which was +located about 18 miles southeast of Newton, Texas. He does not know his +age, but must be well along in the 80's, as his recollections of slavery +days are keen. He lives at Jamestown, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was birthed on the Rimes Plantation, now called +Harrisburg. My great-grand-daddy's name was Bowser Rimes and he +was brung to Texas from Louisiana and die at 138 year old. He's +buried on the old Ben Powell place close to Jasper. My grand-daddy, +that's John, he lives to be 103 year old and he buried on the Eddy +plantation at Jasper. My daddy, Mose Rimes, he die young at 86 and +he buried in Jasper County, too. My mammy's name was Phoebe and +she was birthed a Rimes nigger and brung to Texas from back in +Louisiana. The year slaves was freed I was inherit by a man named +Sells, what marry into the Rimes family and that's why my name's +Sells, 'cause it change 'long with the marriage. Us was jes' ready +to be ship back to Louisiana to the new massa's plantation when the +end of the war break up the trip.</p> +<p class="pnext">"You see, we all had purty good time on Massa Rimes's +plantation. None of them carin' 'bout being sot free. They has to +work hard all time, but that don' mean so much, 'cause they have to +work iffen they was on they own, too. The old folks was 'lowed +Saturday evenin' off or when they's sick, and us little ones, us not +do much but bring in the wood and kindle the fires and tote water +and he'p wash clothes and feed the little pigs and chickens.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us chillen hang round close to the big house and us have a old +man that went round with us and look after us, white chillen and black +chillen, and that old man was my great grand-daddy. Us sho' have to +mind him, 'cause iffen we didn't, us sho' have bad luck. He allus have +the pocket full of things to conjure with. That rabbit foot, he took it +out and he work that on you till you take the creeps and git shakin' all +over. Then there's a pocket full of fish scales and he kind of squeak +and rattle them in the hand and right then you wish you was dead and +promise to do anything. Another thing he allus have in the pocket was +a li'l old dry-up turtle, jes' a mud turtle 'bout the size of a man's +thumb, the whole thing jes' dry up and dead. With that thing he say +he could do mos' anything, but he never use it iffen he ain't have to. +A few times I seed him git all tangle up and boddered and he go off by +hisself and sot down in a quiet place, take out this very turtle and +put it in the palm of the hand and turn it round and round and say +somethin' all the time. After while he git everything ontwisted and +he come back with a smile on he face and maybe whistlin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They fed all us nigger chillen in a big trough made out'n wood, maybe +more a wood tray, dug out'n soft timber like magnolia or cypress. They +put it under a tree in the shade in summer time and give each chile a +wood spoon, then mix all the food up in the trough and us goes to +eatin'. Mos' the food was potlicker, jes' common old potlicker; turnip +green and the juice, Irish 'taters and the juice, cabbages and peas and +beans, jes' anything what make potlicker. All us git round like so many +li'l pigs and then us dish in with our wood spoon till it all gone.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We has lots of meat at times. Old grand-daddy allus ketchin' +rabbit in some kind of trap, mostly make out'n a holler log. He sot +'em round in the garden and sho' kotch the rabbits. And possums, us +have a good possum dog, sometimes two or three, and every night you +heered them dogs barkin' in the field down by the branch. Sho' 'nuf, +they git possum treed and us go git him and parbile him and put him +in the oven and bake him plumb tender. Then we stacks sweet 'taters +round him and po' the juice over the whole thing. Now, there is +somethin' good 'nuf for a king.</p> +<p class="pnext">"There was lots of deer and turkey and squirrel in the wil' wood +and somebody out huntin' nearly every day. Course Massa Rime's folks +couldn't eat up all this meat befo' it spile and the niggers allus +git a great big part of it. Then we kilt lots of hawgs and then talk +'bout eatin'! O, them chitlin's, sousemeat and the haslets, thats +the liver and the lights all biled up together. Us li'l niggers fill +up on sich as that and go to bed and mos' dream us is li'l pigs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us allus have plenty to eat but didn't pay much 'tention to clothes. +Boys and gals all dress jes' alike, one long shirt or dress. They call +it a shirt iffen a boy wear it and call it a dress iffen the gal wear +it. There wasn't no difference, 'cause they's all made out'n somethin' +like duck and all white. That is, they's white when you fus' put them +on, but after you wears them a while they git kind of pig-cullud, kind +of grey, but still they's all the same color. Us all go barefoot in +summer, li'l ones and big ones, but in winter us have homemake shoes. +They tan the leather at home and make the shoe at home, allus some old +nigger that kin make shoe. They was more like moc'sin, with lace made of +deerskin. The soles was peg on with wood pegs out'n maple and sharpen +down with a shoe knife.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have hats make out'n pine straw, long leaf pine straw, tied together +in li'l bunches and platted round and round till it make a kinder hat. +That pine straw great stuff in them days and us use it in lots of ways. +Us kivered sweet 'taters with it to keep them from git freeze and hogs +made beds out'n it and folks too. Yes, sir, us slep' on it. The beds had +jes' one leg. They bored two hole in the wall up in the corner and stuck +two pole in them holes and lay plank on that like slats and pile lots of +pine straw on that. Then they spread a homemake blanket or quilt on that +and sometime four or five li'l niggers slep' in there to keep us warm.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The li'l folks slep' mos' as long as they want to in daylight, +but the big niggers have to come out'n that bed 'bout fo' o'clock when +the big horn blow. The overseer have one nigger, he wake up early for +to blow the horn and when he blow this horn he make sich a holler then +all the res' of the niggers better git out'n that bed and 'pear at the +barn 'bout daylight. He might not whip him for being late the fus' +time, but that nigger better not forgit the secon' time and be late!</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Rimes didn't whip them much, but iffen they was bad niggers he +jes' sold them offen the place and let somebody else do the whippin'. +Never have no church house or school, but Massa Rimes, he call them in +and read the Bible to them. Then he turn the service over to some good, +old, 'ligious niggers and let them finish with the singin' and prayin' +and 'zorting. After peach [HW: "?"] cleared, a school was 'stablish and +a white man come from the north to teach the cullud chillen, but befo' +that they didn' take no pains to teach the niggers nothin' 'ceptin' to +work, and the white chillen didn't have much school neither.</p> +<p class="pnext">"That was one plantation what was run 'sclusively by itself. Massa Rimes +have a commissary or sto' house, whar he kep' whatnot things—them what +make on the plantation and things the slaves couldn' make for themselfs. +That wasn't much, 'cause we make us own clothes and shoes and plow and +all farm tools and us even make our own plow line out'n cotton and iffen +us run short of cotton sometime make them out'n bear grass and we make +buttons for us clothes out'n li'l round pieces of gourds and kiver them +with cloth.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id4"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Abram Sells" src="images/image09abram.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Abram Sells</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"That wasn't sich a big plantation, 'bout a t'ousand acre and +only 'bout forty niggers. There was'n no jail and they didn't need none. +Us have no real doctor, but of course there was a doctor man at Jasper +and one at Newton, but a nigger have to be purty sick 'fore they call a +doctor. There's allus some old time nigger what knowed lots of remedies +and knowed all dif'rent kinds of yarbs and roots. My grand-daddy, he +could stop blood, and he could conjure off the fever and rub his fingers +over warts and they'd git away. He make ile out'n rattlesnake for the +rheumatis'. For the cramp he git a kind of bark offen a tree and it done +the job, too. Some niggers wo' brass rings to keep off the rheumatis' +and punch hole in a penny or dime and wear that on the ankle to keep off +sickness.</p> +<p class="pnext">"'Member the war? Course I does. I 'member how some of them +march off in their uniforms, lookin' so grand, and how some of them hide +out in the wood to keep from lookin' so grand. They was lots of talkin' +'bout fighting, and rubbing and scrubbing the old shotgun. The oldes' +niggers was settin' round the fire late in the night, stirrin' the ashes +with the poker and rakin' out the roas' 'taters. They's smokin' the old +corn cob pipe and homemake tobacco and whisperin' right low and quiet +like what they's gwineter do and whar they's gwineter to when Mister +Lincoln, he turn them free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The more they talk, the more I git scared that the niggers +is going to git sot free and wondering what I's gwine to do if they is. +No, I guess I don't want to live back in them times no mo', but I sho' +seed lots of niggers not doin' so well as they did when they was slaves +and not havin' nigh as much to eat."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="george-selman"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id56">George Selman</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">George Selman was born in 1852, five miles east of Alto, Texas. His +father was born in Virginia and his mother in South Carolina, and were +brought to Texas by Mr. Dan Lewis. Green has been a Baptist minister +since his youth. He lives in Jacksonville, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"We was a big fam'ly, nine children. I was born a +slave of the Selmans, Marster Tom and Missus Polly, and they +lived in Mississippi. Mother's name was Martha and my father's +name was John Green Selman.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marster's folks come from Mississippi a long ways back +and they had a big house made from hewed logs with a big hallway +down the middle. The kitchen was out in the yard, 'bout forty +steps from the house. The yard had five acres in it and a big +garden was in it. Marster had five slave families and our cabins +was built in a half circle in the back yard. I seemed to be +the pet and always went with Marster Tom to town or wherever he +was goin'. Then I learned to plow by my mother letting me hold +the handles and walk along with her. Finally she let me go 'round +by myself.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marster Tom was always good to us and he taught me religion. +He was the best man I ever knew. Then Saturday noon come, they +blew the horn and we quit workin'. We went to church one Sunday +a month and we sat on one side and the white folks on the other.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id5"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="George Selman" src="images/image15george.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +George Selman</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I never learnt to read and write, but I learned to work +in the house and the fields. Late in the day Aunt Dicey, who +was the cook, called all us children out under the big trees and +give us supper. This was in summer, but nobody ever fed us but +Aunt Dicey. We all ate from one bowl, or maybe I'd call it a tray +'cause it was made of wood, like a bread tray but bigger, big +enough to hold three, four gallons. She put the food in the tray +and give each chil' a spoon. Mostly we had pot likker and corn-bread. +In winter we ate from the same tray, but in the kitchen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never seen runaway slaves, but Marster Tom had a neighbor +mean to slaves and sometimes when they was whipped we could hear 'em +holler. The neighbor had one slave called Sallie, and she was a +weaver and was so mean she had to wear a chain. After she died, I +heered her ghost one night. I was stayin' with a white man who had +the malaria-typhoid-pneumonia fever, and one night I heered Sallie +scream and seen her chain drag back and forth. I tol' the man I +knowed it was Sallie, 'cause I'd heered that scream for years. But +the man said she was dead, so it mus' have been her ghost. I heered +her night after night, screamin' and draggin' her chain up and down.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When Marster Tom says we's free, I goes to his sister, Miss +Ca'line and works for her. After sev'ral years I larned to preach +and I's the author of most the Baptist churches in this county."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="callie-shepherd"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id57">Callie Shepherd</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Callie Shepherd, age 84, lives at 4701 Spring Ave., Dallas, Texas. She +was born near Gilmer, Texas, in 1852, a slave of the Stevens family. At +present she is cared for by her 68 year old son and his wife.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Course I kin tell you. I got 'memberance like dey don't +have nowadays. Dat 'cause things is goin' round and round too fast +without no settin' and talkin' things over.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's native born right down here at Gilmer on de old place +and Miss Fannie could tell you de same if she could be in your presence, +but she went on to Glory many a year ago. She de one what raised me, +right in de house with her own chillen. I slep' right in de house, +in de chillens' room, in a little trundle bed what jus' pushed back +under de big bed when de mornin' come. If her chillen et one side +de table I et t'other side, right by Miss Fannie's elbow.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Miss Fannie, she Dr. Steven's wife and dey from Georgia and +lived near Gilmer till de doctor goes off to de war and takes a sickness +what he ain't never get peart from and died. Died right there on +de old place. He was a right livin' man and dey allus good to me and +my mammy, what dey done brought from Georgia and she de main cook.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mammy don't think they ain't nobody like Miss Fannie. My +mammy, she a little red-Indian nigger woman not so big as me, and Miss +Fanny tell her, 'Don't you cry 'cause dey tryin' make freedom, 'cause +de doctor done say we is gwine help you raise your babies.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Some de niggers don't like de treatment what dey white folks gives 'em +and dey run away to de woods. I'd hear de nigger dogs a-runnin' and when +dey cotch de niggers dey bites 'em all over and tears dey clothes and +gits de skin, too. And de niggers, dey'd holler. I seed 'em whip de +niggers, 'cause dey tolt de chillen to look. Dey buckled 'em down on de +groun' and laid it on dey backs. Sometimes dey laid on with a mighty +heavy hand. But I ain't never git no whippin' 'cause I never went with +de cullud gen'ration. I set right in de buggy with de white chillen and +went to hear Gospel preachin'.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id6"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Callie Shepherd" src="images/image17callie.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Callie Shepherd</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I danced at de balls in de sixteen figure round sets and everybody +in dem parts say I de principal dancer, but I gits 'ligion and left +de old way to live in de 'termination to live beyon' dis vale of tears.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I have my trib'lations after my old daddy die, 'cause he good to us +little chillen. But my next daddy a man mighty rough on us. Dat after +Miss Fannie done gone back to Georgia and my back done hurt me all de +time from pullin' fodder and choppin' cotton. It make a big indif'rence +after Miss Fannie gone, and de war de cause of it all. I heered de big +cannons goin' on over there jus' like de bigges' clap of thunder.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Me and de little chillen playin' in de road makin' frog houses out of +sand when we hear de hosses comin'. We looks and see de budallions +shinin' in de sun and de sojers have tin cups tied on side dere saddles +and throwed dem cups to us chillen as dey passed. Dey say war is over +and we is free. Miss Fannie say she a Seay from Georgia and she go back +dere, but I jus' stay on where I's native born."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="betty-simmons"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id58">Betty Simmons</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Betty Simmons, 100 or more, was born a slave to Leftwidge Carter, in +Macedonia, Alabama. She was stolen when a child, sold to slave traders +and later to a man in Texas. She now lives in Beaumont, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I think I's 'bout a hunnerd and one or two year old. My +papa was a free man, 'cause his old massa sot him free 'fore I's born, +and give him a hoss and saddle and a little house to live in.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My old massa when I's a chile, he name Mr. Leftwidge Carter +and when he daughter marry Mr. Wash Langford, massa give me to her. +She was call Clementine. Massa Langford has a little store and a +man call Mobley go in business with him. Dis man brung down he two +brothers and dey fair clean Massa Langford out. He was ruint.</p> +<p class="pnext">"But while all dis goin' on I didn't know it and I was happy. +Dey was good to me and I don't work too hard, jus' gits in de mischief. +One time I sho' got drunk and dis de way of it. Massa have de puncheon +of whiskey and he sell de whiskey, too. Now, in dem days, dey have +frills 'round de beds, dey wasn't naked beds like nowdays. Dey puts +dis puncheon under de beds and de frills hides it, but I's nussin' a +little boy in dat room and I crawls under dat bed and drinks out of de +puncheon. Den I poke de head out and say 'Boo' at de little boy, and +he laugh and laugh. Den I ducks back and drinks a little more and I +say 'Boo' at him 'gain, and he laugh and laugh. Dey was lots of whiskey +in dat puncheon and I keeps drinkin' and sayin' 'Boo'. My head, it gits +funny and I come out with de puncheon and starts to de kitchen, where +my aunt Adeline was de cook. I jes' a-stompin' and sayin' de big words. +Dey never lets me 'round where dat puncheon is no more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When Massa Langford was ruint and dey goin' take de store +'way from him, dey was trouble, plenty of dat. One day massa send me +down to he brudder's place. I was dere two days and den de missy tell +me to go to de fence. Dere was two white men in a buggy and one of 'em +say, 'I thought she bigger dan dat.' Den he asks me, 'Betty, kin you +cook?' I tells him I been cook helper two, three month, and he say, +'You git dressed and came on down three mile to de other side de post +office.' So I gits my little bundle and whan I gits dere he say, 'Gal, +you want to go 'bout 26 mile and help cook at de boardin' house?' He +tries to make me believe I won't be gone a long time, but when I gits in +de buggy dey tells me Massa Langford done los' everything and he have to +hide out he niggers for to keep he credickers from gittin' dem. Some +of de niggers he hides in de woods, but he stole me from my sweet missy +and sell me so dem credickers can't git me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When we gits to de crossroads dere de massa and a nigger man. Dat +another slave he gwine to sell, and he hate to sell us so bad he can't +look us in de eye. Dey puts us niggers inside de buggy, so iffen de +credickers comes along dey can't see us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Finally dese slave spec'laters puts de nigger man and me on de train +and takes us to Memphis, and when we gits dere day takes us to de nigger +traders' yard. We gits dere at breakfast time and waits for de boat dey +calls de 'Ohio' to git dere. De boat jus' ahead of dis Ohio, Old Capt. +Fabra's boat, was 'stroyed and dat delay our boat two hours. When it +come, dey was 258 niggers out of dem nigger yards in Memphis what gits +on dat boat. Dey puts de niggers upstairs and goes down de river far as +Vicksburg, dat was de place, and den us gits offen de boat and gits on +de train 'gain and dat time we goes to New Orleans.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's satisfy den I los' my people and ain't never goin' to see dem no +more in dis world, and I never did. Dey has three big trader yard in New +Orleans and I hear de traders say dat town 25 mile square. I ain't like +it so well, 'cause I ain't like it 'bout dat big river. We hears some of +'em say dere's gwineter throw a long war and us all think what dey buy +us for if we's gwine to be sot free. Some was still buyin' niggers every +fall and us think it too funny dey kep' on fillin' up when dey gwineter +be emptyin' out soon.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey have big sandbars and planks fix 'round de nigger yards and dey +have watchmans to keep dem from runnin 'way in de swamp. Some of de +niggers dey have jus' picked up on de road, dey steals dem. Dey calls +dem 'wagon boy' and 'wagon gal.' Dey has one bit mulatto boy dey stole +'long de road dat way and he massa find out 'bout him and come and git +him and take him 'way. And a woman what was a seamster, a man what +knowed her seed her in de pen and he done told her massa and he come +right down and git her. She sho' was proud to git out. She was stole +from 'long de road, too. You sees, if dey could steal de niggers and +sell 'em for de good money, dem traders could make plenty money dat way.</p> +<p class="pnext">"At las' Col. Fortescue, he buy me and kep' me. He a fighter in de +Mexican war and he come to New Orleans to buy he slaves. He takes me up +de Red River to Shreveport and den by de buggy to Liberty, in Texas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De Colonel, he a good massa to us. He 'lows us to work de patch of +ground for ourselves, and maybe have a pig or a couple chickens for +ourselves, and he allus make out to give us plenty to eat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De massa, when a place fill up, he allus pick and move to a place where +dere ain't so much people. Dat how come de Colonel fus' left Alabama and +come to Texas, and to de place dey calls Beef Head den, but calls Gran' +Cane now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When us come to Gran' Cane a nigger boy git stuck on one us house girls +and he run away from he massa and foller us. It were a woodly country +and de boy outrun he chasers. I heered de dogs after him and he torn and +bleedin' with de bresh and he run upstair in de gin house. De dogs sot +down by de door and de dog-man, what hired to chase him, he drug him +down and throw him in de Horse Hole and tells de two dogs to swim in and +git him. De boy so scairt he yell and holler but de dogs nip and pinch +him good with de claws and teeth. When dey lets de boy out de water hole +he all bit up and when he massa larn how mean de dog-man been to de boy +he 'fuses to pay de fee.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I gits married in slavery time, to George Fortescue. De massa +he marry us sort of like de justice of de peace. But my husban', he git +kilt in Liberty, when he cuttin' down a tree and it fall on him. I ain't +never marry no more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I sho' was glad when freedom come, 'cause dey jus' ready to put my +little three year old boy in de field. Dey took 'em young. I has another +baby call Mittie, and she too young to work. I don't know how many +chillen I's have, and sometimes I sits and tries to count 'em. Dey's +seven livin' but I had 'bout fourteen.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id7"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Betty Simmons" src="images/image19betty.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Betty Simmons</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Dey was pretty hard on de niggers. Iffen us have de baby us only 'lowed +to stay in de house for one month and card and spin, and den us has to +get out in de field. Dey allus blow de horn for us mammies to come up +and nuss de babies.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed plenty soldiers 'fore freedom. Dey's de Democrats, 'cause I +never seed no Yankees. Us niggers used to wash and iron for dem. At +night us seed dose soldiers peepin' 'round de house and us run 'way in +de bresh.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When freedom come us was layin' by de crop and de massa he give us a +gen'rous part of dat crop and us move to Clarks place. We gits on all +right after freedom, but it hard at first 'cause us didn't know how to +do for ourselves. But we has to larn."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="george-simmons"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id59">George Simmons</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">George Simmons, born in Alabama in 1854, was owned by Mr. Steve +Jaynes, who lived near Beaumont, Texas. George has a good many memories +of slavery years, although he was still a child when he was freed. He +now lives in Beaumont, Tex.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's bo'n durin' slavery, somewhar in Alabama, but I don' +'member whar my mammy said. Dey brung me here endurin' de War and +I belonged to Massa Steve Jaynes, and he had 'bout 75 other niggers. +It was a big place and lots of wo'k, but I's too little to do much +'cept errands 'round de house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Jaynes, he raised cotton and co'n and he have 'bout +400 acres. He 'spected de niggers to wo'k hard from mornin' till +sundown, but he was fair in treatin' 'em. He give us plenty to eat +and lots of cornbread and black-eye' peas and plenty hawg meat and +sich. We had possum sometimes, too. Jus' took a nice, fat possum +we done cotched in de woods and skinned 'im and put 'im in a oven +and roas' 'im with sweet 'tatoes all 'round and make plenty gravy. +Dat was good.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Jaynes, he 'lowed de slaves who wanted to have a little place to +make garden, veg'tables and dose kin' of things. He give 'em seed and de +nigger could have all he raised in his little garden. We was all well +kep' and I don' see whar freedom was much mo' better, in a way. Course, +some massas was bad to dere slaves and whipped 'em so ha'd dey's nearly +dead. I know dat, 'cause I heered it from de neighbors places. Some of +dere slaves would run away and hide in de woods and mos' of 'em was +kotched with dogs. Fin'ly dey took to puttin' bells on de slaves so +iffen dey run away, dey could hear 'em in de woods. Dey put 'em on with +a chain, so dey couldn' get 'em off.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We could have church on Sunday and our own cullud church. Sam Watson, +he was de nigger preacher and he's a slave, too.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id8"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="George Simmons" src="images/image23george.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +George Simmons</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I didn' know much 'bout de war, 'cause we couldn' read and de white +folks didn' talk war much 'fore us. But we heered things and I 'member +de sojers on dere way back after it's all over. Dey wasn' dressed in a +uniform and dey clothes was mos'ly rags, dey was dat tore up. We seed +'em walkin' on de road and sometimes dey had ole wagons, but mos' times +dey walk. I 'member some Yankee sojers, too. Dey have canteens over de +shoulder, and mos' of 'em has blue uniforms on.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa, he tell us when freedom come, and some of us stays 'round +awhile, 'cause whar is we'uns goin'? We didn' know what to do and we +didn' know how to keep ourselves, and what was we to do to get food and +a place to live? Dose was ha'd times, 'cause de country tore up and de +business bad.</p> +<p class="pnext">"And de Kluxes dey range 'round some. Dey soon plays out but dey took +mos' de time to scare de niggers. One time dey comes to my daddy's house +and de leader, him in de long robe, he say, 'Nigger, quick you and git +me a drink of water.' My daddy, he brung de white folks drinkin' gourd +and dat Klux, he say, 'Nigger, I say git me a big drink—bring me dat +bucket. I's thirsty.' He drinks three buckets of water, we thinks he +does, but what you think we learns? He has a rubber bag under his robe +and is puttin' dat water in dere!"</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="ben-simpson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id60">Ben Simpson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Ben Simpson, 90, was born in Norcross, Georgia, a slave of the +Stielszen family. He had a cruel master, and was afraid to tell the +truth about his life as a slave, until assured that no harm would come +to him. Ben now lives in Madisonville, Texas, and receives a small old +age pension.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Boss, I's born in Georgia, in Norcross, and I's ninety years old. My +father's name was Roger Stielszen and my mother's name was Betty. Massa +Earl Stielszen captures them in Africa and brung them to Georgia. He got +kilt and my sister and me went to his son. His son was a killer. He got +in trouble there in Georgia and got him two good-stepping hosses and the +covered wagon. Then he chains all he slaves round the necks and fastens +the chains to the hosses and makes then walk all the way to Texas. My +mother and my sister had to walk. Emma was my sister. Somewhere on the +road it went to snowin' and massa wouldn't let us wrap anything round +our feet. We had to sleep on the ground, too, in all that snow.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa have a great, long whip platted out of rawhide and when one the +niggers fall behind or give out, he hit him with that whip. It take the +hide every time he hit a nigger. Mother, she give out on the way, 'bout +the line of Texas. Her feet got raw and bleedin' and her legs swoll +plumb out of shape. Then massa, he jus' take out he gun and shot her, +and whilst she lay dyin' he kicks her two, three times and say, 'Damn a +nigger what can't stand nothin'.' Boss, you know that man, he wouldn't +bury mother, jus' leave her layin' where he shot her at. You know, then +there wasn't no law 'gainst killin' nigger slaves.</p> +<p class="pnext">"He come plumb to Austin through that snow. He taken up farmin' and +changes he name to Alex Simpson, and changes our names, too. He cut logs +and builded he home on the side of them mountains. We never had no +quarters. When night-time come he locks the chain round our necks and +then locks it round a tree. Boss, our bed were the ground. All he feed +us was raw meat and green corn. Boss, I et many a green weed. I was +hongry. He never let us eat at noon, he worked us all day without +stoppin'. We went naked, that the way he worked us. We never had any +clothes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"He brands us. He brand my mother befo' us left Georgia. Boss, that +nearly kilt her. He brand her in the breast, then between the shoulders. +He brand all us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My sister, Emma, was the only woman he have till he marries. Emma was +wife of all seven Negro slaves. He sold her when she's 'bout fifteen, +jus' befo' her baby was born. I never seen her since.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Boss, massa was a outlaw. He come to Texas and deal in stolen hosses. +Jus' befo' he's hung for stealin' hosses, he marries a young Spanish +gal. He sho' mean to her. Whips her 'cause she want him to leave he +slaves alone and live right. Bless her heart, she's the best gal in the +world. She was the best thing God ever put life in the world. She cry +and cry every time massa go off. She let us a-loose and she feed us good +one time while he's gone. Missy Selena, she turn us a-loose and we wash +in the creek clost by. She jus' fasten the chain on us and give us great +big pot cooked meat and corn, and up he rides. Never says a word but +come to see what us eatin'. He pick up he whip and whip her till she +falls. If I could have got a-loose I'd kilt him. I swore if I ever got +a-loose I'd kill him. But befo' long after that he fails to come home, +and some people finds him hangin' to a tree. Boss, that long after war +time he got hung. He didn't let us free. We wore chains all the time. +When we work, we drug them chains with us. At night he lock us to a tree +to keep us from runnin' off. He didn't have to do that. We were 'fraid +to run. We knew he'd kill us. Besides, he brands us and they no way to +get it off. It's put there with a hot iron. You can't git it off.</p> +<p class="pnext">"If a slave die, massa made the rest of us tie a rope round he feet +and drug him off. Never buried one, it was too much trouble.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa allus say he be rich after the war. He stealin' all the time. He +have a whole mountain side where he keep he stock. Missy Selena tell us +one day we sposed to be free, but he didn't turn us a-loose. It was +'bout three years after the war they hung him. Missy turned us a-loose.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I had a hard time then. All I had to eat was what I could find and +steal. I was 'fraid of everybody. I jus' went wild and to the woods, +but, thank God, a bunch of men taken they dogs and run me down. They +carry me to they place. Gen. Houston had some niggers and he made them +feed me. He made them keep me till I git well and able to work. Then he +give me a job. I marry one the gals befo' I leaves them. I'm plumb out +of place there at my own weddin'. Yes, suh, boss, it wasn't one year +befo' that I'm the wild nigger. We had thirteen chillen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I farms all my life after that. I didn't know nothin' else to do. I +made plenty cotton, but now I'm too old. Me and my wife is alone now. +This old nigger gits the li'l pension from the gov'ment. I not got much +longer to stay here. I's ready to see God but I hope my old massa ain't +there to torment me again."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="giles-smith"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id61">Giles Smith</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Giles Smith, 79, now residing at 3107 Blanchard St., Fort Worth, +Texas, was born a slave of Major Hardway, on a plantation near Union +Springs, Alabama. The Major gave Giles to his daughter when he was an +infant and he never saw his parents again. In 1874 Frank Talbot brought +Giles to Texas, and he worked on the farm two years. He then went to +Brownwood and worked in a gin seventeen years. In 1908 he moved to Fort +Worth and worked for a packing company. Old age led to his discharge in +1931 and he has since worked at any odd jobs he could find.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name am Giles Smith, 'cause my pappy was born on the Smith +plantation and I took his name. I's born at Union Springs, in Alabama +and Major Hardway owned me and 'bout a hundred other slaves. But he gave +me to Mary, his daughter, when I's only a few months old and had to be +fed on a bottle, 'cause she am jus' married to Massa Miles. She told me +how she carried me home in her arms. She say I was so li'l she have a +hard time to make me eat out the bottle, and I put up a good fight so +she nearly took me back.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I don't 'member the start of the war, but de endin' I does. Massa Miles +called all us together and told us we's free and it give us all de +jitters. He treated all us fine and nobody wanted to go. He and Missy am +de best folks de Lawd could make. I stayed till I was sixteen years old.</p> +<p class="pnext">"It am years after freedom Missy Mary say to me what massa allus say, +'If the nigger won't follow orders by kind treatin', sich nigger am +wrong in the head and not worth keepin'. He didn't have to rush us. We'd +just dig in and do the work. One time Massa clearin' some land and it am +gittin' late for breakin' the ground. Us allus have Saturday afternoon +and Sunday off. Old Jerry says to us, 'Tell yous what us do,—go to the +clearin' this afternoon and Sunday and finish for the Massa. That sho' +make him glad.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Saturday noon came and nobody tells the massa but go to that clearin' +and sing while us work, cuttin' bresh and grubbin' stomps and burnin' +bresh. Us sing</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Hi, ho, ug, hi, ho, ug.</div> +<div class="line"> +De sharp bit, de strong arm,</div> +<div class="line"> +Hi, ho, ug, hi, ho, ug,</div> +<div class="line"> +Dis tree am done 'fore us warm.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"De massa come out and his mouth am slippin' all over he face and he +say, 'What this all mean? Why you workin' Saturday afternoon?'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old Jerry am a funny cuss and he say, 'Massa, O, massa, please don't +whop us for cuttin' down yous trees.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's gwine whop you with the chicken stew,' Massa say. And for Sunday +dinner dere am chicken stew with noodles and peach cobbler.</p> +<p class="pnext">"So I stays with massa and after I's fifteen he pays me $2.00 the month, +and course I gits my eats and my clothes, too. When I gits the first two +I don't know what to do, 'cause it the first money I ever had. Missy +make the propulation to keep the money and buy for me and teach me 'bout +it. There ain't much to buy, 'cause we make nearly everything right +there. Even the tobaccy am made. They put honey 'twixt the leaves and +put a pile of it 'twixt two boards with weights. It am left for a month +and that am a man's tobaccy. A weaklin' better stay off that kind +tobaccy.</p> +<p class="pnext">"First I works in the field and then am massa's coachman. But when I's +'bout sixteen I gits a idea to go off somewheres for myself. I hears +'bout Mr. Frank Talbot, whom am takin' some niggers to Texas and I goes +with him to the Brazos River bottom, and works there two years. I's +lonesome for massa and missy and if I'd been clost enough, I'd sho' gone +back to the old plantation. So after two years I quits and goes to work +for Mr. Winfield Scott down in Brownwood, in the gin, for seventeen +years.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Well, shortly after I gits to Brownwood I meets a yaller gal and after +dat I don't care to go back to Alabama so hard. I's married to Dee Smith +on December the eighteenth, in 1880, and us live together many years. +She died six years ago. Us have six chillen but I don't know where one +of them are now. They all forgit their father in his old age! They not +so young, either.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id9"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Giles Smith" src="images/image30giles.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Giles Smith</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"My woman could write a little so she write missy for me, and she write +back and wish us luck and if we ever wants to come back to the old home +we is welcome. Us write back' forth with her. Finally, us git the letter +what say she sick, and then awful low. That 'bout twenty-five years +after I marries. That am too much for me, and I catches the next train +back to Alabama but I gits there too late. She am dead, and I never has +forgive myself, 'cause I don't go back befo' she die, like she ask us +to, lots of times.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I comes here fifteen years ago and here I be. The last six year I can't +work in the packin' plants no more. I's too old. Anything I can find to +do I does, but it ain't much no more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The worst grief I's had, am to think I didn't go see missy 'fore she +die. I's never forgave myself for that."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="james-w-smith"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id62">James W. Smith</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">James W. Smith, 77, was born a slave of the Hallman family, in +Palestine, Texas. James became a Baptist minister in 1895, and preached +until 1931, when poor health forced him to retire. He and his wife live +at 1306 E. Fourth St., Fort Worth, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes, suh, I'm birthed a slave, but never worked as sich, 'cause I's too +young. But I 'members hearin' my mother tell all about her slave days +and our master. He was John Hallman and owned a place in Palestine, with +my mother and father and fifty other slaves. My folks was house servants +and lived a little better'n the field hands. De cabins was built cheap, +though, no money, only time for buildin' am de cost. Dey didn't use +nails and helt de logs in place by dovetailin'. Dey closed de space +between de logs with wedges covered with mud and straw. De framework for +de door was helt by wooden pegs and so am de benches and tables. Master +Hallman always had some niggers trained for carpenter work, and one to +be blacksmith and one to make shoes and harness.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We was lucky to have de kind master, what give us plenty to eat. If all +de people now could have jus' so good food what we had, there wouldn't +be no beggin' by hungry folks or need for milk funds for starved babies.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We didn't have purty clothes sich as now, with all de dif'rent colors +mixed up, but dey was warm and lastin', dyed brown and black. De black +oak and cherry made de dyes. Our shoes wasn't purty, either. I has to +laugh when I think of de shoes. There wasn't no careful work put on dem, +but dey covered de feets and lasted near forever.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Master always wanted to help his cullud folks live right and my folks +always said de best time of they lives was on de old plantation. He +always 'ranged for parties and sich. Yes, suh, he wanted dem to have a +good time, but no foolishment, jus' good, clean fun. There am dancin' +and singin' mostest every Saturday night. He had a little platform built +for de jiggin' contests. Cullud folks comes from all round, to see who +could jig de best. Sometimes two niggers each put a cup of water on de +head and see who could jig de hardest without spillin' any. It was lots +of fun.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I must tell you 'bout de best contest we ever had. One nigger on our +place was de jigginest fellow ever was. Everyone round tries to git +somebody to best him. He could put de glass of water on his head and +make his feet go like triphammers and sound like de snaredrum. He could +whirl round and sich, all de movement from his hips down. Now it gits +noised round a fellow been found to beat Tom and a contest am 'ranged +for Saturday evenin'. There was a big crowd and money am bet, but master +bets on Tom, of course.</p> +<p class="pnext">"So dey starts jiggin'. Tom starts easy and a little faster and faster. +The other fellow doin' de same. Dey gits faster and faster and dat crowd +am a-yellin'. Gosh! There am 'citement. Dey jus' keep a-gwine. It look +like Tom done found his match, but there am one thing yet he ain't +done—he ain't made de whirl. Now he does it. Everyone holds he breath, +and de other fellow starts to make de whirl and he makes it, but jus' a +spoonful of water sloughs out his cup, so Tom am de winner.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When freedom come, the master tells his slaves and says, 'What you +gwine do?' Wall, suh, not one of dem knows dat. De fact am, dey's scared +dey gwine be put off de place. But master says dey can stay and work for +money or share crop. He says they might be trouble 'twixt de whites and +niggers and likely it be best to stay and not git mixed in dis and dat +org'ization. Mostest stays, only one or two goes away. My folks stays +for five years after de war. Den my father moves to Bertha Creek, where +he done 'range for a farm of his own. They hated to leave master's +plantation, he's so good and kind.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Some the cullud folks thinks they's to take charge and run the +gov'ment. They asks my father to jine their org'ization. He goes once +and some eggs am served. Dey am served by de crowd and dem eggs ain't +fresh yard eggs. Father 'cides he wants his eggs served dif'rent, and he +likes dem fresh, so he takes master's advice and don't jine nothing.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de Klux come, de cullud org'ization made their scatterment. Plenty +gits whipped round our place and some what wasn't 'titled to it. Den +soldiers comes and puts order in de section. Dey has trouble about +votin'. De cullud folks in dem days was non-knowledge, so how could dey +vote 'telligent? Dat am foolishment to 'sist on de right to vote. It de +non-knowledge what hurts. Myself, I never voted and am too far down de +road now to start.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id10"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="James W. Smith" src="images/image33james.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +James W. Smith</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I worked at farmin' till 1895 when I starts preachin' in de Baptist +church. I kept that up till 1931, but my health got too bad and I had to +quit. I has de pressure bad. When I preaches, I preaches hard, and de +doctor says dat am danger for me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The way I learns to preach am dis: after surrender, I 'tends de school +two terms and den I studies de Bible and I's a nat'ral talker and gifted +for de Lawd's work, so I starts preachin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Jennie Goodman and me marries in 1885 and de Lawd never blessed us with +any chillen. We gits de pension, me $16.00 and her $14.00, and gits by +on dat. It am for de rations and de eats, but de clothes am a +question!"</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="jordon-smith"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id63">Jordon Smith</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Jordon Smith, 86, was born in Georgia, a slave of the Widow Hicks. +When she died, Jordon, his mother and thirty other slaves were willed to +Ab Smith, his owner's nephew, and were later refugeed from Georgia to +Anderson Co., Texas. When freed, Jordon worked on a steamboat crew on +the Red River until the advent of railroads. For thirty years Jordon +worked for the railroad. He is now too feeble to work and lives with his +third wife and six children in Marshall, Texas, supported by the latter +and his pension of $10.00 a month.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's borned in Georgia, next to the line of North Car'lina, on Widow +Hick's place. My papa died 'fore I's borned but my mammy was called +Aggie. My ole missus died and us fell to her nephew, Ab Smith. My granma +and granpa was full-blooded Africans and I couldn't unnerstand their +talk.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My missus was borned on the Chattahoochee River and she had 2,000 acres +of land in cul'vation, a thousand on each side the river, and owned 500 +slaves and 250 head of work mules. She was the richest woman in the +whole county.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us slaves lived in a double row log cabins facin' her house and our +beds was made of rough plank and mattresses of hay and lynn bark and +shucks, make on a machine. I's spinned many a piece of cloth and wove +many a brooch of thread.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Missus didn't 'low her niggers to work till they's 21, and the chillen +played marbles and run round and kick their heels. The first work I done +was hoeing and us worked long as we could see a stalk of cotton or hill +of corn. Missus used to call us at Christmas and give the old folks a +dollar and the rest a dinner. When she died me and my mother went to Ab +Smith at the dividement of the property. Master Ab put us to work on a +big farm he bought and it was Hell 'mong the yearlin's if you crost him +or missus either. It was double trouble and a cowhidin' whatever you do. +She had a place in the kitchen where she tied their hands up to the wall +and cowhided them and sometimes cut they back 'most to pieces. She made +all go to church and let the women wear some her old, fine dresses to +hide the stripes where she'd beat them. Mammy say that to keep the folks +at church from knowin' how mean she was to her niggers.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Master Ab had a driver and if you didn't do what that driver say, +master say to him, 'Boy, come here and take this nigger down, a hunerd +licks this time.' Sometimes us run off and go to a dance without a pass +and 'bout time they's kickin' they heels and getting sot for the big +time, in come a patterroller and say, 'Havin' a big time, ain't you? Got +a pass?' If you didn't, they'd git four or five men to take you out and +when they got through you'd sho' go home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Master Ab had hunerds acres wheat and made the women stack hay in the +field. Sometimes they got sick and wanted to go to the house, but he +made them lay down on a straw-pile in the field. Lots of chillen was +borned on a straw-pile in the field. After the chile was borned he sent +them to the house. I seed that with my own eyes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They was a trader yard in Virginia and one in New Orleans and sometimes +a thousand slaves was waitin' to be sold. When the traders knowed men +was comin' to buy, they made the slaves all clean up and greased they +mouths with meat skins to look like they's feedin' them plenty meat. +They lined the women up on one side and the men on the other. A buyer +would walk up and down 'tween the two rows and grab a woman and try to +throw her down and feel of her to see how she's put up. If she's purty +strong, he'd say, 'Is she a good breeder?' If a gal was 18 or 19 and put +up good she was worth 'bout $1,500. Then the buyer'd pick out a strong, +young nigger boy 'bout the same age and buy him. When he got them home +he'd say to them, 'I want you two to stay together. I want young +niggers.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"If a nigger ever run off the place and come back, master'd say, 'If +you'll be a good nigger, I'll not whip you this time.' But you couldn't +'lieve that. A nigger run off and stayed in the woods six month. When he +come back he's hairy as a cow, 'cause he lived in a cave and come out at +night and pilfer round. They put the dogs on him but couldn't cotch him. +Fin'ly he come home and master say he won't whip him and Tom was crazy +'nough to 'lieve it. Master say to the cook, 'Fix Tom a big dinner,' and +while Tom's eatin', master stand in the door with a whip and say, 'Tom, +I's change my mind; you have no business runnin' off and I's gwine take +you out jus' like you come into the world.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Master gits a bottle whiskey and a box cigars and have Tom tied up out +in the yard. He takes a chair and say to the driver, 'Boy, take him +down, 250 licks this time.' Then he'd count the licks. When they's 150 +licks it didn't look like they is any place left to hit, but master say, +'Finish him up.' Then he and the driver sot down, smoke cigars and drink +whiskey, and master tell Tom how he must mind he master. Then he lock +Tom up in a log house and master tell all the niggers if they give him +anything to eat he'll skin 'em alive. The old folks slips Tom bread and +meat. When he gits out, he's gone to the woods 'gain. They's plenty +niggers what stayed in the woods till surrender.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I heared some slaves say they white folks was good to 'em, but it was a +tight fight where us was. I's thought over the case a thousand times and +figured it was 'cause all men ain't made alike. Some are bad and some +are good. It's like that now. Some folks you works for got no heart and +some treat you white. I guess it allus will be that way.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They was more ghosts and hants them days than now. It look like when +I's comin' up they was common as pig tracks. They come in different +forms and shapes, sometimes like a dog or cat or goat or like a man. I +didn't 'lieve in 'em till I seed one. A fellow I knowed could see 'em +every time he went out. One time us walkin' 'long a country lane and he +say, 'Jordon, look over my right shoulder.' I looked and see a man +walkin' without a head. I broke and run plumb off from the man I's with. +He wasn't scart of 'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's refugeed from Georgia to Anderson County 'fore the war. I see Abe +Lincoln onct when he come through, but didn't none of know who he was. I +heared the president wanted 'em to work the young niggers till they was +twenty-one but to free the growed slaves. They say he give 'em thirty +days to 'siderate it. The white folks said they'd wade blood saddle deep +'fore they'd let us loose. I don't blame 'em in a way, 'cause they paid +for us. In 'nother way it was right to free us. We was brought here and +no person is sposed to be made a brute.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id11"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Jordon Smith" src="images/image36jordon.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Jordon Smith</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"After surrender, Massa Ab call us and say we could go. Mammy stayed but +I left with my uncles and aunts and went to Shreveport where the Yanks +was. I didn't hear from my mammy for the nex' twenty years.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In Ku Klux times they come to our house and I stood tremblin', but they +didn't bother us. I heared 'em say lots of niggers was took down in +Sabine bottom and Kluxed, just 'cause they wanted to git rid of 'em. I +think it was desperados what done that, 'stead of the Ku Klux. That was +did in Panola County, in the Bad Lands. Bill Bateman and Hulon Gresham +and Sidney Farney was desperados and would kill a nigger jus' to git rid +of him. Course, lots of folks was riled up at the Kluxers and blamed 'em +for everything.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's voted here in Marshall. Every nation has a flag but the cullud +race. The flag is what protects 'em. We wasn't invited here, but was +brought here, and don't have no place else to go. We was brought under +this government and it's right we be led and told what to do. The cullud +folks has been here more'n a hunerd years and has help make the United +States what it is. The only thing that'll help the cause is separation +of the races. I'll not be here when it comes, but it's bound to, 'cause +the Bible say that some day all the races of people will be separated. +Since 1865 till now the cullud race have done nothing but go to +destruction. There was a time a man could control his wife and family, +but you can't do that now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After surrender I went to Shreveport and steamboated from there to New +Orleans, then to Vicksburg. Old hands was paid $15.00 a trip. I come +here in 1872 and railroaded 30 years, on the section gang and in the +shops. Since then I farmed and I's had three wives and nineteen chillen +and they are scattered all over the state. Since I's too old to farm I +work at odd jobs and git a $10.00 a month pension."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="millie-ann-smith"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id64">Millie Ann Smith</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Millie Ann Smith was born in 1850, in Rusk Co., Texas, a slave of +George Washington Trammell, a pioneer planter of the county. Trammell +bought Millie's mother and three older children in Mississippi before +Millie's birth, and brought them to Texas, leaving Millie's father +behind. Later he ran away to Texas and persuaded Trammell to buy him, so +he could be with his family.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's born 'fore war started and 'members when it ceased. I guess mammy's +folks allus belonged to the Trammells, 'cause I 'member my grandpa, Josh +Chiles, and my grandma, call Jeanette. I's a strappin' big girl when +they dies. Grandpa used to say he come to Texas with Massa George +Trammell's father when Rusk County was jus' a big woods, and the first +two years he was hunter for the massa. He stay in the woods all the +time, killing deer and wild hawgs and turkeys and coons and the like for +the white folks to eat, and the land's full of Indians. He kinda taken +up with them and had holes in the nose and ears. They was put there by +the Indians for rings what they wore. Grandpa could talk mos' any Indian +talk and he say he used to run off from his massa and stay with the +Indians for weeks. The massa'd go to the Indian camp looking for grandpa +and the Indians hided him out and say, 'No see him.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"How mammy and we'uns come to Texas, Massa George brung his wife and +three chillen from Mississippi and he brung we'uns. Pappy belonged to +Massa Moore over in Mississippi and Massa George didn't buy him, but +after mammy got here, that 'fore I's born, pappy runs off and makes his +way to Texas and gits Massa George to buy him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa George and Missy America lived in a fine, big house and +they owned more slaves and land than anybody in the county and they's +the richest folks 'round there. Us slaves lived down the hill from the +big house in a double row of log cabins and us had good beds, like our +white folks. My grandpa made all the beds for the white folks and us +niggers, too. Massa didn't want anything shoddy 'round him, he say, not +even his nigger quarters.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's sot all day handin' thread to my mammy to put in the loom, +'cause they give us homespun clothes, and you'd better keep 'em if you +didn't want to go naked.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa had a overseer and nigger driver call Jacob Green. If +a nigger was hard to make do the right thing, they ties him to a tree, +but Massa George never whip 'em too hard, jus' 'nough to make 'em 'have.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The slaves what worked in the fields was woke up 'fore light with a +horn and worked till dark, and then there was the stock to tend to and +cloth to weave. The overseer come 'round at nine o'clock to see if all +is in the bed and then go back to his own house. When us knowed he's +sound asleep we'd slip out and run 'round, sometimes. They locked the +young men up in a house at night and on Sunday to keep 'em from runnin' +'round. It was a log house and had cracks in it and once a little nigger +boy pokes his hand in tryin' to tease them men and one of 'em chops his +fingers off with the ax.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa didn' 'low no nigger to read and write, if he knowed it. George +Wood was the only one could read and write and how he larn, a little +boy on the 'jining place took up with him and they goes off in the +woods and he shows George how to read and write. Massa never did find +out 'bout that till after freedom.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We slips off and have prayer but daren't 'low the white folks know it +and sometime we hums 'ligious songs low like when we's workin'. It was +our way of prayin' to be free, but the white folks didn't know it. I +'member mammy used to sing like this:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Am I born to die, to lay this body down.</div> +<div class="line"> +Must my tremblin' spirit fly into worlds unknown,</div> +<div class="line"> +The land of deepes' shade,</div> +<div class="line"> +Only pierce' by human thought.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Massa George 'lowed them what wanted to work a little ground for +theyselves and grandpa made money sellin' wild turkey and hawgs to the +poor white folks. He used to go huntin' at night or jus' when he could.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id12"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Millie Ann Smith" src="images/image41millie.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Millie Ann Smith</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Them days we made our own med'cine out of horsemint and butterfly weed +and Jerusalem oak and bottled them teas up for the winter. Butterfly +Weed tea was for the pleurisy and the others for the chills and fever. +As reg'lar as I got up I allus drank my asafoetida and tar water.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member Massa George furnishes three of his niggers, Ed Chile and +Jacob Green and Job Jester, for mule skinners. I seed the government +come and take off a big bunch of mules off our place. Mos' onto four +year after the war, three men comes to Massa George and makes him call +us up and turn us loose. I heered 'em say its close onto four year we's +been free, but that's the first we knowed 'bout it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Pappy goes to work at odd jobs and mammy and I goes to keep house for a +widow woman and I stays there till I marries, and that to Tom Smith. We +had five chillen and now Tom's dead and I lives on that pension from the +government, what is $16.00 a month, and I's glad to git it, 'cause I's +too old to work."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="susan-smith"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id65">Susan Smith</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Susan Smith is not sure of her age, but appears to be in the late +eighties. She was a slave of Charles Weeks, in Iberia, Louisiana. Susan +was dressed in a black and white print, a light blue apron and a black +velvet hat when interviewed, and seemed to be enjoying the generous quid +of tobacco she took as she started to tell her story.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'lieve I was nine or ten when freedom come, 'cause I was +nursing for the white folks. Old massa was Charlie Weeks and he lived +in Iberia. His sons, Willie and Ned, dey run business in de court house. +One of dem tax collector and de other lookin' after de land, and am de +surveyor. Old missus named Mag Weeks.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My pa named Dennis Joe and ma named Sabry Joe, and dey borned +and raised on Weeks Island, in Louisiana. After dey old massa die, dey +was 'vided up and falls to Massa Charlie Weeks, and dat where I borned, +in Iberia on Bayou Teche.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Charlie, he live in de big brick house with white +columns and everybody what pass dere know dat place. Dey have de great +big tomb in corner de yard, where dey buries all dey folks, but buries +de cullud folks back of de quarters. Dey's well fix in Louisiana, but +not so good after dey come to Texas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey used to have big Christmas in Louisiana and lots of things for us, +and a big table and kill hawgs and have lots to eat. But old Missus Mag, +she allus treat me like her own chillen and make me set at de table with +dem and eat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was with Missus Mag on a visit to Mansfield when de war starts at six +o'clock Sunday and go till six o'clock Monday. I went over dat +battlefield and look at dem sojers dey kill. David McGill, a young +massa, he git kill. He uncle, William Weeks, what done hired him to jine +the army in he place, he goes to the battlefield to look for Massa +David. De only way he knowed it was him, he have two gold eyeteeth with +diamonds in dem. Some dem hurt sojers was prayin' and some cussin'. You +could hear some dem hollerin', 'Oh, Gawd, help me.' Dey was layin' so +thick you have to step over dem.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed de sojers in Iberia. Dey take anythin' dey wants. Dey cotch de +cow and kill it and eat it. Dey have de camp dere and dey jus' carry on. +I used to go to de camp, 'cause dey give me crackers and sardines. But +after dat Mansfield battle dey have up white flags and dey ain't no more +war dere. But while it gwine on, I go to de camp and sometimes dem +sojers give me meat and barbecue. Dey one place dere a lump salt big as +dis house, and dey set fire to de house and left dat big lump salt. +Anywhere dey camp dey burns up de house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I didn't know I'm free till a man say to me, 'Sissy, ain't you know you +ain't got no more massa or missus?' I say, 'No, suh.' But I stays with +dem till I git marry, and slep' right in dey house and nuss for dem. Dey +give me de big weddin', too. De noter public in Iberia, he marry us. My +husband name Henry Smith and dat when I'm fifteen year old. I so +big-limb and fat den I bigger den what I is now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I ain't had no husband for a time. I can't cast de years, he been +dead so long. Us have fifteen chillen, and seven livin' now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sperrits? I used to see dem. I scart of dem. Sometime dey looks nat'ral +and sometime like de shadow. Iffen dey look like de shadow, jus' keep on +lookin' at dem till dey looks nat'ral. Iffen you walks 'long, dey come +right up side you. Iffen you looks over you left shoulder, you see dem. +Dey makes de air feel warm and you hair rise up, and sometime dey gives +you de cold chills. You can feel it when dey with you. I set here and +seed dem standin' in dat gate. Dey goes round like dey done when dey +a-livin'. Some say dey can't cross water.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I heared talk of de bad mouth. A old woman put bad mouth on you and +shake her hand at you, and befo' de day done you gwine be in de +acciden'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed de Klu Klux. Po' Cajuns and redbones, I calls dem. Dey ought to +be sleepin'. One time I seed a man hangin' in de wood when I'n pickin' +blackberries. His tongue hangin' out and de buzzards fly down on he +shoulder. De breeze sot him to swingin' and de buzzards fly off. I tells +de people and dey takes him down to bury. He a fine, young cullud man. I +don't know why dey done it. Dat after peace and de Yankees done gone +back home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I been here in Texas a good while, and it such a rough road it got my +'membrance all stir up. I never been to school, 'cause I bound out to +work. I lives with my daughter and dis child here my grandchild. I can't +'member no more, 'cause my head ain't good as it used to be."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="john-sneed"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id66">John Sneed</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">John Sneed, born near Austin, Texas, does not know his age, but was +almost grown when he was freed. He belonged to Dr. Sneed and stayed with +him several years after Emancipation.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's borned on de old Sneed place, eight miles south of Austin, +and my mammy was Sarah Sneed and pappy was Ike. Dey come from Tennessee +and dere five boys and two gals. De boys am Dixie and Joe and Jim and +Bob and me, and de gals name Katy and Lou. Us live in quarters what was +log huts. Dere's one long, log house where dey spinned and weaved de +cloth. Dere sixteen spinnin' wheels and eight looms in dat house and +my job was turnin' one dem wheels when they'd thresh me out and git me +to do it. Mos' all de clothes what de slaves and de white folks have +was made in dat house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mos' and usual de chillen sleept on de floor, unless with de +old folks. De bedsteads make of pieces of split logs fasten with wooden +pegs and rope criss-cross. De mattress make of shucks tear into strips +with maybe a li'l cotton or prairie hay. You could go out on de prairie +mos' any time and get 'nough grass to make de bed, and dry it 'fore it +put in de tick. De white folks have bought beds haul by ox teams from +Austin and feather beds.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dr. Sneed raise cotton and corn and wheat. Sometime five or six oxen +hitch to de wagon and 25 or 30 wagons make what am call de wagon train. +Dey haul cotton and corn and wheat to Port Lavaca what am de nearest +shipping point. On de return trip, dey brung sugar and coffee and cloth +and other things what am needed on de plantation. First time massa 'low +me go with dat ox-train, I thunk I's growed.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere a big gang of white and cullud chillen on de plantation but Dr. +Sneed didn't have no chillen of he own. De neighbor white chillen come +over dere and played. Us rip and play and fight and kick up us heels, +and go on. Massa never 'low no whippin' of de chillen. He make dem pick +rocks up and make fences out dem, but he didn't 'low no chillen work in +de field till dey 'bout fourteen. De real old folks didn't work in de +fields neither. Dey sot 'round and knit socks and mend de shoes and +harness and stuff.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa John mighty good to us chillen. He allus give us a li'l piece +money every Sunday. When he'd git in he buggy to go to Austin to sell +butter, de chillen pile in dat buggy and all over him so you couldn't +see him and he'd hardly see to drive.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us had possum and rabbit and fish and trap birds for eatin'. Dere all +kind wild green dem days. Us jus' go in de woods and git wild lettuce +and mustard and leather-britches and polk salad and watercress, all us +want to eat. Us kilt hawgs and put up de lard by de barrel. Us thresh +wheat and take it to de li'l watermill at Barton Creek to grind. Dey'd +only grind two bushel to de family, no matter how big dat family, 'cause +dere so many folks and it such a small mill.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Each family have de li'l garden and raise turnips and cabbage and sweet +'taters and put dem in de kiln make from corn stalks and cure dem for +winter eatin'. Us have homemake clothes and brogan shoes, come from +Austin or some place. Us chillen wear shirt-tail till us 'bout thirteen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa live in de big two-story rock house and have he office and +drug-store in one end de house. Missy Ann have no chillen so she 'dopt +one from Tennessee, name Sally.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere 'bout four or five hunerd acres and 'bout sixty slaves. Dey git up +'bout daylight and come from de field in time to feed and do de chores +'fore dark. After work de old folks sot 'round, fiddle and play de +'cordian and tell stories. Dat mostly after de crops laid by or on rainy +days. On workin' time, dey usually tired and go to bed early. Dey not +work on Saturday afternoon or Sunday, 'cept dey gatherin' de crop 'gin a +rain. Old man Jim Piper am fiddler and play for black and white dances. +On Sunday massa make us go to church. Us sing and pray in a li'l log +house on de plantation and sometimes de preacher stop and hold meetin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa John Sneed doctored from Austin to Lockhart and Gonzales and my +own mammy he train to be midwife. She good pneumonia doctor and massa +'low her care for dem.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On Christmas all us go to de big house and crowd 'round massa. He a +li'l man and some black boys'd carry him 'round on dere shoulders. All +knowed dey gwine git de present. Dere a big tree with present for +everyone, white and black. Lots of eggnog and turkey and baked hawgs and +all kind good things. Dere allus lots of white folks company at massa's +house and big banquets and holidays and birthdays. Us like dem times, +'cause work slack and food heavy. Every las' chile have he birthday +celebrate with de big cake and present and maybe de quarter in silver +from old massa, bless he soul. Us play kissin' games and ring plays and +one song am like dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'I'm in de well,</div> +<div class="line"> +How many feet?</div> +<div class="line"> +Five. Who'd git you out?'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Iffen it a man, he choose de gal and she have to kiss him to git +him out de well. Iffen a gal in de well, she choose a man.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I well 'member de day freedom 'clared. Us have de tearin'-down dinner +dat day. De niggers beller and cry and didn't want leave massa. He talk +to us and say long as he live us be cared for, and us was. Dere lots of +springs on he place and de married niggers pick out a spring and Massa +Doctor give dem stuff to put up de cabin by dat spring, and dey take +what dey have in de quarters. Dey want to move from dem slave quarters, +but not too far from massa. Dey come to de big house for flour and meal +and meat and sich till massa die. He willed every last one he slaves +somethin'. Mos' of 'em git a cow and a horse and a pig and some +chickens. My mammy git two cows and a pair horses and a wagon and 70 +acres land. She marries 'gain when my daddy die and dat shif'less nigger +she marry git her to sign some kind paper and she lose de land.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My wife was Nanny Madeira and us have six chillen and five is livin'. I +followed cattle till I's 'bout 26. I's went up de Chisholm Trail eight +or nine times and druv for Massa Blocker and Jedge Brackenridge and +others. On one stampede I rode 24 hours straight and after we rounds up +all de cattle, I goes to sleep under a tree. Dat day I has on a buckskin +coat I in gen'ral wore and I feels somethin' grab dat coat and bite my +side. I rouses up and sees de big panther draggin' me off to de thicket. +I has de six-gun but I couldn't git to it. Every once in a while dat +panther lay me down and sniff at my nose. I jes' hold de breath, 'cause +if dat panther cotch me breathin' dat been de end of me. He drug me to +some bushes and den goes off a li'l way and give de yell. Dat yell make +me turn cold, 'cause it sound jes' like a man screamin'. Den dat cat dug +a shallow hole. I eases out my old gun, takes careful aim and den says, +'Thank you, old man,' and he turns to look at me and I shoots him right +'tween he eyes. After 'while, dat cat's mate and cub come runnin', +'cause he yell for dem, and I kilt dem, too.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id13"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="John Sneed" src="images/image47john.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +John Sneed</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"'Nother time, I seed de panther a-draggin' a white man off and I slips +up jes' as de cat seizes him and shoots dat cat. Us have to run dat man +down and cotch him, 'cause he scared stiff when dat dead cat fall on +him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Some time after dat I works for a man what freights supplies 'round +Austin and I's one de drivers. Us start in September with sev'ral +six-wheel wagons, 'nough to las' a town de year, and not git back to +Austin till January. Sometimes de mud so bad it take six oxen to pull de +wagon out.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One time us movin' and stampedin' de bunch cattle and me and my brother +gits los' from de rest and was los' three days and nights. All us eat am +parched corn. De grass nearly waist high to a man and us scoop out de +hole in de ground and cut off tops de grass and weeds and make de fire. +Den us drap de corn on de fire and parch it. De woods full wild animals +and panthers and wolves. De wolves de worst. Dey slip up on us to git de +chicken us has with us. At last us come to a house and finds us folks."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="mariah-snyder"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id67">Mariah Snyder</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Mariah Snyder, 89, was born in Mississippi, a slave of Sam Miller, who +brought her to Texas when she was five. Since Mariah's second husband +died, twenty-two years ago, she has earned her living by washing and +cooking. Now too old to do much, she is cared for by her only living +daughter, with the aid of a $10.00 monthly pension.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's borned in Mississippi. Yes, sar. I 'longed to Massa +Miller and he name am Sam, and my name am Mariah. My pappy was Weldon +and my mammy, Ann. Massa Sam fotches all us to Texas when I's jes' +five year old and we come in wagons and hossback. He done buy my +mammy and pappy in the slave market, so I don't know nothin' 'bout +none my other 'lations.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Sam live in a great big, ceiled house, and had plenty +land and niggers. The quarters was logs and any kind beds we could git. +We wore lowell clothes and I never seed no other kind of dress till +after surrender. We et meat and collards and cornbread and rough grub, +and they biled all the victuals in a big, black pot what hung on a +rack in the kitchen fireplace. We had red russet, flat shoes and no +stockin's, but in winter we made wool panties to wear on our legs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Missy was name Patsy and she was purty good, and Massa Sam was purty +good, too. He'd whip us if we needed it. He'd pull off our clothes and +whip in the field. But he wouldn't 'low the driver to whip us if we +didn't need it. No, sar. And he wouldn't have no patterrollers on the +place.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The driver come round and woke everybody up and had 'em in the field by +daybreak. I's seed a whole field of niggers abreast, hoein'. The rows of +cotton was so long you couldn't make but one 'fore dinnertime. I driv +the gin, what was run by two mules. The cotton was wropped in baggin' +and tied with ropes. It was a long time after 'fore I seed cotton tied +with steel like they bales it now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed plenty niggers whipped while I driv that gin. They tied the +feets and hands and rawhided 'em good. They tied a bell on one woman +what run away all the time. They locks it round her head.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed lots of niggers put on the block and bid off and carry away +in chains. One woman name Venus raises her hands and hollers, 'Weigh dem +cattle,' whilst she's bein' bid off.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The big folks dances all night Sat'day. That's all the fun we had. +We used to sing</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"I'm in a lady's garden, I'm in a lady's garden,</div> +<div class="line"> +So let me out. I'm sufferin' for water and wine.</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"The slaves most allus sings whilst theys workin' in the field, and +one song was</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"When I's here you calls me honey,</div> +<div class="line"> +When I's gone you honies everybody.</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">or</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"The raccoon am de funny thing,</div> +<div class="line"> +Ramblin' round in de dark.</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Massa Sam have a cullud man what give us our ABC's. I still got mine, +but didn't never git no further.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id14"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Mariah Snyder" src="images/image52mariah.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Mariah Snyder</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Massa Sam git kilt 'fore the war. A mule throwed him. He had plenty +good hosses but allus rid a mule. He come in from a neighbor's one day +and the mule throwed him on a stob 'fore he got to the house. We heared +a hollerin' down the road, but didn't pay no 'tention, 'cause they's +allus all kind racket gwine on. Fin'ly somebody say, 'That sound like a +man,' and we goes down there and it was massa. 'Fore he die he calls all +the cullud chillen to him and shakes hands and tells 'em to be good.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We 'longs to he son, Ruben, then, and stays with him three years after +surrender. Lordy me! How I hates to think of 'em talkin' 'bout that war! +Young missy cry a whole week, 'cause she fear her men folks gwine git +kilt. They did, too. Her two boys, George and Frank, gits kilt, and heap +of the neighbors boys gits kilt, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Fin'ly us leaves Massa Ruben and goes to Shreveport and I marries +Snyder. The 'Progo' Marshal marries us. We raises two gals and I lives +with Mary. Snyder died twenty-two years ago and all them years I made a +livin' washin' and ironin' and cookin', up to six years ago. I gits a +pension from the gov'ment now and it am $10.00 a month. It's mighty good +of the white folks to take care of this old nigger, but I'd rather work, +only I ain't able no more."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="patsy-southwell"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id68">Patsy Southwell</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Patsy Southwell, 83, was born in Jasper Co., Texas. She has lived on +or near the old plantation all her life. Her master was Bill Trailor.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name Patsy Southwell and I lives at Rock Hill. I been +livin' on dat plantation all my life, but not allus in the very same +place. I think the house was move and 'nother builded.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My pappy was John Redd and he 'longed to Bill Trailor and he +brung here from Virginny. Mammy's name Rose Redd and she a yaller +nigger, come from South Carolina and maybe she white and Indian, too. +My brothers call Dennis, George, William, and Charles and dey all dead.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We all live in the quarters and massa a tol'able good one +'sidering others what cut and slashes bad. Pappy and mammy work in +the field and dey send pappy and he sons off six months at the time, +over to Alexandria, to make salt.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My brothers hunt all the time and brung in deer and wild +turkey, so we has lots to eat. We has butter and milk and honey and +pappy allus have he li'l garden patch.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We wears slip homespun dress make outten cloth from us loom. +I never have shoes and us has no Sunday clothes. Massa was tol'ably +good to the old folks and not so mean to the chillen. He wasn't no +barbarian like some what whip the slaves every Monday mornin' befo' +dey starts to work.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa plantation have fifteen hunnerd acre in it and he didn't have +'nough slaves so they works awful hard. I seed 'em hit my mammy five +hunnerd licks and my pappy six hunnerd. Pappy have run 'way and been +gone long time and they cotch him in de water in the Neches River. He +have meat and stuff and they say mammy feedin' him, but I think it the +other way. I think he gittin' and sendin' her stuff.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The white folks has the big church with the bar 'cross it and the +cullud folks sit behin' the bar. If any wants to jine us tell massa and +he tell the preacher, and he old man Southwell. They baptise at the mill +pond.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I marries Jerry Southwell and us git marry at home. Jerry wears the +black suit and I wears the dotted white Swiss dress with the overskirt.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When freedom breaks and massa say we free, we goes to the Haynes' place +and my pappy farms for hisself. We gits on better den in slavery days +and after 'while pappy buys him some land and den we all right. Me and +my husban', we stays on with pappy awhile, but we gits our own farm and +farm all us life."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="leithean-spinks"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id69">Leithean Spinks</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Leithean Spinks, 82, was born a slave to Fay Thompson, in Rankin +County, Mississippi. Soon after Leithean's birth, Mr. Thompson moved to +E. Feliciana Parish, Louisiana. Leithean was happy in slave days, and +stayed with her master two years after she was freed. She lives at 2600 +Merrick St., Fort Worth, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Does I look old 'nough to be birthed in slavery? I's eighty-two years +old and mammy had it right there in de Bible, marked when I's birthed, +in 1855. I's birthed in Mississippi but a little while after, massa goes +to Louisiana, over in East Feliciana Parish, and when I's old 'nough to +'member, we'uns am there, 'twixt New Roads and Jackson, right near the +Mississippi River.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Thompson had a awful big plantation and more'n 300 cullud folks, +and three rows of cabins 'bout two blocks long, and 'bout one family to +a cabin. No floors in dem cabins, you stands on dirt, and de furniture +am something you knows ain't there. Why, man, there am jus' benches to +sit on and a homemake table and bunks. Dere am de fireplace but all de +main cookin' am done in de big cookin' shed, and old Mammy Dice done it, +with four to holp her.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De bell am rung when meal time comes and all de slaves lines up, with +their pans and cups and passes de service table, and de food am put on +dere pans and milk in de cup. Dat de one time massa could allus 'pend on +de niggers. When de bell say, 'Come and git it,' all us am there. Us +takes de food to de cabins and eats it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dis old nigger come near gwine to Glory once when mammy am gone to de +cook shed. How 'twas am dis-a-way. She latches de door on de outside to +keep us three chillen in de cabin, my sis and brudder and me. Well, in +dem days, us uses tallow candles for light and pine knots when candles +am short. Mammy lights de pine knot befo' she leaves and after she am +gone, it falls off de hook and hits de ground and rolls a couple feet +under de bunk. There am straw in de tick and right off de whole shebang +am on fire. There am three of us with de door latch and all de grown-ups +in de cook shed. Us hollers and yells but it am no use, and de hollerin' +don't last long, 'cause de smoke gittin' thick. De fire am spreadin' +fast and de bunks starts burnin'. Us am huddle togedder, skeert plumb +out our wits and chokin' and coughin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Den my brudder gits de idea and he grabs de big spoon and de iron poker +and starts diggin' de dirt from under de log next de door. De smoke +ain't so bad next de ground, and did yous ever see de dog diggin' in de +rabbit hole? Dat how us digs, and seems it never gwine come a hole. +Finally, a hole busted through and lets in fresh air, and den us dig +some more, and it am big 'nough for my little sis to crawl through. Den +us dig some more and I crawls out and my brudder starts but he gits he +head outside and his shoulders wedges and there he am, stucked. Us pull +and pull, but nary a inch could us budge him. He try to back up but he +shirt caught on a knot and he can't do dat. So us runs for de cook shed +and yells, 'Mammy, de cabin on fire.' Everybody starts to holler, +'Fire,' and mammy busts in de door and yanks brudder out dat hole, and +he am sweatin' like a latherin' mare. After dey puts de fire out with de +water buckets, mammy say, 'When sis gits out, why didn't she unlatch de +door?' 'Cause de 'citement, us never think of dat!</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have plenty hawg meat and veg'tables and butter and 'lasses and +honey. De food ain't short no time 'round massa, 'cause he say niggers +works better when dey feeds good. De mammies leaves de babies in de +nursery durin' de day and dem chillen am take good care of and has lots +of milk and am all fat like hawgs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In de mornin' when de bell ring, everybody goes to work, but I is +little and does de chores and am gap tender. De cattle am 'lowed to run +where dey wants, here, there and all over. Fences am 'round de fields +and yards and there am gates to go through, but us calls dem gaps. It am +my job to open and close dem, 'cause somebody allus wantin' to drive or +walk through dem gaps.</p> +<p class="pnext">"MY sis am de fly chaser. She has de big fan make from de tail feathers +of de peacock. 'Twas awful purty thing. She stands 'round de white folks +and shoo off de flies.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Fay ain't hard on he cullud folks. He works dem steady but don't +drive dem. Lots de slaves goes fishin' in de river on Saturday afternoon +and Sunday, and dey cotches plenty fish.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us has parties and singin' and dancin' and fiddle music. Oh, Lawdy! How +lonesome I gits when I thinks 'bout dem days, and de music and singin'. +Sometimes 'bout a hunerd sings to once and dat sound purty and jus' go +all through me.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id15"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Leithean Spinks" src="images/image57leithean.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Leithean Spinks</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"For runnin' off am de only hard whuppin's massa give. De run-off am tie +to de log and massa lay de whuppin' on he back. De plantation am near de +river and dere am lots of caves and cliffs to hide in. Massa cotch de +run-offs with de nigger hounds and if he don't, dey git hongry and +sneaks back. Only one gits clear away.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One Sunday mornin' 'bout ten o'clock, massa have de bell ring and calls +all us to de front gallery and makes de talk. He say, 'I's happy to tell +yous is free and, 'cording to de law, yous am all citizens. Dem what +wants to stay with me I'll pay de wages or dey can work on shares.' He +gives us all de paper, with de name and age and where us am birthed. Me +and mammy stays two years after freedom. I marries Sol Pleasant in 1872 +and us has two chillen. Us sep'rate in 1876. De trouble am, he wants to +be de boss of de job and let me do de work. I 'cides I don't need no +boss, so I transports him, and says, 'Nigger, git out of here and don't +never come back. If you comes back, I'll smack you down.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"In 1876 I marries Frank Spinks and us has eight chlllen and he dies in +1930. All dem eight chillen lives here and I's livin' with one of dem, +Mrs. Covy Kelly. 'Tain't many years befo' old Gabriel blow he horn, and +I's waitin' for him."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="guy-stewart"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id70">Guy Stewart</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Guy Stewart, 87, 209 Austin Ave., Ft. Worth, was born Nov. 26, 1850, a +slave of Jack Taylor, who also owned Guy's parents, 3 brothers and 3 +sisters. They lived in Mansfield Parish, La. Stewart started work in the +fields at seven years, and remained with his owner three years after he +was freed. He then moved onto his own farm where he lived until 1898, +when he moved to Fort Worth.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Yas, suh, I'se an ol' slave and I'se 'bout 11 years ol' +when de War starts. My marster am Jack Taylor and my family belongs +to him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'members de war well, 'cause we'uns hears shootin' and +see soldiers. Dey comes to marster's place and takes hosses and +vittals. One time dey wants some of de niggers for to help fix +for de battle. Dere am heap of 'citement and de marster's 'fraid +de battle come too close. He say, 'It's too close for saftment.' +And he say, 'Put dis and dat away so de soldier cain't find it.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I starts work long 'fore dat, when I'se seven, in de cotton +and co'n field. I just peddles 'round first. Marster sho' am good +to us and so good dat de other white folks calls us de 'free niggers.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"We'uns have cabins for to live in and sleep in bunks with +straw ticks on 'em. We'uns has lots to eat, all we wants. And we'uns +have all de clothes we needs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sho, we went to church with de marster. Dey tol' us 'bout +Heaven and de devil and sich. But dey never 'lows us to have books +in de hands. Dey says it wasn' good for us to larn readin' or writin.' +"We'uns has lots of music on dat place 'cause de marster, +he am de good fiddler and he learns some of us niggers to play de +fiddle and de banjo. We gits together and has de music, sing and +dance. If I thinks 'bout dem days now, I can see we'uns dancin' +and hear de singin' of dem ol' songs, sich like Ol' Black Joe +and Swanee River. Iffen I thinks too much 'bout dem days, tears +comes in dis ol' nigger's eyes. Dem were de happy days of my life. +In dem days, we'uns not know what am money, never have any. What +for we'uns need it? I'se more happy den, dan I been since, with +money.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De marster am scart for to lose all de hosses and everything, 'cause +dey takes it for de army man, so he gits to thinkin' 'bout movin' to +Texas. De war warn't over when he goes to Texas and takes all us niggers +with him. De roads dem days am not so good. No bridges over de rivers, +'cept de bigges' ones. Lots of times we'uns has to push for help de +hosses pull de wagons outta de mudhole, and we'uns is over a month +gettin' to Williams County. De marster rents de land dere and we stays +for one crop, and den we all goes to Travis County, whar marster settle +for to raise de wheat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When freedom comes, de marster says we'uns has to work for wages and +buy all de food and de clothes and everything dat we'uns gits. Dat's not +so easy. At first he pays me $5.00 a month and den pays me $10.00 de +month. After three years I quits and rents a farm and works for myself, +I gits married in 1877 and my wife dies in 1915. We'uns has one chile. +In 1898 I comes to Fort Worth and gits me a job in de woodyard and sich.</p> +<p class="pnext">"White man, I sho' likes for to see dat ol' plantation down in Louisiana +and it would do dis ol' darky good. I sits here and thinks of de marster +and de good times. And de fishin down dere! Is dere good fishin'? De +folks here don' know what am fishin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"You has dis nigger thinkin' heaps 'bout de ol' plantation and de good +times. If I don' stop talkin' 'bout dat, I gits to cryin'."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="william-stone"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id71">William Stone</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">William Stone was born in a covered wagon, on the way from Alabama to +Texas, about 1863. Though he was too small to remember slave days, he +does recall many things told him by his parents and other ex-slaves. +William lives in Mart, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My parents done told me where I's borned. It am in a covered wagon on +de way from Alabama to Texas, two years 'fore freedom. Old Marse, Lem +Stone, he left Alabama for Texas, where de war not so bad, and brung +some he slaves with him. He done lost so much in Alabama, Yankees +burnin' he house and cotton and killin' he stock, he want to git 'way +from dere.</p> +<p class="pnext">"First he come to Rusk County, den goes back to Shreveport and stays +till freedom. Pappy and mammy was Louis and Car'line Stone. I lived in +Louisiana till I's growed.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy and pappy done told me all 'bout de old plantation. It am +hundreds of acres of land, part worked and part jus' timber and pasture. +It was near Montgomery, and dey raised more cotton den anything else, +but had some corn and peas and cane. Dey made sorghum and ribbon cane +'lasses and had boilin' vats for sugar, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De soldiers come through. Dey named, Yankees. Dey make mammy cook +somethin' to eat and den kilt all de hawgs and took de meat with dem, +and burn de barn and house. Old Marse had pens to put cotton in, hid way +out in de bresh. Dey picked it in gunny sacks and hides it, and slips it +out to de gin by night and tries to sell it 'fore dem Yankees finds it +and burns it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy say dey all went to church and had to drive four horses when de +roads muddy in winter and sand deep in summer. Dey allus carry dinner +and stay all day. Den in de evenin', after de niggers had dey +preachin', dey all go home. Sometimes a preacher come out to de +plantation and hold church for de white folks in de mornin' and in de +evenin' for de niggers, out under a big oak tree.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De Lawd say iffen us trusts him and help to be good he gwine make our +path straight. Dis was true in de days of den, 'cause our white folks +tooken care of us, befo' dey was freedom and sech. Now, us gittin' old, +and gits de old age pension when us too old to work.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I works all up and down de old river when I's growed. De plantations +has long staple cotton. Dey raise sugar cane and dere be twenty wagons +haulin' cane to de boilin' mills. We was happy to do dat work, 'cause we +knowed it mean us have plenty 'lasses in winter. Lawdy, I wish I knowed +I could have all de 'lasses and bread I wanted dis winter! Dem was good +times, Lawd! Us sing dis song:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'We'll stick to de hoe till de sun go down,</div> +<div class="line"> +We'll rise when de rooster crow,</div> +<div class="line"> +And go to de field where de sunshine hot,</div> +<div class="line"> +To de field where de sugar cane grow.</div> +<div class="line"> +Yes, chilluns, we'll all go.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"I can jes' see dem long rows of cotton and niggers drivin' de oxen +and mules. I know 'nother song:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"Nigger mighty happy when he layin' by de corn,</div> +<div class="line"> +Nigger mighty happy when he hear dat dinner horn;</div> +<div class="line"> +But he more happy when de night come on,</div> +<div class="line"> +Dat' sun's a'slantin', as sho's you born!</div> +<div class="line"> +Dat old cow's a shakin' dat great big bell,</div> +<div class="line"> +And de frogs tunin' up, 'cause de dew's done fell.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Dat jes' after freedom. Dey have plantations and overseers like +slavery, but most de overseers niggers, and dey didn't whip you den. On +Saturday night de overseer pay us, mostly in rations. He give us five, +maybe ten pounds rations of meat, and a peck or two or meal, and some +coffee and 'lasses.</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Dat ration day come once a week,</div> +<div class="line"> +Old massa rich as Gundy.</div> +<div class="line"> +But he give 'lasses all de week,</div> +<div class="line"> +And buttermilk for Sunday.</div> +<div class="line"> + </div> +<div class="line"> +"'Old massa give a pound of meat,</div> +<div class="line"> +I et it all on Monday;</div> +<div class="line"> +Den I et 'lasses all de week,</div> +<div class="line"> +And buttermilk for Sunday.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"All dis was down on de Mississippi bottom. Old Man River was sho' purty +in de fall, when dem wild geeses come in droves and de blossoms red and +yaller. De fogs come hang over and chills and fever gits started. De +woman sot by de fire piecin' quilts and spinnin' thread, and de old men +weave cotton baskets and chair bottoms, and de young men work on da +levees, so dey hold Old Man River back when he start prowlin' round +'gain.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id16"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="William Stone" src="images/image64william.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +William Stone</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Floods come down, no matter what time of year. One day Old Man River be +runnin' 'long, jes' as peaceful and quiet, and everybody happy. +Everybody meet de boats at de landin'. Den way in de night you wake up +and hear a roarin' like thunder and dat river be on a tear. Folks know +he am in de ugly mood, and starts movin' to higher ground. Everybody +what have a wagon and mule gits out. Some jes' gits to de levee. It look +like my folks told me when dey run from de Yankees, only dis time it's +de river. Old Man River sho' treach'ous. After he go on one he rarin' +and tearin' spells, den he gwine be so peaceful and quiet like. Look +like he try to make up for he meanness.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I gits married and moves clost to de Trinity River, and stays till my +family done raised. Dey has free schools in Texas den. I works in de +sawmill and dere so much wild game us can eat easy. Dem days on de +Mississippi bottom is like a dream, but when I hears talk 'bout Old Man +River, I can dem big waters roarin' down."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="yach-stringfellow"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id72">Yach Stringfellow</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Yach Stringfellow, 90, was born a slave of Frank Hubert, in Brenham, +Texas. His memory is poor and, though he recalled a good many incidents +of slavery days, he had little to say about his life from 1865 to the +present. He now lives in Watt, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I'll be ninety-one years old next May, and I was borned in +Brenham. My massa and missus was Frank Hubert and Sarah Ann Hubert. +My daddy come from de old Africa and was tall and straight as a arrow. +He was sold to a man what tooked him to California in de gold rush in +1849 and me and mammy stays with Massa Hubert. Dat how come my name +ain't de same as massa have.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I got so much misery in de head I can't 'member like I should. But I +know us live in little log houses all kind of group together, and us eat +in a long lean-to builded on to the big house. Us chillen had a long, +scooped-out dish on a split log table. What we had to eat was dumped in +dat trough and us ate it like slop. But it sho' taste good when you been +huntin' for eggs or calves or gittin' in chips or breakin' bresh.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I's big 'nough I carries water, sometimes from de spring and +sometimes from de deep well. Dere danger a little child fall in and +drown and massa, he say niggers too valu'ble to risk dem dat way. It was +hard work to tote water for niggers workin', 'cause allus somebody +hollerin' for de water. I had to trot down de slippery bank through de +thorns to de spring or pull de heavy sweep to git it out de well, and +carry two buckets most de time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us cut two saplin's de right size to fasten together at de end and +stick dem in holes in de wall, to make de bed. Us use lace cowhide +strings or any kind rope across de poles to hold de bed up. Den put hay +or corn shucks and a little cotton in de ticks.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us eat bacon and cornbread and greens, but de white folks had more'n +better. Dey didn't have to eat string victuals like us; us have to eat +something to stick to de ribs. Right 'bout de time dis state come to be +de United States, and de Mexicans raisin' de old billy, us cook most +usual on de fireplace and have ovens by de side to make bread, and +cranes for de pots.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us slaves used pine torches and sometimes a little bit of candle. De +women make all de candles demselves for de white folks. Us didn't need +much light at night, 'cause us tired after de long day, workin' from can +see to can't see, and us git in de bed early.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I wore shirt tail till I's fourteen, den de homespun britches and +shirt. My weddin' suit was de dark jeans and I was fix up fine as any +nigger on de plantation. She wore white and massa fix supper and git de +fiddler and all sich.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa have John to oversee, and he sho' de stepper. He be every place +you didn't think he gwine come. He have de big, boom voice and allus +slingin', and wail, 'Look along, black man, look along, dere trouble +comin' sho'.' Iffen de black boy or woman lyin' in de corn row, dey git +up quick and be mighty bust right soon, 'cause dat black snake whip +reach for dem. Dey scramble deyself together and be de busiest in de +bunch by time John git dere.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id17"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Yach Stringfellow" src="images/image67yach.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Yach Stringfellow</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"In de long winter days de men sat round de fire and whittle wood and +make butter paddles and troughs for de pigs and sich, and ax handles and +hoe handles and box traps and figure-four traps. Dey make combs to git +de wool clean for de spinnin'. Us take de long strip of leather and put +wire in it and bend dem so dey stay, den cut dem comb-like teef and dere +you are.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Come Christmas us slaves have de big dinner and eat all day and dance +till nex' mornin'. Some de niggers from near plantations git dey passes +and come jine us. Course dey a drap egg nog round and candy for de +chillen. De white folks have dey big carriage full of visitors and big +goin's on dey come to from miles round. Us didn't have no money, but +didn't have no place to go to spend it, neither.</p> +<p class="pnext">"At night, us sat round de fire sometimes and de women sew and knit and +de men whittle and told things. Dey talk 'bout charms and sich. You +gwine have lots of luck iffen you cotch de rabbit in de graveyard on de +dark of de moon and cut off he hind leg and wear it. Iffen you chews de +piece of shoe-string root, jus' you ask anybody a favor and you sho' +gwine git it."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="bert-strong"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id73">Bert Strong</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Bert Strong was born in 1864, a slave of Dave Cavin. He and his mother +remained in the service of the Cavin family for ten years after they +were freed. Bert has farmed in Harrison County all his life and now +lives alone on Long's Camp Road, twelve miles northeast of Marshall. He +is supported by a $15.00 per month pension.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I been livin' here all my life. I was birthed a year and more 'fore the +war stopped and 'longed to old Dave Cavin. All my folks 'longed to him +over in Montgomery, in Alabama. Massa Dave buyed my mammy's papa off a +'baccy farm in Richmond, in Virginny. I heared Massa Dave say he done +come to Texas 'cause he heared in Alabama this was a rich country—hawgs +walkin' round with a knife in they back and you could shake money off +the trees. His folks and 'bout thirty slaves cone to Texas in wagons. +They was on the road three months.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I heared my grand-people tell 'bout holpin' run the Indians out of +Texas. Big Lake, on Caddo Lake, was jus' a small kind of stream them +days. My grandpa was name Gloster and he died at a hunerd five years.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Cavin had 'bout four hunerd acres and builded us all good +quarters with chimnies and fireplaces, and good beds and plenty food. +I's too little to know all this 'fore the war, but my folks stayed with +massa ten years after freedom and things was jus' the same as in slave +times, only they got a little money, so I can 'member.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My grandma was cook and there was plenty wild game, turkey and deer and +pigeon and rabbits and squirrels. I 'member once they's grumblin' 'bout +what they have to eat and old massa comes to the quarters and say, 'What +you fussin' 'bout? They's a gallon good potlicker in the pot." I's +raise on greens and pork and potlicker and 'taters and ash-cake. Dat am +good food, too. I ain't never hope to see no better food dan dat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa give he slaves two sets clothes a year and one pair 'bachelor' +brogan shoes with brass toes. The white folks larnt us Negroes to read +and write, at night and on Sunday, and we could go to church. We had our +own preacher, and massa let us have fun'rals when a slave died. They +wasn't no undertakers then. They jus' made the coffin and planed the +boards and lined it with black cloth. The white folks and the cullud +folks, too, was put 'way nice on our place.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They was a overseer a while, but massa fires him for cuttin' and +slashin' he niggers. He made my uncle Freeman overlooker. We is heared +slaves on farms close by hollerin' when they git beat. Some the +neighbors works they hands till ten at night and weighed the last +weighin' by candles. If the day's pickin' wasn't good 'nough, they beat +them till it a pity.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Christmas was the big time. Massa kilt the hawg or beef and sometimes a +mutton, and give the slaves the big dinner. Us all hang the stockin' up +on massa's gallery and it was a run to see what we'd git. He give the +chillen toys and apples and the big folks somethin' to wear. He'd 'low +the chillen to have candy pullin' Saturday nights and the growed folks +parties. My cousin, Tom, was songster and call the plays at all the +dances, and they turned 'cordin' to what he'd sing.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When young massa went to war they calls all the slaves to tell him +good-bye. They blowed the horn. He come home two times on a furlough and +says, 'I's smellin' and seein' the Devil.' Then the nex' time he come +home he say, 'Las' time I tells you 'bout smellin' the Devil. I's +smellin' and seein' Hell now.' When the war am over, he come home and +say to old massa, 'Ain't you read the 'lamation to you niggers yet?' +Massa say he hasn't, and young massa blowed the horn and calls us all up +and tells us we's free as he is and could work for who we please, but he +like us to stay till the crop am out. He say he'd hire us and make a +contrac'. Me and my mammy stays ten years, 'cause they so good it ain't +no use to leave. One of the young massas am livin' here now, Mr. Tom, +and I goes to see him.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id18"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Bert Strong" src="images/image70bert.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Bert Strong</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I stays with mammy till I marries and then farms for myself. That all I +ever done and I'd be doin' it now if I was able. I raises two boys but +they am both dead now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I votes once in the county 'lection and once in the president 'lection. +I think any man should vote, but it ain't 'tended for women to vote.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mos' the young niggers am gwine to Hell. They don't 'preciate things. +They has lots more'n we ever did. They can go to school and all, but +they don't 'preciate it."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="emma-taylor"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id74">Emma Taylor</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Emma Taylor, 89, was born a slave of the Greer family, in Mississippi. +She and her mother were sold to a Texas man, whose name Emma has +forgotten. Emma lives with one of her children, in Tyler, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My maw and paw lived in Mississippi, and belonged to Marse +Greer. Dat dere name, too. All the slaves tooken dere master's name, +'cause dey hadn't no use for a name, nohow.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De first thing I 'members is followin' my maw in the cotton +patch. She allus went ahead, pickin' cotton, and made a clean place +with her sack draggin' on the ground. But de first work I ever done +was feed de chickens and geese and shell corn to feed dem.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us nigger chillen couldn't play with de white chillen. De worstest +whippin' I ever got was fer playin' with a doll what belonged to one +marse's chillen. I 'members it yet and I ain't never seed a doll purty +as dat doll was to me. It was make out a corncob with arms and legs +what moved and a real head, with eyes and hair and mouth painted on. +It had a dress out of silk cloth, jist like one my missus weared when +she went to meetin'. Dat li'l gal done leave de doll under de tree, +but missus found me playin' with it and whipped me hard.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We lived in a cabin in de back field 'hind de big house, one room and a +shed room, where maw done all de cookin' for de whole family. I had +three brothers and three sisters, all dead, I supposes. Dey all older'n +what I was. We cooked on a fireplace, and a big pot hanged on poles over +de fire and de bread cook on dat fire in a skillet what was made of two +pieces of iron, turn up all round. We puts de dough in one and turns de +other one over it, den buries it in de coals a few minutes till it +brown on de top and bottom. It was good, jist as good as nowadays, baked +in a oven. Our beds was made out of straw and old rags, but we kept warm +sleepin' a whole lot in one bed in winter, but we slept outside in +summer.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was sold one time. Marse, he gittin' old and 'cide he didn't need so +many slaves, so he have de sale and a man come and put us all up on a +big platform. We pulls off nearly all our clothes, so as to show how big +we was, and he 'gins hollerin' 'bout who gwineter buy, who gwineter buy. +I was scart and thunk I has to leave maw, so I 'gins hollerin' jist as +loud as he does. He turn 'round and say, 'Shut up, you li'l coon, you. I +can't hear nothin'.' I hides my face in maw's apron and didn't know no +more till we's all loaded in a wagon and starts to de new home. We gits +dere and is give new clothes and shoes, de first ones I ever had on and +it taken me a long time to larn to wear dem things on my feet.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us niggers has to git up at four in de mornin', and work, work till us +can't see no more. Den dey work at night. De men chops wood and hauls +poles to build fences and make wood, and de women folks has to spin four +cuts of thread every night and make all de clothes. Some has to card +cotton to make quilts and some weave and knits stockin's. Marse give +each one a chore to do at night and iffen it warn't did when we went to +bed, we's whipped. One time I falls plumb asleep befo' I finishes +shellin' some corn, but I didn't git a bad whippin' dat time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometimes de niggers danced and played de fiddle and us chillen played +in de yard. We could stay up all night dem times, but had to work next +day, and hardly ever stayed up all night. Dat durin' harvest or at +Christmas time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All de victuals was issued out by de overseer and he give 'nough for +one week, den iffen us eat it all up too soon, it am jist go without. +Lots of times, I went down to de 'tato patch a long time after everybody +am in bed, and stole 'tatoes, so we wouldn't be hungry next day. I allus +covered de hole up good and never did git cotched. De dogs got after me +one time, but I put pepper in dey eyes and dey stopped. I allus carried +pepper with me.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id19"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Emma Taylor" src="images/image73emma.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Emma Taylor</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I marries when I's fifteen, not so long befo' I'm free. Nigger men +didn't git no license to marry dey gals den. Dey jist picked her out and +asked marse, and iffen he 'grees, dey's married. But iffen he don't want +it, dat man has to find heself 'nother gal. De men what lived on 'nother +plantation couldn't see dere wives but onct every two weeks. Marse buyed +my husban', Rube Taylor, and he come to live with me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day marse say we's all free and we has a big celebration, eatin' +and dancin'. But we near all stayed on his place for a long time after +day. He paid us thirty-five cents de day and let us live in de same old +houses.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After we done left him, we jist drifts 'round, workin' for white folks, +till we manages to git a farm. Rube done died a long time back, and I +lives with my baby child."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="mollie-taylor"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id75">Mollie Taylor</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Mollie Taylor, 84, was born a slave to John Wilson, at Campbell, +Texas. After she was freed, Mollie moved with her family to an adjoining +farm which they worked on shares. Mollie now lives at 522 Seaton St., +Fort Worth, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Now den, I's no record of when I's born and just what de white folks +tells me is all I knows. I'll be 84 this coming October, but just what +day I don't know. I's born on Massa John Wilson's farm at Campbell, +Texas and him owned my father and mother and 'bout 20 more slaves. Dere +was 'bout four or five chillen in we'uns family. My father died and I +don't 'member much 'bout him, but his name was Anson Wilson and my +mother name was Hattie Wilson. We'uns gits de name from de massa.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us slaves lived in log houses back of massa's house, and they was two +and three-room houses with dirt floors and de rock fireplace and just +holes for windows. De flies come in de door and go out de window, but +most of 'em stayed in de house. Dere was no furniture like am today. No, +suh, it was homemake stuff. De bunks was built 'gainst de wall and full +of straw or hay and de tables was made of split logs. Dere was de cook +room and de eatin' room where all de slaves meals cooked and they ate, +'tween de slaves quarters and de massa's house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Wilson, him feed us purty good, with de cornmeal and 'lasses and +plenty coffee and milk. We has white flour once a week and massa git de +sugar by de barrel. De slaves could have dere own gardens and dey raised +most dere vegetables. All de chillen ate out of de wooden trough with +wooden spoons. It was a sight to watch them, day just like de bunch of +pigs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De overseer, him ring de bell 'bout half past four in de mornin' and +everybody what work go to de fields. De massa purty reason'ble with de +work and didn't whip much. On Sundays de old slaves goes to de church +and de chillen plays.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When war come dere lots of soldiers allus ridin' by de place, +all deck out in de uniform with big, shiny buttons on de coat. When us +chillen seed dem we took to de woods.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After freedom we'uns moves to de next farm and works and I stays dere +with my family till I's 'bout 25 year old, and den I marries Tom Gould +and move to McLennan County. But he so mean I didn't stay with him very +long, and 'bout six months of his foolishness and I ups and leaves him. +After two years I marries George Taylor and I lives with dat man for 12 +years and took 'nough of his foolishness, so I leaves him. I's had four +chillen but Tom Gould nor George Taylor wasn't de father of any of 'em. +No, suh, I just found dem chillen."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="jake-terriell"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id76">Jake Terriell</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Jake Terriell, born a slave of Felix Terriell in Raleigh, South +Carolina, does not know his age. He was grown and married at the close +of the Civil War, so is probably in the 90's. He lives in Madisonville, +Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Pappy and mammy was called Tom and Jane and they's cotched +in Africy and brung to America and sold. My brother was called James +and my sisters Lucindy and Sally. Massa Felix Terriell owned me and +pappy and mammy but when I's still a chile he done give me to he son, +Massa Dalton Terriell.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My papy was de wild man and he so wild Massa Felix have to +keep him locked up at night and in de chains by day to keep him from +runnin' off. He had to wear de chains in de field and den he couldn't +run fast.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Dalton growed de tobaccy. He was a good massa and give +me de nickel and de dime sometime and I'd buy candy. He have lots of +slaves and de cook fix our grub in big old skillets. We allus have de +cornbread and de syrup and some meat. I likes possum cooked with sweet +'taters.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Missy Mary try larn me read and write but I never did care +for de book larnin'. Massa wake us 'bout four o'clock with de great +iron and hammer and us work long as us could see.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa didn't have to whip us but I seed pappy whip, with +de rawhide with nine tails. He got thirty-nine licks and every lick, +it brung de blood.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed slaves sold and you has heared cattle bawl when de calves took +from de mammy and dat de way de slaves bawls. When massa sell de slave +he make 'em wash up and grease de face good and stand up straight and he +fatten 'em jus' like you do hawgs to sell. I had de good massa. He was +good to black debbils, what he call us niggers. Us could rest when us +git to de quarters or go by de big tank and take de bath, and every +Saturday night us git de holiday and have banjo and tin pan beatin' and +dance. On Christmas massa kilt de big hawg and us fix it jus' like us +wants and have big dinner.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa have doctor when us sick. He say us too val'ble. If us sold us +brung 'bout $1,000. Old mammy could fix de charm and git us well. She +gather bark and make de tea. Most us sickness chill and fever. Sometime +a slave git leg broke and massa say he no more 'count and finish him up +with de club.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa nearly kilt in de fightin' and he had he doctor write missy to +set us free. I had two wives and missy said I couldn't keep but one, so +I takes Mary and us starts out for Texas, a-foot. Us most starved to +death 'fore us got here and then us have hard time. But dere plenty wild +meat and dat what us lived on three, four year. Us had two chillen and +den she dies and I marry a half-Indian gal and she died. Us jus' 'greed +to live together in dem days, no weddin'. Then I marries Lucie Grant and +us have 11 chillen and de preacher calls us man and wife. I's pappy to +17 chillen and I don't know how many grandchillen. Lucie say more'n a +hun'erd."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="j-w-terrill"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id77">J.W. Terrill</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">J.W. Terrill was born in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, and is about 100 +years old. His master was his father. He now lives in Madisonville, +Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My father took me away from my mother when at age of six weeks old and +gave me to my grandmother, who was real old at the time. Jus' befo' she +died she gave me back to my father, who was my mammy's master. He was a +old batchelor and run saloon and he was white, but my mammy was a Negro. +He was mean to me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Finally my father let his sister take me and raise me with her chillen. +She was good to me, but befo' he let her have me he willed I must wear a +bell till I was 21 year old, strapped 'round my shoulders with the bell +'bout three feet from my head in steel frame. That was for punishment +for bein' born into the world a son of a white man and my mammy, a Negro +slave. I wears this frame with the bell where I couldn't reach the +clapper, day and night. I never knowed what it was to lay down in bed +and get a good night's sleep till I was 'bout 17 year old, when my +father died and my missy took the bell offen me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Befo' my father gave me to his sister, I was tied and strapped to a +tree and whipped like a beast by my father, till I was unconscious, and +then left strapped to a tree all night in cold and rainy weather. My +father was very mean. He and he sister brung me to Texas, to North +Zulch, when I 'bout 12 year old. He brung my mammy, too, and made her +come and be his mistress one night every week. He would have kilt every +one of his slaves rather than see us go free, 'specially me and my +mammy.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My missy was purty good to me, when my father wasn't right +'round. But he wouldn't let her give me anything to eat but cornbread +and water and little sweat 'taters, and jus' 'nough of that to keep +me alive. I was allus hongry. My mammy had a boy called Frank Adds +and a girl called Marie Adds, what she give birth to by her cullud +husban', but I never got to play with them. Missy worked me on the +farm and there was 'bout 100 acres and fifteen slaves to work 'em. +The overseer waked us 'bout three in the mornin' and then he worked +us jus' long as we could see. If we didn't git 'round fast 'nough, +he chain us to a tree at night with nothin' to eat, and nex' day. +if we didn't go on the run he hit us 39 licks with a belt what was +'bout three foot long and four inches wide.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I wore the bell night and day, and my father would chain me to a tree +till I nearly died from the cold and bein' so hongry. My father didn't +'lieve in church and my missy 'lieved there a Lord, but I wouldn't have +'lieved her if she try larn me 'bout 'ligion, 'cause my father tell me I +wasn't any more than a damn mule. I slep' on a chair and tried to res' +till my father died, and then I sang all day, 'cause I knowed I wouldn't +be treated so mean. When missy took that bell offen me I thinks I in +Heaven 'cause I could lie down and go to sleep. When I did I couldn't +wake up for a long time and when I did wake up I'd be scairt to death +I'd see my father with his whip and that old bell. I'd jump out of bed +and run till I give out, for fear he'd come back and git me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was 'bout 17 year old then and I so happy not to have that bell on +me. Missy make us work hard but she have plenty to eat and I could +sleep. On Christmas she cook us a real dinner of beef meat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Plenty time I listens to the cannon popping till I mos' deaf, and I was +messenger boy and spy on the blue bellies. When I'd git back to the +Southern sojers I he'ped 'em bury they dead and some what was jus' +wounded I he'ped carry home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When we heered was was over and we's free, we all jus' jumped up and +hollers and dances. Missy, she cries and cries, and tells us we is free +and she hopes we starve to death and she'd be glad, 'cause it ruin her +to lose us. They was a big bunch of us niggers in town and we stirrin' +'round like bees workin' in and out a hive. We was jus' that way. I went +wild and the first year I went north, but I come back 'gain to Texas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After 'while I marries a Indian maid. It was nothin' much +but Indians 'round and there wasn't much law. I lived with her 'bout +two year and then the Indians come and captured her jus' befo' she was +to give birth. They kilt her or carried her 'way and lef' me for dead, +and I never seed or heered of her since. While I was sick a outlaw, +what was Tomas Jafferies, he'ped me git well and then I turns outlaw +and follows all signs of Indians, all over the earth. But I never +could git word of my wife.</p> +<p class="pnext">"It mus' be 'bout 15 year after that, I marries Feline Ford, +by a preacher. My first weddin' was common weddin' with the Indian +maid. I jus' give her deerskin in front of Tomas Jefferies and she +my wife."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="allen-thomas"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id78">Allen Thomas</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Allen Thomas, 97, was owned by several ranchers of Jefferson and +Orange Counties, Texas, but recalls Moise Broussard of Hamshire the +best. Ill health has affected his memory and his story is not coherent. +He is a familiar figure on the streets of Beaumont, Texas, a small man +clad in none too clean and somewhat ragged clothes, with a tow sack +across his shoulders, into which he puts such things as he finds in his +wanderings about the city. Rumor has it that Allen is fairly well to do +and that his begging attitude is assumed, for reasons of his own.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I figgers I's gwine be 97 year old on de fourth of August, I's +borned over in Duncan Woods, over in Orange County. My daddy's name was +Lockin Thomas. I never see my daddy. He git drown in de river here at +Beaumont. My mammy's Hetty Anderson.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'longed to three masters. One John Adam and he was mean. One Stowers, +and he was mean but not so mean to me. Den dere Moise Broussard, he was +purty mean, but he never beat me. De las' man what finish raise me was +Amos Harrison and he purty good man. He wife name Mag and dey lives on +Turtle Bayou over in Chambers County. He buy me from Lewis Pinder. He +was good. My brudder was Kelly Idonia and I had a sister Lessie +Williams. Dey beat her with clubs. I's walk over many a dead person. Dey +beat 'em to death.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us had tins dishes dem times, master and slaves, too. Dey have +wooden paddles what us take de food out de dishes with. De white folks +sot at one table and de cullud folks have table to deyself, but 'bout +what de white folks has.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have watermilion and sugar cane and milk and butter. Den us have de +possum. Us clean him and put him top de house and 'low de frost fall on +him. Den us fill him full salt and pepper and put him in de oven. +Sometime put sweet 'taters all 'round him. Us have de long, square oven +with de lid on it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us wore knitted shirt make on dem looms and dey gives us boots with +brass toes on 'em. Me and mammy work on de spinnin' wheel many a night +up to one or two o'clock. I used to card de bats.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id20"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Allen Thomas" src="images/image83allen.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Allen Thomas</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Dere plenty hawgs and hosses and dem cattle what am longhorn. Us +have plenty meat and raise veg'tables, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never seed no sojers but I heared de cannons. I disremember when +peace am corral'. I come up here to Beaumont when I thank I's a man and +I's been here every Gawd's since.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I see some sperrits, but I see 'em only special times. You see 'em +twict a year, 'tween spring and summer and den 'gain 'twixt fall and +winter. Sometime dey comes right 'long and den sometime dey jis' +standin' still. When you looks at 'em dey looks kinder vagueish. I can +allus tell when sperrits 'round. Dey got a queer scent. When you walk +'bout 20 feet, steam gwineter hit you in de face. I can tell dey dere +iffen I can't see 'em. Dey look like men. Dey ain't white but dey got a +pale look."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="bill-and-ellen-thomas"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id79">Bill and Ellen Thomas</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Bill and Ellen Thomas live in the Old Slave Settlement, 3 miles north +of Hondo. Bill is 88 and Ellen is 81. They seem to be happy; their +fields are tilled, a horse and a cow graze near the house; a kitchen +garden is under way and several broods of baby chicks are in the yard. +They were dressed in simple, clean clothes, and Ellen wears a string of +nutmegs around her neck, to 'make yer eyes strong.'</strong></p> +<p class="larger pnext">Uncle Bill's Story</p> +<p class="pnext">"Does you want me to start right at the beginnin'? Well, +I'll tell you jes' how I went to this country. I left Falls County +where I belonged to the man there that kept the post office. He was +named Chamlin. He had lots of land, I reckin about 50 acres. They +kep' us in a little house right in their yard. Reckin how old I was +when he bought me? Jus' five years old! He give $500 for me, but he +bought my mother and my sisters, too. He had to buy me, 'cause my +mother, she wouldn't go without me. No, suh, she tol' 'em she wouldn't +go if they didn' buy me, too. An' the man he bought us f'om, he wanted +to keep me, so he wouldn't take less than $500 for me. Massa Chamblin +bought the whole family, 'cept my father. They sold him and we never +laid eyes on him again.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mother cooked. Massa Chamlin, he always fed us plenty, an' +whatever they had, we had. If he cooked sausage, you had it too; if he +cooked ham, you got it too; if he cooked lye hominy, you got it; an' if +he had puddin', you got some.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I was 6 or 7 years old I chopped cotton and I plowed too, +and I could lay as straight rows with oxen as any you ever saw.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The massa whipped me with a dogwood switch, but he never did +bring no blood. But it taken 7 men to whip my father.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I'll tell you how I got away f'om there. Massa bought cotton and +carried it to Mexico. He taken his 2 boys with him and we had 3 wagons +and I drove one. I had 4 oxen and I had 3 bales of cotton on my wagon; +he had 6 oxen and 6 bales of cotton, and the last wagon, it had 10 bales +on it and 6 oxen. He had to ship it acrost the Rio Grande. If a Mexican +bought it, he come across and took it over hisself. Reckin how much he +got for that cotton? He got 60¢ a pound. Yes'm, he sho' did. Cotton was +bringin' that then.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was freed over there in Mexico. I was about 14 years old. Massa +Chamlin, he stayed over there till the country was free. He didn't +believe in that fightin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I cooked in a hotel over there in Mexico. I cooked two years at $1.00 a +day.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When Massa owned me, he always give us good clothes. Our pants was made +out of duckin' like wagon sheets, but my mother took some kind of bark +and dyed 'em. I think it was blackjack bark. He give us shoes, too. They +was half-tan leather brogans."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I used to play the fiddle for dances when I was young, but not after I +joined the church. I played for the white people. Oh, yes'm, the cullud +folks had dances, they sho' did dance.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes'm, I saw a ghost onct. One night after I was livin' down here, I +was goin' to Sabinal, me and another man, and a great long thing passed +right in front of us. It was the blackest thing you ever saw. It was +about six feet long. Yes'm, it sho' was a ghost or sumpin; it +disappeared, and me lookin' at it. The other fellow that was with me, he +seen it, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes, they was lots of panthers and bears here. If this ghost was a +bear, he sho' was a big 'un. We had a ghost down here on the creek we +called the 'Ball Water Hole Ghost.' He was seen lots of times. He used +to stay down there, but he ain't been seen lately. My wife, she seen +him."</p> +<p class="larger pnext">Aunt Ellen's Story</p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes'm, I seen him walkin' 'long the trail ahead of us. He had on a +black hat, like a tall stovepipe hat, and a long black coat, and when we +got up close he jes' disappeared. He was a big man, and tall, too. We +didn' know which way he went; he jes' seemed to disappear. My oldest +daughter saw him too. Lots of folks did. He was always seen down at that +water hole somewhere.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Another time, I was stayin' with Mrs. Reedes. Mr. Reedes was killed and +all night long he'd come back and grind coffee and sprinkle it all over +us. I was so bad scared I nearly died. Next mornin' there'd be coffee +all over the floor. We supposed it was Mr. Reede's ghost. They say if a +person was wicked they come back like that. Onct he pulled Mrs. Reedes +outta bed and pitched her on the floor, and he would take the dishes out +of the shelves and throw 'em down. I couldn't stand it but a night or +two and I said I was goin' home. Yes, ma'am, it sho' was a ghost. He +sho' did tear up that house every night. Why, they'd be a light shine in +that room just as plain as daylight, nearly. They say ghosties will run +you, but I never had any to run me."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was born in Mississippi. We come to Texas and my mother died, so +grandma raised me. I was jes' a baby when we come to Texas. Mr. Harper +owned us. I remember the war, but it's so long ago I don't remember +much. I remember when John Harper read the free paper to us. He had a +big lot of slaves, but</p> +<p class="pnext">when he read, the free papers they jes' flew out like birds. But I +didn't. I was stickin' to my grandmother. She was on crutches and she +stayed on at the Harper place.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id21"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Bill and Ellen Thomas" src="images/image85billellen.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Bill and Ellen Thomas</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"After we was free I worked for them a long time. I cooked, washed, +ironed, milked the cows. He was pretty good to us, Judge Harper was. I +went along with him when he went to war, his wife and chillun did too, +and I nursed them, I'd give a young baby shuck tea to break him out with +the hives. For chills and fever I give quinine weed. It don't grow here.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When Judge Harper went up to Hondo my grandma grabbed me and kept me. +So I stayed and worked. I was still a young girl, but I plowed, hauled +and grubbed. I used to wear 'cotton stripes.' I remember 'em well. It +was a homespun cloth. I know how to spin and weave and I could knit a +pair of socks in two nights.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never did hear much about hard times. I was treated good but I got +switched many a time. Oh, yes'm. I've been whipped, but not like some of +'em was. They used to tie some of 'em down. I've heered tell, they shore +whopped 'em. They used to be a runaway that got away and went to Mexico +now and then, and if they caught him they shore whopped him awful.</p> +<p class="pnext">"That old piano in there, my daughter bought a long time ago. The +varnish is off, but a man tol' us it could be sandpapered and refinished +and it would be a beautiful thing. It's about 75 years old."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="lucy-thomas"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id80">Lucy Thomas</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Lucy Thomas,86, was born in Harrison Co., Texas, a slave of Dr. +William Baldwin. She stayed with her master until 1868. In 1869 she +married Anthony Thomas. She now lives with her son at Baldwin Switch, +sixteen miles northeast of Marshall, Texas, on part of the land +originally owned by the Baldwins.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name am Lucy Baldwin Thomas and I's birthed right here in Harrison +County, on the old Baldwin place at Fern Lake. The log cabin where I's +birthed sot in a grove of trees right by the lake. The Baldwin place +jined the Haggerty and Major Andrews places.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The best statement I can make of my age am I's 'bout fourteen the last +year of Abe Lincoln's war. It was true, 'cause I starts hoein' in the +field when I's nine years old and I'd been hoein' a long time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They called my papa, Ike. The Baldwins bought him out of Alabama, and +mama's name was Nancy and she's birthed in Virginny, and the Baldwins +bought her out the New Orleans slave market for $1,100.00. I's heared my +gran'ma, Barbara, tell how some Alabama owners drug they niggers with a +mule and laid dem face down in a hole and beat dem till they's raw as +beefsteak. But her folks wasn't like that and the Baldwins wasn't +neither. They was good white folks, and Missy was named May Amelia and +then there was Old Marse Doctor William. He was a doctor but he worked a +hundred acres land and owned 'bout eighty-five niggers, what lived in +log quarters. They had son-of-a-gun beds peg to the walls, and wore +bachelor brogan shoes and blue and stripe lowel clothes made on the +place, and had lots to eat. My mama say she had a lots better time in +slavery than after.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All hands was up and in the field by daylight and Marse Baldwin allus +kep' a fifty gallon barrel whiskey on the place and a demijohn on the +front porch all the time for the niggers to git they drink on way to the +field. But nobody ever got drunk.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marse's brother-in-law, Marse Lewis Brantly, was overseer, but never +kicked and beat the niggers. He give us a light breshin' when we needed +it. We would go mos' anywhere but had to git a pass first, and had play +parties on Saturday night.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id22"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Lucy Thomas" src="images/image89lucy.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Lucy Thomas</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I went to school three months. A Yankee named Old Man Mills run a +school and I quit workin' in the field to go. Them days, the Klu Kluxers +was runnin' round and I seed big bunches of niggers with they heads tied +up, goin' to report the Kluxers to the Progee Marshal.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Three years after it was all over, my folks moved to the Haggerty +place. I know lots 'bout old Col. Haggerty's widow. She was an Indian +and her first husband was a big chief of the Caddo Indians on Caddo +Lake. He betrayed the Indians to the white folks and he and her hid on a +cave on the lake, and she slipped out to git food, and the Indians took +him away. They say they scalped him like they done white folks. Then she +married Col. Haggerty and he got kilt on a gamblin' spree and left her a +lot of land and 'bout three hundred slaves. She kept a nigger woman +chained to a loom for a year and when she knew the slaves was gittin' +free, she poisoned a lot of dem and buried dem at night. We'd hear the +other slaves moanin' and cryin' at night for the dead ones. That widow +Haggerty was somthin'!</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed the 'Mattie Stephens' boat the day after it burned and kilt +sixty people. Me and Anthony Thomas went to Marshall and married the +day 'fore it burnt. That was on February 12th, in 1869. I lived with him +fifty-five years and raised seven chillen, and after he died I kep' on +farmin' until 'bout three years ago. Then I come to live with one my +son's here and this land we're on right now was part the land old Marse +Baldwin owned. I gits $10.00 a month from the gov'ment. They sho' is +good to me, and my son is good, too, so I's happy in my old age."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="philles-thomas"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id81">Philles Thomas</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Philles Thomas, 77, was born a slave of Dave Miles, who owned a +plantation in Brazoria Co., Texas. Philles does not remember her father, +but was told by her mother that he was sent to the Confederate Army and +was fatally injured at Galveston, Texas. Philles stayed with her family +until she was seventeen, then married William Thomas. They now live at +514 Hayes St., Fort Worth, Tex.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I don't 'member much 'bout de war, 'cause I's jus' a young'un when it +start and too small to have much mem'randum when it stop. I's still on +de place where I's born when surrender come, de Lowoods Place, own by +Massa Dave Miles, 'twixt Brazoria and Columbia. Massa Dave sho' have de +big plantation but I don' know how many slaves.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I's a young'un, us kids didn't run round late. We'uns am put to +bed. When sundown come, my mammy see dat my feets am wash and de gown +put on, and in de bunk I goes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I can't 'member my daddy, but mammy told me him am sent to de 'Federate +Army and am kilt in Galveston. She say dey puttin' up breastworks and de +Yanks am shootin' from de ships. Well, daddy am watchin' de balls comin' +from dem guns, fallin' round dere, and a car come down de track loaded +with rocks and hit him. Dat car kilt him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy marries Bill Bailey after freedom and moves to de Barnum Place, +what Massa John Miles own. I stays with mammy till I's seventeen and +holp dem share crop. Den I leaves. Dat de way with chillen, dey gives +you lots of trouble raisin' dem and den off dey goes. When my chillen am +young'uns dey's on my lap, and when dey's growed up, dey's on my heart.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have de hard time share croppin'. Times was hard den and de niggers +didn't know much 'bout takin' care demselves. Course, dey better off +free, but dey have to larn. Us work hard and make 'nough to live on de +first year us free. Us raise cotton and veg'tables and when I's not +helpin' mammy I goes out and gits a li'l work here and yonder.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I marries in Galveston, to dat old cuss, settin' right dere, William +Thomas am he name and I's stood for him ever since. Him am dock +wallopin' when I's marry to him. Sho', him am a dock walloper. If you +wants to talk big, you calls it stev'dore on de wharf.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dat cullud gen'man of mine allus brung in de bacon. We'uns am never +rich, but allus eats till de last few years. Us goes on de farm and it +hand and mouth livin', but us eats someway. After while, us come to Fort +Worth and he works as mortar man and cement mixer. We'uns live good till +de few years back, when him break down in de back and can't work no +more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"It am ten chillun us raise but only five livin' now. One live at Stop +Six, right here in Fort Worth, and de others am all over de world. Us +don't know where dey am. Since Bill can't work no more, us git de +pension from de State and dat $26.00 de month for de two of us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Does I ever vote? Christ for 'mighty! No. Why yous talk dat +foolishment. Why for dis igno'mous old woman want to vote? No, sar, and +no tother womens ought to vote. Dat am for de mens to do. My Bill votes +couple times, when us in Galveston, and I tells you 'bout dat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey gives de eddication with a couple cups whiskey and de cheroot. When +de whiskey and de cheroot works on Bill's brain, dere am den de smart +nigger, and he votes 'telligent. I asks him what he votes for and him +say, 'I's vote for what am on de ticket.' 'What am on de ticket,' I +says. 'How does I know, I can't read.' Den I says, 'Better yous not +vote, 'cause maybe yous vote to put youself in de jailhouse.' So I guess +him think 'bout dat and him see what foolishment and troublement him +maybe git into, and him quit votin'. We'uns am lucky with de trouble. +Guess it 'cause we'uns knows how to 'have. When I's young my mammy larn +me how to 'have and where I 'long, so de patterrollers and de Ku Klux +never bother we'uns. Now, we'uns so old us can't git round, so us double +safe now.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id23"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Philles Thomas" src="images/image92philles.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Philles Thomas</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Gosh for 'mighty! What yous want next? Now it for me to sing. +Well, yous can't put de bluff on dis old nigger, so here it am:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Put on my long white robe,</div> +<div class="line"> +Put on de golden crown,</div> +<div class="line"> +Put on de golden slipper,</div> +<div class="line"> +And forever be Jesus' lamb.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"But I likes 'nother song better, like dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Herodias go down to de river one day,</div> +<div class="line"> +Want to know what John Baptist have to say,</div> +<div class="line"> +John spoke de words at risk of he life,</div> +<div class="line"> +Not lawful to marry yous brudder's wife.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Not dat am 'nough. If I's here much longer, yous have dis old woman +dancin'."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="william-m-thomas"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id82">William M. Thomas</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">William M. Thomas, 87, now residing at 514 Hayes St., Fort Worth, +Texas, was born a slave of Dr. Frank Thomas, in Lauderdale County, Miss. +William's father was sold when William was a baby and his mother mated +with another slave. It was seven years after they were freed that the +family left their master and moved onto a tract of land. William stayed +with them until he was twenty-four, then worked twelve years in +Galveston, as a stevedore. He farmed until 1910, then worked as a mortar +man at the Purina Mills in Fort Worth until 1931. He and his wife +receive a $13.00 monthly pension.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I knows 'zactly how old I is. Massa done give my mammy de statement. He +do dat for all he niggers when dey freed. I's borned May 17th, in 1850, +and dat make me eighty-eight next May. Dat's on Massa Doctor Frank +Thomas's plantation, over near Meridian, in Mississippi. Dere forty-four +slave families on he place and he own 'bout seven hunerd acres land, so +him have plenty pasture, wood and field land. De money crop was cotton, +of course.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mammy and sis was in de place and my step-pa. My pappy am sold and +took to Texas when I's so li'l I don't 'member him. After dat, mammy +done took another man.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All de slaves live in quarters 'cept de house servants, and dey live in +servants' quarters, and dere's where I's de lucky nigger. My mammy am +cook for massa and I's round de kitchen what 'twas plenty of good eats. +And I plays with massa's two boys, 'twas Frank and Lawrence.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's so li'l 'fore surrender I never really works, 'cept to be de errand +boy. I fetches eggs and sich. Massa have lots of chickens and us fetch +in high as a thousand eggs in one day sometimes. Us have eggs to eat, +too. Massa Thamas am awful good and dere am never de holler 'bout +feedin'. I bet none dem niggers done live so good after dey free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have all de meat us want, mostest pork and beef and mutton. Dey +kills five hunderd hawgs when killin' time came, and make hams and bacon +and sausages. If yous ever ate sich ham and bacon what am made by +massa's butcher right dere on de place, you say dere never am sich. Dat +sausage, it make de mouf water to think 'bout it. 'Sides de meat, us +have cornbread and 'lasses and de rations ain't measure out, 'cept de +white flour on Sunday mornin'. All week de meals am cook in dat kitchen +and serve in de big shed, but each family cook for deyself on Sunday.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us go to church if us want, 'bout four miles off. Massa give anybody de +pass to go dere. Dere am no parties and sich, but old Jack saw on de +fiddle and us sing.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa didn't whip, only once. Dat 'cause a nigger steal he fav'rite +pumpkin. He am savin' dat for to git de seed and it am big as de ten +gallon jug. De corn field am full of pumpkins, but dat nigger done took +massa's choice one. Dat pumpkin am so big, he have to tussle with it +'fore he git it to he cabin. It like stealin' a elephant, you can't hide +it in de watch pocket. Course, lots of niggers seed dat cullud gen'man +with dat pumpkin, and 'fore long massa knew it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Well, sar, it am de funny sight to see him punish dat nigger. First, +massa set him down on de ground front de quarters, where us all see him. +Den he make dat nigger set down and give him de big bowl pumpkin sauce +and make him eat it. Him eat and eat and git so full him can't hardly +swallow and massa say, 'Eat some more, it am awful good.' Dat nigger +try, but him can't eat no more. Massa give him de light breshin' and it +am funny to see, dat cullud gen'man with pumpkin smear on he face and +tears runnin' down he face. After dat, us chillen call him Massa Pumpkin +and massa never have no more trouble with stealin' he seed pumpkins.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When war starts I's 'bout fifteen year old. 'Bout half mile from de +plantation am de crossroads and one go to New Orleans and one go to +Vicksburg. Dere am a 'Federate camp dere at de start, but after 'while +dey goes and de Yanks comes. Dere a battle near, and us hear de shootin' +but us have to stay on de place.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I done slip off and see de camp, though. De Yanks puts up two big tents +and use dem for de hospital and de wounded am fetch dere. What I sees +and hears dere, I never forgits, and it done turn dis nigger 'gainst +war. Why can't dey settle dey 'sputes without killin'? Dey's moanin' and +cryin' and screamin' in dem tents.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day de Yanks come clean de crib of all de corn and de meat house of +all de meat. Massa am smart and fix it so dey don't find all de rations. +Him dig a big ditch in de woods and hide lots of rations.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us didn't know when freedom came. It a long time after dat de Yanks +come tell us, and it de same way on all de plantations round dere. De +Yanks come and make massa pay us all fifty cents de day. After dat massa +puts dem what wants to go on pieces of land and dey ain't charge for it +till seven year after. Den dey has to pay rent and part de crop, and for +de mules and tools all de time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I stays with my folks till I's twenty-four year old and den I's on my +way to Galveston and gits work as de stevedore. Dat am on de wharf and I +works dere twelve year. I votes dere two times. Some white folks done +come to us, and de boss, too, and gives us de ticket. It am all mark up. +Boss say us don't have to work de next day, and us to report at a place. +When us comes dere, 'twas a table with meat and bread and stuff for to +eat, and whiskey and cigars. Dey give us something to eat and a cup or +two of dat whiskey and puts de cigar in de mouth. Us am 'portant +niggers, ready to vote. With dat cup of whiskey in de stomack and dat +cigar in de mouth and de hat cock on side de head, us march to de votin' +place and does our duty. Fix up de way us was, us would vote to put us +back in slavery. And de nigger what didn't vote, after all dat, him am +in for de fixin'. I means he gits fixed. Dey pounds he head till him +won't forgit to do it right next time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"But I gits to thinkin' how massa say when us leave him, 'Don't let no +white folks use you for to make trouble.' I figgers dat what am +happenin' with dat votin' business, and I quits votin' and goes to +farmin'. I 'lieve de cullud folks should vote, but not de igno'mous +niggers like us was den.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id24"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="William M. Thomas" src="images/image95william.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +William M. Thomas</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">I farms till 1910 and den comes to Fort Worth, and dey am buildin' de +Purina Mills Elevators on East 4th Street and I works dere at mortar +work. Den I works at cement on lots de big buildin's in dis city, till +'bout ten year ago, when it git too hard for me. I has de back misery.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I gits married to Phillis Wilson when I's twenty-nine, in Galveston, +and us don't allushave lots, but us gits by and raises de family. Now us +have to live on de pension from de State, what am $13.00, and sometimes +us am awful short, tryin' to pay de rent and buy de rations and what +clothes us needs, but us am glad to git it. Ten chillen am what us +raises and five am dead and four am scattered and us don't know where, +and one live here.</p> +<p class="pnext">""Ain't it diff'rent how peoples lives? Us used to travel with de ox and +now dey flies in de sky. Folks sings in New York and us sets right here +and hears dem. Shucks! De way things am gwine, I's all fussed up and +can't understand whether I's gwine or comin'."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="mary-thompson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id83">Mary Thompson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Mary Thompson was born a slave 87 years ago, in Denton, Miringo +County, Alabama. Her mother, Viney Askew, and father, Wesley Jones, +belonged to Green Askew, a Georgian. She was 15 when she was freed. Mary +now lives at 1104 East Avenue, Austin, Tex.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was bo'n in Alabama and my mother was Viney Askew. +She belonged to Marster Green Askew. My father was Wesley +Jones, 'cause he took his marster's name.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mother was a good cook and she cooked for de marster. +She had a great big stove and she made salt-risin' bread, too. +We and all de slaves lived in cabins near de big house and some +of de slaves would have chillen by de marster.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When we come home from de fields at night, de women cooked +de food and den dey was so tired dey jus' went to bed. We didn' +have fun in de evenin's, but on Christmas mornin' de marster +give us eggnog and sich. Den we'd sing but I don' 'member de +songs now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De crops in Alabama would be cleared by July 4 and den +we'd have sev'ral days off, all de slaves. Dey'd give us pits +of barbecue and pies and cakes to eat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When we was sick de marster would sen' for de doctor +and we made teas outta herbs and sich. Alabama was full of chills +and fevers in dem days and we drunk catnip tea for fevers and blue +and white sage. Calamus root, looks like an onion, was good for +de chillens' colic.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mistress' niece had a big plantation and she had a +place whar she had de slaves whopped. She had a reg'lar whoppin' +post. My marster jes' had a large cowhide whoop. Yes, I got a +whoppin' more'n once. Sev'ral times marster took hold my ears +and bumped my head 'gainst de wall. But gen'rally dey was good +to me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We wasn't 'lowed no whiskey, 'less we was sick. De poor +white folks was good to us, better'n rich folks. Dey'd give us a +quarter now'n den.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I can 'member how de slaves was fattened like hawgs and +den marched to town and 'round and auctioned off like cattle. Some +of 'em had done somethin' mean and was sold off. Some of 'em brought +more'n a thousand dollars down in New Orleans.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I knows of one slave who liked to run 'round at night. She +was nuss to marster's girl and she give it morphine to put it to sleep. +She give de baby girl so much morphine dat her body was full of it and +she died. De cullud folks got to talkin' too much and de baby was dug +up and 'xamined. De slave nuss was put in jail and kep' there a long +time and den she was sold.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Heap of de slaves would run away and go up north. Dey would +try to find 'em by sendin' nigger houn's after 'em. Once de houn's +caught a slave and he kep' sayin', 'O, Lawd ... O, Lawd!'</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id25"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Mary Thompson" src="images/image100mary.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Mary Thompson</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"After de war, when we was free, de slaves would go here and +there and a lot of 'em died. Dey'd git de black measles, go out in +de woods and die. Dey didn' know how to take care of demselves.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I stayed at marster's house eight months, den hired out at +ten dollars a month. Dat was de fus' money I ever made and I didn' +want to go to school, 'cause I wanted to make dat money. Dat looked +like big money to me. I was proud to have it, 'cause I could git +what I wanted. I cain't read or write to this day.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was married to General Thompson, and he'd been a slave +too, in Alabama. Yes, General was his given name. I was 16 years +old when I married and a white preacher married us durin' a 4th of +July celebration. Yes, we had a big time and a good time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We come to Texas later and my husban' farmed on the +Brazos. We had eight chillen, and two of 'em is livin.' My husban' +died and I buried him, den I took up with a Horace Foster, and he +was nothin' but a gambler. I lived with him 'bout 8 years, but he +never would marry me, so I lef' him."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="penny-thompson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id84">Penny Thompson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Penny Thompson, 86, now living at 1100 E. 12th St., Fort Worth, Texas, +was born a slave to Calvin Ingram, in Coosa Co., Alabama. In 1867 Penny +was brought to Tyler, Texas, and several years later she married Ike +Thompson and moved to Fort Worth.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Do I 'member slavery days? Yes, suh! How could I forgit +dem? For an old person I has good 'collection. I's 10 year old +when de war start and my massa am Calvin Ingram. My mammy and +pappy was a weddin' present to Massa Ingram from his pappy. Mammy +give birth to 15 chilluns, but I never saw any of my brothers and +sisters, 'cause they all born on Massa Ingram's pappy's plantation +'fore he give my mammy to Massa Ingram.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De plantation dat Massa Ingram have was 200 acres or mo'. Him own 'bout +20 grown-up slaves, and on dat place dey raises 'bout everything we eats +and wears, includin' de vinegar and de peach brandy. Everybody am +'signed to dey duties and my mammy am chief cook for de big house. I +he'ps her and feeds chickens, gits eggs and totes water.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De treatmen' couldn't be better. Massa am de bestes' and de +kindes' fellow dat ever live. He am in Heaven, for sho', but de missy +mus' be in Hell, for she sho' was a debbil. Massa have de fight with +her lots of times 'bout de treatment of us, but he wouldn't let her +'buse us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We'uns was never hongry for food, 'cause we have lots of meat, +chickens and eggs and cornmeal and 'lasses and honey. De hams is smoked +on de place and dey am de hams, white man, dey am de hams! +Den massa have a big cellar jus' full of everything and I never forgit +de big, brass key what lock dat cellar. Dere was de jams and de jellies +and de preserves, and de massa give us somethin' of all of dat. Him +makes de gran' peach brandy and every mornin' we could have two fingers +in de glass. 'Twas de same at night. Dere was somethin' else was +reg'lar every mornin' and night and dat am de prayer. He calls all us +together and says de prayers. I often thinks of dat brandy and de +prayers, two times every day.</p> +<p class="pnext">"As for de whuppin,' dere wasn't any on massa's place. Him have +only one nigger what am unruly and dat am Bill McClure, and a bigger +thief never lived.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On de nex' plantation dey gives de whuppin' and we hears dem +niggers beller. On dat plantation dey trades and sells de niggers all +de time and de speculation wagon comes by often. Sometime it am awful +to see de babies sold from de mothers and de wife from de husban'. Sich +bemoanin' at some of dem sales, yous jus' can't 'magine.</p> +<p class="pnext">"But on massa's place we has no tradin' of slaves and we'uns have +pass for go to church and parties and de dance. When de night for de +party come on our place, de yard am cleaned off and we makes sandwiches. +One time massa come to me and say, 'Jus' wait a minute, I nearly forgits +de mos' 'portant part,' and he give me a new pink dress. I's so happy +I cries for joy, and everybody says I looks like de Queen of Sheba.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De other big time am de corn huskin' bee. Once a year all de +neighbors comes fust to one place den to de other. At de huskin's, dey +gives de prize when you finds a red ear. De prize am two fingers of dat +peach brandy. When dey gits de fus' one dey works a little harder, de +second still faster, and de third, Lawd-a-massy, how dem husks do fly! +Dey don't git drunk, 'cause you am lucky to find as much as three red +ears at one huskin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We has de weddin's too, but no preacher or cer'mony. When a man sees a +girl him likes and de girl am willin', dey says dey wants a weddin'. De +womens cooks extra and dey gits de cedar boughs and wets dem and +sprinkles flour on dem and puts dem on de table. We sits at de table and +eats and sings 'ligious songs and after supper dey puts de broom on de +floor an de couple takes de hands and steps over de broom, and den dey +am put to bed.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id26"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Penny Thompson" src="images/image103penny.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Penny Thompson</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"We was never bother with de patter rollers, but I 'members a song +'bout dem, like dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Up de hill and down de hollow</div> +<div class="line"> +Patter rollers cotched nigger by de collar;</div> +<div class="line"> +Dat nigger run, dat nigger flew,</div> +<div class="line"> +Dat nigger tear his shirt in two.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"In de war soldiers comes to massa's place and every time he feeds +dem. You hears de clippity clop of de hosses and dey is off de saddle +'fore you gits to de door. Dey says, 'We wants de meal,' or maybe dey +wants to sleep. Massa's wife say, 'I's not goin' do nothin' for dem blue +bellies,' but massa make her fix de chicken. Dere was everything dere +but manners, 'cause dey have de pistols drawed.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After freedom, mos' of us stays with massa, 'cause we don't know where +to go and we don't want to go, but 'fore long massa dies and dat was +mournin' time. After de death, we all leaves.</p> +<p class="pnext">I marries Bill Thompson but he won't work so after 15 year I gits +de divorcement."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="albert-todd"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id85">Albert Todd</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Albert Todd, 86 years old, was born a slave to Capt. Hudson, in +Russellville, Kentucky. His master was killed in the Civil War and he +then came to Texas in a covered wagon. His "Missus" kept him a slave for +three years after the War. He now lives with his wife, daughter and two +sons at 703 Center St., San Antonio, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I most suppose my memory is too jumpy, but I'll try to bring +it 'long from de time I was born. I don't know de year, but it was +in Russellville, Kentucky and my massa, Captain Hudson, had a fruit +orchard. My reg'lar work was protectin' my young missus, Nannie +Hudson. She had to walk five miles to and forth from school every +day and I was her protector. I was only 8 and she was 11. I sat +on the steps until she got through larnin' and then brung her home. +She come to be grown and married and died, but I allus loved her.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When war comes, my massa goes and gets kilt and my missus +got 'gusted with the orchard and packs up in two covered wagons and +heads crossland to Texas. We finally gets to Lavernia and gets a +farm and us worked plenty hard.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id27"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Albert Todd" src="images/image106albert.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Albert Todd</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Our missus was good to us, but one white man neighbor got a +new set of niggers every year. He say if they didn't die, they wasn't +any good work left in them after they works for him a year. He allus +cut off one they ears, so if they run away he'd know 'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My clothes was a long shirt, made out of a meal sack. That's all +I wore them days. I was a slave three year after the others was freed, +'cause I didn't know nothin' 'bout bein' free. A Mrs. Gibbs got holt +of me and makes me her slave. She was a cruel old woman and she didn't +have no mercy on me. She give me one sausage and one biscuit in the +mornin' and nothin' else all day. One day she gone and I stole some +biscuits, and she comes back and says, 'Did you take them biscuits?' +She tells me if I tells de truth she won't punish me, but she knocks +me down and beats me till I not know nothin'. But after 'while her +house burns and she burns up in it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"But 'fore that I was goin' to run away and I goes to the road +and sits down and then my sisters comes 'long and finds me and takes me +to a place where they was livin' on the ranch of a man name Widman. +We works for him a long time and then I is free from that Gibbs woman."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="aleck-trimble"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id86">Aleck Trimble</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">His skin was of an extremely dark chocolate color, his hair thin and +gray. A blue shirt was about his body while blue trousers enclosed his +nether limbs. His bare feet protruded as he sat on an old dilapidated +chair. Under his flat nose was a gray mustache, and one eye had +completely lost its vision. This small negro man was Aleck Trimble who +thoughtfully told the story of his life. [HW: Veth, Tex.]</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was bo'n in 1861. I warn't much of a chile when freedom come, but yet +dey's right smart of t'ings I kin 'member in slavery times."</p> +<p class="pnext">"My pa name was Aleck Trimble and dat's my name, too. My ma was Ellen +Trimble and I was de onlies' son. I didn' hab no brudders. Ol' marster's +las' name was Alexander, but I dis'member his fus' name."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I uster hafter do a li'l wuk 'roun' de place like pullin' up weeds and +drivin' de calfs. I 'member one time I was drivin' a calf up to de lot +and I saw a crazy man. He didn' try to do nuffin' to me. I jis' walk up +on him and he sittin' dere mumblin' and I know right den dere was +sump'n' wrong wid him. He didn' try to hu't me nor run atter me, but he +sho' scare me and I run away from him fas' as I kin."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I warn't so glad when freedom come. I was a-farin' pretty well in de +kitchen. I didn' t'ink 'eber see better times dan what dem was, and I +ain't. I t'ought I was jis' as near hebben as I want to be. It didn' +look to me like dey coulder been no betterer dan what dey was."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I uster had jis' all I want to eat. Us hab biscuit and syrup, and +plenty milk and butter. And dey give us all de collard greens and hog +jowls us could hol'."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey uster had lots of cows and all de milk and butter anybody want. Dey +had a big bucket hangin' in de well. Dey put de butter in dat in de +summer time to keep it from meltin'. How dey kep' it from sp'ilin'? Why, +dey et it up, dat's how dey keep it from sp'ile."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I neber see 'em do de slaves bad. Iffen dey did dey tek 'em off in de +woods somers where nobody see 'em."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometime nigger traders come 'long de road wid a big drove of niggers. +I neber pay dat no min' though. It was jis' a drove of niggers to me."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey gimme 'bout as good clo's as I got now. When I was doin' 'roun' de +yard at Marster' house I wo' a shu't wid pleats 'cross de bosom in +front."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey gimme some britches befo' freedom come, and den I t'ought I's 'bout +as big as anybody. Dey gimme dem when I was big 'nuff to dribe de calfs +up from de lot. But I neber go in de fiel' to wuk."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Atter freedom come I go to school to a white lady name' Mrs. Tunsten +she had a son name' Waddy. She teach de school at Shiloh and all de +white chillun and nigger chillun go to school in de same room. She teach +her own chillun in dat school on de Huntsville road. I 'member de stages +and t'ings gwine by. I t'ought she was a good teacher, but she whip me +half a day one time 'cause I didn' spell "gangrene." She whip me 'till I +learn how to spell it and I ain't neber forgit. I kin spell dat word +yit. I's satisfy she from de Nor'f. Dere was a ol' stage stan' dere by +de school house."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I went to dat teacher and dat school t'ree or fo' year'. Atter she quit +teachin' dey was other teachers what come drappin' in and teachin' t'ree +or fo' months."</p> +<p class="pnext">"My pa he uster wuk in de fiel' 'till freedom come. My ma she wuk in de +kitchen. Dat how come I git so much outer de kitchen to eat. Sometime +she hafter wuk in de fiel' too."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Jis' like I say, I stay 'roun' de big house. I raise up wid de white +chillun 'till I was 25 or 30 year' ol'."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I t'ink dey stay at de ol' place a year or mo' atter freedom. Den dey +'gin to drif' 'roun' to diff'rent place w'ere dey find wuk to do. I stay +wid de ol' folks and he'p s'po't (support) 'em wid what money I git for +de wuk what I doin'. My ma lef' my pa at de ol' plantation, and her and +me and a gal what was ol'er dan me, what was my sister, us move."</p> +<p class="pnext">"De fus' wuk I done and de fus' money I mek was pickin' cotton for a +white man. De fus' money I git I buy me a ol' Webster Blue-back speller. +Lawd, I uster look at dat book sometime 'till dem A B C's all run +togedder seem like."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dat plantation was de Johnnie Murchison plantation. Us stay dere 'bout +five or six year'. Atter dat I lef' dere and went to wuk for cullud man +what was name' Sam Scott. I wuk 'roun' in de fiel' and go to mill when I +was on dat place."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member seein' de sojers. Dey was a big troop of 'em come marchin' +down de road. Dey was all of 'em dress' up in blue coats and some of 'em +had blue capes over dey shoulders. Dey had wagons and lots of sich +t'ings comin' 'long behin'."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I can't tell you much 'bout de ol' marster 'cause I didn' see him eb'ry +day. Lots and lots of time I didn' hab no notion where he was."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey was a large troop of cullud folks on de place. When dey want 'em +dey blow a bugle or ho'n or sump'n'."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I git marry in Houston county. I don' 'member what year it was but it +was back in Cleveland's 'ministration. Den atter while she die and dat +lef' me a widower. Den 'bout 28 year' ago I marry Ollie Washington. I +was wukkin' for Scott befo' I marry Washington. Dat's my li'l 'dopted +gran'chile dere. You see dat t'ing 'roun' her neck? Dat's hoss hair roll +up in a clo'f. Dat to he'p when she teethin'. Dat good for stomach and +bowel trouble, too. Long as she wear dat she ain't gwine to hab no fever +in de head needer. I gwine to let her wear it 'till she finish cuttin' +her teef. I jis' put dat rag 'roun' it to keep it from stickin' her. You +kin see how healthy she is."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Anudder t'ing what good for chillun when dey's teethin' is for to tek a +rabbit head and 'noint (anoint) dey gums good wid rabbit brains. Some of +de ol' folks wear a dime tie' 'roun' dey leg wid a hole in it for de +rheumatism."</p> +<p class="pnext">"May-apple for a good purgative too, but you got to know how to use it. +Iffen you don' use it right though, it gwine to stir up your stomach +and mek you sick. And you better not drink no milk when you tek dat +May-apple root and you don' want to eat nuffin' needer. Dat's bitter'n +quinine."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Co'se, sometime some of de slaves die on de plantation. I know dey have +home-mek coffin, but I ain't neber see 'em mekin' one. Sometime' when de +corpse a-layin' dere dead dey have a wake."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dem what wanted 'em had a li'l patch of groun' where dey plant garden +truck and veg'tables for deyself. Dey have half a day off on Sunday, and +den co'se, dey have Sunday. All de slaves have big holiday on Crismus."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey lib in log houses. Moss and du't (dirt) was pack' all in 'tween de +logs and boards was nail' on over dat. Ol' marster he have a awful large +house buil' outer plank. It had a gallery to de front and back."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey had a li'l house down de way dey had preachin' in. De white +preacher he do de preachin'. Seem to me dat soon play out."</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey had a ol' lady what ten' to de chillun when dey in de fiel' pickin' +cotton. Sometime she uster sing:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'My Lord say dey's room enough,</div> +<div class="line"> +Room enough in hebben fer us all.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">fotch (fetch) 'em a whack on de head and say:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Come 'long wid dat row."</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Atter freedom come de darkies uster have a song what +go like dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Come along</div> +<div class="line"> +Come along</div> +<div class="line"> +Make no delayin'</div> +<div class="line"> +Soon be so Uncle Sam give us</div> +<div class="line"> +all a farm.</div> +</div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Come from de way</div> +<div class="line"> +Come from de nation</div> +<div class="line"> +'Twon't be long 'till Uncle Sam</div> +<div class="line"> +give us all a farm.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">Atter while de Klu Kluxers git atter de cullud folks. Den +dey mek a song:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Run nigger run de Klu Klux git you.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">Lots of time dey come on Sunday. One place dere was a big plum thicket +'long de road and dey dodge in dere and ketch people. Lots of cullud +folks hafter pass by dere to git where dey gwine. In de day time dem Klu +Kluxes was jis' in dey common clo's but when dey come in de nights dey +did figger deyself wid dem high p'int hats and white t'ings wrap 'roun' +'em."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I b'longs to de Baptis' Chu'ch. I reckon dat was de Baptis' chu'ch back +in dem days, but I don' 'member no baptisms back in slavery. I 'members +though that dey was a blin' cullud man what uster preach."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'members dey was lots of smallpox one time. Dat was atter freedom +come, 'bout 50 year' ago. De people was sho' scare' of it, wusser'n if +it was a Winchester. When I fus' 'member 'bout dat smallpox dey was a +man had it and dey run him 'bout a mont' and bu'n him. If dey find out +you got de smallpox you jis' long gone, you better not go out nor in. +Dey put de food on de gate-pos'. If you don' git better in so many days +dey bu'n you and de house and eb'ryt'ing up."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I uster farm 'till de boll weevil start in dis part of de country. +Atter dat sawmillin' and public works. Jis' go from one sawmill to +anudder. But I spen' my bes' days on de farm."</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I was cut off dem sawmill and public works jobs I was done wo' +out. Dey orter stop' me fifteen years befo' dey did, 'cause den I +mightenter (might not have) been wo' out. Now I can't do nuffin'."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I los' one of my eye 'bout seben year' ago. I have de fever and it +settle in my eye and jis' cook. Dat was when I had meningitis."</p> +<p class="pnext">"I can't plow no mo'. I jis' live on my li'l bit of pension and dat +ain't nuttin'."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="reeves-tucker"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id87">Reeves Tucker</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Reeves Tucker, 98 year old Negro farmer of Harrison Co., Texas, was +born in Bibb Co., Alabama, a slave of George Washington Tucker, Sr. When +Reeves was six his master died and Reeves was separated from his family +and brought to Texas by George Tucker, Jr. Reeves now lives with his +son, who owns a farm nine miles northwest of Marshall, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My father was Armistead Tucker and my mother Winnie Tucker and they's +both born slaves of Massa George Washington Tucker. He lived over in old +Alabama, between Selma and Maplesville. My brothers was Andy and John +and Peter and there was two girls, Anne and Dorcus, and we was all born +on Massa Tucker's plantation. My missy died 'fore I was born and my old +massa died when I was jest a shirt-tail boy and his chillen had a +dividement of his lands and mammy and all the chillen but me fell to the +daughter and pappy was give to the son. Pappy begs too hard for me to go +with him that fin'ly they lets me. I never seed my mammy after that, +bein' as how Missy Emogene stays in Alabama and us come to Texas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa George settles near Gilmer and he sho' have a big place with lots +of acres and a good house. He didn't 'low no beatin' on that place but +I've saw slaves on other places whopped till the blood run off them onto +the groun'. When they was cut loose from the tree or whippin' post they +falls over like dead. But our massa was good to us and give us lots to +eat and wear. We et pork meat and white flour jest like the white folks +and every woman have to spin so many yards cloth 'fore she go to bed, so +we allus had the clothes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I've saw lots of slaves bid off like stock and babies sold from +their mammy's breast. Some brung 'bout $1,500, owing to how strong they +is. Spec'lators used to ride all over the country near our place and +buy up niggers and I've saw as many as fifty in a gang, like convicts.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id28"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Reeves Tucker" src="images/image116reeves.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Reeves Tucker</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"But Massa George wouldn't sell and buy slaves and none of 'em ever run +off 'cept my pappy and one night he started to go 'cross a shirt of +woods to the neighbors and young massa was a pattyroller and tells pappy +to wait and go with him, but pappy hard headed as a mule and goes +hisself and the pattyrollers cotches him and nigh beats him to death. +Young massa was sho' mad as fire, 'cause he didn't want his niggers beat +up.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Them circuit ridin' preachers come to the white church and tries to +make the white folks bring their slaves to preaching. Preacher say, +'Nigger have a soul to save same as us all.' Massa allus went to church +but I don't 'lieve it done him any good, 'cause while he there at +meetin' the niggers in the field stacking that fodder. He did give us +Christmas Day and a big dinner and 'cept for workin' the lights outten +us, gen'rally treated us decent and we had heap easier time than any +other slaves 'round.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member the war and Jeff Davis and Abe Lincoln was warfaring 'bout +freein' the niggers 'bout four year 'fore they fought. Massa Tucker jest +grunted when we was freed, 'cause he knowed the thing was up, and he +tells us if we'd stay and help the crop out he'd give us a horse and +saddle, but we didn't git nothin'. So I lef' him soon as the crop laid +by the year of freedom and then moved with pappy to a farm near +Hallsville and stays with him till I marries. I had seven chillen to be +growed and married and I farmed near Hallsville mos' my life, till I too +old. My son, Reeves after me, owns this farm and we's all right. Never +did have hard times after freedom, like some niggers, 'cause we just sot +down on the land."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="lou-turner"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id88">Lou Turner</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Lou Turner, 89, was born at Rosedale, near Beaumont, Texas, on the +Richard West plantation. She has spent her entire life within three +miles of Beaumont, and now lives in her own little home, with her +daughter, Sarah.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I hears you been 'round to see me befo', but you ain't +never gwine find me to home. I sho' love to go 'round visitin'. +You know dey say iffen you treats the cat too good, you ain't +never know where the cat is.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's gwine on seventeen year old when freedom come. I's +born right here near Beaumont, on the big road what they calls the +Concord Road, in the place what they calls Rosedale. I's a growed-up +young lady befo' I ever sees Beaumont. I's gwine on 89 year old +now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Richard West, he's my massa and Mary Guidry she my missy. +Dey used to call her the 'Cattle King.' Dey have a big plantation +and jes' a few slaves. Dey raises my mammy since she eleven year +old. Her name Maria and she marry Sam Marble. He come from Miss'ippi.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I stay up at the big house and missy fix my plate when +she fix hers. God bless her heart, she kind to me, I know now I's +sassy to her but she didn't pay me no 'tention 'cause I's li'l. +I slep' on a trundle bed by missy's side and I git so smart I allus +smell my bed to see iffen dey puts nice, clean sheets on mine like +dey did on hers. Sometime I play sick, but old missy a good doctor +and she gimme beefoot oil and it so nasty I quit playing off. She +French and she so good doctor they send for her to other folks houses.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old missy was real rich. I's taken her money out of de wardrobe ane +make tall playhouse out of gold and silver money. Iffen she have to buy +somethin' she have to come and borrow it from me. Us allus has to figger +how to take dat money out of de corners so de house won't fall down. I +cried and cried iffen she tored it up.</p> +<p class="pnext">"She'd take me with her when she go to see her grandchillen in de French +settlement. Us come in buggy or hack and bring jelly and money and +things. I thought I's gwine to Heaven, 'cause I gits to play with li'l +chillen. Us play 'ring place', dat's draw a ring and hop 'round in it. +Us jump rope and swing. Dey have a hair rope swing with a smooth board +in it so it ain't scratch us behin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old missy so kind but what got 'way with me, I couldn't go to school. I +beg and beg, but she kep' sayin', 'Some day, some day,' and I ain't +never sit in a school in my life.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old massa didn't work 'em hard. He make 'en come in when the sun got +bad, 'cause he feared dey git sunstroke. He mighty good in early days, +but when he figger dey gwine loose he slaves he start bein' mean. He +split 'em and sold 'em, tryin' to make he money out of 'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De house what the white folks live in was make out of logs and moss and +so was the quarters houses. Better'n New Orleans, dem quarters was. Us +slaves have de garden patch. The white folks raises hogs and kilt 'em by +the twenties. Dey smoke hams and shoulders and chittlin's and sich and +hang 'em up in the smokehouse. Us allus have plenty to eat and us have +good, strong clothes. Missy buy my dresses separate, though. She buy me +pretty stripe cotton dress.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Bout the only work I ever done was help watch the geese and turkeys and +fill the quilts. I larn to card, too. Old missy never whip me much, she +jes' like to scare me. She whip me with big, tall straw she git out the +field or wet a towel and whip my legs. My old massa done a trick I never +forgit while I's warm. I's big gal 'bout sixteen year old and us all +'lone on the place. He tells me to crawl under the corncrib and git the +eggs. I knowed dey ain't nothin' dere but the nest egg, but I have to +go. When I can't find nothin' he pull me out backwards by the feet and +whip me. When old missy come home I ain't know no better'n to tell her +and she say she ought to kill him, but she sho' fix him, anyway. He say +she spile me and dat why he whip me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old missy taken to preachin'. She was real good preacher. Dey have de +big hall down the center of the house where they have services. A +circuit rider come once a month and everybody stop workin' even if it +wasn't Sunday.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id29"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Lou Turner" src="images/image118lou.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Lou Turner</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"When war was on us there wasn't no sojers 'round where I was, but dat +battle on Atchafalia shook all the dishes off the dresser and broke 'em +up. Jes' broke up all the fine Sunday and company dishes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After de trouble my mammy have gettin' me 'way from there when freedom +come, she gits me after all. Old missy have seven li'l nigger chillen +what belong to her slaves, but dey mammies and daddys come git 'em. I +didn't own my own mammy. I own my old missy and call her 'mama'. Us cry +and cry when us have to go with us mammy. I 'members how old missy rock +me in her arms and sing to me. She sing dat 'O, Susanna' and telt me a +story:</p> +<p class="pnext">"'Dere a big, old brown bear what live in de woods and she have lots of +li'l cub bears and dey still nussin' at de breast. Old mama bear she out +huntin' one day and she come by de field where lots of darkies workin' +and dere on a pallet she see fat, li'l pickaninny baby. Mama bear she up +and stole dat li'l pickaninny baby and takes it home. It hongry but +after she git all de cub bears fed, dere ain't no milk left for de +nigger baby. Mama bear git so 'sasperated she say to her babies, 'Go +long, you go way and play.' Dan she feed de li'l pickaninny baby and dat +how she raise dat nigger baby.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Now, every time old missy come to dat place in de story, she start +laughin', 'cause I allus used to ask her.</p> +<p class="pnext">"'How come dey didn't no hair grow on dat baby.'"</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="irella-battle-walker"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id89">Irella Battle Walker</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Irella Battle Walker, 86, was born a slave at Craft's Prairie, Texas. +Her parents, Mesheck and Becky Battle, belonged to Mr. Battle, but were +sold while Irella was a baby to Tom Washington, of Travis County. Irella +learned her A B C's from an o1d slave, Jack James, although it was +against the rules. This was the only schooling she ever had. Irella +receives a monthly old age pension of eight dollars. She lives at 2902 +Cole St., Austin, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name was Irella Battle and I was borned on August 15th, +in 1851, down at Craft's Prairie, in Bastrop County. I was 86 years +old last August, and I'm blind in one eye.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy's name was Becky Battle and she was a field worker, and +dat about de most work she have to do, 'cept on rainy days. She had five +girls and one boy and I'm de youngest and de only livin' one now. Daddy +was Mesheck Battle and when I'm a baby in mammy's arms, us sold to Massa +Washington.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Daddy had to do field work. I never knowed him do nothin' but +farm. He sho' make us behave and whop us if we didn't. Massa was purty +good. De massas dem times, some was good and some was bad, and about de +most of dem was bad. I had to he'p round de big house and dey purty good +to me. But when I still little I went to de fields. Dey give me a sack +what de slaves make to pick cotton in. Dey spin de thread and make cloth +on de loom and stitch it and make cotton sacks. Dey short for us chillen +and de older folks had a short one to pick in and a big sack to empty in. +I could pick about a hundred fifty pounds a day when I's twelve. Israel +Roberts could pick five hundred a day. Us never got no money for pickin', +only food and clothes and a place to stay at night. Old man Jonas watched +us chillen and kept us divin' for dat cotton all de day long. Us wish him +dead many a time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De plantation had a hoss-power gin and some days our rows of cotton +tooked us right to de gin house and we'd look up and watch de slave boys +settin' on de lever and drivin' dem hosses round and round.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De cabins was log and mud and stick chimney. When one dem chimneys +catch fire us git on top and throw water on it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In summer us go barefoot, but dere shoemakers what make shoes for +winter. When a beef killed, de hide kept and cleaned and put in de +tannin' trough. When de leather ready, de shoes make in de little shoe +shop, and when dem shoes git dry dey hard as a rock. Daddy make us rub +tallow or fried grease meat or any other kind grease into dat hard shoe +leather, and it make dem soft, but when de dew and sun git on dem again +dey's hard again. Times de coyotes steal dem greased shoes and make off +with dem. Dat act'ly happen a lot of times.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old man Jack James work at day and have night school at night. He have +long boards for benches and let dem down by ropes from de rafters, and +have blue back spellers. He point to de letters with de long broom straw +and dat's how we larn our A B C's. I can read purty good, when my eyes +let me, but I can't write nothin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"If it rained we had to shuck and shell corn or pull weeds in de yard, +and it was a big one, too. De women spin thread for de looms, two of dem +and a spinnin' wheel in every cabin.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have beds de men make and take wore out clothes and breeches and +piece dem and stuff with cotton for quilts. When it cold us keep fire +all night long. De plates am tin and a big gourd dipper to drink water +with. De men make dere own cedar water pails.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De week's rations for a growed person run like three pounds bacon and a +peck cornmeal and some home-made 'lasses. No flour and no coffee, but us +parch bran or wheat and make coffee. Each night dey give a pint of sweet +milk. But de chillen all et in a special place in de kitchen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One mornin' Massa Washington call us all and he read from de big paper. +He say, 'You is free to live and free to die and free to go to de devil, +if you wants to.' He tell us if we gather he crops he'd pay us for it. +Den he turned and walked away and started cryin'. All de families stays +but one man. De highest price massa pay anybody was about $15.00, but +dat seem like a lot of money to folks what wasn't used to gittin' any +money at all.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Finally my folks moved on a farm on Onion Creek, in Travis County, on +rented land from Nat Watters and Dr. Shears, and farm on de third and +fourth. We stays about six years and raises cotton and corn.</p> +<p class="pnext">"But when I's twenty years old I marries Joe Walker and us move to +Bastrop County, add I stays dere till he dies in 1932. Us have eleven +chillen and nine of dem still livin'. I gits a pension, nine dollars de +month, and it sho' am a help now I's old and nearly blind."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="john-walton"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id90">John Walton</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">John Walton, 87, was born August 15, 1849, a slave of Bill Walton, who +lived in Austin, Texas, until the Civil War. He then purchased a farm in +Robertson County, Texas. John and his wife, Missouri, own a little home +at 1008 Juniper St., Austin. Each receives an old age pension of $10.00 +a month.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name am John Walton, yes, suh, and I's born right here in Austin. +Dat on de 15th day of August, in 1849. I done had de papers on dat but +where dey is now I don't know. Pappy's named Gordon Walton and I 'member +he die while de war goin' on, or jes' befo'. I disremember. My mammy was +a small woman, named Mary.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Bill Walton owns all us, and he de brother of Buck Walton, and us +live in Austin till it said de Yankees comin'. Some southern folks here +in Austin was diggin' ground for a fort, old Fort MacGruder, jes' south +of Austin. So Massa Bill takes us all 'way from Austin and up to +Robertson County, 'cause he done figured de Yankees can't git up dere.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I done field work up dere and even us kids had to pick 150 pounds +cotton a day, or git de whoppin'. Us puts de cotton in de white-oak +baskets and some dem hold more'n 100 pounds. It 'cordin' to de way you +stamps you cotton in. De wagon with de yoke of oxen standin' in de field +for to pour de cotton in and when it full, de oxen pulls dat wagon to de +hoss-power gin. Us gin'rally use 'bout 1,600 pounds cotton to make de +bale.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Purty soon after Massa Walton opens he farm he die and Missus Walton +den marries a Dr. Richardson and he git de overseer what purty rough on +us. He want all us to stay right in line and chop 'long and keep up with +de lead man. If us didn't it am de bullwhip. He ride up and down and hit +us over de back if us don't do de job right. Sometimes he'd git off he +hoss and have two slaves hold one down and give him de bullwhip. He'd +give it to him, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I helped break up de land and plant and chop cotton and a little of +everything. Jes' what had to be done at de time, I goes out and does it. +I run 'cross plenty snakes and one day one bit me right top de foot. +Dere plenty varmints, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In de fall of de year us kill plenty hawgs and put up de gamblin' racks +and hang dat meat up for de night. Dere some big dogs what watched de +meat and one old dog, old Jefferson, was bigger'n any dog I ever seed. +He kilt many 'nother dog. One night a big panther try steal de hawg meat +and old Jeff cotch him and helt him till de men comes. De panther tore +Jeff up purty bad. Us heered dem panthers scream at night, and if you +didn't know, you'd think it a woman. I could tell de diff'rence, 'cause +de panther scream have de little growl at de end. If he half mile 'way, +you'd hear dat little whang.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One night I goes out in de bottom with my dog. I was huntin' but I +don't like what I finds. A big panther follows me and old Nig, dat my +big, black bulldog, scart him 'way from me. I sho' run dat night, and I +never slip 'way no more at night.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa's big house sot 'way from our cabins. Us have de big room where +de slaves' meals all cook and de fireplace 'bout four foot 'cross and +plenty ashes in de mornin' to make de ashcakes. For breakfast us have +meat and ashcakes and bran-coffee or sassafras tea. You could keep dem +dried sassafras roots de year 'round and dey jes' as strong. Us plowed +'em up in de field, 'cause dey growed wild.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us didn't have time for de playin' of games durin' de week, 'cause it +dark when us goes out and it dark when us comes back. Us sho' was tired. +At night dat overseer walk by our cabins and call out to us, to see if +us all inside. If us don't answer he come up and find out why, and he'd +find us, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I larned to read and write a little jes' since freedom. Us used +Webster's old blue-back spellers and I has one in de house to dis day +and I wouldn't take nothing for it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The first year after freedom I farms with mammy and my stepdaddy. Pappy +done die. Us done purty good de first year and I keeps on farmin' most +my life. I marries Georgia Anne Harper in 1875 or 1876 in Limestone +County. Us have four chillen and three is livin'. I marries 'gain in +1882 to Missouri Fisher and us have eight chillen and six is livin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us gits 'long on what de state give us now, and it ain't so bad. Times +is diff'rent. I never done much but farm, so I don't know so much 'bout +everything what goes on."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="sol-walton"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id91">Sol Walton</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Sol Walton, 88, was born in Mobile, Alabama, a slave of Sam Lampkin. +Sol and his father stayed on the Lampkin Plantation, then in +Mooringsport, Louisiana, until 1873, and farmed on shares. From 1876 to +1922 Sol worked in the T.& P. shops, in Marshall, Texas. Sol and his +wife are supported by odd jobs Sol secures about town and they receive +money from a son who is in a CCC camp.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was knockin' round, a good-sized chap, way back yonder in +Buchanan's and Henry Clay's time. I was born in 1849, in Mobile, Alabama, +and belonged to Sam Lampkin. My father was bought by the Lampkins and +he allus kept the name of his first master, Walton. My mammy was a +Alabama Negro and her name was Martha, and I had four brothers and four +sisters, Robert, Jim, Richard, Alex, Anna, Dora, Isabella, Bettie.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My master was Sam Lampkin and his wife was Missus Mary, and +their first plantation was in Alabama, but they moved to Mississippi +when I was 'bout six, and we lived on Salt Water Creek. They had a big, +frame house and we lived in log quarters, slept on rough rail beds and +had plenty to eat, peas, pumpkins, rice and other truck we raised on the +place, and plenty of fish out of the creek.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The first work I done in slavery was totin' water and dinner +to the field hands, in gourd buckets. We didn't have tin buckets then. +The hands worked from sun to sun, and if the overseer seed 'em slackin' +up he cussed 'em and sometimes whacked 'em with a bullwhip. I seed 'em +whipped till their shirt stuck to their back. I seed my mammy whipped +for shoutin' at white folks meetin'. Old massa stripped her to the waist +and whipped her with a bullwhip. Heaps of 'em was whipped jus' 'cause +they could be whipped. Some owners half fed their hands and then whipped +them for beggin' for grub.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After our folks came in from the field they et supper and some went to +Salt Water Creek to cotch fish and crabs. They used to spin at night, +too. On Christmas Day massa allus give the slaves a little present, +mostly somethin' to wear, 'cause he goin' to git that anyhow.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa never had but one white overseer. He got kilt fightin'. The hands +was burnin' logs and trash and the overseer knocked a old man down and +made some of the niggers hold him while he bullwhipped him. The old man +got up and knocked the overseer in the head with a big stick and then +took a ax and cut off his hands and feet. Massa said he didn't ever want +another white overseer and he made my cousin overlooker after that.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The slaves had their own prayer meetin's and that's 'bout the biggest +pleasure they had. We'd slip off sometimes to dances and parties, but +the patterrollers come and run us home with hounds. The black and white +children all played together and there was 'bout sixty of us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The old folks told us ghost stories but I never seed a ghost but once, +after I was married. Me and some men was walkin' down the Shreveport +road and saw a big house all lit up and fiddlin' and dancin' goin' on +inside. But when we got close the music stops and the lights went out. +When we got on past a piece it lit up and the fiddlin' starts 'gain. I +wasn't scared, but we didn't hang round to see what made it do that way.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Some of the cullud folks on our place could read and write. They larned +it theyselves. The white folks didn't larn 'em. All they larned 'em was +to work hard. But they took care of us when we was sick and old women +made lots of medicine. There was boneset tea and willow tea and shuck +tea and cottonseed tea for chills and fever and Jerusalum Oak for worms.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id30"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Sol Walton" src="images/image128sol.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Sol Walton</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Master left Mississippi for Texas 'bout time the war got goin' good, +with his fam'ly and sixty slaves. We'd been on the road three weeks when +a gang of Yankees come on us one day at dinner. The niggers scatters +like birds. 'Bout half of 'em never come back, but the rest of us come +on and settled seven miles southwest of Mooringsport, in Louisiana. +Young master went to the war after we got there and come home sev'ral +times. But they didn't talk the war 'mongst us cullud folks.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Nothin' special happened the day they said we was free, 'cept some of +'em didn't stay ten minutes. Master told 'em if they'd stay he'd give +them the third and fourth. The ones who left wasn't promised nothin' and +didn't git nothin'. My folks stayed for 'most twenty years after +'mancipation, workin' on the halves.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I left my folks in '73 and come to Jimmie D. Scott's place, in Texas, +'bout eight miles east of Marshall, and worked for $10.00 the month. +That's where I met Liza Montecue, who is my wife. She was born on the +Scott's place the same year I was born. We moved to Marshall in '76 and +I got a job in the railroad shops and worked till the big strike in +1922. I didn't belong to the strike but the strikers wouldn't let me +work. After they run me off my job, I never could get back on and had to +make a livin' at anythin' I could find till my boy got in the CCC camp. +I been married sixty-four years and raised eight children, and three of +'em lives here and works at anythin' they can find to make a dollar."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="ella-washington"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id92">Ella Washington</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Ella Washington, 82, was born a slave of Dave Mann, in St. Mary's +Parish, Louisiana. When the slaves were freed in Louisiana Ella was +taken to Calvert, Texas, and put on the Barton plantation. Soon after +the civil war she came to Galveston, and lives with her daughter, who +supports herself and her mother by taking in washing.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"You got to 'scuse how I looks, 'cause I been out in de back +yard helpin' my daughter with de washin'. She allus fuss at me 'cause +I work like dat, but I tells her jes' 'cause I is a old woman ain't no +reason why I got to act like one.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I don't know for sho' jes' when I'm birthed, but my sister allus +say I's one year and six months older'n her and she say she's birthed +'bout 1857. Dey didn't make no record den like now. I thinks old massa, +Dave Mann, keep some kind record on us, but he been dead de long time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mammy and pappy was name Meine, Car'line and Charles Meine. +De slaves used to take de massa's name and sometimes when dey sold dey +drap de old name and take de new massa's name. Dat how come it so hard +to keep up with dem.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Mann sho' nice but him and he missy die and Massa Jim Ross +step into dere shoes on de plantation. Us gits swamp den. When you git +swamp dat mean you got to live with a mean man. He sho' was mean, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De plantation was big and 'bout a hundred slaves on it. Dey work dem +hard, too, sometimes till nine o'clock at night. A lot of dem run away +but dey sic de nigger dogs on dere trail and cotch dem. When dey cotch +dem dey whup dem. Dey put sticks in de ground and tie dere hands and +feet to dem. Some places dey strip dem naked and whip dem.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometimes Massa Jim 'low us go to de Catholic Church at Marion. Dey +wouldn't 'low us to pray by ourself. But we sneaks off and have pot +prayin'. Two men carry de great big hog pot dey uses to scald hogs and +take it out in de woods and us stick de head in it and pray. All de +noise go in de pot and you couldn't hear it outside.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old massa fed us good, meal and syrup and meat 'nough to last. He give +us watermelons every Sunday. But Massa Jim didn't 'lieve in pamperin' +niggers, he say. He didn't give us much to eat and de houses leak 'cause +de walls rotten.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One time he take de notion to sell us. He put my mother and me and +sister on de block up in Marion. Us all cryin' hard, 'cause us thunk us +gwine git sep'rate. Den I looks up sudden and right at my young miss, +Miss Mary. She so mad she pale like de ghost. She say, 'Ella, you git +'way from dat block and come over to me, and you too, Della.' Me and my +sister runs over dere to her and wrop ourself round her dress and hold +on with all our might. De massa come after us and Miss Mary say, 'What +you mean sellin' my slaves?' He say us slaves his and she say, do he +want to have to prove what he say. Den she start in and raise so much +sand he have to call mammy down off de block and take us back home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I heared everybody say a war goin' on and my uncle and cousin run 'way +to de head bureau, where de Yankees at. My mammy say it at Milligan, +Texas. Time dey ready for freedom in Louisiana, dey refugees us to +Texas, in de wagons. Us travel all day and half de night and sleep on +de ground. It ain't take us so long to git to Calvert, out dere in de +bottom of Texas, and dey puts us on de Barton plantation. We's diggin' +potatoes dere when de Yankees come up with two big wagons and make us +come out of de fields and free us. Dere wasn't no cel'bration 'bout it. +Massa say us can stay couple days till us 'cide what to do.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Well, den somethin' funny happen dere. De slaves all drinks out an old +well. Dey'd drink water in de mornin' and dey'd have de cramps awful bad +'bout dinner time and in de evenin' dey's dead. Dey dies like flies, so +fast dey couldn't make de coffins for dem. Dey jes' sew dem up in sacks +and bury dem dat way. Some de slaves say massa put de poison in de well. +I don't know what kill dem but it sho' look funny.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy and me goes to Calvert and hires out, but 'fore long us come to +Galveston and pappy go back to Louisiana. If he ain't dead he still live +dere in St. Mary's Parish. I never seen him no more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I marries 'bout 1886, and stays right here in Galveston. I seen Wright +Cuney lots of times but I ain't never knowed him to talk to. I 'member +when dey say he be governor some day, but dey ain't gwine have no cullud +man governor. Course, he did git to congress."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="rosa-washington"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id93">Rosa Washington</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Rosa Washington is 90 years old and lives in her own little adobe +house at 3911 Manzana St., El Paso, Texas. She was born a slave of the +Watson family, on a large plantation seven miles from St. Joe, +Louisiana. Her parents came from Georgia. After the Civil War she left +her former owners, but later returned and was with them until they died. +She came to Texas in 1921, and her three children provide for her. Her +son, Le Roy, has been in the U.S. Emigration service in El Paso for 27 +years.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name's Rosa Washington and my husban' was Joe Washington. He's been +dead a long time. I was bo'n on a big plantation, white man's name Bill +Watson, wife Ann Watson, seven miles from St. Joe. Mama had four chillen +and I had seven. Marster had a fine house and plenty of slaves. I dunno +how many.</p> +<p class="pnext">"'Fore we was free we was in the fiel' workin' and they come out and got +us. Everybody threw up their hands and started to run. The Yanks busted +open a sugar hogshead and give everybody all they wanted. Dey threw all +de milk away and dey carried our marster away by force and tuk him to +jail in Vicksburg. Our missus wept. When the Yankees got us, dey tuk us +about three miles from whar we live, put us in a fine house, give us +plenty to eat until war's ended. Me and my chillen and my father and +mother were together there.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We had a good cabin on the plantation, made out-a planks, ole rip-rap +plunder. Dey treated us good. I worked in water garden, worked in fiel's +when 10 years old. Hoe'd my row every day. Dey didn' whop me, though. My +mistress wouldn' let 'em. Marsa and missus good to me. I not tell lie +on 'em. Tell truf. Truf shines.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed niggers put in stocks, put 'em in stocks head in fust. Tear +their clothes off backs, whop till sores come, den dey pour coal oil and +turpentine in sores. I see dat with my own eyes. My dad druv the +carriage, carried 'em 'round all time. My mother worked in the fiel' +like I do. Work every day. Dey give us everything to eat. Marster and +missus, too, give plenty, but if ole cow died with cholera, they give to +us niggers. I got good shoes once a year. When marster went to New +Orleans, mama had to tie my feet up in rags. I had to work with the rest +of 'em. Got up at 4 o'clock. We he'ped on other plantations when dey'd +git behind. Go he'p 'em out.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I waited on overseers table, Joe Crusa. He was mean. He stuck a fork in +my head. Ole Aunt Clarissie cooked for us. She cook in cabin for us, had +big fireplace. She cook for all niggers on the place. She was mean to +me, never married. She had two rooms, all she do was cook, tell lies on +me to white overseer. That woman told a lie on me 'cause said I lef' a +fork dirty. He look at it, says, 'Who rubbed dis fork?' Woman says, +'Rosa,' and he stuck the fork in my head. Missus turn him off nex' day.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We had co'nbread, no sugar, plenty okra and coffee; plenty milk, 'cause +they had 17 cows. They give us clabber and peaches. Every day overseer +blow horn in yard to wake us up, a bugle at four o'clock Sundays. We +take cotton outta fiel' and put it up on scaffold to dry iffen it rain. +Overseer sit in dry, big overcoat on; we work in mud and rain. One +mornin' they carried us to stockhouse to whip us. My missus and marster +never let 'em whip me, but no white folks he'p me to read and write. +He'p me to do nothin' but work.</p> +<p class="pnext">"White folks had church. I couldn' go. I hadda mind the white chillen +every Sunday. Cullud people had to go way back in woods to have church. +Never let white folks see 'em. Had to slip and hide to have our church, +run like deer if foun' out. Marster never know a bit more'n this chair +whar we was gwine. He couldn' ask us on Sunday, it be against the law. +Iffen niggers run away, dogs 'ud catch 'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey had doctor right dere. Kep' us well. Kep' us well so's we could +work. Brother-in-law to marster.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When the niggers was married, dey put a broom down and dey jump over +the broom, same time missus and marster'd marry 'em. He'd marry 'em and +she as witness. Sometimes celebrate. She'd cook 'em some cake, give 'em +a fine dress. We'd take meat and skillets down to the bar on Sundays. +Had fish frys. Wouldn' take no fussy chillen to the bar. We chillen +would have fish fry whar dey couldn't watch us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Had to go to gin at four o'clock in evenin'. Couldn' play week-days, +had to go in cabin and be still. Never got to play much till Yankees +come and got us, but we had a big ball and dance in yard Christmas. Had +candy, dey give us dresses and socks and a good feast for Christmas. +Give us things for 4th of July. Dey give us dat day. No, dey wouldn' +whip us dat day. We had a big quiltin' Christmas day. We'd piece de +quilts outta scraps. Some couldn' quilt. Dey'd dance in de yard all day.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We niggers got wool clothes in winter, good clothes woven on de place. +Marster had black sheep and white sheep. He bought our summer clothes in +New Orleans—linsey, calicy, plaid, some white ones. Dey'd give us color +what we like.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id31"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Rosa Washington" src="images/image134rosa.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Rosa Washington</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Sure, I seed ghosts. Dey come with no head, come outta de fiel' one +night so late, 'bout eight, nine o'clock. I was scared, yes, suh, I sure +was scared, but my mammy say, 'Dey ain' goin' to hurt you, baby.' Dey +scare me. My mammy give me beads for my neck, china-berry beads to keep +me well. They's pretty. I never had no other kind.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We never git no money befo' freedom. I stay away from Marster and +missus de first year, den go back. Dey give us 50¢ a day after war. Had +to pay for rations. Better since war, though. No whippin's goin' on like +they did 'fore.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I'se a full Baptist—been ever since '67. I'se happy. Sometimes I gits +too happy. I don' move till de spirit move me. I goes to church when +I'se able. But I'se gittin' too old to go now—I'se just waitin' to go +home."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="sam-jones-washington"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id94">Sam Jones Washington</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Sam Jones Washington, 88, was born a slave of Sam Young, who owned a +ranch along the Colorado River, in Wharton Co., Texas. Sam was trained +to be a cowhand, and worked for his master until 1868, receiving wages +after he was freed. He farmed until 1905, then moved to Fort Worth and +worked in the packing plants until 1931. He lives at 3520 Columbus Ave., +Fort Worth, and is supported by an $11.00 per month old age pension, +supplemented by what Sam raises in his garden and makes out of a few +hogs.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"How old I is? I's 16 year when surrender come. I knows dat, +'cause of massa's statement. All us niggers gits de statement when +surrender come. I's seed plenty slave days.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Young run de small farm 'long de Colorado River and him +don't own many slaves. Dere my mammy and her six chillen, and Majoria +and her four chillens. My pappy am not on de place. I don't know my +pappy. Him am what dey calls de travelin' nigger. Dey have him come +for service and when dey gits what dey wants, he go back to he massa. +De womens on Massa Young place not married.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa raise jes' a little cotton, dat two womens and de chillen +could tend to, and some veg'tables and sich. Us have lots of good +food. Us sleep in de sleepin' room, nex' to massa's house, but I sleeps +in massa's room.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One night massa say, 'Don't tie my hoss to de stake tonight.' +But I's sleepy and gits de nodfies and draps off to sleep. Mammy shake +me and say, 'Did you stake de hoss?' Massa sees dat hoss in de mornin' +and say, 'You done stake dat hoss and I told you not to.' He gives me +couple licks and I larns to do what I's told. He never whip nobody, +not de hard whippin' like other niggers gits. He am de good massa.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I fust runs errands and den massa larn me to ride, soon's I could sit +de hoss. Den I stays out with de cattle mos' de time and I's tickled. I +sho' likes to ride and rope dem cattle and massa allus fix me up with +good clothes and good hoss and good saddle. I stays dere till long after +surrender.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have stampedes from de cattle. Dat am cust'mary with dem critters. +Dat mean ride de hoss to turn de cattle. Us ride to side de leader and +crowd him and force him to turn, and keep forcin' him, and by and by dem +critters am runnin' in de circle. Dat keep dem from scatterment. Dat +sho' dangerous ridin'. If de hoss throw you off dem cattle stamp you to +death. Gabriel sho' blow he horn for you den!</p> +<p class="pnext">"I sho' 'joys dat business, 'cause we'uns have de good time. Us go to +town and have fun. One time I comes near gittin' in trouble, but it +ain't my fault. I's in town and massa, too, and a white man come to me +and him show de drink. 'Who you 'long to, nigger?' he say. 'I's Massa +Young's nigger,' I says, polite-like. 'You looks like de smart nigger +and I's de notion smack you one,' he say. 'You better not smack me any,' +I says. You unnerstand, dat de way massa raise me. I don't unnerstand +some cruel white mens gits de arg'ment, jus' for de chance to shoot de +nigger. Massa am standin' near by and him come up and say, 'If you +touches dat nigger, I'll put de bullet through you.' Dat man see massa +have no foolishment in he words and gits gwine. But if massa am not +dere, Gabriel blow he horn for dis nigger's Jubilee, right den, yes, +sar.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id32"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Sam Jones Washington" src="images/image138sam.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Sam Jones Washington</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I comes near gittin' cotched by de patterrollers once. I's jus' 12 den +and 'nother nigger and me, us want some cane stalk. It good to eat raw, +you knows. Jus' peel de bark off and chew dat inside. Well, we'uns in de +man's cane patch, breakin' dem stalks and dey makes de poppin' noise. A +patterroller come by and hear dat poppin', and holler, 'Who's dere in de +cane patch?' Us didn't answer him, no, sar. I 'cides right quick dat I +don't like cane and I comes 'way from dat patch. I outsmarts and outruns +dat patterroller. I keeps to de cane fields and de woods and I runs dis +way and dat way. I twists 'round so he couldn't follow my tracks. Like +de snake's track, you can't tell if it am gwine north or comin' back. +Lawd a'mighty! How fast I runs. I stays 'head of my shadow. I tells you, +I's a-gwine!</p> +<p class="pnext">"De war? White man, we'uns didn't know dere am de war. We seed some +sojers at de start, but dat all. One day massa say to me, 'After dis, +you gits $15.00 de month wages. I works for him three more years and den +he sold out. Den I goes farmin' till 1905. I works in de packin' plants +here in Fort Worth den, till I's wore out, 'bout six year ago. Now I +raises de hawgs, not very many, and does what work I can git. Dat +pension from de State sho' holps me. With dat and de hawgs and de little +garden I gits by, and so I lives.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Was I ever marry? Man, man, three time. Fust time, 'bout 1869 and +we'uns gits de seperment in 1871. Dat woman sho' deal me mis'ry! She am +de troublin' woman. Den 'bout 1873 I marries 'gain and she die 'fore +long. Den in 1905 I marries 'gain and she's dead, too. I never has de +chillen. I's jus' 'lone and old now, and stay here till my time comes. I +'spect it quite a spell yit, 'cause I's got lots of substance left, yes, +sar."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="william-watkins"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id95">William Watkins</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">William Watkins, born 1850, to Julia and Hudson Watkins. All were +slaves on the Watkins plantation where William was born, on the edge of +Charlotte County, Virginia. William is tall, heavy set, and does not +look his age. He lives with William Branch, who came from an adjoining +county in Virginia. Both men served in the same campaigns in the United +States Army.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name is William Watkins. De name comes frum de name of Terbaccer +Watkins, who owned de Watkins Terbaccer Plantation. He got a factory in +Richmond and de plantation in Charlotte County in Virginia, 'bout 50 +mile east of Richmond. Marse Watkins got a big frame house and 400 acres +and 100 acres is terbaccer. Yassuh, dey's other crops—barley, wheat, +oats, and den dey's stock—hogs, cows, hosses and mules.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We lives in log cabins wid plank floors and we made de beds ourself. +Dey feeds us good and we gits milk and bread and lotsa pork. Marse +Watkins got lotsa hawgs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Yassuh, we's got a church. De slaves built it in de woods. We never got +no wages but sometimes he give us four bits or six bits. What we do wid +it? We buys candy. Sometimes we run de rabbits or goes fishing. De +Marster gives us lil' patches of groun'. He's good but de overseer's +rough. He whips all de slaves.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey's a patrol what watches for slaves dat runs away, but we don't have +no patrol on our plantation. We has dances Sat'day nights. Sundays we +didn't wuk much.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey's ghosts dere—we seed 'em. Dey's w'ite people wid a +sheet on 'em to scare de slaves offen de plantation. We wears charms +to keep us well. Dere's asafoetida in a bag and we wear's it roun' de +neck. It cure most ev'ryting. When we gits real sick, dey sends medicine +frum de big house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Ev'ry year de slave traders comes and de Marster sells some slaves down +river to New Orleans. Who dey sell? Jes' no count slaves. Dey walks all +de way. De traders dey rides in ox-carts. We never wuk much Sundays, +only to milk de cows. Jes' dat. Yessuh, I was married on de plantation. +De preacher say de words and we's married.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Den de war come and de Yankees come down thick as leaves. Dey burns de +big house and de slave houses and ev'ryting. Dey turns us loose. We +ain't got no home nor nuthin' to eat, 'cause dey tells us we's free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We's gotta leave de plantation. De Marster's gone, de crops is gone, de +stock's gone. We goes to anudder place and works on shares. De first +time we sees de Ku Klux is right after de war. Dey whips de slaves what +leaves de plantations, dey don' wan' dem to be free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Bout 1870 I goes to Ohio and enlists in de army at Jefferson Barracks +and right off dey sends us to Texas to fight Indians. I goes to San +Antonio and dey puts me on guard at de Alamo to fight off de Indians. +Den I goes to Fort Davis. I'm in de cullud Indian Scouts, Co. K, and +dey's a banker name of Miller in de Chihuahua jail. One night de kuhnel +takes us from Fort Davis, and we marches all night wid guns and 150 +rounds of ammunition in belts, and rations for 30 days. We marches all +night long twel we gits to Del Norte, Texas(Presidio) and we crosses de +river and takes Mr. Miller out of jail.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id33"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="William Watkins" src="images/image141william.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +William Watkins</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"While we's at Fort Davis a wagon train comes through de canyon and de +Apaches rolls big rocks down on de white people and kills 26 of dem. +Dey scalps all dey kills and we go out and fit de Apaches. De +lieutenant is killed in de fight. Yassuh, we fit Apaches all de time and +when we goes to Fort Concho dey gives us a fit all 'long de road. Den we +fitten de Cheyennes and dey is wust of all. Dey's great big Indians +'bout seven feet tall and at de battle of de Wichita in de Indian +Territory a Cheyenne shoots an arrer through my wrist. (He exhibited the +scar. Same battle described in interview with Wm. Branch.)</p> +<p class="pnext">"Den after my wound heals we's sent to Fort Clark and de sergeant, Jeff +Walker, got it in for me. Kuhnel Andrews is at Fort Davis and Jeff +Walker trumps up some charges dat I'se mistrusted, so dey gives me a +dishonnuble discharge 'cause of dat Jeff Walker. I ain't had no court +martial nor no trial and I cain't git no pension 'count of de +dishonnuble discharge.</p> +<p class="pnext">"And now I'se strong and well but I cain't git no wuk 'cause I'se so +ole. And 'cause Jeff Walker didn't like me, I gits a dishonnuble +discharge."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="dianah-watson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id96">Dianah Watson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Dianah Watson, 102, was born a slave of Tom Williams, at New Orleans. +In 1870, Dianah went to Jefferson, Texas. She now lives with a married +daughter in the Macedonia Community, five miles northwest of Marshall, +Tex.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"My name am Dianah Watson and I used to keep my age, but I done got sick +and can't 'member it now. I can't say 'zactly how old I is but I's a +past-growed woman when the war broke out, and my old missy's daughter +done told me once out the book I's borned in 1835.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's borned and bred 'bout a half mile from New Orleans. My mammy was +s*arah Hall and she's borned in Galveston, and my papa was Bill +Williams. My old missy done take me from my mammy when I's a small baby +and raised me to a full-growed woman. I slep' in the same room with my +young missy and had a good time in slavery, didn't suffer for nothin' +and never was cut and slashed like some. Me and Miss Laura come right up +together and I's her own nigger slave.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Williams treated his black folks with 'spect. They was in the +field from 'fore day till dark, but they was took good care of and fed +and plenty clothes. Old Master Tom done the bossin' hisself and when +he's dyin' he calls all his five boys to his bed and say, 'Boys, when +I's gone, I don*t want no cuttin' and slashin' my niggers. They's got +feelin' same as us.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"But the oldes' boy, William, got the debbil in him and hires a +overseer, and he rid in the fields with a quirt and rope and chair on +his saddle. When he done take a notion to whip a nigger, he'd make some +the men tie that nigger to the chair and beat him somethin' scand'lous. +He got mad at my mother's sister, Aunt Susie Ann, and beat her till the +blood run off her on the ground. She fall at his feets like she passed +out and he put up the whip and she trips him and gits the whip and whips +him till he couldn't stand up. Then some the niggers throwed him off a +cliff and broke his neck. His folks gits the sheriff but master's boys +orders him off the place with a gun. There warn't no more overseers on +the place after that.</p> +<p class="pnext">"If niggers of these days done see what I seed in slavery time they'd +pray and thank they Gawd every day. My master's place sot right 'cross +the big road from a place they cut and slashed they niggers. You'd hear +that white man's black folks bellerin' like cows. I's stood many a time +on our front gallery and seed them cut and slash the blood off them +niggers. I seed old women half-bent from beatin's goin' to the field. +They overseer had a wooden paddle with nails in it. I used to say to +missy, 'Why they cuttin' and slashin' them black folks that-a-way?' +Missy say, 'Dianah, that there white man got the debbil in him.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed them sell my mama. I ask my old missy why and she say, 'To go to +her husband.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"When the war broke out I's a full-growed woman. New Orleans was full of +sojers and they wouldn't let us go to town. Me and young Mr. Tom used to +git on the roof and watch them. The cannons was roarin' like thunder and +smoke thick and black as clouds. I got scart when they sot the niggers +free, at the niggers shoutin'. I didn't know what 'twas for. Old Miss +say to me, 'They been in slavery but you don't know what slavery is, +Dianah.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Two years after that my old miss carries me to Galveston to my mammy. +She tell her to take good care of me and we lived there three years and +moved to Jefferson. Our things come by boat but we come in wagons. I +married John Smith purty soon after that but he died 'fore long. Then I +married Noah Watson and now he's dead. I done raise six chillen but only +one am livin' now and that's my younges' gal and I lives with her here.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I tells the young race iffen they come up like me they wouldn't act so +smart. They needs somebody to take the smartness outten them. But my gal +am good to me. I gits a pension and pays it to her to take care of me. I +been here a hundred years and more and I won't stay much longer, and I +don't want to be no 'spense to nobody."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="emma-watson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id97">Emma Watson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Emma Watson, born in 1852 or 1853, in Ellis Co., Texas, was one of the +slaves of the Carl Forrester family. Emma worked in the fields most of +her life, but is now too old to work, and is cared for by her daughter. +They live at 318 Allen St., Dallas, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I axed my old missus when I's borned and she rec'lect I'm +eight or nine year old when de freedom war starts. She say she don't +make recall de 'xact time, but I takes May for a birthin' time. They's +a time when some sich was writ in de Bible, but it got burnt up 'fore +I's ageable. I knows where I'm borned, though, and it am on Capt. +Forrester's farm in Ellis County. His mother, Miss Susan, raises me +like she am my mammy. I calls her Sis Sue. She was old miss and +Miss Lee was young miss.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My paw, I don't know nothin' 'bout. My sister Anna and me, +us have de same paw, but my mammy's sold out of Miss'sippi 'way from my +paw 'fore my birthin'. My maw kept de name of Lucindy Lane, but Martha +and Jennie, my other sisters, had diff'rent paws.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's gone through so much of hard times all my life, but when I's de +li'l gal I didn't have much to do 'cept tend my Aunt Matilda's babies +and wash they clothes. The rest the time I jes' plays round. Miss Lee +have a china doll with a wreath of roses round it head. We takes turns +playin' with it. I had a rag doll, and it jes' a bundle of rags with +strings tied round it to give it a shape. Us make playhouses. Capt. +Forrester goes away and I heared he gone to some war, but, law me, I +didn't know 'bout war den.</p> +<p class="pnext">I's jus' glad to play and eat anythin' I can git. When I git a tin can +of clabber and some bread, that's what I wanted. They didn't buy no +dishes for nigger young'uns to break up. Us et bacon and beef and salt +pork and cornbread with us fingers. Mussel shells is what we dipped +'stead of spoons. I did love de souse, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I had de chills, Sis Sue, dat Old Miss, come out to de quarters +and give me sweet milk boiled with pepper. I got shut of dem chills +'cause I didn't like dat pepper tea, but I like it better'n quinine or +sage tea. I didn't like to be sick noways, 'cause dey jus' two +bedsteads, one for my mammy and my step-paw, and one for us gals.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They allus promise me they'll larn me to read and write, but never did +git to dat. Aunt Matilda did most de spinnin' and weavin' and sewin'. I +used to wear a shimmy and a dress in de week and a clean one for Sunday. +In winter sometimes us have a li'l sacque and homemake calfskin shoes +but mostly us have to stay inside iffen de weather ain't mod'rate.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De only frolics I 'member was candy pullin's on Christmas. Dat all us +niggers knowed 'bout Christmas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day Miss Tilda git de buggy whip to whip my mammy. It's noontime, +and dey had blowed de horn for de field niggers to come eat. Maw grabs +de whip and says, 'Miss Tilda, you ain't gwine do dat.' Miss Tilda +didn't say nothin' for a day or two, den she say, 'Lucindy, you git your +young'uns and leave dis place.' So us goes walkin' down de road till us +come to some folk's house and dey takes us in. Us dere 'bout a month +when mammy git sick. Dem folks sends word to de Forresters dere niggers +am sick and Sis Sue hitch up de hoss and come over. She brung food for +us every day, and say, 'Now, Lucindy, when you git able you bring your +young'uns on home and 'have yourself.' My mammy dies when I's 'bout ten +year old.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id34"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Emma Watson" src="images/image147emma.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Emma Watson</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"After Capt. Forrester come back home dey tell us to watch out for de +Feds. Sis Sue say dey kill nigger young'uns. One day I's comin' through +de fields and see three men in blue coats on big bay hosses. I ran, but +dey passes me by big as you please. I seed plenty after dat, 'cause dey +come and asks for corn and Sis Sue allus say us don't have 'nough for de +hosses. But dat night de corn allus leave de cribs. Dem Feds was sho' +thievin' folks.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I stays with de Forresters till I's 22 year old, and dey give me food +and clothes, but never no money. Sis Sue used to say, 'Come here, you +li'l old free nigger.' It make me so mad. But den I marries and have de +swiss white dress and us walk 'cross de fields to de preachers. Dat +every bit of fixin' us have.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Den us raise crops on de half-shares and sot up housekeepin' with a +bedstead, some quilts and a li'l old stove. I has four young'uns and +every one of dem had schoolin' and larnin'."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="james-west"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id98">James West</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">James West, 83, was born a slave to Mr. William West, near Ripley, in +Tippah Co., Mississippi. This was close to the battle fought near +Corinth and James witnessed some exciting events. In 1885 James came to +Texas and now lives with a friend at 1114 Hardy St., Fort Worth, +Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes, suh, I 'members de slavery days and de War, 'cause I's born in +1854, on de plantation of Massa William West, in Mississip'. It weren't +a big plantation, jus' 'bout 100 acres, and Massa West owned my mammy +and four other slaves, Buck, Sam, Rufus and Mary. I don't know nothin' +'bout my pappy, 'cause I ain't never seed him, and my mammy never told +me nothin' of him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All us cullud folks lived in cabins and they has two rooms. De bunks is +built to de wall and has straw ticks and we has floors and real windows.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sam and Buck and Rufus am field workers and plants cotton and sich and +looks after de stock. Sometimes de work is heavy and sometimes not. When +it am finish, de massa lets 'em go fishin' or visitin' or rest. We goes +to church when we wants and we has parties with Sam and Rufus to play de +music, de fiddle and de banjo. How I wishes I could be back dere for +jus' one year and have it like befo'. Jus' one year befo' I die!</p> +<p class="pnext">"We has a good massa in every way. Him gives all we can eat. Folks don't +eat like we used to, 'cause we had home-cured hams, and when you put it +in your mouth, it was a treat for your taster. As for de clothes, massa +say, 'De 'terial here and if yous don't supply yourselves, its yous +fault.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere never anyone what gits whippin's on massa's place, 'cept +dis nigger, but dey only spankin's. You see, dere was allus a bit of +devilment in me. But de massa so good, we all tries to please him and +we has no whippin's.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De massa gives me a he goat and de shoemaker makes me de harness and +cart for dat goat and when I gits him trained good, I has a job gittin' +de chips for kindlin' and de wood and I totes de water. One day I takes +Billy, de goat, 'cross de road for wood and it downhill from de woodpile +so I jus' rides de load. Billy was gwine jus' as nice as yous kin like, +but him says BAAH, and starts to run like a skeert bull. I thinks what +kin be wrong with dat fool goat, when somethin' hits me back of de neck +like a coal of fire, and de cart hits a rock and off I goes. To says I's +skeert am not tellin' de truf, and I starts hollerin'. It was de bee +stung me and when I gits to de house I looks Billy over and, sho' +'nough, on his hip was de bee sting. Dat bee sting sho' put de life in +Billy.</p> +<p class="pnext">"'bout de War time, de plantation was near whar dey fights a battle two +days and I seed lots of soldiers. Before dat, de soldiers begins to come +to massa's house and water de hosses and eat de lunch. Dey never did +raid his place like other places 'round dere, but I hides when dey +comes, 'cause I skeert of dem. I quavers and gits skeert when I sees +'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We is jus' settin' down to breakfast one mornin' and we hears a big +boomin'. When dat start, dis nigger don't eat his breakfast. I starts +for some place to hide. I runs to one place, den I hears de boom, den I +runs to another place. I finally crawls under de shed and dere I stays. +Dey couldn't git me out and dere I stays for dat day and night and 'til +noon de nex' day. I has no water or food. Lots of folks from Ripley what +massa knows was kilt in dat battle.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Buck and I goes to de battleground after de fightin' quits and dere was +heaps of dead hosses but dey had dug de trench and buried de dead +soldiers.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id35"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="James West" src="images/image150james.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +James West</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I don' know about de Klux, but we use to sing a song 'bout de +patter rollers, like dis,</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Run nigger run, patter roller kotch you,</div> +<div class="line"> +Run nigger run, 'cause it almos' day,</div> +<div class="line"> +Dat nigger run, dat nigger flew,</div> +<div class="line"> +Dat nigger los' his Sunday shoe.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"I stays with de massa after freedom 'til I's 21 year old and den I +leaves and works for diff'runt folks. I marries in Tennessee when I's 22 +and we has one chile, but my wife takes him when he's five and leaves, +and I never seen or heard of 'em since. I comes to Texas 'bout 52 year +ago.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I has 'joyed talkin' 'bout dem old days, 'cause talk am all I kin do +since my legs have de misery so bad."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="adeline-white"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id99">Adeline White</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Adeline White, 90 odd years old, was born at Opelousas, Louisiana, a +slave of Dr. Bridget. She lives with her daughter, Lorena, in Beaumont, +Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's born at Opelousas and my massa and missis was Dr. Bridget +and his wife. They was mean and they beat us and put the hounds after +us. They beat the little ones and the big ones and when massa ain't +beatin' his wife is. It am continual. My pappy call Thomas Naville and +my mammy 'Melia Naville. They was born in Virginia. I had four brothers +and two sisters, all dead now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Like I says, old massa sho' whip us and when he whip he put +us 'cross a barrel or chain us and stake us out with a rope. We didn't +have much to eat and not much clothes. They weave us clothes on the +loom and make the dress like a sack slip over the head.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Our cabin wasn't so bad, made of logs with dirt 'tween the logs. +The chimney make out of sticks and dirt and some windows with a wooden +shutter and no glass in 'em. Massa give 'em lumber and paint to make +things for the house and they have homemake bed and table and benches to +sit on.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa have the hoss power cotton gin and a hoss power sugar cane mill, +too. Us work hard all day in the gin and the sugar cane mill and doesn't +have no parties nor fun. Sometimes in the evenin' us git together and +talk or sing low, so the white folks won't hear.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id36"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Adeline White" src="images/image153adeline.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Adeline White</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I 'member going through the woods one time and seein' somethin' black +come up 'fore me. It must a been a ghost. I got a boy call' Henry what +live in Welch and he kin see ghosties all the time. He jus' look back +over he lef' shoulder and see plenty of 'em. He say they has a warm heat +what make him sweat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old massa didn't go to the war and his boys was too little. We jus' +heared about the war and that it was goin' to free us. In the night us +would creep out way in the woods and have the prayer meetin', prayin' +for freedom to come quick. We has to be careful for if massa find out he +whip all of us, sho'. We stays nearly all night and sleeps and prays and +sleeps and prays. At las' we hears freedom is on us and massa say we are +all free to go, but if we stay he pay us some. Most of us goes, for that +massa am sho' mean and if we doesn't have to stay we wouldn't, not with +that massa.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We scatters and I been marry twice. The first man was Eli Evans in +Jennings, in Louisiana and us have six chillen. The second man he James +White but I has no more chillen. Now I lives with my gal what called +Lorena and she make me happy. She sho' good to her old mammy, what ain't +much good no more."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="sylvester-sostan-wickliffe"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id100">Sylvester Sostan Wickliffe</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Sylvester Sostan Wickliffe, of Ames, Texas, was born in St. Mary's +Parish, Louisiana, in 1854. A free-born Negro, Wickliffe tells an +interesting story about his life and that of his uncle, Romaine Vidrine, +who was a slave-holder. Wickliffe has a nicely furnished home in +Beaumont, and two of his children have been to college.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's what dey call a free-born nigger. Its a long story how dat come +about, but I can tell you.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Three Frenchmen come to Louisiana from France. In three generations dey +mix with Indians and Negroes. Dey high-born Frenchmen and 'cumulate +plenty property. Before dey die dey make 'greement 'mongst demselves. +When one die de property go to de other two; de last one livin' git all +three plantations and all dat's on dem. It so happen dat old man +Vidrine's daddy live longes', so he git it all. But he so good he divide +up and my daddy gits forty acres good land. My daddy's greatgrandpapa +was one dem first three Frenchmen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My daddy was Michael and mama was Lucy and dey a whole passel chillen, +Frances, Mary, Clotilde, Astasia and Tom, Samuel, Gilbert and Edward. My +daddy was part Indian and I had some half-brothers and sisters what wore +blanket and talk Indian talk. Dey used to come see daddy and set round +and talk half de night and I never understan' a word dey sayin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mama didn't have no Indian blood in her, but she born in Louisiana and +a right purty, brown-skin woman, probably some French or Spanish in her.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My uncle, Romaine Vidrine, de son of old man Vidrine, he have de +bigges' property. He was a slave-holder. Dey was a number niggers in +Louisiana what owned slaves. Romaine, he have 'bout thirty-eight. Dey +was a big dif'ence make 'tween slave niggers and owner niggers. Dey so +much dif'ence as 'tween white folks and cullud folks. My uncle wouldn't +'low slave niggers to eat at de same table with him or with any of us +free-born niggers.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Folks come down from de noth sometimes and mistook de slave for de +owner or de owner for de slave. My uncle was sech a purty, bright man, +he must of been a quadroon. He had long burnsides and a long tail coat +all de time. He was very dignified. He was good to all he slaves, but +when he say work, he mean work. He ain't never 'low none de slaves be +familiar with him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De old Romaine house was a old*fashioned house make out of cypress. Dat +everlastin'. It come to a peak on top and dere was one big room what run +de whole length in de back and dat de sleepin' room for all de li'l +chillen. De growed-up folks have sleepin' rooms, too. Dey have a cook +shack outside. It a sep'rate house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us live in a purty good house not very far from de big house. Dey have +what dey calls a private school. It was kep' by my uncle. Only de +free-born niggers went to it. De older ones educated in French and de +young ones in French and 'merican, too. After de war dey hire a white +man named William Devoe to be teacher. He educate de chillen to de third +gen'ration. He come to Texas with me and die 'bout five years ago.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When a couple want to git marry on de old Romaine place, uncle sent for +de priest from St. Martin. Dey wasn't no priest round Franklin or what +dey call New Iberia later. When I's most a growed boy de priest come +baptise 'bout forty of us. He use de water* out uncle's cistern for de +ceremony. When us goin' down de road to de baptisin' dey's a squirrel +run 'cross de road and us chillen all broke and run to cotch it. Law, +dat jus' 'bout scare my old godmother to death. She took so much pain +dat us all nice and clean and 'fraid us git dirty. Her name was Nana +Ramon Boutet and she live here in Ames settlement for many year. Us +laugh many time 'bout dat squirrel.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey used to call us de free Mulattoes from 'cross de bayou. De nearest +town was Pattersonville and it five mile away. Now dey calls de +settlement Vidrinville for old man Romaine Vidrine. De plantation +suppor' a grist mill and a raw sugar mill. Dey make de sugar dark, big +grain, 'cause dey ain't no 'finery in dem days. Dey put de sugar in big +five hunerd pound hogshead and take it by boat down de Teche to New +Orleans and sell it. Dey use de money to buy coffee and cotton. Us +didn't raise cotton. I never see no cotton till I's a big boy and come +to Fort LaFayette.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De grist mill was built 'way from de house. Dey have a long lever what +stand out de side and hitch hosses with a rawhide belt to make de mill +turn. Us folks all raise rice. Not like now, Lawdy, no. Dey jes' plant +rice in rows like corn and cultivate it like any other crop. Dey wasn't +no irrigation ditch. After de rice harves' dey put it in a mortar make +out a cypress log or block and knock de roughness off de rice with de +pestle.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Every fall us go huntin' deer round Chicimachi Lake. Dey calls it Grand +Lake now, but de reg'lar Indian name am Chicimachi. Dere was a tribe of +Indians by dat name. Dey wasn't copper skin, but more yaller like.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When war commence it purty hard on folks. Us see soldiers comin' 'cross +de bayou in blue suits. Dey raid de sugar mill and take de livestock and +foodstuff on de Pumphrey place. Dey have a awful battle five mile away. +Dat at Camp Boesland, on de Teche. Dat a awful battle! My brother go +dere next day and see soldiers standin' up dead 'gainst trees with dey +bay'nets still sot.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De Confed'rates come and took all de slaves to build de fort at +Alexandria. When dey come to de Romaine place dey see niggers, and ain't +know which free and which slaves. Dey line my daddy up with deothers, +but a white man from town say, 'Dat a good, old man. He part Indian and +he free. He a good citizen. He ain't s'pose do work like dat.' So dey +didn't take him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De Yankees damage de Romaine property 'siderable. Dey take a whole year +crop of sugar and corn and hosses. Afterwards dey pass a law and de +gov'ment 'low money for dat. It was 'bout twenty year before dey git de' +money, but dey git it. Romaine and he heirs git $30,000 for dem damages.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After war over, old man Romaine tell he slaves dey free now. But he +say, 'You is most born right here and iffen you is bright you stay right +here.' Dey all did stay. But dey ain't never git to jine with de +free-born. Dey still make a dif'ence.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After freedom I 'cide to larn a trade. I 'prentice myself to de +blacksmith trade for clothes and board. I larn all I can in three year +and quit and open a shop on Bayou Tortue, 'tween St. Martin and +Lafayette. I charge $2.00 for to shoe a hoss all de way round. Den I +beat plows, build two-wheel buggy and hack. I make sweepstocks and +Garrett and Cottman plow. Dat after de time of de wood mould boards. I +make mine with metal.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I come to Texas in 1890, to Liberty, and been right round dere and Ame +for forty-seven year. I start me a gin and blacksmith shop when I first +come. I marry in Houston to Epheme Pradia, 'nother free-born nigger, and +I still marry to her after forty-seven year. Dat a good long hitch. We +have seven chillen, all livin'. One gal went to de Catholic church +school in Galveston. One boy go to Pradeau University in New Orleans. +Dey two blacksmith, one farmer, one good auto mechanic and de three gals +keeps house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member lots of songs us sing in French but I can't give 'merican for +dem. I know de song, <em class="italics">LaLoup Garou</em>. I try to translate one song for +you:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"Master of de house</div> +<div class="line"> +Give me meat without salt;</div> +<div class="line"> +When de stranger come,</div> +<div class="line"> +He give me roast chicken."</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="daphne-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id101">Daphne Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Daphne Williams was born in Tallahassee, Florida, a slave to Mrs. +Nancy Herring. Daphne does not know her exact age, but must be close to +or over 100. She claims to have witnessed the fall of the stars in 1833. +She lives in Beaumont, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"It won't be long 'fore I's sleeping the long sleep. I expect I's about +the mos' agreeables person in the county, 'cause I's so old. I's born in +Tallahassee, in Florida, but I don' know when. The Herrings used to own +me and I took their name. Missus' name was Nancy Herring and the marster +was still alive when I's born, but he die when I's a baby. I guess I's +about 10 or 12 year old when us come to Texas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dat place where I's born was sho' a place! They have a three-story +house with a porch at the front and another at the back. They was +posties what stand from one porch floor to the nex' and brace it up. I +used to live in the big house, 'cause I's nuss for the white chillen. I +didn' stay round with cullud folks a-tall.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The missus was a widow woman ever since I 'member her. She have two boy +and three gal, and that sho' was a lovely house. They have they ownself +painted in pictures on the wall, jus' as big as they is. They have them +in big frames like gold. And they have big mirrors from the floor to the +ceilin'. You could see you ownself walk in them.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mother was named Millie and my daddy named Daniel. I don' know how +many niggers missus have on the plantation. I was never 'lowed to play +with the cullud chillen, but I have two brothers named Abram and Handy +and I seed them sometimes. I took care of the white chillen and took 'em +to church. Iffen baby git to cryin' I walked round with him, but you +better be careful not to let the briar scratch him or he git a scar on +him and then they gwinter put a scar on you.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They give me pretty clothes to wear and make me keep clean and +expectable. I wore homespun and gingham dresses, jus' cut straight down. +They didn' have no sewin' 'chine. They have a woman to cut out and sew +and she do that all day long.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My white folks have mighty nice company. My missus up on the top. They +have nice, fine, intelligen' dishes and table cloth.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They give us holiday on Christmas and sometimes a whole week. They +treat the white chillen and black chillen all good and give 'em whippin' +iffen they needs it. When there's disturbance, missus holler, 'You all +chillen, come in here to me,' and whip us all, then she know she whip +the right one.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed the stars fall. God give me a good eyesight. The sun was shinin' +and it was plain daylight and the stars fall jus' like hail, only they +never fall all the way to the groun'. They fall so far and then they +stop and go out. They stay up in the element all the time. Missus sent +for the niggers to come up to the house and pray. All that time the +stars was a-comin' through the element. All the darkies, little and big, +was a-prayin' on their knees, 'cause they thing the jedgment sho' come +then.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Before us move from Florida us git mos' us goods for clothes from North +and South Carolina. The war commence in North Caroline to the good of my +recollection. That was six month or a year after us lef' Florida. They +was a-tryin' to smuggle it down then. When the missus 'cided come to +Texas she sent the niggers on ahead and they done make two crops 'fore +us git there. The place was five mile from Woodville. We come to Texas +in a boat what's big as a house. When the boat git there I was so 'cited +when I seed all the pretty trees. I never mever used to trees, 'cause +from where us come was jus' prairie land far's you kin see. No tree +round Tallahassee and no hill.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mother was cook and when she like to die one time they starts +breakin' me in to do the cookin'. Then when she die I was cook and been +doing that two, three year when freedom come.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id37"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Daphne Williams" src="images/image160daphne.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Daphne Williams</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"When they tol' us freedom come us thought they was foolin'. My uncle +say we's free and to go and look out for number one. They let us stay +awhile, but they 'lowanced us. Iffen us spen' the 'lowance us jus' had +to go rustle up something to eat or do without. My daddy was a widow man +by then and he stay, 'cause he say he want to see further into the +subjec'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One time I gwineter see my father and had my baby in my arms, 'cause I +done married. I was gwine through the wilderness and I heared something +squall like a woman cry. I 'gin walk faster. The squall come again. +Something say to me, 'You better run.' The hair commence stand on my +head and I walk pretty peart. That squall come again and I run fastes' I +knows how. I have that poor little baby carried any way.</p> +<p class="pnext">When I get to the fence I jump over and sot down. The chillen come +running and say, 'Yonder Daphne.' They help me into the house but I's so +scart I couldn' tell 'em till near bedtime and then I say I hear squall +like woman cryin'. Mister Goolsbee say, 'Daphne, make soun' like you +hear,' and I makes a squall, and he say, 'That a panther and iffen he +kotched you that would have been the end of you and that baby of yourn +what you was totin'.' So 'bout four o' clock in that mornin' he gits +'bout fourteen neighbors and the dawgs and they hunts that rascal and +runs him in 'bout 8 or 10 o'clock. A span of mules couldn' pull that +rascal, I don' 'lieve. He have the biggest tushes I ever seed with these +two eyes. They put him in a pot and bile him and make soap out of the +grease. That panther didn' git me or my baby but they got him and made +soap out of him."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="horatio-w-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id102">Horatio W. Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Horatio W. Williams, known as "Rash" to his friends, is 83 years old. +He was a slave of Woodruff Norseworthy, in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Horatio +has lived in Jasper, Texas, for many years.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was born in slavery in Pine Bluff in de state of Arkansas, on July 2, +1854, and dey tells me dat make me 'bout 84 years old. Woodruff +Norseworthy was my owner and boss all de time I a slave. I marry in 1875 +and I lost my wife two year ago, and when a man looses a good woman he +loses somethin'. Us had 13 chillen, but only two of dem alive now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My boss man was mean to he niggers and I 'member crawlin' down through +de woods and listenin' one time when he beat a nigger. Every time he hit +him he pray. Boss have 15 slaves and I recollect one time he gwine beat +my mother. She run to de kitchen and jump behin' de door and cover +herself up in de big pile of dirty clothes. Dey never think to look for +her there and she stay there all day. But de next day dey cotch her and +whip her.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dem what runs away, dey gits bloodhounds after 'em. Dey clumb de tree +when dey heered dem hounds comin' but de massa make dem git down and dey +shoot dem, iffen dey didn't. When dey gits down de dogs jumps all over +dem and would tear dem to pieces, but de massa beats dem off.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Once de boss has company and one our niggers sleeps on de porch outside +de company's room, and in de night he slip in dat room and thiefed de +fine, white shirt out de suitcase and wears it round de next mornin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Course he couldn't read and he ain't know de [HW: white] man +have he name on dat shirt. When de boss find it out he takes dat nigger +down in de bottom and I crawls through de bresh and watches. Dey tie +he foots together over de limb and let he head hang down and beat him +till de blood run down on de roots of dat tree. When dey takes him down +he back look like raw meat and he nearly die.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometime when de nigger won't mind dey puts de chain to one +foot and a ball on it 'bout big as a nigger's head, and he have to drag +it down with him whe ever he go.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My white folks moved to Bastrop in Louisiana and den to +Texas and brung me with them. When us work in de field us have de cook +what put us food on big trays and carry it to de field, den we stop and +eat it under shade of a tree, if dey any. Dey give us bread and meat +and syrup for dinner and us has bacon long as it lasts.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I's free I rents land and crops 'round, after I gits +marry. Befo' dat, I was here, dere and yonder, for my board and clothes +and four bits de day. I give all my chillen de eddication, leastwise dey +all kin read and write and dat's what I cain't do.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'longs to de Meth'dist church and I don't unndestan' some +dese other churches very well. Seems strange to me dat at dis late time +dey's tryin' find new ways of gittin' to Heaven."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="lou-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id103">Lou Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Lou Williams, said to be the oldest citizen of San Angelo, Texas, was +born in southern Maryland in 1829. She and her family were slaves of +Abram and Kitty Williams, of that section, and Lou served as nursemaid +to her master's children from the age of eight until after the Civil +War. She then went to Louisiana where she worked as a cook for several +years before coming to San Angelo. She is very active for her 108 years +and is a familiar figure about town, with her crutch.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's have de bes' white folks in Maryland. I's born in a three-room +frame house and I had one of them statements (birth certificates). When +I five years old my old missy she say, 'Dat gal, she sho' am gwine be +dependable and I makes nursemaid out of her.' When I eight years old she +trusts me with dem white chillen. I loves to fish so well I'd take de +li'l chillen to de creek and take off my underskirt and spread it out on +de bank and put de chillen on it while I sho' cotch de fish. Massa, he +start lookin' for me and when he gits to de creek, he say, 'Dar's de +li'l devil.' He know dem chillen safe, so he jus' laugh.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In de fall massa puts us nigger chillen on de bale of cotton and takes +us to town and gives us money to buy candy and dolls with. We allus had +good food and lots of fish and rabbits and possums, but when my missy +see dem possums carryin' de baby possums round she fall out with possum +and she say, 'No more possum bein' cooked 'round here.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I jes' a li'l gal I seed de stars fall and when everything got +dark like and dem bright stars begin to fall we all start runnin' and +hollerin' to our missy and she say, 'Chillen, don't git under my coat, +git on your knees and start prayin', and when we begins to pray de Lawd +he sends a shower of rain and puts out dem stars or de whole world would +a been burned up.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When massa take us to town he say he want us to see how de mean slave +owners raffles off de fathers and de husban's and de mothers and de +wives and de chillen. He takes us 'round to de big platform and a white +man git up dere with de slave and start hollerin' for bids, and de slave +stands dere jes' pitiful like, and when somebody buy de slave all de +folks starts yellin' and a cryin'. Dem sho' was bad times. Our massa +wouldn't do his niggers dat way and we loved him for it, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We had big gardens and lots of vegetables to eat, 'cause massa had +'bout eight hundred slaves and 'bout a thousand acres in he plantation. +In summer time we wore jes' straight cotton slips and no shoes till +Sunday, den we puts on shoes and white dresses and ties a ribbon 'round +our waists, and we didn't look like de same chillen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere a big arbor for de whites to go to church and we goes, too. When +we starts down de road to church, our mama, she start sayin' things to +make us be quiet. We pass de graveyard and she say, 'See dat spirit +runnin' 'long here with us?' When we gits dere we hardly moves. We could +jine, if we wants to.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My mama, she Black Creek Indian and none of dem white folks wants her. +When massa buys my daddy and us chillen we had done been sold 'way from +her and we cry and she cry, and den she follow us to our plantation and +cry and beg our massa let her stay. He say, 'She ain't no good but put +her in de house and let her do some patchin' and mendin'.' Mama, she +cry and say, 'Thank God, Thank God! I's git to be with my husban' and +li'l chillen.' She make de good spinner and weaver and old missy, she +say she couldn't do without her, 'cause she spin cotton cloth for summer +and woolen cloth for winter.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Niggers didn't have much weddin's, but when massa find dem takin' up he +tells everybody to dress in white and de two what was takin' up together +has to march up and down till de big supper comes off. Dey was man and +wife den, but me, I's diff'rent. I's had a 'spectable weddin', 'cause +missy, she say I's her nursemaid. De preacher, he reads, and I's all +dressed in white clothes and sech a supper we never had befo'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All de slaves wasn't so lucky as we was, though. We lives close to de +meanest owner in de country. Our massa wouldn't keep no overseer, 'cause +he say his niggers wasn't dogs, but dis other man he keeps overseers to +beat de niggers and he has de big leather bullwhip with lead in de end, +and he beats some slaves to death. We heared dem holler and holler till +dey couldn't holler no mo! Den dey jes' sorta grunt every lick till dey +die. We finds big streams of blood where he has whopped dem and when it +rained de whole top of de ground jes' looks like a river of blood dere. +Sometime he bury he niggers and sometime de law come out and make him +bury dem. He put dem in chains and stockades and sometimes he would buck +and gag dem.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id38"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Lou Williams" src="images/image166lou.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Lou Williams</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"We seed he niggers goin' by our plantation with de oven on de heads +'round three o'clock in de mornin' on de way to de fields. Dese ovens +made of wood and tin over de tin cup dat fit de slaves' heads. Each +nigger have he bread and some old hairy bone meat a-cookin' with fire +coals in dese ovens. Dey made not to burn de head and when dey gits to +de fields dey sets dem down to finish cookin' while dey works till +breakfast time. De mamas what expectin' babies was whopped to make dem +work faster and when babies was sick dey has to put dem in de basket on +top dere heads and take dem to de cotton patch, and put dem under de +cotton stalks and try to 'tend to dem. Lawd, Lawd, dem was awful times, +and I sho' is glad I has good white folks.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="lou-williams-house"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Lou Williams' House" src="images/image166louhouse.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Lou Williams' House</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Some dat man's niggers allus runnin' 'way and dey sets de nigger dogs +on dem and catch dem mos' times. Den dey treat 'em so bad dey wouldn't +never want to run away no more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We allus gits Saturday evenin' off to wash our clothes and sometime we +has dances Saturday night. I has two brothers, Jim and William and +William git kilt in de war. My two sisters named Relia and Laura. We has +corn shuckin's and big suppers and on Christmas our massa buys us de +present, most times shoes, 'cause we didn't have any shoes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de white folks dies or gits married everybody sho' +carries on big. When we sick dey gives us snakeroot tea and cana +and sage tea and if we's bad sick, dey gits de doctor. Missy, she make +hog hoof tea, jes' bile de hoofs in good whiskey for de cold. Den she +put camphor ball and asafoetida 'round our necks to keep off diseases.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de war ends we sees a white man comin' down de road on +a hoss and de road full of niggers followin' him, singin' and shoutin' +and prayin'. I stays with massa till he die, then I marries and has one +chile and one grandchile, and I lives with her."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="millie-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id104">Millie Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Millie Williams, 86, lives at 1612 E. Fourth St., Fort Worth, Texas. +She was born a slave to Joe Benford, in Tennessee, was sold to Bill +Dunn, who brought her to Texas and traded her to Tommy Ellis for some +land. She has lived in Fort Worth since the 1870's.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I don't know when I was born, 'cause I was taken from my +folks when I was a baby, but massa told me I was born in de spring of +de year, in 1851. I know I been in dis world a long time, but I has +have good white folks. I was born on Massa Benford's place in Tennessee +and my mama's name was Martha Birdon. She say my pappy's name +Milton Wade, but I never seed him. And I didn't know my mama a long +time, 'cause she's sold away from Massa Benford's place, and I was sold +with her, den he took me back, and I never seed my mama no mo'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After I was sold back to Massa Benford, he puts me in de nigger yard. +Dat whar de massa kep' slaves what he traded. It was jus' a bunch of +shacks throwed together and dirty was no name for it, it was worse than +a pig pen. De man what watch over us in dat nigger yard was de meanest +man what ever lived. He'd take a club and beat de daylight out of us, +'cause de club wouldn't leave scars like de bullwhip, and didn't bring +de price down when we is sold.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day Massa Benford takes us to town and puts us on dat auction block +and a man name Bill Dunn bought me. I was 'bout seven years old. Talkin' +'bout somethin' awful, you should have been dere. De slave owners was +shoutin' and sellin' chillen to one man and de mama and pappy to +'nother. De slaves cries and takes on somethin' awful. If a woman had +lots of chillen she was sold for mo', 'cause it a sign she a good +breeder.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Right after I was sold to Massa Dunn, dere was a big up-risin' in +Tennessee and it was 'bout de Union, but I don't know what it was all +about, but dey wanted Massa Dunn to take some kind of a oath, and he +wouldn't do it and he had to leave Tennessee. He said dey would take de +slaves 'way from him, so he brought me and Sallie Armstrong to Texas. +Dere he trades us to Tommy Ellis for some land and dat Massa Ellis, he +de best white man what ever lived. He was so good to us we was better +off dan when we's free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Ellis' plantation was one of de bigges', and he owned land as far +as we could see. Dere was 'bout 50 slaves and we lived in a row of log +cabins long side de big house. In winter we sleeps inside but in summer +we sleeps in de yard, and de same 'bout eatin'. Sometimes massa fed good +and den 'gain he didn't, but dat 'cause of de War. We has cornbread and +milk and all de coffee you would drink. On Sundays we fills de pot half +full of meat and shell peas on top de meat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member de time we steals one of massa's big chickens and its in de +pot in de fireplace when we seed missy comin'. I grabs dat chicken and +pot and puts it under de bed and puts de bedclothes top dat pot. Missy, +she come in and say, 'I sho' do smell somethin' good.' I say, 'Whar, +Missy Ellis?' She don't find nothin' so she leaves. When she's gone I +takes dat chicken and we eats it in a hurry.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De overseer woke 'em up 'bout four in de mornin', but I works in de +house. De field workers gits off Thursdays and Saturday evenin's and +Sunday. De reason dey gits off Thursday is dat de massa has some kind of +thought we shouldn't work dat day. Maybe it was 'ligion, I don't know.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We has parties and sings</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Massa sleeps in de feather bed,</div> +<div class="line"> +Nigger sleeps on de floor;</div> +<div class="line"> +When we'uns gits to Heaven,</div> +<div class="line"> +Dey'll be no slaves no mo'.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Den we has de song 'bout dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Rabbit in de briar patch,</div> +<div class="line"> +Squirrel in de tree,</div> +<div class="line"> +Wish I could go huntin',</div> +<div class="line"> +But I ain't free.</div> +</div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Rooster's in de henhouse,</div> +<div class="line"> +Hen's in de patch,</div> +<div class="line"> +Love to go shootin',</div> +<div class="line"> +But I ain't free.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"When de nigger leaves de plantation without no pass, and de +padder rollers kotched him, dey gives him 39 licks with de bullwhip. +When we's in de fields and sees de padder roller ride by, we starts +murmerin' out loud, 'Patter de pat, patter de pat.' One after 'nother +took it up and purty soon everybody murmerin'. We allus do dat to let +everybody know de padder roller 'round. Den we sing songs 'bout 'em, +too.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id39"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Millie Williams" src="images/image170millie.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Millie Williams</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"When War start dere a army camp jus' below de plantation, and +'bout a thousand soldiers. We hears 'em shout, 'Halt, march, halt, +march,' all day long. Dey sung</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'Lincoln's not satisfied,</div> +<div class="line"> +He wants to fight 'gain,</div> +<div class="line"> +All he got to do,</div> +<div class="line"> +Is hustle up his men.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"I stays with Massa Ellis after we's freed. Dere sho' was a mighty purty +sight when de slaves knows dey's free. Dey hug one 'nother and almos' +tear dere clothes off. Some cryin' for de husban', and some cryin' for +de chillen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I was 'bout 20 I lef' massa's home and moves to Dallas, whar I +marries my first man. His name was Bill Jackson. He lef' me and goes +back to Dallas and I hear he die, so I marry Will Williams and he dies. +Now I been here since de Lawd know when."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="rose-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id105">Rose Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Rose Williams is over 90. She was owned by William Black, a trader +whose plantation lay in Bell County, Texas. Rose and her parents were +sold in 1860 to Hall Hawkins, of Bell County. Rose was forced to mate +with a slave named Rufus when she was about sixteen, and had two +children by him, one born after Rose was freed. She forced Rufus to +leave her and never married. For the last ten years Rose has been blind. +She lives at 1126 Hampton St., Fort Worth, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"What I say am de facts. If I's one day old, I's way over 90, and I's +born in Bell County, right here in Texas, and am owned by Massa William +Black. He owns mammy and pappy, too. Massa Black has a big plantation +but he has more niggers dan he need for work on dat place, 'cause he am +a nigger trader. He trade and buy and sell all de time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Black am awful cruel and he whip de cullud folks and works 'em +hard and feed dem poorly. We'uns have for rations de cornmeal and milk +and 'lasses and some beans and peas and meat once a week. We'uns have to +work in de field every day from daylight till dark and on Sunday we'uns +do us washin'. Church? Shucks, we'uns don't know what dat mean.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I has de correct mem'randum of when de war start. Massa Black sold +we'uns right den. Mammy and pappy powerful glad to git sold, and dey and +I is put on de block with 'bout ten other niggers. When we'uns gits to +de tradin' block, dere lots of white folks dere what came to look us +over. One man shows de intres' in pappy. Him named Hawkins. He talk to +pappy and pappy talk to him and say, 'Dem my woman and chiles. Please +buy all of us and have mercy on we'uns.' Massa Hawkins say, 'Dat gal am +a likely lookin' nigger, she am portly and strong, but three am more +dan I wants, I guesses.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"De sale start and 'fore long pappy am put on de block. Massa Hawkins +wins de bid for pappy and when mammy am put on de block, he wins de bid +for her. Den dere am three or four other niggers sold befo' my time +comes. Den massa Black calls me to de block and de auction man say, +'What am I offer for dis portly, strong young wench. She's never been +'bused and will make de good breeder.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I wants to hear Massa Hawkins bid, but him say nothin'. Two other men +am biddin' 'gainst each other and I sho' has de worryment. Dere am tears +comin' down my cheeks 'cause I's bein' sold to some man dat would make +sep'ration from my mammy. One man bids $500 and de auction man ask, 'Do +I hear more? She am gwine at $500.00.' Den someone say, $525.00 and de +auction man say, 'She am sold for $525.00 to Massa Hawkins.' Am I glad +and 'cited! Why, I's quiverin' all over.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Hawkins takes we'uns to his place and it am a nice plantation. +Lots better am dat place dan Massa Black's. Dere is 'bout 50 niggers +what is growed and lots of chillen. De first thing massa do when we'uns +gits home am give we'uns rations and a cabin. You mus' believe dis +nigger when I says dem rations a feast for us. Dere plenty meat and tea +and coffee and white flour. I's never tasted white flour and coffee and +mammy fix some biscuits and coffee. Well, de biscuits was yum, yum, yum +to me, but de coffee I doesn't like.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De quarters am purty good. Dere am twelve cabins all made from logs and +a table and some benches and bunks for sleepin' and a fireplace for +cookin' and de heat. Dere am no floor, jus' de ground.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Hawkins am good to he niggers and not force 'em work too hard. +Dere am as much diff'ence 'tween him and old Massa Black in de way of +treatment as 'twixt de Lawd and de devil. Massa Hawkins 'lows he niggers +have reason'ble parties and go fishin', but we'uns am never tooken to +church and has no books for larnin'. Dare am no edumcation for de +niggers.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere am one thing Massa Hawkins does to me what I can't shunt from my +mind. I knows he don't do it for meanness, but I allus holds it 'gainst +him. What he done am force me to live with dat nigger, Rufus, 'gainst my +wants.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After I been at he place 'bout a year, de massa come to me and say, +'You gwine live with Rufus in dat cabin over yonder. Go fix it for +livin'.' I's 'bout sixteen year old and has no larnin', and I's jus' +igno'mus chile. I's thought dat him mean for me to tend de cabin for +Rufus and some other niggers. Well, dat am start de pestigation for me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's took charge of de cabin after work am done and fixes supper. Now, I +don't like dat Rufus, 'cause he a bully. He am big and 'cause he so, he +think everybody do what him say. We'uns has supper, den I goes here and +dere talkin', till I's ready for sleep and den I gits in de bunk. After +I's in, dat nigger come and crawl in de bunk with me 'fore I knows it. I +says, 'What you means, you fool nigger?' He say fer me to hush de mouth. +'Dis am my bunk, too,' he say.</p> +<p class="pnext">"You's teched in de head. Git out,' I's told him, and I puts de feet +'gainst him and give him a shove and out he go on de floor 'fore he know +what I's doin'. Dat nigger jump up and he mad. He look like de wild +bear. He starts for de bunk and I jumps quick for de poker. It am 'bout +three foot long and when he comes at me I lets him have it over de head. +Did dat nigger stop in he tracks? I's say he did. He looks at me steady +for a minute and you's could tell he thinkin' hard. Den he go and set on +de bench and say, 'Jus wait. You thinks it am smart, but you's am +foolish in de head. Dey's gwine larn you somethin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"'Hush yous big mouth and stay 'way from dis nigger, dat all I wants,' I +say, and jus' sets and hold dat poker in de hand. He jus' sets, lookin' +like de bull. Dere we'uns sets and sets for 'bout an hour and den he go +out and I bars de door.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De nex' day I goes to de missy and tells her what Rufus wants and missy +say dat am de massa's wishes. She say, 'Yous am de portly gal and Rufus +em de portly man. De massa wants you-uns for to bring forth portly +chillen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's thinkin' 'bout what de missy say, but say to myse'f, 'I's not gwine +live with dat Rufus.' Dat night when him come in de cabin, I grabs de +poker and sits on de bench and says, 'Git 'way from me, nigger, 'fore I +busts yous brains out and stomp on dem.' He say nothin' and git out.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De nex' day de massa call me and tell me, 'Woman, I's pay big money for +you and I's done dat for de cause I wants yous to raise me chillens. I's +put yous to live with Rufus for dat purpose. Now, if you doesn't want +whippin' at de stake, yous do what I wants.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I thinks 'bout massa buyin' me offen de block and savin' me from bein' +sep'rated from my folks and 'bout bein' whipped at de stake. Dere it am. +What am I's to do? So I 'cides to do as de massa wish and so I yields.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When we'uns am given freedom, Massa Hawkins tells us we can stay and +work for wages or share crop de land. Some stays and some goes. My folks +and me stays. We works de land on shares for three years, den moved to +other land near by. I stays with my folks till they dies.</p> +<p class="pnext">"If my mem'randum am correct, it am 'bout thirty year since I come to +Fort Worth. Here I cooks for white folks till I goes blind 'bout ten +year ago.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never marries, 'cause one 'sperience am 'nough for dis nigger. After +what I does for de massa, I's never wants no truck with any man. De Lawd +forgive dis cullud woman, but he have to 'scuse me and look for some +others for to 'plenish de earth."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="steve-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id106">Steve Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Steve Williams was born a slave of the Bennett family in 1855. They +were residents of Goliad County, Texas and owners of only a small bunch +of slaves. He and the other slaves were driven away hurriedly after the +soldiers had threatened the slave owners for not having turned the +slaves loose as soon after emancipation as they should have. Steve +worked around his old home for his victuals and clothes a few years, +then drifted about the country as a farm hand, finally landing in San +Angelo, Texas where he worked for awhile as cook at a barbecue stand. He +now lives alone in the back yard of his niece and is hardly able to get +in and out of his small cabin on his crutches.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">Steve relates the story of his life as follows:</p> +<p class="pnext">"I wasn't very big when I was a slave. Fact is, we was set free 'fore I +was big enough to remember much about how dey does but I's hear my +mother tells 'bout dem Louisiana slave holders, dem what had dem +drivers. Now dey was sho' rough on dem. My mother's name was Charlotte +Williams and my father he was name Bill and dey belong to de Williams +dere, you see, and was sold to Mr. Bennett and brought to Goliad. Dats +how come I's named Williams and my marster named Bennett. Our little log +huts was put up 'round in de back yard and our beds was home-made, jes' +kind of plank scaffolds like. Our beddin' wasn't too good, jes' fair +cotton beds. Ole marster's folks dey have big feather beds and a nice +log house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never seen any money when I was a boy to 'mount to anything and for a +long time after dat war I never seen too much.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We had pretty good to eat such as vegetables from de boss's garden and +plenty of all kinds of meats. Some of de colored folks likes 'possum de +best but I always likes coon. Jes' bile him, den bake him good and brown +and aint no 'possum can come up wid dat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We had good homespun clothes and some times we have shoes.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never did see none of the slaves sold but I hear my mother tells +'bout how horrible dat was. I didn' learn much readin' and writin' +'cause no body never teach me none.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We goes to camp meetin' after de war but not much, den dat was de white +folks meetin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On Christmas we usually have a shoat and cakes and lots of fiddlin' and +dancin'.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id40"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Steve Williams" src="images/image179steve.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Steve Williams</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Slaves didn' have no weddin's. De boss he jes' puts dem in a cabin and +gives dem a wife and dey all calls dat married. Fact is, dey jes' wasn' +so much marryin' done 'mong de colored.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When we hear we was free we hear it from some of de other slaves and we +was held longer den some in de north, but one day our boss comes from +town and he say to his wife, he say, 'Dem soldiers say iffen we don't +git dem niggers 'way from here dey goin' come out here and sweeps us out +of de cradle.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"He sho' got busy den. He comes out and he say, 'You all git, I mean git +from here'. So we jes' scatters 'round, here and yonder, not knowin' +'zactly what to do. Some of us works on one farm and some on another for +a little co'n or some clothes or food. Finally I works 'round 'til I +comes to San Angelo, Texas and I cooks barbecue for a long time 'til I +jes' finally breaks down. Now, I don' try to do nothin' but jes' hobble +'round a little on my ole crutches."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="wayman-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id107">Wayman Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Wayman Williams does not know his age, but he was a small boy when the +slaves were freed. He was born in Mississippi, but the first place he +remembers is the Sanama plantation on the Trinity river, in Texas. He +now lives on North Falls St., in Mart, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was one of four chillen of Calvin and Julia Williams, of de state of +Mississippi, when they was first married, 'fore they come to Texas. But +de earlies' 'lection I has, was livin' on a plantation belongin' to a +Mr, Sanama. It was on de Trinity river, right down in de bottoms. My +folks stayed on dere after freedom and I lived with dem till I was +nearly growed. Dere massa give dem supplies and let dem work a piece of +land and they give him half de crop.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member times us go huntin' and kill most anything we want, wild +turkeys and wild hawgs and deer. My father used to go out and kill deer +and not git out of sight of de house. Livin' was easier den now, for we +had all dem things without havin' to buy dem. I 'member de bear hunts. +We had great big, brindle dogs for de bears and dey surroun' him and +stand him at bay till de men came and kill him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"A man by name of Burton lived near us, and one day he sent one he boys +to town on a little race hoss. On de way home dat boy crossin' de river +bottom and a panther git after him, and he race he hoss and outrun dat +panther. He Jump off de hoss and run in de house and lock de door. De +panther try to git in and de men in de field hear he cries and shoots +him. In dose days de men took guns to de fields.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They cotched wolves and bears in traps but de panther was de most +dang'rous animal us have to fight. Us never know when he goin' to +strike. One our neighbors go to town after a turkey and on he way home +a panther was sittin' in a tree by de road, and he make a lunge at de +man and grab de turkey and tear de man's arm. Once my grandpa ridin' +'long one night, crossin' de river, and a panther git after him. He had +a fast hoss and outran dat panther, and got to de house, and two our +bear dogs kep' it off till he shot it. I knows dese things am true, for +they happen jes' like I tell it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Our house was close to de boat landin' on de river and my father helped +unload supplies from de boats, when he not workin' in de fields. Jedge +Beavers own de storehouse what kep' de supplies, and he ship he cotton +by boat to de Gulf, mostly to Galveston.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De 'Federate sojers pass our house and go to Jedge for him to give dem +something to eat and he allus did. Sometimes dey was men on hosses and +he give dem feed for de hosses. Once a crowd young fellows comin' home +from de war on hosses and dey got supplies, and de Jedge give dem a +little toddy for to make dem feel good. Dey feels so good dey gits some +ribbon from de store and tie it to de hosses heads and rides off, with +dat ribbon jes' a-streamin' from de hosses mane.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De Jedge enjoy all day. He felt like dey been fightin' for him and dey +welcome to what he have. It was de common thing for de sojers to stop at +the house and ask for food or to sleep. Sometimes niggers come, what run +away to de North 'fore freedom. Dey done got tired of dat cold weather +up dere and when freedom come, dey ready to come back home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de slaves sot free, dey have big times, and feel like dey not work +at all. But when old massa give dem a place to farm and tell dem iffen +dey don't work dey won't eat, dey stays with him and works de crops on +halves, mostly. De nigger do de work and massa feed him and give him +team and tools, den massa git half de crop.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De slaves what went up North and come back, tell how dey call +'Contrabands' up dere. Dey didn't know what it mean, but dey come back +anyway.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Some white school teachers from up North come to teach de chillen, but +dey didn't talk like folks here and didn't understan' our talk. Dey +didn't know what us mean when us say 'titty' for sister, and 'budder' +for brother, and 'nanny' for mammy. Jes' for fun us call ourselves big +names to de teacher, some be named General Lee and some Stonewall +Jackson. We be one name one day and 'nother name next day. Until she git +to know us she couldn't tell de diff'rence, 'cause us all look alike to +her. Us have good times tellin' her 'bout black magic and de conjure. Us +tell her night birds full of magic and dere feathers roast in ashes work +spells what kill evil conjure. If a rabbit run 'cross de path, turn your +hat round and wear it hind part befo' to keep bad luck away. A buzzard's +claw tie round de baby's neck make teethin' easy. De teacher from de +North don't know what to think of all dat. But our old missy, who live +here all de time, know all 'bout it. She lets us believe our magic and +conjure, 'cause she partly believe it, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I lives in dat place till I's a big boy and den works for Mr. John +Mergersen and a Mr. Porter. Dey come from Mississippi right after +freedom and was jes' like homefolks. So I works for dem till I gits +married and starts out for myself.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member some songs my mammy and old missy larnt me. One go like dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'De top bolls ain' open,</div> +<div class="line"> +De bottom bolls am rotten.</div> +<div class="line"> +I can't git my number here,</div> +<div class="line"> +I has to quit and go 'way.</div> +<div class="line"> + </div> +<div class="line"> +"'When de sun go down and de moon go up,</div> +<div class="line"> +Iffen I can't git my number, I can't git my pay.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"When I was little, my father split de rails out of trees to make +fences, and I have an aunt what was de big woman, and she holp. She +have a song what go like dis, and when she sing, she come down on a +rail, 'biff'.</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Times are gittin' hard,' (biff)</div> +<div class="line"> +Money's gittin scarce,' (biff)</div> +<div class="line"> +Times don't git no better here,' (biff)</div> +<div class="line"> +I bound to leave dis place.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"But when de big meetin' goin' on, dis one de songs dey likes to sing:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'As I went down in de valley to pray,</div> +<div class="line"> +I met de debbil on my way,</div> +<div class="line"> +What you reckon he say to me?</div> +<div class="line"> +You're too young to die,</div> +<div class="line"> +And too young to pray,</div> +<div class="line"> +I made him a lie, and kep' on my way.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"We raised corn and cotton and potatoes and lots of vegetables and +fruit. We didn't have no wheat, so we couldn't have flour and it too +high to buy. All dem what could buy it, was de landowner.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de corn gathered, us pile it in piles and have corn shuckin' at +night, cook our supper and all eat together and listen to de stories +tell by de old folks. When dey git de piles of corn ready for shuckin', +dey lay a rail in de middle and 'vide de piles, and de side what git +through first git supper first. De song go like dis:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Hits a mighty dry year, when de crab grass fail,</div> +<div class="line"> +Oh, row, row, row, who laid dat rail?</div> +<div class="line"> +Hit am mighty dark night when de nigger turn pale,</div> +<div class="line"> +De big foot nigger what laid dat rail!</div> +<div class="line"> +Oh, row, row, row, who laid dat rail?</div> +<div class="line"> +Rinktum, ranktum, laid dat rail.</div> +<div class="line"> +Show me de nigger what laid dat rail,</div> +<div class="line"> +Oh, row, row, row, who laid dat rail?</div> +<div class="line"> + </div> +<div class="line"> +"'When de niggers fuss, de white folks fail,</div> +<div class="line"> +Oh, row, row, row, who laid dat rail?</div> +<div class="line"> +We're gittin' dere now, don't tell no tale,</div> +<div class="line"> +Show me de nigger what laid dat rail.</div> +<div class="line"> +I'll stick he head in a big tin pail.</div> +<div class="line"> +Oh, turn me loose, let me tech dat rail,</div> +<div class="line"> +Oh, row, row, row, who laid dat rail?</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"First us have white preachers and den, after freedom, de niggers starts +to git up in meetin' and talk to sinners, and dey call dem 'Exhorters.' +De white folks larnt de exhorters to read de Bible and some songs, and +de niggers all larn de songs, too. De exhorter git up and read de +scripture and it 'bout King Neb'kudneezer, when he have a golden image +with silver horns, and all de kings and rulers come and bow down 'fore +dat image, 'cepting three. Dem was Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Dey +would not bow down, so de old king throw dem in de furnace and dey not +burn up, and dey say, 'De Gawd us worship am able to deliver us from de +fiery furnace.'</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="wayman-williams-and-henry-freeman"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Wayman Williams and Henry Freeman" src="images/image182waymanhenry.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Wayman Williams and Henry Freeman</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Den de exhorter say: 'Now, you no count niggers, what you mean stealin' +de white folks chickens and watermillions? Dey ain't safe no longer dan +de white man back am turned. Do you think Gawd would save you? No, sir! +You be turned into de pillar of salt iffen you don't stop you +unrighteous ways, and den where you be? You won't see no dancin' or hear +no chickens hollerin'. Come on into de pearly gates and live right. +Leave your stealin' and cussin' and dancin' to de debbil, and come to de +mourners' bench.</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +"'Let de sun of salvation shine square on you face,</div> +<div class="line"> +Fight de battles of de Lawd, fight soon and fight late,</div> +<div class="line"> +And you'll allus find de latch to de golden gate.</div> +<div class="line"> +No use for to wait till tomorrow,</div> +<div class="line"> +De sun mustn't sot on you sorrow,</div> +<div class="line"> +Sin's sharp as a bamboo briar,</div> +<div class="line"> +Ask de Lawd for to fotch you up higher.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"Dem songs was de gateway to enter, de pearly gateway. All de niggers +git on de mourners' bench and git saved."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="willie-williams"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id108">Willie Williams</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Willie Williams, 78, was born a slave to Mr. William Maddox, who owned +about 90 slaves, including Willie's parents, five brothers and a sister. +The plantation was in Vermillion Parish, La., near Sparta. In 1867 Mr. +Maddox took Willie, who was still working for him, to Texas. Willie now +lives in Fort Worth.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Dis nigger am 78 years old, and I's born in slavery, down in old +Louisiana. Marster William owned me, and he am de father of Marster Ed +Maddox what now runs de Maddox Milk and Ice Company here in Fort Worth. +I knowed him when him and dis nigger am tiny chiles. I goes and visits +with him often and we talks 'bout old times and sich. We laughs 'bout +some things and de tears come in de eyes 'bout some things. Him allus +give dis nigger de quarter or de half dollar for old times sake.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marster William owns sich a big plantation dat it was miles and miles +'round and had 'bout 90 grown nigger slaves. I 'members it well and sho' +am glad for to tell yous 'bout it and how dey does. De marster have a +two-story house for his family and de place look like a town with all de +buildings. Dere was de nigger quarters with 30 cabins and de nursery for +de young niggers, de sheds and de smokehouse for de meat. Den dey have +de gin and de mill for to grin' de grist, de spinning house and de shoe +shop.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marster have a nigger what make de shoes out of hides tanned dere off +de cattle what am killed for meat. Him makes good shoes, they las' a +long time, but they sure is tough on de feets.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marster William raises de corn and rice and wheat and barley and +vegetables and honey, and lots of cotton. Dey works animals, de mules +and de oxen, but I seed de niggers hitched to de plow sometimes. But de +marster allus took good care of his niggers and him feeds plenty good +victuals. Every Sunday dey measures out de rations, 'cept de vegetables. +But if what dey give am not 'nough, we'uns calls for more. De marster +wants for we'uns to have plenty.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All us am given de pass for to go to de church or to de party and +dere's a place near de quarters for de dance and sich. Some fool niggers +sneaks off without de pass sometimes and gits catched by de patter +rollers and gits couple passes from de whup.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One time de niggers puts one on dem patter rollers. Dere am de dance +and some niggers has no pass and de patter rollers am a-comin'. De +niggers 'cide to best 'em and one gits de pan of hot ashes and when dem +patter rollers comes to de door de ashes am thrown in de face. De +niggers all rush out and knocks de rollers down, and de niggers am gone. +Dats once de niggers 'prise de rollers.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On dat plantation dere am sort of hospital fix for to care for de sick. +Dey uses herbs and sich and sometimes calls de doctor. De small chillens +is kep' dere and de marster sho' am 'ticular 'bout dem. Lots of times he +look dem over and say, 'Dat one be worth a t'ousand dollars,' or 'Dat +one be a whopper.' You see, 'twas jus' like raisin' young mules.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id41"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Willie Williams" src="images/image187willie.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Willie Williams</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"On dat plantation, dere am no weddin' 'lowed for to git married. Dey +jus' gits married, but some not 'lowed to git married, 'cause de marster +anxious to raise good, big niggers, de kind what am able to do lots of +work and sell for a heap of money. Him have 'bout ten wenches him not +'low to git married and dey am big, strong women and de doctor 'xamine +dem for de health. Den de marster picks out de big nigger and de doctor +'xamine him, too. Dat nigger do no work but watch dem womens and he am +de husban' for dem all. De marster sho' was a-raisin' some fine niggers +dat way.</p> +<p class="pnext">"As for de whippin', dey gives dat punishment. Dey straps de nigger over +de barrel but de marster don't 'low for to draw de blood.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Durin' de War, dere am de shortage of food and one time we is 'bliged +eat all de chickens, and 'twarnt hard to do. We hunts de wild hawg and +wild turkey and de deer and sich.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When freedom come, dey tell all us niggers we's free and we can stay or +leave and work for wages if we stay. Three year after freedom de marster +sells de plantation and comes to Fort Worth and I and five other niggers +still with him. I works for him 'til he dies, 'bout 50 year ago."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="lulu-wilson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id109">Lulu Wilson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Lulu Wilson, blind, bedridden Negro, does not know her age, but +believes that she is ninety-seven. She was born near the Mammoth Cave, +in Kentucky. Lulu owns a little home at 1108 Good Street, Dallas, +Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Course I's born in slavery, ageable as I am. I'm a old time, slavery +woman and the way I been through the hackles, I got plenty to say 'bout +slavery. Lulu Wilson says she knows they ain't no good in it and they +better not bring it back.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My paw warn't no slave. He was a free man, 'cause his mammy was a full +blood Creek Indian. But my maw was born in slavery, down on Wash Hodges' +paw's place, and he give her to Wash when he married. That was the only +woman slave what he had and one man slave, a young buck. My maw say she +took with my paw and I's born, but a long time passed and didn't no more +young'uns come, so they say my paw am too old and wore out for breedin' +and wants her to take with this here young buck. So the Hodges sot the +nigger hounds on my paw and run him away from the place and maw allus +say he went to the free state. So she took with my step-paw and they +must of pleased the white folks what wanted niggers to breed like +livestock, 'cause she birthed nineteen chillen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I's li'l I used to play in that big cave they calls Mammoth and +I's so used to that cave it didn't seem like nothin' to me. But I was +real li'l then, for soon as they could they put me to spinnin' cloth. I +'members plain, when I was li'l there was talk of war in them parts, and +they put me to spinnin' and I heared 'em say it was for sojers. They +marched round in a li'l, small drove and practices shootin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Now, when I was li'l they was the hardes' times. They'd nearly beat us +to death. They taken me from my mammy, out the li'l house built onto +they house and I had to sleep in a bed by Missus Hodges. I cried for my +maw but I had to work and wash and iron and clean and milk cows when I +was most too li'l to do it.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The Hodges had three chilluns and the olderes' one they was mean to, +'cause she so thickheaded. She couldn't larn nothin' out a book but was +kinder and more friendly like than the rest of the lot. Wash Hodges was +jes' mean, pore trash and he was a bad actor and a bad manager. He never +could make any money and he starved it out'n the niggers. For years all +I could git was one li'l slice of sowbelly and a puny, li'l piece of +bread and a 'tater. I never had 'nough to stave the hongriness out'n my +belly.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My maw was cookin' in the house and she was a clink, that am the bes' +of its kind. She could cuss and she warn't 'fraid. Wash Hodges tried to +whop her with a cowhide and she'd knock him down and bloody him up. Then +he'd go down to some his neighbor kin and try to git them to come help +him whop her. But they'd say, 'I don't want to go up there and let Chloe +Ann beat me up." I heared Wash tell his wife they said that.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When maw was in a tantrum, my step-paw wouldn't partialise with her. +But she was a 'ligious woman and 'lieved time was comin' when niggers +wouldn't be slaves. She told me to pray for it. She seed a old man what +the nigger dogs chased and et the legs near off him. She said she was +chased by them bloody hounds and she jus' picked up a club and laid they +skull open. She say they hired her out and sold her twice but allus +brung her back to Wash Hodges.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Now, Missus Hodges studied 'bout meanness more'n Wash done. She was +mean to anybody she could lay her hands to, but special mean to me. She +beat me and used to tie my hands and make me lay flat on the floor and +she put snuff in my eyes. I ain't lyin' 'fore Gawd when I say I knows +that's why I went blind. I did see white folks sometimes what spoke +right friendly and kindly to me.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I gits to thinkin' now how Wash Hodges sold off maw's chillun. He'd +sell 'em and have the folks come for 'em when my maw was in the fields. +When she'd come back, she'd raise a ruckus. Then many the time I seed +her plop right down to a settin' and cry 'bout it. But she 'lowed they +warn't nothin' could be done, 'cause it's the slavery law. She said, 'O, +Lawd, let me see the end of it 'fore I die, and I'll quit my cussin' and +fightin' and rarin.' My maw say she's part Indian and that 'countable +for her ways.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day they truckled us all down in a covered wagon and started out +with the fam'ly and my maw and step-paw and five of us chillun. I know +I's past twelve year old. We come a long way and passed through a free +State. Some places we druv for miles in the woods 'stead of the big +road, and when we come to folks they hid us down in the bed of the +wagon. We passed through a li'l place and my maw say to look, and I seed +a man gwine up some steps, totin' a bucket of water. She say, 'Lulu, +that man's your paw.' I ain't never think she's as consid'ble of my +step-paw as of my paw, and she give me to think as much. My step-paw +never did like me, but he was a fool for his own young'uns, 'cause at +the end of the wars when they sot the niggers free, he tramped over half +the country, gatherin' up them young'uns they done sold 'way.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We went to a place called Wadefield, in Texas, and settled for some +short passin' of time. They was a Baptist church next our house and they +let me go twict. I was fancified with the singin' and preachin'. Then we +goes on to Chatfield Point and Wash Hodges built a log house and covered +it with weather boarding and built my maw and paw quarters to live in. +They turned in to raisin' corn and 'taters and hawgs. I had to work like +a dog. I hoed and milked ten cows a day.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Missus told me I had ought to marry. She said if I'd marry she'd togger +me up in a white dress and give me a weddin' supper. She made the dress +and Wash Hodges married me out'n the Bible to a nigger 'longin' to a +nephew of his'n. I was 'bout thirteen or fourteen. I know it warn't long +after that when Missus Hodges got a doctor to me. The doctor told me +less'n I had a baby, old as I was and married, I'd start in on spasms. +So it warn't long till I had a baby.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In 'twixt that time, Wash Hodges starts layin' out in the woods and +swamps all the time. I heared he was hidin' out from the war and was +sposed to go, 'cause he done been a volunteer in the first war and they +didn't have no luck in Kentucky.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One night when we was all asleep, some folks whooped and woke us up. +Two sojers come in and they left more outside. They found Wash Hodges +and said it was midnight and to git 'em something to eat. They et and +some more come in and et. They tied Wash's hands and made me hold a lamp +in the door for them to see by. They had some more men in the wagon, +with they hands tied. They druv away and in a minute I heared the +reports of the guns three or four times. Nex' day I heared they was +sojers and done shot some conscripts in the bottoms back of our place.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Wash Hodges was gone away four years and Missus Hodges was meaner'n the +devil all the time. Seems like she jus' hated us worser than ever. She +said blobber-mouth niggers done cause a war.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Well, now, things jus' kind of drifts along for a spell and then Wash +Hodges come back and he said, 'Well, now, we done whop the hell out them +blue bellies and that'll larn 'em a lesson to leave us alone.'</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id42"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Lulu Wilson" src="images/image190lulu.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Lulu Wilson</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Then my step-paw seed some Fed'ral sojers. I seed them, too. They +drifted by in droves of fifty and a hundred. My step-paw 'lowed as how +the Feds done told him they ain't no more slavery, and he tried to pint +it out to Wash Hodges. Wash says that's a new ruling, and it am that +growed-up niggers is free, but chillun has to stay with they masters +till they's of age.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My maw was in her cabin with a week old baby and one night twelve Klu +Kluxses done come to the place. They come in by ones and she whopped 'em +one at a time.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I don't never recall just like, the passin' of time. I know I had my +little boy young'un and he growed up, but right after he was born I left +the Hodges and felt like it's a fine, good riddance. My boy died, but he +left me a grandson. He growed up and went to 'nother war, and they done +somethin' to him and he ain't got but one lung. He ain't peart no more. +He's got four chillun and he makes fifty dollars a month. I'm crazy +'bout that boy and he comes to see me, but he can't holp me none in a +money way. So I'm right grateful to the president for gittin' my li'l +pension. I done study it out in my mind for three years and tell him, +Lulu says if he will see they ain't no more slavery, and if they'll pay +folks liveable wages, they'll be less stealin' and slummerin' and goin's +on. I worked so hard. For more'n fifty years I waited as a nurse on sick +folks. I been through the hackles if any mortal soul has, but it seems +like the president thinks right kindly of me, and I want him to know +Lulu Wilson thinks right kindly of him."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="wash-wilson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id110">Wash Wilson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Wash Wilson, 94, was born a slave of Tom Wilson, in Louisiana, near +the Ouachita Road. Wash and his family were purchased by Bill Anderson, +who brought them to Robertson Co., Texas. Wash lives in Eddy, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was 'bout eighteen years old when de Civil war come. Us calls it de +Freedom War. I was born in Louisiana, clost to de Ouachita Road, and +Marse Tom Wilson owned mammy and us chillen. But Marse Bill Anderson he +come from Texas to buy us from Marse Tom. Marse Tom, he 'lowed de +gov'ment gwine let dem damn Yankees give de South a whuppin' and dere +wasn't gwine be no slaves nowhere. But Marse Bill say we's a likely +bunch of chillen and mammy am a grand cook, so guess he take de resk.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marse Tom starts to Texas where he had a passel of land. Us was sold on +de block to him, 'cause Marse Tom say he gwine git all he done put in us +out us, iffen he can 'fore de Yanks take dis country.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy was named Julia Wilson. Sis Sally was oldest of us chillen, den +brudder Harry and me. Marse Bill he had 27,000 acres of land in +Robertson County what he git for fightin' Indians and sech. He lived in +seven mile of Calvert, Texas, and dat where he brunged us and de +supplies and sech. Us traveled in ox carts and hoss back, and de mos' us +niggers walked.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us was sot free on de road to Texas. Us camp one night and some folks +come talk with Marse Bill. De next mornin' he told us, 'Boys, you's free +as I is.' Us was only 'bout sixteen mile from where us gwine and Marse +Bill say, 'All what want to stay with me can.' Us didn't know nobody and +didn't have nothin' and us liked Marse Bill, so all us stayed with him. +When we got to his place us did round and 'bout, clearin' new ground and +buildin' cabins and houses. Dere was three log houses but us had to +build more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My pappy name was Bill Wilson. All my folks am dead now, but on de +plantation in Louisiana we had a good time. Mammy could cook and spin +and weave. Dey raised cotton and sugar cane and corn.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere wasn't many Indians when us come, in our part de country. All I +ever saw jes' steal and beg. Dere was plenty wild turkeys and wild hawgs +and deer and prairie chickens.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On Marse Bill's place every quarters had its barn and mule, but Marse +and he wife, Miss Deborah, lived in de quality quarters. Round dem was +de blacksmith shop and smokehouse and spinnin' house and Marse Bill have +a li'l house jus' for he office. De cookhouse was a two-room house side +de big house with a covered passage to de dinin' room. De milk house was +de back part de cook house.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In de smokehouse was hams and sides of hawg meat and barrels of syrup +and sugar and lard, and bushels of onions, and de 'tater room was allus +full. Dey dug a big place and put poles and pieces of cane and lumber +cross, like a top, and put dirt and leaves and banked de dirt round de +'tater room. Dey'd leave a place to crawl in, but dey kep' it tight and +dem 'taters dey kep' most all winter.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dey was hayricks and chicken roosties and big lye hoppers where us put +all de fireplace ashes. Come de rain and de water run through dat hopper +into de trough under it, and dat make lye water. De women put old meat +skins and bones and fat in de big, iron pot in de yard and put in some +lye water and bile soap. Den dey cut it when it git cold and put it on +de smokehouse shelves to dry. Dat sho' fine soap.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy worked in de kitchen mostly and spin by candlelight. Dey used a +bottle lamp. Dat a rag or piece of big string, stuck in de snuff bottle +full of tallow or grease. Later on in de years, dey used coal oil in de +bottles. Sometimes dey wrap a rag round and round and put it in a pan of +grease, and light dat for de lamp. Dey used pine torches, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De black folks' quarters was log cabins, with stick and dirt chimneys. +Dey had dere own garden round each cabin and some chickens, but dere +wasn't no cows like in Louisiana. Dere was lots of possums in de bottoms +and us go coon and possum huntin'. I likes cornbread and greens, cook +with de hawg jowls or strip bacon. Dat's what I's raised on. Us had lots +of lye hominy dem days. Marse Bill, he gwine feed everybody good on his +place. Den us had ash cake, make of corn meal. Us didn't buy much till +long time after de War.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us had poles stuck in de corner and tied de third pole cross, to make +de bed. Dey called 'Georgia Hosses'. Us filled ticks with corn shucks or +crab grass and moss. Dey wasn't no cotton beds for de niggers, 'cause +dey wasn't no gins for de long time and de cotton pick from de seed by +hand and dat slow work. De white folks had cotton beds and feather beds +and wool beds.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marse Bill allus had de doctor for us iffen de old woman couldn't git +us well. All de seven families Marse Bill done buy in Louisiana stayed +round him and he family till dey all dead, white and cullud. I's de +onlies' one left.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us piled 'bout a hundred or two or maybe three hundred bushels corn +outside de shed. Us have corn shuckin' at night and have de big time. De +fellow what owned de corn, he give a big supper and have all de whiskey +us want. Nobody got drunk, 'cause most everybody carry dey liquor purty +well. After shuckin' us have ring plays. For music dey scratch on de +skillet lids or beat bones or pick de banjo. Dere be thirty to fifty +folks, all cullud, and sometimes dey stay all night, and build de big +fire and dance outdoors or in de barn.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere wasn't no music instruments. Us take pieces a sheep's rib or cow's +jaw or a piece iron, with a old kettle, or a hollow gourd and some +horsehairs to make de drum. Sometimes dey'd git a piece of tree trunk +and hollow it out and stretch a goat's or sheep's skin over it for de +drum. Dey'd be one to four foot high and a foot up to six foot 'cross. +In gen'ral two niggers play with de fingers or sticks on dis drum. Never +seed so many in Texas, but dey made some. Dey'd take de buffalo horn and +scrape it out to make de flute. Dat sho' be heared a long ways off. Den +dey'd take a mule's jawbone and rattle de stick 'cross its teeth. Dey'd +take a barrel and stretch a ox's hide 'cross one end and a man sot +'stride de barrel and beat on dat hide with he hands, and he feet, and +iffen he git to feelin' de music in he bones, he'd beat on dat barrel +with he head. 'Nother man beat one wooden side with sticks. Us 'longed +to de church, all right, but dancin' ain't sinful iffen de foots ain't +crossed. Us danced at de arbor meetin's but us sho' didn't have us foots +crossed!</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de niggers go round singin' 'Steal Away to Jesus,' dat mean dere +gwine be a 'ligious meetin' dat night. Dat de sig'fication of a meetin'. +De masters 'fore and after freedom didn't like dem 'ligious meetin's, so +us natcherly slips off at night, down in de bottoms or somewheres. +Sometimes us sing and pray all night.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I voted till I's 'bout forty five year old, den I jes' kinder got out +de habit.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I got married in a suit of doeskin jeans, ain't none like dem nowadays. +I married Cornelia Horde and she wore a purty blue gingham de white +folks buyed and made for her. Us had six chillen, Calvin and Early and +Mary and Fred and Frank.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Iffen you knows someone workin' a conjure trick 'gainst you, jes' take +some powdered brick and scrub the steps real good. Dat'll kill any +conjure spell, sho'. De bes' watchdog you can get for de hoodoo is a +frizzly chicken. Iffen you got one dem on de place, you can rest in +peace, 'cause it scratches up every trick lay down 'gainst its owner. +Iffen you see dat frizzly chicken scratchin' round de place, it a sho' +sign you been conjured. A frizzly chicken come out he shell backwards, +and day why he de devil's own.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De old folks allus told me to make a cross inside my shoe every mornin' +'fore leavin' de house, den ain't no conjurer gwine git he conjure +'gainst you foots. Iffen you wear you under clothes wrong side out, you +can't be conjured. 'nother way am to put saltpetre in de soles you +shoes. Iffen you wears a li'l piece de 'peace plant' in you pocket or +you shoe, dat powerful strong 'gainst conjure. A piece of de Betsy bug's +heart with some silver money am good. But iffen you can't git none dose, +jes' take a piece newspaper and cut it de size of you shoe sole and +sprinkle nine grains red pepper on it. Dere ain't no hoodoo gwine ever +harm you den, 'cause he'd have to stop and count every letter on dat +newspaper and by dat time, you gwine be 'way from dere.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id43"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Wash Wilson" src="images/image195wash.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Wash Wilson</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Iffen you want to find de conjure tricks what done been sot for you, +jes' kill you a fat chicken and sprinkle some its blood in da conjure +doctor's left palm. Den take you forefinger and hit dat blood till it +spatter, and it gwine spatter in da direction where dat trick am hid. +Den when you find de trick, sprinkle a li'l quicksilver over a piece of +paper and put da paper on de fire, and dat trick gwine be laid forever.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old folks done told me how to make a conjurer leave town. Make up a +hick'ry fire and let it burn down to coals. Den you take up two live +coals. One dese gwine be you, and de other gwine be de luck. Take up one +dead coal, and dat you enemy. Den you jes' keep 'wake till de rooster +crow or midnight. Dat am de end of de day. Now you chunk de live coal +what am you to de south, de warm country; den throw de other live coal +to de east; den chunk de dead coal, you enemy, to de north, de cold +country. Nothin' of de conjurer can't git over fire, and 'fore de week +out, dat conjurer be leavin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"A old Indian who used to hang round Marse Bill's place say to git de +best of a conjurer, git some clay from da mouth a crawfish hole, and +some dirt from a red ant's hole. Mix dem and wet dem with whiskey or +camphor. Git some angleworms and boil dem and add de worm water to de +clay and dirt. Iffen you rubs de conjured pusson with dis, he trouble +done go 'way."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="willis-winn"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id111">Willis Winn</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Willis Winn claims to be 116 years old. He was born in Louisiana, a +slave of Bob Winn, who Willis says taught him from his youth that his +birthday was March 10, 1822. When he was freed Willis and his father +moved to Hope, Arkansas, where they lived sixteen years. Willis then +moved to Texarkana and from there to Marshall, where he has lived +fourteen years. Willis lives alone in a one-room log house in the rear +of the Howard Vestal home on the Powder Mill Road, north of Marshall, +and is supported by an $11.00 per month old age pension.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"The onliest statement I can make 'bout my age is my old master, Bob +Winn, allus told me if anyone ask me how old I is to say I's borned on +March the tenth, in 1822. I's knowed my birthday since I's a shirt-tail +boy, but can't figure in my head.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My pappy was Daniel Winn and he come from Alabama, and I 'member him +allus sayin' he'd like to go back there and get some chestnuts. Mammy +was named Patsy and they was nine of us chillen. The five boys was me +and Willie and Hosea and two Georges, and the gals was Car'lina and Dora +and Anna and Ada, and all us lived to be growed and have chillen.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Bob's house faced the quarters where he could hear us holler when +he blowed the big horn for us to git up. All the houses was made of logs +and we slept on shuck and grass mattresses what was allus full of +chinches. I still sleep on a grass mattress, 'cause I can't rest on +cotton and feather beds.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We et yellow bread and greens and black-eyed peas and potlicker and +sopped 'lasses. Us and the white folks all cooked in fireplaces. A big +iron pot hung out in the yard for to bile greens and hog jowl and sich +like. We didn't know nothing 'bout bakin' powder and made our soda from +burnt cobs. That's jes' as good soda as this Arm and Hammer you get in +the store. We et flour bread Sundays, but you daren't git cotch with +flour dough 'cept on that day. Mammy stole lots of it, though. She +rolled it up and put it round her head and covered it with her head-rag. +Wild game was all over the country, buffalo and bears and panthers and +deer and possum and coon. The squirrels 'most run over you in the woods. +We et at a long, wooden trough and it was allus clean and full of plenty +grub. We used buffalo and fish bones for spoons, and some et with they +hands. The grub I liked best was whatever I could git.</p> +<p class="pnext">Us slaves didn't wear nothing but white lowell cloth. They give us pants +for Sunday what had a black stripe down the leg. The chillen wore wool +clothes in winter, but the big folks wore the same outfit the year +round. They didn't care if you froze.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I can show you right where I was when the stars fell. Some say they +covered the ground like snow, but nary one ever hit the ground. They +fell in 'bout twelve feet of the ground. The chillen jumped up and tried +to cotch them. I don't 'member how long they fell, but they was shootin' +through the air like sky-rockets fer quite a spell.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Missy Callie had one gal and two boys and Massa Bob had three +overseers. He didn't have nigger drivers, but had his pets. We called +them pimps, 'cause they was allus tattlin' when we done anything. His +place was jes' as far as you could let your eyes see, 'bout 1,800 or +1,900 acres, and he owned more'n 500 niggers.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I still got the bugle he woke us with at four in the mornin'. When the +bugle blowed you'd better go to hollerin', so the overseer could hear +you. If he had to call you, it was too bad. The first thing in the +mornin' we'd go to the lot and feed, then to the woodpile till +breakfast. They put our grub in the trough and give us so long to eat. +Massa hollered if we was slow eatin'. 'Swallow that grub now and chaw it +tonight. Better be in that field by daybreak.' We worked from see to +can't.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's seed many a nigger whipped on a 'buck and gag' bench. They buckled +'em down hard and fast on a long bench, gagged they mouth with cotton +and when massa got through layin' on that cowhide, the blood was runnin' +off on the ground. Next mornin' after he whip you, he'd come to the +quarters when you git up and say, 'Boy, how is you feelin'? No matter +how sore you is, you'd better jump and kick you heels and show how +lively you is.' Massa hated me to he dying day, 'cause I told missy +'bout him whippin' a gal scandously in the field, 'cause she want to go +to the house to her sick baby. Missy Callie didn't whip us, but she'd +twist our nose and ears nearly off. Them fingers felt like a pair of +pinchers. She stropped on her guns and rode a big bay horse to the +field.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa had a gin and I hauled cotton to Port Caddo, on Caddo Lake. I +druv eight mules and hauled eight bales of cotton. Massa followed me +with two mules and two bales of cotton. I usually had a good start of +him. The patterrollers has cotched me and unhitched my mules and druv +'em off, leavin' me in the middle of the road. They'd start back home, +but when they overtook massa they stopped, 'cause he druv the lead +mules. He fetched 'em back and say, 'Willis, what happen?' He sho' +cussed them patterrollers and said he'll git even yet.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They was sellin' slaves all the time, puttin' 'em on the block and +sellin' 'em, 'cordin' to how much work they could do in a day and how +strong they was. I's seed lots of 'em in chains like cows and mules. If +a owner have more'n he needed, he hit the road with 'em and sold 'em off +to 'joinin' farms. None of 'em ever run off. They couldn't git away. I's +seed too many try it. If the patterrollers didn't cotch you, some white +folks would put you up and call your massa. They had a 'greement to be +on the watch fer runaway niggers. When the massa git you back home and +git through with you, you'd sho' stay home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In slavery time the niggers wasn't 'lowed to look at a book. I larned +to read and write after surrender in the jail at Hot Springs, in +Arkansas.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They give us cake at Christmas and eggnog and 'silly-bug'. Eggnog is +made from whites of eggs and 'silly-bug' from yallers. You have to churn +the whiskey and yallers to make 'silly-bug'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Corn shuckin's was the things them days. I liked to see 'em come. They +cooked up guineas and ducks and chickens and sometimes roast a pig. +Massa kept twenty, thirty barrels whiskey round over the place all the +time, with tin cups hangin' on the barrels. You could drink when you +want to, but sho' better not git drunk. Massa have to watch he corners +when cornshuckin' am over, or us niggers grab him and walk him round in +the air on their hands.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When some of the white folks died every nigger on the place had to go +to the grave and walk round and drap in some dirt on him. They buried +the niggers anyway. Dig a ditch and cover 'em up. I can show you right +now down in Louisiana where I was raised, forty acres with nothin' but +niggers buried on 'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member lots 'bout the war but can't tell you all, 'cause every war +have its secrets. That war had four salutes, and you'd better give the +right one when you meet the captain. I's heared the niggers sing, 'Gonna +hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree.' My pappy fought in the last +battle, at Mansfield, and so did Massa Bob.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When the 'Federates come in sight of Mansfield they was carryin' a red +flag, and kept it raised till surrender. When the Yanks come in sight +they raised a white flag and wanted the 'Federates to surrender, but +they wouldn't answer. It wasn't long till the whole world round there +smelt like powder. Guns nowadays jus' goes 'pop-pop', but them guns +sounded like thunder.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After surrender, massa freed the men and missy freed the women, but he +didn't let us loose when he ought. They wasn't no places 'vided with +niggers as I heared 'bout. Niggers in Louisiana say Queen Elizabeth sent +a boatload of gold to America to give the free men, but we never seed +any of it. Massa give us each a barrel meal, a barrel flour, a side of +meat and ten gallons 'lasses and tell us we can work for who we pleases. +Daddy bought two cows and a horse and eight hawgs and a goat from massa +on credit and we moved and made three crops.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The Yanks stayed round Louisiana a long time after surrender. They come +to white folks houses what hadn't freed they slaves and busted they meal +and flour barrels and burn they meat and say, 'If we have to face you +'gain, we'll sweep you from the cradle up.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I's been cotched by them Ku Kluxers. They didn't hurt me, but have lots +of fun makin' me cut capers. They pulls my clothes off once and make me +run 'bout four hunerd yards and stand on my head in the middle the road.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They is plenty niggers in Louisiana that is still slaves. A spell back +I made a trip to where I was raised, to see my old missy 'fore she died, +and there was niggers in twelve or fourteen miles of that place that +they didn't know they is free. They is plenty niggers round here what is +same as slaves, and has worked for white folks twenty and twenty-five +years and ain't drawed a five cent piece, jus' old clothes and somethin' +to eat. That's the way we was in slavery.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Bout four years after surrender pappy say he heared folks say gold was +covering the ground at Hope, Arkansas, so we pulled up and moved there. +We found lots of money where they'd been a big camp, but no gold. We +lived there sixteen years, then I came to Texarkana and worked twelve +years for G.W. George Fawcett's sawmill. I never married till I was old, +in Little Washington, Arkansas, and lived with my wife thirty-six years +'fore she died. We raised eighteen chillen to be growed and nary one of +'em was ever arrested.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id44"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Willis Winn" src="images/image201williswinn.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Willis Winn</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I was allus wild and played for dances, but my wife was 'ligious and +after I married I quieted down. When I jined the church, I burned my +fiddle up. I allus made a livin' from public road work since I left +Texarkana, till I got no count for work. The only time I voted was in +Hope, and I voted the 'publican ticket and all my folks got mad.</p> +<p class="pnext">"If it wasn't for the good white folks, I'd starved to death. 'Fore I +come here to the Vestals, I was livin' in a shack on the T. & P. tracks +and I couldn't pay no rent. I was sick and the woman made me git out. +Master Vestal found me down by the tracks, eatin' red clay. I'd lived +for three days on six tomatoes. I et two a day. Master Vestal went home +and his wife cooked a big pot of stew, with meat and potatoes, and +fetched it to me. Then they built a house down behind their back yard +and I's lived with 'em ever since.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I allus say the cullud race started off wrong when they was freed and +is still wrong today. They had a shot to be well off, but they can't +keep money. You give one a bank of money and he'll be busted tomorrow. I +tells young niggers every day they ought to come down where they'll have +some sense. I serves the Lord at home and don't meddle with 'em."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="rube-witt"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id112">Rube Witt</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Rube Witt, 87, was a slave of Jess Witt of Harrison County, Texas. He +enlisted in the Confederate Army at Alexandria, La., and was sent to +Mansfield, but his regiment arrived after the victory of the North. He +worked for his master for a year after the war, then moved to Marshall +and worked for Edmund Key, Sr., pioneer banker and civic leader. Rube +cooked for eighteen years at the old Capitol Hotel in Marshall, and took +up preaching as a side line. He and his wife live at 707 E. Crockett +St., in Marshall. They receive a $15.00 pension.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was born on the Jess Witt place, right here in Harrison County, on +the tenth day of August, in 1850, and allus lived in and round Marshall. +My father and mother, Daniel and Jane, was bred and born in Texas, and +belonged to the Witts. I had five brothers, named Charlie and Joe and +George and Bill and Jim, and six sisters, named Mary and Susan and Betsy +and Anna and Effie and Lucinda. They all lived to be growed but I'm the +onliest chile still livin'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Master Witt had a big place, I don't recall how many acres. He didn't +have so many slaves. Slavery was a tight fight. We lived in li'l cabins +and slept on rough plank beds and et bacon and peas and pa'ched corn. We +didn't hardly know what flour bread was. Master give us one outfit of +clothes to a time and sometimes shoes. We worked all day in the fields, +come in and fed the stock and did the chores and et what li'l grub it +took to do us and went to bed. You'd better not go nowhere without a +pass, 'cause them patterrollers was rolling round every bush.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My missus was named Kate and had two chillen. The Witts had a good set +of niggers and didn't have to whip much. Sometimes he give us a light +brushin' for piddlin' round at work. I seed plenty niggers whipped on +ole man Ruff Perry and Pratt Hughes places, though. They was death on +'em. Lawyer Marshall used to whip his niggers goin' and comin' every day +that come round.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'members white folks sayin' war was startin' 'bout keepin' slaves and +then I seed 'em mendin' the harness and wagons to go and fight. I was +the houseboy for the Witts durin' the war and 'bout time it was over I +enlisted at Alexandria as a soldier and they sent me to Mansfield. The +Yanks had done won the victory when our reg'ment got there. They turned +us loose to git home the best we could. I come back to the Witts and +master calls up all the slaves and says we was free, but if we stayed +and worked for him we'd have plenty to eat and wear, and if we left, +it'd be root, hawg or die. Most of 'em left but I stayed a year. You'd +ought to seed 'em pullin' off them croaker-sack clothes when master says +we's free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I come to Marshall with my mother and the whole state was under United +States law. The 8th Regiment of Illinois was at Marshall for two years +after the war, and no man, black, white or red or what is you, darsn't +git cotched after dark without a pass. When they'd stop you, if you +couldn't give the U.S. sign, 'Grant's Friend,' they'd shoot the devil +out of you. You didn't pass 'less you knowed the sign.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The Confederates had a big gun powder mill on Mill's Creek, two and a +half miles north of Marshall and it stayed operatin' two or three years. +But Gen. Atichon and Capt. Bishop and Lt. Rives and a bunch of Yanks +tried to capture it and the Confederates blowed it up.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I was 'bout sixteen my mother hires me out to a Mr. Acorns, who +was refugeed from Georgia to Marshall. Ole man Acorns was a mile of hell +anywhere you met him and he nearly beat me to death and I run away. His +son and him and 'nother man starts after me and I has to light a shuck. +We sho' had some race down that hill over where the new water tower is +in Sunny South, but they didn't cotch me. The white folks round here +didn't 'lieve us niggers was free then.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id45"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Rube Witt" src="images/image208rube.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Rube Witt</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Then I goes to work for Mr. Edmond Key, Sr., and stays with him till +I'm growed. I used to help chase rabbits where the court house is now. I +recalls the Buzzard Roost Hotel and some stores was on that square then.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I cooks for the old Capitol Hotel eighteen years, then I quit and tries +railroadin', but it didn't take long to decide to go back to the cook +apron. I allus made a livin' from cookin' and preachin', and I've +preached forty-five years. The only times I voted was for high sheriff +once and for President Garfield and President Grant.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I marries in 1915 and my wife is still with me. I'm too stove up with +rhumatis' now to work and her and me gits $15.00 a month from the +government."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="ruben-woods"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id113">Ruben Woods</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Ruben Woods, hale and strong despite his 84 years, was born a slave of +the John Woods family in Taladiga County, Alabama. He served as houseboy +in their home until he was 21, then came to Tyler, Texas, with one of +his master's children. He now lives in El Paso, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I'se de oldest of seven chillen. My father was John Woods, mother Laura +Woods. She was a cook for de marster's family on de plantation. We lived +in a log house, logs was hewed in de woods. De marster's house was +plastered inside. He had 1,000 acres plantation and 96 slaves. He took +good care of 'em. Onct a week dey would come and dey allowanced 'em out +pervisions. Not fine stuff; no, dey didn' gib 'em nothin' like dat ham +and such. Dey would gib you enough flour for biscuit for Sunday mornin' +and dey gib potatoes. I tell you how dey done dat; ev'ry family, he had +a basket and when dey blow de ho'n in de evenin' ev'ry chile dat was big +enough come and he know his basket and take it home.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De quarters was all in rows. You had to have a pass frum de massa to go +from one place to anudder or the pateroller would ketch you and whop +you. Overseers whopped 'em, too.</p> +<p class="pnext">"You worked frum time you could see 'till dark. You couldn' git outta +dat, no suh, time you coul' see de stuff in de fiel', you was out +workin.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Ole man Woods was a powerful good man. He wouldn' raise cotton for +sale, only jus' enough for de women to make clothes. He raised hogs and +cattle. I 'member Ben Averit; he had a big plantation over on de island. +Took boatloads of slaves and work 'em hard. We'd hear de boats go over, +clop-clop.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We'd take two yoke of oxen with co'n and wheat to de mill, stay all +day, den bring it back to give ev'rybody. I go to mill lots of times and +allus drive oxen. In hot weather, dey run off to de creek. What you +talkin' erbout, when it gits hot and dey smell dat water, dey travel!</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member stagecoach. Had erbout six or eight hosses to 'em. Driver'd +blow bugle for stops jus' like trains. Dey didn' have much trains dem +days.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When de war comes, we had soldiers. I se'ed 'em drillin' and marchin'. +I se'ed dem hep-hep-hep! Yes, ma'am, when de Yanks come we was a runnin' +and a squattin' like partridges a hidin'. Dem guns was a firin' and +shootin' dem cannon, spoilin' fiel's and killin' hawgs. Wasn't no fun. +Drums a beatin'. It was excitable, yes, ma'am. We had to run and hide. +We all run up to whut dey call a cave and down in dat cave we had eats. +All come what could git in dere. De soldiers try to roun' 'em up, but +not dem niggers. All run from one place to anudder.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I learned to read and write after freedom. Dey not allow you no book +larnin'. Obey your marster and missus, dat's all.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I 'member jist as well as dat I'se sittin' here, when freedom come. +Marster had 'em all come near de gate and he say, 'You all is free as I +am now.' He hollered and cried. It tickled me to see him cry. And den +he say, 'But now iffen you want to, all kin stay and finish up de crop. +I'll feed you.' Some, dey go to de neighbors. Dey didn' know whut to do. +Dey hadn' been taught to do for demselves. But dey couldn' whop 'em no +more. I stayed 'till I was 21.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id46"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Ruben Woods" src="images/image211ruben.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Ruben Woods</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"No, ma'am, I never coul' sing, but I 'member one song. It went dis way:</p> +<blockquote><div> +<div class="line-block"> +<div class="line"> +'1821—Jesus work is jus' begun;</div> +<div class="line"> +1822—Jesus brought de sinner through;</div> +<div class="line"> +1823—Jesus sot de prisoner free;</div> +<div class="line"> +1824—Jesus preached 'mong de poor;</div> +<div class="line"> +1825—Jesus brought de dead to life;</div> +<div class="line"> +1826—Jesus had all things fixed;</div> +<div class="line"> +1827—Jesus rose and went to Heben;</div> +<div class="line"> +1828—Jesus made de plain way straight;</div> +<div class="line"> +1829—Jesus turned de blood to wine.'</div> +</div> +</div></blockquote> +<p class="pfirst">"We played hide-a-hoop. And hide-a-switch. We do dis; you'se huntin' +switch and gittin' hot, gittin' col', dey take after you, dey have a +base to go to. Den if dey ketch dem dey whop 'em.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We played 'Anthony Over,' wid thread balls. We throw dat ball over de +house. If dey don' ketch it, dey's out. Dat's de way dey had de sport."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="willis-woodson"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id114">Willis Woodson</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Willis Woodson does not know his age, but looks very aged. He was born +in Whiterock, but he does not know its location, except that it was +somewhere east of the Mississippi River. Willis now lives in Tyler, +Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I'm borned at a place called Whiterock, but don't rightly 'member no +other name, but it was a long, long way from here, though. I was the +prop'ty of Marse Richards, but he sold me and my maw and a lot of +darkies to Marse Ike Isom. Maw said Marse Ike done pay $500 for me, +cheap 'cause I's purty little and couldn't do much work.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marse Isom moved to Texas and everybody holped load de wagons, and we +starts real early in a cold mornin'. De old womens and little chillens +rode in de wagons, but de men walked. We traveled real slow, though, and +it wasn't no worse'n plowin' all day. One Marse Isom's sons rid behind +on a big, white hoss, and seed none of the darkies runned off. At night +we fixes a supper and goes to bed and all de niggers is chained together +and slept on straw beds. The white men tooked turns guardin' dem with +guns.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We gits to de new farm, long ways from where we lives befo', and starts +clearin' land. When we gits settled, Old Miss picks me to be nuss to her +chillen. Maw didn't work in de field. She say she done been hurt when +she got a whippin' when she ain't growed, and her back ain't good no +more. Old Miss say, 'Eva, you come in de kitchen and make some +chittlin's, and iffen you cooks good, you can work in my kitchen.' Maw, +she make dem chitlin's and dey's damn good, so she gits to cook den.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marse and Old Miss lives in de big house, with boards outside, +'steadin' logs. It have big rooms, lots of dem, and a big fireplace all +'cross de side one room. Me and 'nother boy has to bring in logs to +build de fire, him totin' one end and me totin' one end. I stays in de +house, so I gits good clothes and shoes, too. Some dem niggers didn't +have hardly no clothes, though,</p> +<p class="pnext">"De mostest fun I ever got was when Marse Isom 'lows me to be footman. +He gits me a uniform, most like a sojer's, 'ceptin' mine am red with +black stripes down de pants. I 'member it jist like yesterday, de first +time I puts it on. Marse give a cel'bration at he house and de doorman +am sick, so I has to be it. He give me dat suit and say to hurry put it +on. Den he make me come to de front door and let him in over and over, +so as to git de hang of it. He told me to take his hat and cane and put +dem up, and to say, 'Thank you,' and 'Dis way, please,' and not to say +no more to nobody, and I didn't. After dat night I opens de door lots of +times, but mostest I wears dat suit when I takes de white folks to +church, while dey listens to preachin' and I holds de hosses.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id47"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Willis Woodson" src="images/image214williswoodson.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Willis Woodson</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"I never did see no niggers whipped, but I done see dat whip hangin' in +de barn. It a big, long thing, lots bigger'n a horsewhip, and I know it +must have been used, 'cause it all wore out at one end.</p> +<p class="pnext">"All de fun we has am huntin' and fishin'. We can go any night if we +gits a permit from Marse Isom. Sometimes at night, he lets all de big +niggers git together 'hind de cabins and make a big bonfire. Den we +sings all de songs we knows, till nine o'clock, den Marse rings de bell, +to cut out all de noise.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Jus' befo' dat war am over, some soldiers marches through de farm and +kilt all de cows and stock and burns de barn, Marse beg dem not to burn +he house, so dey didn't. Some dem niggers quits when dey freed, without +no supper, but not dis nigger! I stays sev'ral years, den gits a job +snakin' logs in a sawmill. Den I marries and has seven chillen and I +stays with first one, den 'nother. I holps dem all I can. I been +patchin' up some fishin' tackle today."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="james-g-woorling"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id115">James G. Woorling</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">James G. Woorling, of Fort Worth, Texas, tells the story of Uncle +Dave, one of the slaves that belonged to Mr. Woorling's father, who +owned a large plantation near Point, in Rains County, Texas. The story +relates how Uncle Dave provided for his family after they were freed, +and is valuable as an example of how many ex-slaves managed to secure a +foothold in a world for which slavery had not prepared them.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"During pre-war days my father owned a plantation near Point, in Rains +County, as well as a large number of slaves, including one Uncle Dave. +After the Negroes were emancipated, my father placed a large number of +them on tracts of land within the plantation and furnished them with a +mule team, a few sheep, some chickens, and the implements needed to +cultivate the land. The Negroes were privileged to occupy the land for +seven years and to keep whatever they made during that time. After the +expiration of the seven years they were to pay in money or percentage of +crops for the use of the land. This plan was followed by a number of +plantation owners.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Uncle Dave was an exceptional Negro. He was a natural mechanic, but +could do carpenter work, blacksmithing, shoemaking and many other things +equally well. He was a good manager, frugal and industrious, and it is +doubtful if he paid out $50.00 in a year's time for food, clothing and +other necessities during the seven years that he lived on the +seventy-five acres on our plantation.</p> +<p class="pnext">"He never bought a horsecollar, but made them himself, shaping them to +prevent galling and packing them with corn husks. He made the hames from +oak timber and made the metal accessories.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The shoes for Dave's family he made from hides of animals slaughtered +for the meat supply. About the only farm implements he bought were those +that required high grade steel.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Aunt Julia, his wife, did her part. She was adept at cooking and +preserving, and knew how to cure meat. Salt and spices were purchased, +but they raised barley and roasted it, to use in the place of tea or +coffee. They raised sugar and ribbon cane and made their own sugar and +molasses. Aunt Julia told father that eggs were traded for any articles +of food that could not be obtained from the farm.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Following the Civil War the production of cloth by power driven +machines enabled manufacturers to sell cloth at a price that did not +warrant continuance of the hand method. But that did not interest Dave +and Julia. They had a spinning wheel and a loom made by Uncle Dave +himself, and they made all the cloth needed by the family, dying it with +the bark of blackoak, cherry or other trees.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When the seven year period ended, my father thought that Uncle Dave +would stay on the land. He had cleared it, built a house and barn and +other structures, which all belonged to my father under the agreement. +But Uncle Dave was not interested in renting the land. He had saved +enough money to buy a thousand acres between the towns of Point and +Emory. He built a house and barn and moved his family.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Uncle Dave came home one day from a trip to town with a load of cotton. +He had a ten gallon keg, which he painted black. He cut a slit in the +side of the keg and made a plug for the hole and told Julia the keg was +to hold his surplus cash.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Uncle Dave hid the keg and during the next twenty years refused to tell +his wife, children or anyone else where it was. It is obvious that all +the money he received for his crops, except a small sum, was surplus. +Julia often asked Uncle Dave to tell her where the keg was, and told my +father that Uncle Dave had not been well and she feared the possibility +of his dying without disclosing the secret. Not long after, Uncle Dave +was found dead one morning. Money was needed for funeral expenses, but +the keg could not be found and Julia had to borrow the required amount.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The family searched first in the more likely locations, then made a +minute search of the whole place, but the keg was never found. On Uncle +Dave's farm a fortune is cached. The keg must have long ago +disintegrated, but the gold and silver money, the savings of twenty +years, remain in their hiding place."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="caroline-wright"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id116">Caroline Wright</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Caroline Wright, about 90 years old, was born near Baton Rouge, +Louisiana. Dr. Warren Wortham owned her parents and their 14 children. +Caroline was 12 when they were freed. Her father, Robert Vaughn, moved +to Texas, [HW: with master, p.2, para. 4 & 5] where he prospered and +bought more than 300 acres of Tehuacana bottom land in McLennan County. +Caroline and her husband now live at 59 Grant St., Waco, in a little +house they bought after their family was grown.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I was bo'ned in Louisiana on Jones Creek, by Baton Rouge, 'bout 90 +years ago. I disremember the year. My pappy was Bob Vaughn and my mammy +was Rose Ann. Dey was bo'ned by Baton Rouge. I had six sisters, Betsy +Ann, Lydia, Nancy, Paga and Louisan; and three brothers, Horace, Robert +and Tom. We was all owned by Dr. Warren Wortham and his wife, Annie. Mr. +Bob, de doctor's brother, had us in charge, and he hired us out to Hays +White, who owned a sugar plantation on de Mississippi River by Baton +Rouge. Us all stayed at his place two year. Dere was sugar cane, co'n, +peas and tomatoes raised on de farm. We lived in a log cabin made of +pine logs and our beds was made outta pine timber with co'n shucks +tacked on de bed, and our kivers was feather beds.</p> +<p class="pnext">"In Clinton, in Louisiana, we was all put on de block and valued. I was +six year old and I was valued at $1,500. But our family wasn' sold to +anyone. I was given to Miss Muriel, Dr. Wortham's daughter. Me and my +sisters was made house slaves and my mammy and pappy and brothers was +made fiel' slaves.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Our marster, Dr. Wortham, sho' was a fine doctor. He never whip us. De +young missus learned us our A B C's 'cause dere was no school for de +slaves. Dere wasn' no church on de plantation, but us all went +'casionally to a big log cabin and camp shed. Sometime a white would +preach and sometime a cullud preacher.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I only 'member one slave who ran away. He was so worthless, he came +back when he got ready. He wasn' punished, 'cause he wasn' mean, just +lazy. I never saw no jail for slaves and never saw any whipped. We allus +had from Friday noon to Monday mornin' off.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On Christmas, the white folks allus give us presents and plenty to eat, +and us allus had a big dance five or six time a year. Dr. Wortham lived +in a great big log house made from cedar logs.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day, I seen a lot of men and I asked de missus what dey was doin'. +She tol' me dey come to fit in de war. De war got so bad dat Mr. Bob +tol' us we was all gwine to Texas. Us all started out on Christmas Day +of de firs' year of Lincoln's war. We went in ox wagons and us had mules +to ride.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On de trip to Texas, one evenin' a big storm come up and Mr. Bob, he +asked a man to let us use a big, empty house. Dey put me by de door to +sleep 'cause I was de lightes' sleeper. Some time in de night, I woked +up and dere stood de bigges' haint I ever saw. He was ten feet high and +had on a big beaver coat. I hollers to my pappy, 'Pappy, wake up, dere's +a haint.' Nex' mornin' we got up and dey was nothin' outta place. No, +ma'am, we didn' cotch de haint, a haint jus' can't be cotched.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Nex' mornin' we started agin on our journey, and some time in March we +reach Texas. They took us all 'cross de Brazos on a ferryboat, jus' +'bout where de 'spension bridge is now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De doctor took us all on de farm on de other side of where Bosque is +now. On de farm us raised all kinds vegetables and grain and sugar cane +to make sorghum, but no cotton. We all lived in one and two room log +cabins, made out of cedar posts. Us didn' make any money for ourselves, +but us had plenty of hog meat, beef, butter, milk, cornbread and +vegetables to eat, lots mo' dan us have dese days. Us did all de cookin' +in de fireplaces. Us sho' did have plenty of possum, and rabbit, and us +cotched lots of fish outta de Bosque River.</p> +<p class="pnext">"De women slaves, eleven of us, had our own gardens and us spun all our +own clothes. In de summer us all wore cotton stripe and in de winter, +linsey dresses. On Sunday us had lawn dresses and us sho' did come out +looking choicesome.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dr. Wortham had Si for an overseer. It was a big farm and had forty or +fifty slaves to work it. Us got up 'bout four in de mornin' and ate +breakfas' 'bout nine o'clock. All de slaves had to work from sun to sun, +and when us was sick, de marster treated us.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I was 'bout 16, I married William Wright. He was bo'n a slave near +Rapid Pass, Kentucky. When he was eight year old, his family's owner +died, and he went to the daughter, Mrs. Richard Mason, on Black River, +in Louisiana, as "heir property." He was raised dere, but when he's +freed he comes to Texas and works for Ganey Mason, seven mile east of +Waco. He's 105 year old now and you cain't ha'dly unnerstan' what he's +talkin' 'bout. We was married on the 23d day of December, in 1869. Will +and me sho' did have a fine weddin'. De women cooked for three days and +we danced and ate. My weddin' dress was elegant. It was white lawn with +blue ribbons. Will and me had 12 chillen and raised 9, and us has 14 +grandchildren.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Will and me has been married 'bout 75 year and is still married. It's +disrespectful how de young folks treats marriage nowadays.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Ten year after our chillen's growed, we swaps what land we has for dis +little house, but we had to pay some money, too. Will was more'n 90 +years old and I was eighty some years old, but we got this house and we +is happy. We can sit under that big china-berry tree in de fron' yard +and look at de big trees over dere on Waco Creek, and one of our sons +lives with us."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="sallie-wroe"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id117">Sallie Wroe</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Sallie Wroe, 81, was born a slave on Mike Burdette's plantation near +Austin. Her parents were field workers. In 1874 Sallie married John Wroe +and they raised eleven children. Sallie owns a small farm on the +outskirts of Austin. One of her daughters lives with her.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Befo' I's married, I's Sallie Burdette. De white folks tell me I's born +eighty-one years ago. I reckon I's dat old. I know I's born on Massa +Mike Burdette's cotton plantation at Burdette Prairie, right close to +Austin, and mammy's name was Het Burdette. She chopped and picked cotton +and been dead long time. John Burdette was my pappy and he was jes' a +reg'lar fieldman, too. Pappy been dead, mercy, so long!</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Burdette had a overseer and he sho' rough. I think his name must +be Debbil, he so rough. My sister, Mollie, was weaver at de loom, and +iffen she didn't git out 'nough for de day she am tied up in sittin' +form and whipped hard. She had stripes all over de shoulders.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dere was a whole row of log cabins close to de big house and de roofs +was made of clapboards. It didn't rain in none. De only openin' was de +door, no windows. Dere was mud and stick chimnies and a dirt floor. It +wasn't no better dan a corncrib but purty warm in winter, 'cause de +holes chinked with mud.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Burdette 'low us nigger chillen come to de big house at night and +his chillen larn us to read. Dey had blue-back spellers, but I didn't +cotch on much and can't read or write now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Pappy a purty good man, 'siderin' he a slave man. One day pappy and +Uncle Paul and Uncle Andy and Uncle Joe was takin' bales of cotton on ox +wagons down to de Rio Grande. Each man was drivin' a ox wagon down to +Brownsville, where dey was to wait to meet Massa Burdette. But pappy and +de others left de wagons 'long de river bank and rolled a bale of cotton +in de river and all four of dem gits on dat bale and rows with sticks +'cross over into Mexico. Dis was durin' de war. Pappy come back to us +after freedom and say he done git 'long fine with Mexico. He larnt to +talk jes' like dem.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id48"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Sallie Wroe" src="images/image223sallie.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Sallie Wroe</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Me and mammy stays on at Massa Burdette's place de whole time pappy am +gone. It was on June 19 we was made free and Massa Burdette say iffen we +stays on his place and gather de crops, he give each of us a free +eggnog. We ain't never got no eggnog befo' so it sound purty good and we +stays and gathers de crops. But dat eggnog made me sick.</p> +<p class="pnext">"My cousin Mitchell come and got us and brung us to Chapel Hill. He done +rent him a farm dere and looks out for us till pappy comes back. He +brung some money back from Mexico and taken us all to Brenham and buyed +us some clothes. Den he moved us up to Austin and done any work he could +git. I stayed home till 1874 and den married John Wroe, and he rented +land and farmed and died in 1927.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We raises eleven chillen and dey all good and 'haved. All my +grandchillen calls me 'Big Mama,' but I's so li'l now dey ought to call +me 'Li'l Mama.' I owns dis li'l farm. John saved 'nough money to buy it +befo' he died. I gits a li'l pension and my daughter works and when +she's workin' my grandchil' takes care of me."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="fannie-yarbrough"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id118">Fannie Yarbrough</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Fannie Yarbrough, blind and bedridden, was born a slave of the +McKinney family, near Egypt, Kaufman Co., Texas. She was about six when +the Civil War started. At that time her job was to herd sheep. After +"freedom" she, her mother and sister, stayed with the McKinney's for a +time. Fannie married Green Yarbrough in Hunt Co., Texas and they now +live in a little cabin at 843 Plum St., Abilene, Texas.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Ole Marster had a world of sheeps. Every day we take dem sheeps and +watch 'em. The wolves was mean. We'd git to playin', all us little +niggers, and forgit them sheeps and nex' thing you know an old wolf +would have himse'f a sheep.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Sometimes we'd keep playin' so late it was dark 'fore we knowed it and +we'd start runnin' them sheeps home. Ol' Marster would be at de big gate +to let us in. He says, 'Now, chillen, you didn' git back with all the +sheep.' We'd say, 'Ol' wolf got 'em.' But he knowed ol' wolf didn' get +all de ones missin' and he'd say, 'You're storyin'. Then purty soon some +of the little stray ones come home. Then he knowed we'd run the sheep +home and he'd say, 'I 'spose I'll have to whip you,' but he never did. +Those were sweet times! Ol' Marster was so good, and he give us more to +eat than you ever saw. Hog meat every day and sweet 'tatoes so big we'd +have to cut 'em with an ax.</p> +<p class="pnext">After we et our supper, we had to spin a broach of thread every night +'fore we went to bed. I larned all 'bout spinnin' and weavin' when I was +little and by time I's 10 I'd make pretty striped cloth.</p> +<p class="pnext">"How we played and played! On Sundays we'd strike out for the big woods +and we'd gather our dresses full of hickory nuts, walnuts and berries +and a sour apple called 'maypop.' We'd kill snakes and dance and sing +that ol' song 'bout, 'Hurrah! Mister Bluecoat, Toodle-O.' 'O, Dat Lady's +Beatin' You.' It meant his pardner was beatin' him dancin.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"I was jes' lyin' here dreamin' 'bout how we use to go to the woods +every spring and dig the maypop roots, then bring 'em home and wash 'em +good and dry 'em—but, mind you, not in the sun—then all us chillen +would sit 'round and poun' dem roots, tied up in little bags of coarse +cloth, till it was powder. Then we'd take a little flour and jes' enough +water to make it stick, and we'd make pills to take when we got sick. +And work you? Lawd a'mighty! When we took dat stuff we had to keep +tendin' to de dress tail!</p> +<p class="pnext">"We went over to Flat Rock to church and de singin' was gran.' All day +long we'd be at preachin' and singin'. Singin' dat good ol' spiritual +song 'bout, 'You shan't be Slaves no More, since Christ have made you +free.' I lay here yes'day and heared all them foolish songs and jubilee +songs that comes over the radio, and den some of them ol' time +spirituals come and it jes' made me feel like I was in ol' times.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I went back every year to see my ol' marster, as long as he lived. Now +it won' be long till I sees him agin, some day."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="litt-young"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id119">Litt Young</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Litt Young was born in 1850, in Vicksburg, Miss., a slave of Martha +Gibbs, on whose property the old battleground at Vicksburg was located. +Litt was freed in 1865, in Vicksburg, and was refugeed by his owner to +Harrison Co., Texas. He was freed again on June 19, 1866, and found work +as a sawmill hand, a tie cutter and a woodcutter during the construction +of the Texas & Pacific Railroad from Marshall to Texarkana. The +remainder of his life, with the exception of five years on a farm, has +been spent as a section hand. Litt lives alone on the Powder Mill Road, +two and a half miles north of Marshall, and is supported by a $12.00 +monthly pension from the government.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I's born in 1850 in Vicksburg, and belonged to Missy Martha Gibbs. Her +place was on Warner Bayou and the old battlefield was right there in her +field. She had two husbands, one named Hockley and he died of yellow +fever. Then she marries a Dr. Gibbs, what was a Yankee, but she didn't +know it till after the war.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Massa Hockley bought my daddy from a nigger trader up north somewheres, +but my mammy allus belonged to the Gibbs family. I had a sister and two +brothers, but the Gibbs sold them to the Simmons and I never seed 'em +any more.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Old Missy Gibbs had so many niggers she had to have lots of quarters. +They was good houses, weatherboarded with cypress and had brick +chimneys. We'd pull green grass and bury it awhile, then bile it to make +mattresses. That made it black like in auto seats. Missy was a big, rich +Irishwoman and not scared of no man. She lived in a big, fine house, and +buckled on two guns and come out to the place most every morning. She +out-cussed a man when things didn't go right. A yellow man driv her +down in a two-horse avalanche. She had a white man for overseer what +live in a good house close to the quarters. It was whitewashed and had +glass windows. She built a nice church with glass windows and a brass +cupola for the blacks and a yellow man preached to us. She had him +preach how we was to obey our master and missy if we want to go to +Heaven, but when she wasn't there, he come out with straight preachin' +from the Bible.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Good gracious, what we had to eat. They give us plenty, turnip greens +and hog-jowl and peas and cornbread and milk by the barrels. Old women +what was too old to work in the field done the cookin' and tended the +babies. They cooked the cornbread in a oven and browned it like cake. +When they pulled it out, all the chillen was standin' round, smackin' +they lips. Every Christmas us got a set white lowell clothes and a pair +brogan shoes and they done us the whole year, or us go naked.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When that big bell rung at four o'clock you'd better get up, 'cause the +overseer was standin' there with a whippin' strap if you was late. My +daddy got a sleepin' most every morning for oversleeping. Them mules was +standin' in the field at daylight, waitin' to see how to plow a straight +furrow. If a nigger was a 500 pound cotton picker and didn't weigh up +that much at night, that was not gitting his task and he got a whipping. +The last weighin' was done by lightin' a candle to see the scales.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us have small dances Saturday nights and ring plays and banjo and +fiddle playin' and knockin' bones. There was fiddles make from gourds +and banjoes from sheep hides. I 'member one song, 'Coffee grows on white +oak trees, River flows with brandy-o.' That song was started in +Vicksburg by the Yankee soldiers when they left to go home, 'cause they +so glad war was over.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Missy have a big, steam sawmill there on Warner Bayou, where the +steamboats come up for lumber. It was right there where the bayou +empties in the Mississippi. I 'member seein' one man sold there at the +sawmill. He hit his massa in the head with a singletree and kilt him and +they's fixin' to hang him, but a man promised to buy him if he'd promise +to be good. He give $500 for him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dr. Gibbs was a powerful man in Vicksburg. He was the 'casion of them +Yanks takin' 'vantage of Vicksburg like they done. 'Fore the war he'd +say to missy, 'Darling, you oughtn't whip them poor, black folks so +hard. They is gwine be free like us some day.' Missy say, 'Shut up. +Sometimes I 'lieve you is a Yankee, anyway.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Some folks say Dr. Gibbs was workin' for the North all the time 'fore +the war, and when he doctored for them durin' the war, they say they +knowed it. The 'Federates have a big camp there at Vicksburg and cut a +big ditch out at the edge of town. Some say Gen. Grant was knowin' all +how it was fixed, and that Dr. Gibbs let him know.</p> +<p class="pnext">"The Yankees stole the march on the 'Federates and waited till they come +out the ditch and mowed 'em down. The 'Federates didn't have no chance, +'cause they didn't have no cannon, jus' cap and ball rifles. The main +fight started 'bout four in the morning and held on till 'bout ten. Dead +soldiers was layin' thick on the ground by then. After the fight, the +Yanks cut the buttons off the coats of them that was kilt.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I seed the Yankee gunboats when they come to Vicksburg. All us niggers +went down to the river to see 'em. They told us to git plumb away, +'cause they didn't know which way they was gwine to shoot. Gen. Grant +come to Vicksburg and he blowed a horn and them cannons began to shoot +and jus' kept shootin'. When the Yankees come to Vicksburg, a big, red +flag was flyin' over the town. Five or six hours after them cannons +started shootin' they pulled it down and histed a big, white one. We saw +it from the quarters.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id49"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Litt Young" src="images/image227litt.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Litt Young</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"After surrender the Yanks arrested my old missy and brought her out to +the farm and locked her up in the black folks church. She had a guard +day and night. They fed her hard-tack and water for three days 'fore +they turned her a-loose. Then she freed all her niggers. 'Bout that time +Massa Gibbs run out of corn to feed he stock and he took my daddy and a +bunch of niggers and left to buy a boatload of corn. Missy seized a +bunch us niggers and starts to Texas. She had Irishmen guards, with +rifles, to keep us from runnin' 'way. She left with ten six-mule teams +and one ox cook wagon. Them what was able walked all the way from +Vicksburg to Texas. We camped at night and they tied the men to trees. +We couldn't git away with them Irishmen havin' rifles. Black folks +nat'rally scart of guns, anyway. Missy finally locates 'bout three miles +from Marshall and we made her first crop and on June 19th, the next year +after 'mancipation, she sot us free.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Dr. Gibbs followed her to Texas. He said the Yanks captured his niggers +and took his load of corn as they was comin' down the Tennessee River, +where it jines the Mississippi. Me and mammy stayed in Texas, and never +did see daddy 'gain. When us freed the last time us come to Marshall and +I works in a grist mill and shingle mill. I cut ties for 15¢ apiece. I +cut wood for the first engines and they paid me $1.25 a cord. I got +where I cut three cords a day. I helped clear all the land where +Texarkana is now. When the railroads quit using wood, I worked as +section hand for $1.25 a day. I farmed five years and never made a cent +and went back to the railroad.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I marries in Marshall so long ago I done forgot. I raises six gals and +has three sets grandchillen. They's all livin' 'cept one. Since my wife +died and I's too ailing to work, I's been kept by the pension.</p> +<p class="pnext">"They had provost law in Marshall when us come to Texas. I allus voted +when they let us. These young niggers ain't like what us was. +Penitentiaries was made for the white folks, but the young niggers is +keepin' 'em full."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="louis-young"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id120">Louis Young</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Louis Young, 88, was born a slave of Hampton Atkinson, on a small farm +in Phillips County, Arkansas. When Louis was twelve, his master sold him +and his mother to Tom Young, who took them to Robinson Co., Texas. Louis +now lives at 5523 Bonnell St., Fort Worth, Tex.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"Mammy done put my age in de Bible and I'm eighty-eight years old now. +I'm born in 1849. But I can git round. Course, I can't work now, but, +shucks, I done my share of work already. I works from time I'm eight +years old till I'm eighty past, and I'd be workin' yit if de rheumatis' +misery didn't git me in de arms and legs. It make me stiff, so I can't +walk good.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes, suh, I starts to work when eight on dat plantation where I'm born. +Dat in Arkansaw, and Massa Hampton own me and my mammy and eight other +niggers. My pappy am somewhere, but I don't know where or nothin' 'bout +him.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Us all work from light to dark and Sunday, too. I don't know what +Sunday am till us come to Texas, and dances and good things, I don't +know nothin' 'bout dem till us come to Texas. Massa Hampton, he am long +on de work and short on de rations, what he measure out for de week. +Seven pounds meat and one peck meal and one quart 'lasses, and no more +for de week. If us run out, us am out, dat's all.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day us gits sold to Massa Tom Young. He feels mammy's muscles and +looks on her for marks of de whip. Massa Young say he give $700, but +Massa Hampton say no, he want $1,000. He say, 'Yous takin' dem to Texas, +where dey sho' to be slaves, 'spite de war.'</p> +<p class="pnext">"Finally Massa Young gives $900 for us and off us go to Texas. Dat in +1861, de fall de year, and it am three teams mules and three teams oxen +hitch to wagons full of farm things and rations and sich. Us on de road +more'n three weeks, maybe a month, befo' us git to Robinson County.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When us git dere, de work am buildin' de cabins and house and den clear +de land, and by Spring, us ready to put in de crops, de corn and cotton. +Massa Young am good and give us plenty to eat. He has 'bout twenty +slaves and us works reason'ble, and has good time 'pared with befo'. On +Saturday night it am dancin' and music and singin', and us never heared +of sich befo'.</p> +<p class="pnext">"One day Massa Young call us to de house and tell us he don't own us no +more, and say us can stay and he pay us some money, if us wants. He ask +mammy to stay and cook and she does, but I'm strongheaded and runs off +to Calvert and goes to work for Massa Brown, and dere I stays till I'm +growed. He paid me $10.00 de month and den $15.00.</p> +<p class="pnext">"When I's twenty-five I marries Addie Easter and us have no chillen and +she dies ten years after. Den I drifts 'round, workin' here and yonder +and in 1890 I marries dat woman settin' right dere. Den I rents de farm +and if de crops am good, de prices am bad, and if de prices am good, de +crops am bad. So it go and us lives, and not too good, at dat. I quits +in 1925 and comes to Fort Worth and piddles at odd jobs till my +rheumatis' git so bad five years ago.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I done forgit to tell you 'bout de Klux. Dem debbils causes lots of +trouble. Dey done de dirty work at night, come and took folks out and +whip dem.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id50"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Louis Young" src="images/image232louis.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Louis Young</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"Some cullud folks am whip so hard dey in bed sev'ral weeks and I knowed +some hanged by dey thumbs. Maybe some dem cullud folks gits out dere +places, but mostest dem I knows gits whip for nothin'. It jus' de +orneriness dem Klux. It so bad de cullud folks 'fraid to sleep in dey +house or have parties or nothin' after dark. Dey starts for de woods or +ditches and sleeps dere. It git so dey can't work for not sleepin', from +fear of dem Klux. Den de white folks takes a hand and sojers am brung +and dey puts de stop to dem debbils.</p> +<p class="pnext">"'Bout de livin' now, us jus' can't make it. Us lives on what de pension +am and dat $30.00 de month, and it mighty close us has to live to git by +on sich. I thinks of Massa Young, and us live better den dan now.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I never votes, 'cause I can't read and dat make troublement for me to +vote. How I gwine make de ticket for dis and dat? For dem what can read, +dey can vote."</p> +</div> +<div class="level-2 section" id="teshan-young"> +<h2 class="level-2 pfirst section-title title"><a class="toc-backref pginternal" href="#id121">Teshan Young</a></h2> +<p class="pfirst"><strong class="bold">Teshan Young, 86, was born a slave to Buckner Scott, who owned a +plantation in Harrison County, Texas, and had over one hundred slaves. +Teshan married Moses Young in 1867 and lived near her old home until +1915, when she moved to Fort Worth. She lives in a negro settlement on +the outskirts of Stop Six, a suburb of Fort Worth.</strong></p> +<p class="pnext">"I'se 86 years ole. Bo'n in Harrison County, Texas. Marster Scott owned +me and my parents, one brudder and three sisters. Marster never sold any +of we'uns, so dere was no separation of de family long's we lived on de +Marster's place. He had awful big plantation, 'bout seven miles long.</p> +<p class="pnext">"On dat plantation de Marster have everything. Hims have de gin and de +mill for to grind de meal and feed, de big blacksmith shop and dere was +a house whar dey spins de yarn and makes de cloth, de shoes and sich. He +have 'bout 30 quarters for de cullud folks back of him's house, and dere +am a house for de nursery, wid a big yard dat have swings and sich for +de cullud chillens.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Each cullud family have de cabin for themself. De cabins have bunks for +sleeping', fireplace for to cook, bench for to set on—but dat's all de +furniture. Marster Scott feeds all us niggers good. We'uns have beans, +peas, milk, vegetables, 'lasses and plenty of meat. De marster have +hawgs on top of hawgs on dat place, for to make de meat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"We'uns have all de clothes dat we'uns need for to keep warm. De marster +says, 'De nigger mus' have plenty of food and keep wan for to work +good. How many hours we'uns work? Dat depen's on de time of de year it +am. When its time for de hoein' or de pickin' of de cotton, dey work +late. 'Twarn't sich long hours udder times. But de marster makes de +cullud folks work and whips 'em when dey don'. I'se 'member one slave +dat gits whipped so bad hims never gits up, hims died. We'uns chillens +would go roun' whar hims was and look at 'im. De Marster lets we'uns do +dat.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Yes, suh, dey whupped pow'ful hard sometimes. My mammy gits whupped one +time 'cause she come from de fiel' for to nuss her baby, and once for de +cause she don' keep up her row in de fiel'. My pappy gits shoot in de +shoulder by de overseer, 'cause hims runs from de whuppin.' 'Twas dis +way, de overseer says, 'Come here, I'se gwine whup you for not workin' +like I says.' Dere was a fence dere and my pappy runs for dat and am +crawlin' over it when de overseer shoots.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I'se 'bout 10 year ole when de war starts. It makes no diff'rence, dat +I'se 'members, 'cept de Marster jines de army. I'se tend to all de +cullud chillen while dey mammies workin' in de fiel'. De Marster am sho' +particular 'bout dem chillen. He feeds 'em well, mush, milk, bread, +'lasses, vegetables and sich. De food am put in de long bowl, like de +trough. De chillen have wooden spoons and we'uns line dem 'long de bowl. +Den de fun starts. I'se have de long switch and keeps walkin' back and +forth to make dem debils behave. De Marster comes in sometimes and hims +laugh at dem, dey so funny.</p> +<p class="pnext">"After I'se gits married, I'se has 13 chillen of my own. I'se never +calls de doctor for my chillen. I'se goes in de woods and gits de plants +and de herbs. For de stomach misery I'se uses de red petals, boils dat +and takes de juice. For de cold I'se takes de Kalemas Root, boils dat +and takes de juice.</p> +<div class="align-center figure" style="margin-left: 12%; width: 75%" id="id51"> +<img style="display: block; width: 100%" alt="Teshan Young" src="images/image235teshan.jpg" width="100%"/> +<div class="caption italics"> +Teshan Young</div> +</div> +<p class="pfirst">"When de chores am done on Sunday or Christmas, we'uns can have de +music, dance and singin'. We'uns have some good ole times. De songs am +de ole timers, sich as Swannee River, Ole Black Joe and dere am de +fiddles and banjos dat dey play. We'uns sho' cel'brate on Christmas. De +women all cooks cakes and cookies and sich. De men saves all de bladders +from de hawgs dey kill, blows 'em full of air and lets 'em dry. De +young'uns puts dem on sticks and holds 'em over a fire in de yard. Dat +makes 'em bust and dey goes 'bang' jus' like a gun. Dat was de +fireworks.</p> +<p class="pnext">"Marster comes back from de war widout gettin' hurt. At de time freedom +comes, some cullud folks stays on and works for money. 'Twas de fust +money dey ever had, and dey don' know what to do wid it and what its +worth. Some of dem are still on dat lan'! Dey rents or have bought. My +brudder lives dere, jus' a few yards from de ole quarters. My pappy +worked for ole Marster till he died. I'se stays wid him till I marries.</p> +<p class="pnext">"I'se married in a cullud church and I'se have a pretty pink dress and +hat. My husban' have hims own farm, part of de ole plantation. We +finally buys it from de Marster. In 1902 my husban' dies and I'se stays +dere till 1915. Den I'se comes to Fort Worth. I'se still missin' some +but I'se gettin' de pension of nine dollars a month. Dat sho' helps +out."</p> +<div class="topic"> +<p class="level-2 pfirst title topic-title topic-title first">Transcriber's Note</p> +<p class="pfirst">Original spelling has been maintained; e.g. "<em class="italics">stob</em>—a short +straight piece of wood, such as a stake" (American Heritage +Dictionary).—The Works Progress Administration was renamed +during 1939 as the Work Projects Administration (WPA).</p> +</div> +<div class="vspace" style="height: 5em"> +</div> +<div>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 35381 ***</div> +</body> +</html> |