FEDERAL WRITERS PBOJECT	.	~ . 4
Amen C 8fl Gui dè (l~egro Wri tera Uni t)	. .~
	Monticello, Plorida	-
Alfred Parrell		‚.
Field Worker				Slave Interview
Compile te				J anuary 1 2 ‚ 1937.
777 Words	.		r
4 Pages

-.~ ~-vwO~t k ~A-V3L

	Matilda Brooks, 79, who livea in ~Aonticel].o, ~‚a., wae once a slave of a South Carolina governor.

	Mrs. Brooks was born in 1857 or 1858 in Edgefield, S.C. lier parents were Hawkin8 . and Harriet Knox, and at the time of the birth of their daughter were slaves on a large plantaai* „ .tion;belonging to Governor Frank Pickene. On this plantation were raised cotton, corn, potatoes, tobacco, peae, wheat and truck produet2. AS 80011 aa Matilda wae large enough to go into the fields she helped her parent8 with the farming.

	The former slave descril3es Governor Pickens as being ‘very good‘ to his slaves. He 8upervised them personally, ~atiicugh offiei~l dutie8 often made thi8 difficult. . He saw to it that their quarters were comfortable and that they a1way~3 had sufficient fo o d. When they became il]. he ~vo ul d hjmcelf doctor on them with pille, castor oil, turpentine ~nd ether re~rnédjes. Their diet ~‘onaiB,ted largely of pote. tce~, Corn bread, syrup, greefl8, peaa, and occasionally harn~ f()‘:t~, ~j other meats or poultry. ~eir chief beverage wae COf:ee made frout parched corn.
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