Slave narratives, a folk history of slavery in the United States from interviews with former slaves. Georgia Narratives, Volume IV, Part 2: a machine-readable transcription.

Plantation life as viewed by ex-slave Elisha Doc Garey. 004 001

. PlANTATION LI~ as viewed by ex-slave ELISHA DOC GAREY 258 I~yndon Avenue Athens, Georgia Written by: Sadie B. Horn~by Athens Sai~ah ft. Ha1 ~ Athens - and Edited by: ~Tohn N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers Project Res. 6&7 Augusta, Ga.

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.~ . ~ 2 ELISHA DOC GAREY -~i.~Yi--~- A~e~7~ Asked for the story of his early life and his recollections of slavery, Elisha replied: AYes ~a~ arn, tdeed I~li tell you all I knows bout dem days.9 His next words startled the interviewer. I knowed you was COIflIflt to write dis jedgment, he said. ~ I seed your hand writin and long tfore you got here I seed you jus as plain as you is now. I told dese folks what I lives wid, a white oman was commt to do a heap of writin LII was born on de upper edge of Hart County, near Shoal Crick. Sarah Anne Garey was my I~ and I was one of dem shady babies. Dere was plenty of dat kind in dem times. My own sister was Rachel, and I had a half sister named Salue what was~white as anybody. John, Lindsay, David, and Joseph was my four brothers. ~What did ue~ chillun do? Us wuicked lak hosses. Didn t nobody eat dar less dey wuk.ked. I se been wukkin ever since I come in dis world. Us lived in log huts. Evvy hut had a entry i~ de middle, and a mud chimbly at each end. Us slept in beds what was tached to de side of de hut, and dey was boxed up lak wagon bodies to hold de corn shucks and de babies in. Home-made rugs was put On t01i Of de shucks for sheets, and de kivier was de same thing. UI still members my grandma Rachel. De traders fotched }~er here f u.tn Virginny, and she never did~earn to talk plain. (~randma SaILLe Gaines was too old for field wuk, so she looked atter de slave babie s whi ist de ir Ma s was wukkin in de field . Grandja Jack Gaines was d~ shoemaker.

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F) . ~. t . . ~Most of de time I wa~ u~p at de big house waitin on our white folks, huntin eggs, p~C kifl up chips, rnakin fires, and little jobs lak dat. De onUest way I could find to make any money in dem .iays vrac to sell part idges what I cotc~hed in traps to dem Yankees what was allus passin round. Dey paid me ten cents apiece for partt idge s and I might have save d more of my mone y if I hadn t lbved dat store boughten pep rnint candy so good. ~ What I et? Anything I could git. Peas, green corn, tatoes, cornbread, im~at andI~ hominy was~ what dey give us more dan anything else . Bakin was done in big old ovens what helt three pones of bread and in skillets ~i hat helt two. Big pots for bum was swung over de coals in de fireplace. Dey was hung on hooks fastened to de chimbly or on cranes what could be swung off de fire when dey wanted to dish u.p de victuals. Hit warn t nothin for us to ::e tch five or six ~ possui~s in one night s huntin De be et way to tote possums is to split a stick and run deir tails tho& de crack - den fling de stick crost your shoulders and tote de ~OssUms long safe and sound. Dat way dey can t bite you. J~y s bad bout gnawin out of sacks. When us went giggin at night1 us most allas fotch~d back a heap of fishes and frogs. Dere was allus plenty of fishes and rabbits. Our good old hound dog was jus oout as good at traum rabbits in de daytime as he was at treain tpossums at night. I was young and spry, andit didn t seem to make no diff unce what I et dem days. -Big gyardens was scattered over de place whar-some-ever Marster happened to ~ick out a good gyarden spot. Dem gyardens all b longed to our Marster, but he fed. us allus wanted out of em.

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3e 4 *A11 dat us chillun worein summer was jus one little shirt. I t was a b ng t line ~ fore . Us knowe d de re was folks anywhar dat put L~ore dan one piece of clothes on chillun in summer. Grandpa ~Tack niade de red shoes us wore widout no socks in winter. Our~ other winter clothes was cotton shirts and pante, and coat8 what b.ad a little wool in ein. Summer times us went bar headed, but tinker ~ed made bulirush hats for us to wear in~ winter. Dere warnttno diff unt clothes for Sunday. Us toted our shoes long in our hands goin to church. Us put em on jus fore us got dar and tuk em off again soon a.s us got out of sight of de meetiri house on de way back home. Marse Joe Glover was a good man and he never whu.pped his Niggers much. His wife, our Miss Julia, was ai . right too dat she was. Deir three chilluns was Mies Sue, Miss Puss, and Marster ~1i1i. Marse Joe done all his own overseei&. He used to tuck his long white beard inside his shirt and button it up. Dat was a fine lookin turn-out of Marse Yoe s - dat rock a-way car lage wi d bead fringe all round de aanopy, a pair of spankint blac~k hosses hitched to it, and my brother, David, settin so jroud lak up on de high seat dey put on de top for de driver. Dere warn t no slave, man or Oman, livin on dat j~1antation what knowed how many acres was in it. I sp.ects dere was many as 500 slaves in all. Marster pinted a cullud boy to g:it de slaves UI? fore day, and dey wukked f uin sunup to sundown. . Jails? Yes Ma am, dere was s v ral little houses dat helt bout two or three folks what dey called jails. White folks used to git locked up in em but I never did ~ee no Niggers in one of dem little jaiTho ses~ I never seed no Nigge~ s sold, but I did see em

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4. 5 in wagons gwine to Mississippi to be sold. I never seed no slave in chains. *Sorne few slaves could read and write, and dem what could read was most allas called on by de others for preachin . McGoliie was de fust cullud preacher 1 ever seed. White folks lowed slaves to make. brush arbors for churches on de plantations, and 1~igger boys and gals done some tall courti& at dein brush arbor2. Dat was de onliest ~place whar you could git to se~ de gals you laicked de best. Dey used to start off services singin .tCome Ye Dat Loves De Lawd. Warn t no pools in de churches to baptize folks in den, so dey tuk tern down to de crick. Fust a deacon went in and mea8ured de water wid a stick to find a safe and suitable place ~ den dey was ready for de preacher and de canidates. Evvyoody else stood on de banks of de crick and jined in de singin . Some of dem songs was: Lead Me to de Water for ~o be Baptized, t0h~ Row I love Jesus, and Oh Happy Da~~ dat Fixe d my Cho ice $11 hates to even think bout funerals now, old as I is. Course I se ready to go, but i se a thinkin bout dein what ain t. Punerals dem days was pretty much lak dey is now. ~vvybody iii de country would be dar. All de coffins for slaves was horne~made. Dey was painted black wid smut off of de wash pot mixed wid grease and~ water. De onliest funeral song I members f um dem days is: Oh:, livin man Come view de ground Thar you must shortly lay. SHow in de name of de Lawd could slaves nrn awayto de North wid dem Nigger dogs on deir heels? I never knowed nary one to

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6 run away. Patterollers nevex ~ runned me none, but dey did git atter some of de other slaves a whole lot. ~rse Joe Allue had one pet s lave wha t he s ont new8 by. . When slaves come in f Um de field8 at night, dey wa~ glad to jus go to bed and rest deir bones. Dey stopped off f um field vrnk at dinner time Saddays. Sadday nights us had stomp down good times pickint de banjo, blowiflt ~ quills, drinkin liquor, and dancin I was shot one fast Nigger den. ~ Sunday was rneetin day for grown folks and gals . Boys th owed rooks and hunte d b irds ne ats dat day. ~~Christ ~fla rnornint 8 US chillun was up ~ fore squirrels 1ook.~ j~t up de chimbly for Santa Claus. Dere was plenty to~ eat den - syzi~~i, cake, and evvything. ~I~ew Year s Day de slaves all went back to wuk wid most of em clearin new ground dat day. Dere was allus plenty to do. De only other holidays us had was when us was rained out or 1f sleet and snow droTe us ou~t of de fields. Evvybody had a good time den a frolickin . When us was. trackin rabbits in de snow, it was heaps of fun. 0 arse J~oe had~ piles and piles of corn lined up in a ring for de corn shuckin s. De gen ra . pitched de songs and de Niggers would follow, keepin time a~~singint and shuckin cors. Atter all de corn was shucked, dey was give a big feast wid lots of whiskey to drink and de slaves was lowed to dance and frolic fil mornin If a neighbor got behind in geth rin his cotton, M rse J oe sont hi.s slaves to help pick it out b.y moonlight. Times lak dem days, us ain t never gwine see rio n~ore.

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6.~ 7 si amt t neve r 8eed no sich time in my life as dey had when Marse Will G~1over married Mise Moorehead. She had on~ a white satin dre es wid a veil over her face and I ~ dare to goodne sa I never seed sich a pretty white lady. next day atter de weddint day, ~rse Will had de infare at his house and I knows I am t never been what 80 much good to eat was sot out in one place as dey had dat day. Dey even had dried cow, lalc what dey calls chipped beef now. Dat wa~ somepin brand new in de way of satin ~ den. I e t so mucb~ I was skeered I warn t gwine to ~e able tc~ go long back to Marss Joe s plantation wid de rest of ein. ~O1d Marster put evvy foot forward to take care of his slave a when dey tuk sick, cause dey was his own prope rty. Dey poured asafi ddy (asafe tida) and ~pine t op tea down us and made us take tea of some sort or another for tmost ai . of de ailments dere was dem days . Slave s wore a nickel or a copper on s trings round leir ne cks to keep off sickness. Some few of tern wore a dime; but dimes was hard to git. One gaine us chillun played was tdoodle.t jJ~ would find us a doodle hole and start callin de doodle bug to come out. You might talk and talk but if you didn t promise him a jug of lasses he wouldn t corne up to save your life One of de songs us . sung playin chilluns games was sorter lak dis: Whose been here Sincel been gone? A pretty little gal . Wid a blue dress on. Joy was on de way when us heared bout freedom, if us did

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7. 8 have to whisper. ~rse Joe had done been kilt in de war by a bomb. Mist ess, she jus cried and cried. She didn t want us to leave her, so us stayed on wid her a long time, den us went off to Mississippi to v uk on de railroad. Dem Yankees stole evvything in sight when dey come along atter de surrender. Dey was had b~out takin our good hosses and corn, what was ~i6 a bushel den. Dey even stole our beehives and tuk tern off wropt up in quilts. My freedom was brought ~ bout hy a fight dat wa~ fit twixt tVjrO men, and I didn t fight nary a lick myself. 1(r.Jefferson Davis thought he was gwine beat, but Mr. Lincoln he done de winnin . When ~. Abraham Lincoln come to dis passage in de Bible: May SOfl~ there-S. fore shall ye be free indeed, he went to wuk to sot us free. 1-le was a great man Mr. Lincoln was. Booker Washin ton come long later. lie was a great roan too. De fust school I went to was de Miller O. Field place. Cam King, de teacher, was a Injun and evvywhar he went he tuk his flute long wid him. Me and my fust wife, Essie Lou Sutton, had a grand weddin , but de white folks tuk her off wid em, and I got me a second wife. ~he was Julia Goulder of Putman County. Us didn t have no big dom s at my second marriage. Our onliest two chillun died whilst dey was stiLl babies. ~ ~tsked about charms, ghosts and other superstitions, he ~~atted himself on the chest, and boasted: ~ charm is in here. I just dare any witches and ghosties to git atter me. I can see ghosties any time I want to. Want me to tell you what haj~pened to me in Gainesville,

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8.. (3 Georgia? I was out in de woods chopj4n cordwood and I felt somepin flap at me bout rriy foots~.. Atter while I looked down, and dere was 01~15 of dem deadly snakes, a highland moccasin. I was so weak I prayed to de I~wd to gimirie power to kill dat snake, but he didn t. De snake jus disappeared. I thought it was de Lawd s dom but I warn t sho ~ Den I tuk up my axe and moved over to a sandy place whar I jus knowed dere warn t no sna es. I started to raise my axe to cut de wood and sornepin told me to look down. I did, and dere was de same snake right twixt my foots again. Den and dere I kilt him, and de Sperrit passed t& oo me sayin : You is meaner dan dat snake ; you kilt hi~ and he hadn t even bit you. ~ I. knowed for sho den dat de Lawd was sjje akin . fil was preachin in Gainesville, whar I lived den, on de Sunday fore de tornado in April 1936. Whilst I was in dat pul~4t de Sperrit s~poke to me and said: Dis town is gwine to be stroyed tomorrow; j~are your folks.t I told my congregation what de Sperrit done told rile, and deiii Niggers thought I was crazy. Bright and early next mornin I went down to de depot to see de most of my folks go off on de train to Atlanta on a picnic. Dey begged i~e to go along \71d ein, but I said: ff0, I se gwine to stay right here. And fore I got back home dat tornado broke loose. I was knocked down flat and broke to pieces. Bat storm was de caise of me bein hitched up in dis here harness what makes me look lak de devil s hoes. Tuther night I was a~sing ri dis tune: Mother how .kong tf0~ I se Gwine? A tO3fl~fl riz U~ and said: You done raised de Jaid . Den I laughed and lowed : I knows you is a Sperri t I se 3flC too. At dat ehe faded out of sight.

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9. ~ :t() ni think folks had ought to be ligi ous ~ cause dat is God s plan, and so I jined de church atter Christ done presented Hisseif to me. I se fixin now to demand my Sperrit in de Lawd. Yes Matam, Miss, I knowed youwas a-commt. i had done seed you, writin wid dat pencil on dat paper, in de Sperrit.~ . . . s .

Richmond County ex-slave interview. Leah Garrett. 014 011

:ti~ RICHMOND COUNTY EX-~3LA1TE INTERVIEW bEAH GARRB~TT Written By: ~dited By: Louise Oliphant Federal Writers Project Augusta, Georgia John N. Booth District Supervisor Fecieral V~riters Project Residencies 6 ~ Augusta, Georgia 1. 0015 0

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J 0150 ~ 12 LEAH GARRETT . Leab. Garrett, an old Negress with snow-~wh1te hair leaned back in her rocker and recalled customs and manners or slavery days. Mistreatment at the hands of her master is out standing in her memory. ~ . i: know so many thin~s bout slavery tixu.e fil I never will be able to tell erii all,tt she declared. In dein days, preachers wuz just as bad and mean as anybody else. Dere wuz a man who rolks called a good preacher, but he wuz one or de meanest mens I ever seed. When I wuz in slavery under him he done so many bad things tu God soon kilt hirn. His wire or chillun could ~it mad wid you, and 1L dey told hirii anything he always beat you. Most times he beat his slaves when dey hadn t done nothin a t all. One Sunday mornin his wite told him deir cook wouldn t never Ii.x nothin she told her to rix. Tixae she said it he jumped up from de table, went in de kitchen, and made de cook ~o under de porch whar he always whupped his slaves. ~3he begged and prayed but he didn t pay no tention to dat. He put her up in what us called de swing, and beat her tu she couldn t holler. De pore thing already had heart trouble; dat s why ne put her in de kitchen, but he left her swingin dar and went to church, preached, and called hisseir servin God. When he ~ot back home she wuz dead. Whenever your marster had you swingin up, nobody

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-2- 13 wou1d~ t take you down. Solnetlme8 a man would help his wife, but most times he wuz beat afterwards. ~ marster I had kept a ho~shead to whup you on. Dis hogshead had two or three hoops round it. lie buckled you lace down on de hogshead and whupped you tu you bled. i~verybody always stripped you in deni days to whup you, cause dey didn t keer who seed you naked. Some folks ohillun took sticks and jobbed (jabbed) you all while you wuz bein beat. Sometimes dese ohillun would beat you all cross your head and dey Mas and Pas didn t know what stop wuz. j~other way marster had to whup us wuz in a stock dat he had in de stables. Dis wuz whar he whupped you when he wuz real mad. lie had logs fixed together wld holes tor your feet, hands, and head. lie had a way to open dese lois and fasten you in. Den he had his coachman give you so many lashes, and he would let you stay in de stock for so many days and nights. Dat s why he had it In de stable so it wouldn t rain on you. ~veryday you got dat same number o f lashes . You never come out able to sit down. I had a cousin wi two ohillun. De oldest one had to fluss one of marster s ~randohildren. De front steps wuz real high, and one day dis pore chile fell down dose steps wid de baby. lus wife and daughter hollered arid went on turrible, and when our marster come home dey wuz still hollerin Just lak de baby wuz dead or dyin . When dey told him bout it, he picked up a board

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~1L1 and hit dis pore little chile cross de head and kilt her right dar. Den he told his slave-s to take her and throw her in de river. Her nia begged and prayed, but he didn t pay her no ten tion; he made em throw de chile in. NOne of de slaves married a young ~a1, and dey put her in de tBj~~ House to wuk. ~ One day Mistess jumped on her bout somethin~g and de ~a1 hit her back. Mistess said she wuz goin to have Marster put her in de stock and beat her when he come home. When de gal went to de field and told her husband bout it, he told her whar to go and stay tu he got dar. Dat night he took his supper to her. ~e carried her to a cave and. hauled pine straw and put in dar ror her to sleep on. lie fixed dat cave up just lak a house for her, put a stove in dar and run de pipe out through de ground into a swamp. ~verybody always wondered how he fixed dat pipe, course dey didn t cook on it fil night when nobody could see de smoke. He coiled de house wid. pine logs, made beds and tables out or pine poles, and dey lived in dis cave seven years. Dunn dis time, dey had three chullun. Nobody wuz wid her when dese chillun wuz born but her husband. He waited on her wid each chile. De chillun didn t wear no clothes cept a piece tied round deir waists. Dey wuz just as hairy as wild people, and dey wuz wild. When de~T come out of dat cave dey would run everytime dey seed a pusson. De seven years she lived in de cave, diffunt i~olk~ helped keep em in food. xier husband would take it to a certain

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~4- :15 place and she would go and g~ lt. People had passed over dis cave ever so many times, but nobody knowed dese folks wuz livin dar. Our Marster didn t know whar she wuz, and it wuz freedom fore she corne ou~ of dat cave for good. Us lived in a long house dat had a flat top and little rooms made like mule stalls, just big enough or you to gtt in and sleep . Dey warn t no flo ors in dese rooxn~s and neither no beds. Us made beds out of dry grass, but us had cover cause de real old people, who couldn t do nothin else,. made plenty of it. Nobody warn t lowed to have fires, and if dey wuz caught wid any dat meant a beatin . So~ae would burn charcoal and take de coals to deir rooms to help warm eni. Every pusson had a tin pan, tin cup and a spoon. Everybody a t eat at one time, us had bout tour different sets. Nobody had a stove to cook on, everybody cooked on fire places and used skil lets and pots. To boil us hung pots on racks over de fire and baked bread and meats in de skillets. Marster had a big room right side his house whar his vittals wuz cooked. Den de cook had to carry em upstairs in a tray to be served. When de somethin t eat wi~z carried to de dinin room it wuz put on a table and served from dis table. De food warn t put on de eatin table~. De slaves went to church wid dey marsters. De preachers always preached to de white Loiks first, den dey would~reaoh to de slaves. Dey never said~othin but yoU~ must be good, don t steal, don t talk back at your marsters, don t run away, don t

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~5.- 16 do dis, and don t do dat. Dey let de colored preachers preach but dey give em almanacs to preach out of. Dey didn t low us to sing such songs as We Shall Be Free and O For a Thousand Tongues to sing . Dey always had somebody to follow de slaves to church when de colored preacher was preachin to hear what wuz said and done. Dey wuz tfrajd us would try to say some~ thing gainst em.

Mary Gladdy, ex-slave. 020 017

100210 . ~ . f ~ ~ ~ ~j ~- ~ i~ 1_~_~ ~ ~ j ~L ;r. R. Tone~. MARY ~ GLADDY, EX SLAVE Place o:t birth: On the Holt plantation, iii M~iscoges County, nsar Colu.mbua, Georgia. Date or birth: About 1853. pre8ent residence: In rear o~ 8O6~ - 6th Avenue, Columbus, Georgi a. Interviewed.: July 30, 1936. Her story: ~I was a small girl when the Civil Wax broke out, but I remember it distinctly. I also remember the whisperings among the slaves - - their talking of the possibility of freedom. My father was a very large, powerful man. During his master s absence, in 63 or 64, a colored foreman on the Hines Holt place once undertook to whip him; but my father wouldn t allow hirn to do it. This foreman then went off and got five big buck Regroes to help him whip father, but all six of them couldn t out-man my daddyl Then this foreman shot my daddy with a shot-gun, inflicting wounds from which he never fully recovered. In 65, another Negro foreman whipped one of my little brothers. This foreman was named Warren. His whipping my brother made me mad and. when, a few days later, I saw some men on horse-back whom I took to bi Yankees, I ran to them and told them about Warren - a common Negro slave - whipping my brother. And they said well we will see Warren about that . But Warren heard 17

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2 18 them and took to his heelal Yes, sir, he flew from homes, and. he didn t corne back for a weekZ Yes, sir, I sholy scared that Negro nearly to deathZ ~ ~My fathe~ s rather was a very black3 litti., fu,11-blooded, African t~egro who eo~x1d $peak only broken Engli8h. He had. a son named Adam, a brother o~ my father, living at Loohapoka, Ala. In 1867 afftei freedom, this granpa o~ raine who was then living In Macon, Georgia, got mad with his wife, picked. up his Thathez bed. and toted. it ai . the way from Macon to Lochapokal Said he was done with grandma and. was going to live with Adam. A few weeks later, however, he came back throu~i Columbtts, still toting his feather bed, returning to ~randJn~ in Macon. I reckon he changed his mind. I don t believe he was over five feet high and we could hardly understand his talk. Since freedom, I have lived in Missiasippi and. other places, bu~t most of my life ha8 been spent right in and. around Columbus. I have had one husband and no children. I became a widow about 35 years ago, and I have since remained one because I find that I can serve God better when I am not bothered with a Negro man.~ Mary Gladdy claims to have never attended s hool or been privately taught in her life. And she can t write or even form the letters of the alphabet, but she gave her interviewer a very Convincing demonstration of her ability to read. When asked. how she mastered the art of reading, she replied: The Lord revealed it to me. For more than thirty years, the Lord has been revealing his work, and many other things, to Mary Gladdy. For more than twenty

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3. 19 years, she has been experiencing ~visitat1ons o~ the spirit . These do not ooeur with any degree of regularity, but they do always o ou~r in the dead hours o~ the night atter she has retired, and impel her to rise and write in an unknown hand. These strange writings of her s now cover eight pages of letter paper and bear a marked resemblance to crud.e shorthand notes. Off-hand she can cipher (interpret or translate ) abowt half o:~ these strange writings; the other half, however, she can make neither heads nor tails of except when the spirit is u~pon her. When the spirit eases off, she again becomes totally ignorant of the significance of that mysteriou.s half of her spirit-directed writings. Aunt Mary appears to be very well posted on a number of sub j e o s Sh e I s uxrnsually fami li ai wi th t h e Bible and q~io tes soriptu.re freely and correctly. Shealso uses beautiful language, totally void of slang and Negro jargon, big words and labored expressions. She I s a seventh Day Adventist ; is not a psychic but is a rather mysterious personage. She lives alone, and eke8 out a living by taking in washing. She is of the opinion that we are now living in the last days ; that, as she interprets the Si~fl8 , the end of time is drawing close. Her conversion to Christianity was the result of a hair-raising experience with a ghost - about forty years ago, and she has never from that day to this ~ faUen from grace for as long as a minute . To know Aunt Mary is to be impressed with her utter sincerity and, to like her. $he is very proud of one of her grandmothers,

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4 20 Edle Dennis, who .i~ved to be 110 years old, and. concerning whom a reprint from the Atlanta Constitution of November 10, 1900, ii appenc~ed. Her story of Chu~ok, and the words ot two spirituals and. one slave canticle which Aunt Mary sang for her Interviewer, are also appeMed. AtDIT EDlE DENIUS HAS REACHED GOOD OLD AGE SPECIAL - (FROM ATLAI~TA CONSTITUTION, NOVEMBER 10, 1900.) 4uite a remarkable oase of longevity is had in the person of Edle Dennis, a colored woman of Columbus, who has reached the unusual age of 109 years of age and. is still in a state of fair health. Aunt Mie lives with two of her daughters at No. 1612 Third Avenue, in this city. She has lived in three centu.rie8, is a great-great grand mother and has children, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, aggregating in all over a huiidred persona. She lives with one of her youxig~ daughters, sixtysix. Edie Dennis is no doubt one of the oldest persons living in the United States. Cases are occasionally reported where 105 years Is reached, but 109 years is an age very seldom attained. A wonderful feature of this ease is that this old woman is the younger sister of another person now living. Aunt ~die has a brother living at Amerious, Georgia, who is 111 years old. Notwithstanding her great age, Aunt Edie is in fairly good health. She is naturally feeble and her movements are limited. Even in her little home, from which she never stirs. Although she is feeble, her faculties seem clear and undimmed. and. she talked interestingly and. intelligently to

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5 21 a Co~8t1~t~ition reporter who called. upon her recently. . Aunt Edle was born in 1791, jus~ eight years betore the death of George Washington oceurre&. She was a mother when the war o~ 1812 took place. The establishment of Colwnbus as a city was an event of her mature womanhood. The Indian War of the thirties she recalls very distinctly. She was setting old. when the Mexican War took place. She was an old woman when the great conflict between the states raged, She was seventy five years o:t age when she became free. It is quite needless to say that Aunt !die was a slave all her li~~ u.p to the yearl866. She was born in Eancook County, Georgi a between M.tlled~geville and Sparta. She was the property of Thomas Sohiatter. She came to Coluinbu.s j~xst atter the town had been laId off, when she was a comparatively young woman. She becanie the property o:t the ~ainily o1~ J~id~ge Hines Holt, the distinguished. Coluznbu.a lawyer. She says that when she first came here there was only a small collection of houses. Where hex present home was located was then nothing bat swamp land. The present location ot the court house was covered with a dense woods. No event in those early years impressed itself more vividly upon Aunt 8 mind than the Indian War, in the thirties. She was at the home of one of the Indians when she first heard of the uprising against the whites, and she frankly says that she was frightened almost to death when she listened. to the oold..blooded plots to extermi~te the white people. Not much attention was paid to her on account of her being a negro. Those were very thrilling times and Aunt Edle confesses that she was exceedingly glad. when the troubles with the red rien were over. Another happening of the thirties which Aunt Edie recalls quite distinctly is the falling of the stare. She says quaintly that there was more religion that year in Georgia than there ever was before or has been since. The wonderful manner in which the stars shot across the heavens by the thousands, when every sign seemed to point to the destruction of the earth, left a lasting impree8ion upon her brain. Aunt Edle says that she was kindly treated by her masters. She says that they took interest in the spiritual welfare of their slaves and that they were called in for prayer meeting regularly. Aunt Edie was such an~ old woman tien she was freed. that the new condition meant very little change in life for her, as she had about stopped

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6 22 work, with the exception of 11~ht task8 about the house. There eeems to be no d~oubt that Aunt Edle la 109 years o 4. She talks intelligently about things that occurred 100 yeara ago. All her children, grandohiidren, etc. asserts that her age is exactly a~ stated. Indeed, they have been the custodians of her age, so to speak, for nearly half a century. It was a matter of great interest to her family when she passed the 100 mark. Aunt Edle is religious and she delights In discussing scriptural matters. She has practical notions, however, and while she Is morally sure she will go to a better world when she dies, she remarks, That we know something about this world, but nothing about the next.R Perhaps this is one reason why Aunt Edle has stayed here 109 years. __T-______ NOTE: Mary Glad~y (8O6~ ~ Sixth Avenue, Columbus, Georgia). A grand-daughter of Edle Dennis, states that her grandmother died in 1901, aged. 110. TEE STORY 0F CHUCK, AS TOLD BY MARY GLADDY. Chuck was a very Intelligent and Industrious slave, but so religious that he annoyed his master by doing so much praying, chanting, and singing. So, while in a apitetu. . mood one day, this master sold. the Negro to an infidel. And this infidel, having no respect ~or religion whatsoever, beat Chuck unmerol~11y in an effort to stop him from indulging in his devotions. But, the more and the harder the infidel owner whipped Chuck, the more devout and demonstrative the slave became,

026 023

7 23 Finally, one day, the infidel was stricken j .). u.nto death; the wioked man felt that hi a end was near and he was afraid to die. Moreover, his conscience rebuked him for his cruel treatment of this slave. The f amily doctor had given the inf idel up: the man apparently had but a f ew hours to live. Then, abo it 8 o clock at night the dying man asked his wife to go down in the slave qu~arter and ask Chuck if he would come to his bedside and pray f or him. The white lady went, as requested, and found Chuck on hie knees, engaged in prayer. Chuck , she called., ~you~r master is dying and has sent me to be~ you to come and pray for ~iim.R Why, Ma~dorn , replied. Chuck, ~I has been praying fer Marster tonight ~ - already, and I ll gladly go with you.~ Chuck then went to his Master s bed side and prayed for him all night, and the Lord. heard Chuck s prayers, and the white man recovered, was converted, joined the church, and became an evangelist. He also freed Chuck and made an evangelist of him. Then the two got in a bu~~y and, for years traveled together all over the country, preaching the gospel and saving sould. NOTE: Mary Gladdy believes this t be a true story, though she knew neither the principals involved, nor where nor when they lived and labored, She says that the story has been ~handed downs, and she once saw it printed in, and thus confirmed by, a Negro publication - long after she had originally heard it.

027 024

8 24 KEEP THE FIRE BURNI1~G WHILE TOUR SOUL S FIRED UP. Fire, :tire, O, keep the fire bui ning while yo~ir soiil a fired up, O, keep the fire burning while your soul s tired up; Never mind what satan says while your sou. . s fired up, You ain t going to learn how to watch and pray, Less you. keep the tire burning while your 8Ou1t8 tired~ lip. Old Satan is a liar wid a sunjorer, too; Lt you don t mind, he ll ou.njor you; Keep the fire burning while your ~ i~~ i~1E Never mind~ what satan says while, your sOul ~ire~ up. Sung tor interviewer by: Mary Gladdy, ~r-alave, 806j ~ Sixth Avenue, Columbus, Georg1~. . December 17, 1936.

028 025

(9) 25 Th~ G~OSP~L TR~ Never seen the like since I ve be&n b ort ~ The I~ e ople k~eep a ~c omia~ ~nd th e trait 8 done gone; too 1a~te the In s done gone, sinner, too late, the train s done gone; Too late, Too late, Never seen the like since I ve been born, The people keep a-~conaiiig, and the train s done ~.one; Too late, too late, the train s done gone. vent d own i nit o the vail e y to watch and ~ ~ ~ SOUl ~ot happy and I stayed aU all day; Too late, too late, the train s done gone; Too late, sinner, too late, the train s done gone; ~ever s~en tue iik.e since I ve been born, The pe opi e ke ep a -~c o~:ing an d the t rain s d.~r~e ~one~ Too late, too late, the train s done gone. t

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10 26 8~ing foi interviewer by: Mary G1ad~y, ex-slave, 806* - 6th Av nue, Columbus, Georgia, December 1?, 1936 OLD SlAVE CANTICLE. My sister, I feels ~ ~y sister I feels im; 1q11 night long I ~e been feelin im; Jest befoe day, I feels im, jest be foe day I feels im; The spent, I feels im, the spent I feels imi My brother, I feels im, my brother~ I teels im; All night 1on~ I ve been feelin im, Jest befoe day, I feels im, jest befoe day, I feel im; Th spent, I feels imi According to Mary Gladdy, ex-slave, 8061 - 6th Avenue, Columbus Georgi a, i t was customary among slaves during the Civil War period to secretly gather in their cabins two or three nights each week and hold prayer and xperienee meetings. A large, iron pot was always placed

030 027

:i.i 27 ag~inet the cabin door ~ sideways, to keep the sound. o:r their v~,1ces from ~esoaping or being ~ieard trom the outside. Then, the s1a~ea would sing, pray, and relate experiences all night long. Their great, so~zl hunger1ng d~esire was freedom -~ not that they loved. the Yankees or hated their masters, but merely longed. to be free and hated the institution of slavery. Practically always, every Negro attendant of these meetings felt the spirit of the Lord ~toueh him (or her) just before day . Then, all would arise, Shake hands around, and begin to chant the canticle above quoted. This was also a signal for adjournment, and, after chanting 15 or 20 minutes all would shake hands again and go home - confident in their hearts that freedom was in the offing foe them.

Untitled Section 036 033

:33 dey called Sliekhead~ Mitchell, and he h8~d a plantation at ifelicon. ~prin~s. Mammy was a house gal and she said dey treated her ri~ht good. Now Daddy, he done field work. You know what field work is hoein plowin and things lak . When you was a sluve you had t o do anything and evvything your inarster told you to. You was jus bli~ed to obey your marster no matter what he said for ~rou to do. If you didn t, it was mighty bad for you. L:,T two oldest sisters was Fannie and Rena. Den come my brothers, Isaac ana. Bob, and my two youngest sisters, Luna and Violet. Dere iias seven of us in all. t, ~3laves lived in rough little log huts daubed wld mud and de chiniblys was made out of sticks and redmud. %Ma~my said dat atter de slaves had done got through wid deir day s work and ~inished eatin supper, dey all had to git busy workin wid cotton. ~oiaie carded bats, some spinned. and some weaved cloth. I knows you is done seen dis here checkidy cotton homespun dat s what dey weaved ror our dresses. Dein dresses was ruade tight and long, and dey made ein right on de body so as not to waste none ofde cloth. ~ll slaves had was homespun clothes and old heavy brogan shoes. t? You ll be s prised at what Mammy told me bout how she ~ot her lamm She said she kept a sehool book hid in her ~ all de time and when~ de whit.e chillun. ~ot home froiri school

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34 ~~i3 would ax em lots of q~uestions all bout what dey had done lamed dat day and, cause she was so proud of evvy little scrap of book lamm she could pick up, de white chillun lamed her how to read and write too, All de lamm she ever had she got ~ro:~ de white chillun at de big house, and she was so smart at ~ittin ~ em to lam her dat atter de war was over she got to be a school teacher. Long fore dat time, one of dem white chillun ~ot ~narried and tuk Mammy wid her to her new home at Butler, ~or~ia. ~ T, Now my daddy, he was a plum sight sho nou~. He said dat when evvythin got still and quiet at~ night he would slip off and hunt him up some omans. Patterollers used to git atter :aim wid nigger hounds and once when dey cotch him he ss~id dci; beat him so bad you couldn t lay your hand on him nowhar dat it ;i~rn t sore. Dey beat so many holes in him he couldn t even ~7~r ills shirt. MOSt Of de time he was lucky enough to outrun em 1.nd if he could jus git to his inarster s place fust dey couldn t lay hmds on nim. Yes Mam, he was plenty bad bout runnin away ~:~i~d ~~itUn into devilment. tl Daddy used to talk lots bout dem big cornshuckin s. ~-e ~ dat when dey got started he would~jump up on a bi old )ile oi. corn and holler loud as h could whilst he was a snatchin ~ SkIuCkS off as fast as creased 1i~htin .

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35 t, When Mammy was converted she ~ the whit4eolks c~~urch and. was baptized by a white preaehei~ ~suse in dem days slaves all went to de sanie churches wid de~ marster s rambJ.ies. Dere vv~rn t no separate churches ~or Negroe~ and. white people den. t? ~ wa.rntt no b1g~er dan dis here little Salue Mae what stays wid nie when de War ended and dey free~, d~ slaves. A 1on~ ti~a~ atter it was all over, Mammy told. me ~bout dat day. She said ~iie was in de kitchen up at de big house a-~ookin and nie and my si~D~rs was out in de yard in de sandbed. a~1ayin wid de little : iite ciilllUfl when dein yankee sojers come. Old Miss, she said to ~anna~r: i~~i11y, look yonder what s a~eoii~~ , I aintt gwine to ~I::~ve notliln 3~eft, not even a nickels worth~ cause d~ere comes C4~3:i y~nkees.t Dey rid on in de yard, dem s~ers what wore dem ~ jackets, and dey jus swarmed all over ~ur place. Dey even -~n~ in our smokehouse and evvywliar and toot whatever dey wanted. ~ s.~id slaves was all freed from bondage ~d told us to jus ~ anythin~g and evvytuiing us wanted rroxn ~ bi~ house and all l~:und de plantation whar us lived. Dem th~vth sojers even ~i~::ei up one of de babies and started off ~ 1~d iSt, and den Old -~i3~ did scream and. cry tor sho . Atter de~ h~d done left, Old. -._iss called all o1~ us together and said she ~ith~ t want none of us to 1e~ve her and so us stayed widher a whoJM ~ atter freedom done come.

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_) -~ 5.- t Not many slaves had a chance to ~ it property oi~ deir .owI1 for a 1on~ time cause dey didn t have no money to buy it wid. Dem few what had land. oC deir own wouldn t have had it it deir white folks hadn t give it to em or help era to ~it it. My uncle, Carter Brown, had a plenty cause his white folks. holped him to lt a home and bout evvything else he wanted. Dem i ~~orton Negroes ~ ot ahead faster dan niost any of de others round here but dey couldn t have done it ir deir white loiks hadn t holped em so much. It ~3oon as I ~ot bi~ enough, I started cookin i~or well.- o~~t white ~olics. Fact is, I ain t never cooked ror no white olks dat didn t have jus plenty oI~ nioney. some oi~ de white olks whathas done et my cookin is de Mitchells, Upsons, Ruckers, Jrid~es, and Chiet Sea~raves ~ambly. I was cookin lor Chier .Juesse s mammy when hs was jus a little old shirttail boy. thoney, I allus did lak to be workin and I have done my share o~ it, but since I got so old I ain t able to do much no more. L~y vhite roiks is nii~hty ~o3d to me thoU~. I, 1 ~w ~1oney, you may think it s kind o1 runny but I ain t nev3r been much of a hand to run tround wid colored folks. ~:~r maimily and ray white folks dey raised mc ri~ ht and Jarned me :ood manners and I ~n powerful proud of my raisin . I feels lak now dat white folks understands me bebt r and tprecjates the more.

040 037

-~6~- 37 Why, jus listen to dis~ 7ihen i~r. ~~~eaver Bridges told nie his another had done died, he axed rae did I want to ~o to the funeral and he said he was soin to take nie to de church and graveyard too, and sho nough dey did corne and ~it nie and carry me. tlong. I was glad dey had so iiiany pretty flowers at Mrs. Bridges funeral cause I loved her so much. She was a raightysweet, good, kind oman. t, ~j_l ray folks is dead now cept me and my chillun, ~rchie, Lila, and Lizzie. All three of em is done married now. Arche, he s got a house full of chiliun. lie works up yonder at de Georgian Hotel. I loves to stay in a little hut oIT to myself cause I can tell good as anybody when my chillun and in-laws begins to look cross eyed at me so I jUs stays out ot deir way. t? I ni still able to go to church and back by myself pretty reg lar. Bout four years ago I jined ifull s Baptist Church. Lak to a got lOst didn t I? 1L I had stayed out a little 1on~er it would have been too late, and I sho don t want to be 1 o s t .

Plantation life. Interview with: Alice Green. 041 038

PLANTATION LIFE -~ ~ 38 Interview with: ALICE GREEN 156 Willow Street Athens, Georgia written by: Sadie B. Hornsby Athens - I Edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens - Leila Earns Augusta - and ~ohnN~ Booth District Supervisor Federal Writers Project Residencies & 7.

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i~ ~ ~ j -1- ALICE GREEN Ex-S1ave~A~e76 . Alice Green s address led to a tumble down shack set in a sniall yard which was enclosed by a sagging poultry wire fence. The gate, off its hinges, was propped across the entrance. The call, Alice~ brought the prompt response, Here I is. sus push de gate down and come on in. When a little rat terrier ran barking out of the house to challenge the visitor, Alice hobbled to the door. Come back here and be-have yourself she addressed the dog, and. turning to the interviewer, she said: Lady, dat dog won t bite nothin but somepin t eat ~ when he kin git it. Don t pay him no tention. Won t you come in and have a seat? Alice has a light brown complexion and bright blue eyes. She a wore a soiled print dress, and/dingy stocking cap partly con~ cealed her white hair. Boards were laid. across the seat of what had been a cane- bottomed chair, in which she eat and rocked. Asked if she would talk of her early Life the old Negress replied: Good Lords Honey, I done forgot all I ever knowed bout dem days. I was born in Clarke County. Milly and Charley Green was ray mammy and peppy and d~ey b longed to Marse Daniel Miller. Mammy, she was born and raised in Clarke County but my pappy, he come from south-s west Georgia. I done forgot de town whar he was brung up. Dere

043 040

-~2 40 was seven of us chillun : me and Viola Lula Fannie Rena Bob,.. and Isaac. Chillun what warn t big nough to wuk In de fields or In de house stayed round de yard and played in de sand piles wid. de white chillun. tSlaves lived in mud-daubed log huts what had chimblies rnadeout of sticks arid mud. Lordy lioneyl Dem beds was made wid big high poaties and strung wid cords for springs. Folks never had rio wire bedsprings dem days. Our mattresses was wheat straw put in ticks made out of coarse cloth what was wove on de loom right dar on de plantation. I don t know nothin bout what my grandrnamtnies done in slav ry time. I never seed but one of em, and. don t member much bout her. I was jus so knotty headed I never tuk in what went on cause I never spected to be axed to tell bout dem days. ~ Money~ Oh-h-h, no Ma am I never seed no money tu I was a great big gal. My white folks was rich and fed us good. Dey raised lots of hogs and give us plenty of bread and meat wid milk and butter and ail sorts of veget8bles. Marster had one big garden and dere warn t nobody had more good vegetables dan he fed to his slaves. De cookin was done in open fireplaces and most all de victuals was biled or fried. Us had all de possums, squirrels, rabbits, and tish us wanted cause our inarster let de mens go huntin and flahin lots.

044 041

41 Us jus wore coninion clothes. Winter tiflte dey give us dresses mad e out of thi o k h omespun ei 0th De sk I rt s was gathe red on to tight fittin waisties. Us wore brass toed brogan shoes in winter, but in s~iiimer Niggers went bar foots. Us jus wore what us could ketch in summer. By dat time our winter dresses had done wore thin and us used. em right on thro~igh de hot weather. Marse Daniel Miller, he was some kinder good to Manirny, and Miss Susan was good. to us too. Now Honey, somehow I jus cain t meinber deir chilluns naines no more. And I played in de sand piles all day long wid em too. Oh -h-h~ Dat was a great big old plantation, and. when all dein Niggers got out in de fields wid horses and wagons, it looked lak a picnic ground; only d~n Niggers was in dat field to wuk and~ dey sho did have to wuk. Marster had a carriage driver to drive him and 01e Miss round and to take de chullun to school. De overseer, he got de Niggers up fore day and dey had done et deir breakfast, tended to de stock, and was in de field by sunup and he wuked ein tu sundown. De mens didn t do no wuk atter dey got through tendin to de stock at night but Mammy and lots of de other ~ om.~ns sot up and spun and wove til leven or twelve o clock lots of nights. My pappy was a man what b lieved in havin his fun and ce would run off to see de gals widout no pass. Once when he slipped off

045 042

-4.,. 42 dat way de patterollers si ciced dem nigger hounds on hl* and ~ when dey cotched him dey most beat him to death; he couldn t lay on his back for a long time. tlf dey had Jails, I didn t know nothin bout em. De patterollers wid deir nigger hounds made slaves b have deirseifs widout puttin ein in no jails. I never seed no Niggers sold, but Mamniy saii her and her whole fambly was sold on de block to de highes bidder and dat was when 01e Marster got us. Manmiy, she was de cook up at de big house, and when de white chiflun come back from school in de atternoon she would ax em to show her how to read a little book what she carried round in her bosom all de time, and. to tell lier de other things dey had larn t in school dat day. Dey lamed her how to read and write, and atter de War was over Mammy teached scnool and was a granny oman (midwife) too. *Dey made us go to church on Sundays at de white folks church cause dere warn t no church for slaves on de plantation. Us went to Sunday School too. Mammy jined de white folks church and was baptized by de white preacher. 11e larnt us to read de Bible, but on some of de plantations s:IaVes warntt lowed to lam how to read and write. I didn t have no favorite preacher nor song neither, but Mammy had one song what $he sung lots. It was bout Hark from de Tombs a Doleful Sound. I never seed nobody die and I never went to no buryin dunn slav ry time, so I cain t tell nothin bout things lak dat.

046 043

-5- 43 ~Lordy Iioney~ flow could dein Niggers run oft to de North when dem patterollers and deir hounds was waltin to run em down and beat em up? Now some of de slaves on other places might have found sme way to pass news round but not on 01e Marater s place. You sho had to have a pass fore you could leave dat plantation and he warn t goin to give you no pass jus for fooliabment. I never heared tell ot no uprisin s twixt White folks and Niggers but dey fussed a-plenty. Now days when folks gits mad, dey jus hauls. off and kills one another. ..-~. Atter slaves got through deir wuk at night, dey was so tired dey jus went right off to bed and to sleep. Dey didn t have to wuk on Sadday atter dinner, and dat night dey would pull candy, dance, and frolic til late in de night. Dey had big times at cornshuckin s and log rollin s. My pappy, he was a go-gitter; he used to stand up on de corn and whoop and holler, and when he got a drink of whiskey in him he went hog wild. ~ere was alius big eatin s when de corn was all shucked. Christmas warn t much diffunt from other times. Us chillun had a heap of fun a-lookin for Santa Claus. De old folks danced, quilted, and pulled candy dunn de Christinastinie. Come New Year s Day, dey all had to go back to wuk. What for you wants to know what I played when I was a little gal? Dat was a powerful long time ago. Us played in de sand piles, jumped rope, played hide and seek and Old Mother Hubbard.

047 044

P LAC E H O L D E R

048 045

45 for de x~iens. I done forgot most of what dey made us take. I know dey made us wear asstiddy (asafetida) sacks round our necks, and eat guingoo wax. ~ Dey rubbed our heads wid caniphor what was ralxed ~gid whiskey. Old folks used to conjure folks when dey ~ot mad. at ein. Dey went in de woods and got certain kinds of roots and biled. ein wid spider webs, and give em de tea to drink. One ~ day us chillun was playin in de sand pile and us looked up and seed a passel of yankees comin . Dere was so many of em~ it was lak a flock of bluebirds. Fore dey left some folks thoughtdey was more lak blue devils. My mammy was in de kitchen and 01e Miss said: Look out of dat window, Milly; de yankees is commt for sho and dey s goin to free you and take you and your chillun way from me. Don t leave me ~ Please t leave me Milly! Dein yankees swa rxned into de yard. Dey opened de smokehouse, chicken yard, corncrib, and evvything on de place. Dey tuk what dey wanted and told us de rest was ours to do what us pleased wid. Dey said us was free and dat what was on de plantation b longed to us, den dey went on off and us never seed e~ no more. When de War was over 01e Miss cried and cried and begged us not to leave her, but us did. Uswent to wuk for a man on halves. I ha~1 to ~ white wuk in de field til I was a big gal, den I went to wuk for rich/folks. I ain t never wuked for no pore white folks in my whole life. It was a long time fore L~iggers could buy land for deirselfa cause dey had to make de money to buy it wid. I couldn t rightly say when

049 046

schools was se~t up for de Niggers. It was all auch a long tinte ago, and I never tuk lt In nohow. I don t recollect when I married George Huff or what I wore dat day. Didn t live wid him long nohow. I warn t goin to live wid no man what sot round and watched i~ie wuk. Mammy had done larnt rue how to wuk, and I didn t know nothin else but to go ahead and wuk for a livin . I don t know whar c~eorge is. ff~e might be dead for all I know; if he ain t, he ought to be. I got three chillun. Two of era is gals, Lizzie and Lila, and one is a boy. My oldest gal, she lives in Atlanta. She ignored the question as to where her other daughter lives. My son wuks at de Georgian Hotel. But understand now, dem ain t George Huff s chillun. Deir pappy was my sweetheart what got into trouble and runned away. I ain t gwine to tell his name. ~Honey, I Jus tell you de truth; de reason why I jined de church was cause I was a wild gal, and dere warn t nothin too mean for me to do for a long time. Mammy and my sisters kept on beggin nie to change my way of livin , but I didn t tu four years ago. I got sick ~nd thought I was gem to die, and den I begged de good Lord to forgive me and promised Him if He would let megit well nough to git out of dat bed, I would change and do good de rest of my life. When I was able to git up~ I dined de church. I didn t mean to burn in hell lak de preachers said I would. I thinks evvybody ought to jine de church and live right. Oh-h-b Lady, I sho do thank you for dis here dime. I m gwine to buy me some meat wid it. I ain t had none dis week. My white folks is mighty good to me, but Niggers don t pay rae no mind.

050 047

4? lias you axed me all you wants to? I sho Is glad Cause I ain t had nothin t eat ylt. She pulled down her stocking to tie the coin in its top and revealed an expanse of sores from ankle to knee. A string was tied above each knee. A white lady told me dem strings soaked in kerosene would drive out de misery from my laigs, Alice explained. Goodbye Honey, and God bless you. s .

An ex-slaves opinion of slavery. 051 048

~ si-:: 5~ 48 ~ J:(~UI it) lai OPINION OF SLAVERY BY I~iH GREEN .. )~ ~ ~ ~ 1___- ~ _ EX SLAVE Submitted by Minnie B. Ro58 ~-~---~ Typed. by J. C. Ru.88e11.

052 049

Opini~on ~ Slavery ... By ~ I.BaRoae .~ ~ ~. Isiah Green - Ex~Slave 1~ ~i ~ AR EX-SLAVES OPINION OF SLAVERY I~ah Green, an ex slave, still has a olar, agile mind. and. an intelligent ~nner. With his reddish brown complexion, straight hair an~1 high oliesk bones he reminds you. of an old Indian Chief, and he verifies the impression by telling you. that his grandfather was a full blooded. Indian Isaiah Qreen was born in 1856 at Greensboro, Ge. Cleary Ma lory Willis an d. Bob Henderson wer his parents bu. t he did. not grow ;ip knowing the love and. care of a father, f r his father was sold. from his mother when he was only two years. Years ~.ter, his mother lost track of his father and. married. again. There were eleven children and. Isaiah was next to the youngest. r __~__~ His master was Colonel Diok Willis, who with his wife s~_~ Misa Sally managed. a plantation of 3,000 acres of land aM 150 slaves. Col. Willis had. seven ohild.ren, aU by a previ~ia marriage. Tb~ouighoat the State he was known for his wealth and. culture. ILls plantation extended up and d~n tk~ Oconee River. Eis slave quarters were made up of r~s of 2-room log cabins w.tth a different family occupying ea h row. The fireplaces were built three and four feet in length purposely for cooking. Tk~ furniture, consisting of a bed., table, ami chair, w&s mads from pine wood. and. kept clean by scouring with sand.. New mat tresses and pillows were aad.e each spring from wheat straw. . ~ ---- ~ Old. Uncle Peter, one of the Willis slaves, was a skilled. . carpenter and would go about building ho~s for other plantation owners. Sometimes he was go~ as long as four or five months. 1. : ~ ~or l/25/37

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q jcr~-l/25/37 Ex slave s opinion of slavery 50 Every two weeks, rations of ~Sl, molasses and bsc were given each slave family in sufficient quantity. The slaves prepared their own mea3s, bat were not allowed to leave the fields antil noon. A nursing mother, however, could leave between times. Large families were the aim ath pride of a slave owner, and. he guickly learned which of the slave women were breeders and which were not. A slave trader could ~ways sell a bre ding woman fortwicethe ~ owner got rid of those who jdldn t breed. First, however, he would wait until he had .aoouau- I of undesirablea ~ted a numbsi,~ including the aged and unruly. ~ ~-~~Phere was an old slave trader In Louisiana by the Mine of :R1~~~ who always bought this type of slave and re-sold them. When ~: ready to sell, a s p~ve o~er notified him by telegram. ~Then Riley I arrived, the slaves were lined. up, undressed and. closely inspected. ~ Too many scars on the body meant a bad slave 1 and. no one would \ be anxious to purchase him. / -~----.- Green related the story of his grand mother Betsy Willis. Auy grandmother was ha 1f whi te ~ s moe the master o f the pl~tation ! on which st~ lived was her father. He wished. to sell her, and. when she was pladed. on the block he n#de the following statement: I wish to sell a slave who is also my daughter. Before anyone can purchase her, he must agree not to treat hei as a slave bat as s free person. She is a good midwife and. can be of great service to you.. Col. Dick Willis was there, az~ in front of everyone signed the papers. ~ TLt Willis plantation was very large and. rsq~uired many workers. ~hsre were 75 plow hands alone, exolading those who werersquix ed. to do the hoeing. Women as well as n worked in the fields. Isaiah Green Isolares that his mother could plow 2.

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M Zx-elave s opinion of slavery 3.. as well 88 any man. He also says that his work was very easy in the spring. He d.ropped. peas into the sof~t earth between the eornstalks, and. planted. them with his heel. Cotton, wheat, corn, and~ all kin4s of vegetables mad.e u~p the crops. A special group of women did. the carding and. spinning, and~ made the cloth on two looms. All garments were made froa this homesp~in cloth. Dyes fr m roots and. berries were ased to prod~aoe the various colors. Red. elm berries and. a certain tree bark made one kind. of dye. Besid.es acting as midwife, Green s grand~motk~r Betsy Willis, was also a skilled. seamstress and. able to shOw the other women different points in the art of sewing. Shoes were given to the slaves as often as tkey were needed. Green s step father was afflicted and could not help with the work in the field. Since he was a skilled shoe maker his job was to make shoes in the winter. In sammer however he was re q~ui red. t o ai t in the large garden ringing a bell to stare away the birds. ~r~~ Col. Willis was a very kind ~n, who would. not tolerate j cruel treatment to any of his slaves by . If a si ave ri ported that he had. been whipped for no reason and. showed soar. on his body as proof, the overseer was discharged. On the Willis Plantation were 2 colored men known as ItNiggar Drivers. Ons particularly, known as 9lzicle Jarrett, was very mean and enjoyed exeeedingtbeauthority given by the master. Green remarked, 1 was the master s pet. He ~ver we anyone to whip me end. he didn t whip me himself. He was 7-ft. 9 in. tail and. often as I walked with him, he would. ask, Isaiah, do you. love your old maater?t Of course I would answer,yea, for I did love hiii.~ --~ . Col. Willis did not allow the patt rrollers to inter fere with any of his slaves. He ~vsr gave them passes, ~* if an~ were caua it oat without one the ate~rm1Thi ~ were J~a1

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4. ~ tJ,~ to whip them. Mr. John Branch was onsidei ed one of the meanest slave owners in Green County, and the Negroes on his plantation were ~~_~_8 running~~.Jiother.. slave owner know~for his cruelty ~was Colonel Galloway, who had a slave named Jesse who ran away f an~ stayed 7 years He dug a cave in the ground and mMe j fairly comfortable li ving quarters . Other s lave s. who no longer I could stanil Col. Calloway s cruelty, would join him. Jesse I visited. his id~fe, Lettie, two and three times a week at night. I Col. Calloway could never verify this, but became suspicions ~ when Jesse s wife gave birth to two children who were the exact I duplicate of Jesse. When he openly accused her of knowing I Jesse s whereabonts, she denied the charges, pretending she had ;: not seen him since the day he left. When the war ended., Jesse came to his old master and told. him he had been living right on the plantation for ~ie past 7 I years. Col. Calloway was astonished.; he showed. no ~ger toward. Jesse, however, but loaned him a horse arid wagon to move his L~!~~~od. s from the cave to hi s home . There were some owners who ma&e their slaves steal goods ~ and hide it Ofl theirs. They were punished. by their master, however, if they were caught. Frolics were hSld on the Willis p1ant~tion as often as desired. It was customary to invite slaves from adjoining p1an~ tations, but if they ittended. withoat securing a pass from tk~ir master, the ~patterrollera could. not bother them so long as they were on theWillis plantation. On the way ho~, however, they were often caught and beaten. j or-1/25/37 Ex slave s opinion of sLavery

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ier-1/a /37 Ex 8lsve s opinion of slavery 5. 03 (~_ In those d~ays there were many Negro masicianswho were ( always ready to turnistt inasie from their ban3o and fiddle tor (she frolics If a white family was entertaining, an~~eeded~ s m~iaL o ian bat d. Ithi t own one they wo ~i1d hire a a lave fron another plantation to play for them. Col. Willis ~t ways allowed his slaves to ke ep whatever money they earned. There were two Stills Ofl the Willis plantation, bu.t the slaves were never allowed to drink whiskey at their froljoe. Sometiaes they max~ged to take a 1itt1e ~ withou.t the master knowing it. On Su.nday afternoon8, slaves were required. to attend white churches for religious services, and. over and. over again the one sermon tlrwnmed. into their heads was, ~Servants obey you.r mistress and. master~ you. live for them. Now go home and. obey, and you.r mastr wi:I.1 treat you. right. If a slave wished. to join the ehuroh, he was baptized by a white minister. The oonsent of both slSve owners was neoessary to anite a ooaple in matrimony. No other oeremony was required. If either master wished to sell the slave who ~rried., he would. name the price and if it was agreeable to the other, the deal was settled so that one owner became master of both. The lap gar and stronger the man, the more valu,able he was considered. Slaves did. not lack z~di~ltreati~nt andwere given t!. be8t 0 attention by the owner s family doctor. Someti~s slaves would. pretex~ ilinees to escape work in the field. A quick examination, however, revealed the ~ uth. Rome remedies such as turpentine, castor oil, eta., were always k pt on hand for minor alimente. Green remembers hearing talk of the war before he aetu~lly e ~ aigris of it. It was not long before the Yankesa viaitel

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jor 1/25/37 b 6. 54~ Gre r~aboro, Ga., and. the Willis plantation. I~n one ooesaion1 they took all the best horses and. mules and. left theirs whickt were broken down and worn from travel. ~ They also aearek~e ~ tor moneyherval~bleD~ixg t~i1s periol a sail wagon f~?oke down in the creek and water soon eovere~ it. When the (~ water fell, negroes trom the Willis plantation found sacks of money aM hid it. One ~aor~ipalou~s Negro betrayed. the others; ra the r than give ba ek the money n~ny r an. away frofl the vi ci ni ty. Isaiah s Uncle managed. to keep hi~ money btit ~ the Ku Klux Klan learned that he was one of the group. One night t$y kidnaped and carried him to the woods where they pinned hi~ to the groui~, 8et tk~ d~y leaves on fire, and left him. In tI~ group he recognized his master s son Jimmie. As tate would ~ hare it the leaves burned in plaoes and. went out. By twisting a little he ma ged to get loose, but foar~. that hie feet were ? ba dly burned La ter when be confront ed the mas ter with the facts, Col. Willis offered to pay him it he would not mention the fact that hisson Jimmie was mixed. ap in it, and he sent the n~n to a hospital to have his b~irns treated. In the e~, all of his toes had to be amputated. \ Another time, the Yankees visited the Willis plantation and offered Green a stick of candy if he wo~ild tell them where the master hid his whiskey. Isaiah ignoraatly ~e the inform mation. The leader of the tro~ps then blew his trwnpet ar~. hie sen came from every direction. H. gave orders that they search for an underground cellar. Very soon they fouiid the well-stocked hiding place. The troops drank as much as they wanted and invited the slaves to help then~elves. Later, when Col. Willis arrived and the ~ietr 8a, who was furious, told bi~ Ex~s1aveT8 opinion of slavery

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jer 1/2~/37 7. 53 Ex slave s oDiniori of 8lavery told. hini, she said., I~ lt hadn t been for that little villain, the Yankees would. never have foand. yoar whiskey. Tb~e mastei~ u.nderstood, however, tP~t Isaiah had.n t known what he was doing, and. refused to pOEnish him. 7/ The Yankees oaa~ to the Willis plantation to notify the /Negroes o~ their freedom. One thing they said stands ou~t In 1 Green s n~mory. ~ i ~ your mistress calls you. JO~m, eau her Sally. You. are as free as she Is and. she can t whip you any more. If yoti remain, sIgn a paper so that you~ will receive pay ~ for yoar work . Mrs Willis looked on wi th tears in her ey es j and shook her head. sadly. The next day the ~ster no~fied each j slave family that they could remain on his plantation If tk~y ~t- desired and. he woald give each ~?5.OO at ChrIatn~a. Looking at j Isaiah s step father, he told. him that since he was a~tflicted he ~ would I~5~45O.OO, bu.t this amou.nt was reftised. Wishing ..~ to keep the nan, Col. Willis finally offered him as mu.ch as he promised the ablebodled. men. Some slave owners did not let their slaves know of their freedom, ani kept them in ignorance as long as six months; some even longer. Green ~ family remained en the Wiflisplantation until they were forced to move, dae to their ex~master s extravagance. ~s Isaiah remarked., THe ran through with 3,000 acres of land and died on rented land in Morgan Coanty. ~ ~ Directly after the war, Col. Willis was nominated for tI~ /offioe of legislator of Georgia. Realizing that the vote of tk~ / ex~-slaves woald probably mean eleotion for him, he rode throagh ~: ~ plantati~on trying to get them to vote for hirn. K. was not ~ succeasrul, however, aM some families were asked to move off

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jor-1/25/37 EX Sl8Ve S opinion of slavery 8. 5G ~t his plantation, e8peoially those whom he didn t particui.arly ~ like. Years later, Greents family moved. to ~tlanta. Isiiah Is now living in the shelter provId~ed by the Dept. o~ Public Welfare He appears to be ~air1y o ontented..

Wheeler Gresham of Wilkes County Georgia. 069 066

;:h51:: ~ j ()!~i~4 6G WHEELER OBESHAM ot WILKES COUNTY GEORGIA by Mumie Branhant Stone street Wash1ngt~on-~Wi Ike s Georgia Dec. 14, 1936.

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J ( ?i ; I ~L;4 WH~KLER -GRKSBAM ot WILKES COUNTY GEORGIA Wheeler Grsham 82 years old tall ye ry erect has white hair and beard, a quiet d~1gnified manner, and fad~ed old eyes that s em ever to be gazing back on those happy days he tOld ab out when ws war In slavery . He I s uneducated having gone to school only one week In his life gate up tryin to lam out er books. Wheeler claims the distinction of having had three maaters and loving them aU equally eU; he belongedto one and lived with the other two It ail happe ne in t his wi se: . His mother, Barbara Booker, belonged to Marse Simrnie and Marse Zrabie Booke r ( Marie Siamie wuz the one vhat named te ) hi s father Franklin Greehem belonged to Marss George Greaham. The Bookers and Greahams lived on adjoining plantations and. were the best o~ friends and neighbors. They would not sell a slave no matter what ha ppened so when Barbara and Franklin wanted to marry they had the consent of their ~wnera and settled down on the Booker plantation where Barbara continued her work and Franklin spendi zig all hi a spare this with her although he belonged to the Greeha~s and kept up his work for them. He had a pass to go and come as he pleased. Wheeler t.ll. of his life on the plantations for his tip.e wee spent between the two where he played with the other little slaves and with the white boys near hie age. fie enjoyed mot

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68 page~ 2 playing marbles hunting and fi ahing With the litt1~ Gresham boys. I~e never has had a punishment of any kind in all hie who le lone lite and said with much prid.e - An I ala t never been in no court scrape ~~her.rNo t~, my Marsters &td.n t low nobody ter buke dey han a Et a ove raser got rough an ~ wanted to tmat a nigger, he had to go right den and dar. ~e ~: ~ : Den overseer fe flows wuz rough. anyhow, dey warn t our J sort of folks An de owners what wuz mean to dey niggers : ~ looked down on by t spectable white fOlks lak dem what I ~elonged to. ill us little niggers on the Booker plantation et in de white folks kitchen, a big old kitchen out In d.e yard. i De grown slaves cooked and et in dey cabins, but our Nistesa wouldn t trust em to teed de little ones. My Grei~na wuz de cook an we had plenty of good victuals, we d all ait er round an eat ail we wanted three times er day. Wheeler said that the Doctor who lived near by was always called in when the negroes were sick and they had the best ot care ; their owners saw to that Of course the i s wars simple home remedies like muflein tea for colds, Jerusalem Oak seed crushed up and mixed With Syntp, given to them in the Springtime, and always that terrible garlic waiter they so despised to take. When death salie the slave was buried~ on the plantation in

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69 page-3 the negro burial ground, a white preacher conducting the last rites. When a negro couple wanted to marry the consent of the owners was cere~ny enough and they set up. a hoz~e as ~n and wife and lived on thout all di s vn lak dey has terday. Chria~as was a big time with three or four days holiday on the plantations Santa Claus found his way to the quarters and left the little negroes sti ok candy and rel sens and dar wuz er plenty of pound cake ter everybody. POUIU1 Of ~uly was a big holiday and all the little boys white and- blaflk went a- fishing together that day . Sundays were . kept holy ~ no work was done on the Sabbath. On ineetin days everybody attended the neighborhood Church, white and black worshiped together, the darkies in the gallery built for the~i. On ail other Sundays they went to Church and everybody sat in one big Bible Class. Wheeler said his Uiatess called up all the little negroes on the plantation on Sunday afternoons and taught thea the catechism and told thea Bible stories. There was plezrty of fun for the darkles in the Greshem ant Booker community. They bad dances, cornehuckings, picnics and. all kinds of old time affairs. These were attended by slaves for soiae distance around, but they had to have passes or de patter poilera would aho git em. Us litt3s niggers wuz feared to go bout imich kase we hearst so much. erbout de patter rollers. Wheeler enfoyed the cornehuckings mors than anything elsa, or

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( page - 4 rather he ta1ked~ ~re freely about thent. ~ Re said that the corn ~s piled high in the barn and the arnen and boys after a bi g supper of fresh meat and aU kinds ot good~ things ~ and ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ (that pound cake he t seeza to forget) ~ would gather aronnC~and to the tuas ~ of an old fiddle in the hands of a plantation musician, they would sing and shuck corn until the whole pile was finished. Many races ~e entered into and the winnere proclaimed aid much aho~ting and laughter. ~iia merriitent and work laated into t~1~e itight. Wheeler was quick to say that the happiest tias of his life was those days of slavery and the first years inediately after. U_e was happy, had ail that anyone needed, was well. taken care of in every way H spoke of their family as being a happy Oflf of how they worked hard all day, and at night were gathered around their cabin fire where the little folks played and his mother BpUn away on her task of yarn~. His Miateas made all his clothes, good warm ones too . 11 the little negroes played together and there vuz a old colored lady that looked after theit an kept ein straight. There was little talk of the war, in fact soas of the slaves didn t know what de wI~ite folks wuz er ~IgbtLn bout. Wheeler s two Booker ~astera Marse 3im~nis ant Marse Jable went to de war, Mar5e J~abie wuz kilt dar. Very little difference was noticed in the plantation lite ~ of course times were harder and ther was a sachte s a arun, but work went on as usu!~When the war was over and the slaves called up and told they wars free : Sua wuz

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( page-5 \ giad en SUN WUZ SOrry, dey all wuz at a wonder - at de row s ) t didn t . ~xiow w~iar ter go iJo isost ot em stayed on lak we L~~! workin ter our white folks Dat s what ay Pa an Ma done, dey stayed on ter sometime after de war. Wheeler tells about ~~ew Yankees eomi ng through the country after the war: fl~~niggers wuz ai . t feared of e~ an we run trum em, but dey I didn t do nothin~ to nobody. I dunno what dey curn er round \dowx1~ere fer . Wheeler said he nuver paid signs no sind - nnver paid no tention to ail de~ stitions an sich lak. 11e dIdn t have any superstitions to tell only h. did hear et a screech owl fly cross 70 do hits er sign of a death in dat houas, an et a whippowill salis at de do hit s er sign of death. Dat s what folks say, I don t know nothin bout hit. 1~ ~ I m glad I knowed slavery, I had er b tte1~ livia!~ in da ~ days dan I ei~ez iia~ since No talk bout ~ in de~ day. - no ~ a doctor wuz needed he wuz right dar. I ae livin ter day kase I got sich a good start, an den too, I ae livin on de days of my Pa and Ma. Dey waz good folks an livet ter be old. n den too, I ae allus lived on a fare, ain t nu~er knowed no t other kind of life an dat s de Isaithiest and. freest way ter live. And, ~ybe, this gray old son of tI~ soil is right who knows?

Heard Griffin - ex-slave. 075 072

~i -~Iaye~L ~ . rm~j~) p l~51:~Rr 100232 FIRST co~~ . OP j ~A.RTI~Z ENI!IThED: ~AN INTERVIEW WITH HEARD ~~I7!IN, !X SL~VL by Minnie B. Ross _--~. ?yp.d by A.. M. Ihitl.y 1~49-3?

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Page L 73 whit:Ley, Minnie B. Ross, 1-29~37 . IlL order to catch Mr. Reard Griffin, the inter prepared herseLf for an early morning interview. Hie daughter previously informed her that it would be the only possible chance of seeing him. Why? because even at the age of 86 years he is still restless; and is forever in the I He can walk much Thster then a young person; but memory and hearing are a little diamed by age. By careful and tactful questioning, ~ ~ ~ . ~Og~ hir wt*k ample time for thinking the writer was able to learfl a few facts of slavery whi eh are as foll~s : Mr. Griffin was born May 19, 1850 in Waldon County~Lonros, Georgia. His mother larah Griffin birthed U children ; but he did not clearly remember his father as their master sold him when he was a very sme~Il boy. Here he r~arked. They would take small babies fr~ their mothera~ arme and sell thea. Their master and mistress Mike and Lucinda Griffin odkbout 200 acres of land and a large nwaber of slaves. On this plantation was grown corn, cotton, wheat, ~teta~Lon before day light, the master would c~ to the slave quarters and call each person one by ones ~Oet up, Get np. Very soon every one was up and fully dressed ready to begin the day s work. Pirs~ howevel) they drank one or two glasses of milk and a piece of corn bread, ~which was considered breakfast. Whether this amount at food was sufficient for a morning s meal didn t matter to their master. They simply had to make it last them until dinner. ~uiling Mr. Griffin rem.arked, It wouldn t be long bsfore you would hser th

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r~, ~ Page 2. Whitley, Minnie B. Rosa. 1~29-37 geeing and hawing coening from the fields the sq,uealing ot pige and the barking of dO~ Aftll sounds mingling together. 3very one had a certain amount Of work to cc~iip1ete before the day ended ; and each person worked ~ in teverlsh haste to get lt done and avoid the whipping which they knew was in store for them, should they fall. During the day Mr. ~ iffin a niother workedin the field, hosing and plowing. At night sh~ as well as other wcmen, had to spin tbread Into cloth until ~ -i~, ~L bed time. Each woman had. to ccinplete four cuts or 4~ e punlsk~e~t the next morning. If it began raining while we worked in the fields the overseer would tell everyone to put up their horses end to to shelling . . corn in the cribs, remarked Mr. Griffin. Mike Griffin was the meanest man I yr ever known he ccntinue~ He would ait down with nothing else to do~ think of saie man, send for him and for no reason at all, give him a good beating. I~a kept a long cow~ hide, which was aimoat an inch thick and with this he would &lmost beat folks to death. First you had to remove your clothing so that whipping would not wear them out. One day he beat a w~an n~ed Hannah so badly that she died the same night. Before daybreak he had carried thebaby 7 off and buried it. We never knew the burial placef~ Overseers too, were very mean~ particularly those on the ~ iffin plantation. They followed the example of the man who h1re~ them and as a result this. ~lantatipn as ~ ~ ~ ~ known far end wide for its~wue1ty, faer end -tsi~-o~ . Manj slaves would &~ tI4~ have attempted to run away but for fear of the par~k o~ blood hounds kept for the purpose of tracking run away slaves.

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Page 3. Whitl.y, Minnie B. RosS. 1-29 3? ~I J Patter ~o11ers were busy~, too) looking up slaves and whipping them for the flimsiest ot excuses. Slaves often outran them to the woods and managed to return to their plantations unobserved. It a pass had a certain hour marked in it, for the slaves return and he failed to return at the de signated houses, this was an offense for which they were punished by the J )~ ( t patter rollers . Yes, remarked Mr . Griffix~fAWe were not even allowed to quarrel among ourselves. Our master would quickly tell ~ u ~T~i am the one to fi ~ht) not yoi4 ~ When a slave visited his relatives on another plantation the master would send a1on~ one or two of his children to make sure they did not attempt to run away. Discarded bed clothing was given to slave families on the Griffin Plantation and often it was necessary, to keep a big log fire in the winter, in order to sleep c~ifortab1y. Clothing tor individual needs coesisted of one pair of brogan shoes a year and hciae~uade cotton garments shirts, ~ pants, dTe8Ses, ~et*~j~ Every person went bare footed in the a~r and saved their one pair of shoes for the winter. Food consisting of meal bacon meat and syrup was given the slave families once a week. Occasionally shortfr a second quality of flour was given then ~or their Sunday meals. The Griffins were not liberal in feeding their slaves, but would not object to th~raising a little corn, and a few vegetables. ~~~Jthey had to work their gai~dens at~ ~~by the light of i~iiThii~ wood. Real coffee was an unheard-~of luxury a~ng slayes ~ scorched or corn insel served the purpose just as well. On Christmas ~~rr ~ tftir the master, called each slave and gave him a dran of whi ~ey. Ns- ~ Tin I5ans served as plates toit the t~iliss Spoons b~ives and forks ~re unheard of Many a day I have eatn ~aahed bread and milk fr~ a trough and thought it was good~~ remarked Mr. Griffin.

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~,i ~ (L~) . Page4. Whitley , ~- . Minnie B. Rosa. 1 29-37 Occasionally on other piantations(~$1avea were allowed to eairn money by selling vegetables, chicken~.t4~tewe~,.P~..Qn the ~ iff1n Plantation they could only es l hc,ne made *gingercak.a* f~ which a fiIs~ entj piece o1~ paper money was received in return. There wre three pieces of paper money used in those daya~the t1ve~cent~, ten..centfi, end. f iftsem.~cent,~ piece ~ Although the -eelwd did not hays separate churches they were expected to attend the white churehes and occuw the benches placed in the back purposely for them. 4fter the coachmen drove the white family to church he unhitched the horses trcmt the carriage and carried them to the pasture where they r~eined until the servicee were over. Marriages were very easily performed on the ~ 1ftin Plantation: 4L~tb~.*1 ~ ~tter securing ths consent of both owners the rest of the ceremony conal sted only in having the couple jiup the broon. In the event the br1~de and groan 1i~ed on separate plantations the gr~ wsa given a pass to ~ieit her on week ende beginning Saturday afternoon end ending Sundayfrening. Our master was too mean to let us have frolice~ remarked ~ . GrlffIn ~Ie never knew anything, but ~ of course when we got sick we were given the best medical care possible. People didn t die, they always got w.U~ ~ Hone remedie~ fmade fron various roots ~re used for minor illnesses. When the Civil War broke out our master 1o?~ iiia horses with his most valuable possessions and refugeed forty miles fron his hone, remerked Mr. ~r1ffin. On one occasion the Yanks case to our plantation end stole three of our best horses. I never saw a battis fought but often watched the conf.derate,p~ldiers drifl1n~. We continued to work lone after freed~ was dsclare~, not knowing that we ~r free. On. day our aaste,~ son-in-law called us together and told us ~ wei~ free. Most of us didn t know what

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Page 5. . Whitley, Minnt. B. Ross. l-29 37 to do but we were glad to get off of that plantation and away fr~ old ~n Griffin~ With a broad smile he continued~ell that is all I can tell you Miss, but cane back to see me againmj ~With the above remark Mr. Heard Qriffin and I closed our iuterview. He reminded me~ however that he had been married five times and was the father of fifteen children, four of whom are still living. ~EIis daughter cares for him and tries to make hie old age as happy and c~fortable as she can without the aid of relief. J

Reminiscences of slavery days. 081 078

~:J~tsr~ I 1 00028 4 ~EXL /w~ ~ LiLi: ~ j M ~ ~ .~ ~j:4 ~ :i~ ~ ~- ~ ~ ~t~~?4~4 ~ ~fr SUBJECT . . . . . . . . I .R~:MINIScENcES OP SLAVERY DAYS BISTRICT...........NO. W.P.A. EDITOR AND RESEARCH . . . . . .RUTH A CHIi~ SUPERVISO R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J.X JAF7~ A f 1- ~ ~ (V~L~ ~ ~ / I, Ootober 16, 1936.

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79 REMINISCENCES OP SLAV3RY DAYS ~ ~ It was a beautiful brisk morning In October when I turned into main street to call on one ot the most unique and interestIng oharacters that we have among our colored citizens. Upon arriving at the house where Uncle Dave lives, I made my way through a~~ate ~ and the first thing that greeted ~ 1a~&~i in his back yard was a sign, No TruspassIng. I oalled to a tenant who rents his home to inquire where I might find Uncle Dave. We looked about the premises, and called him, but no response. I was just about to leave in despair,when the colored girl said maybe he can be found inside, whereupon we called him forth. 3Re greeted me with a deep pal of laughter, saying now you done caught us sho Mist~~5s ~ I told hint the story ot my mission, and,after making various exouses he finally, with a studied reluctance, consented to talk to me a while. He called the colored girl and asked her to bring mm a chair into the yard, which he placed near his favorite out-door lounging place, and. invited me to sit down. Then, with a hearty laugh he said now Miss Just what is it you want me to tell you? r want you to tell me all about yourself back in slavery days and since, Uncle Dave.t~~Miss, if I tell you all I ~ow, then you will 1~:f!~~w as iiuch about me as I know. Again he burst into laughter, and constrained by a high sense of propriety, but with a-fee14~ ~ perfect ease, he began to relate to ~e in a manner and style all his own some of ~ the facts -4va~sta~se. aM-kapps~1ng. conneoted with his lit..

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So -2 Miss, my name Is David Goodman Gullins. I was born in 1854 on the 27th day of December, in ?utnaia County, about 3~ miles from Eatonton, on the Greensboro Road~. I was born in slavery, my father and mother being owned by Mr. T.W. Mappin. ~Marse Mappin was not a large slave holder, since heonly had about thirty-five slaves, but h~ was what we call a coming man I do not remember how much land he wn, but nothing like some ot the very wealthy land and slave owners. My owner was a comparat ive ly young men say middle aged we igiling about 190 pounds, with a fairly good education and withall a first rate man ~9~y earliest recollection of him was his pertect1~y bald head. It looked like a peeled onion. He married a widow, Mrs. Elizabeth Lawson who had two SOUS ; one who was 3udge Thomas G. Lawson of the Ocraulgee Circuit, and Zurat Lawson, who was killed in the war. My owners were very good to their slaves. My s name was 301m Mappin . He of course went by the none of the owner. My mother s name was Catharine. She was bought from an owner b~ the name of Milline by my master, skid she became Catharine Mappin . I know nothing of their lives their childhood their struggles hardships etc . ~nd where they ce~ from. There were eleven boys and one girl in our family, I being the third oldest boy born. Three brothers born after me died in intanoy~. My mother raised only five of her sous to manhood, and my sister is still living in Zatonton, Ga. She is Gracie Roby. I have one brother still living, W.R. Gullins, a minister. He is somewhere in North Carolina When this brother was born Mistress had a lot of company, and ail the ladies wanted to n~ the new

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81 baby foi their best friends. So the baby was named Willie Richard Edgar Mappin for the best friends of the young ladies. He later dropped the name Edgar and goes by the name ot Willie Richard Gullins. Uncle David you say your owners name was Mappin, why is your naine Gull ins? ~~ weu Miss 11 have to digress a little to give you the history of the name. Every effect has a cause you know, and after I got old enough to reason things out, I wondered too why my name was Gullins so I did some investigating and the story goes like this~ ~en I was a very small boy back before the war a circus osme to w. I remezaber the o lown whose naiae was Gullins. My tather, John Mappin, was so much like the clown in his ways and sayings that afterwards everyone started calling him Gullins This soon became a sort of nickname Some years after when slaves were freed, they were all registered, most of them takIng the family name of their owners When time came for my father to register, the Registrar says, John, what name are you going to register under, Mappin or Gullins? Everyone calls you Gullins, and they will always call you Gu .lins. My father, after thinking for a moment said, just put down I~uilins. By t~iis time I wa~ beginning to think that Uncle Dave was pretty much of a clown himself. Now Uncle Dave tell me your early impressions of your mother and father. ~ my mother was one of the beet ~msn God ever made Back in slavery time I recall the trundle bed that w e childr.n slept on. In the dey it was pushed under the big bed, end at night it was pulled out for us to sleep on. All through oold,bitter winter nights, I rmember my mother getting up often to see about us end to keep the cover tucked in. She thought us sound asleep,

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and I prsteDAted I was asleep while listening to her preysra ~ She would bend do1~i over the bed awl stretching her aras so as tc~ take us all In she praye~1 with ail her soul to God to help her bring up her chU4.ren right . Do t think now that she lot God do it all ;~ she helped God bless your lite by keeping a switch right at hand. ~ ~UncIe Dave you d1&U t hare to be chastised, did you? ~ ~: ~ ~ i got tv:~ or thre whippings ~ eTery dey . You see my m~other didu t let God do lt all. You know it you spare the rod you spoil the child and that switch at1~ulated regulated perauadd end strength~ ened ~y me~ry, end i~nt a long way toward making me do the things my mother told me to do. Hurrah for ~y ~thr1 God. bissa her ~ about your father Uncle Dave? ~$~y father ias a good Ins ; he backed my ~ther in h.r siforts to bring us up right . Re told ~e ~eny a tus. soy you ned t~ or three killings ~ da,y:~ ~Uncls Dare why were you so obstreperoua?~ ~ you see I was the baby in the fa~aily a long ise, as three brothers born alter ~ died in infancy . I was pettsd end ~poi1.d aM lat.r on 1 they had to ~bip lt out of as. of oourse the 81aTe17 quation ~as fast drawing to its oliaez when I was born. Already war clouds .~~!fto cast a 8hadOW. While treedoa was not had in Georgia until 1865 I Was hardly old eno~igh to rsassbr OP-~ Tory auch about the early customs at 81YSr7 in prei.~war days . We had comfortable quarters in ~ich to live. Our houses were built in long r~s house after house . My father was carriage driver and foresen of the other nigger.. Eis titl was B .L ~ ~~incle Dave ~hat does BJ. stand for? ~*ith this qusetion to an~sr Uncle Days broke into a apa of laught.r beading d ILbls first, then rocking fr~ aid. to side all the tise laughing

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) C:~ ~) - 5.. while I waited anxiously to know the secret. Then, throwing his head back he came forth with great empha8is- ~hy he was what we called Big Nigger . Then we both 1aughed.~Unc1e Dave what t! ~ FI were the duties of your mother as a slave? ~t~Every slave had his task, and my mother was cook for the tamfly and the weaver. All of the clothing was made on the plantation froza cotton and wool.. The cotton was carded, spun and woven into cloth and died. Like~ wise, woolen garments was made troia the wool clipped from the sheep raised tor this purpose. All these garments were made right on the plantation. Uncle Dam what did you do when you were a little slave? ~ Well there was a whole drove of us little niggers . We had ~ lots o~ chickens cattle hogs sheep etc I had to help get up the eggs, drive cattle, open gates, go on errands for Marster, and Marster most always took me on trips with hlm,letting me ride in the toot ot his buggy. I was his favorite little pet nigger. ~ 1 You must have been the Little Big Nigger, Uncle Dave.~E was always pushing an investigation, so when Marse Mappin take me on trips with him that was my tavorite time to ask questions. I remember one hot August dey we were driving along, and I had already asked numerous questions, and Marse had already told me to shut up. I remained quiet for a time but the temptation was too great and while Marse was wiping the perspiration oft his bald head, I said, Meister raay I ask you one more question1 ~Yes what is it David? ~ I! a fly should light on your head wouldn t he sup up and break his neck? When Marster shouted ~~hut up~ I did shut up. He used to tell his wife, Miss flizabeth, ~ou know Elizabeth, my little nigger Dave drives me nearly crazy asking questions about the stars moon sun and eve rything .~

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. ~ 84 ~5iu. My faraily lived continuo sly on the Mappin plantation until after the wai . Perhaps the zaost grievous fault of slavery was its persistent assault upon the home life. Fortunately, none or our family was ever sold, and we remained together until after the war. Marster Mappirt was far above the average slave owner; he was good to his slaves, fed theni well, and was a very humane gentieman. We had such quantities of food- good rations, whLoh~.was raised on the plantation. Vie had cattle, goats, hogs, sheep, chickens, turkeys, geese, all kinds or grqin, etc. Very often a beef was butchered, we had fresh meat, barbecued kids, plenty vegetables, in tact just plenty to eat, and the slaves fared well. on Sundays we had pies and cakes and one thing and another. A special cook did the cooking tor the single slaves. I ll say our rations were 150% tit. zveryone had certain tasks to pertorm, and all that was done above certain requirements was paid for in some way. We always had meat left over from year to year, and this old meat was made into soapk ~ ~ grease and 4e and boiling all in a big iron pote ~ter the mixture become cold, it b~~e a solid lilass, which was cut and used for soap. Those were good old deys. Everybody had plenty of everything. There were strict rules governing slaves,, but our master was never brutal. I being a child, never received any punishment from any one except my mother and my Mistress. Punishment was inflicted with a raw cow hide, which was cut in a strip about three inches wide one end be Ing twisted This made a very powerful and painful weapon. There were unruly slaves, what we called desperadoes. There were speculators too who would get possession of these and if a slave come into possession of one of these speculrs, he either

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had to come under or el8e he was sure to die. The Lynch law was used extensively. Those slaves comialttlng crimes against the state were more often cons Idered unworthy or trial though some were brought to trial, punishment being so many licks each day for so many days or weeks, or capital punishment. It is true that nany crijnes:put upon the slaTes when the white man was guilty. We had plenty of amusements in tho se days such as corn shuck ings dance s running ~~ump Ing and boxing contest . Saturday was the big frolicking time, and every body made the most of It. Slaves were allowed to tend little patches of their own, and were orten given Saturday afternoons oft to work their crops, then when laying~ ~ time came, we had more tlnie for our patches. We were allowed all we could make over and above our certain tasks. Marster used to buy me candy when he take~wIth him, but I can t remember him gIving me spending money. We were not compelled to attend church on Sundays, but most ot the slaves went from time to time. I was a Baptist, $~1~ my family being Baptist, but I have long since put Christianity above creeds. I learned too, many years ago, that we can tind in the contents of that old book we call the Bible, a solution to every problem we run up againat.~Uncle Dave Is a learned theologian, ~ and has served many years as a minister, or Doctor ot Divinity. ~ ~ . ~ ~ He Is very modest, and says that he wants no titles on his nane. ~-soyu-4he:t li believes that every man and every women gets all the credit they deserve in this ~rld. Going back to the church services, we slaves attended the white folks churches. There were galler~eb built for the slaves in so~ of th churches, in others, there was space reserved in the back of the church for the colored worshippers. It was a custom to hold prayer ~etinge

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86 -8. In the quarters for the coloreM sick. One of the alave3 namad. Charity ha~ been slok a long time, just wasting away. One beautiful spring morning they cerne running tor my mother saying that Charity was dying . I was a very ~nall child and ran after my mother to Charity s house. It was a very harrowing experience to me, as it required three women to hold Charity on the bed while she was dying. I becan~e so frightened, I slipped into unoonsolousness . They took me home end after hours went by I still was un001180 ious and Marster became so alarmed about me that they s wt tor Dr . Cogburn . He said that it was a thousind wonders . that I ever caine back, but he gave me some medicine and brought me around. About a year later my hair turned white and it has been white ever since They used to gather herbs end one thing and another from the woods for simple maladies but Marster always aen~ for the doctor when things looked serious to him. ~ In 1863 Miss Elizabeth was going to have big company at her house ~ she was saving her strawberries for the oc cas ion I spied all these nice, ripe strawberries through the paling fenoo, and the whole crowd of iia little niggers thought they needed pickIng. WI found an opening on the lower side of the fence and made our way in, destroying all of those luscious ripe strawberries. When we had about finished the job, Mistress saw us, and hollered at us. Did we scatt.rt In the jam for the fence ~ls I was the last one to get through and Mistress had gotten there by th&t time and had me by the collar She took me back to the house got the cow hide down and ooianenoed rubbing it over ~ Before she got through,she cut ~ ail to pieces. I still have signs of those whelpa on me today. In t~. fight I managed to bits her on the ~

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j - 9 wriat, causing her to aIi~ost bleed ~o death. I tIUaIIy got away and ran to a hiding place ot~s~~j~tey used eoot and other things trying to atop the blsdlng. ~When Marster come hoi~ie he saw Miss Elizabeth wIth her hand ail bandaged up and wanted to know what the trouble was ~ He was told the story so he came out to look tor m. He called me out from my hlIlng place, end when he saw me with those awful wheips on ms and how pitiful looking I was, he said, Ellzabeth, you done ruint my little nigger, David. ~I wouldn t have him In this fix for ail the strawberries. I was very fond of strawberries In those days, but that experience put an end forever to nay taste for them. So much for the strawberry buainess~ -~-- ~ - ~ ~ Even a dog kind treatment Soene days Mistress was good and kind to us little niggers and she would save us the cold biscuits to give us when we brought in the eggs Son~tiiae she ~uld go two or three days without giving us any biscuits then she didn t get no eggs We rascals would get up the e g~ and go off and have a rock battle with thea. Every effect has a cause- then Miss would wonder why she didn t get any eggs and call us aU in for cold biscuits, then the eggs would come again . Of course we had our gene of tell . ir one ot the gang threatened to tell then we ail would threaten to tell afl~ we knew on him, and somehow we ~ienaged to get by with lt all. After the war1 my father stayed on with Marster Mappin as a cropper running a two horse fana for hiiase ! In the early 70 s my father bought 12 acres of land troin ~Tudge Lawson near ~atonton, which was later sold in lots to different colored people, end became known as Gullinaville and is stiU !~,aUed b~M-n~e by some. In 1876 26 day of November I left my folks and came to Mil~- edgeville to liv.. I worked for Mr. Miller 8. Bell in t,h, livery

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88- -10.~ ( stable for ~7 .00 per month Of this amount I sent ~3 . 50 home to my I parents. The next year I went oit a farm with Mr. fohn Wall tor $8.00 ~ per month. The next year I had a better offer with Mr. R.N Lamar ~ to ~ arxa and act as general handy nian for $9.00 per month. I saved my ~ money and worked hard and I would lend. Mr . Lamar my yearly income at ~: Interest Li 1882 Mr Lamar negotiated a trade with Mr Samuel Evaiis ~ for this piece of property right here. When they totrnd out a negro wanted to buy the property, there was more or less argument, but I sat right still and let Mr. Lamar handle the trade for me. I have owned other property, but I have sold everything else I had. ~ health failed, and I just settled down here to be quiet. I owned property on Chestnut Street in Atlanta and in Putnam County also. I have been saving all my life, everything1~ s1~~1 looking about me, I concluded he was indeed a thrifty person. ~eh ~i accumulation of every con~ ceivable thing ( junk) that had been discarded by others Uncle Dave had brought hozue and carefully and neatly stored it away for subsequent use. Uncle Dave tel . me something about your educat1on~ ~ Well, when I was a boy back in Putnam County I went to night school. For a long time I was the only p~gro in the class. My foundation work I got under a Mr. Whitfield, Mr. J ohn Nix, and we had a Yankee teacher, Miss Claudia Young. In September 1885 1 went to Atlanta and~ entered the ac~m1o department of what is now Morehouse College. I was graduated in demies in 1889 as valedictorian of the class- my subject being We Are Coming whi oh was a theme on the progress of the ~gro race In 1891 I was grathiated from the theological department asvaledictorian, my Subject then being Why Do Nations Die . t Miss, you a8klfle if I am superstitious. I show em. When I hear these owls at night I just get up and get me some salt and a news-

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~89 ~ paper and burn this, and I don t never hear that saiae owl again. Some folks say tie knots in the 8beet, but I burn salt. I think the beflow.. u ing or lowing ot cows and oxen or the bleating of sheep is a bad. omen. Then Uncle David took me way back in the Bible and recited how the king was commended to slay all the cattle and. everything and they kept out some of the oxen and sheep. ~ I believe you shouid turii a clock face to the wall when a person dies. I believe in signs, yes maint ~ ~ ~ Marster was good to his . niggers but they had to have a pass to leave the plantation. There were patrolers to look after the ~laves and see that they did not run around without a pass. ID they found one without a pass he was strapped then and there by the patrolers. Of course I was too young in those days to run around at night, and my mother always had us in bed early. It was long after the war that I did my courting. I was to have married a girl before I went to Atlanta ~ 80 s, but she~j~,.)I later married a Yankee nigger ~n Xtianta. sue belonged to the ~OO, and some how, she never could ~et used to me and my plain ways We had four children three boys and one girl. Two of the boys diet, and I have living today, one daughter married and living in Washington, D.C. and my son and his fanilly live in Alabama. ~ My Marster did not go to the war but we all worked at home preparing food and clothes and other things for those who did go. Some of the sires went as helpers M~ digging ditches and doing manual i~ ) labor. The Yankee soldiers visited our territory, killing everything in sight. They were actually most starved to death. Mareter was all broken after the war He had planned to buy another plantation and increase his holdings but the war sorter left us all like the yellow fever had struck. After a number of years in Mission work and in th ministry I

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(~ -12 I was compelled to retire on account on my broken health. I owe my long life to my mother s training in childhood. There are four things that keep old man Gullins busy ail the tine- keeping out or jail, out of hell, out o~ debt, and keeping hell out of me. I learned to put fly wants in the kindergarten, and it I couldn t get what I wanted, I learned to want what I could get. I believe it is just as essential to have jails as to have churches. I have learned too, that you can t I, sub~titUt anything for the grace of God.

Ex slave Milton Hammond. 094 091

(~5 r::: ~ ~ s ; .~ ~ ~ 4/ 7 Page 1 . . (f ~Mtley, ~ . Minnie B. Ross. 1-25-37 1001 61 ~ h$~ EX SL~V~ ~o L~LTOI~ W~c~D. . I After explaining the object of the visit to Mr. Hammond he smiled ~ rei~iarked I think that is a good piece of work you re doing; and t 11 t eli you all that I can remember about slavery you see ~ I was only a small boy then ; yesterday though, I was 83 years Mr Harrunond led the way up a dark stairway ~o~n a dark hail to a door. fter unlocking the r~oor, he turned on a light which revealed a very dark ro~ con~only furnished ~4~:id fairly neat In appearance. The v~r1ter took ~ seat ani listened to the old man relate the following incidents. ;~ slave boy by the naine of Milton Hanmiond was born in Griffin,. c~eorg1a, October 20, 1853. 11s parents, ~ily end ~smes Haxmuond, had 10 children 8 boys an~ 2 girls of whom he was oldest. I~is motber, sisters and brothers used the n&ne Hanmond as this was their fath r s name. J.thou~. every number of hIs fe~znily with the exception of his father, be1onge~ to Bill ireeman they always used his name. Mr. II~imrnonds family always lived in the tov:n of Griffin and belonged to a class known as To~in ~1aves . ~en iiLt~. Eammond reached the age of 6 year3 their o1~ master, fill ~ rsema~i aied and all the property money, slaves, etc., had to be resold at cii administrations sale. ~on~ his four children a plan was made to re~ pur chase the ir favori te slave s ; but many were sold t o owners in different states particularly ~ississippi and Louisiana. Mr. i~ax~monds father, de~ 3irin~ to keep his f~rn!ly near him, spoke to his master and asked that he appeal to the young mistress to purchase his family. I remember the auction sale quite well remarked Mr. RanimondV They stood us on the b1~ck side by 31c~e. The mistress held my baby brother in her a~s; and. they began to to

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Ihitley, \ P~ 2, 92 1.~25~37 ~ cry us off just as they do now. Of course my Iuistre3S came forward and ~ bought us and we returned home the same day we left . Slaves were a1~ ways sorted and placed Into separate groups or classes. For Instance, the heavy robust ones were placed together and sold for iar e sums of money. The light weights were grouped and sold accordingly. i~lthough the Freemans owned a large plantation several miles from Griffin end had a large number of slaves, who lived onthis plantation to do the work, they resided in town with only the Hammond Thznily as thei~ servants. Mr. iiammonds grandmother acted as the cook ~or the household and bis mother assisted her. Hi s sister was the chamber..~.aid and kept the house spotlessly clean.. ~niling, Mr. Haimnond remarked, Until I was older i~ j ob was that of playing later I became my young mistre ss s carriage driver . Miss Adeline. Freeman was the young mistress wh~i Mr. Hszmnond continued to speak of; and during the war period she did welfare woI~k; that is, Mr. Hammond drove her and her mother around through different counties soliciting me cli rags for bandages etc whi oh were sent, to the hospitals. . Mr. Hammond related the Thllowing experiences while driving through the country. ~ We always visited the richest slave owners, those who owned 2 and 3 hundred head. of slaves and often would remain in one coeninunity over night and probably the next day, ~fter p tting up the horses an and carriage I would follow my mistress into the dining ro i. ~h. always saw to lt that I sat at the same table with her. I never could drink milk or eat butter so on more than one occasi on~ other~ people would ~ try to inDluence my mistress and tell her that if I b~elonged to them they would make me drink milk or beat me. She never uotlced any of their remarks; but always ga~re me the same food that she ate. ~ ~ Often while driving, I would almost drop off to sleep and my

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Page 3. .93~ old ml stres s would shout~,~Mi iton aron t you S1eep~ . ~ No ma am would reply, ~Vlyes iou ; U slap yow~ jaws ~ My young ml stres s would then take the reins and tell me to go to sleep~ Mr. II~mmond ~ont1nued. ft Many a morning I have known the overseers on the plantation where we were stoP~in~f to blow the horn ~or every one to get up, long before sunrise prepare their b~eakfast and get to the fields. The old wcmen were requirei to care ~or the young children while their mothers worked in the fields. Soenetimes there would be a many as ten and fifteen for each to look after. Around noon they were fed from a trough which was about ten or fifteen feet In length. Pot liquor by the buckets xas tbrown lu the trough until they were filled.. The chilth~ n with spoons In their hands would then line up on each side no sooner was the signal given than they began eating like a lot of pigs. The smaller ones would often jump in with their feet. After the work in the fields was complete forthe day, women were then required to work at night spinning thread into cloth. Each woman had a task which consisted of making som many cuts a night. As Mr. Hax~miond remarked ?TY OU uldn t hear your e~irs at ni glit on some plantati one for the old spinning wheels . kt 9 o clock the overseer would blow the horn for every one to go to bed. The cloth woven by women was used to make men ~ clothing also, and. was dyed different colors from dye which was made by boiling walnut hulls and berries of various kinds, Color varied ~cording to the kind of berry used. One pair of shoes ma~e to order was given each person once a year. ~ One and two roomed log cabins were found on practically all the plantations. The number of rooms ~depended upon the number in the gamily. ~ornet1mes one rocmcjwould contain three and four bed scaffolds, so called by Lz. Hammond because of their peculiar construction. Sane beds ~re nailed to the walls and all Of them were built with roped bottoms. Home made tables and ~ benches completed the furnishings of a slave home ~ There ~re n no stoves

Jane Smith Hill Harmon of Washington-Wilkes. 100 097

JANE 3~ITh HILL HAP~W of WAS11INGTON-WILKKS by Mionie Branbazu Stonestreet Was hingt on Wilkes Georgia

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98 ~TANE 3~vIITR HILL HARIvON of WA SHINGTON-~I LICES A comical little old black woman with the happy art of saying and doing as she pleases and getting by with it, is Jane Smith Hill Harmon of ~7ashington Wi1kes. She lives alone in her cabin off the Public Square and is taken care of by white friends. She is on the streets every day carrying er long walking stick which she uses to lean on and as a ~hittin stick . She doesn t fail to use it vigorously on any nigger who teases her. She hits hard and to hurt, bat it seems they had ra~her hear what she has to say~ and take the penalty, then to let her alone. Her wardrobe consists of out.of style clothes and hats given her aad it is her delight on Saturday afternoons todress up in her finest and fanciest creations and come strutting along down town. proud of the attention she is attracting. Unlike most old people, Aunt Jane doesn t like to talk about the past. She enjoys life and lives in the present. lt was hard to get her to tell anything much of her early life, finally, however, she grew aMt reminiscent and talked of the past for a little while. t~ass~fl~, I se 88 years oie last gone I~ay, an I been in 7~ashington, eorgy fuh 53 years an I ain t been in no Council scrape an no

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99 page -.2 Cote nor nothin bad lak dat, kase I haves myself an? don t lak nig~ers an don t fool long wid rem. No in, I sho ain t got no use fuh niggers tall. An as fuh yaller niggers huh! I jes hates em -. dey s de wu.st niggers de re is, dey s got dirty feets, an dey s nasty a& mean, I hates ~ezn, I tells yuh! i: wuz borned an raised on de Smith plantation out here a pi ce frurn town. I wuz one of fourteen chillun, I think I wuz de 10th ~ We wuz well took keer of by our Marster ant his fust wife, she wuz jes as good ter us as she could be, my fust ~istess wuz, but she died an Marster married agin an she wuz mean ter us little niggers. She d whup us fuh nothin , an us didn t known what ter do, kase our fust 1~iistess wuz so good ter us but dat last oman, she sho wuz mean ter us. ~~3T ~1arster had lots of slaves an~ tis all bad work ter do. le fust work I done wuz churnin an I loved t~er do hit kase I loved milk an butter so good. I d dance an dance round dat oie churn, churnin an churnin till de butter wuz come. I allus could dance, I cuts fancy steps now sometimes when I feels good. At one o dein big oie country breakdowns (dances), one night when I wuz young, I danced down seben big strong tens, dey thought dey wuz sumpin ! iluh, I danced eb ry one down!

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page ~3 I uster play dolls wid de overseer s chillun, an look ftth aigs, an tote in wood an pick up chips. Us had good times togeder, all us little nigger s an de little white chilluns. Us had two days at Chris ~ an no work wuz done on de place of a Sunday. Everybody white an black had ter go ter Chu ch. De overseer piled us all in de waggin an took us whether u~s wanted ter go or no. Us niggers set up in de loft (gallery), an de white folks wuz down in de Uhu ch too. Atter er while dey ~ rae out to be a housegirl an den I slep in de big house. ~ll de little niggers et in de white folks kitchen out n er Mg tray what wuz lak a trough. De ook put our victuals in de tray an gib us a spoon an pone er t~read a piece an made us set roun dat tray ara eat all us wanted. Hit wuz good eatin , too. All dLirin of de ~ar my ~iarster wuz off fightin an de overseer wuz hard on us. ~e wuz glad when Liarster ~cum home er gin. De Yankees wuz a commt an Daddy Charles, he wuz a oie black man on de place, knowXed ~ ~rster s money, an he took hit all an put it in er big box an went out in de night time an buried hit way down deep in some thick woods an put leaves all over de place an dem Yankees couldn t fj~? hit nowbar, an dey went on off an let us lone.

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loi page 4 My ~!a wiiz a spert spinner an weaver, an she sptui an wove things ter be sont ter de Soldiers in de lar. I members dat, her ar spixinin an dey say hit wu.z fer de soldiers. Atter we wuz free I went ter school er mont . I fit so wid all de chillim I quit. Dey said I mustn t fight an I knowed I couldn t git er long ~rjdout fightin so I jes quit an ain t never been ter no nio schools. I~y Marster said h~ ~uz ~oin t~r ~1~ave a ~c~:col on de place fer all his nig~ers, 1~ut freedom cum an he didn t do hit. ni mari ed in my white folks kitchen, m:.arj.~d de fust time wh~. I wuz 19 years oie. I been niarjt,ed two times an had good husban s. Dey wuz good ter rae. Doctors? Doctors? I don t know nothin bout no doctors! I ain t never ceen sickly. ~is year (1936) I done had to have mo ter do wid doctors dan ever in my life. ~ I se gittin now to whar I kain t walk lak I uster, all crippled up in my 1ai~ wid soinpin . ~ Ain t nobody lef now but me an one o my six chillun. He lives upin dat Phillerdelina (Philadelphia) an I cided onst three er fo year ergo, to go up da re an live wid im. Lawdy, Lawdy, I ain t been so glad o nothin in my life as I wuz ter g t back ter Washington, Georgy.t I ain t goin way frum here

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page 5 till I dies. Son is rnari .ed, an? sich ~r oman as he s got! She s un o dem. smart No th n niggers. She bused de ~ an de white folks down here all de time. I d er beat her wid my stick ef n I d er had tection, but I wuz way off up da re in de No th an didn t know nobody. But I did found a gal what use ter live here an went an stayed wid her till I worked an got nough.money ter git home on. Jes soon as I got here 1 went straight ter i~. Sheriff ~1alton an Mr. Sturdivant (Chief of Police) an tole dem bout dat sassy hateful nigger up da re ~alkin bout de So th an de white folks lak she done, an dat she say she wuz commt down here ter see nie. I axed dem when I got er letter sayin she wuz a commt would dey take me ter Au~usty ter meet her an when she stept off n de train ter let me take my stick an beat her all I wanted ter fer talkin bout my white folks lak she done. Dey said: Aunt Jane, j~ you let u.s know an we sho will take you to ugusty ter meet her, an let you beat her all you want ter. But she ain t never come ~ she skeered, an she sho better be, kase I se home down here an got all de tection I needs. Ef n~she ever do come, I m goin ter beat her wid dis stick an sen her back to her country up da re in dat Phillerdelina. She ain t got no sense an no raisin, neider, talkin bout de So th an my white folks what lives here. And from the wicked flash from hunt Jane s eyes, it will be well for her sassy daughter-.in-law to stay up No th . 4 Il ) _L. ~iAs

Plantation life as viewed by ex-slave Dosia Harris. 106 103

PLANTATION LI~ 1O()( ~~)8 :103 As. viewed by Ex-~Sl ave DOSLA~ HARRIS 1 9 Valley Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Sadie B. Hornsby Athens ~Sarah H. Hall Athens Leila Harris Augusta and J~ohn N. Booth Dist ri ot Superviso r Federal Writers Project Residencies 6 & 7. Edited by:

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it)th:;~98 ~ 104 DOSIA HARRIS Ex.~S1ave - A~e 78~ Dosla lives in a red painted freine house. lier very black skin, thick lips, and broad nose are typic~1 ot her ~fr1can ancestry. She is tail, thin, and a little stooped, and ber ~~~oIy hair is fast fading from gray to almost white. When she greeted t:~e intervIewer, she was wearing a blue striped dress which displayed ~ large tatch of blue print on the tront of the skirt over her knees. Over her dress a black silk blouse, lavishly trinined with black beads, ~s worn for a wrap, and a pair of men s brown shoes, sans laces, corn;leted her costume. Due to illiteracy Do5ia has retained the dialect 3f the old southern darky. Asked to relate her experiences asa slave, she re~iied: *00, M1ss~ Wnat does you want to know bout dat for? Well, ~riyhow I was borned in Greene i~ounty. Mary and Auss Downs was my lia aiid Pa. I oain t tell you whar dey corne from. ~I played round de yard wid de rest of de chillun End picked a little cotton up and down de rows. I was de onliest e~~ile my Msinny had. My Pa wa~ ir~arried two tines, end I was his tust c~ii1e. I had Thur halt sisters: Fannie, ~lari, Daisy, and ~artha ~fln, but I never had no brothers. *All de houses in de slave quarters was log cabins ce~t two. Dey was i~de of boards what was put on straight up and d~rgn. All de houses had chimblies made out of mud and sticks. De beds

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- 2 :105 had high poatles and some of em was nailed to de wall of de cabin. Dey didn t know nothin bout no wire springs den, and dey strung de beds wid heavy cords for springs. Dey made mattress ticks out of coarse home-wove cloth; some was striped and some was plain unbleached white. Atter cie wheat was thrashed evvy year de mans tuk deir ticks and emptied out de old straw and went and fIlled em wid new wheat straw. Wisht I had a nice fresh made wheat straw mattress now. lis had plenty of good quilts for kivver. wSome of de slave chillun slept on de flo , but me, I slept wid my grandma. She was Crecia Downs, and she done raised me, ~ cause my Manminy died when I was three days old, or cor~ie to think of it, W8S I three weeks old when dat happened? I se done got so old I. forgits lots of things lak dat. Mammy died of some kind of fever dat was mighty catchin . Twenty-five Niggers died on dat one plantation bout de same time, ftom dat fever. Atter grandma got too old to wuk in de field, she didn t do nothin but piddle round de yard and bile slops for de flogs. Grandpa Toe Downs, he was de carpenter, but he done most any kind of wuk dat come up to be done; he wuked. in de fields and driv cows, or sus anything. Money N~o Ma am~ All dey ever give slaves was a belly full of somepin t eat, de clo es dey wore, and de orders to keep on wukin . Now come to think of it, I did see ~8,OOO of Jeff Davis fodder what de white Thlks th owed way atter d.e War. Us chillun picked it up and played wid it. What did us have t est? Oo-o Dey give us plenty ~ood victuals. Dere was bread and meat; peas, greens, and other vege ~ tables; all de milk us wanted, and sometimes dere was good old ginger-

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. ~ cakes made wid sorgbum syrup. ~.a for Tflf, I laked tried fat ~ and cornbread cookfd~ in de ashes better dan greens~. an4 ~weet things. any old time. I1 de~ cookin was done In great big open fireplaces dat was plum full of ovens, skillets and all sorts ofiong handled pans and things. Gentiemen~ Dat pot would bile downw~d ~dern peas in it tore you knowed it if you. didn t watch it close. ~ Dere never was no other bread good as what us baked in de~ ovens and in de ashes. ~ ~ ~ . ~ !o5suxLIs~ You. jus makes my mouth water, talkin bout possunis. Folks thought so niuch ot deir possum dogs dem days dey fed em tu dey was jus fat and lazy. Dey cotched de possums, singed ~nd scraped de hair off of em, finished dressin em and drapped emt in de pot to bile tu dey was tender. Den dey put em in bakin pans and klvvered em o~r wid strips of fat meat and baked em jus as nice and brown, and if dey had good sweet tatoes, dey roasted em in ~ de ashes pealed em and put em on de b~g old platters wid de possums. Rabbits was plentiful too and I loves ~m tu dis good day. Most of de young tender rebbjts what dey cotched was fried, but if dey brurig in some old tough ones dey was throwed in de pot wi.d a piece of fat meat and biled tu dey was done. Squirrels was cooked tJust lak rabbits. D Te W~S plenty of fish down dar in Greene Count.7 liar us lived but I never did. eat em. Slaves would wuk all day and fish all ni ght b ut you never did ketch Dosia foolizi. round no fi ah ponds. Slave famblies was lowed to have little gyarden patches if dey want d em, I ricollect how lused to go to de gyarden in de winter and cut down couards atter frost had done hit em and fetched em to de house to be Mied down for dinner.

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What us wore In summer? weil it was lak dia little Nigger chillun didn t stay out of de branch long riough to need much clothes In hot weather, but in de winter dey give us tresses made out of coarse cloth wove on de loom right dar on de plantation. Some or dem dresses was red and some was blue. De cloth was dyed wid red oak bark and copperas, and dey used indigo what dey raised onde place to dye de blue cloth. De waisties was close fittin and sorter skimpy skirts was gathered on to ein. De underskirts was unbleached white cloth made jus lak de dresses only some skimpier. Old Marster raised plenty of cattle and saved de hides what he sont to de tannery to be got ready for my uncle, Moses Downs, to make our brogan shoes. Dem shoes had brass toes to keep ein from wearing out too quick. Uncle Mose was sho a smart shoemaker. He had to make shoes for all de slaves on de whole plantation. ~&arster Sain Downs owned us, and his wife, Misa Mary, was a mighty good somebody to belong to - Old Mist ess us called her. I don t member nothin tall bout Old Marster, cause he died fore I was knee high to a duck. Old Marster and Old Mist ess had five chullun. Dey was: Miss L~llen, Marse Sam, Marae Tames Kelsey, MErse Tom, and Marse William. Old Miss sho was goodto us Niggers, cause she was raisin us to wuk for her. When Marse William went to de War, he tuk my pappy wid him. Dey conie b ~ck home on one of dem flylougha, (furloughs) or s~rnepin lak dat, and you jus ought to have seed de way us ohillun crowded round pappy when he got dar. One of his fingers had done got ~4-s

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shot oft in de fightin , and us chillun thought it was one of de funniest lookin things us had ever seed,. a man wid a short finger. He said dem yankees had done shot it off. *Atter Old Marster died 034 Mist eas moved to a town called Woodatock, or was it Woodville? It was Wood -zo~epin or nother. She hired old man ~Tohn Akins to oversee de plantation, and she evermore did oversee him and de plantation too. She had a fine pacing mule what wouldn t throw her for nothin . ~vvy mornin she got on dat taule and rid out to her plantation. She allus fetched us somepin t eat; most of de time lt was a gingercake apiece. pI couldn t rightly say how big dat plantation of hers was. Oo o~ But it sho was one more big place, and k~iggera w~z scattered all round dar lak blackbirds. Dat old overseer, he sho was mean to de slaves. 11e whupped em and he kept on whuppin em, tu sometimes it seemed lak he jus beat on em to hear em hoUer. It warn t long atter midnight when he got em up to go to wuk and. he, kept em at hard labor tu way atter sundown. De biggest things he whupped. Niggers for was for runnin way and for not dom . elr wuk~ ri~rht. J~ai1s Did you. say jails? Yessum, dey had jails. You know slaves warn t civilized folks den - all dey knowed W&8 to fuss End fight and kill one nether. Dey put de Niggers In dem jails tu dey hung em. ~Grandma was sold on de block to ~arse Sam s Pa, Marse Kelsey Downs, soon atter she was brung over to dis country from de homeland of de black folks. She never did lam to talk dis language -~5- 108

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109 right plain. Us used to git her to tell us bout when she was. sold. De saie was In December but it was so far orr dat corn was in tassel fore my pore grandmainmy got to ~reene County. She said dey camped at night and got up long fore day and was driv lak cows a man In front and nother one back of em to keep em from branchin out and runnin . Niggers never had no chance to lam to read and write dem days. Dey went to meetin at Shiloh - dat was de white folks church nigh Penfield ~ and bethesda was nother of de white folks churches whar slaves was brought to listen to de preachin . One thing sho Ni~ers couldn t read de Bible but dey ~Tus 1umbere~ down bout de Lord from deir heads. . Slaves didn t run off to no North dat I ever knowed. bout. I heared tell bout one ~n named Si what run way wid dem yankees when dey c~e through and dey made a black yankee soldier out of him. atter he jlned up wid ein. I heared tell of patterollers what cotehed Nlggers way from home thout no pass~. Folks said dey bru~shed you off and sont you home if dey cotohed you. All I knowed Niggers to do at night atter dey come in from de fields, was to eat supper and fling deirseifs on de beds and go right off to sleep, cept when dey wanted to hunt and fish, and. most of dat sort of thing was done atter de crops was laid by or atter ~ey had done been gathered into de barns~ On Saddy nigiits, d.e older amans ironed and fixed up for Sunday whilst de men was busy gittin de harness and tools and things ready for de next week s wuk. Young f~1ks never had nothin but good times on deir minds. Dey danced, frolicked, and cut de buck in gen ral. Dey didn t have no sho nough r IUSiC, but de~ sho could sing It down. One of de dance songs

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:111) went somepin lak dis: . Oh! Miss Liza, Miss Liza J~ane Axed Miss .L4za to xi~arry me ~ Guess ~tiat she said? She wodn t m rry nie, It de last Nigger was dead t *Chrlstmas was sho one grand time. Dar warntt no big heap of good. things lak dey has now. Old Mist ess give de Niggers a little flour and syrup for to make sweet cake. I)ere was plenty or tresh hog neat and. chickens and all sorts of dried fruits. I was allus plum crazy bout tie rag doll grandma would make for my Christmas present. Come New iear s Day, it was time to go back to wuk and evvy slave was made to do aheap of wuk on dat day to start de year off right. Slaves had a big old time at cornshuckin s. Dey didn t care so much bout de somepin t est SUS SO dey got plenty of wtiiskey to drink, and when dey got all het up on dat you could hear em a mile away awhoopinf and hollerin . Sometimes dey kilt a cow and throwed it in a pot and biled it down wid dumplin s, seasoned hot wid red pepper.* Asked what games she played as a child, Dosia replied: Gentlemen What de giver ment don t want to know, ain t wuth knowin no how. What I played? Well, now, let me see: Mollie, Mollie Bright was one of our games; Hiding de Switch was de one whar ycu counted em out; dat countin run lak dis: Ten, ten, double ten, rorty-~five fifteen Gentlemen ~ I could run lak a snake.

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-8- 1.11 Ha xits? Why, I kin ~ee dein things anytime. Dis hyar place whar I lives is full of ha nts, but dese folks would git mad wid me 1f I told bout em. Now, back in Greene county, I k~n talk bout dein ha nts all right. Back dar Mrs. Babe Thaxton had a mighty pretty flower yard. She used to tell me dat if I let anybody git any flowers from her yard atter she was daid, sne would sho ha nt me. She had done been daid a good while when I was gittin some flowers from her yard and a gal come along and axed me to give her some. I started cuttin flowers for her. At dat Miss Babe, she riz up over me lak she was gwine to burn me up. She looked at me hard and went off and sot in a tree whar she could look right down on trie. I ain t never cut no flowers out of dat yai~d no more. Now bout Raw Head and Bloody Bones, Honey, don t you know dat ain t nothin but a cows head what s done been skint? Old folks ~sed to ax us: lias you seed Raw Head and Bloody Bones? Us would run over one nother tryin t o git dar fust to see him, and it allus turned out to be jus a old skint up cow head. Den in de nighttime us would have wild dreams bout dem old skint cow heads. De onliest song I ever heared de dggers sing in ~.e fields run sornepin lak dis: Tarrypin, Tarrypin, (terrapin) when you commt over, For to see your wife and fami-lee. Dey must a b~en wantin to eat turkie (turtle), when dey was a- singin dat song. ~O1d Mist ess was mighty special good. to her slaves 7~~:en dey was sick. Fust thing she done was send for de doctor. I kin

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1 12 see him now. He rld. horseback end carried his medicine In saddle-. bags. He used to put some kind of powders in.a glass of water and give it to de sick ones. Dere was three old omans v~aat Old Mist ess kept to look atter sick slave omans. Dem old granny nurses knowed a heap about yarba (herbs). May apple and blaoksnake roots, kizi~ of de meadow, (meadow rue) wild asthma (aster) and red shank, dese was biled and deir tea give to de slaves for diffunt ailments.~ Asked to describe king of tI~ meadow, she continued~ honey, ain t you never seed none? Well, its such a hard tough weed dat you have to use a axe to chop it up, and its so strong and pow ful dat nothin else kin c~row nigh round it. Back in dein days folks wore tare (tar) sacks round deir necks and. rubbed turpentine under deir noses. When deir ailments got too hot, lak when Marrzny died, dey made em swallow two or three draps of turpentine. $1 ricollects dat when de news come dat de~ yankees was on de way towards our plantation, Old Mist ess tuk her old pacin mule and all her money and triade Uncle Moses go down on de river wid her to help hid.e ein. I told her I was gwine tell dem yan-. kees she had done stole my uncle and hid him so he wouldn t hear bout freedom. And when dem yankees finally did git dar, dey was singin some sortof a song bout freedom. I lit out to runnin , and it was ~)&y atter midnight fore Old Mist ess found me. I was pretty nigh skeered to death. Dey called all de slaves together and told em dey was free as jack rabbits, and deed dat was de truth. Us stayed dar for

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s,1o . :1:13 years. It looked lak us warn t never gwine to leave. ~Grandma started out to wuk f~or herself as a granny oman and Old Mist ess give tier a mule to rid~e on to make her trips from one farm to another. It was a long time fore Niggers could git nough money together for to buy land of deir own, and it seems lak it was a long time fore schools for Niggers~was sot up. When me ~and Oscar Earns got married, us had a big weddin wid evvything good to eat what us could git, and plenty of wine to drink. De dancin and good time went on most all night. I had a reg lar weddin dress made out of pretty white swiss trimmed wid lots of lace and it had a long train. I wore long white gloves. Tucks went round my petticoat from de knees ~o de lace what ai~ged de bottom, and my draw s was white cambric, gathered at de knee wi~ a wide ruffle what was tucked and trinuned up pretty. I ni rried on Saddy night and dat called for a second day dress, cause I jus had to go to church next day and show dat man off. Anyhow, ~y second day dress wes blue cotton wid white lace on it, and I wore a big ~i ite plumed hat draped down over one eye. Wid de second day dress I wore dem same draw s, petticoat, and gloves what I was married in. Me and Oscar s five chillun was Mary, Annie Belle, Daniel, Cleveland, and Austin. *My old man and all my chillun is dald cept Daniel, and. I don t know whar he is. I wants to git married again, but dese hyar iealious Niggers round hyar says if I does de giver nient is gwine

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1i4~ to cut off my old age pension, and I sho don t want to loose dat money. No 3ir~ .1.1 didn t take in nothin bout Lincoln, Davis or dat man ~Vashington. Deia days chillun had to take. a back seat. When old folks wanted to talk, dey jus sent chillun on bout dey business. One thing I does know: I d sho ruther have times lak dey is now. Yessurn, I sho had. I jined Randolph baptist church in Greene county cause I felt de urge and knowed it had done got to be my duty to jine up. I se been a Baptist ever since, and will be one tu I die; so was all my folks fore me. Folks when dey une de church ought to live right so dey kin see de good Lord and have a restin place atter dey is done wid dis sinful world. Yessum, I jined dat Randolph Baptist Church way down in Greene County a long time ago. .. .

Ex-slave interview. 120 117

100209 . V~maBe11 District #2 Aii~ista, Ga. ~SI4VE ~ Unc~1e Shang Harris Toccoa, Georgia (Stephens Couiaty) Uncle Shan~ Harris, at the age of 9?, is more vigorous than many rien twenty years younger. Erect and stocky, holding Ii.i:s white woolly head high, he retains the full favor of living. ~Nhen the interviewer entered his cabin lie rose from the supper table wiping fror~i his mouth the crumbs of a hearty meal, and peered uncertainly through the gathering dark. Does I meraber bout slav ey times? HiS facer-relaxed into a broad smile, G-lory, hallelujah, I sho does I was born den and freed den. ~1hat you wanter know? I kin tell you all about it. He led the way to two chairs near the stove. ~ My raarster was Mr. Bob Alexander. ::e lived in Franklin County ses dis side o Carnesville. He treated rie good yes man~, he suc did. My raarster did~ t have no beatin o his niggers. I didn t do no work back in dem tines nuttin but play. Me and my sister belonged to de youngest boy (dey was seven boys in dat family) and. we jes climbed trees and frolicked all de tliiie. ~e had plenty in de eatin line too. But law chile, eve ybody didn t have dat. Some de raarsters tied de:r ni~ers to posts and whupped era till dey nigh killed ein. Lots o ~ era run away and ~i d in de wo ods De marste rs would put de dogs after you jes like a coon. Dey d run you and tree you initatin~ the sound of baying dogs ~ oh glory,

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. Page 2 Bell 118 hallelujah - dat s de way dey done em! I se seed bare teets all cracked up wid de cold. We don t have no cold weather now. 7Th~y, I se seed. big pine trees bust wide open - done froze, and de nig~ers would be out in dat kind o weather, But dey d. rutlier do dat dan stay and git beat to death. Many a night Jes bout dark, I d be a-~settin in my cabin wid. my oie lady (dat was after I got older) and see somebody prowlin roun in de bushes, and I d. know hit was soue po nigger was hidiri and didn t had nuttin to eat. My iriarster nuse to say, liarris, when you see soniebody hongry, gi ixa sunipin to eat . We didn t never turn ein. down even when dey look so bad dey was right scarey. (_ ::o a, I never was sold. Mr. Bob nuse to say, I. got hogs, ~orses, nules and cows to sell, but no niggers~ lie had bout twenty slaves. De biggest portion of em stayed on de farrii. Lots o folks did sell dey ni~gers, and soraetiiaes dey d take yo chile and go to Alabaraa or Virginia,. and you wouldn t never see hirn. no . Dey kept de dark ones together and de bright ones together. Hit didn t nake no diffunce bout families. Dey warn t no raarryiri xaongst de niggers way back in time. De raarsters wanted you to increase to give exa more niggers, but dey didn t had no marryin . I had three wives and I got my fourth one now. Dey all treated me good. Dat mixed-up C olor in niggers cone from slav ey t mies. Some de marsters beat de slave women to make era give up to eti.

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Page 3 B~i1 :119 Dey talks a heap bout de nig~ers stealin . Well, you. know what was de fust stealth done? E1 was in Afriky, when de white folks stole de nig~ers jes like you d go get a drove o horses and sell em. Dey d. brine a steamer down dere wid a red flag, cause dey knowed dein folks liked red, and when dey see it dey d follow it till dey got on de steamer. Den f! when it was all full o niggers dey d bring em. over ~iere and L sell en. L~To in I ne ver was hi red out t nob ody in ey t irae s. i).A.LLIITt I tole you we dithi t do no work? I never seed no money not a nickel. De most riioney I ever seed was when my boss buried some when de Yankees was. ~ We nuse to have frolics and break..dowi~s all de time quiltin s and finger-pickin s and dances and all sech as dat. Finger pickirk s was when. we d pick de cotton off de seeds by hands we d spread it down in front o de fire place cause it vias easier to pick when it was Kot. Does I nember de old songs? Hallelujah, I sho does The old darkey be~n to pat his foot a:id clap hIS liands w1~ile he san~., Pickin out de cotton an de boils all rotten t, re~ peating the same line over und over to a sine song melody as ircipossible of transcription ~.s a bird call. Suddenly Ms smiling face fell serious a~d tiLe Song StOpped. But since de Lawd. saved inc fron a life o sin, I don t think about dem things. I don t nieriiber eu rauch now. I been saved forty odd years.

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~ ~ Page 4 Bell ~as that a sinful song, Uncle SMng? Dat s le devil s song, dat is. A ~ dancin an a stompin dat-ja-way ~ Folks iuse to have f1~iit~ sometimes at de frolics but dey didn t do n killin ~ Hit ain t like dat now. Dey stob you now, but dey didn t do dat den. Somebody d always stop ein fore it go~ dat tur, Yes ra, we sung spirituals. We sung De good ole.time re-S lL2ion ai sech as dat. I oan t inern.ber all dein good songs ~iOW . His ntiddle.-aged wite, washing dishes over the wood stove, struck up, I am bound for de pr niise land, arid he joined in with a firm voi e. But neither remembered many songs distinctly. ~ We didi~ t had. no sc~iools. Dey wouldn t let de white ohille~n telL us about ~books. One day I axed about sumpin in a book, and one de ch~l1en say, Marrirna tole iae not. to learn you nuttin or 8he d whup nie , Asked a~3out holidays, Uncle Shang ~replied, ThAnksgiving we give thanks in de church on our knees. Warn t no slave ~ gal ery. ~te and~oolored all together and shouted together. christhas we frolic and eat cake. We had serenades, too, on ban4oes and old tin~ pans and whatever you wanted to raake a noise. Axi~~ a gallon o liquor .~ anything you wantVt with a loud laugh.

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Page 5 Bell ./ Yes marri I raembe rs when de w~ir broke out Eit was ort a \\ SuMey raorning, jes as clear and bricht ~s could be. And Gen I Lee prayed till it thundered ~es fore de sun ~riz he ~ was fixin. to go to a battle. 11e got down on his knees and he jarred de won . Yes, man, hit thundered and when de folks f heered It, dey all commenced runnin todes him wid de butts o dey guns, and stacked de guns round a sweet-apple t~ree. Uncle Sliang was not quite clear as to who had stacked the guns, but he was sure it had beei~ done. ~: I riiembers when de Yankees come too. De Yankees come in well, ha1lelujah~ - one Friday mornin bout sun~up. Mar~aa took a notion to go out in de syrup-cane patch and I was settin on de fence. I could hear dem cannons a-boorn.in and de sun was a risin so red jes like blood. Den I seed de Yankees a~comin wid dey blue coats on an all dem brass buttons 3es a-shinin . I holler, Mamma ~ look a-yo-o-orider~ One rn~n had a flag wid red on it - dot s for blood. One man come In a hurry and. say All corne to de house. Den he look at me a-settin ~n de fence, and he say, Hey, boy, you mighty fat . He talk and he talk and by. dat time de ~ yard was full o -Yankees Lemme ask you suxupin he say, ~)here s de horses? Vlid dat, he shot off a pistol - 3~M~ ~ My boss. had done took em off. I say, I don know nuttin bout em. AU dey got from our kouse was a big sack o flour. Dey ,

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Page 6 - Bell I~2 didn t burn nuttin o ourse Dey say, You all feelin so good, llavln a good time - we won t take nuttin. De calvary was here fore de Yankees was. Dey had on blue coats, too. Dey ~iake de boss hualcorri. all day a-Sunday to fed dey horses. ~ - Dey try to git de niggers to go back iTorth wid cia, and dey had a big crowd o colored goin , but I wouldn t go.~ A fust cousin to my Dad left cause dey beat him so. I think he done well in de ~orth. But I didn t want to E~o. After freedora was, some de rnarsters wouldn t tell you. Bu.t our raarster tole us. He said, You free as I is. If you want t o st ay wi d~ ni, all ri gut . If not yo u know wile re t o go. ~ - ~ ~ ~/ Mistis warn t like de boss, (mimicking a precise, slightly ~\ . acid voice), Shesay, I don t want to hear of no fightin now. t 11 git your a nus ~cut off i f yo u fi gilt . ~ j But de boss ke~ep her cooled down. ~1ie say, Arms cut off- ~ 1iu1~ You git yo sbroke oft if you don t ii~u~sh. ~ After freedou~, wedidn t work forno regular wages kn~ock about like clii 11e n round de house I t know how ~ I was den, but I warn t no chicken. After while I worked on de railroad, de f~xst ~one here, what used wood burners. I, : helped b~Ud ~1t. Dells great tall pin~es growin now ~ iere dat fi Il ~ was made . ~ ~ 1~i~t~ . tolks nu se to travel in wagons way back in time. ~ ~ ~ ~S7 tuk de OQt*~OII~ to New York d~ey ws~ ~ t to athens. in ~e F~ ~ ? ~ ~ ~ ~

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Page 7. ~ Bell 123 wagons wid oxen or and. den to Itew York on de train. De ladies rid. round~ town in carriages Rockaways deni low one~ ho s~ th~i ngs r top ~ a ig beaver hat - and good~ clothes and heavy gloves. White folks had lots o. dances arid eve ything went well. Pe ople we s ni glity ni ce I n di s country. One my young bosses was a doctor. Dey didn t dive dera - little pills you. have now, what cion t.do no good. De~r made tea ~ . out t devi I s shoe string and yerbs out de woods and. blue mass pills. Then babies come, dey~.hiad raid~wives. Dey didn t do nuttin ~tc~ eut de pains ~- -~ ~ ~ ~ dejn. ~ - . Yes, ~am,:i knows bout. cunjurs ~ plenty o cun~jurs. Deia ~ ~ I. otin; ur ~ foiks takes weeds and yerbs, andfixes -you. so you can t if ~: ) sleep and can t eat and bark like a dog. One nian told. a girl tj~t lie d fix her so green flies ud follow her all de tinie and deydid& ~ ~ One t ~xa gin me some stufe once. Yes, marn, like to killed~ ~ de old pap. I had done tound some iaoney in Alabaiaa and. another - ~ % wanted rie to gi it to him so he put sumpin i i fly coffee, t ~ \ When I t.asted dat coffee I started cussin (I was wicked den) - ~ I couldn t sleep couldn t rest. I~j nephew said, Sxaebody done J I huit ~y tather~-4n-1aw tuk it otC He made some tea out f o rattle-snake maeter, arrd I drunk dat ~nd swallowed a silver ~ tee. flat ttik 4e cunjur off. 8ome says itts good to take nine silver ~pieces axt~ boll em and drink &e water. ~ ~

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Pace 8 ~ Beil 124 . ~ ~ ni knows sunipiri bout ~hoses too but~ my foots ~ot temper in em and when I sees anythi~, I un, People say dey ain t ~ .~ii_~ se cli. thi:n~ but dey is. ~// ~ Dey wals a house - pe ople couldn t live dere but a fe flow (\~ said he could g dere, so Jie~went. ~st thing Lie aeed. a c~t ~ d ) n and hi in de i~ Den dey was a kickin up ~f : j~ de loft, and here cone a bi~ old dog a~spittin , ~nd tire aLl ~ -~ spran~hin out. lie rared .~nd ~rowled, Den in come a woman. lie ~ say, What hl you have, lady? ~he s~ty, Dey s ten thousand dolars . 7 buried right where I m a~strn~din . ~ j He stayed dere till he got it too. Ded.evil was tryin~ to \ ~ scare him ofr, but she wanted hi~ to have it. - People nuse to bury lots o money way back in time, and lots o folks is found it. ~ . ~ ~ - - ~ ttGood~luck and bad~luck signs you say? ?lehl lenirae see ~ \ ~ The old nian paused to reflect and~ scratch. his head. ~ell; de ~ ~ bes luck sign is to git in wid de ~wd. Keep wid Him, 1e ll /t1~ ~ keep you~ sweet in yo soul. Gad s goin to come down~de mid-a:Lr. ~ I i seen dat onetime. ~Tesus come to trie you never seen de lik~ of ~: . ~ it - de chariots : oh, 1ory~ ~ and de purtiest singin you ev~r ~ .: heered. ~- h - g~1ory, hal1e1ujah~ D~t was Jest last year. -~ ni h:ad a good life. I~been enjoyin myself. I enjoys myself now, bu~t I so old now I Jes staggers over de place. Can t do no pork bu~t olLop wood once in a while. I enjoys myself in prayer. c:T~ When ~e reliet tolks fus conte here, dey wouldn t give ~ ~e nuttin~ b~t i been yi ~.nd glory to 3~esus I been litt ~ ~ : ~ J ; ~# ~ ~ . (_)

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Page 9 ~ Bell little su~tripjflt evez since dat tii~ie. De way things is goin now, it s better dan in slav ey tiiaes, cause dey ain t n knockin and beatint. Things is gone too fur for dat now. It eve ybody would be o one mind and serve de Law~, dey wouldn t be no troubles. I don t know whether Pli get tk ough di.s winter or not. Elt was ni~1it3r cold last year, and dey warn t niuch fuel. But I thanks de Lawd for all Ee s done for rae, and. I se ready to nieet ::im whe -~ he e orne s ~

Plantation life as viewed by ex-slave Tom Hawkins. 129 126

I ~ ~L ~S~J PI~NTkTION LI~E~ as Ti.ewed by Ex-Slave TOM HAWKINS 163 Bremen Street Athens, Georgia. Written by: Sadie ~i3. Athens Hornaby Edited by: Sarah H. Hall Athens - Iaila Harris Augusta, Ga. I ~xn;9o

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100090 -~ t TOM H~&WK~INS . ~ ~ Tom was nowhere to be seen when the interviewer mounted the stejjs of his cabin. Daisy, his wife, was ironftig ort the back porch and when she learned the object of the proposed interview, she readily agreed to induce Tom to talk. She approached a base-~ ment door and called: Tom,~ herets one of dem givertment ladies what s cone to.~hear you talk bout slr~rery days. Torn replied: All right, Miss Daisy, I se a-commt ~ The old mani soon appeared feeling his way with his cane carefully before each hesitant step. Tom is blind. J~stab1ished comfortably in his favorite chair, he talked freely. n ~ was borned oa Marse Johnny Poore s plantat ion bout four miles ffi~j 3elton, South Callina. ~rse Johnny owned my ~ Mornin Poore, and all three of her chillun. Dey was me and Johnny, E~fld Mollie. My Pa was Tom Hawkins and he was named for his owner. De Hawkins plantation was bout a mile f um de Poore place. tttter Ma marricd Pap, dey each one had to stay on wid deir own ~rster. Dey couldn t stay on de same ~plantation together. I don t member much bout Gra&ma Jennie Poore cept dat she was de cook at de big house. Gran pa Wade Poore was de blacksmith and Marss Johnny got a big price when he sold him to Dr. Chandler. Some of de slaves made demselfs corded beds and others jus had makeshifts. ~ beds and cabins wa~ good nough for de Niggers den, cause dey never had knowed no better. Gangs of slaves slept together lak hogs in dem dirt~ floored log cabins.

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Page 2. 128 ~Cb.i11uns what was big nough to do anything had to wuk. I wa~ a rnoughty little cha~p when dey started me in as houseboy. I 51O1?~t 0X1. a trun le (trundle) bed in Miss Annie s room. In de dayiirne fl ~ little trun le bed was rolled back out of sight under Miss Annie s big old four poster teester bed. I kep a fire burnin in her room winter and summer. Night times she would call me. Tomt Toxn~ Some times I wa~ so souri asleep I didn t answer. Den pop, she would hit me on de head wid her long stick. Den I knowed hit was time to fire up her pipe . She ~noked dat pipe a POWt fui 1~t atter Marse Johnny . ~ Grown slaves made a little money, but I never got none tu atter de war. I didn t have no cause to want no money. Miss Annie, she give me evvything I needed. ttOh, but us had plenty of good things to eat on de Poore plantation ~ meat and bread wid lots of turnips and tatoes. Bout once a month dey give us laiiyhoe. Dey calls dat lasses now. Us.. et our breakfast and dinner out of wooden bowls. Under a long shed built next to de kitchen was a long trough. t~t night dey crumoled cornbread in it, and poured it full of buttermilk. Grown folks and chilluns all gathered rouri dat old trough arid et out of it wid deir wooden spoons. No Ma am, dere warn t no fightin roun dat trough. i~)ey all knowed better n dat. Us got possums and rabbits de best ways us could cotch tern in traps, hit em wid rocks, and trailed em wid dogs. Us lakked tPO5$~fl5 baked wid tatoes, but most of de rabbits was stewed wid dumplin s. All our cookin was done on big open fireplaces. Dey didn t fry nothin dem days; leastwise dey never give de slaves no fried victuals. Grown folks seined for fish in Big Crick and Saluda

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. Page 3. 129 River at night, cause dey couldn t g t away f um field wuk in de . day. Chillun cotch a heap of fish wid hook and line De river and crick bose run thoo Miss Annie s plantation so us didn t ~ have to ax for a ~pass evvy time us went a fishin . Us allus had to have a pass if us left de Diantation for anything or de pattero11e~ra was a.pt to git you and look out den, for you was shot to git a 1arru~in if dey cotch you off f um home widout rio pass. UDere warn t but one gyarden on de Poore plantation, and it was big enough to feed all de white folks and slaves too. T*o whole acres of dat gyarden was sowed down in turnips. Chilluns didn t wear but one piece of clothes in su~er; dat was~ a shirt. In wint9r dey doubled up on us wid two shirte. I members how dent shirt tails used to pap in de wind when us runned fast. Us chillun used to tie up de ~0~ what us stole f um BLiss ~.nnie, in de under.arin part of de long loose sleeves of our shirts. Us didn t git no shoes for our foots., winter or summer, tu ~ was ten years old. I~rse J~ohnny Poore, he was kilt in de war and den Old lList ess, she was our lisa Annie, looked atter de plantation tu her only child, young Miss Ann, married liarse Torn I~an. Den he helped Miss Ann tend to her business. Dey was noughty good to us. Miss Annie done her own overseein . She rid over dat :~lantation on~t or twict a day on her hose. Our white folks lived in a big old two story house what sot off f uin de road up ou a high hill in a big oak grove. Miss Anniets own roo~i was a shed room on dat house. De upstairs ro~ was kept f~or co1n2 ny. Unkle Wade Norris Poore was Miss Annie s cmr iage driver. 1~ car iage was called a surrey den.

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Page 4. 130 Dar was bout four or five hunderd acres in our plantat jon Mi 88 AUfl 16 ke p t bou t a hunderd s lave s She was aU. time sellin em for big prices atter ~he done trained em for to ~e cooks houseboys carr iage driver8 and good wash omana. She wukked 75 slaves in her fields. Her &iggers was waked by four o olock and had to bs in de field by sunup. Dey cc~ne in bout dark. Atter supper, de mens made up shoes, horse collars, and anything e Ise Iak dat what was needed ; de ~ans sj~un thread and wove cloth. liss Annie was her awn whuppi& boss. She beat on tem for most anything. She had a barrel wid a pole run thoo~ it, and she would have a slaTe stretched out on dat barrel wid his clothes off and his hands and footB tied to de k~ole. ~ MISS Annie would fire up her pi~pe and set down and whup a Nigger for a hour at a time. ILiss Annie would pull my ears and hair when I didn t do to suit her, but she never whupped me. Miss Annie didn t need no jail for her slaves. She could w~ nage em widout nothin lak dat, and I never did hear of no jails in de country trount w~r us lived. ~ ~ am, I seed Old Miss sell de slaves what she trained. She ir~ade e~ s tand up on a block ehe kep t in de back yard while t she was a auctionin em off. I seed plenty of traders go by our place in wagons what dey had deir somepin t ea t and beddin in, and deir slaves was walkin ~10~ behind de vagon, gwine on to be sold, Du t de re warnt t none o f em in chains. ~Dere warn t no schools whar slaves could git book lamm in dem days. ~y wamn t even lowed to lam to read and write. Then

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Page 5.. 131 Dr. Cannon found out dat his carriage driver had larried to read arid write whilst he wa~ takin de doctor s ohillun to~,nd f um school, he had dat Niggers thumbs cut off and put anothez boy to doint de driwint in his place. ~ ~Washin ton Church was de name of de me ti.n hous.e whar us Niggers on de Poore plantation went to church wid our white folks. Couldn t none of us read no Bible and dere warn t none of de Niggers on our plantation ever converted and so us never had no oaptizin s. De preacher preached to de white folks fust and den when he preached. to de Niggers all he ever said was: It s a sin to steal; don t steal Marster s and Mist ~ e ss~ chickens and hogs; and sech lak . How could anybody be converted on dat kind of preachin ? And tsides it never helped none to listen to dat sort of preachirit cause de stealin kept g~jnt right an evvy night. I never did see no fun ralB in dem days. *Niggers didn t run to no North. Dey run to de South, t cause dem whi te folks up North was so mean to em. One Nigger, nat~Ed Willis earle, rim off to de woods and made hisseif a den in a cave. He lived hid out in dat cave bout 15 years. Old Miss give dein dat wanted one a cotton patch and she didn t make her slaves wuk in her fields atter de dinner beil rung on Saddays. De mens wukked in dem patches of deir own rn Sadday evenin whilst de omans washed de clothes and cleaned up de cabins for de next week. Sadday nights dey all got together and frolicked; pic~d de banjo, and drunk whiskey. Didn t none of ein git dnink, cause ~y

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Page 6. 132 was used to it. Dar was barrels of it whardey stilled it on de 2iaoe. on Sundays us went PUm cabin to oaMn holdin prayer meetints. MISS Annie tpointed diff unt ones to look atter de stock evvy Sunday. Big times was had by all at Chris ~as time. ~ eats warn t no difftunt capt dey give us sweet bread and plenty of lal .~ hoe (molasses) what was madeon de plantation. Us had two weeks vacatiori from field wuk and dey let us go rabb~it and possum himtin Us had a gran time clear up to New Yaar s Day. Oh, us did have one inore big time at dein cornshuckin s. Dc corn was hauled to de crib and de folks was vited in de attex noon fore de aornshuckin started dat night. When de mens g~t ta shuckin dat corn, de omans started cookin and dey got thoo bout de same tinie. Den us et, and dat was de best part of de corn2huckin fun. Cotton~ pickints was held on moonshiny nights. 1)ey ~picked cotton tu midnight, and den dey had a little shakin of de footses tu day. Mens had good times at de quiltin ~ too. Deir white folkses allus give em a little soinepin extra t eat at dem special times. But de omans what was cooks at de big house tied sacks ~ roun ~,deir waisties under dei.r skirts, and all thoo de day dey would drap a I I t t le o f d is and s ome o f da t j n de sack s The n dey p oure d I t ou t at night, dere was plenty of good somepin.t t eat. De mens kept de fire goin and if dey got hold of a tallow candle dey lit dat to help de omans see how to quilt. Most of de quiltin s was at night and n~rly all of em vas in winter time. t1De be s t game us had was marbles and us playe d wid home made clay marbles most of de time. No witches or ghosties never bothered us, cause. US kept a horseshoe over our cabin door.

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Page 7. 133 *MIBS Annie doctored u~. In~ suminer, she ruade us pull up certain roots and dry special leafs for to make her teas out of. Horelioun , boneset, and yellow root was de main things 811e used. She made a sort of sody out of de white ashes f um de top of a h1~ktry fire and mixed it wid vinegar for headaches. De black ashes, left on de bottom of de hiek ry fire, was leached for lye, what was bi .ed wid grease to make our soap. It1 never will forgit de day dey told us de war was over and us was free. On~ of de toinans what was d~n by de 3pring a washin clothes staa ted shoutin : ~ God~-a Moughty I se free at lastL ~.rse Tom heared her and he come and knocked her down. It was bout October or November fore he ever told US dat us was free aho nough. Dat saine oman fainted dead away den cause 8he wanted to holler so bad and was skeered to make a souri De yankees come thoo soon atter dat and said us was free and vited all de Niggera dat wanted to, to go long wid dem. I never will forgit how bad dem yankees treated Old Miss. Dey stole all her good hosses, and her chickens and dey broke in de smokehouse and tuk her meat. Dey went in de big house and tuic her nice quilts and blankets. She stood all of dat wid a straight face but when dey fou& her gold, she just broke down and cried and cried. I stayed on and was Miss Annie s houseboy long as she lasted. I was 21 when she died. Dem night riders done plenty of whuppin on our plantation. Hit was a long time fore Niggers could git nough money to buy lan wid and it was a good 20 years fore no school was sot up for Niggers in our settlement.

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.. . Page 8. :134 I~I thinks Mr. ~efferson Davis and Mr. Linc~o1n was bofe of em dom deii best to be all right. Booker Washin ton, he was all right too, but he sho was a ~maybe man. ~ rnought do right and de n he n~oughtn . Ye s I~ am, j f Old Miss was livin I d ruther have slavery days back, cause den you knowed you was gwine to have plenty t eat and wear, and a good place to sleep even if Mistress did make you wuk i~rnughty hard. Now you can wuk your daylights plum out and never can be sho bout gittin nothin . De fust time I married me and Adtilne Rogers stood up by de 2ide of de big road whilst de pre~.cher said his marryin words over us, and den us went on down de road. Me and Adtline had six chilluna Mary, icy, Annie, Bessie, J~ohn and Henri Thomas. Atter n~ Ad line died, I married Daisy Canton. I didn t have no weddin needer time. Me and Daisy just got a hose and buggy and driv up to de h ou s.e whar de J~Us t I ce o f de Ps ace I ive d and he j irie u s ~ in matterinony. Den us got back in de buggy and went back down de big road. ~ Torn began telling why he joined the church, when Daisy interrupted. KNow Tom, she said, *you just tell dis white lady what you told me bout how come you jined de church. Now, Miss Daisy, pleaded Tom, I don t want to do dat~ Daisy snapped: ~I don t keer what you don t want to, you is gwine to tell de trufe ~ Torn Hawkins. At that, Tom giggled and began: Well, Miss, hit was lak dis: I went to church one night a feelin moughty good. I went up and kneeled at de altar whar dey was prayin for COflvert8, and

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Page 9. 135 a good i:bokin yaller gal was kneelin right in front of me. I accident ly tetehed her on de laig. I sho didn t mean to do it. In dat c~ited crowd most anything was a~t to happen. Dat gal, she kicked me in de eye, and bruised up my lace. My nose and eyes started drippin and I hollered out real loud: tO~j~ LOI~d have mus sy% 1~en I staged a faint. ~ brGther s of de church tuk me outsid~. Dey was sho I had got ligion. B~y dat time I was S shamed of myself, I went baek inside de rneetin house and jined de church, cause I didn t want nobody to know what had done happened. . I cided den and dar to change my way of livin Next time I seed dat yaller gal I axed her why she kicked rae in de face and she saidz Next tiiie you do what you done den, I ae gwine to kill you, Nigger. Yes Ma am, I thinks evvybody ought to be ligious. . . . .

Bill Heard. Ex-slave - age 73. 139 136

p24, 3~rt :~X-SLAvJ~ INT~RVIJ~W BILL E~LRD 4(75 Reese Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Misa Grace MoCune Athens - 13G I~dited~ by: an~ Mrs. Sarah H. al1 Athens - Jo~in N. Booth District Supervisor Feteral Writers Proj. Resid~encies 6 & 7 Augusta, Georgia. Sept. 12, 1938

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BILL H1~ARD ~$L~L~V~ ~ Bill Heard a blacksmith shop, a sagging tram, struo ture in the forks of 0e onee Street and Lexington Highway, is conveniently located for both looal and~ trayeling clientele. An old. vo ice singing ~ kow ~ Sweet Chariot iii a. low tone but with a tervor known only to Negroes led the vi$itor through the shop, where there was no sight ot the singer. Bill was eventually discovered seated on a oushion-covered nail keg beneath a large water-oak at the rear of the building. L large hymn book was placed across his knee s and the old Negro was happi ly s inging away all by himself. His gray hair was partly covered. by an old black cap, and his taded blue work shirt and pants showed evideno of long wear. ~.. .. As the song ended Bill discovered that he was not alone. Oft came his cap, and he sorambled~ to his teet with a siaileA Good evenin , Missy, how le you? Won t you have a seat and rest? Dese nail kegs makes a mighty good place to set when you is tired out, and it s powertul nice and cool under dis old tree. After his guest was comfortably seated on another cushioned keg, the aged smith resumed his perch. I didn t hear you come into my shop, and I think 13?

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i~2. ~d~t s ~ ~e~tuet ~timGL~~y; ~ ~ ~ j~ ~ ~m ~ atint ~ ~ I Used ~ x~eTe? ha~I no ~ e~tance b ~re~t up ~or :p~a~ttcG:~my ~gth . TiifleS has &~ianged in ats ot;ways: ~ 4~i~ . good oid~4aye. Sonie folks ia~&~ns wken tus :~ ~aS t~ ~g od~Gid 4ays, ~ . ~ey ~Waflt3 to know how oom~ ~*is thinks 4ey~was good old .4ays, when us ha~ su~o1~ liard ~ik ~ ~doden. ~ ourse,toikahad ~to Lik hard anddidii t ~ ~uk i~1d lak dey ~otflow, but I ~til1ea~1is ~em.~egoDd old. 4ays ~ ~oaus~i ~iks was ~ett~r~t 4an; ~4ey. ~ ~and was.~aUus r~ad~T to lend. a~ .~e1~n .. hand, :*apa~iaUyin tiaes. ot troubi~. ~ I ~don t.~kmoi not~in ~bOUt ~aia~ery. :ti~ws !~cept*hat ~y ~:M~rny~~and. ~a~dy ta1&~e . .~ia4d~ .. ~e~~a1v~ed. ~to ~a~se I~ora ~H~ai~ :i ~ th~wn i~. ~1~be~rt ~ty :~ ~. out 2O~m~ea ~exa Bucker ~p1aoe nigh .~Ruok~rsv .. ille. ~ ~4dy ~a~d. .. Maree: ~o~,i~ad about a ~~hunnerd and. :twenty,jtve a~a~ea on. ~Ls place . ias m~ighty iitti~ when ~ar~ :TQmgot :~m~ .~ ~ bq~t noue or~ad.d.y e o~ei~ ~ino~U~s, SQ 1~W~S ~ . ~ ~d. tor4e little boy .. aliby ~i~s~1f, ~ a . aflse ~de, ~ ou4e p1~x~tation ~as ~wtu1 .. a~an to ~4r . ~ ~De~j. ~ ~ aieep irLOir ar~r~, ~ up~t.4o big ~ou~e, and place to ~eep w~m. ~ 4~t~r.~he got ~i~~iiou~h to ~uk, 4ay tsteated him. etter.

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. 3.~ 139 ~vvybody oooked on fireplaces dein day8, oaU8O dore warn t no sto -bought 8toves. Marso Tom teil all his 8laVeS at de big house; he kept eiii so regular at wuk dere warn t no time for ein to do deir own Slaves lived in one-room log cabins dat hail rock ohimblies, and each cabin had one littlewindow wid a wooden shutter dey fastened at night anil in bad weather. Deir beds was made out of pine poles rastened to de sides ot dem old beds teesters, tcause de posties was so high. Ropes or cords was criss orossed to hold ein together and to take de place of springs. Nobody hadn t ever saw no iron springs on beds dein days. Dein big old ticks was generally filled wid wheat straw, but sometimes slaves was lowed to pick up waste cotton and wash, dry, and card it to stuff deir bed-ticks wid. But Missy, dat was jus too i~uoh trouble when a good. old straw tick slept so fine. Cheers was xaade out of oak splits, and cane and rye plaits was used for de cheerbo ttoms Dem old cheers so t mighty good and lasted a lifetime. Folks sho nougji did live at home den; dey raised all sorts of vegetable8 sich as corn, taters, wheat, rye, and oats, and what s sore, dey raised de cotton and wool to make de cloth for deir clothes. Cows, hogs, goats, sheep, chickens gee 8e and turkeys was runni all over dem pastures, and dere warn t no lack of good victuals and home-made clothes.

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When hog8 and oows was kilt to put meat in de amikehouse deir hides was tanned for leather to be used for harness and shoes, and a heap of times a pieoe of hide was used for a cheer-seat. Daddy said, dey had a powerful hard t line gittin things lak soda, salt, sugar, and coftee dunn de war times. He said dat soriietinies corn and okra seod.s was parched right brown and ground up to be used for coffee, but I t t nigh as good as sho nough coffee When de salt had to be used if folks and critters was to keep wall. Dey dug up de dIrt under old sxaokehouses and biled it to git out de salt. Nobody didn t waste none of dat salt. NO Surree~ It was too hard to git. When it got so dey couldn t buy no soda, dey saved nice clean corncobs and burned dem into a fine powder what dey used for soda. Was it fit for breadmakin ? Why, Missy, dein biscuits made out of corncob soda and baked in dem old dutch ovens was fit for anybody to eat and enjoy. De onliest trouble bout lt was gittin em to bake enough of it. Slaves clothes was all made at home. Gals spun de thread and old omens wove de ~cloth on hozzie-inade looms; my Mainray was one of dein weavin olnans. Clothes for summer was jus thin cotton, but cotton and wool was mixed ror cold weather, and. don t think dem wool and cotton clothes didn t 4. F10

144 141

5. 141 keep out de cold; dey sho did.. Dur clothes w&S~e&.~vid barks from trees, ink~ ba11s, walnut hulls, and red bud.. Most evby plantation had its own shoemaker man dat tanned all de leather and made up all de sho~~ Leather for slaves shoes warn t allus tanned and shoes made out of untanned leather looked lak dey had done been dyed red. ~ Dey had. special mens on de plantation for all de special wuk. One carpenter man done all de fixin ot things lak wagons and plows, holped. wid all de buildin wuk, and made all de coffins. ~ No, Missy, dere warn t no undertakers back in dem days, and roiks had to pervide evvything at home. Corpses was measured and coffins made to fit de bodies. Al . de neighbors, fur and nigh, gathered. round to set up wid de faznbly. Funerals warn t so common den as now cause folks didn t die out so fast dexa~days. Dey tuk better keer of deyseifs, et right, wuked. hard, and went to bed at night stid. of folks runs round now; deir mainrnies and daddies never knows whar dey is. ~ks don t teach chiflun right, and. dey don t make dem go to church lak dey should oughta. Folks didn t even git married back in den days lak dey does now, leastwise slaves didn t. It a slave wanted to marry up wid a gal he knocked on his Marster s door and

145 142

6. 142 to 4 him bout ~ta If his Marster laked de ~idea he told him to go on and take de gal and. totreat her right; dat was all dere was to slaves gittin married. My Daddy said slaves went to do white roiks church tu dey got some churches ror colored folks, Church days was big days wid folks den oause dey didn t have meetin evvy Sunday. Slave ornans had percale or calico dresses, brogan shoes, and big home- mnade boflnets wid slats in de brims for un-- wear and if lt was cold dey wropt up in shawls. ~ Mentolks wore cotton shirts and pants. Dey had grand preachin dein days and folks got honest-to~ goodness ligion. Folks wuked mighty hard dom day s specially dunn plantin and harvest time, til atter de corn was gathered and fotched out ot de fields in dein old twowheel carts dat was used to haul up all de craps. When de corn~ shuckin s started evv~har dey tuk tlnie about at de diffunt plantations. De tust thln~ dey done atter dey got together was to leot a general; he led de in and de taster he sung de faster de shucks new. Plenty of corn liquor was passed round and you know dat stuff is sho to make a Nigger hustle. ~vvy time a red earof corn was found dat meant a extra drink of liquor. for de Nigger dat found it. Atter de last ear of corn was shucked a big supper was served and day danced and sung de rest of de night.

146 143

7. S 143 When d~oy needed some new grotmc~ cleared up, ~ey had a logroflin . ~vvybody tried to out ink de others,, and if do job hadn t been f1nishe~ tore night, dey kept right on at it by moonlight. One man waked so hard tryin to beat de others dat when he went to de spring tor some water, he tuk one drink, raised his hald quick lak, and. d1e~ right dar. ife was plumb daid when dey picked him upl Dey give us our treedom in April and I~ddy lett old Marster in May. Be xaoved here n1gh~ de old Pittrier place wha~ I was borned.. Daddy rarmed for a-while and wuked at blackaxaithin for de white folks too,ii cauae dat was de wuk he had been dom for his Old. Marstex . ~ De tust ricofleotlons I ve got is bout do days on dat old. place. I ain t never gwine to forgi t bout de~ old ootto~pi kin s ~ dey had. when I was a youngster. Dey said dey was jus lak dem cottonpiokin s dey had fore de war. Dey would git up big crowds sud pick cotton by de light of de harvest soon, and dat s most as bright as daylight. 3vvybody holped and, fast as dey picked all de cotton on one farm and et a big supper, ~e4~&ft~T~ -~tG te eet be~ ~a~- e~ -aia a~& e~ -e-*4~ev~ppe?,~ dey hustled on to de next place whar plenty of ootton, white in de fields and liquor, and good barbecue, and sich lak kept em happy and. hustlin most all night. When dey had done done all de cottonpiokin dey could for one night dey stopped for danoin and all. a~rts of froliokin . Plenty of liquor in dem little brown jugs holped to make things mo8t too lively sometimes. De few tights dey had when. dey was drinkin heavy didn t n3ount to much.

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Chullun loved~ hogkillin times. Five or six mens would jine up and. go t~rom plaos to place in de community ~har dore was lots of hogs to be kilt. When dem hogs was all butchered de folks would git together and sich a supper as dey would have! De mostest fr ~ iaeat sich as ehit lin s, haslets, p~,f toots and. sausage wid, good old collard greens t bread, and hot coffee. I m~a-te1lin you, Lady, dat was good ~f satin , and atter you had d~ne been WUkin in de hogkillint dem cold days you was ready ~ for vie tuais dat would stay by you. ~ De fust place I ever went to school was ~n a S~ :Littl~ house on de old Bert Benyard. place nigh Wintervifle, - Georgy, and let nie tell you,~ Missy, schoolin warn t nothin ~. Lak what it is now. Dola what lived nigh went home to dinner, ~ ut ohillun dat lived a fur ~piece oft fotch deir dinner to ~ school in a till bucket. Us ~~was still livin dar when Mr. John MaCun. moved from Thitflield County to dat old Pittner J place. My Daddy wukad for h~:L~ and I played round wid his boys. ~ KDadAIY moved ci~oaer to town and opened up a . blacksmith shop on Broad Str~~et at what was called Wood s corner den. I holped him in~ de shop and went to school some. ?olks had to wuk so hard to ~1ake enough ~ to keep alive dat dey d~idn ~t git to go to sohool m~toh. Athena was a heap difrunt den to what it iS now; it wa~ mostly woods, and de roads was a~vtul. Dere warn t no paved~streeta, no street-lights, and no ~troetcars den. I members 4em tust street lights. Lawsy, t Mie sy, folks was sho proud o~ dem lights and when dey got dem 8. 144

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9. 145 little streetcars what wa~ pulied~ by little mule$, Athena folka felt lak dey 1ived~ in a real city. Dey bad a big old town hail whar dey had all sorts of showa and big taininents. Times has changed, folks has changed, and nothin ain t lak it used to be. When I was little it warn~t no sight a t all to see traders wid big droves of hogs, horses, cows, sheep, and goats, bringin ein to town to sell or trade for somepin dey needed. Daddy said dat dunn slavery time dey drove slaves long de road. de same way and sold em jus lak dey sold deir cattle. wit was mostly woods and tieNs round here when :i opened dis little shop bout 40 years ago. Johnson s store las sot up whar de Carithor s Wagon Yard used to be, and soon paved streets was laid, and den thun stations other stores, and de lak sprung up in a hurry long here Soon dere t be no need of a blacksmith shop here, but I wants to stay on at wuk: in my shop jus as long as I kin, here in dis world of trouble whar I has had good t imes and hard t imea lak de others. No other place wouldn t seem right. Me and my wife runned away and go t married widout no big weddin and atter us has done wuked together dese long years, us hopes to go to de heavenly home tolether. Our oldest gal is all us has left of our five chuIwi; she lives off somewhar in Washington, and. us don t never ksar from her no more. Us still has de boy us dopted long years ago; hua and his wife lives wid us and dey keeps us from bein too lonesome.

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I has made a good livin right here in dis old shop, wuked hard, and saved my money, and now us is got a right nice little home out on Reese Street. De Good Lord has been wid us in all our troubles as well as in our good times, and I knows He is gwine to stay wid us de rest of de time and den He will take us home to Glory. I se mighty glad you hunted me up, tor I members damn old days, playin wid your Daddy, down on de Pittner place. Atter us had. all moved to Athens, he was still my friend. Come back to see me again, and just trust in de Good Lord; He will take keer of you. As the visitor went down the street Bill s quavering voice was heard again. i~e was singin ~rd I $e Comin Home. 10. 1~4G

A story of slavery. Emmaline Heard. 150 147

Z~13 1-:: ~~$ : 1.00169 .. .. ~ ~.: ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~i~T 147 42::.~L~ ~ ~-- . A STORY OF SLAVERY 1LS TOLD BY ~MMALI1 E HEARD - EI-SLAVE .__ ~ .~-s~-*~- ~u A paper submitted. by Minnie B. Roa~i Revision ot original eopy and: typing by J.C.Raaaell 1-26 37

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: ~ I 4 ~1/2~/37 story ofelavery by ex-slave . 1. 148 :~ims1iue Keard. . M.B.Ross Ex Slave Emrnaline Keerd. is a small dark brown skinned. woman who appears to be about 67 bOEt 1~ probably older. Her mith Seems to be active, however as she resp onds qu.iok~Ly to qaes tione and. expre sses herself ~ intelligently. Henry Coanty n ear MeDonough, Ga. is Einmal ~ bi rthp lace. Jadging from her earliest childhood memories and whatahe learned. from her rnot}aer, her birth m~ist have oocuzred. four or five years before freedom. Her parents, Lewis axe. Caroline Harper had. eleven ehild.ren, of whom she was the second youngest. Mr. Roger and Mrs. Franoe~ Harper were the o~ers of tk~ Heard. family. The larg~~p~~tation was located. near keDonough, boHering the MeDonough highway. The Harper home a large 2-story frame dwelling, faced the highway. The family consisted. of twin boys and two girls in add.i ti on to the father an d. mot~ r . They als o owned. a large nwnber of slaves who oc oupi ed. two rows of cabins, built close together, at some distance behind. the 0big hou~se.~ In those days before the War, slaves were moved. frou~ place to place and~ from State to State in d.roves, known as speculators &ro yes and sold. at public auction Emu~line Heard. s father was born in Virginia, but was brought to Georgia and. sold. to the Rarpers a~ a plow boy, at the age of eleven. The slave s cabins were constructed. of rough hewn logs, with the cracksd.aubed with mud. and, as F.mmalinereealled. it, were very warm; warmer, in fact, than many of their houses are today. The furniture consisted of a corded. bed, wood.en tables and benches. Thj~ corded. bed. waa constructed. by running rope or cord. from tk~ head. to the foot &~Id then from ai 1e to side. A WOOdSfl peg was

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jor~-1/25/37 Story o~ slavery by ex-slave . 2. 149 driven into the holes to hold. the ocrd in place. Pegs were a hou.sehold. necessity and, had to be oared for just as a key la tod~ay. Most homes also included a q~ai1t slab, a $Ort ot table a~ed~ to place q~iii1ts oil, as a necessary part of the f rnlture. ~ Ei~ery w oman hal a certain amou~nt of weaving and. spinning to do at home after coming in froa the fields. Eanaline says her mother had to card bats at night so that the two older sis ters could begin spinning the next morning. A loom was almost as large as a small kitchen an~1 was operated. by hands and. feet. Unti I midnight the spinning wb~eels f3~ aid be hea~ humming in tk~ slave cabins. At the hour of twelve, however, a bell was rung, whic*i was the signal for the slaves to cease their spik-. ning and go to bed.. ~ . Dye for coloring the cloth was provided by collecting sweet gum,dogwood~ bark, and red. clay. Mixing these together produ.oed different colors of dye. Sweet gwn and clay prodOEced a purple; dogwood, a blae. Two dresses a year were allowed the women, while two cotton shii ts and. two pair of cotton pants were given the ian. Everyone received one pair of shoes. Emmaline s father was a shoemaker by trade and made shoes for both slaves and the B~rper family. The slaves shoes were called Tnigge~ shoes,~ and made from rough horse and ~iile hide. The white folks shoes were ina3~e from soft calf leather. Mr. Harper had a tanning vat on his plantation especially for the purpose of tanning bides for their shoes. Einmaline said these tanning vats reminded her of bapt i smal ho les . The wa ter was very deep a nd once her si ster almost drowned in one. Barks of variou~e kinds were placed in

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j cr 1/2 / 37 Story of slavery by an ex-slave 3. the water In ~ these vats to pro uoe an acid. whioh would. remote the baIi~ from the hides. Layers of goat, oalf, and. horse hides were placed in the vats and,a ter a certain length of tin~ l s moved and. dried. Meals on week days consisted prinoipally of syrap and bread and they were glad, Eminaline stated, to see Saturday come, beoa~ise they knew they would have bis~iit made frozn ~seoonds on Sunday. Butter seems to have been a delicaoy btit little known. TYThe only butter I remember eatixg before we were freed, ~ Ernnia line declared, was that which my little mistress Fannie woild slip to me. This led her mother to say, ~ Iiss Fanni is a crazy abou.t Ein I am going to give Em to her for a oook.~ Besides working as a plow hand, Enaaline s mother assisted Au.nt Celia Travis in preparing the n~als Lor the Earper family. Four or five pots7~o%~taining a different kind, of food hang over the fire along the long fireplace. Just before dinner, the mis tress would come in to inspect the cooking. If the food in any of the pots was not cooked to her satisfaction, she woald someti~s lose her temper, remove her slipper and strike the cook. Slaves on the Harper pi ~tt ation aro~ e when the horn. waa souz4ed at fotir o clock and hurried to the fields, although tksy woiild sometimes have to wait for daylight to dawn to see how to work. The overseer rode over the plantation watching the slaves at wo~ k and keeping account of the amount at w k perfornsd. by each . Any who fai led to complete the ii quota at the close of t~ day were panished. On the Harper #l~itation, a brash arbor was used for ths

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jor- l/25/ 37 slave s church. The trees and. underbrush were olesred. away to provid.e a suffiol eut space to accommodate the slaves and. the trees evened off at a good height and. the brush and. limbs piled on top to form a root. In rainy weather, o~ coarse, ohu.roh services could. not be held.. Sometimes the slaves would. slip behind. the trees besid.e the white folks church arid. listen to the singing and preaching. They would. then go back to their brush arbor church and preach the same gospel and sing the same $ongs they had. heard. in the white people s church. Frolics were often given on the E~rper plantation. They u~aally consisted of dancing and. banjo playing. Slaves f rOEn other plantations sometiRes attenled., but it was neoessaiy to secure a pass from their7~~t~atress in ord r to do so. A prize was given to the person who could buck hence the stead.jest with a tumbler of water balanced. on the bead.. A cake or a cjailt wag often given a~ the prize. A marriage ceremony was performed. after both o~ers had gi yen t he ix C Ofl se ut when bride and gro om dt d not bel on g to the same master. Often neither owner would. sell t~ir slave to the other, in which case it was necessary for the husband to be given a p188 in order to visit his wife. Slaves were given treatment by the doctor when bhey became ill, but if the doctor stated that Uae slave was well e nou~h to work, they had to go to the fields. Sick babies vere left at home while the parents were at w k in the field. b matter what Stekness the child. suffered., castor oil was the only remedy ever given. Slaves who chanced to be visiting away fron his pl~ 4. 131 .. Story of slavery by an ex-slave

155 152

Story of slaverybyan ex-~ iave ~ . ~ 1~3~ tation WI thou~t a psas :trom bis owner woa1~. be severely handled If eatight by the Ku. flux Klan or patterroflsra0 as they were more commonly called.. Pear of the ~tpatterrollerst~.waa invc~ed. to frighten ohild.t en into good behavioar. .L few Civil War incidents impre8aed. themselvea upon Einzna~lIhe s memory althou~Ji akte wa~ a very young ohild. at ths time. One day, 8he reoalls, as she and. her little mistress Fannie sat on the front fence faolng the Iiigbxay they ssw s cloud of dust in the &tstanoe down the highway and. soon a troop of soldiers in blue and. silver unifonus marohed by. The ehiidren, frightened by the sight o~ theSe strange soldiers, ran to the hotise to tell the mistress. Mrs. Harper instructed. S.maline s mother to run to the smokehouse, look the door and bring 1r the key. In a few minutes the soldiers tramped into the kitChen and. ate all of the rood they could find. When th~found tba sinokeho~ise ~ loc~they demanded the key fr om Mrs flar, an .1 when she refused proceeded to break down t~ door and. appropristed all the meat they oould conveniently carry. They also robbsd. the cellar cf its store of ~elliea. ami preserves, hitChed the buggy mars to the wagon~and drove off with the beat of the males tied~ behind, as Mx s. Harper ai~i the faaily looked. on in tsars. When the Harpers learned that the slaves were free, they offered ~maline s father and mother a house, male, hog, a~ eow If they would remain on their plantetion, but they thought they might fare better elsewhere ax~ hired out to a plantation einer In an adjoining eounty. ~A few y~rs later, when she besame old enough ~ to obtain jor-1/25/ 37

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j jcr-1/26/37 Story of slavery by an ex-slave . ~ 6. ~ on k~sr own aeoou.nt, she oai~ to Atlanta where she haa live3. yep since. She is now being oared. for by a grsnd-daugtiter and. a son. She is an ardent admirsp of President franklin D. Ro aev,lt and. declared. 811e wo~i1d like to vote for him a hundred. tiiaea.

A story of slavery (part 2). 157 154

Whitley, 100167 ~ ~ ~ s~ ~ 154 2-4-3? !~RT~ ~ ~ .~PaE;e 1 Part #11 . ~ Rosa . Mie. 1~nMe1ine Hsard, who zesidse at 239 Cain 8t. N. E. has proved to be a regu1ax~ etorehouse tor conj~tre and ghost storiss. Not only this but she ii a firm believer in the ~a a~tice oD conjure, To back up her belief in eanjur. is her appearance 8h. le a dark browned skinned woman ot medium height and always wsars a dirty towel on her hsad. Th. towel which was at one ti~ whitegives her the weird look of an old time fortune teller. Tuesday December 8, 1936 a visit was made to her hc~ne and the following information was secured. ~iere wz onat a house in MeDonough aM it wuz owned by t~ ~niths that wuz slave o~nsre way back yonder. Now thi s I s th. trufe cause lt wuz told ter me by old ~cle 3~os ~rner ~d h. ~apirenss it. Nobody could live in this how Idcn t care how thsy tried. Dey say this house iuz heated and any body that tried to stay there vuz pulled out of bed by a bent. Well sir they offered the houe. end $1000.00 to any one who could et~ there over night. Uncle The sed he decided to try it so sho nuifhe got ready one night and went ter this house to stay. After while says he scinething cerne in the roan end started over ter the bed; but for. it got there he sod What in the name of the Lord you wont with n. It sod follow me there is a pot of gold buried n.ar the chimney; go find it and you want be worried with me no more. Der nect morning Uncle 30e ~nt. out then end b.gin tsr dig and sho miff he found the gold; and sides that he got ths houas. Dis here is the trufe Und. ~oes house is right there in MoDonough now and any body round there will tell you the se thing cause he w~i~ well known. Uncle ~roe is dead now. ~ Anudder story that happened during slavsry tine end wuz told ter me by father ivuz thi s : Lts master had a old man on his plantation naned

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Sec. ~ . :p~~ 155 Whitl.y, . ~ Ross 2 4 37 :Tlm on. Well :riason s wife wuz sick end had been fer nearly a year. Ons day there she wanted sane peas~b1ack eyea peas; but old men Harper didn t have none on his p1antatto~n so Zrimson planned ter steal off that Mght and go ter old ~rae ~niels fam, ~ich ~z 4 ailes frc~ Mocre Harpers Th~, and ateal a few peas fer his wife. Weil between injd njght and day he got ~ a sack and started off down the road. Long after while a owl started hootin who o o o are ~ e e e, who are e~e~s end it sounded jest lak s~ one saying~who ars you . ~imson got scared pufled off his cap and r~ all the way to old man Daniels farm. As he run he wnz saying Sir dis is me. Old ~Timson over and over again. Now when he got near the tarni old Daniel heard him and got up in the loft ter watch him. Pinally old 3~imacn got dar and started creeping up in the latt. When he got up there chile Mirs. Daniel grabbed his ihip and almost beat ~riiason ter death . This here story happedned in Mississippi years ago but der ~o1ks that tell it ter me sad it wuz the trute. There wuz a w~an that ~iz sick, her name miz Mary ~onea, Well she lingered and lingered till she finally died. In them days folks all around would o~ ter tbe aettin up of saiie. body wu~z dead. They dcne sent sane men otter the casket suce they had ter go 30 miles they ~iz a good while getting back so the folks.s decided tsr sing. After while they heated the ~n corns ~ip cn the porch er s~ebody got up ter let lu in. Chile jest as they opened the door that c~an set straight up on that bed, and a&sk another runnin and gittin out of that house you never heard; but aune folks realized she wuzn t dead so they got the cas ket out der way so ~hs wouldn t see it cause they wuz fraid she would pass out. sho nuff; just the s~e they ~uz fraid of her too. The men went off and care bakc pith pistole guns, Itteks and every thing and when this ia.n saw ~ ahe sod. d t run I sent bother you~ but child they l.ft there in a

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. Sec. 156 iNhltley, ~ l age 3. Per~~ II 2.4-3? . Roes bi g hurry too. Weil thi s here Mary~ went to her sister s house and knocked on the door and said Let me in this ie Mary I w~nt to talk to you ~td te . . you where I ve been. The 3isters husband opened the door end let her in. ml s mn told em that God had brought her to and that she had been In a trance with the Lord. After that everyone wuz always afraid of that mn and they wouldn t even sit next ter her In church. They say she is still living. ~. Tiil s happened right yonder in MoDonough years ego. A gal went to a party with her sweet art and her ma told her not ter go wU she went on any how In a b~ggj. When they got tel! th railroad crossing a train hit the buggy, and killed the gal; but the boy didn t get hurted at all. Well while they wtiz Eittin up With this dead gal, the boy c~es long there in his bu~~ with anudder gal in the bug~ ; and. do you know that horse stopped right in front uv that house end wouldn t bulge one inch. No matt r how hard he whipped that horse it would nt move instid he rered and kicked and jumped about and a .mo~t turned the bu~ over. The gal. in the buggy fainted. Finally a old slavery time man cc~ne along and told em to git a quart of whiskey and pour it around the bug~ and the hent would go away so they did that and the spirit let em pass. I~ a han t laked whiskey in they 11f e~ time aii you pour it round when theys at they will go away. .s4o ~~es~ The following are true conjure sontessupposedly witnessed by ? Mi s. Hears. There wuz a Rev. t~nnie that lived bslow the Federal Prison now he wuz the preacher of the hard shell baptist church in this c ~munity; This man stayed sick about a year end kept gittin different doctors end none uv them did him any good well his wife kept on at him till he deeidsd ter go ter see Dr. Geech. . His c iplaint wuz that h. felt s ,athing run up his legs ter hie thighs. Old Dr. Goech told him that he had snalcea in his body

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Seo. i ? Whitley, Page 4. Part II 2.-4 3? Ross and they wuz put there by the lady he had been going WI d. Di . Geech gL ye him sane medicine ter take and told him that on the 7th day from then that oma~n would cane and take the medicine off the shelf and throw it away. Course Rev. Deimis ~Udxt t believe a thing he sed so silo nuff she come jest lak Dr. Geech sed and took the medicine away. Dr. Guch told him that he would die when the snakes got up in his arIa. But it he would do .ak he told him he would get airight. Dis cinan had put this stuff in acme whiskey and he drunk it SO the snakes breed in his body. After he quit taking the medi cine he got bad off end had ter stay in the bed ; sho nuff the morning he di ed. You could see the sneke in his ai~, the print uv I t wuz these. ~Vhen he died the snake stretched out in his arm and died too. I got a son named ~Tack Heard, well scinebody fixed him. I wuz in Chicago when that happened and my daughter kept writing ter me ter c~e haas cause ~J ack wuz acting f unny and she thought maybe he wuz losing his mind. They vraz living in Th iasville then end every day he would go ait round the store and laugh and talk but jest as soon as night would oaae and he v~uld eat his supper them fits would cane on him. He would scjuea . jest lak a pig and he would get down on hi s knee s and bark j e at lak a dog. Well I cane hcxne and went ter see a old conjure doctors. He says ter ~ that boy is hurt and when you go haue you look in the corner of the mattress end you will find it. Sho nuiT I went hane and looked in the corner uv the mattress and there the package . It wuz a mixture of hair hi s hair and blue stone wrapped up in red flannel with new needles running ai . through lt. When i: went back he s aye ter me ~runaline have you got 8 dimes no I sod but I got a dollar. Well get that dollar chan ed inter 10 dimes and take 8 uv em end give em ter. me. Then he took Tack in a roan took off his clothes and started ter rubbing him down with medicine all the seme time, he wuz z

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Sec. . Page 5. Pert II Wbit.ley, Rose 2-4-37 saying a ceremony over him, then he took them 8 dimes put t~ j~j a bag ~ad tied them around ~Tacks chest s ie wh re so that they would hang over hie heart. Now wear them always says he ter sack. 3~ack wore them dimes a long time but he tinally drunk em up. Any way that doctor cured him cause he sho woulda died. The followln is a few facts, as related by Mrs. Heard, concerning an old conj ure doctor known as Mut Derkas. I, Aunt Daricas lived in MeDonough, Georgia until a few years ago. She died when she wuz 128 years old; but chile lemme tellyyou that ian knowed jest what ter do fer you. She wuz blind but she could go ter the woods and pick out any kind of root or herb she wanted. She a).ways sed the Lord told her what roots to get and always fore sun up you would see her in the woods with a short handled pick. She sed she had ter pick em fore sun up, I d~ t know why. It you w iz sick ai . you had ter do wuz go to see Aunt Derkas and tell her. She had a well end after listening to your ccanplaint she would go out there and draw a bucket of water and set it on the floor and then she would wave her hand over it and say sanething. She called this healing the water. After this she would give you a drink of water as she handed it ber you she would say, now drink t eke thi s end drink. Honey I had some UT that water myself and believe me it goes all over you and kekes you feel so good. Old Aunt Darkas would give you a supply of water and t .11 you ter cane back fer more when that wu.z gone. Old Aunt L~rkas sed the Lord gave her power and vi si on and she used ter fast fer a week at a time When she die d there wuz a piece in the paper bout her. This here is sho the tru.te and it you don t go out ter Southview C~netary and see Sid Heard my oldest son he been out there over 20 years as sexton and book keeper. Yessir he tole it ter me end I believe it. This happen long ago 10 or 15 years. There wuz a couple that lived in Macon

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. 8.q.~ ~Vh1t1ey, . Paie 6. 159 2.4-37 . Ro s but their hans wuz In Atlenta end they had a lot out ter 8outh View. W .l they had a young baby that tuck elok end died 80 they had the babies funeral there in Macon then they put the coffin in the box placed the lable on thi box then brought it ter Atlanta. Polkees are always buried so that t hey head faces the east. They say When judge~ent day c~e and Gabriel blow that tr~4pet every body will rise up facing the east. Well aa I wu~ eaying they ccme here Bid Keard met m out yonder and Instructed hie men fer ar~ rangements ter the ~ave and everything. A few woeks later the ~nan called Sid Heard up long distance. She eald Mr. Heard Teanam h. said I call you ter tell you me and my husband can t rest atlall Why h. asked, ~zsaiis because we can hear our baby crying every night and lt I s worrying ue ter death our neighbors next door aaye our baby must be buried wrong. Sid Heard aed Well I buried the baby according ter the way you got the box labled. I ia not blaming you 3fr. Heard but if I pay you will you t eke ~ baby up? Sed she 1 Yes Main I W .1 1f you won t ne to jest let me know the ~ day you will be here and I lj have everything ready . Alright aed she. Well sad 815 Beard the dey she wuz ter oc~e she wuz sick and instead sent a carload of her ftlends. The men got busy end started digging till they got tsr the box, when they took it up aho nuff after they opened it they found the baby bad been burled wrong the head was facing the west instead of the east. They ~tx~ turned the box around and covered it up. The folks then went on back ter Macon. A week later the man oiled up again. Mr. Heard ehe says Yes aaein Baya he. Well I haven t heard ~ baby cry at all In the past wek I wuzn t there but I know the exact date you took my baby up, cause I neyr heard it cry no more .

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-; ~. \ ~ .3 I;J~) ~n .~ ~ ~abia 3 ~ 4, 1~6~ ~ ~ ~A~&~1fle ~ ~a trzte~via.d st ba~ :i~ 239 G.~tn ~i~t 3%. ~Q?iti~? ~aa ~iaitad :~s Rooid pr4T1o~miy~ ~i It *~o :~t ~r ojn ~ t~t aA3%~ 11E~tt W~ L~. ~1~iS Yluit T*M a~AppO$O~ t. bs ans ~ ::)rbt~~tA bt~t~tian a:4 ~t~ies on t~e p~u13ttos ~t o~jurs. ~a t~o pz Tious i~ai~ ;$ s. JaaM ~3 ~t~rt~a ~ pi ovcd very inturuatLig, ~ad I ~ ~ :~ t~&~t t~ere ~1tt2~ ~r ~ t~> bo~1n that ~ie h~I &~t~ing v~ry ~o4 to t.U ~. ~ .~ ~~uz ~ t~is stury ~s t.o4 tsi rs )~ ~ tz~t~er~ a~4 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~j t 11m. V ~ry * r~i ct it Le t~ trut; tant, eY~yt .~i:4 I 3bb~ t~J4 j~ ~as th~ t~te. .~ r~ p h~ a brith~r, out ~~*1o ~rt ~u, ~i~1 ~ wits ~iz as~ J~iUem~~s. ~~mt ~1taru~ ~iasd ter ~e apsil. ~d ttg~t ~ 4a~tc sU t;~ tins. ~ li~ ~oQtc~ i~tt~r -botor ~at iane &ld ~ any ~ ~ to1~ ~o~o rtlu ta ~ t~ a old o~nJtu ~ I i~t thQ ~ctGrs ~) ~U3~ t~ ~U~t ~1~31*~ ~ 1~1 ~ ~ ~ I~O MLi~ lit3 got ~ t~r ~e as~ ~r at~A ~1ve ~ ~ ~41sit4. ~h~I o~4 i~a said ~ ~4 bt~i tu ~ ~ . ~ ho~4, a~I att~~r ~1viz~ hi~r tt~e ~.~1is1~ ho ~ r~b~tn~ ~ ~ !~L1* lis c~t*~ ~A~ b~4 ~io addZ Dar s t b~, In h~ lie~ lt look* Jost 1t~ ~ bt~ biask ~ ~aI, ~. $ s~dng 3ut of 1~ ~o&d thr~su~li ba eitz~ ~t~etet~ y~ 8o, ~i~: t :~4)t ~iJ~ ~t ~ C~US5 I ~ ~% iui~. ~*t. W~ ~U ~ Q%~*~ ~t4 IIC Z ~O~L~ t~3? ~ b ~.t ~t:~n k~ :i~ th~ ~ ~b ee~ I~~3 g~ %ak4 hk~ sand turn it b~ek on ~ ~ .~ i~ t~ 1!~ t~? seid y u t~r t~ii~ gr~~. Sbo nuff t~at bug 4rap ~ut ~er eux ~ riev; s~s ~!~GU Ie~~, ~a ~ 34 U~ ~s ~Un r~n La t~c room, ~t~hod tho btid ~1oth~ arr bu~ t~.c5;~ ~wv~r &t1 fli~4 ~ ~a. ~i~t SuLt&~ni~ ~y~r &tid ~it bst~ ~4 ~~Gfl sb~ 11M. ~. o~jw~o~ s~t~ if ~sj ~ a ss~t the bt~ &~e ~u14 *~ ~. next ~i y ta ~ tr~ ~ ~o i1~e~Is as to34 b~ ;:r~. !1~r4~ ~r. ~i t1~%e3aM by ~ ; a~ it ~su1a ~it~ ~ tho ~)r~jur1~ ~ ~ ~ i~ ~ :t~ ts r elatea ~ ~ 4~Z~Ot ~ ~$ ~Is ~ ~s ~ caibXs. .~ ~:ot ~ 3DU DL~ ~1bt~rt ~ i~ i~ X1 v~~ ~nt.t ;sU; b~t ~iie, t~rs iiu~ ~ ~t z~ ~31 bO ~1Z &1~3~Ct t~W ~t g~*. I VU$ 1iY~ng LA tO~fl t~~t~1 ;~1bert ~ :~13 ~ 1ts ~uz IIT I~ ifl t~3 Z~ItT~ ~1~I t~di7 t~O d~1flV*. IL, ~1b~rt got d~n

164 161

s. ~t%I ~it~k arit~ ~ ~ o~a1d ~o t~r 4oet ~a,s~nd go tu do~tc* ~s, b~t t ~y 41I~ t do hi~ ~ j~ ~& I eus *3rrt*d t~ ~atb ~a T had t~ rtm b~cexda ~M tor a~ds ~ud it ~ .~ strain ~ ~ fl~ ~I2 s~ifferbi~ ~zit~ ~ ~.not en his right a1d *xid b~ coi~Lidfl $ ~gen t~te~~ ~th ~2~cke8 iss It p~tnod t1~ ~ ~td it va i~ b~ !!~e ouldn t ~ ~utto~ up !~1e ~ ~ O~fl tecb~d a~o1 out there by the ti~~ of ~s. Ten~ J:~~3 de.td r~~w but &~e U1rG~1 rt~tt ~re *~ ~ado~p~ ~tr~Ot yetirs o~o. ~*tI, oi~ i~y ~ .t wuz ~ ~i1~ 4b~r~ z hou~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~y - r, ~ ~ ~o~ ~m.~tifl(~:. ~r1. ~t~,4a1~ ~31~1e a~iys. ~)~q is ~r. \ibS t? I t~n t h*tr~Uy b~~m3 I ~ya, ~u~* hc d~&t ~et i~ ~ s.~e Loo~.d et ~ 8nda funny a~d ai~t4, don t y~u ~jc3ut~V ~e ~ ~R t~ Te ~ I 3aid, I a~io b. L1~ eya &~ ~ bess ~atta~ t4) S!~j 2~x~Gt~i~: ~ Y ~ G~~1 ~3 V~4I bUt I tI14&~ ~flO~ i)t)W Y~ i~1d t~. Lt. ~ r ~ tell yi~ ~ to~ ~ Wi LI y3U ~ $flt~ t~11 th~ I aeat yc#a? Ye ~ T ~1 U ~o t~t~$j lt ~Ibert s*~ ~ better. ~U right th~&, 5t~e ~rs Cetd~ ~ F ~S1 . ?t~ fl ~ ~fl(~ ~t ~f ~3~$ J3Ui~O1 ~t. Cfl t~ ~SY8 t:~ftt ear ~ L)r?oBt }~.ys. ~ y~:)u ~*t ~3 3~atI~r t, a~e asys, ~ik t~ to CliftDtk ~t. ~d ~ t~ u~ WL(~ ~u~h a nu~~ . K~t~3O~ ~)fl th ~ko~ ~ ~ ~X~fl by t~s ~ of ~rs. ~ i:~ &ipet1t ~111~OmS ttW the d~. ~ro ~ ~t ~u in ~r~e ~p ~ ~?io sent y~t t r~e; 4~fl ~u teLl er s~o 11 let y~u la. ~b~g I~:~* teil y~u s~e ~c~apa t~o qw~rta ~t ;~ 1~i~ all t~ t1r~e a~t y~,u )~Ye ter ~~:zu1r ~ ~4 i1~ti, ~ t~ ti~ ~1dee t!it uho eu~oa ~c~-3:~1:1 ev~~r~ ~ ~3 8;: e*~~ ~it ti) t 1~t 1~t 8~er~ ~3Q~ ~e wtU ~ gt~t ~ ~3)n t:~ p U~ lt ~:th ~e :~flO. ~ rn~ttb t~&t c~Id o~~ 41~ Je~t irak ~ Tansy as.td ~ ~2i:o~1I4 ~o. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ &~f~ ~J~ $~O~ ?LL~ht $n*p~7. 1~t rt ~ie ie~ ~ _in ~ ~ ~b ~. VGU 1~J~ i~t$~rI I *~j:i, oeil, T ~ r~ littis d~i~ ~ oh, ~rteI*. t~o ~ ~:>f thla , &~4~ ~ft1L1S I ~)ured a 11t~1&~ bit ~u1 ~* snk it k1~ir~* luk I wus ar~td~. :.:~ eu~.4 an~~ ae1d I $LXI t ~p oor&ju~ y~.i )xbirtk 1t~~ ~ g~t t~3 eard~ ~ t~g;i ~ t~, cut ~*, ~) I 41A. Lao4n;~ at $~e esx4~,e~te silt: You it~ t~r~att too 1o~ tht~y ~ot ~it~ r~11~ ~o t~e .si~tei7. ~I~o p~YOr t~t~Z I U pr~~f~ine ~wd ~z ~sed instsu~1 of 6.VUa~ . !Ie ~ t a knot ~n :f Iz t~ui)2 ~

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0 ~ ! L1~ aids, si.~ t ks? mm. ~ z .aid, ~ 1~t oie t.u ~. ~ t~m~t vas vxl~e 4~ A1b~t aM zaskly ~ ba sots4. AU at anas ~ ast*z It t)vai ~ t~ai*g0 be4 Mteks4 is ~ it io~4~ a Weii tas MW. It ;~u b aa~k1y luk I ~s.U y~u vil ~.t ~ia up t~s I~ra. I o~o vflZ. I told 1. ~ U, t2~sre e a stsb* ~ ~4st at bis b~uas. ~ I ~m. got t~ras ~ sai a path g e~rat~it to ~i at~to. : ~.s it th~e ~. * ~. ~a~ 23~ta ~ern.s. Toe, I eas Lt aU, tbe ~srfla1 ~i. you ~-~t c~y i~~nq~ Yes, ~ u ~1tt1e, I astI. ~3~U z i~t thas, abe ~ 00 to t~e drQg at~re aM #(~t ~ *P7~ ~ot b~u. ~toas; $ e~.st t~ras asd go ter e ~ ~ a~t ea~i as t.~ gt~va ;~u e Uttla tL* ~ t; t~as ~o in the ivoo~s sud get ac~~ po~d~rast bsrfles~ ~ ~ t~o kiais ~r poko.~~~$ b~iern, the red s~i* ~:~4 %~s ~ttt $4$ bsr~, Put all this In a pot, .4* 4* lt tba~~fr~ s ~ur4 aM ~ parte 4~~f ret p~ppas~~ ~ke a poI4tIaS eM put te Ide aLas os tbat . ~ ii8tea, j~ur $Gfl wLU be d~Ietd sai t~ J* y~ sri try1a~ tar ~ ~ tsr j but b gentle aM persttsda ~4z~ that its t Xila geai.. Cr434 i~. ~o. did ast :funi~ ~t~en I tOI4 hia I isnte4 to ti*at hla a%~. I b~4 tsr taU ~ I ass ..rry1~ :n~t ~~oetGra o~4~$~ s~:~ he *~1d get ~:mU. ~ rsa~u4 iM f*aasI ~ ~s1* 1 4~4III t ~nt t~It ~ea ou ~1Ik ~ to3.4 h~t~ lbs & a$mr *sya you ~ v~y will ttU you ~ tsr t~e horsa lot t2~on y~t~ go blin4 sad you osi t ass. ~e 1oo~M et ~. ~o *ufl~ ~ ~ie asid, ttu~t ate is the ~ I ~ta? ta ~ as~ o~ et t~ OhL21~I *im I ~ t~re dass. i ~ 5 )~ ~J~ %~ get bse~ tar t~ ~ ~s11 tbst s~i1naai ~ia iad 1~e let ~ tu tbo ipi4j~~ t~ ~4a. j put ~da ter bai iM ~8 *a poultias, t~e* X put lt t~r Ma st~. ?~O~ t~L110 ~ saW ac ose vas ta take it tt tba :r~~ ~orutu~ but ~. I vus a~sppo~e tu ~ t~1PS, one .asb at~Ji~, ~ai attt~r t*tag )aG~~ ~)~e Ott t~r ~ lt lak 4as4 t4ka ta )*T14, asat sad st, ~ t~r asks a reel ~ :~VS out of sa*h aus. ~sU, ~ I told ~ aat t~ mire lt tba ~t ~rn~Lig o~t liSt ~ ;;~* it, ba got fwisy sg~4* aa~ 2isat.d to ~ ~y. ~ y~u ~v I bai ~er pl&y lak I ou~4 ~s Lt d* zt ~rnsa1ng ~ tq bad slotbos i~ad U 1~ t~oi d~ tt ba ~~i~bt w*$t lt sfl. tiwUiy b asti ha ~i34 eaU as t~ *t ~ata~. ~3I~ izuff~

166 163

s, 163 tha n ~t ~ni~ bs sXLe~ t ~i$ ~ t~s it oft. I ~ Zu the ~ tal ~. uz .~4Uag. I i1~p* t~U ~Li~it I~i*t 2~u i~i* aM I ftQI ao ~ ~ .~ g1t~, ~ ait~ aM 40 70U k~G~4 ~ ~ ~IS~ ~$ *~I ~43t$31 ~ h~i ~. eM lt ~4 b aa a 1.*~ ti4 $1314S ~ c~I4 4~ tbat. L~t~ t?I~t 4~ I sitppe& out aM ~4 :~ f~ti~t ~ ~A~ r ttte ti bU~ ja ~$ ~ .. 4aui. I even put i~ haM toe. ?~t~t i~i~~t Ibart saU, ~ ~ ~ ~ j ~ ~ ~ ~ I a~* *UZ~ ! said. Th~ aod you ~ bstt~ i0 ~ t2~roe nt~jit~ X ti~sd poultitas a~d pat t*~ b~ia aiAe aM a~a~ ~di~ ~ *~zi4 t~U ~ how ~ai~ butta 1i :h*31 t~ 3~at ~rnii~ ~ ~iz fixing ~ aM ~o ast la t1~e ~oz$ roa~ ~ft~ ~il* ~Ibert ~ ~ aM ~oLt~4, Mal ~ ~ ~i is ~ it, I .1*. ~ . ~ ia ~ It ~oppM ~o~i ta ~ p~ta. ~ I arts4. ~be~ ir~ Lt~ C1~Ua, ~ laoka4 but ~ ~UR~* tIM ~ bist t1~e ~# ~ aI~o g~. ~sr ~ ~- ~ to4a ~. t~ ~. ~ ~ li. ~ ~.i aM s~s ~ t41 as ~et s1~e. tt~r Is ~2 ~t s~s 4~! ~ ~ at t.w ses k~ aM .~i I t~4d h~r she jug3t Sho~il.~ I fiai spi t~to dsvtlaS 1~ov, sqa a~, 40 ~ ~isr* yc~u san g~t a ts~ 1ea~wes ~tt s y.Uo~ ~ It ~ bs a yatlv p ~*i tr., V~ou~. Yes, ~* I a~s to her. I ~ a 7e3~1oI psaaMre~ ?1#It t~te~ ta ~q ard. ~Oi~3, a)~s ~s, g~t i~ haMt,4 o~ 1a~LYa~, the* te~a e knUo aM aox~pe ~* bark ~ thai oaks a t.a ~ gips ~j* it ~!iU ~t1 up the ~*is.n fr~a t~ .~t I~t in M. uids, als ~iz * ~sw jt~o* ~sIs ~~i%, it. I a~ ~a aM tc4a h~t~ I t~~ti4 ~ gi~~ ~ a t~. ~e ~t a~o~ aM ~d, ~*t t~. lid i hs~ t~r tU hia X .$ I3~ ~ ~nzt t~ ~oetor a ~ #d a. ~O11. he Lt :4 ~iV ~~1u tb. ts aM I~t boy~ ~Gt ~*t1. I ~ ~ to ~5 RirShpath ~n4 toU ~ tq ~ ~e ~e3J~ aM I ~td to psy hor. ~o oa 3~Ae *std~, keep the ~oU.z a~d * i4 it~r 1~iUfr~1 tO~ .&ioo;I. ThLa s~o ~ t4~1 ~e ~ud X ~ p~op1. 4* tu 70S. ThS sir. ~b a~t sttay ~s I~A4 to ~r j~e~4 b~ ~ ~1vs1~ps~, tho ~ ~ ~O? 8031.

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9. t un w ~ ne tfl cas t~ite . bU sad sven uM sa ~ ~q frisa nr bGt. Oat d~ tu. t nt tee ala tUZd me aboeS tda pis at week abs M~ tn.fl n t ~ting man es4 h~ lits *ai tey ~:rkstt ter aa vhits ft3~i. 11~ h~4 $stt ran ted ami sa trytag ter Se s~ aq tar buy a baa flth. zljI at oneS tbe ou~j~ tat nt blind and D sIt~st tia hia ~M his flts tvszy Stt$?O t~ 4114ttt taow ~rhat ta Vi. zonA ta do. .~sU, a sbo4 tgd kirn a~d he about :t~. Jflr&path at) th*y * tt te ni tie. ~me t~, mfl ~a. utsnti~tk, a bi~ tta nrflzies 4m t~p In tnt of isst ~ar and te ocsduaa i~ps4 bis to ~tt 4t~. as ~~a~:o4 ht~ ~ sont ~da aM ~se toM ~. Sb 0*14 tWsr~ 50j Thr flfl~zg sdflQs sad atte 7012 sa ssr~ it ~qa up tr you to gin he tet you ntto~% lb. ~n, t~~o ~ gate be ~Oj at%4 ~ t*IJN4 te him. &he .Bat, boy, ntt go ~ na dsn~ t j~u :tt t3V~t 0S9 0* ~*) 1~tfl. T~Bt ~t h Sfl*e. Th&t cap yau flan tGr tissu ~ 1h atabXsa ~Mfl, tia *ov~abS~ done W~. tat ou te you, sad ~ tua nu pnptr m~t it am it~ ;* fl~i ~ flfl it rnke 70* bISIL n jSfl got t~wt sip aM ~ixig it t~r a. X U fis ~ t!~ e ttfl*g t.~ asko JOU b11I4, but I ge Ist you as. TI~O L y a onjayM, aM 8~ 4 muff ~ic ~4at bs* and br~u~}~t htr tat sq, an4 it vt* t 3a*~ t~n ta wuI4 dOd ~ ~ nu .~3 as. ;*ie ~ tSt Sn ~ btit sh tulS t tsk. but lOsa gintbaMhcr t26ba~ teht~. ait I tcn&e toM you te the aufl, envy w r4 tt it; I ~n sa~n Otte t~tn~s ttat !i~a4 bat y~n si bat t 44e dq fur t~et,*

Ex-slave Mildred Heard. 168 165

Page 3.. 1G5~ EX~SLAVE MILDRED BEARD. The following interviews were obtained from ~ 11dred Heard, a young ~ woman who has 1ive~ in the country ~nost of her life end might easily, be de scribed as a child of nature. iUthough a full grown woman and t1~e mother o ~ two children she seems much older than her years, this is true ~L believe be cause she has always lived among much older people. She is fairly intelligent and expresses her thoughts c1earl~, and without hesitation. Quite a few of the stories related here were h&nded down to her fran the older residents of the settlement. These stories ar~ related in her own words. Animal Behavior Cows I hav.-~ always lived around animals and used to spend whole clays in the woods; but first I want to tell you about a story con cerning t~ows; and this is the truie too. Every New Years night when the whistles begin to blow, ~ C~TS get down on their knees lift up their front legs and make 3. mumb1in~ noise. This is true cause one night I made it my business to be arourt~ some cows when the whistles begin to blow and sho nuff they got down on their hind legs and started making thet noise. I w~s so frald I ran all the way home. I also remember we had a co~ that would eat clothes. My grwadniother took: in a lot of washings and one day after she had hung out Mrs. Rlchardson c clothes she (the cow) ate up most all of the clothes. Grandma whioped her and ha~ to pay the white lady for the clothes but that cow kept on eating clothes. ;t la~y told us to sprinkle red peDper on the clothes and that would break her up. Sho nuff we did it and she kicked her heels over her head; but we never had any more trouble with that cow. Maybe, you don t know it but cows are funny about the wat~ r they drink especially cows raised at a dairy. If water is placed In a tub for a cow and you stick your band in the water they will not drink it. I have done it and

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Page 2. JI;U I know it to be true. The cow don t have to see you but the scent from your hand Is in the water . Birds If a bird 1e~ves her nest en~ flies away and you take her eggs out of the nest and put them back the bird ~an tell it the minute she returns to her nest; and si e v111 not have the nest on the ~gs again. I tried this once to see if it was true. I moved th~ eggs from ~ bir~s~ne3t and placed them back and then I hie behind. a tree to watch she nuff the birc3 carne back to her nest she looked ~~it the nest and the eggs a long tirae and flew a;v&y. Every day I vioula w~tcb; but she never returned to that nest. Once *~i little red bird ~ot burt an~ I flaught it and nursed it back to he~ith ~.nd this bird began to act just like a pet. Jhen I saw the bird was well 9nouc h to ie~ire I tied a r~e string arouiid it s le~ so that I would know it if I sL~ it again. ~Lfter that for three years my little bird used to fly back and sit on the steps until I would feed him an~ then he would fly ~wa,r, My bird cuine back until it w~c cau~ht by a cat. I uas so sorry when my bird ~~ed I cried and buried it in the back y~r~. I Lave v;aiked through the woods an~ almost stepped cri c~ifferent kinds of snakes. I wouldn t be afrai%~ cause I would know that unless the 3nake is in a ~juirl, thut is, in a pose to bite you, he wouldn t bite you. If you smell a ~7~ter mellon scent in the ;;ood~ you know right th ~n that a rlack snake is around. If the scent i~ like ~ honey suckle a highland mocc&si~ is arouiii Eornewher~. ~ r~ttlesn~ike sniell~ like a b11l~ goat. 2a;vays remember a snake can t bite until it gets ~o~ed neit~~r ~an a snake bIte you in the water. ~3omesnakes lay e~s and h~it~h tleir young. ~ mother snake al~Ja~ prOtect3 her baby snakes by s~mllowing t ~ori if ~an~er cora~s around. ~r~mc~ju~ told me once trat they were cleaning out h large hole for a haptiz1n~ pool; an9 &IN ~ mother 3n&ke swallow &hout ten baby snakec. ~fter they k1llec~ the mother snake they pul1e~ out the 10 babies.

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Page 3. IGA;/ FOWLS ~e had a rofrter that was raised fr~ ~ bic~.d1e and for 5 years this rooster practically lived in the house and would not sleep any place but on the foot cl the bed. Chickens get used to certain people feeding them and you can t get them lased to others)tbat is, it was true concerning my cousin. Ha had a lot of chickens anc~. he used to feed them every day. Liy cousin took sick and died and after that his chicken3 would not eat anything given them by any one else. One by one the chi ekens di e cl. My Au.nt sal d hi s spin t came back for the chickens . Bees. This is a true story concerning bees that belonged to my aunt C&roline Hooper. Aunt Caroline died end left 10 hives of bees. We noticed they kept going away and would not return. One ~ay a lady named Mrs. Jordan asked it anyone ha~ to1~ the bees that Caroline was dead. ; and we told her no, Well she said go out to the hive and say to the bees Caroline is dead and that they will have a ne;~ owner. LIy uncle told the bees that they belonged to hini now that Caroline was dead. After that none others left the hive. Lulldred Heard continued giving short facts concerning different animals. If you run a rabbit out of his bed ~nd shoot at him I don t care if you rtrn him five or more miles he will come right back to the same place Buzzards are born as white &~ snow but. turn darker as they grow older. ~other fact concerrdng buzzards is that they ~:ill eat any. carcass except that of a iriad ~og, he will walk around the body of a dead mad dog and their fly away,~ ~. I remember once we h&d a cat that ras the pet of every one in our house so when ~be gave birth to kittens she went in the cbifforobe and when we let her out we didn t know she ha~ left kittens in there. Naturally they diec~ and we buried them in the back yard. Everyday this mother cat would go to their :rave an ~ whine, finally she left hone.

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Page 4. The following stories relate to ~ rtbniarks ~ previously mentioned 1~.ffldred Heard has two smell daughters an3 the story of birt1~.niarks begins with her own experience concerning them, My oldest Chile Tina j s rna.rkec~ by crying. I don t care how ~uch you whip or beg her to stop crying she will not stop until she gets ready. ~uring the time I wa$ pregnant my emit died and I went to the funeral ~nd before I knew it I found myself crying an ~ unable to stop. My younge st child Georgi a I s marked by a monkey. Thi s mark i s the resuit of a visit to 3rants Park thiring the time I was pregnant. ~s I stood with the white baby I was nursing at the time a monkey fell and when he got up he started scratching hic back. It all looked so funny I begen to laugh. ~~7hen cfloria was born her bead resembled a monkeys in shape and on the lower p&rt of her back she had red marks an was very hairy. I was afraid she would never change but as she grew older the marks and the hair disappeared. note I glanced ~it the child and it is q~uite true that the shape of her head slightly r~sernbles that of a monkey.?? Th~ next stories were related by ~rs. Hear . Mildred s grandmother. I know a T.lhite aman that lives in Thoniasville now that marked her child b:r a horse. This ~an got tickled at a horse with his tongue hanging out. ~.Then her baby was born he had feet and hands jest lak a horse and she nebber would let any one see this child s feet. ~ ~nother oman, ~.lberta Turner, got seared of a turtle while Ehe wuz fishing anr5 right now her child got feet that spreads out lust like a turtles &nd he w.;d~ks with his ?eet straight out that way. \~ ;~unt Eattie Coffee who lives in Macedonia, G i.,had a baby born with 4 teeth that looked jest like pearls. The do~t.or told her that the baby would shed those teeth and if she lost em the baby would die. ~ 11e told her to be sure and watch the baby an~ to give him the teeth

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Page ~. 169 when they came out. Sho nuff them teeth caine out but they never knowed. where they went and that baby sho died .

Ex-slave Benjamin Henderson. 176 173

Wilitley, :r1,sr:::~s ~ 173 1~22~3? I ~~( ~ ~ i~ ) _*_ & ~) ~ Ex-Slave Benjamine Hender$on. .~. Mter acquaintjng M~. Benj~m1ne Henderson with the tacts of the j- ntervi ew he Informed the writer that he would be very glad to give as irnioh information a~ he could concerning the period of I was only seven years 1) old when freedom was decicred, but I can rernqinber a few facts, ~&i- --Be~jt~mtir~ ~ . Ei s spee eh i s well chosen end after a short talk one Is much Impressed v .th his 1rte1~ ligence c.nc~. youthful apj~earance0 r~enj~in~ Henderson was born september 8, l8~58 in ~asper County, :ontlcello, Ga., the youngest of three chil ren. His father was i~Ir~ Sam ii3n~erEonj~a~ter and owner of the Henderson plantatio5 an~ his mother ~as fla.~ Ilenderson, a slave lJr. Sam henderson never married but operated hie farm with the help of his mother,Llrs. ~l11e Henderson. The Honderson plantation conaprised 250 acres and Mr. Henderson owned only fi~re slaves to carry the ne cessary work. Besides i3enj atnin~ s i~amediate family there was one other man slave, named Aaron~ Cotton, attle and vegetables were the chief proc~ucts of the fai~ri. The work was d1vi~ed ~aS folloWS Benjamid~ job Was to keep the yards cle&n an~ bring up the calves c~~t nIght) ~ older deter and brother,,, together with ~iro~, did the field .;orkand hts mother worked in the house as general servant. The same routine continued from day to day each person going about hi s or her parti cul~r j ob Plenty flour was rai sed on the plantati on and the m~ster had to buy very little. ~ The Iiender~ on slave houses were of the one~ro~ log type~ one ~:indow and one door; each cabin was furnished with a bed, chair, and table. Lar~e f1~e~places took the ~lace of stoves for cooking. These were constructed four or five feet in width so that one or two pots or a side of meat could be

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Pace 2. I~4 Jhitley, M. B. Ross. 1-22 -37 suspended from a hook which was fastened on a rack in the stick and dirt tjiirnney. Each ftxuily w&s givsn a spinning wheel and loan, Aster the day s work each slave home was the scene of spinning anc ~ weaving cloth for the oc~ 1 cupants clothes and bedding. The taster gave each slave a pair of shoes; .Benjamintreceived his first pair of shoe$ when he was five years old< All 3lavos ~ barefoot in /-~ ~ ; ~ - /. t~~~( I summer ~:4;~i~r4e! s s Sur.i~er on the Henderson plantations never varied frcvi bacon and ~t A corn brea~~ i~i ~ each farniiy was free to eat &s many of the ~if~ ferent vegetabl3s, as they wanted. Wooden spoons~bowl~s, and trays, were kept clean by scouring regularly with san~jAt Christmas/ those who asked for whiske~~given an ample ~ I ~- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ... ~ amo~t; -.~o~n:thn~ each fc~ily was given a cake baked by Lr, Henderson s ~~other. The master of the Henderson PlafltatiO5aS well as other plantation o; rner/s~~ allowed the~ slav ; s t o work mdlvi dual cotton patches ; when the cotton ~ ~as picked he paid them their price for the aniount they ha~ raised. Slaves often ecsne ~ money~)too, b:r splitting rails at night an~ selling them to different plantation owners. ~Jthou~h i~r. ~am Henderson was a kin~d master and hardly ever punished his slaves, there were some masters who were lmown for their cruelty~ ~ in particular was an ol~ man by tbe name of Shirley,, 40 would pick up anything from a stick to a brush broony to punish hi~ s1av~s. Benjcrnin~ heard from his elders that sc~e masters constructed stocks like those of old, and sometimes slaves were whippec~ while fastened in the stocks. One slave owiier named G-a,r keptwristbands of iron, and also b gast made to fit into the mouth,, and fa3ten~ around the neck, which prevented

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1?5 Page 3. Whitley, Rosa. 1-~22-37 ~ ~I~_ ~ L ~ .~ rolling while being whipped. Besidezd~sobedience~a slave was often pun~ ished because he failed to eanDlete the required cmount of work. There were certain amounts of work specified for each s1ave~ 150 raIls had to be split a day by the rail splitters; cotton pickers were supposed to pick 150 pounds of cotton a clay. Should anyone fail to complete his daily task, a sound whipping was given. 3laves were punished b~t~atter ~ollers or the govern~ ;~) ~ ment patrol s ietimo-:e~-- oi~o~ caught off their plantations without a pass. Often slaves v~ cunain~ ene~igh4~ ou11r~n the ~atter /ollers and escapei~4 the 75 l&shes which t~ were in store for them if they were caught~ Patter ~~o1lers carried a crooked~hand.le stick wIich they would try to asten around the siaves~ nec1~ or arn~, ~ However, the slaves soon learned that the ~atter.-roL1ers I stick i~:ou1d slide oft their bare arms and babks, so they left their shirts if plannin~ to make a visit without a pass. . ~ L~ ~ The second 3unday of each month ~. the slaves,~4~ religious cervices. 3ince there were no separ~e churches provided, they were a1 lowed to use the white churches with the white minister in charge. Benj~mix~ Iienaerson rernarkec~t It was my job to ride behind the mistress to church and while the services were going on I took care of her riding skirt and tended ths horseo A slave desiring marriage wi th a slave on snother p1anta~on must .~ ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ get hisAster s consent after which he went to see the o b~~J e master,~ If both agreed, the marriage wau set for the following Saturday night. ~l inarri&~e8 usually took place on Saturday nights. The master of the bride~ groom would then I)iCk a straw bro~rx or a pole and give two plaves the job of holding the ends of it. To be devilish they often held the stick too high and ~~ould not lower it until the racster asked them to. ~fter the bride~ groom made the jump over the stick, the knot of matrimony was considered tied.

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. Page 4. 4rm~4~1I ~hit1ey, . Ross. ~ 1-22 3? without any more ceremony the bri de be came hi s legal wi fe If it so ha~pened that the bride and ~ro~a lived on different plantations the ~o~n ; ~ou1~. be ~dven two ~ passes a ~zeek, one to visit her on ~7ednes~ay nights and another which permit/ him to remain over the weekend, from Saturday until Monday morning. Fo11owin~ the marriage there would take Diace the $1 ~ I ucual frolic ending up with several members drunk1~ ~ were thrown into the seed house where they remained all ni~ht. 31av~ owrier~ guarded car. fully against illness amonp their slzrves. Home remecUes such as certain oil, turpentine, teas of all sorts ;;ere use~j~pPf these d1~ no ood the ~5octor was called in he usually brou~t ~- alone all varieties of medicine in his saddle ba~ sA gave what was neec1e~. 3enjamin~ Eenderson consi~ers thct people were much he~flthier in those days E:~n di~ not need doctors often0 ~ ~e tells this story L~y mistress had a daughter who was married and had three son3/ who were confederate soldiers. I rememLer the ~ay they rods up on their grey horses~ to take dinner an~ say ~oo~b~re to the family. ~hen they were ready to leaire their ~ran ~mother gave them an old testament an ~ told them to take it it an~ re~ it and make good soirliers of themselves. One son rep1ied~b ~ran3ma lt won t last long, ~ re going to bring ol~ Lincoln s head back and set it on the sate post for a tage~ut they didn t coins back~ all three were killed. The master of the plantation also en listed in the ~~y; he .~ able to cane home every week or two. ~ter the war Penjamin~ s mother married ~nd moved with her hus~ band to another farm,/ ~ she spent the rest of her life. Some famil~es~ moved to other plant~tion9 durmn~ the fir~it year after the war they were forced to work for one-~zixth of the crop raised. The next year plantation ownersy

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Page 5. ~ ~h1t1ey, Ross. 1 ~ 1-~22-37 ~L realized this amount was unfaii~ agreed to 1~t the ex-~s1aves work for one~ t1iir~ of the crops raised. L~-~-.kspt e~ UDMI finally they bo~~ wor~J.~ on halves Even now~ working on halve s j s common In rural vi liage z. Benjamin~ Renderson believes he has lived long because he has lived a clean~useful life/ filled with plenty of hard work. He married at the a~e o ~ 28 years and was the father of five chilth en, none of whom ~re living. Eis physical condition prevent~ hIm from working at present, but he has not given up/ hope that he will soon be able to take care of him~ self ag~in.

Plantation life, as viewed by an ex-slave. 181 178

Written By: ~dited By: Mrs. ~3adie B. iornsby Athens - i~rs. ~arafl li. nail Athens - and. Joan N. Booth Dl strict ~ujervisor ~ edera1 Evriters Project i~esidencies oc 7 Augusta, Georgia September 2~, 1938. I 00216 P1 iNT~rION -~~--~ LLi~V~1D BY ~N ~X-3LAV~ 178

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J~1F~sqN FR~N1UJIN IJ1~NRY ~ ~~-i3 1jv~ ~: Age 78 Athens, G~eorg1a The widespread branches of a white mulberry tree formed a canopy for:. the entire yard. berore Jetfer son Henry s gray-painted cottage. Luxuriant hydra.ngeas In wooden tubs, August lilies in other containers on the old-tashioned. flower steps, and a carefully pruned privet hedge gave the place an air ol distinction in this shabby neighborhood, and it was not surprising to learn tuat a preacher, a man highly respected by his race, lived there. A~ rap on the door brought quick response from a rumbling bass voice Inside the house. George, is you here already? In an3ther moment a short, stocky Negro man appeared in the doorway, a collar clutched in one hand, and a slightly embarrassed look on nis ace~ Good mornin , he said. Yes,mam, tuis is Jetr Henry. I thougnt you was George done come to take me to Atlanta. One of my good church members is to be buried thar today, and I se got to preside over the funeral. I can talk to you a few minutes if you ain t got ~too much to ax me about. Though Jeff used some dialect, it was not so noticeaole as in the speech of most soutxiern Negroes. A scant fringe ot kinky cray hair framed nis almost 179

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-2- 180 bald head, and he was dressed in his &mday best clothes; a gray suit, white shirt, and black shoes, worn but carefully polished. This old Negro has been here many a dTt he began. 1 members when all thIs side of town was in farms an~ woods with just a rew houses scattered about. Just then ~eorge drove up and Jeff suggested that tue interview be postponed. At the appointed hour Jeff was waiting to resume fis narrative. I sho is done oeen wukin this old brain or mine to cring back them old times fore freedom come, he announced. Anyhow, I was born in Paulding County. 3am and Phyllis H.enry was my pa and ma, and they was ~ield hands. 1~e and James, William, John, Mittie, and :~~ary was all tne chiliun they had. Us just played t round the yard mostly, cause thar warn t none of us 3i~ enough to do no field wuk wuth talkin bout fore t~ie end of~ the war. Slave quarters was off from the bi~ house a piece, and they was built in rows lak streets. Most of the lo~ cabins had one room; some had two, but all of theiri had. plain old stack chimblies mache of sticks and red naid. Our beds was just home made makeshifts, but s didn t ~now no diffunce cause us never had seed no

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.-3.. 181 better ones. They sawed pine posts trie ri.~at hei~ht ana bored noies throu~ n tnem and throu~ii the slabs they hact cut tor the raum s, or side pieces. -Qhey jined. the oe~ together W~t~i cords that they wove back and iortn and twisted ti~iit wita a stout stick. Them cords served two purposes; they he1~ tne bed together and was our springs too, but iI~ us warntt mighty keerful to keep em twisted tight our be s would rail down. Lak them old beds, the mattresses us had them days warn t much compared with what we sleeps on now. Them ticks was made oi coarse iionie wove cloth, called osnaburg,t and they was iilled with straw. Myl Iow that straw did s ~ueak and cry out when us moved, but the Blessed Lord changed all. tnat when he gave us lree~om and let schools oe sot up ior us. With freedom i ~egroes soon got more icn3wled~ or how a home ou~iit to be. ~r~ndma Ca line is the onhiest one ci my ~x andparents I can memoer. Jhen she ~ot too old. ror ileld wuk, they tuk and usei ner as a cook u~ at tue bi~ nouse, ana suie cwne the weavin ~pirlriin ~nd miJ~r:ii: too, and Kept a eye on the slave ciililun whilst tue ma~:::ies wets O~I~ In Drue Lield. i~o, maa, slaves w~rn t paict no ~oney inem dayS, ~ifl~t it s iui~nty l1~tie l se ~ot nolt o~ since.

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Anyho~ I warn t big enough then to do no wuk, even ii: toiks had been payin wages to slaves. The most I ever done fore the war ended was to fetch water to the kitchen and pick up chips to kindle up the i ire when it got low. Matches was so scarce then that Lires warntt lowed to go slap out, but they did burn mighty low sometimes in summer and us had to use rat 1i~htwood splinters to git em started up again. TJs et home produce them days. Folks didn t know nothin bout livin out oi~ cans and paper sacks lak they does now. Thar was allus plenty o~ hog meat, syrup, milk and butter, cornbread, and sometimes us chillun ~ot a biscuit. Thai was one bi~ old garden on the place that had evvything in the way o1 vegetables growin in it, besides the patches et beans, peas, taters, and the lak that was scattered round in the fields. The orchards was i~Ull o1~ good fruit sich as apples, peaches, pears, and plums, and don t forgit them olackberries, currants, and figs what growed round the aid~e o1~ the back yard, in ience corners, and o1~f places. Sho, us haa possums, plenty of em, cause they let Us use the doss to trail em aown with. Possums was biled tu they was tender, then baked with sweet ttaters, anc. thar ain t no better way been Lound to fix em to -4- 182

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183 -.5 this good aay, not even II they s barbecued. ~ho, sho, us had rabbits and squirrels by the wholesale, and fish too if us tuk time to do our fishin at ni~ht. fhey never did lak to see slaves s~ttin round lishin in the daytime. All the cookin was done in a lo~ cabin what sot a good little piece behind tne big house. The big Did ~ireplace in that icitcuen held a four foot log, and when you was iittle you could set on one end of that log wallst it was a-~burnin on t oti~er. They bile . in pots .nan~in irom hooks on a iron oar tnat went all the way cross tile lireplace, and the bakin was done in skillets ~nd ovens, but sometimes bread was wropt up in cab a~e or collard leaves and baked in hot ashes; that was ashcake. Thick iron lids 1 itte~ tight on them oh ~Idllets, ana most of ein haa three legs so not coals coulo. oe raked under tern The ovens sot on trivets over the coals. ntOur clothes warn t not.ain to ~ about. In surna~r boys wore just one piece and that iOOk~d lak a 1on.~ ni~xitsnirt. ~~ inter cl3tiies was ~je~n pants and horr1es:~)LLr1 siiLrts; they was warm but n~t too warm. J1har warn t no siori tti1n~s as ~3unday clotLIes in them days, and nev3r had a pair ol s~oes on my loots in slavery

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~.6.. 18:1 time, cause I warn ~ b1~ enough to wuk. Grown Negroes wore shoes in winter but they never had none in summer. Marse Robert Trammell and his wire, Miss Martha, was our marster and. mistess. Miss Ada, Ivass &ama, and i~iiss M~ry Liza was the young misses, and the young marsters was named George Washin ton and William Daniel. Marse Robert and his taxably lived in a log and plank house with a rock ohimbly. He was buildin a fine rock house when the war came on, but he never got it finished. Robert Scott, one of the s1i~es,was made foreman atter Marse Robert turned oft his overseer. Gilbert was the carriage driver and sides drivin the tambly round, ne tuk iviarse Robert s ma, Miss Betsey, to her church at Powder Jprings. Miss Betsey was a Hardshefl Baptist, and Marse Robert and his wife wouldn t go to church with her. That old plantation was a large place all ri~ht enou&h; I spects thar was bout four or Live hunderd acres in it. Marse Robert warn t no bi~ slave holder and he did t have so awful many slaves . His foreman had em out in the fields by daylight and wukeu era tu dark. The women had a certain stint of thread to spin ~nd cloth to weave fore they could go to bed at night. The menfoiks had to shuck corn, mend norse collars, make baskets, and all sich jobs as that

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at ni~tit, and they had to hoip the women with the washin? sometimes. Most o1 that kind or thin~ was done on days when tue weather was too hot tor em to work in the I~ie1ds. Marse Robert done his own whippin oi his slaves and, let nie tell you, they didn t have to do much lor hulTi to wnip em; he whipped em ror most anything. They was tied, hand and toots, to a certain tree, and he beat ein with a heavy leather strop. I se ssed him wnhlJ em neaps o~ times, and it was most allus in the mornin s lore they went to wuk. Thar warn t no jail~ house nigh whar us lived and Marse Robert never had no place to lack slaves up when they got too bad, so he just beat the meanness out ot em. Thar was one slave he never tetolied; that was nis lorenian and his narne was ~obert too, laic I done t3~d you. t?1 never seed no slaves sold on tne block or auctioned Oit, and i any droves 01 slaves l or sale passed our plantation I se done ~or~ot about it. No, mauul, a slave warn t lowe . to take no book in his hand to lam nothin ; it was a~in the lawto permit slaves to do that sort at thins. II us went to any churches at all it had to be our white rolics caurches, cause thar warn t no cnurei1es ior iNe~roes til the war was over. Not a slave on our place could read a word irom -7.. 185

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-8-. 186 ~ the Bible, but some few co4d repeat a verse or two they had cotch Irom the white folks and them that was smart enough made up a heap of verses that went long with the ones lamed by heart. Us went to Poplar ~:3prin ;s Baptist church witn Marse k(obert s 1~mbly; that church was bout ~ miles from whar us lived. Miss 3etsey, sne tuk Grandma Qa line witn her to the liardshell Baptist church aoout 10 miles I urther down the road. ~ometimes ~randina Oa line would go by ner~ self wnen Marse Robert s ma didn t go. Us just had church once a month. When a slave died evvybody on our plantation quit wuk tu atter the buryin . The home made coffins was made of unpainted planks and they w~s lIned with white cloth. White folks colfiris was made the same way, only theirs was stained, but they never tuk time to stain the ones they buried slaves in. Graves was dug wide at the top ~and at the bottom they was just wide enou~h to fit the coffin. They laid planks crost the coftins and they shovelled in the dirt. They never had larnt to read the songs tiiey sung at ~u.nerals and at meetin ~hem songs was handed down from one generation to another and, far as they knowed, never was writ aown. A song tney sung at trie hDuse lore they left for the graveyard begun:

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~ -~ -W ~ 18? Why do we mourn departed friends, Or shake at death s alarm. At the grave they sung, Aml3orntoJilef Th Lai this Body ~own? Slaves on our plantation never thought about runnin o1~ to no North. Marse Robert allus treated ein iair and square, and thar warn t no need ror em to run nownar. That toreman or nis, Robert ~$eott, did ~o orl and stay a.i*ew days once. Marse Robert had started to whip Ills wife and he had jumped twixt em; that made ilarse i~cbert so made he run to the house to git his L~u~n, so the roreman he got out of the way a day or two to keep from gittin shot. Vlhen he come back, ~arse Robert was so glad to git nim back ne never said a word to him bout leavin . On ~aciaays tile wo&en wuked in the tield til a.innertirne, but the menloiks wu~e~ on til a Llour lore SUII(iOWfl. ui~he women spent that time w~siiin , cleanin up tne Cabins, pa~chin , and ~ittin ready 1er the next week. OhL How they did frolic round ~adday night when they coula ~it passes. sundays tney went to church but not without a pass lor, il they ever w~s coteb. out with out one, them paterollers woulci beat em up something terrible. Sno, Christmastime was wuen slaves had their own lun. har warn t notnin extra or diitunt give em,

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only plenty to eat and drink; Marse Robert allus ruade lots of whiskey and brandy. lie give his slaves six days holiday and lowed ein to have passes. They frolicked, danced, and visited round and called it havin a good time ~Vuk begun again on New Year s Day and thar warn t no more holidays ttil the next Christmas. rnam, not many slave . chi ilun knowed what santa Claus was or what Christmas w~s meant to celebrate tu they got some schoolin atter the war was over. Sho, sho, us had cornshuckin s, all right enough. sometimes Marse Robert raised so much corn us had to have more than one cornshuekin to git it all shucked. The neighbors was vited and such a time as us did have atter tne wuk w~s done. I was too lit&le to do so much eatin , drinkin , and euttin the buck as the older ones done. Cuttin the buck is what calls the kind o1~ frolics they had atter they ~ot rull ot liquor. Yes, mani, they had dances all right. That s how tney got mixed up with the paterollers. Negroes would .~o oit to dances and stay out all night; it would be wuk time when t~aey got back, and they went to the lield and tried to keep rig~~t on gwine, but the Good Lord soon cut ein down. You couldn t talk to Thlks that tried to git by WItil tiiings lak that; tney warn t ~~10- 188

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!~i~. ~ gwine to do no diffunt, nohow. Wheii they ain t oepted at St. Peter 8 gate, I s~e sho they s gwixie to wish they had heeded folksthat talked to em and. tried to hoip em. Weddin s? Didn t you know slaves didn t have sho ?floUg~ weddin s? I~ a slave man saw a girl to iii s lakin and wante her to make a home ror him, he just axed her owner if it was all right to take her. III the owner said yes then the man and girl settled down together and behaved theyselves. Ii~ the girl lived on one plantation and the man oh another that was luck tor the girl s marster, oause the chillun would belong to him. Right now I cantt call to mind. nothin Us played when I was a chap but marble games. Us made them marbles out of clay andbaked em in the sun. Grown folks used to scare chillun bout Raw ifead and Bloody Bones, but that was mostly to make chillun git still and quiet at. night. I ain t never seed no ghost in my life, but I has heared a heap or sounds ~ and warn t able to find out what made them noises. . When slaves got sick Marsh Robert was good enough to em; he treated em riglit, and allus sont for a doctor, specialiy when chillun was borned. Oil, turm pentine, and salts was the medicines the doctors give the most of to slaves. sore they was sick enough to

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send. Thr the doctor the homeTh11~s often give sick folks boneset arid life-everlastin, tee~s, and niost evvybody wore a little sack of asafetida round their ziecks to protect ein from diseases. ~ . When freedom oome I was down iii the lower end of Clarke County on i~rse George Veal s ~pIantation whar Marse Robert h~d done sont Miss Martha and the chillun and part of the slaves too. ~ My white folks was fleein from the Yankees. Marse Robert couldn t come 1on~ cause he had done been wounded in battle and when tfley sont kI1I~1 heine from the war he couldn t walk. I don tknow what he said to the slaves that was left thar to tend him, but I heared tell that he didn t tell e~uj nothin bout treedoxa, leastwXse not f or sometime . Pretty soon the Yankees come through and had the slaves come togeth r in town whar they had a speakin and told them ~egroes they was free, and that they didn t belong to nobody no more. Them Yankees said orders for t1~at pernounce~ent had come ro~ the President of the United states, ~. Abraham LincOln, and they said that Mr. Lincoln was to,be a father to the slaves atter he had done freed em. It warn t long then fore M~rse Robert sont my pa to fetch Miss Martha and her chillun, and the slaves too, back to the old plantation. Pa wulced ror him tU June of the next year and then rented a farm

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-:L3~- 191 on shares. 1 heared bout ni~ht-riders, but I never seed none o em. It was said they tu1~ Negroes out ol their cabins and beat era up JUS? cause they be1oxi~ ed to the Negro race. Negroes was I~ree but they warn t loweI to act lak free people. Three months atter the war, schools was opened up here for Negroes and they w~s in charge o1 Yankee teachers. I can t call back the name ot the Yankee woman that taught me. It was several years before no Negroe.s was able to buy land, and thar was Just a Lew of em done it to start with. Negroes had to ~o to school tust anu ~it lamm so they would know how to keep some ot them white toiks troin gittin land way from em if they did buy it. Slavery time customs had changed a. good bit when I married ~lla Strickland. Us had a common little home arfair at her ma s house. I never will torg t now ulla looked that day in her dove-colored weddin dress; it was made with a plain, close~fittin waist tnat had pretty lace round the neck ~nd sleeves. ifer skirt was ~ilaited, and over it was draped a overskirt that was edged with lace. The Good Lord save us seven ciiil ren, but three or em He has taken from the land 01 the livin . Us still has two boys and two girls.

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Sam wuks at a big clubhouse in Washington, D. G., and his rour chillun are the onliest grandenillun me and hUla s sot, so tar as us knows. Charliets job is at the Pennsylvania station. Both OL~ our dau~hters is teachers; one or tern teaches at the Union Baptist School, here in Athens, and. the other s at a school in ~tatesboro, Georgia. Yes, inani, ~lla s still livin , but she is bad ofi with her Loots. II the Lord lets us both live fil this commt December, us will cele brate our 53rd. eddin anniversary. Now that its all been over more than 70 years and us is had time to study it over good, I thinks it was by God s own plan that President Abrahaxa Lincoln sot us free, and I can t sins his praises enough. i~~iiss Martha named me for Jeff Davis, so I can t down him when I se got i1~s name; I was named for him and Benjamin ~ranklin too. Ohi Suio, I d ruther be free and I believes the Negroes is ~ot as rauch right to freedom as any other race, deed I does believe that. Why aid I jine the church? Cause I was converted by the power of the Holy Spirit. I thinks all people ought to be li~ious, to be more lak Christ; He is our ~aviour. I se been in the church 5~ years ana bout 52 oi them years I se been a preachin . I went one year to tne Atlanta Baptist College to git -p14-

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~. 193 my traixitht ~~or ti~e ministry, and. I would have gone back, but me and ~1ia got married. I se been paat r of the Frieudship . Bapt I st Church 46 years In all I se been pastor of eight ohurohes; ITse got three regular churches now. A Negro boy came to the door and. asked Jert to tell him about some work. As Je~ t arose he said: t,it you isthrou~h with me, I ll have to go flow and holp this boy. I!se titled to one of them books with my story in it tree, cause I se a preacher, and I knows I se give you the best story you has wrote up ylt.

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r ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~7 ~s ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - ~ i~F ~ ~ I ~ - ~ ~ !~ ~ ~ 1,~- ~ - ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ i~ ~ SUBJECT: . . . . . ... - ~ DISTRICT: . s . S p RESEARCH WORKER: EDITOR:........ SUPERVISOR:..... . ... ..... e.......,.vy, P. A. NO.. 1 ..........JOSEPH E. J FFEE ..........JOHN N. BOOTH .........JOSEPH E. JAFFFEE ( SST.) I ~ f .1. . ~ ~ : ;~: ~ ~:: ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ .. ~ L ~ :~:~ ~ ~: _____ ~: * Q0

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1001C2 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~4~TkT~QZ~ ~ L~ ~ ~X ~ ~ Uncle Robert ~enry, an active 82, now lives with hie dau~2iter on Billups ~treetin Athene. At the time of our visit he was immaou 4te in dark trousers, a tweed sack coat, arid a ~ay1y striped tie. Naturally the question came to mind as to whether he f ound. life rnore.pleasant In hie dau~i.. ter s neat little cottage, with its well kept yards or in the quarters on 01e Mareter s plantation. He seemed (~t~ to have 8fl opportUflity to --- ~ ~ ~ .- ~ talk about slave y day~ ~d al~ . thou&i he oould. not have been more thaii 11 years QId. at the . time, he has a very vivid re ~ collection of the year de war broke and freedom came. . His parents, Robert and~ Martha- Henry, were born in O~lethorpe County and were la ter purchased by P.W. Sayles, who owned a l,OOO-~acre planta... tion about 18 miles from Wash-. ington, in Wilkes County. Marster t have many f16-. gera, not raore n ?O~ he stated. Uncle Robert was the oldest of B children, 6 boys and 3 girls, Pa wuz de butler at de big house, ~ he declared with pride in his voice; and he went on to tell how hie mother had been the head seamstress on the plantation and how, at the tender a~e o:r ~ hiB father had be~uj~ tZ~inin6 him to wait, on

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.. . ?age~.2 Marster e tabl , ~ ~ ~ The picture of Old Marster s household, as the old mati w~. fo1d~s it to his listeners, ta one of almost Uyllio beauty. There was the wh1te~pi1Iared~ big houSe1 In a gro7e. of white oake on the brow of a 1~111 with a ~oommandin~ view of the w~o1e oountr~ide, A ~ rave11ed driv way led down to the dusty public road. where an o o cast onal stag~oaoh ratt led. by and whi oh latelt echo ed ~ wi th the hoo~beate o~ Confederate Cavalry. . ~ . .. The master s house contained twelve rooms, each about 16x16 feet. The kitchen was in the back yard. and rood was carried to the dining room in the hiwi basement to the bi~ houee by means of an underground passage. Two servante stood guard. over the table with huge fans made of peacock feathers which theykept in. oontinuoue motion during meals to ahoo de flies away. ~ . The slave quartere were on the banks of a creek down the hIll behind the big house. Nearby were the overseer s ootta~e, the etables and the ~arriage houeee . In the family were: Marster, Miette, sis Fannie, Mie Sally, Mars Thomas, Mars Hiokey, and. Mars 7(yatt.~ Dey ai . tended. a school on de plantation. Two of the boys went to the war but only one of them Caine back, . After the war the !ank& caine by and. took nearly all the stock that the servante hadn t hidden in the ewaznpa and~ all the silver that 01e Misti~ hathi t buried under th~ currait bushes. Yes, in spite of the hard work required, life ha~ t,en very pleasant on the plantations. The fleld~ hands were at work at au~1p and~ were not allowed to quit until dark. ~ach l ve had

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Page ~ :3~.. 197. an acre or two of 1~nd whi,oh he was allowed to farm for h1rnse1~, He used Saturday. rnornin~ to cultivate his own crop and. on Satur~ ayafternOOfl h~ lolled around or went f~iehing or v1sitin~. Sat~ k urday nichts were always the time . for dancing arid rrolioing. The master sometimes let them use a barn loft f~or a big square dance. The musical instrumente consisted of fid.dles; buokets, which were beaten with the hands; and reeds, called blowing qui1le,~ which were used. in the manner of a flute. There wer two churches on the plantation, one for de white folks and one fer de niggers. ~ The same preacher held forth in both congregations. Then there were services in the . white church there ~ no ~ro meetings~ but negroes were aIe. lowe ~ to sit in the gallery of the~hite folk~hurch. The niaster regarded hie slaves as * valuable pL~~~-riXf property and they received treatment as such. When they were ill the doctor would b.c sent for or Old Mistis woifid carne to the cabins bringing her basket of oil, pills, arid li.riarnent. Food was always Liven out to the slaves front the oorn. inissary and the smokehouse. There was flour and. corn meal, dried beans and other vegetables, and cured pork and~ beef in the winter. In season the servants had access to the master s ve~etab1e garden and they were always ~~eAas much milk as they could user~ Life ~ very pleasant Inthose times; but. Uncle Robert, at ease in a comfortable rocker, would not agree that it was more to his likin thanUils present~ay existence. When the subject of eigne and omens was broached he waxed voluble in denying that he believed in any such roolishment.

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. Pa~e-4 198 However, he agreed that many b lieved that a rooster o~owirig in front of the d.oor meant that a stranger was oornin~ and. . that an owl screeching was a sien of death. He su~j~ested that a eu~o~ ceseful means of combatting the latter oi~n te to tie knots in the bed sheets or to heat a poker in the fire,. In case o~ deaths Uncle Robert says)to be on the safe sIde and prevent another death in the family, it is wise to stop the clock and. turn its face to the wall and to cover all the mirrors in the house with white oloths. Uncle Robert s hi~hIy educ ~t d. daugJ~ter snitied indulgently on him while he was giving voice to these opinions and we left hirn threatening her with dire punishmentif she should ever fail to carry out his instructions in matters of this nature. ~

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4::I;~ (0~0t0 ~ ~ 1 ~ f // ~-. FEDERAL WRITERS PROJECT ~v, p. A. OFFICE 787 COBB STREET ATHENS GEORGIA OCTOEER 16,1936 r.L~ ~1 ~> 199 ~i~ntion) Mrs. Carolyn P. Dillard. State Director Federal Writers Projecte . Atlanta,Georgia Dear Mr. Peters: Attaching herewith story of an ex slave pre-~ pared by Mr. John Booth from my notes and is in accordance with the instructions contained in your letter of October 13. The snap shots are by Jaffee. We have located a former slave of Dr. Crawford W. Lone in Jackson county and we plan to interview the~darky in the very near future. We are anxious to ~et a very in tirnate picture of Dr, Crawford W. Long froni the eyes of one of his personal servante. Mr, John L. Peters, Director W.PP.A. District No. 2 708 Telfair $treet Au~usta,Georgia Very truly yours, Federal Wri W.P.A. District JEJ:H

Plantation life, as viewed by an ex-slave. 203 200

:~ ~ ~ ~ ~ s 0 Jo11~ HILL 1525 Br5 d ~reet Mhens, Georgia S ~ .L~II ~ IE~J~D i3Y ~ ~X-~L VI~ ~ritten By: 1ctite By: Grace ~icOune Research Thrker i~euera1 writers Project Athens, Georgia ~ei1a tiarris ~ditor feaeral ~7rit3rs Project ~u~usta, Georgia 200

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i~()O()85 ~ . . :~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~: ~ : ~ ~ ~ ~: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~. ~ ~ . ~ . :~: ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~:::~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . 201 ~ Jo~ ~ HILL ~ ~i~$ :~1ife, Age 74 ~ ~ . 1b25 W. Broad St. . Athens Geor~ia . . John ili.11, an old. Negro about 74 years old., w s seated comThrtably on the front porch of his little cabin enjoying the sunshine. lie lives alone and. his pleasure was eviden.t at having company, and better still an appreciative audience to whom he could relate the stbry cl his early days. 1~My pa .wuz George Washin ton Hill. His old. Marster wuz Mr. Aubie lUll, an dey all lived on de liull~1antatton, in de Junconibe district, nigh whar Monroe, Georgia is now. My nia wuz Lucy ~flnie Carter, an she b longed to de Carter farably down i~i Oglethorpe County, tu she wuz sold on de blocI ~ on de oie Tu~ ~ plantation, whar dey had a regular place to sell em. Dey put em up on a big old block, an de highest bidder got de Nigger. Ilarse George 11111 bought my ma, an she corne to stay on de 13111 plantation. Dar s whar my pa married her, an dar s whar I wuz borned. ~ ~ When :i: wuz just a little tike, I toted nails ror emto build de jailhouse. Dey got bout two by ieur planks, nailed em crossways, an den dey drived nails in, bout evvy inch or two apart, just lak a cheokerbo~rd. When dey got it done, dat jail would evermo keep you on de inside. Dere wuz a place wid a rope to let dOwn, wnen de jailbirds would need somethin or when somebody wanted to send somethin UP to em. ~ No Ma am, dat warn t de

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..~ ~ 2O~ rope dey used to hang folkses wid. My pa stayed on wid old Iviarster bout ten years attor de War, den us moved to de 1~arm wid de Wa1kei~s at Monroe,.G~eor~ia. Dat wuz Governor Walkerts pa. Dere wuz a redolay bank on de side of de crIck whar us chilluxis had. our swixnmin hole, ant us didn t know w~en us wuz a 1 rol.ickin an rollin young Marse C1i~ ford. down dat bank, dat someday he would be ~ov ner o1~ Georgia. He everxuo wuz a sight, kivered wid all dat red mud, an Mist ess, skie would fuss ant say she wuz goin to whup evvyone of us, but us just stayed out o~ ae way an she never cotched. us. Den she would forgit tu de nex time. When I wuz bout eight years old, dey lowed it wuz high time I wuz a lamm somethin an I wuz sont to de little log schoolhouse down in de woods. De onhiest book I liad wuz just a old blue back speller. s took corn an ta~oes long an cooked ein. for dinner, ror den us had to stay ~ll day at school. Us biled de corn an roasted tatoes in ashes, an dey tasteu mighty good. Us had corn pone to eat all de time, an on de fust sun day in d~ month us had cake bread, cause it wuz church day. Gake bread wuz made out o~ shorts, but dem biscuits wuz mighty good if dey wuz dark, Tstead oi bein whIte. ttUs had big gyardens, ant raised all sorts o1~ vegetables: corn, peas, beans, tatoes, colla ds, an turnip greens. Us had plenty of milk an butter all de tune. An i~eIarster niade us raise lots of cows, hogs, sheep, an chickens, an tukiceys.

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. ~ Dey warn t no ready rn.ade clo es or no vittuls in cans at de sto keepers places, an us didn t have no money to spend, if dey had. a been dar. Us didn t have nothin what U~ didn~t raise an make up. Cotton had to be picked offen de seed, an washed an cyarded, den ma spun de thread an wove de cloth an sometimes she dyed. it wid ink balls, 1~ore it wuz ready to make clo es out or. De ink Marster used to write widwuz made out of~ ink balls. ~ . i wuz still little cvhen my ma died. De white folks preacher preached her ~un ral rrom de tex o1~ Isaiah i~if~th chap- ter fust verse, an dey sung de old song, Goi~ Home to Die no ~!Qt.~ Den dey buriedher on de place, an builta re~il fence rouri de grave, to.~keep de stock from trompin on it. Sometimes several owners got together an had one place to bury all de !slaves, an den dey built a rail fence all roun de whole place. Hit wuz just :1~ak bein in jail, de way us had to stay on 7 de place, cause if us vient off an didn t have no ticket de paddy~ rollers would always git us, an dey evermore did beat up some o1~ de Niggers. UI t members de Klu Klux Klan good . Dey kept Niggers skeered. plum to death, an when dey done sumpin brash dey sho got beat up if de Kiuxers cotched em. . One time de K.luxers come by our place on de way to beat a old Ni~ger man. I begged em to lexa~ne go wi4 em, an atter a while

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A ~: ~ ~ dey said I oould go. Dere wuz horns on de mask dey kivvered up ray head wid an I wuz mighty skeered but I didn t say nothin . Atter us got dar, dey tied de old man up by his hands to de rarters in his house. . lie wuz beggin em to lethim. o~Tau yellin o Lordy, have mussy~ Dere wuz a little .~al dar an I wanted to skeer lier, so I started atter her, an de old man tole her to hit me on de head. ~3he picked up a shovel an th owed it an out my leg so wide open de blood just spilt down on de floor. I got so bad oIT dey had to take me back to old I~ arster, an he fix me up. iiit wuz six months rore I could use dat leg good, an , Inebber did wanter go wid dem Kiuxers no more. Us went to de white rolkses church, but onct a year on de rust Sunday in Augus de white olkses let de Nig~ers have dat day ror camp meetin . ~Dey fixed good dinners ror us, an let us go orf in de woods an stay all day. Dem chicken pies an dem goodold tato custards,. bout one an a hale inches thick, made viid sea sugar, deymake your motif water just to talk bout em. What wuz sea sugar? Why it wuz dat crawly, kind oib grayish, lookin sugar us used den. I wuz grown tore I ever seed no sho nougb. white sugar0 My pa hired me out to M ~. Ray Kempton to tote cotton to de ~in on his plantation, when I wuz bout 16 years old. I wuz wukkin dar when de f ust railroad wuz laid, an dey named de place Kempton Station rer Marse Ray Kempton. I wuz paid Live dollars a month ant board ror my wuk, an I stayed dar til I married.

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1 wuz bout eighteen w~.en I rode on de train ~or de Lust time. U~ rode rrcgn Social Circle toWashin ~on, Wilkes, to see ray ma s ~olkses. Ma tuk a laeap of singer cakes an fried. chicken along for us to eat on de train, an de swing~.n an swayin o:e dat train made nie so sick I didn t want to ride no more for a lone time. . ~ Soon atter I wuz twenty years old, I married a gal from ~Vashin ton, Wilkes, an us mOved to Athens, an I been livin right here ever since. Us got here de last day de old whiskey house wuz open. Dey closed it down dat night. I wukked, a long time wid de Ailgood boys in de horse tradin business an den I wukked. l or Mr. an Mrs. Will Peeples bout ten year~. Dey runned a boardin house, an while I wuz dar, Dr. Walker come to board, an I wuz mighty glad to wait on hii~i, toause he wuz from Monroe an had done been livin on de old Vialker place dat I stayed at when us wuz down dar . . Myunole, Ambus Garter, wuz apreacher on Marse Jim Smith s place. lie b longed to Marse .1Tim d.urin de War, an he never did. leave him. Atter freedom come, most o~ Marse Jim s Niggers le1~ him, an den he had what dey called etiaingang slaves. He paid em out of jail for em to wuk i~or hini. An he let em ~ have money all de time so dey didn t never ~it out or debt wid hint. Dey had to stay dar an wuk all de time, an i~ dey didn t wuk he had. em beat. He evermore did beat eni if dey got lazy, but it

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. . . ~ . ~ ~ 206 ~ 6~~- dey wu~cked good, he wuz good. to em. Sometimes dey tried to run away. Dey had dogs to trail eni wid s dey always cotohed em, ant den de whippin boss beat em mos to death. It wuz aw1~u1 to hear em hollerin an beg~in for mussy. I~ dey ho1~ lered, Lord have mussy~ Marse Jim didntt heaz em, but if dey cried, ~rse Tim have mussyL den he made em stop de beatin . He say, De Lord rule lleb en, but Jim Smith ruled de earth. One time he cotehed some Niggers down at de Seaboard Sta tion, what had runned away from his place. He got de police, an brung eni back cause he lowed dey still owed him money, I wuz niighty sorry ror em, i~or I knowed what dey wuz goin to git when he done got em back on his place. Dat wh~ppin boss beat em tu dey couldn t stan up. But he wuz good to my uncle, an treated him just lak one o1~ de tambly. He helped him wid all hissermons, an told him to always tell ein to be observerant an obejent to de boss man. He provided good fer his help an dey always had plenty to eat. He used to try to git nie to come an stay wid. him, but I didn t want to stay on dat place. ??Liarse 3~im used to have big possum hunts for his Niggers, an he would sen rae word, an I most always went, cause dem wuz good times den, when dey cookeu. de coons an possums, an eat an drunk mes or e night. Goon meat is most as good as lamb II you is care1~ul to take out de musk sacs when you dress em to cook.

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20? 7 Smithsonia, the Jim Smith plantation, covered thousands o:f: acres, but the words of the feeble old Negro showed that he could not imagine it possible for any farmer to own more than one hundred acres. . Marse Jim had a hund ud acre 1~arin, an he had to keep plenty of~ Nig~ers to look atter dat place, but I wuz fraid to go dar to stay, for it wuz sho just lak de jailhouse. Dey ain t but four o1~ our nine chiliun.s ilvin now an dey s all .up Nawf. Dey done sont atter me w~eu deir ma died, an tried to ~it me to stay wid em, but its too cold up dar for dis old Nigger, so I just stays on here by myself. It don t take much tor nie to liveon. In crop times Iwuks in;de fiel a chop pin cotton, an I picks cotton too. I~1l just wait on here ant de waitin won t be much longer, cause I se a living right, an , Praise de Lawd, I se a gwine to lieb en. w en I die. * ) ~** IC * *

Carrie Hudson. Ex-slave - age 75. 214 211

100()95 21iE PlANT T IO~T LIFE as viewed by Ex-Slave OARRfl~ ~DS~ $8 Lyndon Avenue Athe ns Georgia. Written by: Sadie 3. iornsby Athens - Edited by: Sarah li. Hall Athen6 - leila Harris Augusta and Job~n N. Booth District Supervisor Federal Ti~ iter& Project Residencies 6 & 7.

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100095 212 GAR~IE Ht3DSO1~ . S ~a!~a~3:~ ~jJ ~ . . ~ ~arrie was asked to relate her memories of childhood days~ on the old plantation. I se done iflOet forgot $:bOUt dem days,.~ she replied, 0but if you a~ me son~e que tions hit rnought corne back to nie . Hitt ~ sueh a fur way back dat I ~ done t never think bout dem times no more.* After a. few reminders, the old Negress begaa eagerly volunteering her rec~ollections.: ~ ~ Slave traders fot~hed ~ Pa, he was Phi . Ruoker, f um Richmond, Virginny, and sold him to Marse Joe Squire Rucker. ~ . ~. she was Franee s Rucke r, ~as borned on Marse Joe Fa place nigh RuCker8ville, up in - ~ibert County, and all 10 Of US chilluiis was born oit dat ~1antation too. Hester Ann, Loke Ann, ~iiza~et~i, Mary, Minnie Bright, Dawson, Anttony, Squire and Philip was my sisters and brothars. Grandma B~ssie done de cookin at de big h.ouse. Grand a Ant o~ had dOne died long fore I got big enough to know nothin~ bouthim. Miss, ~killiuia what was knee high to a duck had to wuk. Tu dey was big an~. strong enough for field wuk, little Niggers done all sorts of piddlin ~ Dey toted~ water to de big house and to de hands in de fields, fotched in chips and wood, and watched de COWS. Me? I nussed most of de time. ~ if dere~was any money giTe out for slaves wuk de grown folkses got it all, for I never seed none and I never heared bout no Niggers gittin none in slavery times. 0tJs lived in log cabins scattered 1round de plantation. ~ oigge st of ~ em had two rooms and evvy cabin had a chimbly made out of sticks and red mud. Most of de chjl .tLn slept on pallets on de

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~: 4 Page2. ~t ~ floor, but I siep~t wid my Pa andM~a cause.~I was sopet~i~h. Most of de beds was rn~de out of.poles, dis a~way: Dey~bored two holes in de wall, wide apart as: dey wanted de. bed, and in deae holes dey stuck one e nd of de p o le s what was de s ide pi e ee~ s . Dey sharpene d de ends of two more ~poies and driv ~em in de floor for de foot j~ieces and fastened de side pieces to tens. ~ Planks was put acrostdi~ frame to hold a coarse cloth tick filled wid wheat straw. Ma had a ruffle, what was called a foot bouncer, round de foot of her bed. .Beds up at de big house wa~ a sight to see. Dey had high postie and cur~ tains over de top and round de bottom of deir $ds. . Dem beds at de big house was so high dey had Steps to walk up so eycould git in em. Oh, dey was. pretty, all ki~vered over widbob!xiet tokeep flies and skeeters off de white folkses whilst dey slept!. ~ ~Tarn t nothin short bout de eats. ~ur white folkse3 b lieved in good satin s. Dey give us bread and meat wid all de cabbage colla d and turnip greens us wants d and us had inatoe s, ttatoes, chickens and ducks. Yessuin, and dere allue was plenty t~O85~~3fls and rabbits cooked bout lak dey is now, only dare warn t no stoves in dein days. Pots for biling swung on racksdey called crane s over de oals in big open fireplaces. Baking was done in. ovens and skillets. Dare was allus lojs. of fishes in saa~on, but I didn~t do none of de fishin , cause twas too skeered of de water when I was a chap. h ~ll de cloth for our clothes was wove in de loom room up at de big house. Little gal s dresses was~made just lak deir Ma s, wid full skirts gathered on to plain, close fittin waisties. Little

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~3. ~ 214 boys juSt wore shirts. Didntt no ohiliw wear butone p1 c~f clothes in summez . Winter time us wore de same only dey give us a warm underskir t and rough red brogan shoes Didn~ t rio Niggers wear shoes in warm weather darin slavery times. S lare Joe Squire Etucker was de fu8t Marster of our plantation. Atter him and Miss Peggy done died,hisson, Marse EThert Sucker tuk up where his Pa left off. I can t call to mind nothin boat Marse Joe and. Miss Pegg~y tcej~t what old folksee.told me long atter dey done died, but I does member Marse E1b~ert and Miss Saille and d~3y was just as good to us as dey could be. De onliest ones of dier ohilluns I ricollects now is LLas Bessie, Miss Cora ana M~.rstere Joe, Guy, Marion and ~ar1y Dey all lived in a big fine house sot b1aek ftum de road a piece. Marse Elbert s over~seer was a Mr. Alderman. Jie got de slaves up early in de mornin and it was blaak night fore he f tohed em in. Marss Elbert didn t low nobody to lay hands on his Niggers but his own self. If any wha2~4ri had to be done, he done it. ~My brother, Squire, was de carriage driver and he wai all time a~-drivin our white folkses to Ruckersville, and sometime8 he driv em far as Anderson, South Callina. *To tell de truth, Missy, I don t know how many acres was in dat big old plantation. ~re just ain t no te .lin . Niggers v as seattered over dat great big place lak flies. ~When dey coeie in ft ~ de. fields at night dem slave s was glad to ju8 t go to sise and rest. S

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Jage 4. 215 ~LDey didn t do flO field wuk atter dinner on Saddays. ~ oinans washed, ironed and cleaned up deir cabins, while de mens ~idd1ed Irount and got de tools and harness and things lak dat ready for de next week s wuk. 1 : heared em say dere was a jail at !tuckersville, but so far as I knows dere warn t no slaves ever put in jail. Niggers didn t have no chance to git in devilment, cause de overseers and patterollers kep close atter em all de time, and slaves what stepped aside allus got a whi~pin . Dere warn t no time for to lam readin and writin o~n Marse Elbert s plantation. Dem slaves knowed what a Bible . was but dey sho couldn t read de fust line Us went t~ white foik~es church ort Sundays, and while I never tuk in none of dem songs us sung, I sho ly do ricollec:t moughty well how de E~everend Duncan would come down on dat preachin . Lordy, Misst Dere you is a axing ins bout folkses dyiri , and I se nigh dead myselft Brother lisha done prophesied you was a-commt here for to write a jedgrnent, and hit makes me feel right creepy. Anyhow I seed a heaps of folkses died out and git put in dem hon~e-~made coffins what was black as sin. I silo is glad dey done changed de color of coffins. I members how us used to holler and cry when dey come to de part of de fun rai whar dey sung : Hark r~ De T nb, A Doleful Sound. Dere was a heap of ba~tizin s dem days and I went to i~ost all of em, but I sho warn t baptized tu long atter I got grown, cause I was so skeered of de water. I kin see dem folkees now, a marchin down to de crick, back of de church, and all d.c c an-i-dates

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ia ;e~ ~ dresse:d In de whites white c1othes~what was. de i~11e den. Evvybody jinedi in de singin and de words was Lak dis: ~ ~ tJfa~ ~hjnt for de water ~ . . . :P or to be baptized. Dc Lord done 1ii~ de candle On de o the r s ide ~ . ~ . ?or to see his ohilluns ~ Then dey gits baptized. . . *Niggers on Marse 3ibertt ~ p)~~ never knowed nothing bout no fforth; if dey did dey w uldn t tell it to chiliuns little as I was den. Dere was 8O1T1~ sort of uprisin a good ieoe f um Ruckersville, buti can t tell you bout it teause I just lieared deold foLkees do a little talkin what warn t enoug~ to Lam de whole tale. Cliillun back dar didn t jine in de old folkees. business l~ dey does now. ~Sadday nights de young foikse s picked de banj o, danced and cut de buck t~tIl long atter midnight, but Chrisixnasr times was when chilluns had deli be ste s good time s Marse 3lbert ranged to hac~e hog kuhn close enough to Christ~s so dere would ~e plenty of fresh. meat, and dere was heaps of good chickens, tukkeys, cake, can~ dies, and just evvything good. Endurin de Christmas, slaves visited t rount ft ~ house to house but New Year s ~y was wuk time again, and dere was allue plenty to do on dat plantation. Most all de Niggers loved to go to dem oornshuckin e, cause ~atter de corn was all shucked dey give em big suppers and let em dance. De cotton pickin s was on n ghis when de moon was extra bright cause dey couldn t do mues lightin up abig cotton field wid torches lak dey did de plaeea where d~y had de cornehuckin s. Atter cornahuekin s, dey mought be dan~in

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~Pag&~ 6. . 2f? by de light of torches, but us dancedin de moonlight when de cotton was picked and de prize done beengive out to de slave what picked de most. Logrollints was de n~ost fun of all. De men~ and amans would roll dem logs and sing and dey give em plenty of g;ood eats., and whiskey by de kegs, at logrollin s. De Marsters, dey planned de C ornshuckin s, and e o t ton pickin s and logrollin s and ~ervi ded de eatsand liquor, but de quiltin parties b longed to de slaves. Dey ranged ein deir own selfs and done deir own vitiri and fixed up de:ir own eats, but most of de Marsters would let em have a little ~ornepin extra lak brown sugar or 1asse.~ and some 1ic~uor. De quiltizi s was in de cabins, and dey alius had em in winter when dere warn t no field wuk. Dey would quilt a while and stop to eat apple pies, peach pies,and other good things and drink a little liquor. Us had to tote water and nues chiliu~ sti~ of playin no game s. US didn t know nothin bout ghoaties, hanta, and sich lak. Our white folkses would whup a Nigger for skeermn us ehillun quick as anything. Dey didntt 2low none of dat. De anhiest ghost Itse ever seed was just t other day. I seed somebody pass n~y door. I hollered outz ~ datV Dey didn t say nothin . ~rother Liaha here said it was a s~errii pasein by. H~ must be right, cause whoever it was, dey didn t say nothin ttall. . ~ ~Marse Elbert and Misa Salue was sho rnoughiy good when de jr Niggers tuic sick. Castor oil and turpentine was what dey give em moe t of de time. Rorehound tea was for o olds and elderberry tea was to help babies teethe ea5ier. Y s~ui~i, us wore beads, but dey was just to look pretty.

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: :2a~. ~7. ~ 21~ . ~tA1 1 1. knows ~ bout how ~ o orne us wa s 8 0 t fre e i s da t fo ikee s said kr. ;J~~fferson I~vie and Mr. AbrahaILi~inco1n got to fightin bout us, and Mr. Lincoln s side got di best of ~r. )~vis~ sid in de quarrel. De day dey told us dat us was free dere was a white man named Mr. Bruce, what axed: tWhat you say? Dey told him gain dat all de Niggers was free. He bent hisseif over, and never did straighten hie body no more. When he died, he was etill all bent over. Mr. Bruce done dia to shot de world how he hated to give his Niggers up atter dey done been sot free. ~When dem Yankees come thoot, dey stole evvything dey could take off wid exn~~ Dey tuk Sue my brother s nice hose, and le ft him a old poor bag~of.bones hose. Us stayed on wid our white folkees a long time atter de War. . 1:gdwin J~one s was my fus t husband and I wore a .pre t ty dove colored dress at our weddin . 1Tennl Ann was our onliest child. All but one of our eight grandohillun is all liv in now, and I se got 24 great grandohillun. Atter Edwin died, I married dis here Charlie Hudson what I. se livint wid now. Us didn t have no big weddin and tain t long since us got married. Me and Charlie am t got no chi .lun. $1 jined de churcb~ cause I gOt ligion and I knows de good Lord done forgive it~ sins. ~vvybody ought to git ~ ligion and hold it and jine de church. De way us is a havin to live now is pretty bad cause us is both too old to wuk. Don t give me dem slavery days no iriore cause I would have t o wuk anyhow if I was a slave again~ Us e ouldn t se t t rount and smoke our pipe s and do as us please . I d ruther have; it

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. Page 8. ~ 219 lak it is now. UI cant t member no more o tell you but I shoe has ~ ~oyed Ye asurn, dem days was a fur piece back. . . . . . s dis talk.

Charlie Hudson. Ex-slave - age 80. 223 220

:1900941 PlANTATION LLHB as viewed by ~x-S1ave CHARLIB HUDSON 258 I~yndon Avenue At~ans, Georgia 220 Written by: Edited by: 8a~tie B. Kornab~ Athens - Sarah L Hail Athens - Leila Karris Augusta - and ~Tohn L Booth District Supervisor Pederal Writers Project ~. Rea. 6&7. Augusta, Ga.

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I 00094 ~ O .221 cIrA3LI:~ HUDSON . ~xs~ve-~.8o. . . . . . Charlie listened with eager interest, to the story related by Carrie, his wife, and frequent smileS played over his wrinkled black face as her reminiscences awakened memories of younger days. His delight was evident when the interviewer suggested that he teil his ~ irnpression8 of slavery and the period following the War between the States~ *Mi8s,cI be said, Mi b~en takint inwhat de old oman done told you. Datwas de beginnin way back yonder and de e~nd is nigh. Soon dere WO.ntt be nobody left livin What was a sho tnough slave. It s somepin to think about, aintt it? ~Anyhow, I was born ~r.ch 27, 1858. in .Blberi County. Ma lived on de Bell plantation andMarse Matt Hudson owned ~r Pa and kep t him on de Hudson place . Dore was seben of us chill~n. Will, Byna~~n, John and n~e was de boys and de gals was Amanda, Liza Ann, and Gussie. Tu u5 WaS big enough to wuk,, us played round de house t b ou t lak clii hun doe s de se days . . . *Slave quarters was laid out lak streets. Us lived in log cabins. Beds? Dey was jus makeshift beds, what wasinade out of pine poles. De side of de house was ~e head of de beds. De side rails was sharpened at both ends and driv in holes in de walls an4 foot posties. Den dey ut boards cross de side rails for de mat- tresses to lay on. De eoarse oloth bed ticks was filled wid Georgy fe athe ra Don t you know what ae orgy feathers was? Wheat straw was Georgy feathers. Our kivver was sheets and plentyof goo4 warm quilts.~ Now dat was at our own quartera on Marse .~vid Bell s plantation.

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Page 2. 222 ~ Didn t. evvybody hav~e as good place ~ to sie &P as ua I members a white famb;iy named Sims what lived in Flatwoods. Dey was de pore3t white folks I ever seedS. Dey had a big drove of chillun and deir Pa never wukked a lick in his life - He jus lived on other fo1k~es labors. Deir little log caMn had a partition in it, and hind dat partition dere warn t a stitch of nothin . Dey didn t have no floor but dc ground, and back hind dat p.artitthn wa~ dug out a little deeper dan in de rest of de house. Dey ~ilied dat place wid leaves and dat s whar all de ohilluns slept. Evvy day Miss Saille made em take out de leaves what dey had slep on de night before and fill de dugout wid fresh leaves. On de other sid~e~ of de partition, Miss SalUe and her old man slept long wid deir hog, and hoss, and cow, and dat was whar dey cooked and et too. I amt t never gwine to forgit dem white folk5. ~ ~ ~. ~ grandma Patsy, Pappy s I~, knocked round lookin atter de sheep and hogs, close to de house, cause ~he was too old for field wuk. Ma s Mammy was my grand~ma Rose. Her job was drivin de oxcart to haul in wood from de new grounds and to take wheat and corn to mill and fetch back good old home-~made flour and meal. I never did hear nothin bout my grandpas. ~ done de cookin for de white folks. PI don t~ know il I was no pet~ but I did stay up at de big house niost of. de time, and one thing I loved to do ujj dar was to follow Miss Betsy round totin her sewin basket. When wuk got tight and hot in crop time, I helped de other chillun tote water to de hands. De bucket would slamp gaizist my laigs all along de way, and most of de water would be done splashed out fore I got to de fieU.

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Page 3. 223 ~rse David and his fambly most allus sont deir notes and messages by me and another yearlin boy what was lowed to lay t round de big house yard so US would be handy to wait on our white folks. Dey give you de note what dey done writ, and dey say: Boy, if you lose dis note, you ll git a whuppin ~ All de time you was carryin dem notes you had your whuppin j~ your hand and didn t know it, lessen you lost de note. I never heared of no trouble to mount to nothin twixt white folks and Niggers in our settlement. ~1Us et good, not muc~h diff unt f um what us does now. Most times it wa8 meat and bread wid turnip greens, lye hOainy, milk,and butter. All our cookin was done on open fireplaces. Oht I was fond of tpOss1~~fls, sprinkled wid butter and pepper, and baked down tu de to gravy was good and brown. You was lucky if you got/eat possum and gnaw de bones atter my ~. done cooked it. Dey cotch rabbits wid dogs. Now and den, a crowd of Niggers would jump a rabbit when no dogs was round. Dey would thot rocks at hirn and run him in a hollow log. Den dey would twiss him out wid hickory wisps (withes). Sometimes dere war&t no fur left on de rabbit time dey got him twisted out, but dat was all right. Deyjus slapped him over daid and tuk him on to de cabin to be cooked. Rabbits was i~ost gen ally fried. Grown boys didn t want.us chillun goin long possum huntin wid em, so all right, dey tuk us way off crost de fields t fil dey found a good thick clump of bushes, and den dey would holler out dat dere was some mou hty fine snipes round dar. Dey made us

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sag. ~ 4. 224. hold de ~ (bag). o en ao dt snipes could run in. Den dey bl wed out deir light ood knot torches, and left us ohii1u~ hoidin de poke whilst dey went on huntin possums. ~ t te r d inne r Saddays all of us tttk our hooks p o le s and lines down to Dry Fork Crick, when it was de right time o.f de year to fish. Sometimes dey stewed fish for old folkses to eat, but young fol.kses loved em fried beat. Winter time dey give ohillun new cotton and wool mixed 8hirt2 what come down most to de ankles. By de time hot weather come de shirt was done wore thin and swunk up and sides dat, us had growed ~tough for em to be short on us, so us Jus iore dem same shirts right on thoot de summer. ~ our place you went bar foots til you was a great big yearlint fore you got no shoe s. What you wore on yo~ haid wal a cap made out of saraps of cloth dey wove in de looms right dar on our plantation to make pants for de grown folks. I EIEr. David Bell, our Marster, was born clubfooted. His hands and foots was drawed up evvy which a way long as he liTed. He was jus :Lak a old tom cat, he was auch a eusser. All he done was i:us set dar and cuss, and a heap of times you couldn t see nothin for him to cuss bout. He tuk his crook, handled wa .kin stick and cot h you and drug you up to him and den jus helt you tight and cussed you to yo face, but he didn t never whup nobody. Our Niet eas, Miss Betsey, was allus moughty kind at times lak dat, and she used to give us chiUun a heap of ginger cakes. ~ aeben ohillun i wae

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Page 5~ 225 Dr. Bynam, I~rse Da~jd and ii t tie lIssez Ad~ line fli*abeth, . ~ and Mildred. Dey 1i~d in a big 1dtwo-~st x7 hot~ e~ but Ld i~ :f .~ot hoi it lookedi. ~ ~ . ~ ~ Dat overseer, h was a o1eve~ man, but 1 can t ricoilect his natue. He neverpaid no heed to what sort of e .othes slaves wore, but he uBed te raiSe merry cala if dey didn t ha~e good shoes to ditch in. ~rse David was de CU55~fl~ ~ but de overseer called Ilisseif de whuppin b088. . ~ had whuppin~sal1 time savedup special for de o~ans. ~ made e~take~off deir waistee and den he whupped em on deir bar backs tu he was satisfied. He done ail de whuppin atter supper by candle light. I don t ~member dat he ever whu~d a man. He just whupped t~oaans. ~ . . I . lvvybodywas up early so dat by sunrise d~y wai out in de fields, sus a whoepi~ and 1~olierint ~ A sund~n. dey stopped ~ and corn back to de cabins. In wheat harvestin time dey WtIICked so hard dey jus fell out f um gittin overhet. Other tims8 dey jus wukked long steady lak. ~Marse David never had.no sho nough ear iagsso he never needed no car iage driver. Ee had what dey called a ground sleigh. In de epring Marse David sont a man to de woods to pick out a l~1~ : ~ lookin young white oak sa lin and bent it down a certain way. Hit stayed bent dat way tu it growed big enough, den dey Sawed it leng:thways and put a rnrtise hole in ~aeh front piece to put de round thoot to hold de singletrees. Holes was bored at deback to fasten de plank seat to. Dey put a quilt on de seat for a cushion and hitched a pair of oxen to de sleigh. Come winter, come iu~er, snow or rain, dey went right on in de old sleigh jus te samet

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Page~ . ~FNow, Mi~as,~dis ~ho is righfl ~ny times as I is &one been over dat plantationf nmonesidetodeothe.r I couidn itell. you to sav e my life how many acrea was~ in it. I would be fraid to say, how many slaves larse ~vid owned, but Itrn here to tell you~ dare wa~ a bunch of ~ round . dar. . ~D.y didn t have . no jail.houee ~ or. nothin lak dat round dat ~plantation, cause if slaves didn t please Marater dey was JUS made to oome up to de yard at de big house and take deir beatin s. I seed dem traders come thoo f urn Virginny wid two wagon loads of slavea at one time, gwine down on BroadRi~er toa place called Lisbo~i har dey already had orders for e~ I am t never s~ed no slaves bein sold or auctioned off on de block. . ~1Vunst a white man named Bill R W~~y, come and begged Marse David to let him teach his ~Iggers. Marss David h d de grown mens go sweep up de cottonseed in de ginhouse on Sunday mornin~, and for three Sundays us went to school. When us *ent on de fourth Sunday night riderB had done made ~ a shape lak a coffin in de sand out in front, and painted a sign on de girthouse what read: ~No~ Niggers lowedto be taught in dis ginhouse. Dat made Marse David so, mad he just cussed and cussed. Be iowe~ dat nobody warn t gwine tell him what to do. But us was too skeered to go back to deginhoi.~se: to school Next week Marse David had em ~Ii14 a brush arbor down by de crick, but when us went dow dar on Sunday for school, us found de night riders had done stroyed de brush arbor, and dat was de end of my gwine to seh ol. .

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!Dsz e.*arn t. no. c~hu.t~ekfor . slaves wI~ai, ~ .. waa. ~ Dav id give i.th apassao usWouidnh t be sturbed and let us go.tround from one plantation t another ~ on Sundays for prayer uieetin s in de cabins and u~nde r tree a j f de weather was warm and nice . Some time s when dere was a Jubilee comint off, s1a~es was lowe.d to go to de i~ Marsters church. I~? I used to ride hind Miss Bet8ey On. her hose what she called Puss and away us went j iggin dowri~ de road to juibilees at Millatone and~iam ehurehe~. I was a rich feelin little Nigger den. ~ . . *j~~ chiliun had to take a back 8eat whil8t de old foik~ done all de aingin so I never lame d none of dem s ong~ good nough to member what de words was, or de tunes neither~. Now and den us wen-t to a fuu ral, not often, but if dere was a baptizin inside of 10 milee round f um whar us liied, U8 didn t miss, it. Us knowed how to walk, and went to git de pleasure. SAtter sia~es got in f um de fields at night, de ~rnana cooked supper whilst de inene chopped wood. 1~sien de crops wae in de grass moughty bad or somepin e lee awf ul urge rit dere warn t iio wuk done atter dinner on Saddays. De old folks. ironed, c .eant house, and de lak, and de young folks went out Sadday nights and danc d to de music what dey made beatin on tii~ pans. Sundays, youngsters went to de woods and hunted hiokernuts and muscadinee. De old folks stayed home and looked one anothers haida over for nits and lice. Whenever dey found anything, dey mashed it twilCt c~ey finger and thumb and went ahead searchint ~ ~n de omans wropt each others hair de way it was to stay fixed tu de next Sunday.

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Page 8. -j - _J ~Christmas us went ftUm house to house lookint for locust arid persimmon beer. . Cbillun went to all de houses huntiri gingerbread. Ma used to roll it thin, cut it out wid a. thimble, and give a dozen of dem little balls to each chile. Persinmion beer and gingerbread~ What big times us did have at Chris mas. New Year s Day, dey raked up de hoss and cow lots if de weather was good. Mar ster just made us wuk enough on Mew Year s Day to call it wukkin so he could say he made us start de New Year right. Marss David had cornshuckin s what lasted two or three we eke at a t irne . Dey had a gent rai to Ice e~p dem brash boys straight. De numbs r O L ge n rai s p e nde d on how muc h c o rn us had and how many slaves was shuckin corn. Atter it was ail shucked, dere was a big celebration in store for de slaves. Dey cooked up washpots full of U d pork, arid be e f and had o ol lard gre e ns da t was wu th lookin at. Dey had water buckets full of whiskey. When dem Niggers danced atter all dat eatint and drinkin it warn t rightly danein ; it was wrastlin . Dem moonlight cotton pickin s was big old times. Dey give prizes to de ones pickin de most cotton. De prizes was ap.t to be a quart of whiskey for de man what picked de most and a dress for de oman what was ahead. Dem Niggers wouldn t take no time to empty cotton in baskets jus dumped it out quick on baggin in de field. Dey went f um one plantation to another to quiltin s. Atter de omans got thoot quil.tin and et a big dinner, den dey axed de mens to corne in and dance wid em. Whenever any of our white folks gals got married dere was two or three weeks of celebratin . What a time us did have if it was

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~age~ 9. 22~~ one of our own little rni8ee.a gitiin aarxried%~ ~ When .de..day .~rived, it Wa8 some:pin elBe. De white folks wa~ dressed ~up to beat.de band, and a . . de slaves was up on deir toes todo evvything jus rig~~t.~and to see ai . dey could, Atter de preaoher done ~ inished his words to de young couple, den dey had de sho nough weddin fe t.. Dere was all sortsof meat to.ohooee f ua~at weddin dinners turkeya, geese, ohi eke na pe afowis and guineas not t O me nt ion good old ham and ~ other meats. . ~ . . - Pitohin hoss ehoee and playin marbieB was heaps and lots of fun when I wa~ growin u~. Atter while, de old folks cided deingames was gamblint and wouldn t let UB play no more. I don t know nothin ttall bout no ghosties. Us had t~0~j~ to be ~keered of widout takin u~p no time wid dat sort of thing. ~LWhen Mar~se David changed me f u~ calf shepherd to cowboy, he sont three or four of us boys to drive de eows to a good place to graze ~ ~ cause de male beast was so mean and bad bout gi ttii~ at ter chillun, he thought if he sont enough of us dere wouldn t be no trouble. De~ days, dere war&t no fence law, and calves was jus turned loose in de pastur to: graze. De fUit ti,~ I went ~by myself to drive de cows off to graze and corne ba k wid ~ em, Aunt Vinnie ported a bunch of de cows was missin ~bout 20 of em, when she done de milkin dat night, and I had to go back huntin dea cows. De moon eoine out bright and clear but I o ouldn t see dem cows nowhar didn t even hear de bell cow. Atter while I was standin in de mayberry field a lookin croat ~y g ork Crick and dere was dem cows. I~ bell was pulled so abat on de be Il cow s neck whar she was caught in de bushes, dat it couldn t ring. I looked at dem cows - den I looke4

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a~t de orickwh r I eould se Sflak S~ as thick as de fingel B o your hand, bi~t I~ know d I had to git dem ~T5 back. home, sO I jul lit out and Io~ed ~ros~a dat eriok so fast d~rn snakOs ~ had ~ o chanct tobiteme. D~twas;de wust racketi eYe~ gotin. . 9~.rse David andlisa Bet~ejr tukiflo~.tghty ~od keer 6f deir Ni~gers, specially wheit dey was sick. Dr. Bynarn Bell, deir oldest 8Ofl~ wag a doctor but MiasBetsey was a p~werfu1good hand at doctoring herself. She looked atter all de slave omane. Por~medicines dey give us asafiddy (atafetida), calomel, and castor oil more ~ dan anything e Ise for our diff unt a il~nen ta . ~~rse David s nephew, Mr. Henry Bell, vialted at de big. house dunn de war, and he was Cut downjus a few days atter he left u~ and went back to de battlefield. . *TjB had be e~n he arm fus t one thing and an o th r bout freedom might come when one mornin Ir. Will Beil, a patteroller, corn ridin on h~s hose at top speed thoo de rye field whar us was at wuk. U~ made sho hG wag atter some pore slave, tu he yelled out z tWhat you Niggers wiUckin for? Doa t you know you is free as jay birds? Bout dat ti~ne de tru~pet blowed for dinner and us fell in line a-marohin up to de big . ~rse David said s You ail might jus as well be fresas anybody eZLee.t Dfl he promie d to give Us somepin to eat and wear if us would stay on wid hia, and dere us did stay for bout three years atter de war. I was. burnt up den, cause I didn t have de pririlege of ridin hind Iis~ Betsey on old Puss no more when she west to meetin e

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Pa~ ~. ~ Wkiar us lived, KU~ E1uxe~s was called ni&ht ihiefB.! I~ey B tole money and weapons (wea ons) r u~ :~4gge~~ .. atter de war . Dey. ~ tuk $50 i.n gold ft ~ ~ and $50 in re fi ~a~vi~a ~ . s~.ip1aa~ters fi ~ my brother a Pa and ILaIIad left dat inoneyfor ua to use when um got big. enough. A few Niggera managed 8oxnehow to buy a 1itt1~ land. I couldn t rightly say when de school was $et up. t*Me and Carr le Rucker us ai n t be en marrie d long . I thinks big weddi& a i~ a foOlish waste of time and money. Y65surn1 l in ~ioughty proud of all of Carrie sgrandehillun and I m fond of evvyone of dem 24 great grandohillun of here. ~ Well, it waa a Od-8eflt method Mr. Lineoin used to give. US: OUI? freedom. Mr. Davis~ didn t want no war, and he posed it all he knowed how, but if he hadn t a gone ahead and fit, dore never . would have been nothin done for us. ~ar~ as I knows, Booker Wa~hin - ton done some good things in his day and time, but I don t know much boUt him. . . In a way, I m satiafied wid what confronts me. A pusson in jail or on de chaingang would ruther be outside and free dan in aa tivity. Datte how I feels. Then dey read die passageof de Bible to m , I olded to jine up wid de church. Come ye out~f um amongst dem, and ye shall be IflY pe ople . ~ I thiflk evvybody ought to read dat verse, jine de church, and den live .igioue lifes. I done been changed f um darkness to light, ~ for a closer walk wid God. Yea ~ am~ lies, I done been here a long time I done seed

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Page ;~ ~ 2J2~ many come and go.. Lots of ob~anges haB .tuk lace. I done told y~ou boutf um de eradle to de grave, and I enjoyed dom it. AU dat ricollectin ~ho tt c me back over many a rocks road, but dem was de days what aintt ~tever gvrine to be no more. . . e . . s I I . . .

Annie Huff, ex-slave, of near Macon, Georgia. 236 233

.-~ ~ ~ T ~ ~) 4F ~ ~~)O()99 j ~ 4\ A1I~L~ HUFF, E~SL~VE, ~ . . ~ :: : ~ . Of 1\IEAR MA~CON, c~EORGIA~ . . ~ . ~ ; I 1ar~e windmill e~ide the highway, on the Hoa2ton ~oad near SeTen Bridges, draws the attention ot~ a ~ to a two-story house, recently remodeled, which wa~the colonIal home of !!r. Travi2 FlUff, now occupied ~y Mrs. Rosa r~elt n, .hi~ ~rand-.dau~hter. During the &ays of s1a~ery the master and an indu ~.ent mi ~tresa with their twelve s1a~es liTed on this property. Mr. B~iff .~ fbamily w~ a large one, all of whom were well ed~icated and very r~li~iou.s. Several 0 his daughters became teachers after the elo~e o ~ the Civil War. ~ .; mon~ the quartei~ families were Annie HU~ ~nd her da~i~hter~, Mary ~sein& the elder. The mother cooked and the ~rnallohi1dren learned to sweep the yard and to do minor jois in the field at a very early 8~e. At ihea~e of twelve, the ~ir1s were tau~ ht to card and spin ~s well a~ to knit and were required to d~o a certain task each ~ay until they were large enou.~h to a~ist with the heavier work. . ~ adult fernaie2 ~1d th1~ type ofwork a.i~ter suxiaet, when their La1~or in the field wa~ oYer. On rainy d~y~ they shucked and ~helied ~ or did some other kind o ~ indo r l Ior. ~ . . Generally, thl8 group ~a2 humanely treated, ~ut occasionally one. wa~ unrnerciftlly ~eaten. In spite ~f the fact that there was only one ria~ie arrwn~ his ~la~es, Mr. FaffT8 ou~t1u~r~ts, o~ temper eaii~ed him to ~e ~o crue~. that hi~ dau~hter2 wou.1~. frecju~entIy ~eg himio end. hia ~rnni~hment.

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~: ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ Frolics were mostly ~iYen at corn shuckin~, cane ~indin~g, hog, killings, or quilting~. At hog killing time, h~i~e containers of water were heated in the yard. When it reached the desired tempe~a~ turc, the hots were dr1~en to a certain spot where they were str~xck a hard ~low on the head. when they fell, they were stu~ck with a very sharp knife, then scalded in the 1oilin~ wate~ The hair and dirt were then scrt~ied off ~nd they were a pretty lieht color as they hune from a rack tu 1~ dreg~ed. When the work was completed, the quests c oked chltterlin~2 and niade ~ar~ecue to ~e ~er ved with the u.sual gi~ercakeandpermmon~~1~iey then dre~i~ed In their co1~r~t..~w& jda~ ~arment~, dyed with maple and dogwood lark, to en~a~e in promenades, cotillions, etc., to the time of a cj~iilll ins tru.ment. On Sunday, church ~eryiceg were held at Did. Ll~1erty Church where seats in the rear were proTided for all adu.lt s1a~es. The small children were not allowed to attend these ser~lces , ~u.t they frequently sneaked away from home and attended in spite of the restriction. It was exDedient that they also leave lefore the dioge of the serTice, sut ~fte~ lin~ered onth~e roadside and waited for Mr. }~iff to pass. He d ~to ~ and ask them where they s ~ and a~ they danced ap and dovni they replle.d in choru.s: ~We ~e seen to church, Master; w~ ve seen to church. The presence of slave Yibitorg wa~ not encouraged, for ~r. TT~iff ~.siially purciia~ed women with children and there were no married cou~le~ livin~ on his place. }~owe~er, y oun~ N~ro men would often sneak In the ~aiin~ at nl~ht ~ ~ usually comln~ throt~h Lhe windows and. ~i~lt with their ~weetheartg. Gifts of handkerchIefs and earrings were ~m~~~led In gtriotly a~aln~t

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fte rules of the 1~ia~ter. . Children tattler~ kept Mr. Huff informed re~ardtn~ the haDpenin~s in the quarters, ~ut their silence could ~e ~ou~ht with a few shin plasters. Th1~ ~hush~ money and that made from .runnini errands were enou.~h to keep the children $u.pplied with sDendin~ change. Often, when their childish prattle had caused some adult to ~e punished, !trs. }tuif wo~ld keepThern in the ~ house for a ni~ht to escape thewrath of the offender. All food \was raised on the plantation 3r~d cooked in the family kitchen. Every one had the same kind. of food ~nd the game caught or killed ~y the elder ~on~ was a delicacy relis~ ed iy all. ~rhen the family meal was ~er~ed, a rni~chievous collection of ~lack children would ~ometime~ crawl under ~he ta~l~ and meddle with each person seated there. Instead of iein~ sco ded, they would receive luscious mors~l~ from tI-~e hands of the diners. Mrs. Huff often lau~hin~ .ly stnted that she knew not vfrich was. mor~ armoyin~ ~ ~1h~~-~i ~ t1~e children or th~ c}~ickens, as neither ~- djsCiDli~~, ?ro~aily ~ec~inse of th~ ~isence of maie ~la re~, no shoe-ix~ke~~ v~is maintained. Fco~vi~ar for th~. entire ~rou~ was purchased at ~tron~ ~ $h e Stare in Macon. ~ ~ 3uDer~titiori was u.~ually a part of the life of a slaTe. ~Those ~eekin~ to esc~p~ from a cruel Master as~d to ru s turpentine on the soles of their feet to Drevent capture. Others collected qu.antitie2 of soil from a &raveyard and sprinkled lt in their tracts for a certain distance. Both of these preca~itions were used to throw the dota off scent. Refugee slates often found

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~ ~ ~uu~If~ shelter on Mr. EuJ~ ~ estate, vihere they were assisted in further fii~ht ~r the I~uff L~e~roes. Those who remained in the woods were fed re~al~rly. Mr. Iru~ was not in Thvor of einancipatin~ the s1aTes~ One o ~ his 53115, Ramsey Hu.ff, foa~ht in the Coiffeder~te Army. . ~i~e siavc~s rej~iced at every sit off news which they heard re~ardjn~ th~ pro ~a~ilitf of i~.~ir ~~in~ freed ~sy the Yankees. ~)urin~ the latter part of the ~ people from Macon jou.rneyed to the ou.t1yin~ swampy sections to hide ~heir ~alixa~&les, many of which were i~ever recovered. Mr. I~aff own~d a place in Foust fl Count:T ve1~ere he h1(~ most o! his provision:; ~ut these were stolen before the close o~ the wrr. ~ew Yankees who visiied his home did little damage beyond the destruction of a tumiD ix~tch. ~7hen the w~r ended, Tr. Fu~ vi~u~1d not tell his slaves they were for, ~ re~ it was said, that he hated the tho~i~ht o ~ a Ne~ro ~e!n~. a~:~ to wear a s tarc~ed Ehirt. Slaves f~roni nei~h~or~n~. plantations spread the news. A few days later i~rs. Huff retu~i~ned from a trip to :.~con and ~ailed all the children to~eth~r to tell them that, even tho ~i~h they were free, they v~~uld h~ve to rerna~n with her until they were twenty~-one. Little Mary exclaimed loudly i~rn freel I wonTt stay ~er~ at alU ~JLen the Ernanci~ati~n Proclamation was made pa~li~, the Yankee soldiers ~ a dinner in i~acon ~rall ITe~roes and poor \~hites who cared to cornes A line was formed on the outside of the ~ui1c~jn~, 1:1 which the dinner was served and no one was alloued to enter unless he was in poor circumstances. ~?ood o ~ eTery des.cri22tiOn

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5. was served in &iundance and all admitted were allowed to eat as ~r~p:ch ~s they desired. Annie I~u~ moved to Macon when she was freed and her daa~hter, Mary, now ei~hty se~en years old, was reared here. She attri~siiteS her 1on~ life to th~ excellent care she has always taken of hers~l~. Th.iff, Mary, 561 Cotton Avenue, Macon, Georgia e

Bryant Huff. Old slave story. 241 238

Vi ~ ) ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 4~ ~ . ~ deUa~ 4~v~ ~ ~ r:~ ~ ~ . . ~~Ji ~). )~ ~ Whitley, ~ .. . ~ : t~t~ . 4-28~37 . ~ Ex~$1ave #51. . DISTRICT 7 ~ ~~~~~~~1~-~~ 1L~l_ J . s-t~__~~r ~BTA~ ffUfl ~ ~ -1 ~ ~ ~ . 014 Slav. :5t~i7 ~ . ~. Bryant Huff ~was the son of ja~te ~ and. Daniel Huff wko were born on ~ neighboDing plantations between Cernack end~ Augusta. They WS?e aai rie& while they atill belonged to ieperate ~ ~ners but when Maree Juss Rigei SCn, to whom Janie belonged, decided to. move, h bought Daniel in Order t~at ba nii~tt ilys with his wits and family. They mo~vsd to Ieri en County an~ it was here that Bryant ~aa born. He was one of twelve children. Bryant e early life was not one to inspire pleasant ~emoriea for hL~ master, a hbgbly educated san; ardent church workxs, had a cruel natUr. and a temper that knew~. no bounde. Owning 800 aeree of lend in a fatrly level section, he . ruled his email kingdma with en iron ~ hand. Bryant s father, Daniel was the only man iho did not feer MSI S8~ Rigsrsona . Th. quarters consisted of poorly constructed cabins With worse intsri s. There were no bed, only bunks made of two poise balancing aides. nei18d t. the walls. Rags sud old clothing ee~ed ai a ttrsss ~fl4 ~ other furniture was t~qna11y bad. Food was cocked on an open flr.plac. and ths frying pan was the st importent utensil ; vegetables were ~ j~ a swiaging ksttls. ~Its gridd1s~ tood averal ~ frc~ th. f1ocr.~, ~n three small psgs . ~ ~ I the ai ddle a pin was placed so that th grit~d1e mi ght revolve as the bread ~ste. cooked on the aid. near the hottest pert of the firs. Matches, a luxury, were then sold in ~11 boxes the sis, of the average emuff bom at ton cents per box. All th slav s worksd fr s~riss to suasst ; ths majority did field werk. Wesen as well as ~n shersd f~ ~ ~fl ~ y~ nst old enough tO bi sent to the field, minded hors.s ! v. ss to end frein the pasturs end did chores er md the big hous.~. A tow w~em prepared aals and snper~

242 239

- ~ ~ ~ Page 2. 239 iaed a ~oup of younger gir1~ who did geneiel work ta the big houaf. Sunday wa~ ths only da~ of reet and usually ai . the a4uit8 attended church. On thia plantation a ehureh With a colored Mjni8t.r was provided and eer. yi@es, while conducted on the sane crder es those ot the white churchee, were much longer. Gsn.z ally children w.re not a11ov~d to attend church, but occasionally this privilege Was granted to one. . Huff recalls Vividly his first ~ieit to SUU687 eerylese. Being very anall and .ag.r to attend he sat p.detly by hia mother s Bide end gazedwith wonder. at the ~1niater and congregation. An saotional uutburst was pert of the services end so many of the ~e1eterB got ~happ7W that the child, not having witnessed such a scene be~CT~e was frightened ; as the mabsi of shouters inexeased, he ran tr a the b~ti1d1ng screaming in terror. ~ of the 12 children in his taaily, 2 were ~ The sidsat child, Earrist, owned by a Judge who lived ca a n.i~hboring plantation, returned to the family after ~encipation. The father left h~o in a tit Of anger be- ~ ~ cane. cae of hie children had been whipped. Tb. master, knowing ht ~I.voted he was to his wife, placed her and her tnf~t child in Jail. Sh~tIy afterward, the father returned and was allowed to visit his Wif end tO go umiioleeted. A few wike later he ea~ back to the jail, end was a11~ed to enter as before but when r.ady to leave was told that he was there for safe keeping. The next day, he and hie eon, 3ohnte, wire sold to a~ sp.calators who pr~iied to carry thai so far away that they emild not return. As Daniel l.ft, h. told his wife to wait for hia to r.turn, whether lt be months or years. She gri.v.~1 over his dsperturs and refuied, &1thOU~h urged, to marri again. A few months before the closo of. the civil Wer, her husband appeared and reuained on ths plantation until ~senetpatton. ~obntewae aecidently killed shortly after his departure.

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Page 3. 210 While moat of the punishment was given by the patty-rollex and the Master, in sane Instances overseers were allowed to administer lt. Sane of these overseers were Negroes and occasionally there was trouble when they attempted to punish aflother slave. Huff recalls having seen one of these bosses approach his mother as she toiled in the field and questioned her regarding her whereabouts on the previous evening. She refused to answer and as he approached her in a threatening manner, she tbr.w plies of twigs upon him. t She was loading a wagon with small limbs cut fran trees on new ground ). He fled In terror. That night as the mother and her children were seated in their cabin, the same man accoenpanied by their Master entered, tied her hands end led her fr n the haue. She was carried quite a distance d~n the road end severely beaten. tri Food was provided by the raster ~ gave it out in regular weekly allotments. Collard greens peas oked meat and corn bread were the cLiet items on all menus On Sundays a small amount ot flour tor bi soulte . and s~e coffee was given; buttermilk was always plentiful. lialidays were usually synonymous with barbecue when large ho~ end beeves were killed and an ample supply of fresh meat was given each person. Aa all food was raised on the plantation, everyone had plenty. Cloth spun from cotton produced at haie was woven into the material under the watchful eye of the mistress, afterwards being cutinto dresses for the wanen, shirts and trousers for men. Winter garments were made ~of wool fron hOEne raised sheep. SwiPe of this hc~e.epun material was colored with dye made frcm powdered red rocks. With a shoe haniner, last pegs (instead of nails) and a standard pattern slave robbers fashioned shoes train the hides of their master s cattle. Th.y were no models of beauty, but stroAg, durable shoes designed for herd wear. Bryant was not superstitious, although he did e ietimea wonder when algae~ proved true. Superstition, however, had a strong grip on slave life. A fellow slave named Andy was a seasoned runaway and the ov.rs.sr

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Page 4. 241 usually set the hounds after him. ( oolng to a fortune teUer Andy secured a hound which caused all dogs to be friendly with him. there after when the hounds were set upon him, he played with them, turned their ears inside out, and sent them backto their ~ner. The attitude of the slaves toward treedcm varied and as they were not a1. lowed to discuss it, their hope was veiled in such expressions as the LOi~Tj williprovide0. Scmie were even afraid to settle any statement and silently prayed that their release would c~e soon. 5ane feared that scmething might prevent their emancipation so they ran away and joined the Yankee Army, hoping to be able to destroy their Thrmer rnater. During this tinte masters suffered as well as their slaves, tor many of their SOT1S went gaily forth to battle and were never heard of again. Simpson Rigerson, son of Maree J~esse Rigerson, was lost to his parents. A younger Bon, who lost his right hand while helping ~..d c~e to a grinder, is the only member of the family now living. Sorrow did not break this slaves ~oup and they soon learned to sing away their troubles. One song which gives s~e light on their attitude t~ard the government went as follows : I. Jeff Dayi~ rode the ~ay horse 01e Lincoln rode the rmile Teff Davis is the gentlenwn 01e Lincoln is the fool Chorus: I ll lay ten dollars down 1111 count it o~e by one. I ll give ten dollars to know the man Who struck PeterButler s son. II. I lay down in my bed I la~ down in no dread Conscript ccme and took me And dragged me fr ~ my bed. III. I went down a new eut road She went down the lane I turned my back upon her And long ccme Liza 3ene.

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Page5. 242 After freedoe was declared, Bryant Huff a family moved everal miles ~frc~ the..Rigex S n plantatiOn to One owned by~ an elderly wcmen. They ran frcm a sean master but their flight was : a leap fr i the trying pan 1n~ to~ the fire ~cr thi s wcmen proved even worse ~ than their ~ iormer master. At the clo e of the war the 1.1.1. was very aetiv and their ~earfu . exploits made them the terror of the stares. A b d ot the latter was org~ized . to attempt to curb the K.LK. activities. Neither gang knew who was a member of the other ~ but their clashes were frequent One night the, LX. L ap~ pOred at the Huff cabin and when admitted took the fath r, an uncle, and a man named Mansfield frc the house. ~ After forcing the father to break a g~a which he had borr~ed fr~ Mr. Rigsrscn, they beat him ao brutally that his arm Was broken. The uncle, a minister who preached a type of doctrine that they liked, was unharmed. Mansfifid, aeeuaed of beixig a member Of th anti-K.K.L gang, was beaten un~rcifully. While this was being done, two members of the gang returned to the houis where they searched the back ro i (men slept in the front roai, the~wcEen end ehildren in the rear) to see if any adults wer. ieretsd there. The small bcye under the bed said Don t harm us, we re only children . After thu outrage, done at the request of the mistress, the Huff fsaIIy moved back to the Rigereon plantation. Mr. Rigereon s harsh dispositica was broken after the CivU War snded end he repented of his seyere trea~ent of his former slaves. Denial Huff whc he had despised arid feared, becan. hie beet friend who nursd him until death. Huff s wife received three acres Of groundand two houses frcmher former nester kho also gav her an apo~L~ for his past meanness end stated that he wisbM to provide her *1* t he.. for life. During this period martial law prevailed in the South. The Yankee troops, placed in every town were the only police present and all cases frem the county were presented to them for .ttlement. A few years after enoipation,. Bryant thin a young men, ran away fron hma end apprenticed b~ine.1t to a physician who ~ became interested in his thirst for

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P8~ 6. 243 knowledge and gave him an oppcrtunity to attnd ~hool. Mt.r seysral years of hard etud~ he went before the beat d of examiners ~ In order to te oh. Atter 2 .xe~inatione he was i~nediately appointed to teach at the school where he had once been a pupil. Buff, n~ an aged man is ~ d.pondent upon local relief tor his sustenance. He is able to do li~t work j~~ sweeping yards end le a vsry good umbrella mender and shoe repairer, but is not able to go in i erch of work. ~ Ri has ~oked since he was a young man and~ bas never taken especial care of hie health, so his long lite may bs attributed to a streng constitution.

Easter Huff. Ex-slave - age 80. 247 244

Written by: iMited by: Sadie B. ~iornsby Athens, Georgia Sarah H HaIl Athens ~- yl ore nce Ble ase ;rohn N. Booth Augusta, Georgia. i9QO~~!~ PlANTA TION LIRE as re la ted by Ex~Slave: EASTER HUFF 125 Rockspring St , Athens, Georgia.

248 245

.i~ ~fl~(1(~()~) J~ - .& ~ ~ ~ - r~ ) 1 ~ EASTER HUFF ~i3~-~ ~- &~J2 Easter eagerly complied with the request for the story of her life, ~I done forgot a heap I knowed, but I allus loves to talk t oout de old times. She declared solemnly. . Dis young race lives F30 fE~S~ dey needs to know what a hard time us had III was borned in Oglethorpe County on Marse J~abe Sn~ith s jlantation. I don t za~ctly know how old I is, but I was jus a chap ~ihen de war ended. Easter is my right naine, but white folkses calls rie Esther. Mammy was Louisa Smith, but I don t know nothint b.o~it lily gram ma, cause she died fore I was born, and she done de cookin in de white folkse s house I can t tell you nothin! bout neither one of my gram pas. Us slep on corded beds what had high postes and ruffled curtains round de foot. i)e beds what had curtains all round de top of deni high postes was called teester beds. When all dem curtains was fresh washed and starched, de beds sho did look grand. Chilluns slep on pallets on de flo . ttMarflrny was a plow hand, but us chillun didn t do nothin much cept eat and play and sleep in de ~grass UI she got in from de fiel evvy night. De big old cook house had a partition tcrost it, and on one ~iide Aunt Peggy done all de cookin for Old Marster s household and for de slaves too. On de udder side of de partition. . 1. fas de loom room whar Aunt Peggy weaved all de cloth and Mrs. Lacy :~iines, what lived on another plantation not far f um us, ruade all our

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age~ 2. clothes., . . . ~1Chi11uns didn t know riothin bout gittin no mohey of dey own tu atter de war. Marni~ she made h r little money knlttin socks, and patckiin clothee at night, and she had done saved up nigh ~4O.OO in Confederate money. ~ Dey called it Confederate shucks atter de war cause it warntt no goodno more den, and she let us chiLlun play wid it. ~ shin plasters was confederate money for a~ low as 25 cents. ~ ~ Victuals dem days warn*tfancy lak dey is noy~~ but Marster allus seed dat us had plenty of milk and butter, all kinds of greens for bilein , tatoes and peas and sich la.k. Chilluns et cornbread soaked in de pot liquor what de greens or peas done been ~iled in. Slaves never got much meat. Dey mixed butter wid home r~ade syrup and sopped it up widcornbread. Dere warn t much wheat bread for slaves. uflere was a good possum hound on de plantation what was a-fine rabbit dog too, and Marster let us use hirn to ketch us lots of possuxns and rabbits. De mens went seinin at ni~ht in Buffalo Crick what run thoo Marse Jane s place. Dey used to put back all de little fishes and de turkies and tarrepins. Possums was baked wid sweet tatoes and rabbits was parbiled ixi a big old open fireplace in big pots and skillets. Marster had one big gya.~den whar enough was growed for evvybody on de: whole plantation, but some of de slaves was lowed to have deir own little gyardens and cotton patches what dey wukked on moonlight nights.

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Page 3. De gal chillun in dem days wore little slips, and de boys had shirts split up de sides. Dey just wore one piece in summer, no drawers or nothin . In de winter us. hadgood warm cIothe~, made Qut of coarse ausen~urg (osnaburg) c1ot~. Us wore de same clothes Sundays as evv3rday, Only us was~&posed to put ~em on clean on Sunday mornin . A colored nrnn named Clark Dogget nzade our shoes out of rough red leather what never had bee n dyed or e olored up . none Sometime s ~nuei w ould have t O he ip him wid de shoernakint ~On Sundays M~xnrriy would c omb ~y hair and .pt~t a clean dre sa on me, and den take nie to de white folkses church at Salem, wh~. dere was two rows of benches in de back for slaves. Rev. Brantley Calloway was de pastor, and Rev. Patri k Butler~preaehed too. .~I never seed no. baptizint s or fun als in ala~er~ days, but atter anybody wa& buried Mammy tu.k us to da graveyard and letus look ~ de grave. Dey allus put a fence made wid pine poles rou~id de grave. Some few of de slaves might have read de i3ible a little, but dar warn t none what could write. . $1 jined church cause I was converted and had done changed my way of livint I think folkse s ought to be ligi ous ~ so dey can help others to live lak de Bible says. ~Marse Jabe Smith was good white man. He was a grand fiddler and he used to call us to de big house at night to dance for him. I couldn t do nothin cept jump up and down and I sho did git tired. Marse Jabe warn t married. He raised his brother s chillun, but dey was all grown when de war come on.

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Page 4~ .!I done clean forgot de ~naxne~of M rster s oversee~:and I don t ricollec how many aore~ was in dat plantation, but it~ sho was a.big one. Derewas bout 2 gz,ow~ ~1ave~, and a lot of Ni~ggar chillun roinpint round. De overeeer got em up about three clock and dey stayed in de field til~sundown ~ fore dey started for de house. !Then dey got f um~ de fields at night, de ~tqmans spun, ~ mended, and knit and . de z~e~ns wukked in deir gyardens and cotton patches. Winter nights dey ~1aited baskets and made hoes collars. All de Blaires knocke.4 off at twelve o clock Sadday. Dere was allus soniepint to do on Sadday night ~ frolics., dances, and sich lak. Dey picked de banjo and knocked ou tin pans for music. to dance by. Bunda~ was a rest day. Slaves visitetheac~i other or went to churc1~ i~f dey wanted to, but dey had to git a pass. *1 seed dem patteroliers on hosses jus goin it~down de big road. I seed em aim 1~iggers deymet if dey hadpasses. Atter dey looked at d passes, dey would let tern go on. But ifa slave was cotched widout no pass dey would 1~eat him most n1gb~ to death. If us had patterollers to keep Niggers f um~ gallivantint round so much now days, dar wouldn t be so much devilment done. 0 Some of de slave a j us had to be whupped ~ cause dey wouldn t behave . On our plantation, ~ de overseer done de whup~pin ; Yarse J~abe never totched em. ~xnniy told us bout seem slaves put on de block in Virginny and sold off in droves lak hoeses. Didn t none of Mar8e Jabe s Niggers runoff to de North dat I lcnowed bout. One Nigger named Barlow what was too lazy to wuk in

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Page ~ 5. 249~ de field slipped off to de woods and made hisseifa den to live in. He made baskets, footmats, and brooms, and used to corne QUtat night and sell tern. Dey saId he would stealde white folksest hogs, chickens, and.jus anythin he could put his hands On. If dey ever ~ . cotched him, I don t know nothin about it. Manuny used to skeer us ~rett~y nigh to death at night when she wanted us to go on to bed. She said if us didn t go to sleep Barlow sho would git us. ~ Oh~ us did have a time at Christmas. Dey would hav ~le nty to eat ; eggnog and all sorts of good things and some time s ixiefle and omans got drunk and cut up . Marse ~ Jabe allus give us a little ehe ese to eat Christmas time . On New Year s Day all de slave s went to de b 1g house for a C OUflC I 1 . ~rse Jabe would talk to ~ em and counsel ein for de New Year and tell tern how to live. Cornshuckin st Y .ssum I ri~llect s ~ o ornehuckin s De folkses cornedf um all de plantations close ~round. Atter dey was thoo wid shuckin de corn, dey gathered round a long table in de yard. Marse Jabe had de prettiest level yard you ever seed; it was swept so niae and clean. De victuals was piled on dat tble, and dey give us great kegs of apple ~nd peach brandy. Mammy used to tell us bout Raw~head an B1oody~bones if us didn t go to bed when she wanted to go -out. Us sho would pil~~ in i_fl a hurry th~n, and duck under dat kivver and most nigh die cause us \ ,,as skeered to look out lessen he inought be dar atter us. .*Marsa ~Tabe was mighty good to his slaves when dey got sick. I seed Mammy sick once. Dr. Lunpkin Landon was sont atter. De

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Page 6. 25() slaves would g t fever weeds and sweetguni bark, bile em together, and take de tea for colds, coughs, and fever. Dey wore little sacks of aesfidity (assafoetida) round day necks to keep off disease, and strung hollow treadsass (treadsalire) roots on strings lak ne ckl ac e s and hung em r o und d e babie s ne ok s t o make ~ em teethe easy. Soon atter de surrender, Marse Jab.e told his Niggers~ dey was free as he was, but dat he didn t want nary one to leave him. He wanted em to stay wid him he said, and he offered to ~ay em wage s Be re war n t nary one wha t le ft . Ma~rny wukke d and plowed right on lak she done before. ~tter I was big enough, I went to Lex n ton to wuk for Mrs. McWhorter. When I married Bob Willin hain, I sho had a nice weddin . I was married in a blue merino dress. My underskirt was white a& snow wid trirnmin s on it. I wore long drawer~s what was trimmed fancy at de bottom. Our white folk5es give us lots of cake, turkey, ham, and sich lak for de weddin feast. Our only child was named 1 innie, and dere was five of our grandchillu.n, but dey s all dead now but two. One lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and I lives wid de udder one w} a t w uk s a t de o ha.p t e r hou s e he re ~ t te r ~ ob d I e d I mar ri. e d Lurnpk in :~ff, but us didn t have no weddin dat time. De preacher just come to my house and married us. I went to ~lberton wid im, but he was ~o mean I didn t live wid lin but eight n~onths before I corne back to ~ti1ens. Dey used to have a song bOut Mr. Lincoln when I was a little C~Lap, but I done forgot it. No 1~. am, I don t know nothin bout Mr.

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) r Page 7.t~sJ .Davi s and. i30 oker Washin t on Dem days I neye r heerd much o out folkses away off f u.ti here. III b lieve 1~5~ done told you all I k ow~ bout back days. I don t know nothin bout dese fas present day ways o hum . When I was a chap and got a whup,pin and Mammy heerd bout it I got another one. Now dey takes you to de law. Yes Ma am, for myE3CII I d rather have de old days wid good Old.Marster to take keer of me. I

Plantation life, as viewed by an ex-slave. 255 252

Written By: B~dited By; Miss Grace M Cune Athene ~ Sarah H. IIa)~ . Athena ~. and ~ John N. Booth . District Supervisor Federal Writers Project Residences No. ~6 & 1 Augusta, Georgia Sept. 21, 1938. 100222 ~ As~ yI~w~ ~

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~~: Lina ifunter ~x-Siav . M about 90 270 BaIley Street Athens, Georgia Lina Hunter s weather-~beaten house ne8tlea at the foot of a long hill, and several large ehinaberry trees Lurnish shade 1~or tier well-kept yard. As the visitor hesitated before the rickety frc~nt steps aomeone called from inside the house, Chile, do be keertui on dein old steps cause dey might tall wid you; dey done went through wid some ot dese ohillun here. The tall mulatto woman wno e&me to the door had tiny plaits of white hair that covered her head in. no apparent design. Her taded print dress was clean, and she wore badly scuffed brogan stioes several sizes too large on ner stookingles$ reet. Lu answer to an InquIry she replied: Dis is Linats house, and I is Lina. Have a cheer out here on e porch, please, marn, cause de gals is ironin th de house and dem ~ire buckets sno make it hot in dar. . . . oD Lina readily a&reed to teU/her li~Ce in the ante bellum period. I members all bout slavery ttnie,~ sne laugned, cause I was right dar. Course 1 warn t ~rown-up, but I was big enouguto ~aolp ~reat~-granny Rose look atter all dem otner slave enhllun. whilst deir raaminies

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. ~ ~ ~ ~ : ~ : ~ ~ and daddies was in de field at wuk. ~ Anneand Peter Billups was my xnain~ny and daddy, and my granddaddy and ~randmamrny was ~ Washin ton and Tiller Billups; all of eia belonged to Old Marster ~ ~ STack Billups. Marse Jack stayed in Athens, but his p1ant~a.tion, whar I wasborned and whar ail my olkswas borned and raised, was way down in Oglethorpe County, I dontt rightly know howold I is, cause all Marster s old records Is done dot. lost or stroyed, evvy blessed one of em, but I se been here a mighty long time. Honey, dat old plantation was sho one big place. Back o~ ae big house, whar de overseer lived, was JUSt rows and rows o~ slave cabins . Dey stacked em up out of big 1o~s jus lak dey made hog-pen fences. All de cracks twixt de logs was chinked p tight wid red mud and let me tell you, honey dey was keerful to lay on so much red mud over dem sticks dat chimblies on our place never did ketch Lire lak dey did on some olb de places whar dey done things sort oi~ shIftless lak. Dem cabins had two rooms and. a shed r oz~ crost de back whar dey done de cookin . Two Lamblies lived in evvy cabin. ~ Dey allus had plenty to cook, cause dere was plenty or victuals raised on Marse Jack s place. Chillun was all 1~ed up at de big house whar Marse Garner, de overseer, lived. Deir mammies was lowed to come in

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. .. ~ ~ ~ ~ .~. ~ ~ . . ~ . ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ ~ :~ ~ ~ . . ~ -3, ~ from defields in time to cook dinnez for de men ~o1ks, but dey didn t ~it deir ehillun back b,orn fil atter supper. Granny Rose had em all day, and she had to see dat dey had de right~sort of victuals to make ohillun grow rast and stx ong. Cbiliun et out of Wood-s en trays, and, Honey, dey sho was some sieht; dey looked j us lak pi~ . troughs . Dey poured peas cabbage or whatever de ohillun wag to eat right in dat trough on top of a passel o1 ~ cornbread. For supper chillun jus b.ad milk and bread, but dere was allus plenty o~ lt. Marse 3~ack had. lots of cows, arid old Aunt Mary didn t have no ottier job but to churn enough so dere would allus be plenty bi~ milk and butter, cause Marse Jack had done said milk was good for cb.illun arid dat us was to have it to drink any time us wanted it. ~vvybody cooked on i ireplaces den. I jus wish you could see dat big old fireplace in de bi~ house kitchen; you could stand up in it. It had long racks clear acrost de inside tor de pots what dey biled in to hang on. f Bakin was done in thick iron skillets dat had. heav!y lids. You sot em on coals and piledmore coals all over em. Us had somepin dat mo st folks d dn t haie; dat was lone h nd~leo. muffin pans. Dey had a lid dat ritted down tight, and you jus turned em over in de rire til de muf1~ins was cooked on both sides. I had

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. ~ .~ ~ . . ~ . .~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ .4~_ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~ ~ dem old muffin irons here, but de lid got brok Oft and.desebereboys done lost em diggin i~n d ground wid em. Dem victuals cooked~on open tire-pla es . was mighty Line, and I wishes you could hve a chance to see jus how nice dey was. : vvy kind ot vegetable us knowed anything bout was raised. right dar on de plaoe and dey had big old lields or corn, oats, rye, and wheat. Us had lots oX~ ruit trees on de plantation too. Dere warn t no runnin ori~ to de store evvy time dere was a special meal to be got up. Corree, sugar, salt, and black pepper was de most Mares Jack had to buy inde way of victuals. Course dey was hard to git in war times. Parched corn and okra seed was ground together for colfee, arid us bad to git up dirt under old ~moke-~ nouses and bile it down for salt. Dere was allus a little sugar round de sides of de syrup barr ls, and. us had to make out wid. dat hot red pepper tu atter de war was done over a good long. time, fore dore was any more black pepper shipped in. ~ite of all dat, Honey, dera was good old days. Marster raised enough cows, sheep, hogs, caickens, and turkeys l1or us tohave all ~a~*eat us needed. 11e had lots ot mules and oxen too. Dey used de mules for most of de

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~i~ i ~ plowin and tor goi~n ~ to miU~, and dontt q~it lt took plent.y o1~ gQixi to miU,. to teed as xnanyNt~gei~ . a our Marster had. Lordy, Ladyl . I never knowed ~ aow many slaves b.e owned. Oxen pulled. dem two~w1~ee1e& carts dey hauled in de craps wi.d, and~ -I has. rid to town. in a ox-.cart many. a time, Dein old oxen ~as enough to make a preacher lose his best ll ion, Dey had a heap of mean ways, but de wust thing dey done was to run spang down in de water evvy tinie dey conie to a crick. It never mattered how deep it was, and you might holler all day, but dey warn t eoi~iing out o~ dat water ~ dey was good and ready. Dat happened evvy tune dey saw a crick, but dere warn t nothin. us could do bout it, for Marse J~aok sho never wowed nobody tolay dei~ paws on his stock. ~ Folks wove all deir cloth at home dem days. Dey made up plenty ot cotton cloth ~or hot weather., ftnd. tor de cold wintertime dere warn t nothin warmer dat u knowed about dan de cloth dey made out o~ ho~e-~i8ed wool. and cotton. Marster kept a slave dat didn t have nothin else to do but make shoes ~or elrvybGdy on de place. Yes, main, Honey, dey tanned de hide evvy tirr~e dey kilt a ow. Leather was tanned wid wiaiteoak bark. Ctuiliuu s shoes was rinished of~ Wid brass Icnobs on de to6s, and us was sho mighty dressed up Niggers when us got on dem shoes wid deirshiny knobs. Little gals dresses

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) r~- ~) -6- was ruade wid long skirts gathered on to plain waisties. V Dere warn t no showin de legs lak dey does now. /Little boys had red and black jeans suits made wid waisties and britches sewed together in rront out wid a long buttoned up openin in ~e back. Most oi~ de other places jus put long shirts on little boys, but .dat warn t de way dey done on our place, cause us didn t belons to no pore roiks. Our Marster had plenty and he did lak to see h~S Niggers fixed up nice. Course in su~inertime none of de otiillun didn t wear nothin but little slips, so dey could keep cool, but in winter it was di~7iunt. Honey, dem old baln~oral petticoats was some sight, but dey was sho warm as heil. I see . a piece or one of mine XIDt long ago whar I had done used it to patch up a old quilt. Omans dresses w~s made jus about lak dis one I got on now, ceptin I didn t have enough cloth to make ~e skirt Lull as dein old time clothes used to be. The old woman stood up to snow just now ner dress was fashioned. The skirt, sewed to a plain, close-t~itting waist, was very rull in the back, but plain across the front. lAna called attention to an opening on the left side of the Iront. 3ee here, Cb~ile, she said, here s a sno noug~i pocket. ~Tus let me turn it wrong side out to snow you how big it is. Wny, I usea a whole ~5 pound flour sack to n~ke

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it cause I dontt lak none ot dese newtarigled little pockets . I . lak things ~ de way I was rai$ed. i~is pocket hang$ down inside and nobody don t see it . ~ De c illuzis fusses bout my big pocket, but it ain t in noue or deir dresses, and I se sho ~wine to wear ~em tU dey is wore out to a gnat s heel. . Chillun never had to wuk on our plantation tu dey was big enough to go to de fields, anddat was when dey was arOund 12 to 14 years old. Dey jus played round de yards and down by de wash~ plaoe dat was a little ways oft from de big house ona branch dat run from de big spri~ng.~ On wash days dat was a bu8y place, wid lots o~ omans bending over dem great big wa*h pote and de biggest old wooden tubs I ever seed. D re was plenty racket round de battlin block whar dey beat de dirt out ot~ de clothes, and dey would sing long as dey was a- washin . ~ Marster was slw good t~ ~ai3 Ni~ers ail de time. Course he made eni wuk 1e88 dey was sick. Cniliu never had nothin to do cept eat, sleep, and play. ~vvy time ~arse Jack come out t hie plantation he brung eand:y for all de ~ it warn t in no little sacks neither; dere wa~allus plenty for em all, and it was a mig~ity big crowd of Us. Marster loved to come out on Sundaysto see us chillun git our

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heads combed. Honey, dere sho was ho J.erin on dat place when dey started ~ wukin on us wid dexa j im crow oombs what was iade lak a curry comb ceppin dey w~rn t quite as wide acrost. When dem Jim crow combs ~ot stuck in dat tan~1ed, kinky wool, d~flhI dein chillun aidntt yell, and Marster would l8.ugh and tell Granny Rose to comb it good. ~ Granny ~ose larnt me to keep clean and Lix myself UI) nice, and, Honey, I ain t got too old to primp up:.now. Qne thiXi~ dIs old Nigger ain t never done is to put hair straightener on her head, cause de i3lessed Lord. sont me here wid kinky hair, ana I se gwine way ~rom here wid aat same old .Ldniy hair. It s wnite now, out dat ain t no i~ult oi: mine. Honey, I sno do trust dat Good Lord. Why, I member wnen I used to pull out my own teeth; I jus tied a string round em, laid. down on ray bed and said, Lord, I is in your hands, ana. den I would give dat string a hard yank and out corne dein damn teeth. Yes, mani, I se seed slaves sold. Dey jus put dem Niggers up on de block and bid em oif. A smart wor~er brou~ht a oi~ price, ano.a good breedin oman suD did letch de money, cause all de white tolks did lak to lave plenty chilluri round. Dem oreedin omans never done no wuk a t all; dey made other slaves wait -8 2Go

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. -.9- 261 on em tu atter cleir babies was borned. ~ilave omans what had babies was sont back from de fields in de xriornin and atter dinner so dair babies could suck tu atter dey was big enough to eat bread and railk; den dey was kept wid de other chillun for C~ranny Rose to keer ~or. Slaves didn t even ~it married lak ftiks does now. Dere warn t none oi~ dein newtangled licenses to buy. All dey had to do was tell i~iarster dey wanted to marry up. If it was all right wid him he had em jump over a broom and. dey was done married. Slaves couldn t ~it out ana. do no courtin on other plantations widout deir xaarsters icnowed it, cause dey had to have passes to leave de place whar dey lived. II dey was brash enough to go oft widout no pass de paterollers would cotch ein for sho, and dey would nigh beat ein to death. Dat didn t stop courtin , specially on our place, cause dey jus tuk anybody dey laked; it didn t matter wi~3se man or oman dey had. 9viarster ha a bi~ oid ~inhouse on de plantation about 2 miles trorn de oig h~use, but I never seed in it, cause dey aidn t low omans and chillun round it. De mei~tolKs said dey hitchec~ up mules to run it, and uat aey had a cotton press inside de ginhouse. ~ey said it was a neap 011 trouble to git rid o1~ all dem old cotton seeds dat piled up so fast in ~innin tune. Dere was a great bi~ wuk-s~iop on de place to3, wnar dey fixed evvy

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. .. .~ . ~ ~ ~.. . : ~ : ~. ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .thing, and .dat was wh~r dey rnaae corrin8 When anybody r died. Yes, marn, eviryth1n~ was niade atr hcvme, e~en down to de eoftins. . . . ~ ~ .~ Dere didn t n~any folks die out back in ~dem good old days, teause dey was made to take kee~ of deirseirs. Dey had to wuk hard, but dey et plenty and went to bed regtlar evvy night in wuk time. When one of eflidid~ die out, deir m asure was tuk and a coffin was made ~ ~ up and blackened tu it looked right nice . . Whenever dore was a corpse cn de place Marster didn t make nobody do no wuk, toept just look atter desto~k,~ tilatter de buryin . Dey fixed up decorpses nice. Yes, main, sho as you is bored, dey did; dey made new clothes for tern and buried em decent in de graveyard on de place. Marse Jaok seed to d~at~ Dey put de coffin ~ a wagon, and e folks walked to de graveyard, Dere was crowds of em; dey cone from jus evvy whar. A preacher, or some member o~ deir marster s taxnbly, said a prayer, de Loiks sung a hymn, and it was all over. Bout de biggest buryin u~ ever had on our place was ror a oman dat drapped dow~i. in de path and died when she was coznin in from de field t nuss her baby. Yes, u iam, she was right on de way to Granny Rose s cabin In de big house yard. No, mani, I ain t Corgot when de Yankees oome~to our place. Dat was right atter de end of de war, not long atter us had been told bout freedom. When us

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.~1i- ~ .heared dey was on deir way us tuk and hid. ail de sturr us could ~ but dey sho tore up dat place . Dey tuk all de meat out of de smokehouse and cive it to de Ni~gers, but deir bellies was already tull arid dey didn t need it, 80 dey give it backto Marse Jack soon as dein sojers was cone. Fore dey 1e~t dem Yaxiicee sojers tuk Marse Jaekts mules and horses slap out of de piows and rid em ofr, and left deir old wore~out stock rigb~t dar. Freedom didt t niake so many changes on our place ri~iat at Lust, teause most ot de slaves stayed ~ ight on dar, and things went on jus lak dey nad tore dere was any war. Marse Jaekhad done told eni dey was free, but dat dem what wanted to stay would be tuk keer of same as fore de war. Dere warn t many what left, neither, cause Marse Jack had been so good to evvy one ot ein dey didn t want to go way. . 1-loney, back in dein good old days us went to church wid our white tolks. ~3laves sot in de gallery or in de back ot de church. I se been to dat old Cherokee Corners Ohuroh more tixnesdan I knows how to count, bLUt de tust baptiz~n I ever seed was at de old St. Jean cuiuroh; dere was jus three or four baptized dat day, but Lordy, I never aid hear such prayin , shout-S in , ana singin , in all my born days. One old oman come up out ot dat crick a~shoutin bout she wa~ walk-

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~ 2~4~~ in ~ through de pearly sates and ~ wearin g lden slippers, b~t I looked downat her roots and what Sh~ had on look~ ed more lak brogans to nie. I kin~still he~i~ our old songs, but lt s jus now and den dat dey coiue back to fly mind. ~ For a xi~oxaent Lina was quiet, then she said, Honey,. I wants to smoke my old pLpe so bad I kin in~ost taste it, but how in hell kin I smoke when I ain t had no baccy in two days? Chile, ain t you ~ot no baccy wid you, jus a little bacoy? You done passed de nighest store tbout 2 miles back toward town, she said, but it you will pay for j some baocyi~or Line, soins oi~ dose ~ood for nothin ohillun kin sho go ~it it quiek and, whilst dey s dar, dey might as well git nie a little coffee too,. 1C you kin spare de criange. The cash was supplied by the visitor, and Lina so on started the chi~ldi en ofr running. It you at ops airy a minute, she told them, I se gwine te~ke de hide ofren your backs, s io as you is borned. As soon as they we~ e oui; of sight, she returned to her oha~ir and started talking again. Yes,rnarn, Honey, ~things went on bout de same old way atter de war. Suddenly the old woman lea~ped to her feet and began shouting, Bless God A mighty~ Praise de Lords I knows de key to prayers. I se done pra~yed jus dis ruornin for de Lord to send me some baccy and coffee, and God is done sont Missy wid de money to answer my

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prayer. Praise de Lords I ae glad I se here, cause I coulda beengone and mls8ed my baccy and. corfee. Praise Gods I se gwliae to smoke .~.at damned old pipe one niore time. She setzed the visitor by the shoulder as she shouted, I sho laks your looks, but you may be de devil i~or all I knows, andyou may be t~xin to put me in de ohain~ang wid all dis here writijat, but here she gave the startled vi8itGr a. ~ shake that almost pull~ ed her out oi~the chair, Daum, it I dofl t lak you anyhow. . . . . Her granddaughter, Caille, came out on the porch to see what was wro~ng with Lina. Granny, she said, fi wouldn t talk ~ ~issy wlll.think you Is dat way all de time.~ ~ Git back to yci~ ironin gaL, ~ said Lina. ~I knows I talks right smart ugly. Didn t my Miss Fannie tell me one tix~ie she was gwine to put potash in my mouth to clean lt out? Now, Nigger, I said glt, fore 1 hIts you. Her grau&mother started toward her, and Caille lost no time going Inside the hou8e. LIna went back to her chair, and as she sp~t down started slng.~.ng. With each note her toues grew louder. The words were somethln~ like this: God A rni~hty, when my heart beGIns to burn And dat old. wheel begins to turn, . Den, Oh, Lords Don t leave me here.

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It seemed from the lengith ot her. chant that the wheels would turn indefirx1te).~y, but no sooxie~ had she 1 in~ ished that sons, than she started another. ??Then my old ma~u~y died a-shoutin ., All de friend I hack done died and gone. She died a.prayixi , shedied a-prayln . . ttLri dat day dat you died, dat you died, . Gwine to be a star risin in dat mornin . Didn t you hear ein saar, .~!gwine to be a s~. Star risiri in de mornin . De Christians ai . will know in dat day, Dat myold manmiy died a.ishoutin , died a- shoutin , Cause dat star sho gwine to be dar. ROh, LordL Don t leave me now, Oh, Lordi But guide me all long de way, long de way. . Cause I se in trouble, tht I am. LordL Oh, Lords don t leave nie now. Honey, I jus reels lakprayin and cussin too, at de same time, but it s cause I se. so. happy. mere I is, I se nigh bout crazy. ~It Old Marster could jus ~ oack I d sno have plenty o1~ evvything I needs,. ni t members dein old irolic8 u~ , when li arvest times was over, and all dat corn was piled up ready tor de big eornsnuckin . ifoney, us sho had big old times. Us would cook for three or I our days gittin read~y tor de Least dat was to tollow de cornshuokin . De tust thing dey done was loot a general to load orr de singin and keep it goin so d~e taster dey sung, de taster

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~15~ 2G? dey shucked de corx~. ~vvy now and den aey passed de corn liquor rounci, arid dat hoiped era to wuk taster, and evvy Nigger dat 1~ound a red ear got a. extra swig of 1i~uor. Atter de sun went down dey wuked right on by de light of pine torches and bonI ires. i)eni oid pine knots would burn I~or a long time an throw a rine bright ligtit. Honey, it was one grand sight out dar at night wid dat old harvest moon a-sninin Lires a.~burnin , and dem old torches lit up. I kin jus see it all now, and hear dem songs us sung. Dem was such happy times. When all de corn was shucked and dey had done et all dat big supper, dey danced l or de rest of de nigi-it. Dey had 1o~roilin s when dere was new ground to be cleared up. De menf olks done most ot dat wuk, but de omans jus corne along to fix de big supper and have a good time laughin and talkin whilst de rnenf olks was dom de wuk. Atter de logs was all rolled, dey et, and drui~k, and danced tu dey 1 ell out. i ll bet you aintt never seed notriint lak dem old break-~downs and dragouts us had dem ni~hts atter logrollin s . Dey sho drug heaps of dem Niggers out. ~ When de harvest moon was ~ as bright as dayli~nt us had cotton piekints. iJera 1g crowds ot slaves would clean out a field in JUS no ti~ie, and you could hear ein singin a lonL ways ~ whilst dey was a-pickin dat cotton. Dey most al us nad barbecue wid all de

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~ r~ ~ ~ . ~ . 0 34.. 2(i S rixiri s to enjoy when dey Linished piokin out de cotton, and. den 1o~s. o~ drinkin and danein Bout dat dancin , Honey, I could sb.o eut dem cornera. Danoin is one thing I more n did lak to do, andi wish I could hear dat old. dance song again. Mi~ss14za Jane, it was, and soxn.e ot de words went lak dis, Steal round dem corners, Mis8 Liza .Tane Don t slight none Miss Liza Jane . Swing your partner, Miss Liza Jane.t Dere was heaps and lots more of it, but it ~~S won t come to me now. One ni~kit~ not long atter dey sot us free, dere was a big old Nigger breakdown on our plantation, and such a lot of Niggers as you never seed was at dat dance. Whilst us was havin de bestest tinie, takin a di~ink twixt dances, us heared a oman sereaxui . lak murder. SvvybGdy run, but us jus heared a horse runnin and. dat oman still hollerin . De menfoiks got on horses and rid all night but dey never did find em. One oC our gals. was gone; a real young one named Rose Billups. Some damn, no count Nigger haa done stole er. Us didn t lam nothin bout her for nigh onto a year, den she writ to Marse Jack to come atter her. lie went. It was a fur way oft, and. I don t member now whar it was Dat mean man had done most kilt Rose, and had left her wid. a baby. No, main, dey didn t never cotch im. ~Nor~n Green had two wives and dey didn t live Lur from our plantation. I knows bout dat, cause In

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years t o corns I 11 ved. on de s arne farm whar dey wa s . It was dis way: his fust wire, TUdy, was s ld off rroiu h1~i In slavery time. 11e got married again, and atter freedom come Tildy come right back to him. He kept both his wives r1~ht dar in de sanie one room cabin. Deir beds sot right side each other. One wiCe s chilluns. was all boys and de other didn t have nothin but ~a1s. Yes, Chile, us wuked hard. I se seed my mammy plowin in de fields many a time, wid her skirt pixined up to keep it out oI~ de dirt. Yes, mata, us did wuk, but us had a good place to stay, plenty somepin t eat, and. plentyclothes to wear; dere warn t notiain else us needed. Missy did you ever hear dat old sayin bout folks gittin speckledy when dey gits old? Well, cordin to dat old sayin , I se sho been here a mighty long j time. Jus look at ray legs.tt She raised her skirts to her knees to display the white specks that stood out in clear contrast on her dark skin, Dat s a she sign or bein old roiks, insisted Lina. She stood up and~peered down the road, impadent tor the return of the children, who were to bring her tobacco and oori~ee. Finally she saw them corn over the hill and could hardly restr&in herseir until tney arrived in the yard. Snatching the parcels, as tne children carne up the steps, Lina called out,

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~18~ Caflie, come here, gai, ri~ my pipe qulck, and. put dat co~reepot on de fire buoket, tQ USe Glory to GodL I se gwine to smoke my did pipe and drink me one more good cup or corfee. When Caille finally succeeded In ri11in~ and lightIng Lina $ pipe to suit her, and the old woman had, inhaled with an exaggerated air of satistaction for several moments, she indulged in a few more shouts or Praise d LordL then skie said, Honey, I se ready to talk some more flow.. Damned i:C I ain t gwine to git right on talkin for you, fore I starts oft sjflgiflt again. Oh, it s tbout my marriage you wants to know now, is it? Well, me and 3e~T Eunter got married up whilst I was still stayin on Marster J~k s place. Jefi went to de courthouse and got us a license lak de white folks, and us. had a nice wed4in . My dress was mighty pretty; it was white lawn, made long waisted lak dey. wore dresses den. Mrs. J4zzie Johnson made it, and it had long sleeves, and. a long I~ull skirt wid lots of ruffles. De two petticoats she giinme to wear wid my weddin dress was ruffled to beat de band and had trixnmin on evvy ruffle. J:viy weddin drawers even had ru:tles on em; I was really dressed up. Us had a big tine supper and two dances. ~ mam, dat ain t no mistake. Us did. have two dances, one was at home, and den us went

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~ ~.# j over to my brother s house whar he give us another one and. served cake and wine to de wedd.in party. Atter us drunk dat wine, it warn t no trouble to dance ror de rest ot de night. Me ~nd JeiT moved on de Johnson place, and Jerf wuked some ror .drs. Johns~n ~ dau~hter, Mrs. Fannie Dean, but for de most part he wuked in de wagon shop wid air. i1orn ~.ntnony. I se s~ii1 ~ot one o1 my old wedd.in petticoats; I v;ore out i our bodies on it. Lina e~cused herself and went inside tue house 1er a nioment. ~he returned to the porch with an old fashioned suitcase or ~rip,~ as si~e called it. t?~j3 here s older dan old LIna l s, she said. It belonged to k135 Lizzie s daddy, out I sewed it b ck io~ether atter dey throwed it away, and. I se gwlile to kee ) lt 1on~ as I lives. Sne opened it and took out a petticoat that was yellow wita abe. It was several yards wide and was encircled by numerpus ernbroiiiered rui ~Ies. The skirt was sewed on to a tight, str~i~ tt body-waist that was much newer than the skirt and tii1~ waist was topped b~ a rose~-colore crocheted yoice. ~ ~iannie Dean xn~de dat br me,u cieclared Llna. Look a~ dis old blacK shawl. ~ee iiow cig it is ~ iat s what 1 used to wear ~or a wrop ou eduren aye i0r3 J~ ev~r had a coat.

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. ~ ~ ~ .. . ~ ~ . ~i~2Q-.~ ~ . ~ I~ se still sleepin on oneof Miss LIZZie S beds. Come Inside, I wants you to see it. A part ot the t;all headboard had been removed so the bed could be used in a low ceiled rooni~ The footboard was low, and Lina insisted on showing the small double looks that joinedthe side pieces to the head and Loot boards. These are rarely seen now. She was U$lng the orig1x~I old wooden-~framed wire fabric springs, and a straw mattress. As she displayed the latter, she said, Y~, Chile, I still sleeps on my straw tick, cause dat s. what I was raised on and dere ain t notiath sleeps as good as dat old tick when lt s full of good fresh wheat straw. I ~ ~ Lina s coffeepot on the charcoal bucket w~s stea.xn-~ Ing and the visitor prepared to depart so that th old woman could enjoy her drink while it was fresh and hot. Lina tollowed her to the veranda and said with much enthu~ siasm, God bless you, Lady. You sho is done made me happy, and Pse swine to pray f~or you evvy day and ask de Lord to take keer oi~ you all de ti~e. I se gwIne to do dat, cause I wants you to corne back and let rae sing some more of our good old songs for you sometime. After the house was no longer in sight, Lina s high pitched voice could be heard singing MyQldMamniI Died 3-Shoutin .

Emma Hurley of Washington-Wilkes. 276 273

~. ;.. : - ~ ~ : ~ j ~ ::: ~ ; ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ 8UBJECT:......e~..*.......... ~W HURLEXOFWASHI1IGTONPSWILKE5 REBEAR R WORKER:..............~ MINNIE BR NR M STONES~.EZT - ED ITOR:..............,........ JOHNN. BOOT.! - SUPERYTSOR:...........~........MI$S .VFTII BELL DISTRICT:..........,..,,,..,.. W, P. A. NO. I D TE:...... ....... ... ~ S$* ~ MARCH 22, 193? 100231 t

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E~!MA HUXLEY OF WASHIN TON-WILJCES With SnOW white hair peep1n~ from uncl.erneath a epotlese head ra~ an~ wearing a big white apron, &iina Hurley reminds one of the plantation days or the long ago. She is elghty. odd years old, but doee not know her exact age. From all ehe remembers she is sure ehe iae at least 7 or 8 at the beginning o1 the wa~r for ehe clearly recalle the talk of war and. all the excitement o~ those anxioue days. Unfortunately, Aunt Emma was born of parents belonging to a family that bought and sold slaves as they did. cattle and thought ot them only in terme of dollars and. cente. The etory ~// ~hi telle of her childhood would make a Simon Legree turn pale with envy. She le not resentful, but le honeet in telling of those early yeare of her llf~, yeare of suffering and great hardship. Although she has never been to school, ehe ~eee very little dialect: No main, honey, the folke I belonged to said it uldzi t do fer nlg~ere to learn out n books ; that echoole warn tfer them. They said learnth would git us so they couldn t do nothin wid US. After freedom I wuz nuesin here In Waehln ton. The mother of the chll .un was a good lady an she let me look on the books when she read. to them an lamed me the lessons long with her chullun. She said lt wuz a pity ~ could.n t 0v went to school, cause I wuz a apt pupil. I lamed. easy, yaesuzn, that e what ehe eald.~

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~toneetreet.Booth ~ ~ ~ I ~ Page-2 ~(y Ma wUz name Margaret an sh hat thirteen chillun, six of ein twln8. I wuz the ol4eet ons, but J~ ain t a twin. j wuz born on ~ plantation in Wi Jcee County ri~,ht on th. 1in~ of Oglethorpe. In the white family I belonged. to there wuz a mother, four boyi, an two gir1~, all grown. They come to Wilkee County from Maryiand. All Thur of Uis men went to the war an three of em died or sickneee ~aug,ht in the war . Aunt E~nma told~ of how the 81ave3 had~ to live on the plantation and an unpleasant etory it wae. There were no neat cabine all in a row making up the quarter.0 where the slavee live~I. In~te~ they were made to live around in any in. old hut they could find 8heitei7~ Her mother and three other women stayed. in one room of the hou8e the white family lived. in. The little slaves were fed pig-fashion in the kitchen, but they were given just so much food and. no more. They were alloted two garments at the time, summer and winter: Vvhy~4,. honey, I never had. no shoes tu after freedom come. I ve walked on snow many a time barefooted with my feet eo cold my toes wuz 5tickin straight up with no feelinP~ in era. The white folks had a trained shoe.maker elave an he made shoes ter them, but U5 little niggers didn t have none. The first shoes I ever remembers had. wooden bottoms an eich a 5OUfld as they made when the folks walked round with em on.

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Stone street-Booth ~ ) -~: ~ 1~~~/ ~ Page 3 The slaves dli plenty of hart work done on the plantation. The women labored. all d~ay in the fields and then spun at ni~it. Each one was given the task of spinning six broache8 a week. On Saturday a white lad~y reeled off ths spinning and if one or the women had. failed in her task she was severely beaten. The men worked all day and until ten o clock at night shuck- ing corn or doing other chores by lamp light. Every Wedneaday nig,ht the slaves had to go to the spring and wash their clothes by torch light. ~They did have ail day Sunday as a resting period, but they were not allowed to go to church and. no religious services were held. for them. There was one day holiday at Christaas, but I never heard of a Santa Claus when I wuz a child, said. Emma. When a slave died O~k the place he was wrapped in a sheet, put into a pine box, and taken to a liburying ground where he was put in the ground~ without any services, and with only the imrneciiate family attending. All other slaves on the place had to keep on working just as though nothing had ~appened. There were no marriages. The slaves being told to step over the broom stick. Many families were separate ~ by sale. III recollecte good when Mr. Seaborn Cal .away come over to the place an bought my G~randma an some other slaves an took em away. We jest cried an cried an Grandma did. too. Them white folks bought an sold slaves that way all the time. Honey, there wuz one time when them white folks wuz good. to US slaves, said Aunt Emma, an that wuz when we wuz sick.

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Stonestreet-Booth :~: ~ Page~ 4 They would give us homemade remedies .lks ta~iay tea, comfort root tea, life ever1ast1n~ tea, bonseet tea, ~ar1ic water an sieh, eorain ter what ailed us. Then if we did.n t git better they sont fer the doctor. If we had a misery anywhere they would make poultices of tansy leaves scalded, or beat up garlic an put on us, Them folks wuz eho cerne bout us when we wuz sick, cause they clidn t want U8 ter die. when asked about the war and what she remembered of those terrible times, Aunt Emma slowly shook her head. and~ ea1d~: ~I never wants to live through sich sa~ times no more. Them wuz the hardest an ths saddest days I ever knowe~. Everybod~y want round~ like this: (here she took up her apron ari& buried~ her face in it)... they kivered their face with what-eomev.r they ha& in their hante that woul& ketch the tears. Sorrow an sadness wuz on every eid~. The men all went off to fight an left the women an chil .un an n1g~ere behind to do the best they could.~ g Times ~mz so hard why, honey, in them times folks eould.n t @t so much as some plain salt to use on their victuals. The white folks had the dirt dug up from out n their s~okehouses an hau .sd it up to Mr. Siss n s an he run it an ~ot what sait he couj out n it. I members one day I went over there fer sumpthin an the dirt what he had run wuz piled way up high like sawdust these days. There warn t no soda neither, so the white folks took watermelon rinds, fixed~ em keerful like we does fer perserves, burned em an took the ashes an sifted em an used em fer soda. Coffee civ out an

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s tone street-Boo Ui ~ ~ Paie-5 none could be bought so they took okra eeed~e an parched~ em good an brown an ground em an made coffee out n em. Some Thlka made coffee out n parched ground~ wheat too. Everybody had to do the beet they COUld In them timee.~ Dunn the war, continued Aunt Emma, 0the mother died~ an all her property wuz divided mongst the chillun. My Ma an ai . her chiliun fell to Mies Mary what had married an ~uz ilvin in Lexington, over in Og ,sthorpe County. She moved. us ail up there an we wuz there ti . freedom, then we moved~ down to Waehlngton where we have lived ever since. Mies Mary s hueband e Ma had over two hundred slaves an she sho did take on when they wuz a . . freed. I members how ehe couldn t stay in the house, she jeet walked up an aown out in the yard a.-carrin -on, taikin an aravin . L Word ceiis one day that the Yankee solctier3 wuz comm1 an all ue niggere went down to the road to watch em go by. It wuz a sight. They all marched by singin . Fore they oo~ie, though, the white folke had all the niggere busy hidin everything they could. Stock wuz tied out way down in thick woods, an silver, nioney, an good clothes wuz buried deep in the ground an leaveB put all over the earth so they couldn t ses where it had. been dug. ~en the Yankeee did come they called a . . the elavee up an went into ernokehousee an th.rowed out the meat to the niggere an said: Here, take all this, we knows it s yours anyhow, you worked fer it. s But most of the n.tggers give it ai . back to the ~ihite folke lt belonged to. The Yankees poured out all the syrup an stroyel

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Stone 8treet-~Booth Page 6 everything they could. I tell you, honey, them wuz bad. times an ue ai . wuz skeered most to death. Aunt Emma had only one slgn No mae, I ain t tall super st1t1ou~, I nev ~r thinke of things like that. But I doee know when lt 8 goin to rain hard, an that i when my haid~ itohee an j tehes U~ under my haid rai. When asked about the aniueementa ~ her day unt Emma eaid UI ain t never danced a step nor suns a reel in my 11m. My Ma allus said. we shoulcmn t do t iem things an we didn t, ~he ea~ if we went to the devil it wouLdn t be eau8e she give us her t~flj9 j0fltA How come I done lived so lone? I dunno, only I al .us been truthful an honest an tried hard to treat people good as I want them to treat me. Once I wuz so sick they all thou~2it I wuz goin to die. I thought so too. But I lay there sufferiri an the Spirit seemed to come ro~d an reasoned that I would be spared days longer in this low ground of sorrow. That s been long ago an here I is livin ytt. 1 ~ot even the faintest smile crossed Aunt Emrna e wrinkled face while she Was t~lking. Although she live& to marry and have a home of her own. with good children, ~he is sad when she thinks of her childhood with all its injustice and suffering. I ee glad my race t t have to suffer now what we dId on that plantation. Some of my old friends tells rae they had good homes an wuz took keer of an all that, but from my own ~ I se glad my ehillun never knowed slavery.

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28~ CONSULTANT: E~iaa Rurley Waakiz~gt n, Geergia

Alice Hutcheson. Ex-slave - age 76. 284 281

. . : ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ..~ ~ . ~. .: ~ ~ :~ : ~ ~: ~ . ~ ~ 2~ki~ . ~ ~ . i:a0124 \ PIIkNTATION LIFE as viewed~ by ez~1ave ALIQ~ HUTCH~~SGN 165 Rocks~ring Stre e t Athen8, Georgia Grace lic Cune Athens ara}:t H. Ha ~L Athens Written by: Edited by: . and . J~ohn N. Booth ~ Dittri ot Supervi~or . Yecieral Writer8 Project Augusta, Georgia.

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i.~()Oi24 ~ . ~ . ~ ~ ALI E . HUTC1i~SON Ebc- Slave ge 76 ~ ~ As the interviewer ap~proached the house 812e could hear Alice singing, Good mornin to you~ Howdy you doD and through the open window the old woman could be seen busily engaged in household duties. H r broom, rnovingin rhythm with the song~ did not miss a stroke . when the tune changed to Lord I se a comln HOme At the first sound of r apping, the.. singing ceased and Alic~e ~rompt1y opened the door Good mornin ~j~y,0 ~ ~ said . How is you? Asked for the story of her earlylife as a slave, she smiled and urged the visitor to have a seat in dis here rockin cheer out here on de porch in d~ sunshine.* ~ *If~y lia and Pa was named Hax iei Bel . and William Hanson, and dey b longed to Marss Cal Robinson~ down in.Ionr~County. ~. was married two times, and de fus ~fl was named Bell. I~e was de Pa of my half brother Only one of my three sisters is livin now. I ~ias born in June 1862 dunn de war. Ma s two brothers, T ylor and Bob sIni th b longe d t o de Rob irison s in Morgan C ounty . Dem Rob ins one was kin to our white folkses, and us wa~ stillall E~obinson Niggere. Ma s four sisters is all done died out long years ago. *1 jus kin member one time de Yankees come to our plantation. Dey rainsac~ked de place tuk all de victuals f u ~de white folkse s and give em to de slaves. Us chillun sho hid out whilst dey was dar, t cause dein ias skeery times and dem so3ers sung old songs I heared lots of times atter I got bigger. De captain would start de song.

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?age 21r Mamber i866, bOy8., de rebe .B inhell offixea, but.we 13. dx inkand eat deir bones y it. Atter de Yankees lef de ~iggera brung back de white folk8es victuals cause dey was our own white foikse.~ and dey had allus done give U8 plenty of ev~vything. Us chillun didn t have to do rio har~d wuk, jue ~p1ayec~ tround de yarda wid de white chillun nos of de time. One of our little jobs wa~ to git in plenty of wood for de fires. Qhestnut and hiok ry wood made de bes fires and dare was allus. ~Lenty of good kindlin to gi t em started Oak and aine bark was good ta make de pot bile in a hurry. ~m ovens would bake lak evvything wid heaps of hot coals piled round em~. Dare warn t no Nigger schools den, but Mies Jane larnt us tiong wid de white ~hil1un, and us sho had to mind dein lessons or she d tear us up. . .~... ~ L ~ ~ ~ slave quarters was jus log cabins, and dey oqoked on fireplaces jus lak at de big house. Uarster didn t have many Niggere, but us had ~plenty soine~in t eat. He had a big gyardenwhar he raised mos evvything: corn, taters, cabbages, peas, onions, C ollard gre e ns and 1 o s of pun kina Then de ins na plowe d u~p de taters us chillun had to go long and put em in baskets. De bestes times was hog kuhn times. IJe. ohiliun wukked den Dey hung i~ de hogs all night and nex day U8 cut em, put tea down in salt, and cooked up de lard. Us chillun got some of dem good old skin cracklin s when dey got brown. SAtter Mars.ter tuk.de meat out of de salt, he put brown sugar and lasse s on de hams and shoulders, sacked em u and hanged t em in de smokehouse Den he say for us to git de fire ready. Us

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. . Page. 3. . 284 mae a fire wid eottcrnaeed to 8rnolce de meat. Dat ke ~ it good, and it didn t git old ta8ti& It wa~ ~io good eatin when you got some of dat meat. ~ ~ When de time come ~ x ~ound to gather in de corn. us. wukke d mighty peart lak, cause s couldn t hardly wait for de cornehuokint ~ dat Marster wa~ gwine to let us have atter dat cornw s hauled in f um de fields. Marster vited all de other white folkees and dey brung deir Niggers long:. Shucks would jUS fly off of dat corn while dem Niggers was a-.singin Old Liza 1Tane and Susan Tane When de ~ ~ ~ -~---. Qornehucicin was all done us had a big supper chicken pie s, barbe-j eue, and plenty of evvything good wid lote of liquor too ~ttter supper dey started up playiri dem fiddles and banjoes, and de dancin begun. White~ toikses danced de twistificationup at de big house, but us had reg lar old breakdowns in a house what Marster 1e~t us have to dance in. Wid all dat toddy helpin tern long, sometimes dey danced all night, and some of em fell out and had to be dragged off de dance flo . *Xarse had log rollin s and vited evvybody. Dey all come and brung deir Niggers. Max ster had big dinners for ein, and atter dey done rolled dem logs all day dem Nigger~ evermore did eat When dey was wukkin dey sung soinethin lak dis: I .se wukkin on de buildin And hits a sho foundation, . And when I git done ~ I se goin home to Heb en. S All de neighbors corned to de ~~n s, and when de quilts was finished, dey throwed it over de head of de house. Dat brung good luek.

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Page 4.. 285 918 had to cyard, spin and reel cottOn. Missy give us ehillun six cuts of thread for a days wuk and if us wukked hard and fas us got done in~ time to go chestnut and chinqu~apin huntin . Us thtOw~d rocks ginst de limbs to shake de nuts down, and us had jus de bestes time a gittin , em out of de burrs and eatin sf1. Us used to string chinquapins and hang tern round our neok~. . ~9Marster had dese big OEartiages wid de high front seats w~har de driver sot. Us had buggies den too, but atter defiar us jus had two-wheeled oa.rts and dey was pulled, the old Negress modestly explained, by male cows. . 0Niggers all lalced thrashin __time. ~.rster, he growed lots of wheat and de thrashin machine tuk turn about gwine f um one plantation to another. Dey had big dinners on thrashint days and plenty of t~ddy for de thrashin ~ handa atter dey done de wuk. Dey blowed de bugle to let em know when dey done finished up at one place and got ready to go on to de nex one. Missy lef us to look atter de house when she went off to Morgan (Jounty to see de other E~obinsons, and she mos alius fotched, us a new di s s s ap ie ce whe n she e orne haine One . time dey was Dolly ~~d6fl~~L and dey~ was so pre tty us kep em for our Sunday bes dre sees. Dem Dolly Vardens was made wid ~overskirts what was cotched up in puffs. ~vvyday dre s ~ ~ was jus ~ plain skirts and waiste s sowed togettier . . Gal chilluns wore jus plain ohe~ises made long, and boys didn t wear nothin cep long shirts widout no britches til dey was bout twelve or fo teen. Dem wa.s summertime clothes. Cold weather us had

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Page 5.. ~ ~ 28 ; fiannei. petticoats and drawers. Our bonnets had staves in de brim to make ern~ stand out and had ruffle s round de front . .. ~Ma done de cookin and house wuk ~ at de big house for Mist e38 Jane ~ White folkses had lots of oomp ny, and dey had de cook fix de mcmtes good th g~s fr gem. Dey kalt heaps of chickens and cooked whole hams and lots of ~ tater puddin s and sich lak. When Ma steamed pun kini ttjl it was done and den fried it, hit sho would make your inouf water. Missy s folkses was crazy ~bout de tater ~puddints what Mamade, and when she went off to visit em she aflu had Ma bake one for her to take long to ein. White folkses and Niggers all went to de sane ahurch and listened to de same white preacher. Church day was second sunday of evvy mont~. Yhite folkses went in de rnornin and Nigger8 atter d inne.r . Dem Nigge i s had be t te r behave and ii ate n t o dOE preacher, toause if dey didntt Ma~ater would give eu a rakin over sho . Us went to Mount Zion Church in Monroe County, and de Ba~tista and Meferdists both used de same church house. Then anybody died, dey laid em~ out on de oooljn board t tu dey got de coffin rnade up. A white man lived nigh us what made all de coffins. He charged 50 cents to make one for a chile and a dollar for grown folkses. Dey had de same kind of coffins for ev~y. body, white and black, buri d em all in de same graweyard, and built a fence round j t White mens prsaohed all de fun raie When dey bux je d a Nigge r de y mo s ly had prayer a I i t t le talkin and 8 orne 8 ongs. Parts of de songs went lak dis: . ~ Death has been here and Toreawayasisterfromourside, . qhTUSt jfl de mornint of er day . As young a. U8~ she had to die.

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. . . Pag6~.. .*N~. long ago~&ie fi11e~ sei, place ~ Ani sot wid us to lam., But ~he done run ter mortal race And fle:ye~Ore can she ret rn. t~Is can t tell who next may fall Underneath de cha~ent roe, One mayba fust ~ but let us all Prepa.re to r~eet cur God. ~ And. nee~flul hei~i is thine to give Yor Grate our souls~ to Thee appiy, To lam us 1~ w to serve and live ~ And nake us fit at lae to die.~ SPart of another one was: . . ~Oh., come angel band Con~e and tround me stand, And bear me away ~ On your sn owy wings To my iiortal home . . *8eeIr~e lak I o~an mos ~ hear de preache~ read de Scri?tu.re for hi s text ~ :Buy ~ de truf and se li ~ i t no t . ~Sometimes our white folkses tuk us all to old Siqrna Church, and den Ma allus coGked a fine dinner to tak long, Cause dey had church all day and dinner on de grounds. I am t neyer gwine forgit a sermon I heared at ~nyrna oriet. De text was, Be thott fa! ihful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life ~ NOne day Marster called all his Niggera together and said us was all free, and dat US coj~ld go whar us pleased anytime us got ready, but he said too, dat us could stay on wid him if us wanted to. Ckiarlie Martin was de onlies Nigger what didri t stay. Charlie said~ he wanted to go soinewhars else and Marater give him a good hose and saddle and some money when be 1sf but I don t know how nuch dat money was. I t Twarri t long fore Lere was p le nty o f Ku K1uxex~B round

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. ~S\ ~ ~ . . : tbo~t.~~ . Dey had n doughfae~ and long white robes wh t c me down over ~e hosses dey waa a-ridin . Ma ailus, t le us dat if one of dem Kiuxers tetehed a Nigger, dat Nigger was gwine to die, and us was so skeered us stayed ~ out of deir~ way so dey didn t ke toh none of us, but dey sho did wuk on de hides of some of dem other Niggerswhat dey did git a holt of. . ~ ~ *1 wukked for Miss Sally Yerwin a white and den us moved here to Athens. M~ gr~~t ~ come atter us, and Mr. Mote Robinson moved.us in one of dem big, higb~ up. waggons. An ice truck passed the cabin door and Alice said: Now jua loa~k~ Honey, us didn t have nothin laic dat den. Our milk and butter and sich lak was kefl . in de spring house . Polkses what had wells used t o put milk in buck- e ta and let ~ em down i~ de well wid ropes, and dat milk would keep good and cool down dar. ~ . - $1 got married atter us c orne to Athens Us didn t have no big weddin , jus went to de preacher man s.house to git married. De onlies ehild us had is done been daid for years, and x~ old man died way over 16 yeara ago. ~ The old g~e~i~was reluctant to end the interview. Goodbye Mi asy, I hope e you o orne back s orne t ime ~ cause old Al ice ha8 had a mighty good time a-talkin t~- you. Atter us gits too old to do any wuk dere am t many folkzes takes up no time a -listenin to old Riggers. - . s s

[Interview with Jackson, Amanda] 292 289

1 ~ 17 1 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~-___- 289 ~ i~ ~ fc~,UtJ _ I ~ ) J I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -~ ~ ~ ( ~ ~ 8 Ani~nda Jackeon was born a e lave She is unable to give her age but 8he can te li of s o~ o:r t~ e corzUt~or~e etc . ~ on the ~ plantation where she lived0 Following are t1~ thii~g~ that ehe re.~ rnei~er~ most viiidlyg I wuz born in Gli s e cock e ounty bo t~t twe Ive miles t~a Davie~ boro, Ga. Vy mar~t r s ~m wuz L.owry Ca1bouxi..~he ~id nt bave ~o chil1un...-~jes him an his wife an her mother~He wus a rich man 1 ~ had a Mg plantation an ~ bout . fifty s laves or more I ~nernbers de big quirters in de back his houe e where ne de re de s lave s lived an how we uster git up an do ~ roun~ ttBesides me I had two sisters an one brother...~..Iwuz de youn.. ges child. ~ ~ All of de s laves on de ~1antit ion worked in de fiel ~~.even de cook~ .~dat is till tine fer her to cook de ~ais.~ On d.s p1a~ . . tation dey ra1se~ practically everything....-corn, c tton~ wh ~it~ an rye, ai~ a heapo 11w stOck. Dey w~z rux~nin bout twentyi.4~ive or thirty piow~ all de time Dere wu z one ov rse er . ~ ~ ~ . Every inornln de slavee had to g t up an by ue tiii~ it wuz : light en~iff to see dey had to be In de fiel wcrkin ~ . Whe~i asked how they wc re awak ened )~rs Jacks on repllea s Dey knowed bo~ to git ~ you up a4tr1gbt-~~.de ovcrsee: bad a horn dat he Uowed a~ 4dm dat did nt wake up w~ien de horn wuz blowed ~uz called by sont QC de ~ ~ others In de quart~rs . Continuing, sbe said: Dey wuz in de fiel fore de sun rose an dere till aftcr it went down~~fum s~i to sun , De fie 1 : s had one hour fer d1nner-~-de m dat had families done dere own cookin an clerc wuz a special cook fer de single ones. De women whut hid fanitlies would git i~p soon in de mornin s fore tine to go to de ftel an put de ireat on to boil an den dey would come in at dinner to

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29() . ~ ~ . ~. ~ ~. ~.. c:ome .in at dirmer tlnrn an put de vegetabiec in de pot to ~ook an when dey come home in de evenin dey would cook some corn bread in de ashes at de fireplace , S ~ S Ail dat I could do den wuz sweep de ya~ds~ water de cows au 4e ~hiekeris an den go to de pasture td git de cows a~ ~e c~1yea. we had two pa~t~res~ one fer de calves an one fer de cow 1 I had to git de cows so de womens could milk em. All of de hard work on de plantation wuz done in de sumner t line In ra my weather an other bad weather all dat de y had to do w z to shell corn an to help make cloth. As a rtle ol marstEi wuz pretty gook to u1~ slaves but souietithes some of era got w~p~d kiMa b ~ fe r not workin an stuff like dat. .~I . se en im cut w n~ ~ on dey shoulders wid a long whip till lt looked like he wuz gonna cut de skin off n im. ~ - . ~ . ... S ~ You had to do yo own work on ~ ~3aturdays an ~ Sunc1ays...-~i~ mem~ bErs s ee Ing my p0 mc ther wa~3h her cMtbe ~ ~ on Surx~i~rs ~ tia*e., We ~:id nt have no ho lidays except Suix~aye an ~ den ~ we did ut have nowhere to go e~rcept to church in de w o~ under & De whit folks c othes an all o de slaves clothes WUZ aU mide oa de p1ant~t on De mars ter s wife e ould s ew an ihe an her mother an some ~ of de s 1ave~ done all, o ~ de spinning an weaving on de place . ~ I ye worked mny a clay in de hous e where dsyx~aade ~ de : ~oth.. at. To Co br de C lothee ~ de~ rinde dyes out o ai . kinds o barks ~ If d cy wanted ye1i~w~tripwe . dey used dye in~de ou~~ o hickory bark, Dere v/ux a1w ay~ plenty o . c lothes fer ev rybod~ caus e dej~g~ve two complete outfits two tiiz~s a year one in de suzzw~r an one In de winter . ~ !er btuikete we used hoaepun ejz ,ads ~ de ehoe~ ~~uz nade on 64 p1antation.~dere wuz ~ ~ n*n on

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29f ~ .. . 3. . ~ de place da~ aade aU o de ebo a.~ Dey wuz ~de out o ~ cQw~tds sW v~uz very et~tt.. You ~ to grea~ em to wear em an ftft r 70* done dat you cou~.d do pretty we1i~ De oVas dat dey w re ou S~ day wuz xit no different ~um d ones at c~ey wore in de week~i~q. did nt bave nowhere to g~ ~ 5~~ays unIes~ dey bad ~ervic soae~* where in de woods, . . ~ Dere wuz a1wa~p1enty to eat. !c~ise dey raised everything dat yo~i c. n think of. Dere wi~z all kiixis ~ vegetablee an ~ big fielt s of hogs an bout fifteen or t ~enty h~ad a cattle cit bad to ~be milked everyday. Dem ~at bad f ~milies g~t a issue O food e~ rydfty an de others whut wuz sii~gie ~ uz fed at de cookhouse, De only tii~e we e?:er got b~SCU1tS ~iu~ ~ oi~ Sut~dtys.i.i-de t o de tins we~ et cornbread, L4arster had te~kehou~es~. ror~ ~er d~ lard an one fer de meat, Besides des he ~ed de slavec~~~to raise der own veg~tab1ee in dey wanted to butd y~eo4d nt raise no ghtekens on stuff 1iked~t . ~ ~. . ~ ~ O tfle place wi~re de slaves 1ived~NU~ ~ de back ~ de~~hite ~ folks house I~y call d ~ i.t detl~uarte1!e~~ D~ wuz lotsa log oabi*~ kiix~a raz&ged trouxi in aidotta C11 Cle: an\a of~ e~ ~iad big dirt ChiUIIIeyS on de outeide.D~hoies :iu:ae w~1~wuz stop~*d upwid dried ~nx1to keep deweather out, Fex ~n~uedey jes nafledup ax~ything.~.dere wuz a bench or two ~1 4 ~ei~ ~ar~s xaii.i to~*~r fer a bed. De zrattr~.ss wuz a big ~ckifl~t ~d wid ~tx~awor dried grase. Some of de houses had bi~ Iron posts s~ dat aey coui4 cook if dey wanted to. De fireplaces W~ ~ oi~s an~ dey 1~d racks in de. . ~ . .~ ~ Ii ~ ir~ide of~ em so dat de pots c~a.d ~w~n dey wuzeookiz . De . only ligbt dat dey bad wVz,de n t care bow hot it WUZ~i~~. if you wanted to see you bad in de fireplace0 De floors In all de cabins wtw nude 1

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t~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ \:~ p\) ~ ~ ~ ~ 292 . \ ~ ... ~ ~ . . 11a3 dly ~ evs~ ~t: stCk U~ 4$ pl~UtAttOfl, Wb5fl~ ~SS7 WUZ sick de white adyw6~ld. c~e Ot~t once it~ a while to see how you wuz gittin I.ong~ If ~nybOd~ ~Uz very sick d doctor wotJ.d coed on his horse a~ ~r1ng~ ~Us meJicine wid im when lie co~ ~beu you wuz sick like ~ fiel wo~14 stay in au do de nursin . All de n~1cii~e I uember e is big blue i~es pilla ~in salts. dey wou1dg~1ve you~\ 1es fer anytliing. When you wuz ~ toO sibk to go to de fiel ~ not~~ick ~nuff to be j~ ~4 ~ ~ ~ report to de whIte :~ady at de ~ could t ll pretty uiucI~ if you wtiz sick an she would wox4 on you~~.if yoi cU4 nt glt:better den she ~ou1d sex~d fer de do~tor~ ~ . ~ ~ . ~ On des plantatIon ddy dld nt h~vetio re~1.c1~u ch fer de slaves an so when de *eather wuz good de s1ave~ went to dewo ds ~ an bad ciiurc~i in a bus~.arbor Dey made a btili ~arbor by takin ~ome posts an puttin t m inde groun att de ~vcr1n ~e top wid bushes. Ia ter on dey had :~ shelter cover~dwidboards~ De ~ ~ ~ predhln wuz done ty . a oaL man dey oailed ~ Caesar...~he to do an~~~1iing else an so prechin wu~ ae b1~1s ~ thing he do~ . ~!y nnrst r never did ~e1l any o his s1aves.-~- urge if dpy . wanted to go to ~ornebodyydl~e 1~e d let uni go p vided de on~ dey wqntcd to go to paid er~ em. He let one or two go like dat *nce. ot:..er folks ust~r put em on de block an sell ein IIk* dey wouLd~a chicken or suinpin like dat. ~ ~ Dere wuz nt niuch ~r~ppin on our pi 1nLitiuws~ii.~not by de maretei Dey t1~ua11:T ~Ot W~PP~d fer not WOrklfl Others got wIupped by de Paddie..!ollers ~ ~en dey v~uz cot off n de plantation widout a pass. DeWy would come to de p1ant~ition an vthup you if dey knowed you h~id been oft wid out a pass Dee n~n wi~ose p1ant~tion w~ wuz on 4*4

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.~ S ~ .5. ~. pretLy well by us~~,be di4 z~ like lev de Padd~e I~oflers to came on hi~ place to dO no. whuppjn~ In reply to~ ~~u~ry r~egarding th~ possibility of a si~~e bu~ing his freedom ~a .~.Jackaon replied: De only ones I. knowed to go free wuz soxr~e whose rnrst~rs willed em enuff u~n~y to buy ddyself out an dey ~ mighty few . C.: ~Continu~ng 1~r~ . Jack~ n said: . ~hen de Ymkec soldiers corne through w~ ha4 to Lit busy an~ i~ide all de i~ie~t an de other food (12t ~ u~ in de smokehouse ~o dat de soldterbc vould nt takj. lt. )~y motier ~.n f~~t1ier st~~yed on de antation a iQ\~ng time after frceclom vru~ ~1~*~d~t \ . \. \ :~ . ~ \ \ .. ~ ~ \\~\ N

"Memories of her childhood," Camilla Jackson. 297 294

2~ )1. ME~4ORII~S OP i~n CHILDHOOD0 BY AN EX..SLAVE CAiviILLA JACKSON Submitted by Minnie ~B. Ro88 (Colored.)

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295 Mra. Cemilla J acks on doe an t know how old 811e la but Is so very old that she almost never leave8 her ela it She wears a *~ ito rag arouxid her head and is alway8 spotlessly clean. She speaks d1stinct3~ but her xt~mory is a little slow, due to her old age. The events related were given ottly aft~ she had thought tliaa aver oarefttlly, for, as she stated, she did not wish to tell anything but the tru~i She lives in a back Thc~ of a large house and is cared i~ci~ by oth~ people in the house. She was born in Deoatur, Georgia, the deughter of Charlotte and Yoe Hoyle, and the tenth oh lid ot 18 children. Her family included her nxtb~ and ta~i ~ a grandrnoth ~ and 1 ? sisters and bi~ there As tar as she can remember her tainily a:Lwsys belonged to Mr. Peter Hoyle, who was a doctor. ~ Dr. Hoyle s fatally Included his ite, three boys, and three girls. He owned a very l~ ge plantat ion, and a large number or alavea, probably 75 or nxre. All of them were required to v~rk In the fields and tend the cropa which consisted mo St ly o f sugar cane and cotton. Syrup was nude from the sugar cane L~ s o ~Tackson rememb m quite well that ev~yone was required to work in the fields, but not until Dr. Hoyle iho was a kind master, was sure that they were old enough. She was about 12 years old when she was given a job in the house, oper~ating the fly-bxiiah. The fly-brush was constructed so that a piece of cloth, tasteried on a wooden freine with hinges, could be pulled back and forth with a cord. This constant fanning kept the room clear of flies. As she related th la, she smiled to herself as if her job was particularly ~riiusing. Dr. Hoyle d.ld not find lt necessary to hire out any of his slaves as he bad enough ~rk to keep them all busy. She frequently said that her master was a kind than and never punished unnecessarily. It was v~y seldom that he us od the ~ti ip. His slaves respected him for his kindness and tried to please hira As a result of

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s. .. )O( ~d ~J his good treatment Dr. Hoyle never found it necessary to sell any one of his slaves. Once she hesitated and. seemed to go into a deep study over something. A few minu~tes later she related the incident of the selling of a woman slave. This woman ~vs bft~th to a baby out of wedlock and, since Dr. Hoyle was a firm believer in marriage, he irnniecliately sold. her, to prevent further trouble. Mrs. Hoyle was not as kind as her husband, and at times was cru.el to the slaves. Mrs. Jackson clearly related the method of courtship and. marriage on her niaster s plantation. Dr. Hoyle never selected the mates f or his slaves but left it to each person to chose whomever he wished. However, the selection would have to be made from among the slaves on some of his friends plantations. They were not allowed to chose anyone on their own plantation. The person chosen was allowed to call on Suiida~rs after getting a 5pass from his master. She told how courtship was carried on in those days. A~ young man courted the girl in the presence of the parents. 1~.very now and then he would be seen looking at the clock. When he left the mother would go to the door with him. When the master was properly notified. of the intended marriage, he would prepare a feast and call in his own preacher to perform the cerem ny. After the ceremony everybody was allowed to take part in the feast . When Mrs. Jackson s oldest sister married the master roasted a pig and. stuck a red. apple in its mouth. She smiled over this incident. A slave s home life was very simple. After work hours they were allowed to visit other plantations; however, they could not visit any plantation unless their master was friendly with the owner of this particular plantation. One of the most enjoyable affairs in those days was the quilting party. Every night they would assemble at some particular house and. help that person to finish her puits. The next night, a visit would be made to corne one else s home and so on, until everyone had a sufficient amount of bed-clothing made for the winter. Besides this was an excellent chance to get together for a pleasant time and discuss the latest gossip. 2~ost friendly calls were made on Sunday, after securing a Hpass ~. This passe was very necessary to go from one plantation to another.

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iii: ~ I Slavea did not have to ~epare their food during tbe week. Their food was brought to thea in pails from the big house . (The inast~ s houes was called the ttbjg house .) On Sundays they were given groceries to prepare their own meals Mrs. 3ackson reznembe~ s the bread that was made from shorts . Shorts was the name given to a second grade of flour, sinillar to whole wheat. The first grade was always used in the master s house~ As a v~iole, Dr Hoyle gave his slaves enough food; however, on sevsI~ al occasions she r~nembexe that a friend of her mother s, who lived on the adjoining plantation, handd pane of food over the fence to the~n. Slaves were never given spending money but her ~an&nother vias very thrifty and i~ianaged to earn a little money. This was done by collecting all the rags ehe could find and then carrying them to town in an oxcart to ~eU th~. Old women used. oxcarta because oxen wo uld not r~in away. She smiled wh~ asked if she had ever vorn . hoqp skirt. Yes, child , she replied, I have ~rn hoop skirts. They were the fad in those deys. She related ho 1~~ her sister n~ade hoop skirts by c~ittin~ slits in the hem of the skirt, and running a hoop t brough it. I o an ran~nb~ the cloth th at was nude on the ep liming wheel she seid. She told how she had turned the reel many a d~r end spun the thread. She could not clearly relate the cox~struction of a spimiing wheel. ~veryone, particularly the older people, was req~uired to attend chureh. For c:~rist~s everyone was gi Van a ape c-i al SUI1d8IY suit to wear to chur ch. The slaves di d not have a separate chin oh of their own but were al low ed to att aid the wh Ite ci iurc~1 and occupy the balcony. rn s. ~ackson began to laugh outright over the ri~Ir ry of a funny yet seric~s incident that occurred in ch~u~ch one Sunday. She had a little vihite girl friend witn whom she played every d~y. One Sund~ she looked over the balcony and saw her in the audie~ice beloi. They 1x~th began a little gait~e of looking and snatching back their heads. Finally she leaned over too far end feU. over the baloon~ into the white audience below. She hurt herself pretty badly and~ cried. so much that the service was broken up for that dey. Dr . Hoyle cerrid

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oc i~2 (~ ~ Iv her home and. administered. the proper treatment. jfter this incident the d.1&n1t look ever balconies anymore. Before she could. learn anything definite the Civil War had beg~in and. she began ~ to see soldiers going here and. there dressed in their uniforms. One event stands out clearly in her memory and. that was the time the master took all of his slaves and as niany of his possession as be could and went to Camp Ground, Georgia, to dodge the Yankee soldiers. After the attack on Decatur, they returned to find. all of the slave quart ers t orn down. The master s house which had 13 rooms was still standing. ~ost of the slaves had to stay in the big house until their homes could be rebuilt. MEIV were still living in the master s house when the papers were read. telling them they were free. Dr. Hoyle asked his slaves to remain and he would pay them for tbifr services. Her family remained with Dr. Hoyle s family one year after freedom. After wards they moved to Atlanta, where she has livedpractically all of her life. She niarried immediately after freedom and proudly spoke of being the first person to we& in the old. :Big Bethel Church . She is now alone without sister, brother, or child; but even at her old a~e she is unusually optimistic and. continues to enjoy life. She believes in serving God and. living a clean honest life. She has Just one desire, an~ that is to enter ~ the Kingdom of Heaven someday.

Slavery days as related by Snovey Jackson. 306 303

/1. .\ ~r ~ :~:~ 2:~ ~! ~ ~ i;: __t.* ~ ~ LI ~ ~ ~ SLAVERY DAYS A S REM TED SNOVEY JACKSON 303 1 BYt I~ith A. Chitty ~ Research Worker

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~ith A. Chitty, Research Worker SLkVERY DAYS AS RELATED ~BY SNOVEY JACKSON Aunt Snovey Jackson, crippled and bent with rheumatism, lives in a cabin set in the heart of a respectable white neighborhood. Surrounded by white neighbors, she goes her serene, independent way. The years have oequeathed her a kindly manner and a sincere interest in the fairness and justice of things. Wisdom and judgment are tempered wi.th a sense of humor. My n ~in e js Sn ove y Jack s on ~ S ~n o ~v e ~y da e t he way I s~ e 1 1 s i t. D am t nary nother Snovey ~Tackson in de South. I was bawned In C1arks~ ville, ia., and owned by one Captain Williams of Virginia. I don know jes zackly how old I is, but I must be bout 80. I was jes a small chap bout three or f0 years old when my folks cided to corne to Georgia to raise cotton. You see we didn t raise no c3tton in Virginia - mitten cept wool and flax. De people in Virginia heerd bout how~ cotton was growed down here and how dey was plenty o~ labor and dey come by the hund eds to Georgia. ~3ack in dem days dey warn t no trains, and travel was slow, so dey corne in gangs down here. Jes like dey had de bo~rn down in Florida few years back, dat s de way people rushed off to georgia to git rich quick on cotton. When they got here it warn t nutten like dey thought it wa8 go n 0e. Dey thought dey could make cotton dout no troubl.e, and 4ey d rake in de money. My folks lei me in Virginia cause I was too li l to be any help, and dey thought. dey could get plenty o cheap labor here. ~I se talkin bout f0 de war broke out.) Of course Virginia was a slave breedin state, arid niggers wa~ sold off jest like stock. P~.milies wa~ all broke up and never seed one nother no mo .

308 305

2- ~O5 ttr don t aven know who my mother and father was. I never knowed wIi~.t corne of em. Me and my two little brothers was 1sf in Virginia When Captain Williams come to Georgia. De specalators got hoi ~: ~ and dey refugeed US to Georgia endurin o de war.Jliiggers down here used to be all time axint rne where my folks was, and who dey wa~ I ~ einde buzzards laid me anddesun hatch me. After we was brought to Georgia Mr. JamesjpckQon bought me. I never knowed what corne of my brothers. The specalators had tried to keep us together, but we got all separated. I ain t got no kin in the world today dat I kn~s boute De Jacksons owned a plantation in Baldwin county, out dey sold it and moved to LaGrange, Georgia. We lived dex~e tu after de war was On, den dey move oack to Baldwin County. Old Miss lost her sonin-law, and later her husband died, den her daughter died. She had a little grandchild, a boy, her daughter 8 child, to raise. She used to say she had two pets, one pet black child and one pet white child. She was good to me. I never got no punishin s. ~ Old Miss had a lot of kin folks here high class folks. Dey was stomp down Virginians, too. Dey use to call me dey kin. Miss Kizzie Vleiderman was a niece o old Miss Jackson s, and she used to come down the street and say, Look here, ain t dat some o my kin?.- Come shake hands wid me. Miss Kizzie was a sight. She alluz say when she die she want all her nigger kin to come and look on her dead body. Finally old kiss got dissatisfied and she cided de best thing for her to do was to sell her home and farm here and go toChicago to live wid her sOn. Dat lef me to seek nother home, cause I didn t Want to go off up dere. So we parted. I Come to town den( it was iii l~77) and found work wid de

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30G ~gent o the Central o Georgia ~ai1road here in Millecigeville. My ~tistis den was Mrs. Ann Bivins. She was good to me, and when they went away, she say, Snovey, ef n I had the money, nuttin but death could separate me and y~. Den the Nesbits was made de Agent, and I work fifty years at dat Central depot. I used to get up eve y mawnin and cook breakfast for all de section hands, den ltd go to de house and cook for de family. Child, I jes worked myself to death. All my folks gone away now. De Nesbits live in .~lorida. I sends em a bag o nuts eve y Christmas, and dey sends me a box o~ oranges. Sometime dey comes here to see me. I mus tell you how de Yankees done when dey come th ough here. I was wid old Miss Jackson at dat time. We live over de river. 1. was a. small chap not oig enough to do nothing much cept fluss old Miss. We heerd de Yankees was commt and did dey ruin eve thing~ Why Milledge.~ Ville was jest tore up; twori t nuttin mo n a cow pasture when de Yankees ;ot th ough wid it. Dey tuck all de stock and cattle what folks had, and burned and stroyed eve ything. After de war was breakint up, w~ heerd de soldiers was commt through here and was go n pass Town Creek on de way to Sparta, and on from Sparta to Warrenton, and from Warrenton to Augusta. I lost record after dat. Some said it was go n be 15,030 sol~ diers passing th ough. We all wanted to see them. I axed old Miss to lemme go to Sand Town to see em. She lemme go. Hit was a crowd of us ~1ent in a big wagon. We.did see bout 5,000 soldiers. I was tbout 8 or 9 years old. I ~mernbers jea as well how dey looked some of em had c~9nteens. Dey was tryin to git back h~ne. Dey seemed all bewildered like. I had alluz been skeered o soldiers, but after I seen dem I warn t

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4 l~ ~ tiU ( skeered no mo . II had alluz wanted to own a little piece of land, and have me a oi~ie room hut like other niggers had. After I started t cookin for de white folks at de Central depot, I cided I d buy me a home. So I got my eyes on a piece of property I wanted and I started to v~estigatin jtA It seemed like a heap o~ money and me making sech a li l bit. J. found out Mrs. Ann duBignon owned de square I wanted, so I went to see her ~Ofl~ de lawyer. He say, Snovey, you can t buy dat lot. You am t got a chance in de world to pay for it. ~i: warrt t satisfied wid dat, so I walked out to where old Miss Ann lived at Scottsboro, and I talked to her. She say she was anxious to git a buyer, but she didn t want to worry wid small payments on it, and if I could finance it, she d sell. Well, I studied and studied, and I figgered and figgered, and my little wages for a whole year, even if I didn ~t spend a penny for nuttin , wa~ mighty little. So I went down to see Mr. Samuel Walker. He owned jes bout all de land in .t3aldwin Oounty what he had got by loans to people dat give de land as security and never could pay off. So we talked.things over, and he let me have de money to pay Miss for de square. Mind you dis ~ was all jes a field and woods den. Look at it now! She proudly pointed out the modern homes and streets. ~ At de end of dat fus year, here come Mr. Walker. Well,.Snovey, how you gittin long? he say. I, I~se gittin long fine Mr. Walker. e, Well, what you go n do bout dis landV I Was ready for him. He thought he wa~ go n corne down and take d~ land, cause he knowed I didn t have de nioney to pay off. $ut I was

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.. 5.. vtaitin fer him. t i se ready, Mr. We~lker, to settle up. Was he surprised~ He sho was disappointed. Lot o folks has wanted my property. Pinally ~Tudge Allen persuaded me to sell him enough to build hi~ home. Den Mr. ~iione con~ie long, and he wanted to build here. So you see I done . f SOld off several lots, and I still owns part o my square. Dis here old nigger been de foundation of dem homes you see dere. I could be a grand counselor now. If I could live my days over I d show em all surnpin . Like a rollint stone, up and down, so de world gotnt move on. I been a heap 0~ help to folks in my day. I done made a way out o no way. sti ain t never married, never had no chillun, and de niggers says I alluz been a house-bird~ I suffers a heap wid rheumatism n~. Dat s de reason you see me all bent over disaway. I can t hardly raise up from my waist. I looks mighty feeble but I done out-lived a lot o eIn. Some years ago when dey was buildin dat fine home up dere on de lot they bought from me, de contractor boarded right across dere from me wid Mrs. Sims, and he used to say, Aunt Snovey,. how bout sellin me ~:1is corner lot to build me a marble house on? You might not be here much longer, and I sho love to haire dis corner lot. i: used to laugh and tell him I might eat de goose dat ate de grass dat growed on his gt ave. Sho riough, he died here some years ago. Aunt Snovey, what are you going to do with all your property - you have no family and no relatives? V~ell, dis property was here when I come here. Haven t you made a will? Me? N~o mam. Some fellow 11 g t it. I can t say who 11 git it.

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better not say. . Aunt ~novey, I would like SO much to have these old chairs you have here - how about selling them to me? tChild, :t can t tell you de folks is wanted dem chairs. ~L h~.8 to have sumpin to use. Folks done traded i~e out o fust one thing then another. You eee dat ta~1e? Mrs. Bone up here swapped me one she had for one I had she Wanted. I am t worrying about what 8 go n ~ec~e o things when I se gone. It Was all here when I con~e here, and it ll be here when I die. I se a olth~fashioned Missionary i3aptis . I used to go to de white folksy church. Datt ~ where I got my dip. We fared a heap better back in dem times dan we does now.* Aunt Snovey do you have any 2et suj~erstitions? GG on way from here, child, I aintt got nuttin to do wi.d supersti- tions. My old Miss never lowed me to believe in no signs and each like. I could dig up a lot of sorrow in my life, but dat wouldn t do no good. I never did believe in bumpin bout, so dat s why I settled down here and made up my mind to have me a home. You see dis am t no fine home, out it s mine and it s paid for. Some day when I can afford it, i se ~~O~flt try to finish de inside o dis house. I got one room ceiled, and maybe some day I can finish itS. I don t believe in taking on no bigger load dan I can git Up de hill wid. I se seed folks go th ough de r~achinery 0~ extravagance, and it ll eat you up sho . I se skeerd o debts as I Is O~ a rattlesnake, but debts in de right sense makes you industrious. AndI se1earneddiemuch~thataline fence and adog C reate s z~iore fu se dan anything in de world.

"Uncle Jake" - "a vessel ob de Lawd." 313 310

. .~ ~ ..~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~-~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~v ~r~- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 7~r~:r ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ Loui8o~ix~y 1Url :t4L ~ ~. ~ 1.00142 ~A Vessel Ob I~e Law~ . ~ ~ Uncle Jake was a oharact~r u~p in the hills of xiorth G~or~ia. ~ I can look b~ok ai~d s~ hux~i now a~ h~. tri~~d through the snow in~ the ~r1y Liorn1n~ froti hi$ 1itt1(~ 10g Cabin d~owxi in the f1~ d~. His new 1io~.I~3~-:::i1ade shoes were bei~i~ Worn tor th~ f1r~t tii~i~ and ~ith ~v~:~ry swir~~ of t:de Liillk ~ai1, he 1i iipe~. Whose on de Lawd s ~i~e? I ~ ~ ~ ~ ~j~j~? it j~j~ thin, oraek~a voice r~in~, out e1~ar1y, &~. every other word. r~o~ivec1 ~peoiaI ~inpha~1s as he tried to st~ Ii~ht1y with hi~s left root. ~ . kiy nose ia~s f1att~ne~ a~a1n.st the co1d~, frosty window pane as I wateh~d the old darky ~o about his x~iornin~ chores. 1Tust the att~rnoon before I had sIi~pec1 away to his and. aunt Callie s cabin to talk for a 1itt1~ whi1~ a~ici found. h1~i i~io1tin~ tallow in an old ~ bucket over a sputt~rin~ 1o~ fire. AS he rubbed the smeUy d.rip~ngs ~ 0v3r the heavy siio~m Ii.~ kept ~1anein~. toward the ~ky at the soft cray o1outh~, til~n he v~ou1d say, ttI~00~ at ~at smoke up at d~e bi~ iiou~e. it ara ~ ~i~d i~~uii~1in~ ~nci habin OOIi~iUii1Ofl wil diem e1outh~ ob~rhL~w1. ~ We s gain ~ wedd~er in de iiiorni.ri , a~~d ~i~re you is Ci~sie ~nxi w1~ dat T~1ex1on o~ 10T8 ~ ~ ~ a fresh boni. li;i~i . .Dis wind, amt for sw~t chile s 1ii~e you for it sou1~ s like ~ ~ip~ what d iibbil pi~j a~ it wIii~t1~ roun dis ehui~n~y corj~1~rbt. . ~ with all of k~ ~1X yiur~ v~id~e experience, I ~Iways I~arn~d. soi;~thin~: flew ~ roL~ ~ JLL~) biLd ~o:~ehow I enjoy~3d the i~.usty smell or t~i~ aurL: c~t~izi, th~ ~trin~ of r~1 p~pp~r drape3. In ~e~toons, twists of ~tQhawin~ baocer~ ai4 buneh~ of onions which hune frofli tue ra~t~3r~ ~ua~L t~i~ soft ~oo~e teather be~ which Uncle Jake said 1. war~d 9rr ~ and k~t him fro~i havin t2I 4ser~r in bi~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ : ~ ~ ~. ~ . ~ ~ ~ .. ~ ~ I _~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -

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-~2~ ~ ~stitt cl ~intsfl. In spite o~ his ~Qte8ta a~ to me ~ lQnger, I settled myselt on e. ~ st ol and w1~ th. ~ aid, o;t his Thm~blin~ tin ers took oft my bo~net. M~ i~other i sist t that a bonnie was tor protection from wind and. sun, so I a.~wa~i wore mln~, but I had to have a~sistanOa in removing lt because niother braided niy hair near the top et my head and. pulled the plait through a hole In th~ bonnet left for that purpose, then the to~ was buttoned aroundit so ni~r tin~ers could not remove it. Uncle J~~ke ~ilway8 laughed, when he helped me take lt o~ because w had to be rath~i ~cretlve ana. not let iaother find out. L~rainmy Caille wets in the Icitohen churning, so I continued. to ply Uncle Juk~ with q~uestions whIle I waited for a Glass of rresh buttermilk. I knew that i~iy father was away at war and that Uncle Jake and Liarnny Caille were lookinG after my raridparents, my mother and us, but they wou d not tell what war was ~like or why 1 could not go and. play with other ohiidren ~ they always watched,m when I played and. 3v~rything was kept looked and. hithien. It was all so strange and. different roa what lt had been, but Uncle 1iake ias just th~ saiue and all h~ would say was, Dis cl won ara just a ves~e1 ob de Lawd and 3oirietilile$ de contents of datvessel jest don agree, d~ey sets bumt hot like when water am poured on burnlug emb~:1~, a pow~rtul~ioke do rise. ~o lt is now, ohile,-dis. /~i won Jest ot too hot wid. sIn aM God am tryiri~ to cool.lt off : wid. rerre&lllflt ~how~ s ob iii~ love, but d~e di,bbil am makin sech a ~ smoke it am sxaart~ ~ ~y~$fl~ and Uncle J~ake w uid pat:me ox~. ~ head and I would si4la and nod. as it his explanatIon had. been psrfeotly ol~ar. ~ . These thou ht$ of the arternoon before ran through L1~ mind as I watc1~ed Uxiel~ Jake as h~ 1irap~d, ~throu~ the snow with a bi~

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. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Q -I () brown shawl wrapped around his stQope~ ~houlthrs, e. piece of hoi~ie spun jeans pinned around his 1~ead and. a pair of patched jeans troussrs supported by heavy bands of the same material for susp~n~ a~rs. AS he returnt~d froi~i milking, I wond~r~d. if lie had L1~ gray kitten iii his pook~t, but suddenly I reali~d h~ was hobbling hurriedly, the :ailk pail wa~ thrown aside ~.nd he seemed badly fri~ht~ned. I ran to find out what had oocurr~d to upset Lncle Jake s usual oarefrae ~ianne r. ~)e look a~ ~-~one~ Dat ~iUlC ~ ~on~ Dem bushwhaekers done tifli: it off and l s done ~on~ atter t~i, right now s. lis eyes flashed ~s he shout~d without stoppin(~ and he hobbled down to his cabin. Grandfath3r went down and. tried to convince hin that the weather was too cold to att~npt to follow the thief and to wait until later, but the old negro began q,uoting scripture as he put on another coat and heavy knit gloves. De Lawd. aay, Dey shall not steal ~na cte ~ hito ioI~:~ i~ ~no t~ tLia~. t~J.: &~ mule off. Fuddermore, in de pistle ob de postle, Isaiah, he say, Be a clean vessel ob de Lawd God ~nd I ~onna fi nd out de truf and prove my position fore dese peo~le. Dat low down ~oallawag what coiae h~ire wid no noui~cen~ent ob hIs p~ar~nce is gwine suffer for dis here axitient. 11e nebber reckoned wid iiie . And with that Uncle J~ke waded into th~ d~eep snow and. was last seen following the creek dOWA1 thrOU~th the L~eadow as it ~anCwr~d unth~rneath an icy Ci U&~it. ~ev ~ral days IDass~d arii azxiety be~n to show on the faces 11 of those ~:it ~O1Ji~ ~ but O1i:~ ~orniii~ i~ianimy Caille cai ie to ~t breakSfast with 113r face aLlow. ~ft~ir prayi1i~ i~iO~t of the night, she said The good. Lord ii~ ~iven x~ie a sho si~n, for he done showed me a vision of a man up fore a Jed~e and d~n I ~e Je.ke wid a

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.~ ~ :~ ~ ~ b*~ket ~f oa~a anil dat iuuie was to~in~ behin~. kiiznY . ~ His s~4rVt was e&ita~ious and we liire d in an atmosphere of ez;p~ otan y during the day and we re not surprtsed~ ~ when we hearil ~ ~ shouts of joy and praises to de ood Lawil from lake as be rode up on the ola mule. ~ . ~ lie had been unable t o locate any track8 but be had wa.lke~ miles in the cold and sneak~ around the barns and in the ohinuiey oorners to eavesdrop at the hoi~es of those whom he suspected of beixi~ disloyal to the Confederate cause. While hiding under a. haystack late one ~.fternoon, he heard voioes and he reoo~nized his master s iaul~ as it was sold by a stranger with a dec1d~ed north~n brogue to the ow~r of the place on which he was hi~in~. Uncle Jake almost shout~d for joy, but he realized hewas on alien territory so ha remained out of sight. ~hen the mule was fed and stabled, ~~he skipped in under cover of ~ darkness arid led the nuls away. In the ezciter&~nt of ~~etting away he foreot thathe hail . oro~s8d ths cou ty hue so no excuse ~as taken when the sheriff of that county tookhina into custody. Uncle ~Teke was hailed into court the next iaorninC with th~ owner as witness a&ainst him. How old ar~ you? asked the judge in a stern raannei~. l s 01 enuf to know dat ahi de mule what belongs to L~rster. I knows hi~~ by his bray ansv~red the ne ro a~ he looked over the crowd aiid saw anl f~1t ~ no syiii~athy from any of theia. You were oau~ht with stolen oods out of your county and from all ap~aranoes you were hurt in the attempt to e2eaj~e for I see you are limpin . What do you say to tha1~? ~ Unol~ Jak~ was tren~lin~ as Ire look~ dow~i at his smelly shoes. No, sir, Jed~e. You is sho wrong. I jea~ reeeibed. a oort~maudnient froxa hay h~abt~nly Father towalk in de Truth and I *as 8erbin~ ruy

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~r~-T ~ ~ ~ ~: ~ ~ ~ ~ ;\~~ 4~1~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ :~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ * i~te ~ ~! ~ bao~ WJ:zat is dert8 ~ DIG zAuls was s~e b~ sor~ ~pQ 4nn~r what don kr~ow de ~cr1~turGa . ~ ~ . . ~ ~ At t~~is point the sheriff from J~ke a county, who was a ~ood fri~nc1 of our ~ar1ow fan4iy, walked into the courtroom to see ~f he could h~1p ~Tak~ in hi~ diffioulties. When. the fi~i~hteued ne~o saw him, he for*Qt the dignity of the court andshoute~, Praise de Lawd. Its been a ve8~e1 ob ills for nich onto sixty years and He S done~ till i~ full ob Grace ~nd Glory dis very hour . And~ without further ~Io, he left the sheriff to make all explanations . ~s ho ran to the hi tohin post the rnu3~~e began to bray and as Uncle Jake iuount~d he shouted, We re shaking de duet ob dis place from off our feet ~ goin back to our (Fannin) oounty where we eau oon~tinue bein ve~se1s ob de Lawcl. and. servin our white folks . ~Ls lone ~s he 1ived~, 1~inole Jak~ was a faithful servant to his white folks. ~very time I slipped away tQspend a little time at the log~eabin, I always asked him to repeat the story of how he returned, the IIIUI~ and. with ~aeh repeating he praised the Lord r~iore for being : ~ a direct instrwa~r~ti.n helping him prove to the countryside that he was a ele~ai ve$sel ob de La~wd~ , but he blamed. the new shoes and his skinned heel for not getting aoro~s the county line before he was oau~ht. ~ ~ BIBLIOGRAPHY. ~ . An.o1~. negro by the name of Jake identified a mule of his xi~as~ ter s in court at Morganton. The little ~ir1s inthe Morris family in Fannin County were made to wear bonnets with their hair pulled throueh so they could not be removed. ~ ~ These two faots told me by Mr. J. Ro K.iucaid of Blue Ridge.

Mahala Jewel. Ex-slave - age 76. 318 315

4 ~ ~ ~.& _~ ~t PLANTATION M~ as viewed by Ex-Slave MkHALk JEWEL 177 Berry Street Athens, Georgia. ~Jritten by: 315 Grace MeC une Athens Edited by: Sarah H. Ha .i Athens - John N. Booth District Saj~ervisor Federal Writers Project Residencies 6 & 7.

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MAHAL~ JEWEL Mahala Jewel, known in the conununity as Aunt Eailie, was sitting on her tiny porch when the interviewer arrived. 111 se a-~tryin to git my foote warm, she declared. Dey was cold all last night, and didn t warm up none even when I had done walked all de way up to de courthouse to git dem cabbage what de welfare ladies had for me today. Yes Ma am, hit sho is hard times wid old Hailie now. I was raised whar folks had plenty. Our white folks warn t no pore white trash, and if ~y old Marster and Mist ess was a-livin today dey sho would do sornepin for old Hailie in a hurry, cause dey allus give us plenty of evvything dey had. . Aunt Hailie s rickety chair was kept in vigorous motion as she talked and the visitor was fearful it would collapse at any moment. One rocker was broken and on top of the cushions in the low seat of the chair she was sitting on an old cheese box. Suddenly ehe arose to go in the house to see if dem cabb~ages is a burnin ~ and when she re turned she care fully adju sted the box before re suming her precarious perch in the old rocking chair. When she was cura that her feet were in a sunny spot, she began her narrative. Gracie Wright was my Ma s name fore she tuk off and marrie d my Pa He was nan~ed Tuggle and both of em. belonge d to (.~. ~rse Hainp Mcwhorter on his plantation down in Oglethor~pe County. Marse Hamp was sho a rich man and on his big old plantation dey raised evvything dey needed lak, peas, tatoes, ingons, collards, ~? 4 U?iO

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Page 2. :i~)I ? cabbages, and turnip sallet, beans, punkins, and plenty of corn, wheat and rye. Marse Ha~p had lots of cows, hogs, sheep, and goats too. Miss Liza was our Misttess, and she raised more chickens dan dey ever could use. I just tells you, my white folks warn t no pore folks. ~ II was born and raised up right dar. Ma wukked inde fie~~s, and Mist ess brung me up in de big house cause she said I was gw~ine to hav~e to wait on her when she got old. Dere was sho a rnoughty big lot of slave chillun a-comm1 on all de time and Marster and Mist ess was good as dey could be to all of em. Marster and Mist ess had seben chillun. D ir boys was Willian~, Joe, James, and Mack. Miss Tildy and Miss Mary was two of deir gals, but I just can t ricollect de name of deir oldest daughter. Whilst U8 was li. ttle slave chillun didnt t have much wuk to dQ. D~ littlest ones just picked up trash when de yards was bein cleant up and done easy jobs lak dat. Marse Hamp nev r fooled wid dem little one track stores at Maxeys, de town nighest our plantation. When he needed somepin , he just cotch a train and lIt out for Gu~~jy (Augusta), Georgie. Mist ess knowed when he was commt back, and she allus sont de car lage to meet him. When us chillun seed em gittin out de car iage and hosses, us didn t wait, i~ just lit out and when dat train got to de crossin all of us was right dar a waitin to see our Marster step off. Den us followed dat car jage down de big road plum back to de plantation, cause us knowed Marster never forgot none of us. Dere was new dresses for de gals and clothes for de boys too, and us felt rnoughty proud when us dressed up in dem store bought clothes f uin Gusty. Chilluns evvy day clothes was just slips cut

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Page 3. ~ I H all in one piece, sleeves and all. Boys wore long shirts tU dey was ~big and strong enough for field wuk. Clothes for de grown folks was made out of cloth wove in de loom house right dar on de .planta~ tion, but dere was some beaded cloth too. EUs sho did have a pretty place. Dc big house was painted white, arid dere was big old yards wid lots of flowers. De slave quarters was white too. Dey was one room cabins built in long rows, way off f~ ii~ de big house Home~made beds was nailed to de wall and had just two laigs, and de big ticks stuffed wid straw made dein beds moughty good places to sleep. ~Most of de slaves et at de two long tables close by de kitchen up nigh de big house. Dc kitchen warn t built on to de big house, but hit sot out in de yard a little piece. Datts de way evvybody had deir kitchens built dein days. Marster kept a big strong man to do de cookin for his slaves. Pa was de: boss for Marse Hamp. I don t member much bout him. L~,r brother stayed in de cabin wid Pa and Ma, but I was all time u~ at de oig house wid Miettess. She was good to nie as she could be. She told ins to allus do right and never do no wrong to nobody. I had a littlehighi~qheer what I sot in to keeD de flies off of Mist ess. All de slaves ~rept to church wid deir white folks, and sot in de back part of de rneetin house. Us went to old Beard (Baird) Church, off out in de country, and sonetimes I had to take de littlest white chilluns out and stay in de car lags wid em, if dey got too restless inside de ineetin house. Out dar in de car iage us could listen to de singin and it sho did sound sweet. Meetin days was

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.Page 4. 319 big days. Dey fetched deir dinners and stayed all day. Be McWhorter family allus carried great big baskets, and one of deir biggest ba~ kets was kept special just to carrychickens in, and de barbecue, it was fixed right dar on de church grounds. Slave gals sot de long tables what was built out under de trees, and dem saz~e gals cleant up atter evvybody had done got thoot eatiri~ . Niggersetatter de white folks, but dere was alms a plenty for all. Little Niggers kept de flies off de tables by wavin long branches kivvered wid green leafs for fly brushes. Some few of em brung home-made parnper fly brushes f um home Mos t of deni all day rneetin s was in July and August. Sonie folks called dem months de vival season, cause dere was more vival meetin s den dan in all de rest of de year. De day fore one of dein big baptizin s dey dami~ied up de crick a little, and when dey gathered tround de pool next day dere was some tall shouti~ and singi.nt . White preachers done all de preachin and baptizin . Somehow I don t member much bout de celebratin when dey got in de wheat and done de thrashint ~ sobusy wid de ~ bout dat time on our place dat dere warn t much frolickin but de sho nuff big celebratin was in de fall atter all de corn was gathered and dey had cornshuakin s. ~rse Hamp vited all de white folks and deir Niggers. De white folks visited and de Niggers done de wuk. De fust thing dey done at cornehuckin s was to leot a gen ral. All he done was to lead de ~jngj~t and try to git evvy body to jine in hi~ song bout de corn, and as dey sung faster, de shucks dey flew faster too. Atter de corn was all shucked, dey et de big feast what us had done been cookin for days and days. lift tuk a passel of victuals, cause dem shuckers could sh& hide way

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Page 5. dem good eats. Den de fiddlers started UP deir music wid ~irk~yin 4a~~i~:a~. De old breakdown dancin was on, and hit was apt to go on all night. *~~_nt time at Marse Eainp ~ was a frolic too. Us raised plenty of sugar-cane to make dat good old lasses what tasties so good wid hoecake and home-made butter. Atter de War, Ma and Pa stayed on wid Marse Hamp a long time. Mistress died when I was just a little chile, laut she had done willed nie to Miss Mary and told her to allus take keer of Hailie. Miss I~ry stayed right on dar wid ~rse Hamp. ~r ~ and Pa had done le ft and I am t never heared nothint more f ii~ ~ em since dey went away ~ ~rse Hamp s place. Den Marster he done went and got kilt. He had rid off on a middle size pony what must a runned away wid hie, tcause dey found him plumb daid in a ditch. It was all so sudden lak us never could find out if he died happy. Us knowed Mist e ss died happy cause she told de folks round de bed dat de Lord was aiu~takint her home out of dis old world of trouble. SAtter Marse Hamp died, Miss Mary married ~rse Pleaze Winter, and us all moved to Flatwoods what warn t so fur f um ~rse Jill1 Smi th s place . I members when dat Srriith man died. Dey buried him in de graveyard on his own plantation at fust, but den dey said nobody didn t want to live dar atter he was buried dar, so dey tuk hirn up and buried him sornewhar else. I didn t .ak to live at Platwoods, but I stayed on wid irty Miss Mary and nussed her chillun tu me and Joe Jewel got married.

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Page 6. Joe was named atter his old Mars~ter, Captain Joseph Jewel, and dey lived on de J wel place in Oglethorpe County. I never did keer much for fine clothes and Miss hkary said what clothes I had was all right, but she just would give me a nice white weddint dress. She had us g t married at her house, and she~ vited lots of x~ine and Joe s folks and our friends to a big supper she had fixed for us. Miss Mary sho did give me a grand send off. ~tter dat, I visited my Miss Mary whenever I wanted to, and still helped her wid her babies when she needed me. Miss Mary is done daid now, but if she was a livin old llail:Le would have what she needs. I m a gittin ~oughty old now and my old man is done gone on to glory, but Raille will soon be wid him dar. Whilst I did go and git married to a Jewel, I ain t for gjtjj~~~ I was borned and bred a McWhorter, and I m here to tell you dat I m still just de saine a McWhorter. 0 ~ s s

Benjamin Johnson. Ex-slave. 325 322

DriskeU, ~ . . 7-28-3? 1 00202 . P1~LTW . .B~~N 3OI1~ON ~ Following is Benjamin 3~ohnson s own account of sane of his experiences as a slave and of conditions on his plantation. won our plantati on de ~~white folks been di de slaves off fat meat j owls an heads an jaws. Dey kept all de meat out in de smoke house in de back yard. In dis house dey kept de hems all hangin up high an above dem dey kept de sausages an4 den above dem dey kept de finest hams aU trimmed an everything. De slaves eat dat fat meat an thought dat dey wus eatin pound cake. Cane down to chicken~ if you got it you st oie it when de white folks wus sleep at ni ght an den you had to be careful an bury ai . de feathers in de groun cause if you burned em de white folks would ~aell em. We boys in de fiel used to be so hungry till we did nt know what to do. De overseer would be settin down under a tree an he would holier keep goin De sweat would be j e s running off you and sanetime s you could smell one another. Dare wus a spring nearby an when we would git to it we would fail down an drink fun de branch, De wozaen would be plowin an hoein grain an de spanish needles an cockle burrs would be etickin to dere dresses Thm dere knees to dere feet Further down dere would be a m~an di ggin a di toh. Every now an den white folks would walk over t o de ditch an see if it wie d same width all de way. You go off t o see somebody at night je s like you an me want t o laff an talk..-..an if dey ketch an you am t got no pass den~ dey gwine to whup you. You be glad to git away too cause when dey hit you you wus hit I wus down to John Brady s place one night talkin to a lady an ol man Brady slipped up bebin me an caught me in de . collar an he say : ~ Whut you dom over here? ~ I in goin to give you twenty~five lashes an den he say to me : cane here He wus je s bout

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32~3 as tall as I am au when I got to 1m he say turn rotin end I say to 1m dat I- am t dom nuth1n~s ~ den he say : data whut I ta goin to whup you fer cause you ought to be hone dom sumpin . Bout dat time when I st coped over to take off my coat I caught lin in hi s pants an throwed im in a puddle water en den I lit out fer hc~ne If you git home den dey couldn t do nuthint to you. ~ He tried to chase me but he did nt know de way through de woods like I did ant he fell in a gulley an hurt his arm. De next orni when I wus hitchin up de boss man s horse I seed im ccmin an I toi de boss dat he tried to ~hup me de night bef o an den de boss n~n say di d he have you? I t oi~ ~ dat he did but dat I got away. An den de boss say: He had you an he did nt have you ~ I s dat right? Den he say don t worry bout dat I can git you out of dat. f he ha you he shoulda whupped you an dat woulda been hi s game but he let you git away an so dat wus game . Bout dat time 01 man Brady had done got dere an he t de marster dat I wus on his place de night befo en dat I got away an when he tried to whup me an de marster say to him: dat wus his game~~ if you had him you shoulda whupped im Data de law. If you had whupped im dat woulda been yo gerne but you let im git away an 80 dat wue hi a gerne. . man Brady s face turned so red dat it looked like he wus gonna bus . We worked in de fiel every day an way in de night we shucked an shelled corn. De cook done ail de cookin When all ot de mar e 75 slaves wile inde fiel dey had two cooks to feed em. At twelve o colck de cooks would blow a horn at de stump in de yard back o de cook house. Even de hossee an de mules knowed dat horn an~ dey would nt go a step further. You had to take de mule out of de harness an take im to de spring en water im an den take im to de bouse where a colored man up dere named Sam rob.neon had all de feed ready fer de hosses. When you git dere ail de hoss s~ go to dere ~n stalls where dere wus ten ears o corn an one bundi. o fodder fer each hose. While dem hossee is eatin you better be ~it dere eatin yo ~n. Sarah an Annie, de cooks had a big wooden tray wid de ~ eens au de meat all cut up on it an you

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pass by wid yo tin pan an dey put yo z~at ai . cut up on it along wid de ~eena an den you could eat anywhere you wanted to on de stump ~ in de big road if you wanted to. Sanetimes a~e of ems meat would give out or dere bread would give out an den dey would say: I 11 give you a piece of Thy bread foe s~e or yo meat or I 1 . gLve you e~e of my x~at for sane of yo bread . S ie of ~ would have a big ol ash cake an sane of em would have jes plain corn bread. Dere ~us usually a big skillet o potatoes at de cook house an when you eat an drink yo water den you I s ready t o go back to work. Dey wus goin t O let you lay down In de shade fer bout a hour but you would make de time up by workin till dark. Scmie of em worked so till dey back wus gone. Dey could nt even stand up straight . Sometimes mi. asus would come long an she would be mad wid SOEUO of de W J fl 8fl~ she would want to go to whuppin on em. Sc*netiuioe de wcmen would nt take it an would run away an hide in de woods. SOEnetiines dey would o~ie back after a short stay en den again dey would have to put de hounds on dez s trail to bring dem back hc~ne. As a general rule dere wus nt much whuppin on our plantation. Course 1f you did nt do what dey toi you to do dey would take you out an put yo hands round a pole an tie you so yo feet would jee touch de groun an den d.y would go to work on you wid a o~hide. Everytime d.y hit you de blood would fly wid de whip. De clothes den wu nt but plain white cloth. Most of em wi s pat hed turn de legs to de waist S ie wus patched so till dey looked like a quilt. Sane of de Wanen w e dese long striped cotton dresses an when dey would go in de fiel de spanish needles an de burrs would stick all over em. De only shoes dat you got wus red brogans. If you got anything better lt wus sane dat de marster give you fer brushing off his shoes at de house. You wus so proud whenever dey give you a pair o shoes or a cl straw hat dat dey wus

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through WI d at de house you went back an showed It t o everybody an you wus mighty proud too. I used to drive my niarster s hoes an bu~ ter Im an so I used to gLt a .otsa stuff like dat. 01 marster wus a judge an hi s name wus Luke ~ ohnson, lU s wife wus named Bet sy an hi s eons wus named Jixa, T~i, Will an Dorn. lU s daughters was Z! anle, Mary, Catherine, an Lissle. Re had 300 acres of land an 75 slaves. All de houses on de plantation cept ol marster s vais built out logs. 01 max ater lived in a fine house Sanetimes when one o de slaves had a chance to go Inside hi s house aU de rest of de slaves would be waitin outside fer you to come out. When you did come out dey would say: You been In de marst er s house -.. how did I t look in dere - whut dl d you see? Dey would tell em: you ought to go in dere.~--it s so pretty . Whenever you got a chance to go in dare you had done pulled off yo hat long fore you got to de door. On Sunday we would take soot out of de chimney an wet it an den go an borrow de marster s shoe brush en go an brush our shoes. We wus gittin ready to go to church. At church all de white folks would sit In de front an all de slaves would sit in de back. De preacher would preach en say: Obey yo master un ~ yo mis sus an you wi U always do ri ght If you see eggs in de yard take ein to yo marster yo missus an put em at her feet. If you don t do dis she will needle you well or break bark over yo head an de bad man will git you. Sanetitnes dey would give us a dollar at Christmas time an 1f scinebody did nt take it furn us we would have it de nex Christmas cause we didu t have h to spend I t fer. When de war broke out 01 xn.arster enlisted an he took me long to wait on him an to keep his clothes clean, I had plenty o tun

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32G cause dere wus nt so very much work to do. I members seem lia fightin in Richmond an Danville, Virginia. I had a good time jes watchin de soldiers fightin I did nt have to fight any at all. I used to stand in de door of de tent an watch em fight. It wus terrible-~- you could hear de guns firm an see de soldiers fallin right an left. All you could see WI S men gittin all shot up. One day I seed one soldier git his head shot off fuin his body. Othees got arme an legs shot off. An all de time all you could hear wus de guns goin .-bam, ~bam, bam-..it wus terrible to see an hear. One mornin as I wits standin in de door of de tent I had a dose of lt. I wus lea.uln against de side o~ de tent wid my hand stretched out a load o grape shot fum de guns hit me in de hand an de blood flew everywhere. I jes hoilored. It come pretty near scareing me to death. JLfter de doctor got it patched up ( and he held the hand up to exibit the scar) it wus as good as it every wus. After de war wus over ol marster wus all shot up an I had to take hiiti on back home. When we got dere all de slaves crowded roun me an want ad t O know 1f dey wus gonna be freed or not an when I t ~ dat de war wus over an dat dey~us free dey wus all very glad. After de war a whole lots of ~n stayed on de plantati on an a whole lots of e.~ left as soon as dey could git away.

Georgia Johnson. Ex-slave - age 74. 330 327

!~ ~ 4~ .~ ~ ~ ~ L:~ J4~~ p~d 32~? PlANTATION LIFE as viewed by Ex-Slave GEOi~GIA JOHNSON 1537 W. Broad Street Athens, Georgia Written by: Edited by: Grace ~oCune Athens - Sarah H. Hall Athens - Leila Harris Augusta

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I ~: .~oi ~ 328 GEORGIA JDHNSO~ ~ ~ Almost without exception the old Negroes who have given their ricollections have had life stories centered around one plantation. Unlike these Aunt Georgia Johnson, 74 years old, of Athens, Georgia, moved about considerably during her childhood, lived in several states and had many and varied experiences. After coming back home she is of the opinion shared by all Georgians: I~Darts no place kin teich Georgie. Ma s fust name was Myra. I don t men~ber what her other naine was Atte r her whi te folkee s had done die d out up in Maryland, her Pa, her brudder and sister was sold off up dar, and a man named Jim Grishain brung de rest of de slaves from dat plantation down to Lexin ton, Georgie to sell em. ~.rse Duncan Allen bought my Ma and her Mazrriny dar at de sale in Lexin ton and tuk em to his big old plantation i~. South Callina. ~ ~ Ma said her didn t never see no hog meat tu she come to dis country. Her said dey et all sorts of fishes; just went to de be a eh and g o t c rab s cys te r s and swirip C shr inip ) w i d de hu 11 s s t ill on ein, but when her done et some hog neat at Marster s plantation, her said hit sho was good. ~r~e Duncan Allen give my Ma to his gal, Mist ess Laura, for her maid. My Pa,, he was Charlie Al1en~ he b longed to Marse Duncan Allentoo. When Mist ess Laura done went and marri e d Marse Blaokwe 11 of ~ be rton, Ge orgie Mar ce Duncan give em my Pa for a weddin present and dey fetched my Ma and Pa wid ein to live in E berton, Georgie. Atter dey got moved and settled, my

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Page 2. 329 M3. and Pa dey got married. 1~, her wukked in de big house and done IflOs t of de cookint Pa driv de carriage for de whi. te folks. Marster and Mist ess was powerful good to deir laves. Marster, he run a big store at E berton, and sides dat he had a big plantation and a heap of Niggers too. ~On de plantation dey had big gyardene whar dey raised heaps of cabbages, ~potatoes, colla d. greens, turnip sallet, onions, a peas, rutabagas, and pun kini~ and secli. lak, Dey raised plenty of chickens, tukkeys, hogs, cows and sheep, and dey wove good woo . cloth on de plantation bonis out of de wool f um dem dar sheep. Slave. quarters was dust one room log cabins what was built so de corners corne together to big old chimneys. Yessuin, I members dey just had one big chimney to evvy four cabins. Dey cooked on de fireplace and had pot racks for to hang de pots on, and ovens to bake in. Us sho could do way wid a heap of sweet tatoes what I~ad done been roasted in de ashes. Cabins was planked up on de inside and de outsides was daubed wid mud in de cracks to keep out de wind and rain. Our home-made beds, nailed to de side of de cabins, had ticks filled viid wheat straw. White folks had nice corded beds., Ma said hit was lots of trouble to keep de~ cords tight. Dey had hooks for to draw em up tight and den peg em down wid wooden pegs. 0Marster allus give his Niggers passes on Sundays so as dein paddyroller folks wouldn t ketch ein and beat tern up, if dey went off ~ de plantation. Niggers went to de white folks church and listened to white preachers. When ~ jthed de church, dey had to break de ice in Beaver Darn Crick to baptise her. Her was so happy and shouted so

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Page 3. 33() loud, dey had to drag her out of de crick and take her way back in de woods to keen her fro~i sturbin de rest of de folks at de baptizint. UI was borned in de last year of de War so I don t have no sho tnough ricollections bout dem hard times what old folks says dey had dem days. Atter de VIar was over, us all stayed on wid Marster for a long time. Mist ess was rnoughty good to us chillun. \. ~ ) Us played v id de white chillun, and one day iist ess cotch us all a- fightin , and her switched us all, but it didn t hurt. Marster used to ~i.t my sister to shout for him. I kin just see her now, a_twistint and jurnj~in and hollerin for all de world lak grown-up Niggers done at meetin s and baptizin s, ttil she done fell out. Den Marst~er, he say, Take her to de kitchen and feed her good. Pa and Marster had a fallin out, cause Marster wouldn t have no settlement wid im. He just wouldn t give my Pa no money. Marster said us younguns still btlonged to tj~ and dat us had evvything us needed, and could git anything us wanted at his store and he thought he had done nougli. for us. ~ut my ~a said he didn t wanter take up evvythi. ng he wukke d for in trade cause he would lak to have some x~ioney too. BOUt dat time Marse Pope Barrow was a gittin up lots of Niggers to go wid him to Mis sippi for to raise cotton out dar, whar he said dey was iiakin heais of money. 1a tuk us all and went long wid lin. I just kin member dat place. Hit was all kivvered wid water. Marse Pope, he hired a lot of Irishnien to help dig ditches for to dreen de water off his land. Den dey planted cotton and Pa said hit sho was fine cotton, just a growin to beat de band, when

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Page 4. t~) dem irislinjens got mad cause dey said Marse Pope hadn t paid em for deir wuk, and dey blowed up de d~s and let all dat water back on de cotton. Hit was~. plumb ruint. Den Marse Pope, he left dar and tuk my Pa and all of u~ along wid him to Arkansas. Us made a big cotton crop out dar, but when all de cotton done been sold us Niggers didn t git nothint. ~ lier had done all de COOkifl for de mens what wukked for Marse Pope. lUs wife, Mist ess ~allie Barrow used to corne to see him and her allus brought her maid along wid her, and de maid, her stayed wid us. Ma said us chillun used to cry to go back to Georgie wid Mist ess Saille, cause her rid on one of dem boats what wa~ run wid steam. Pa left ~ cause he wouldn t give im no pay. Us sold our things ~ and corne to Memphis, Tennessee and went to farmin for Marse Partee, and us. just stayed dar long nough to make one crop. Whilst us was out dar, our little sister died. Just fore her died her said her ~ goint t see. God. Her told de debbil to git away f um dar, cause her warn t gwine wid him. Dey put a little white dress on her and laid her out on de bed, tu dey could make up a coffin out of plain pine wood for her. Dey just had a prayer and sung Hark P um De Tomb, and den dey buried her away in de groun . Pa got hie money for dat crop and den us come on back to de plantation in E berton, Georgie, cause Old Marster had done been a-wantin us back0 He said he needed us, chillun and all, and us was sho glad for to git back home. Ma done de cookin and Pa driv de carriage and done little jobs roun de barns and hosses. Sometii~es he wukked a little in de fiel s. U~ chiiliin used to clean yards, git

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Page 5. Lt ~ - ~ in de wood, feed chickens and on Sundays atter dinner when dar warn t no coi~any at de big. house us would go up to de big plunder room in de attic and us would have de bestes times wid de white cthilluns, a dressin up in de old clothes what Mistress had stored away up dar. SOnietimes when Mar$ter would ketch us Uj~) dar all dressed up, he would make us conie down and preach f or him. Den he made t~s all ee t down t cep one what was to do de preachin . Some tinies i t was his own son he called on to preach to us, and dat white boy sho told uz ~iggers bout our sins. Den dey would make my sister, Millie, sing, Poe Sinne r Man, Done G one Down Yonder One time when i~rster s son wa~ a preachint he told all about a fight us done had once when I . hit M~n wid a rock. He said I shot was goint to de debbil for dat. I dust knowed Marster was gwine g t atter me bout dat, but he just la~ighed and said hi. t warn t de fust time a preacher had d one been hit wid a rock. ~.rse Deadwyler, de mayor, up at ~ berton, lived on de plantation next to ours, and he had a big old deer what sho hated chillun. Hit would try to stonip e~ to death, and us sho did make tracks fast sometimes when dat old deer got out. And ~rster had a old mul~~ wnat would fight at us chillun too. One time us didn t know he was in de parstur when us went out dar to play. De gate was wukked wid draw poles and us couldn t git em down, ~o us had to crawl under a old crib house and hit was plumb dark when Marster faun us. Us sho didn t go in de parstur no more lessen us knowed dat mule was fas ened up good and tight at de barn.

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Page 6. 333 ~Gne time, in de niddle of de night, long atter US chillun had done gone to bed us heared grown folks runnint rotin , and dey told us to g! t up and see Mr . Deadwyler ~ house a burnin u~ Dat was de bigges fire I ever seed. Blaze$ and s~park went way up, and dey didn t save nothin Us chillun got so ci ted us didn t go back t~o bed no more dat night. Niggers didn t have no church of dey own, but dey did have prayer meetin s. Dey would kindle ejn a big fire for lieht and to keep ez~ warm off clost to de woods, whar deir racket wouldn t t stux k~ de white folks and dey would gather roun dat fire and pray. Sometimes slaves would just go off by deirselfe in de woods to pray. One night when Ma was out in de woods a prayin her heared. a loud fuss back of her lak somebody was teariri down de woods, and hit skeered her so her quit prayint and run to de big house. ~rster ) told her, hit was de debbil atter her. Pa got mad again at Old Marster cause still he wouldn t have no settlement wid im, so us left E berton again and went back to South Callina to de old Allen place where Pa had come f um. Den Pa bought rrie a doll what would dance when you wound it up~ and I sho did love dat little dancint doll. Soon Miss Laura come to see her Pa, M rse Duncan Allen, and her hrung me a little. doll too. lier said I need ed somebody to playwid cause I couldn t go to school on account of my eyes. Dey was bad and I warn t lowed to read nothin , but Ma larnt nie to do a little sewin I felt xnoughty big and grown up soon as I could make my own dre sees and chemise . Dey warn t hard to make, but I was moughty proud cause I had done raade em n~ own self. ~

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Page 7. ~ *Marse Duncan Allen didn t have no little chillun of his own den, but he shot seed atter us. Por sup~per us had bread and milk, wid btitter and lasses siru . Dey says dats tfloUgh for chulun at night. Us was still dar on Marss Allen s plaae when me and Isaac McCollie got rr~arried. De white folks said I was to~ young cause I was just 15 den, but my Ma told me I could go ahead and git n~arried if I wanted too. Isaac s two brudders was r~arried at de saine time. Whilst de boys was gone atter licenses and de preacher, us three gals was a-waitin up at Marse Tom Young ~ house whar de weddi.n wa~ to take place. Dem other two gals was so skeered dat ~ Marse Torn s housekeeper give each one of us a glass of gin to quie t 2 our nerves, but I warn t skeered a bit, not me, when. I had a cbanst to be all dressed up lak dat, in a satin striped wh te weddin dress I wid a long train a-trailin off de back of it. All de ten ruffles roun dat dress was aidged wid pink and de big puffed sleeves had pink cuffs. hit did seem an awful long time fore dem boys got back wid Preacher Lockhart. Us was married dar atMarse T~ifl~~ and den us went back to Marse Duncan Allen s place whar de bigges surprise) I ever had was ready for us. ~.rster and Mist ess had done. t .owed dat if I just had to git married dey would do de best dey could for me. Out in de big house yard was long tables just loaded down Wid evvything good - chickens, barbecue, pies, and a great big weddin cake, what my good old ILtst ess done baked for me her own self, and den us just had de bigges sort of time a-dancin and frolickin . ) atter us et ail dat good supper. laaacts Pa said he owed him one more year cause he was just 19 when us got married, and all us got for dat whole year s wuk was a little corn and one heifer. ..~

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Page 8. ~j:33 ~ O1d Marse Biackwell had done died and ~ ss Laura was a~ beggint my Pa to e ox~e back and wuk for her, but he wouldn t go nowhar ti ~ atter Marse Duncan Allen died, den he moved back to Georgie, down nigh de Jixn Smith place. Den Pa got a farm whar de stockade ~3 flOW. U~ wukked rnoughty hard a- gittin a start, and dat hard wuk made good crops and us raised most all us needed to eat ~ ) veg~tables, hogs, cows, chickens, tukkeys, and sech lak. In de fall atter u~ ~ad clone wukked so hard all thoo crop time Pa le t us have cornshuckin s. U~ cooked for two or three days fore dem cornshuckin s cause dere was allus a big crowd to be fed. When de big day come, fust thing us done was choose a gen ral. He just walked roun de big piles of corn and led de singint Somehow, I can t member how dat song went, but it was all bout corn. De gen ral started de song slow and den got it to goin faster and faster and de livelier de song went de faster de shuck8 would fly, and de more often dey would pass trouflt de liquor. Soon as all de corn was shucked, us had de big feast wid jlenty of good coffee and toddy to go wid dem good victuals us had done been cookin up; dem chickens~ all dat fresh killed hog meat and a big sj~read of lightbread and pies and c~ kes. Dein was de good old days, and dey don t have no sech grand tinies a helpin each other, and a celebratin de harvest time no more. SAtter Isaac died, I v ukked for diff unt white folks, cookin and washint tu I married Alec Johnson. Dis time us just went to de preacher for to g t de knot tied and didn t have no big weddin . I did have on a nice white dress, but hit warn t nigh so pretty and fancy as my fust weddin dress. A few friends come roun dat night and us handed em out a little cake and ice crean~, but dere

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Page 9. wai r3~ t ria big supper. zofe my husbands is done been daid and gone long ago, but I se still got two of my chillun, my gran chullun and four great gran chillun. Dey s all sweet and good to me, and sees dat I has all what I needs. I done lost de sight in one eye and de other one is failin moughty fast. 1 prays and prays dat de good Lord will let me see a little, what time I se gQt left to live. NOne of my chillun died de fu~t of dis year and soon l in gwine to jine her. I hopes you laks what I ricollected, but soxneh~ow I can t call dem old times back to mind since I done got so old, lak I use to. Come back to see me again, Honey. Good-bye. . . . . . . I ~ e ~ . . . . . . . s ~

Manuel Johnson of Washington-Wilkes. 340 337

j::.j 1OO?25 . . ~ .. . ~1ANUEL JOHNSON a~ ~ by Minnie Bra haxn Stonestreet ?las hingt on.-Y~i1kes Georgia

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~ANtIEL J OHNSON of ~ASHINCrTON ~7ILI S Seventy four year old I~ anue1 Johnson, ?Tabout de younges of the nine children ofI~ii1ford and Patsey Johnson, is a tall ebony-.black old man with the whitest hair and the roandest, merriest face. He lives in ~ashin~ton, I~ut even at his age he farms. Although he was too young to reraenther such about slavery, Uncle ~ianue1 recalls the iaappy pid plantation days: My Pa an Ma cum frwn oie Vir~in y five years befo de ~ ah, Jedge Harris here in ~ii1kes County went up ter Virgin y an bo t dem frwn de Ptitnams an bro t era home wid him. You know, i;~iss, in dem days us ni~gers wuz bo t an sole lak dey does mules ter-day. I wu.a borned down on de Harris place de same year L:iss Carrie (the youngest Harris daughter) wuz we s de saine year s chiliun, dat s de onlies way I knows how oie I is, idss Oarrie tele me. Jedge Harris had er lot ov slaves ~ I specks I kin name er hunderd now, dey all lived in 1o~ cabins in de Quarters an wuz happy an~ weil took keer ov as dey could ~e. De white folks took me in de house when I wuz leetle an raised me kase dey wanted me fer er house 1~oy. I waited on de table, washed dishes, an atter I ~ot ~big nou~h, I milked de cows. I et in

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page ~2 de-kitchen outtn young ~ttarse Jimmie s plate. I tho t so much OV him i: allus et out n de same plate he did. ?Ie sho had ~ er plenty ov evtything good too. ~l1 de y uther niggers cooked an et in de cabins. I wuz gittin long in years fo I knowed you could buy meat in a sto . Yassuin, us lived well on dat plantation ~ had plenty ter eat an ter wear. Miss Cornelia (the oldest Harris daughter) made all my lothes. De nigger wirninens spun an wove, but I never paid dem rauch mind whei~i. I wuz er comin on. I Tinen er ~ dem talk bout dyin de cloth out er bark an things dey ~ot out n de woods. ~ so ~ had somethin ter wear I never tho t how hard dey had ter wuk ter mak hit. ~ I lived on de Harris plantation wid dem til I wuz nineteen years oie an I allus felt lak I belonged ter dem ~ dey wu.z so good ter me~ ~hen I Lust could inemlier, ~iss Cornelia would ~~it on oie Ruben, dat wuz her saddle horse, an mak me ~it up behind h~r an den she d go anywhere she wanted ter go. ENough times she took ike terole Mt ZionChurchwid her. No nigger wuz ever lected on de Harris place. EL we wuz sick er needed samthin us got hit. Ef we wuz real sick de horseback doctor cain. In dem days de doctors rid roun in de country on horseback an took medicine wid em. EL we warn t so sick de oie white folks curn ter see ~.is an scribed fer us. Dey use ter mak us little niggers take hoehound tea an fat lightwood tea fer coles. Dat lightwood tea is er good medicine,

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344:) page~3 I. takes hit lots ov times now when I ~as er cole, Us had ter take Garlic water no in, not Garlic and whiskey, but jes plain Garlic water, an hit wuz a bad dose too. Dey give us candy made out n Jerusalem oak an sugar, dat warn t so bad. Uncle Manuel said when h first could remember the negroes bad services in their cabins atnight. Ohairback preathhers went around from one plantation to another ho1din~ services and much good *as done. On Sunday evenings, our Mistess called all us little flics up to de house an read de Bible to us an tole us Bible stories an talked ter us bout livin right. ~ members dat es as good. When asked about the funerals and marriages when~ 1~oe first remembered, Uncle Manuel said: Dey keeps dead folks out too ;long now. ~~hen I wuz coinin on, ei aoznebody died lak terday, dey wuz buried ter-inorrer Jere wu~ a set tin up an prayer service dat night, de body wuz put in er plain home-.~made coffin blacked wid blackin an speerits turpentine, an when de waggin cuin ter take de body ter de buryin groun ev ybody went out ~ ~ de corpse singin some good ole song lak ~ Grace ~ an Hark Fruin de Tomb . Den dey went on ter de grave an had a little service tellin ~bout how de departed un had gone ter p eac e ~ r es t d ere warn t no long ic t i onary lak d ey ha s now none ow dese great long ~ seriuons an gwines on ev ybody had j s~ __~l, common funeral an hit wuz so much better.

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34u1 pa~.e 4 I~~y Marster wuz a Jedge so he married ail his ni~~ers whut T~ot married. lie married lots ov y uther couples too. I ruenthers dat ~ey use ter own fer hirn ter marry dein. Uncle Manuel said he tried superstitions and signs, ~ut they didn t prosper me none , so he gave up all he knew except the weather signs, and he plants his crops by the moon. 1 watches de fust twelve days ov de New Year an den I kin tell jes whut weather ev y mont ov de year gwine ter bring. Dat s de way mens mak almanacs. Course I ain~t got no edercation nu~er been ter school in my life but dat s my fault kase I could have went, but long uout den I wuz so inannish I ~ go an ev y day I wishes I had er went so I could read now, but I ~ have sense nough den ter want ter learn. About planting crops, tTncle Eanuel advises: Plant ev ything dat makes ander de ~rcan lak taters, goobers, tunips an sich, on de dark ov de nioon; plant ev ything dat ~iakes on top de ~:roun on light nights. Plant yo crap on de waste ov de moon an dat crap ~ gwine ter waste er way, an dat s de truf, I ain t nuver seed hit fail yit. Plant corn on de full ov de moon an you ll have ull good inade years, plant on de ~:rowin ov de moon an you ll have a full growed stalk, powerful stal~s, ~ut de years won t be fulled out. I pays tention to dem si~ns, cut as fer ail dese y uthers, dey ain t not~iin ter dem, cept nieetin er cat, I jes has ter turn clean er roiin~ when I meets er cat an dat turns de ~ad luck dat hit means, er way.

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342 page-5 Uncle Manuel grew sad as he r called the gth d old days lone gone. He niade an unusual statement for one of his race when F~ said}/~ Mist ss, ef somebody had er thou.san dollars in one han 11j;1t in de y uther apass fer me ter go back to dem ole days an : axed me which u.n I de tak , I de go back to dein oie days an live de rest OV my life. Dere amt nothin to dese times n~ ~ nothin cept trubble, peoples is livin so fast, dey don t tak ~ no time ter stop an~ sider, dey jes resh right into trubble. ~ I use ter drive oxen four ov em an dey took nie long all \~ right. I se plowed oxen too, now yu nuver see un kase dey s ~ t.o slow; hit s aatyinobiles an gas run things, no m, folks don t j sider on de ways ov life lak dey use ter. L~ ~: ~Why is I iivin so long? Dat s easy I se onest, ain t nuver stole, nuver been in no trubble ov any kin , been nigh ter death two times, but I se been spared kase I ~es ain t lived out lily days 3Tjt. ~ I se on borrowed time, I knows das, but dat ain t ~. ~ ~--- ~~-~-- : worryin me none. j n I tell yu sumthin else; I ain t ootherin none over dis oie age pensun business fer I se gwine ter wak on pensun er no j~ensun. No inam, I ain t ~wine ter set back~an speck no govermint ter feed me ion~ as I kin scratch er roun . I :~ ot wuk ter do I ~ot nio wuk. t~a~ ~c ~~a j~ir~c ter do hit long as ~ able. It \;as eas~7 to see from Uncle Manuel s manner he meant every word he said about no-uk An independent bld soul, and a good example tp~ the youn~.er ones of his race. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~