SLAVE NARRATIVES A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Intervieivs with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED HV THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1038 ASSEMBLED RY THE L1RRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 19-1.1 VOLUME XL NORTH CAROLINA NARRATIVES PART 2 Prepared by the Federal Writers1 Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of North Carolina INFORMANTS Jackson, John II. 1 Johnson, Ben 8 Johnson, Isaac 14 Johnson, Tina 20 Jones, Bob 23 Jones, Clara 27,30 Jordon, Abner 34 Lassiter, Jane 37 Lawson, Dave 43 Lee, Jane 51 Littlejohn, Chana 54 McAllister, Charity 60 McCoy, Clara Cotton 64 McCullers, Henrietta 72 McCullough, Willie 76 McLean, James Turner 82 Magwood, Frank 90 Manson, Jacob 95 Manson, Roberta 100 Markham, Millie 105 Mials, Maggie 109 Mitchel, Anna 113 Mi tenner, Patsy 116 Moore, Erneline 124 Moore, Fannie 127 Moring, Richard C. 138 Kelson, Julius 143 Nichols, Lila 147 Organ, Martha 151 Parker, Ann 155 Penny, Amy 158 Perry, Lily 162 Perry, Valley 167 Pitts, Tempe 173 Plutnmer, Hannah 177 Pool, Parker 183 Raines, Rena 192 Ransome, Anthony 196 Richardson, Caroline 198 Riddick, Charity 203 Riddick, Simuel 207 Rienshaw, Adora 212 Robinson, Celia 216 Rogers, George 220 Rogers, Hattie 226 Rountree, Henry 232 Scales, Anderson 236 Scales, Catherine 244 Scales, Porter 252 Scott, William 259 Shaw, Tiney 265 Smith, John 269 Smith, John 276 Smith, Josephine 281 Smith, Nellie ^ 285 Smith, Sarah Ann ~ 289 Smith, William 292 Sorrell, Laura 295 Sorrell, Ria 299 Spell, Chaney 306 Spikes, Tanner 309 Stephenson, Annie 312 Stewart, Sam T. 316 Stone, Emma 324 Sykes, William 327 Taylor, Annie 332 Taylor, R. S. 335 Thomas, Elias 342 Thomas, Jacob 348 Thornton, Margaret 352 Tillie 355 Trell, Ellen 359 Trentham, Henry James 363 Upperrnan, Jane Anne Privette 367 Whitley, Ophelia 371 Wilcox, Tora 376 Williams, Catharine 380 Williams, Rev. Handy 385 Williams, John Thomas 390 Williams, Lizzie 394 Williams, Penny 401 Williams, Plaz 406 Willianson, Melissa 410 Woods, Alex 414 Wright, Anna 420 Yellady, Dilly 425 Yellerday, Hilliard 431 Tina Johnson Fannie Moore ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page 20 127 Julius Nelson -j.43 Lila Nichols 147 Tempe Pitts 173 212 259 Tiney Shaw 265 John Smith 269 Josephine Smith 281 316 Adora Rienshaw William Scott Sam T. Stewart William Sykes 327 (> 20144 "SJ*C' ^' N. C. District No, 2 Worker Mrs. "*tf. N. Harriss No. Words 1363_____ Sub j ect Memories of Uncle Jackson Interviewed John H. Jackson____ 309 S> Sixth St» Wilmington, N. C» S201U ft 2 MEMORIES OF UNCLE JACKSON "I was bom in 1851, in the yard where my owner lived next door to the City Hall. I remember when they was finishin* up the City Hall. I also remember the foreman, Mr. James talker, he was general manager. The overseen, (overseer) was Mr. Keen. I remember all the bricklayers; they all was colored. The man that plastered the City Hall was named George Price, he plastered it inside* The men that plastered the City Hall outside and put those columrs up in- the front, their names was Robert Finey and William. Finey, they both was colored* Jim Artis now was a contractor an' builder* He done a lot of work * round Wilmington• "Yes'm, they was slaves, mos' all the fine work 'round Wilmin'ton was done by slaves. They called 'em artisans. None of *em could read, but give 'em any plan an* they could foiler it to the las1 line." Interviewer: "Did the owner collect the pay for the labor, Uncle Jackson?'1 •"No, ma'm. That they did'n. We had a lot of them artisans 'mongst our folks. They all lived on our place with they fam'lies. They hired theyselves where they pleased* They colle'ted they pay, an* the onliest thing the owner took was enough to support they fam*lies. They all lived in our fe. yard, it was a great big place, an1 they wimmen cooked for 'em and raised the chilluns. '?You know, they lays a heap o* stress on edication these days. But edication is one thing an1 fireside trainin* is another. We had fireside trainin'. "We went-to church regular. All our people marched behind our owners, an* sat up in the gallefy a£ the white folks church. Now, them that went to St. James Church behind their white folks didn1 dare look at nobody else. 'Twant allowed. They were taught they were better than anybody else. That was called the 'silk stockin' church. Nobody else was fitten to look at. "My mother was the laund'ess for the white folks. In those days ladies wore clo'es, an' plenty of 'em. My daddy was one of the part Indian folks. My mammy was brought here from Washington City, an' when her owner went back home he sold her to my folks. You know, round Washin1ton an' up that way they was Ginny (Guinea) niggers, an' that's what my mammy was. We had a lot of these malatto negroes round here, they was called "ShUffer Tonies", they wasiree issues and part Indian. The leader of 'em was James Sampson. We child'en was told to play in our own yard and not have nothin' to do with free issue chil'en or the common chil'en 'cross the street, white or colored, because they was'nt fitten to.*soeiate with us. You see our owners was rich folks. 3. .4 Our bi^ house is the one where the ladies of Sokosis (Sorosis) has their ^lub House, an1 our yard spread all round there, an' our house servants, an' some of the bes' artisans in Y/ilmin' ton lived in our yard. "You know, I'm not tellin1 you things what have been told me, but I'm tellin' you things I knows> "I remember when the ^oabbes company came from Georgia here to V/ilmin1ton an' they had all ladies as officers** nI remember when the Confederates captured part of the Union Army at Fort Sumter, 3. C, and they brought them here to .»ilmin'fcbn and put them out under Fourth Street bridge, and the white ladies of Wilmin'ton, N. C. cooked food and carried it by baskets full to than, v/e all had plenty of food. A warehouse full of everything down there by the river nigh Hed Cross Street, an' none of us ever went hungry 'till the war was over* "I remember when Gen'ral Grant's Army came to the river. They mounted guns to boorabar the city. Mr* John Dawson an' Mr. Silas Martin, they went on the corner of Second an' Nun Streets'on the top of Ben Berry's house an' run up a white sheet for a flag, an' the Yankees did*nr *Note: Have not been able to verify this memory, and think perhaps the unusual uniforms of the Zoaves caused the small boglr to think they were women, or some adult may have amused themselves by telling him so* to 4. boombar us. An' Mr. Laartin gave his house up to the Progro karshells, and my mother cleaned up the house an' washed for them. Her name was Caroline West. ,rI remember when that Provo Marshell told the colored people that any house in Y/ilmin'ton they liked, that was empty, they could go take it, an' the first one they took was the fine Bellamy Mansion on Market an1 Fifth Street,* "Uncle Jackson", asked the interviewer, "don't you remember that house was headquarters of the Federal Army? Kow could colored people occupy it?" Uncle Jackson: "I don't remember nothin' about Federal soldiers bein1 in that house, but I'm tellin1 you I knows a lot of common colored folks was in it because I seen 'em sittin' on the piazza an' all up an' down those big front steps. I seen 'em, Nice colored people wouldn't 'a gone there. They had respec' for theirselves an' their white folks. But Dr. Bellamy came home soon with his fam'ly an' those colored people got out. They wan't there long, "Endurin1 of slavery 1 toted water for the fam'ly to drink. I remember when there was springs under where the new Court House is now, and all the white folks livin' 'round there drank water from those springs. They called it Jacob Spring, There was also a spring on i^rket Street between Second and Third Streets, that was.called McCrayer (McCrary) spring. They didn't 'low nobody but rich folks" to get water from that spring. Of co'se I got mine there 5. £ i whenever I chose to tote it that far. We did'n' work so hard in those days. I don't know nothin' about field ban's an1 workmen on the river, but so far as I knows the carpenters an' people like that started work at 8 o'clock A. M. and stopped at 5 o'clock P. M. Of course 'round the house it was different. Our folks done pretty much what the white folks did because we was all pretty much one an' other. "Did I ever know of any slaves bein' whipped? I seen plenty of 'em whipped over at the jail, but them was bad niggers, (this with a grimace of disgust, and shaking of the head), they needed whippin1. But (with a chuckle) I sho1 would have hated to see anybody put they han's on one of my owher's people. We was all 'spectable an' did'n know nothin* about whippen. Our mammy's spanked us aplenty, yes mam they did. nI remember when they didn't have no trussels 'cross either river, an' they had a passages boat by the name of Walker Moore, an' the warf was up there by the Charlotte railroad (S. A. L.) The Boat would take you from there to the bluff an1 then you would have to catch the train to go to Greensboro, and other places in Ko'th Carolina. MI remember when the Fourth Street Fire Department bell was in front of the City Hall. An' Mr. Maginny had his school right back of the City Hall. "I believe we was all happy as slaves because we had the best of kere Ccare). I don't believe none of us was sold off because I never heard tell of it. I have always served nice folks an1 never 'sociated with any other kind. I brought up Mis-----rs chil'ren an* now she gives me a life intrust in this place I lives.in. I hav*nt never to say really wanted for anything. I hav*nt nwver bothered with wimraen, an1 had nothin1 to bother me» WI mus' tell you 'bout Gov'her Dudley's "election, an* the free issue niggers. They say Lir. Dudley told 'em if they'd vote for him he'd do more for 'em than any man ever had. So they voted for him an' he was elected. Then he ups an' calls a const'utional convention in Raleigh an' had all the voting taken away from 'em. An' that the big tiling he done for 'em..* ?Note: Governor Dudley was elected before Uncle Jackson was born, but he enjoyed thoroughly telling this joke on the *free issue niggers*. 320275 P. 8 N. C. District No. 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks No. Words 920 Subject EX-SIAVE STORT Story teller Ben Johnson Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt / 320275 EX-SLAVE STOHJT An interview with Ben Johnson 85 of Hecktown, Durham, Durham County, May 20, 1937. Uncle BexivWiio is nearly blind and who walks with a stick was assisted to the porch by his wife who sat down, near him in a protecting attitude. He is much less striking than his wife who is small and dainty with perfect features and snow white hair worn in two long braids down her back. She wore enormous heart shaped earrings, apparently of heavy gold; while Uncle Ben talked she occasionally prompted him in a soft voice. ••I wua borned in Orange County and I belonged ter Mr*. Gilbert Gregg near Hillsboro. I doan know no thin* tfcout my mammy an' daddy, but I had a brother Jim who was sold ter dress young missus fer her weddin*. De tree am still standin* whar I set under an1 watch 'em sell Jim* I set dar an1 I cry an* cry, 'specially when dey puts de chains on him an' carries him off, an1 I ainft neber felt so lonesome in my whole life. I ain't neber hyar from Jim. since an1 I wonder now sometimes if'en he's still livinf» 9 a. 10 *I knows dat de marster wuz good ter us an1 he fed an' clothed us good. We had our own gyarden an' we wuz gittin* long all right. *I seed a whole heap of Yankees when dey corned ter Hillsboro an' most of 'em ain't got no respeck fer God, man, nor de debil. T can't 'member so much 'bout 'em do' cause we lives in town an' we has a gyard. /"De most dat I can tell yo' 'bout am de Ku Klux. I neber will fergit when dey hung Cy Guy. Dey hung him fer a scandelous insult ter a white ^man an' dey corned atter him. a hundert strong. "Dey tries him dar in de woods, an' dey scratches Cy's arm ter git some blood, an' wid dat blood dey writes dat he shall hang 'tween de heavens an' de yearth till he am daid, daid, daid, an' dat any nigger what takes down de body shall be hunged too. "Well sar, de nex' mornin* dar he hung, right ober de road an' de sentence hangin' ober his haid. Nobody'ad bother wid dat body fer four days an' dar hit hung, swingin* in de wind, but de fourth day de sheriff comes an' takes hit down. ) ¦ ¦ "Dar wuz Ed an' Cindy, who *fore de war belonged ter Mr. I$rnch anr atter de war he told 'em ter move. He gives 'em a month an' dey ain't gone, so de Ku Kluxea gits 'em* 11 ( "Hit wuz on a cold night when dey corned an' drugged de niggers out'n bed. Dey carried 'em down in de woods anr whup dem, den dey throws 'em in de pond, dere bodies breakin* de ice. Ed come out an' come ter our house, but Cindy ain't been seed since. "Sam Allen in Caswell County wuz tol» ter" move an1 at ter a month de huncbbet Ku Klux come a-to tin1 his casket an* dey tells him dat his time has come an' if'en he want ter tell his wife good bye an1 say his prayers hurry up. "Dey set de coffin on two cheers an' Sam kisses his ole oman #10 am a-cryin1, den he kneels down side of his bed wid his haid on de piller an' his arms throwed out front of him. "He sets dar fer a minute an' when he riz he had a long knife in his hand. 'Fore he could be grabbed he done kill two of de Ku Kluxes wid de knife, an' he done gone out'n de do*. Dey ain't ketch him nother, ah' de nexr night when dey corned back, 'termined ter git him dey shot another nigger by accident. •I Imembers seein* Joe Turner, another nigger hung at Hillsboro in '69 but I plumb fergot why it wuz. 12 "I know one time Miss Hendon inherits a thousand dollars from her pappy »s 'state an' dat night she goes wid her sweetheart ter de gate, an* on her way back ter de house she gits knocked in de haid wid a axe. She screams an' her two nigger sarvants, Jim an* Sam runs an1 saves her but she am robbed* *Den she tells de folkses dat Jim an* Sam am de guilty parties, but her little sister swears dat dey ain't so dey gits out of it. '•Atter dat dey fin's out dat it am five mens, Atwater, Edwards, Andrews, Davis an' Markham. De preacher comes down- to whar dey am hangin' ter preach dar funeral an* he stall's dar while lightnin' plays roun' de dead mens haids an' de win' blows de trees, an he preaches sich a sermon as I ain't neber hyard before* "Bob Boy Ian falls in love wid another oman so he burns his wife an' four youngins up in dere house* *De Ku Kluxes gits him, of course, an' dey hangs him high on de old Bed oak on de Hillsboro Road. Atter dey hunged him his lawyer says ter us boys," 'Bury him good,boys, jist as good as you'd bury me if'en I wuz daid* «• 13 "I shuck han's wid Bob •fore dey hunged him aa1 I he'ped ter bury him too an' we bury him nice an' we all hopes dat he done gone ter glory. ) 320209 14 N. C. District Ho. 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 991 Subject ISAAC JOHNSON Story teller Isaac. Johnson Editor Daisy Bailey Waltt. 320209 15 ISAAC JOHHSOH Lillington, Forth Carolina, Route 1, Harnett County* •I am feelin* very well this mornin1, while I don*t feel like I used to. I done so much hard work, I*m »bottt all in* Dey didn*t have all dese new f angled things to do work an1 go *bout on when I wus a boy. No, no, you jes' had to git out an* do all de work, most all de work by hand* I wus ten years old when de Yankees come through. I was born Feb* 12, 1855* nI belonged to Jack Johnson* My missus name wus Nancy* My father wus Bunch Matthews; he belonged to old man Drew Matthews, a slave owner* My mother wus named Tilla Johnson. She belonged to Jack Johns* n, my marster* Xhe plantation wus near Lillington, on the north side o* de Cape Fear River and ran down to near de Lillington Cross roads one mile from de river* I had one brother and six sisters. My brother wus named Phil and my sisters name Mary, Caroline, Francis and I don't remember de others names right now* Been so long since I saw any of *enu Dey are all dead. Yes sir, dey are all dead. I do not remember my grandpa and grandma. No sir, X don't* 16 ttI wus too small to work, dey had me to do little things like feedin1 de chickens, an' mindin* de table sometimes; but I wus too small to work. Dey didnrt let children work much in dem days till dey were thirteen or fourteen years old. I had plenty to eat, good clothes, a nice place to sleep an1 a good time. Marster loved his slaves anr other white folks said he loved a nigger more den he did white folks. Our food wus fixed up fine. It wus fixed by a regular cook who didn*t do anything but cook. We had gardens, a plenty o* meat, a plenty, an* mo1 biscuit den a lot o* white folks had. I kin remember de biscuit. I never hunted any, but I went bird blindin1 an1 set bird traps. I caught lots o* birds. "Jack Johnson, my marster never had no children of his own. He had a boy with him by the name of Stephen, a neiahew of his, from one of his brothers. Marster Jack had three brothers Willis, Billy, and Matthew. I don* remember any of his sisters. There was 'bout four thousand acres in de plantation an* 'bout 25 slaves. Marster would not have an overseer* "No sir, de slaves worked very much as they pleased. He whupped a slave now an1 then, but not much. I have seen him whup *em. He had some unruly niggers* Some of 17 *em were part Indian, an1 mean. Dey all loved him doe. I never saw a slave sold. He kept his slaves together* He didn't want to git rid of any of *em. We went to de . : white folks church at Neill's Creek a missionary Baptis' Church. "We played during the Christmas holidays f an' we got 'bout two weeks 4th of July, and lay by time, which wus 'bout the fourth. We had great times at corn shuckin's, log rollin's and cotton pickin's* We had dances. Marster lowed his slaves lots o1 freedom. My mother used to say he wus better den other folks. Yes, she said her marster wus better than other folks. "The white folks didn't teach us to read an1 write* I cannot read an' write, but de white folks, only 'bout half or less den half, could read an' write den. Dere were very few pore white folks who could read an' write* I remember de baptizin's at ds Reuben Matthews Mill Pond* Sometimes after a big meeting <^e/ would baptize twenty four at one time* No slaves run away from Marster. Dey didn't have any scuse to do so, cause whites and colored fared alike at Marster's* We played base, cat, roily hole, and a kind of base ball called 'round town* 4. 18 "Dr. John McNeill looked after us when we were sick. We used a lot of herbs an' things. Drank sassafras tea an' mullen tea. We also used sheep tea for measles, you knows dat. You know how it wus made* Called sheep pill tea. It shore would cuore de measles. rBout all dat would cuore measles den. Dey were bad den. Wus den dey is now. "I aaw Wheeler's Camtry. Dey come through ahead of de Yankees. I saw colored people in de Yankee uniforms. Dey wore blue and had brass buttons on 'em. De Yankees an' ¥/heeler's Cavalry took everything dey wanted, meat, chickens, an' stock. We stayed on wid Marster after de war. I've never lived out of de state. We lived in de same place ontill old Marster an' Missus died. Den we lived wid deir relations right on an' here. I am now on a place dfeir heirs own. "Ole Marster loved his dram, an' he gave it to all his slaves. It sold for ten cents a quart. He made brandy by de barrels, an' at holidays all drank together an' had a good time. I never saw any of 'em drunk. People wan't mean when dey were drinking den. It wus so plentiful nobody notices it much. Marster would tell de children 'bout Raw Head and Bloody Bones an' other things to skeer us. He would call us to de barn to git apples an' run anr 5- 19 hide, an' we would have a time findin' him. He give de one who found him a apple. Sometimes he didn't give de others no apple* "I married Ellen Johnson May 22, 1865 de year de war went up, anr my wife is livin' as you see, an' able to be about. I'm not able to work, not able to go out anywhere by myself. I know I cain.'t las' much longer but I'm thankful to de Lord for sparin' me dis long* AC 320189 20 N. C. District No, 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks ]fo. Words 346 Subject TINA JOHNSON Story teller Tina Johnson Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320189 21 TINA JOHNSON" Ex-Slave Story An interview with Tina Johnson 85, S. Bloodworth Street, Raleigh* **I wuz bawned in Richmon', Georgia 'round eighty- five years ago. Ity mammy wuz named Cass an* my father, dat is my stepVfather wuz named John Curtis. I got de name of Johnson frum Gen'l Johnson, I doan know who my real daddy wuz* nMy mammy belonged ter a Mis' Berry who wuz pretty good ter her, but we ain't had nothin' but de coarsest food an* clothes. I had one brother name Dennis an* me an' him wucked wid de others in de cotton patch* "We had done moved nigh Augusta when Sherman come, an* Sherman*s sister wuz a-livin' in Augusta. Dat's de reason dat Sherman missed us, case he ain't wantin' ter 'sturb his sister none. ttI ain't seed nary a*Yankee, but fer two days an' nights I hyard de guns roarin' an' felt de earth shakin* lak a earthquake wuz hittin' it* De air wuz dark an' de clouds hunged low, de whole earth seemed ter be full of powder an' yo* nostrils seemed lak dey would bust wid de sting of it. 2. 22 "Atter de surrender we stayed on anr went through de Ku Klux scare. I know dat de Ku Kluxes went ter a nigger dance one night an* whupped all of de dancers. Ole Llarster Berry wuz mad, case he ain't sont fer 'em at all an' he doan want dem. "Seberal year's atter de war mammy'married John Curtis in de Baptist church at Augusta, an1 me an* Dennis seed de ceremony. I pulled a good one on a white feller •bout dat onct. He axed rne if I knowed dat my pappy an* mammy wuz married 'fore I wuz borned. I sez ter him dat I wonder if he knows whar his mammy an* pappy wuz married when he wuz borned. *We corned ter Raleigh 'fore things wuz settled atter de war, an1 I watches de niggers livin' on kush, co'nbread, •lasses an' what dey can beg an' steal frum de white folkses. Dem days shore wuz bad." AC •^617 1937 ;..C. District No. iect: EX-SLAVE STORY Ko. ,/ords: 450 B*ory Tellert BOB JQNIiiS .; oricar: Miry Hicks Editor: george L. Andrews 'f'-^-' K.-Ur ^?*- ^ ^ P0!)80 EX-6IAVE STORY bob jroNES An interview with Bob Jones, 86 years of age, County Home, Raleigh, Forth Carolina. "I wus bomed in Warren County on de plantation' *longinf ter Mister Logie Rudd. My mammy wus Frankie. My*pappy wus named ^arry Jones* Him an' my aides' brother Burton rlonged ter a Mister Jones dar in de neighborhood. "Marster Logie en' young Karster Joe v/us nice as dey could be, but Mis' Betsy wus crabbed an* hard ter git along wid» She whupped de sarvants what done de house work an* she fussed so bad dat she moughty nigh run all us crazy* Hit wus her what sold.my Aunt Sissy Ann snr hit wus her what whupped my sister Mary so bad. Dar warn't but six of us slaves but dem six run a race ter see who can stay outen her sight* "Young Marster Joe wus one of de fust ter go ter de war an' I wnated ter go wid him but I bein' only fourteen dey . 'cided ter sen* Sidney instead* I hated dat, 'case 1 shorely wanted: ter go. \ :;>**!e neber seed Marse Joe but twice atter he left, de time whm his daddy wus buried an* when day brung his body .hoiae frt&rde war»::V4;;: 2* "toe day about seben or eight Yankees coined 'roun* our place lookin* fer Eeb. seouis, dey said, but dey ain't finr none so dey goes on *bout dere business* De nexr day a few of our soldiers brings Marse Joe's body home frum de war. i!I doan 'membsr whar he wus killed but he had been dead so long dat he had turned dark, an' Sambo, a little nigger, sez ter me, 'I thought, Bob, dat I'ud turn white when I went ter heaben but hit 'pears ter me lak de white folkses am gwine ter turn black.' . "We buried young Marse Joe under de trees in de family buryin' groun' an' we niggers sung Swing Low Sweet Chariot an' E'earer My God to Thee an' some others. De ole missus wus right nice ter ever'body dat day an* she let de young missus take charge'of all de business frum dat time. "We stayed on de Rudd plantation fer two years atter de war, den we moves ter Method whar I met Edna Crowder* We courted fer seberal months an' at las' I jist puts my arm 'roun' hsr waist an.' I axes her ter have me.* She ain't got no mammy ter ax so she kisses me an* tells me dat she will. <*Durin* de course of our married life we had five chilluns but only one of dem lived, ter be named, dat wus Hyacinth, an' he died 'fore he wus a month old# nIetna died too, siix years ago, an' lef* me ter de ,f#|*eiem'/of;^ie:.:w4f|;*v^iAll...my bruddirs ¦ •«&*.;¦ .^isters; dead*-;,.. ^?4<&$P$ '»». 3# my parents dead, my chilluns dead, anf my wife dead, but I hM got a niece? "Till lately I been livin1 at de Wake County Home, but asy niece what lives on Person Street says dat iffen I can git de pension dat she can afford ter let me stay ter her house. I hope I does, fcase I doan want ter go back ter de County Home*" r W&Miil=i^^^^^m^MW^^^^MSSf-'W^^M^^^SS^^^^^M^^^^^& 320222 27 IT. C. District No. 2 worker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 333______ Subject CLARA JONES Story teller Clara Jones Editor Daisy Bailey Waltt 320222 28 CIARA JOKES 408 Gannon Street "I been unable ter work fer 10 years; I am blind. I been in bed helpless fer four years. I eats all I can get, and takes what I am told ter take. De Lord helps me, I am depending on him. He put me into de world, and he can take me out. I was 17 years old at de surrender. Jfy- missus wus Itiilie Scott. I wus a Scott before I married William Jones. Ivy marster wus Aaron Scott. I loved my white folks. Hain't got no word ter say against 'em. .Don't think de Government goin' to help me any; I have been fooled so many times. We all should fix our salvation right that's the thing that counts now. fry- time is 'bout spent here. "De white folks went off to de war; dey said dey could whup, but de Lord said, 'Wo1, and dey didn't whup. Dey went off laffin', an' many were soon cryin', and many did not come back. De Yankees come through, dey took what dey wanted; killed de stock; stole de horses; poured out de lasses and cut up a lot of meaness, but most of 'em is dead and gone now. No matter whether dey were Southern white folks, or Northern white folks, dey is dead now. *I am helpless, my son, de baby^ who is de only livin' 2. chile I has, takes care o' me. My son is a Baptis1 Minister, but he has no Church. He stays here, and looks after me» He is forty years old. He has heart disease, and his lungs are bad. He has no regular job, so some times we have very little ter eat. Our water is cut off now. We never Jiave money to buy any ice. We have had only one ten cent piece of ice this summer. Sometimes my son sets up wid me all night. "Maybe de Lawd will help us sometime. I trusts him anyway, .STes, I trusts de Lawd.tt AC 320117 »&* \2ffl ao K. C. District No, 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks No. Words 554______ Subject CLARA JOliSS Story teller Clara Jones Editor Greo* L» Andrews 320117 31 CLARA JOKES An interview with Clara Jones of 408 Gannon Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. "I doan know how old 1 is but I wus horned long time ago case I wus a married^oman way 'fore de war. We lived on Mr. Pelton McGee's place hear in Wake County. 1 wurked lak a man dar an' de hours wus from sunup till dark mostly. He ain't had but about fifty slaves but he makes dem do de wurk of a hundret an' fifty. We ain't had no fun dar, case hit takes all of our strength ter do our daily task. Yes'urn we had our tasks set out ever* day. "One day, right atter my fifth chile wus borned, I fell out in de fiel'. Marster come out an' looked at me, den he kicks me an' 'lows, 'a youngin' ever' ten months an' never able ter wurk, I'll sell her'. "A few days atter dat he tuck me an' my two younges' chilluns ter Raleigh an' he sells us ter Marse Rufus Jones. wMarse Rufus am a good man in ever' way. He fed us good an' he give us good clothes an' we ain't had much wurk ter do, dat is, not much side of what we had ter do on McGee's plantation. 2. 32 dWe .had some fun on Marse Rufus' plantation, watermillion slicin's, candy pullin's, dances, prayer meetin's an' sich. Yes mam, we had er heap of fun an' in dat time I had eleben chilluns. "My husband, William,still stayed on ter Mister Melee's. We got married in 1860, de year 'fore de war started, I think. I can't tell yo'.much 'bout our courtin1 case hit went on fer years an' de Marster wanted us ter git married so's dat I'd have chilluns. When de slaves on de McGee place got married de marster always said dat dere duty wus ter have a houseful of chilluns fer him. "When de Yankees come I.Iis' Sally, Liarse Ruf us1 wife cried an' ordered de scalawags outen de house but dey jist laughs at her an' takes all we got. Dey eben takes de stand of lard dat we has got buried in de ole fiel' an' de hams hangin' up in de trees in de pasture. Atter dey is gone we fin's a sick Yankee in de barn an' i.Iis' Sally nurses him. Way atter de war Hisr Sally gits a letter an' a gol' ring from him. "When de news of de surrender comes Mis' Sally cries an1 sez dat she can't do widout her niggers, so Marse Hufus comes in an' tells us dat we can stay on. 33 3. "William moves ober dar, takes de name of Jones an' goes ter farmin' wid a purpose an' believe me we makes our livin'. We stay dar through all of de construction days an' through de time when de Ku Kluxes wus goin' wild an1 whuppin's all de niggers. We raise our eleben- chilluns dar an' dar's whar my husban' died in 1888 an* den I comes ter Raleigh. MI wurked till four years ago when I had a stroke now I ain*t able ter wurk an' I sho' does want my pension. ./ill yo* tell dem ter sen' hit in de nex1 mail." 320211 34 j<\ c.District 3. Subject Abner Jfrrdan, Ex-slave $o* v/ords_ 250 Of Durham County. sriter Daisy Yfhaley Interviewed Afaner Jordan Durham County home, 320211 35 Abner Jordan Ex~slavef95 years* 11 I wus bara about 1832 am1 I wus bawn at Staggsville, Marse Paul Cameron*s place* I belonged to Marse Paul* My pappy1 s name wus Obed an1 my mammy wus Ella Jordan an1 dey wus thirteen chillun on our family* I ;rus de saioe age of Young Marse Benehan, I played wid him an* wus his body guard* Yes,suh,Whore ever young Marse Benehan went I went too. I waited on him. Young Liarse Benny run away an1" ! listed in de war, but ^arse Paul done went an* brung him back kaze he wus too young to go and fijjjfc de Yankees. -[arse Paul had a heap if niggahs; he had five thousand When he meet dem in de road he wouldn* know dem an1 when ha azed dem who dey wus an* who dey belonged to, dey1 tell him dey belonged to Marse Paul Cameron an* den he would say dat wus all right for dem to gib right on* Ly pappy wus de blacksmith an1 foreman for Marse Paul, an1 he blew de horn for de other niggahs to come in from de fiel* at night. Dey couldn* leave de plantation without Marse say dey could* Yfhen de war come de Yankees come to de house an* axed my mammy whare de folks done hid de silver an1 golf, an* dey say dey gwine to kill mammy if she didnf tell dem* But mammy say she didn1 know whare dey put it, an* d*y would jus* have to kill her for she didn*knew an* wouldn1 lie to keep dem from hurting her* -2- De sojers stole seven or eight of de hofses anf foun* de meat an1 stole dat, but dey didn* burn none of de buildinfs nor hurt any of us slave s # My pappy an! his family stayed wii Marse Paul five £ears aftsr de surrender den we moved to Hillsboro an1 Ifs always lived *rounf dese parts. I ain* never been out of North Carolina eighteen months in my life. North Carolina is good enough for mett» 36 ,320119 37 !»&* Atfff IS. C. District No. 2 ;;orker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 1044_____ Subject JANE LASSITER Story teller Jane Lassiter Editor Geo» L. Andrews 320119 , 38 JANE LASSITER About 80 years old. 324 Battle Street Raleigh, N. C» "I am 'bout 80 years old. I am somewhere in my seventies, don't zackly know my age. I wus here when de Yankees come an* I 'member seein' dem dressed in blue. I wus a nurse at dat time not big enough to hold a baby but dey let me set by de cradle an1 rock it. "All my white folks dead an1 all my people am dead an' I haint got no one to ax 'bout my age. Dey had my age an' my mother's age in de Bible but dey am all dead out now an' I don't know whur it is* tt!$y mother an1 me belonged to the Councils. Dr. Kit Council who lived on a plantation in de lower edge of Chatham County, 'bout three miles from New Hill. father belonged to de Lamberts. Their plantation wus near Pittsboro in Chatham County. My father wus named Maeon Lambert an' his marster wus named At Lambert. Our missus wus named Caroline an* father's missus wus named Beckie. % grandfather wus Phil Bell. He belonged to the Bells. They lived in Chatham County. My grandmother wus named Peggy an1 she belonged to de same family. 2. 39 "We lived in little ole log houses. We called 'em cabins. They had stick an' dirt chimleys wid one door to de house an' one window. It shet to lak a door» "We did not have any gardens an1 we never had any money of our own. We jest wurked fer de white folks. "We had plenty sumptin to eat an' it wus cooked good. My mother wus de cook an' she done it right. Our clothes wus home-made but v/e had plenty shiftin1 clothes. Course our shoes wus given out at Christmas. We got one pair a year an' when dey wore out we got no more an* had to go barefooted de rest of de time. You had to take care of dat pair uv shoes bekase dey wus all you got a year. The slaves caught game sometime an' et it in de cabins, but dere wus not much time fer huntin' dere wus so much wurk to do. "Dere wus 'bout fifty slaves on de plantation, an' dey wurked from light till dark. I 'member dey wurkin' till dark. Course I wus too small to 'member all 'bout it an' I don't 'member 'bout de overseers• I never seen a slave whupped, but I 'members seein' dem carryin' slaves in droves like cows. De white men who wus guardin* 'em walked in front an' some behind. I did not see any chains* I never seen a slave sold an* I don't *member ever seein* a jail fer slaves. 40 "Dere mis no books, or larnin' uv any kind allowed. You better not be ketched wid a book in yore han's. Dat wus sump tin dey would git you fer. I ken read an' write a little but I learned since de surrender. My mother tole me 'bout dat bein' 'ginst de rules of de white folks. I 'members it while I wus only a little gal. When de Yankees come thro'. "Dere wus no churches on de plantation an' we wus not 'lowed to have prayer meetings in de cabins, but we went to preachin' at de white folks church. I 'member dat. We set on de back seat. I 'member dat. "No slaves ever run away from our plantation cause marster wus good to us. I never heard of him bein' 'bout to whup any of his niggers. Mother loved her white folks as long as she lived an' I loved 'em too. Ho mister, we wus not mistreated. Mother tole me a lot 'bout Haw Head an' Bloody Bones an' when I done mean she say, . 'Better not do dat any more Raw Head an' Bloody Bones s gwine ter git yo'.* Hal hal dey jest talked 'bout ghosts till I could hardly sleep at nite, but de biggest thing in ghosts is somebody 'guised up tryin1 to skeer you. Ain't no sich thing as ghosts. Lot of niggers believe dere Is do'• ^ 4. 41 "We stayed on at marsters when de surrender come cause when we wus freed we had nothin' an* nowhere to go. Dats de truth. Mister, dats de truth. We stayed with marster a long time an' den jest moved from one plantation to another. It wus like dis, a crowd of tenants would get dissatisfied on a certain plantation, dey would move, an' another gang of niggers move in. Dat wus all any of us could do. V/e wus free but we had nothin* 'cept what de marsters give us. "When v/e got sick, you sees v/e stayed wid a doctor, he looked after us, but we had our herbs too. We took sassafras tea, catnip an' horehound tea an1 flag. Flag mis good to ease pain. Jest make a tea of de flagroots an' drink it hot. "I married Kit Lassiter in Chatham County an' I had seven chilluns. Three boys an1 four girls. All am dead but two. Two girls are livin'. One named Louie Finch, her husband dead. She stays wid me an* supports me. She cooks an' supports me. l$y other livin' daughter is Venira McLean. She lives across de street wid her husband. Her husband had a stroke an' ain't able to wurk no more. Dey live on five dollars a week. Dey ain't able to help me now. I moved ter Raleigh 20 years ago. %" husband died here* s- 42 "I heard 'bout de Ku Klux but dey never give our family no trouble cause we didn't give 'em no cause to bother us. I don't know all *bout slavery but I 'members dere was a lot of big fat greasy niggers goin' around, an' I reckin dey fared good or dey wouldn't a been §p fat. Dey got plenty to eat even if dey did wurk renu "I believe slavery wus all rite whur slaves wus treated right. I haint got nuff edication to tell you nothin' 'bout Lincoln an' dem udder men. Heard 'em say he come thro', reckon he did too. I belong to the 'United Holiness Church'." ) <' i f i.«r...-f. -fr, ?, 0. ; , {'.'c:\6* titf 10282 IT. G. District. Subject Dave Lawson tior.r.£r .ravis Jordan Sx~31ave Story Lived at Bine Wing, F*C, ^jfjfe&s fe»#^pf.:; c r^;_:^ff ;?^.. St^-y?. *¦ &.«&v DA¥E LAWSOM EX-SLAVE W FATHER WH) KHEW TI33 PRIHCIPLS CEAiiACTiSiB TOLD ME THIS STQ&Y YEARS AGO U '£ ' :,ves, suh,. de Wusr I knows rbout slavery times is what tole me rbout how come dey hung my grari'mamrny an1 gran1 pappy. Iran; dem bof at de same time an1 from de same limf of de tree, but :;:rt v-.s way back yonder befoJ -Mistah'Lincoln come- down here t.: set de niggers free* My mammy wuzn* but six ponths ole deri "anr ;; v-'uzn* even bawn, but Aunt Becky tole "me rbout it when Itas ole enough to IIssen* Dir; ainf no nice tale you £wine hear* Itrs de truf. but ¦tr.^t nice* De fus1 time I heard it I didn* sleep none for'a ' :; week* Everytlme I'shut my eyes I seed liars-e Brew Ifoirwood wid dat: ¦ funnel in his motif 'an1 de hot Steam blowin1 up like a eloud %ounr his wicked face anr skeered eyes. Dey say my granfcpappyfs Ole Marse was de-'-meanes1 white Man de Lawd ever let breath de breaf of lif e. ; His name was Marse Drew Norwood* He was de riches* lanr owner anywhaf^ rrounf* Se owned more Ian* gun* more niggers den anybody in Person or Sramrille "" counties'. Btttrhe. ^Iditi1 ffi&fce Ss;ni^Sef' iM" n© "ferai., im giuhf M^ho '^'didnr5 &«¦ ma^e;M#; an'r:-::s$il&ir naggers* He:;bot%h#5dem "!c&eap an*--^ -He-would %* 'twuz -dollar^:¦¦-h^;seed: swingin' 'rom' his head — gol' dollars ¦¦Ji£Rin* ;b^igh%@ee 4^''#1^s'*,. '.^. ^;.;.::. , ,¦¦.-.¦ .•...;.;¦;..¦¦¦¦•¦¦ M: Irt tira^-spi ¦ i»; ^s^sw^^ifrf|pt|'x;ff ::mm $ ¦<-5- Cleve opened de door. Ole Marse tole him to pack Lissa's clothes, dat he was takin' her to Soul' Boston de nexr datf to sell her on de blocks Cleve fell on his knees an* rgnn to plead. He knew Ole Marse mizn' "/wine take Lissa to no Souf Boston; he was gwine take her way off an' lie wouldn1 never see her no more. He heg anr promise Marse Drew to be good an' do anything he say^do if he jus* leave him Lissa, dat she was his wife an' he love herv But Marse Drew hit him 'cross de face wid his whip, cuttin.' his lip in half, den he went . Lissa's over an' feit of Saax arms art1 legs like she might have been a boss. '¦Alien he done gone• Cleve went over an* set down by Lissa an* took her han1 * Lissa lgxm to cry, den she jumped up an-*':-,;mehced- to take down her clothes hangin' on de wall. Cleve watched her for a while, den he made up Ms mih* he gwine do sump in', dat she ain't gwine be took away from him. He say: r§ait dat, Lissa, leave dem clothes alone. ¥ou ainH gwine leave me, you ainft gwine nowhere*- -'hear me?1 ¦ Ben '-he tole:;hirHo '¦- make up a hot-fire while he brung in de wash pot. He brung in de hig iron p©* M1 set it on de heaftn an' raked de red eoals ail %oun' it, .den-he ¦filled-it%id -lit-terr- IMie it'waslMatin*'•¦ he;:went to de door a&*:\|&0lieC'©'ut^;;^ an-* MgLt/'itias¦ ;#iidin*:«di-. Mlli > ,:^k0M^$M-cut of sight* By daylight dat: -ufcLte '';:;''•¦-'. -'• ..-""•"¦'.''¦*?•¦ ''4s%\''4jK '[ ¦ ¦" .. ¦¦:.' .',.'¦•'.V*':.;^ "•-' nia IPIPK^ -fi- de ve went outside. *Bout dat time a scritch owl come an' set on de roof ar.1 seritehed. Lissa run out to skeer it away, but Cleve caught her ar^. He asay, V Don't do dat, Lissa, leave him alone* D&t's de death bird, he knows-what he's do In1. So Lissa didn1 do:- nothia1, she let de bird keep on seritchin1. '.Yhen ' tv/uz good an' dark Cleve tools, a long rope an' went out, tellin' Lissa to keep de water boilinr. When he come back he had Mars.e Drew all tied up.wid de rope an gagged so he couldn' hollerj lie liciQ hira tli'owed over his shoulder like a sack of .meal. Pie brung Mm in de cabin an', laid him on de floor, den he tole him if he wouldnr sell Lissa dat he wouldn1 hurt him. But Marse Drew, shook Ms head an* cussed iSrhis throat.: Ben Gleye took off,de ¦gag,ibut,; - Mfo' de white man eould holler out $ Cleve stuffed de spout of <,.a,. funnel in his big mouf* way down his th'oat, holdin* down his tongue. Ee ax him one more time to save Lissa from d@ block, but Marse Brew look at hira wid hate In his eyes shook his head .again.* Cleve didn.*' . say nothin* ¦ tJi&e^/t^-.Jiim.;- af, pitcher ©f'boilinr.wat©r^;;;.:.; P-r.- ".By dea Lissat.S)eed,:what Sieve.,was gwine; do,*,;;She.;didn' tel^-:,: fteve.,not tovdo itaaori;:.^thim|f &he. Jus' filled: de-.pi^cher.-widhot liter j d£&, she:::'wtnt^tvef;, an|,,#@t; down, om .#§ -. fl§or/;. aja^ a h®M• ;]*£*$* ¦ ^i^^p;^|t:3#e^.^.w^s;.^s^f^t^^dd;' te- him, his;'§yes; istfti* plRy'?t>#i&;.^ but i^m^®m%^£%::-Mm -again ¦*!>*&& :v;' Mi?"" " ""'¦ ' ' ""'" ""....."" ' " '.....' '.....'" "¦....." "" ' ' '¦¦""¦"¦¦ - m f''• -:m(i^SS^^'^;;MSt^:mMm^¦¦-; ¦ ..Am: ^tSix^MiS'UM^^'^^yM^m^-^i ¦%&$, f fiiiftl -7- down, den took de pitcher an1 rgun to pour dat boilin* water right in dat funnel stickin1 in Marse Drewrs mouf. Dat man kicked anf struggled, but dat water scalded its way down his throat, burnin1 up his ins ides* Lissa brurn- another pite&er full an* dey wuzn1 no pity in her eyes as she watched Mar&e Drew fightin1 his way to torment, cussin1 all niggers an1 Abraham Lincoln. After da$ Lissa an1 Cleve set down to wait for de sheriff. Dey knew Hwuzn1 no use to run, dey'couldn* get no?/hare* rBout sunup de folks come an1 founr Marse Drew, an1 dey foun1 Lissa anr Cleve settin by de door hanr in han1 waitin*. When dem niggers tole what dey done anr how come dey done it dem white folks was hard- De sheriff took de rope from 'roun* Marse Drew an* cut it in two pieces. He tied one rope lrounr Clevefs neck an1 one rope rroun! Lissa*s neck an1 hung dem up in dat big oak tree in de yard* Yes, suh, datrs what happened to my granr man my anf gran1 pappy in slavery times. Dis here cabin wers settin in is de same cabin wiiare Cleve an* Lissa scalded Marse Drew, an? dat oak tree {side de paf is de same tree dey was hung on* Sometimes now in de fall of de - jrear when Irse settin* in de door after de sun done gone down; anr de wheat am ripe an* bendin* in de win*', anr de moon am roun* an* yeller like a mush melon, seems like I sees two shadows swingin1 from de big lim* of dat tree — I sees dem swing inr low side by si\j.t touching d« grotm*. > N. C. District No* 2 Subject ARE L3E Worker Mary A. Hjcks Ho. Words 390 Person Interviewed Jane Lee Editor G. L. Andrews 520013 JANS LEE An interview with Jane Lee, 81 years old, Selma, Forth Carolina. ^ "I wus borned de slave o±a Marse Henry McCullers down kgae- at Clayton on de Wake an1 Johnston line. My daddy wus named Addison an1 my rnairxny wus named Caroline. Daddy 'longed to Mr. John Ellington who also lived near Clayton. I doan know de number of Mr. Ellington's slaves, but I know dat Marse Henry had six or seben. "Marse Henry ain't had no oberseer ner no patteroilers nother. He managed his business hisself an* ain't needed., nobody. He whupped dem when dey needed hit but dat ain*t often, not dat he ain't put de whuppin' on dem what did need hit. "I Members de Yankees comin' good as if fen hit wus yesterday. Bey corned wid a Dig noise, chasin' our white folks what wus in de army clean away. Dey chase dem to Raleigh an1 den dey kotch 'em, out dey ain't had much time, ter do us any damage case dey wus too busy attar de Rebs. "De woods wus full of runaway slaves an1 Rebs who deserted de army so hit wus dangerous to walk out. Marse Henry gitfe us a speech about hit an1 atter I seed one rag-a- muffin nigger man dat wus so hongry dat his eyes pop out, I aih.H took no more walks» "Atter de war we moved on M**;. Ellingtons place wid . ••*Jr'.'"f .f\!, iH - -2- ¦; ' daddy anr dar I stayed.113.1 I married Wyatt Lee* %att wus a bad proposition an* he got shot in Fayetteville atter we had five chilluns.. Wyatt tuck a woman to Fayetteville an1 a man named Frank Mattiner killed him about her. Den my oldest boy went to wurk in Virginia an1 a man named Rudolphus killed him 'bout a yaller gal. Both of de murderers runaway an' ain't never been ketched. "All five of my chilluns am daid now, an' fer de past ten years I'se done everrthing but cut cord wood. "How does I live? Well I lives now an' den* De county gives me two dollars a month an* de house am mine durin' my life time. Mr. Parrish sold hit to Judge Brooks wid de understandin' dat hit am mine long as I live. I don't know why, none of us never 'longed ter de Parrish's ner nothin' dat I knows of." #' "i0^s) 320258 54 If. C. District No, 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews Ho. ".»rords _____1138___ Subject GKAivA LITTLEJOHN Person Interviev/ed Ghana Little.iohn Sd itor Daisy Bailey Waitt__________ 320258 55 GHANA LITTLEJOHN 215 State Street v. "I remember when de Yankees come. I remember when /(« / de soldiers come an' had tents in Marsterrs yard before &ey went off to de breastworks. My mother wus hired out before de iffurrender an' had to leave her two chilluns at home on Marster's plantation. When she come home Christmas he told her she would not have to go back any more. She could stay at home. This wus de las' year o* de war and he tol* her she would soon be free. "My eyes are mighty bad. De doctor said he would work on fem if somebody in de Agriculture Building would pay it. I can't see at all out of one eye and the other is bad. "I doan reckon I wus ten years old when de Yankees come, but I wus runnin' around an* can remember all dis. Guess I wus 'bout eight years old. I wus born in Warren County, near Warrenton. I belonged to Peter Mitchell, a long, tall man. There were 'bout a hundred slaves on de plantation. My missus wus named Laura. Mother always called me 'ole Betsy* when she wus mad at me. Betsy wus Marster Peter's mother. I remember seein1 her. She wus a big fat 'oman wid white hair. She give biscuits to all 1. The office of the State Board of Welfare is in the Agriculture Building. -2- 56 de chillun on Saturdays. She also looked out for de slave chilluns on Sunday. My father wus named Marcillus Little- john and my mother wus named Susan Little John. "We had gardens and patches and plenty to eat. We also got de holidays. Marster bought charcoal from de men which dey burnt at night anr on holidays. Dey worked an* made de stuff, an1 marster would let dern have de steer- carts anr wagons to carry deir corn anr charcoal to -sell it in town. Yes sir, dis wus mighty nice. V/e had plank houses. Dere wus not but one log house on de plantation. Marster lived in de big house. It had eight porches on it. "Dere wus no churches on de plantation, an1 I doan re- member any prayer meetinls. When we sang v/e turned de wash- pots an1 tubs in de doors, so dey would take up de noise so de white folks could not hear us. I do remember de gatherings at our home to pray fur de Yankees to come. All cte niggers thought de Yankees had blue bellies ? The old house cook got so happy at one of dese meetinfs she run out in de yard anr called, !BIue bellies come on, blue bellies come on.f Dey caught her an1 carried her back into de house. "When de overseer whupped one of de niggers he made all de slaves sing, rShof pity Lawd, Oh I Lawd forgive\. When dey sang awhile he would call out one an1 whup him. -3- 57 He had a sing fur everyone he whupped. Marster growed up wid de niggers anr he did not like to whup 'em. If dey sassed him he would put spit in their eyes and say *now I recon you will mind how you sass me.' "We had a lot or game and'possums. When we had game marster left de Dig house, and come down an' et wid us. When marster wan't off drunk on a spree he spent a lot of time wid de slaves. He treated all alike. His slaves were all niggers. Dere were no half-white chilluns dere. "Marster would not let us work until we were thirteen years old. Den he put us to plowin* in soft Ian1, an* de men in rough Ian*. Some of de women played off sick an1 went home an' washed an* ironed anr got by wid it. De ober- aeer tried to make two of 'em go back to work. Bey flew at him an' whupped him. He told de marster when he come home, marster said, 'Did you 'low dem women to whup you?1 'Yes', he replied, den marster tole him if women could whup him he didn't want him. But he let him stay on. His name wus Jack Rivers. He wus hired by marster. Marster Eivers did not have any slaves. Dere wus no jail onde plantation, case when er overseer whupped er nigger he did not need any jail*. "Be black f&lks better not be caught wid a book but one o* de chilluns at our plantation, Marster Peter Mitchell's -4- sister had taught Aunt Isabella to read and write, an* durin ' de war she would read, an* tell us how everythin' wus goin*. Tom Mitchell, a slave, sassed marster. Marster tole him he would not whup him, but he would sell him. Tom's brother Henry to?.f him if he wus left he would run away, wo marster sold both. He carried *em to Richmond to sell lem. He sold *em on de auction block dere way down on Broad Street. •.Then dey put Tom on de auction block dey found Tom had a broken leg and marster didnrt git much fer him. He wanted to git enough fer these two grown settled men to buy two young men. Tom wus married. He -.ms sold from his wife and chilluns. Marster did not git enough fer *em to pay for dese two young boys. He had to pay de difference in money. De boys were 'bout 21 or 22 years ole. When marster got back wid 'em de overseer tole him he had ruined his plan- tation. De boys soon become sick wid yeller fever an* both died. Dey strowed it 'round, an' many died. Marster shore made a mess o* things dat time. "Dr. Ben Wilson, of Warren County wus Marster Mitchell's brother-in-law. He * tended de sick folks an' he made many trips. Sometimes as soon as he got home dey sent fer him again. "We played mumble-peg an* hop-scotch when I wus a child, we played jumpin' de rope a lot. 58 -5- "I have never been married, I haw only one brother• He has been dead six years. Since he died I have had a hard tine makinf a livinr. Brother John lived wid me until he died* I had only one sister* She died many years ago. I think slavery wus mighty hard anr wrong* I joined de church fcause I had religion anr de church would help me to. keep it* People should be religious so d ey will have a place in de beyond* 11 Abraham Lincoln wus a good man. I have his picture. I think Mr. Roosevelt is a good God-fear inf man. When he gits sick I prays fer him* VJhen he is sick I is jist as scared as I kin be. I prays fer him ter stay well* 59 LS 320238 *' 60 •% N. C. District No*2 Worker T. Pat Matthews No, Words 625_____ Subj ect CHARITY McALLISTi^R Story teller Charity McAllister Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320233 " 61 CHARITY MCALLISTER 602 South Street "My name is Charity IvxcAllister. I wus here a long time before de Yankees come here, I wus 'bout grown when dey come through. I ain't hardly able to cook my little sumptin' to eat now. I ain't able to work out. Ko sir, not able to work. Done and worked my time out. I wus a grown gal when de Yankees come. I wus 'bout 18 years old. I loves to give you de truth ana I knows I wus dat old. I wus a grown gal. "My father wus named Robert tilalock. He 'longed to de Blalocks o* Harnett County. My mother wus Annie Ivlc- Allister. She 'longed to Jennett McAllister in Harnett County. I 'longed to John Greene at Lillington, Harnett County. iv;y mother first 'longed to John Greene. She got in de family way by a white man, and'John Greene sold her to a speculator named Bill Avery of Raleigh, a speculator. Bey sold my brother. He wus as white as you is. ,/hen de surrender came mother went back to Miss Jennett McAllister in Harnett County. Bat's how dey got back dere.# I wants to tell de truth and dats what I is goin' to do. *I tell you I wus whupped durin' slavery time* Dey whupped us wid horse^hair whups. dey put a stick under 2. 62 our legs an1 tied our hands to de stick and we could not c da nuthin1 but turn and twist. Dey would sure work on your back end. iiivery time you turned dey would hit it. I been whupped dat way and scarred up. We slept on mattresses made o! tow sacks. Our clothes were poor. One-piece - dress made o1 carpet stuff, part of de ti;.e. One pair o! shoes a year after Christmas. Dey give 'em to us on January first; no shoes till after Christmas. "Dey did not give us any holidays Christmas in Harnett County. Dat wus fginst de rules. Ko prayer nor nuthin1 on de plantation in our houses- Dey did not ! low us to go to de white folks ehurch* Dey did not ! low de slaves to hunt, so we did not have any game. Dey did not !low us any patches* No sirree, we did not have any money. nDe slaves slep1 a lot on pallets durin1 slavery days. A pallet wus a quilt or tow carpet spread on de floor. We used a cotton pillow sometimes. Dere wus about 50 slaves on de plantation. We had no overseer on master1 s plantation, and no books and schools o1 any kind^ror niggers. 1 cannot read and write. No sir, I wish I Bould read and write* nI split rails and worked in de Cape Fear River Low Grounds• We fenced de fields wid rails split from trees, pine trees. Dey were eleven feet long* wYes sir, I sseed de patterollers. I seed a plenty 3. ?' 63 of deni scoundrels. Ohl ho, de Ku Klux, Hal, Hal Dey were real scandals, and I jest caint tell you all de mean things dey done right after de war* Reubin Matthew's slave, George Matthews, killed two Ku Klux. Dey double teamed him and shot him, and he cut 'em wid de ax, and_ dey died, **I wus married right after de war. De second year after de war, I married ftichard Bogers, but I kep' de name o* McAllister right on. My husband been dead a good long time. Lawd, I don't know how long. I been married one time, and dat wus one time too much. I have two sons one name Clarence, and one named John, two daughters, one in Newport News, one in Washington, D. C», one named Lovie, and one named Lula- BE t 64 320032 District TTo> 3________ Subject Clara Cotton McCoy V/orker Travis Jordan Ex-slave 82 years _____ larham, IT.C, RFD #7 &20032 65 CBARA COTTON MC-COY EX-SLAVE 82 YEARS « "Yes'm, I was bawn eighty-two years ago. Hfy mammy died den an' my gran'mammy raised me. I sho do 'member when dat man Sherman an' his mens marched through Orange County, feut, it didn' take no army of Yankees to ruin my white folks home, it took jus' one Yankee, but even dat didn'bow my Mistis? head. I ain't never seed nobody as proud as my Mis' 'Pdah Cotton. She never bowed her head to trouble nor nobody; she never even bowed her head in chu'ch. when de preacher prayed she jus1 folded her hands an' set up straight facin' de Lawd wid no fear. Uo, suh, my Mis tie ain't gwine bow her head no time. Young Mis' Laughter broke her mammy's heart, but she ain't make her bend her head. Mis' Laughter's sho nuff name was His* Clorena Cotton. She wasn* tall an' dark like Mis' 'Riah; she was little an' roun' an' pretty as a thorn flower, all pink an' gol1. She was jus' like a butterfly, never still a minute, skippin' here an* yonder, laughiii' wid everybody. Dat's whare she got her name. Us niggers 'gun to call her Mis' Laughter kaze she was so happy. She was de: only one dat could make Mis' 'Siah smile. She would run up to Mis' 'Riah an' ruffle her hair dat she done comb back so slick an* smooth, den she would stick a red rose behind her ear, an* say: "Now, pretty Mammy, you look like you did when Bappy eome eom' tinr. * ¦ Marse Eed would lay down his ,, 66 -2- paper an' look fus' at Mis' 'Riah den at Mis' Laughter, an' for a minute Mis1 'Riah would smile, den she would look firm an1 say to Mis1 Laughter. 'Don't you know dat rightousness an' virtue am more 'ceptable to de Lawd den beafcty ? You's worldly, Clorena, you's too worldly.' r Mis' Laughter would throw back her head an' laugh, an* her eyes would shine bright as blue glass marbles. She tole Ms' 'Riah dat she 'specs dat when her man come he gwine see her face befo' he seed her rightousness, so she gv.lne wear roses an' curls den he would know her when he seed her. Den befo' Mis' *Riah could speak her mind, Mis' Laughter done gone skippin* down de hall, her little feets in de gol1 slippers twinklin' from de ruffles of her pant^alets. Everybody on de place love dat chile an' de house wasn* never de same after she done gone away. My gran'mammy, Rowena, say dat Mis' 'Riah was bawn for trouble. She was bawn de las' day of March 'tween midnight an' day. De moon was on de wane, an' jus* as Mistis was bawn de wind come down de chimbley an' blew de ashes out on de hearth. 6ranrmammy say dat mean trouble an' death; dat new bawn baby ain't never gwine keep long de things she love de mos*, an' she better never love nobody too well, if she do dey gwine be took away from her, an* trouble sho did follow Mis' '.R£ah after she growed up* Iliiin^d* war come larse led went off to fight* He was larse General Cotton den* Bat didn't leave nobody at home lcept $»¦ *Biah| Mm mmo^y Mis* tbberta .Bttvie* but We called her ole m -3- :.;istis, den dare was Mis' Laughter an' young Marse Jerome. Young Marse wasn' but fifteen when de war started, but dey got him in de las' call an' he dicta* never come back no more. De plantation was big, but Mis1 'Riah 'tended to things an' handled de niggers same as a man. De fus1 year of de war she rode a hoss 'bout de fields lake an overseer, seein' after de cotton an1 cawn an' taters. But de Yankees come an' set fire to do cotton; dey took de cavm to dey camp for dey hosses, an1 dey toted off de taters to eat. De nex year Mis' 'Pdah dicta' plant no cotton a tall kaze de seeds an' gin done been burned up, but she had de niggers plant cawn, taters an' a good garden. Dat fall de wind blew de hickory leaves to de no'th an* by spring trouble done come sho nuff. Dey was a drouth an* de caian didn1 come up; de garden burned to pa'chment, but de taters done all right. Wid all dat Mis' 'Riah held up her head an' kep' go in'. Den one day a buzzard flew over de house top an' his wings spread a shadow out on de roof. Dat night death come an' got Ole Mistis. She passed on to glory in her sleep. • 'Twas de lawd's will,' Mis' 'Biah tole gran'mammy, an' she still held up her head. But Gran •mammy said dat if somebody had shot dat buzzard an' wiped his shadow off de roof Ole Mistis wouldn* have gone nov/hare. De nex* spring dey wasn' much to plant. De Yankees done kep' totin* off everything, hosses an' all, 'twell dey wasn' much lef. Brat de niggers, gran'mammy an* pappy along wid dem, dug up de garden wid de grubbin hoe an' planted what seeds dey had. Mis* & —4— 'Riah's an* Mis* Laughter's clothes 'gun to look ole, but gran'mammy kepr dera washed an' sta'ched stiff. 'Twas Mis* Laughter dat kep* us from frettin' too much. She would look at Mis1 Riah an* say, 'We'll be all right, Mammy, when Marse Fed comes home.* Sometime she call her pappy Marse lied jus' like dat. One day Marse Ned did come home. Dey brung him. home. *Twas *bout sunset. I 'members kaze 'twas de same day dat my ole black hen hatched de duck eggs I done set her on, anT de apple trees' was bloomin'. De blooms look jus* like droves of pink butterflies flyin* on de sky. Dey brought Marse Ned in de house an* laid him out in de parlor. Mis1 'Riali. stood sfrilfht 'side him wdd her head up. *Twas de Land's will, she tole Gran'mammy, but Gran'mammy shook her head an 'gun to cry, an* say: 'You can't put dat on de Lawd, Mis' 'Riah, you sho can't*. *Twask' de Lawd's will a tall, 'twas de will of de cussed Yankees.' Den she turn 'roun* an* took Mis* Laughter's hand an' led her up stairs an' put her to bed. After4 dat things got worse. Dat wind dat blew trouble down de chimbiey for Mis* Riah when she was bawn 'gun to blow harder ? De %ar got young Marse Jerome an' shot him down. Dey wonl't mdch! tor eat, de coffee was made out of panned cawn an' d^'^m^^^^'m-d^fiA^ lasses, anr de ham an* white bread done .baen•¦|5Qlil^V'j»^'.tim«^ Dey w^n't |i iggs an' chickens, an* dey 'K^H!*^"yiS;-;Ss¦"'¦fe^lS^. ©:©%*:"'femrt::^iiol3#i^^ lfet:nwr sseed M£s* *Riah '¦¦}:/?:%^#,y •:.;•¦-'.' •', ¦-., ,-;;¦¦;&•'¦;'.• :'. .,.":.'¦¦:...¦.••¦,-'¦• '•'";¦'.¦ ; .", - "••. ' ''-:/:¦ ,'-\:>.:.'"•. '";''¦¦; v.' ¦:...>'¦'¦ ./'.¦ ¦,-, ^.,«-,U-^. ',-*¦-'&.*¦'* -5- afaen de surrender come dey was Yankees camped all rroun' de plantation an* Hillsboro was full of dem. One day a Yankee mans come to de house. He was young. He come to see if Mis* 'Riah didn* want to sell her place. Mis' rRiah stood in de> door an1 talked to him, she wouldn* let him come on de po'ch. She tole him she would starve befor she would sell one foot of her lanT to a Yankee, an' dat he shouldn*-darken de door of her house* 'Bout dat time Mis* Laughter come down de hail an' stood behin' her mammy. Her hais curled rbbut her head yellow as a dandylion anr she had on a blue dress. When dat sojer seed her he stopped an1 dey looked anr looked at each other Hwell ¥isr ¦"'¦.¦ i 'Riah turned •roun'. When she done dat Mis* Laughter turned an' run up de stairs. After dat Mis' Riah wouldn' let dat chile go no place by hersef. I was her body guard, everywhare she went I had to go too. We would go to walk down in de pine woods back of de paster, anr somehow dat Yankee would go to walk in dem woods too* Every time we Seed him he would give me a piece of money,. an' when 1 got back to de house I didn* tell no thin*. Ben one day I heard dat sojer tell Mis' 'Laugitsr dat he was gwime aw%. "ifiat'*'La»giitfirw'ffi^i'iib cry anr I didn* hear what else dey saiDd S!kaze" ley il|£ m. towntte path. ' ^aft'-dal night Esl Laughter put ¦^^a^i*" ifta^Siee?" -^p3^^- 1IS«v;*S^.";>jS^&e mftotfe. H. :®$m: to di'.paiti&'=ant ?() -6- tole me to go to bed an' go to sleep, but whe.;-, mornin' come to give de note to Mis' 'Riah. De nex' mornin' I give de note to Ms' rRiah, but by den Mis' Laughter done gone off wid dat Yankee. Mis' 'Riah called all us niggers in de big room.* She took down de family Bible from de stand an' marked out Mis' Laughter's name. 'I ain't got no daughter,' she say. ' 'Member, de. chile dat I had am dead an' her name mustn1 never be called in dis house no more.' We all went out 'cept Gran'mammy, but Mis' 'Riah wouldn' let her talk to her 'bout forgivin1 Mis' Laughter, an' when de letters 'gun to come dey was sent back unopened. Mis' *Riah's niece, Mis* Betty an* Marse John Davis, hur husban', come to live wid Mis* rftiah to help her 'ten' to things., but nobody was 'lowed to call Mis' Laughter's name. Even though dey was free, gran'mammy an' pappy an' some more of us niggers stayed on at de plantation helpin' on de farm, but in 'bout a year Mis' 'Riah took sick. Mis' Betty wanted to sen' for Mis' Laughter, but Mis' 'Riah wouldn' even answer, but Ms' Betty sent for her anyhow an.' kept her down stairs. Den one day de sun turned black anr de chickens went to roost in de day time. Gran* mammy flung her apron over her face an' %g\m to pray kase she knew de death angel was comin' after Mis' *Riah. Mis' Betty got Mis1 Laughter an' when she come up de stairs all us house niggers stood in de hall watchin' her go in. to see Mis' 'Riah. She was layin* 031 de bed wid her eyes shut like she was sleep. 3 ffiiB*lighter we^ 'Slammy, BbW-'" 71 -7- Mammy,' she say soft jus' like dat. Mis' *Riah's liands caught hold -of de quilt tight, but she ain't opened her eyes. Gran'mammy went up an' laid her hand on her head, but she shook it off. De tears was runnin' down Mis' Laughter's cheeks. rMammyt' she say, 'I'se sorry — I loves you, Mammy.1 Mis''Hiah turned her face to "de wall an' her back on Mis' Laughter. She ain't never opened her eyes. 'Bout dat time de sun come out from behin' dem black wings of shadow an' Misr i 'Riah's soul went on to glory to meet Marse Ned. Yes'm, Mis' .'Riah sho was proud, but Gran'manmy say 'twon*" no war dat brung all dat trouble on her, she say 'twas de wind dat come down de chimbley de night she was bam—de no'th wind dat b lowed de ashes *bout de hearth." i;-' ..wit 328213 •sat. li.C. District #__2 Subjects A GOOD-MISTRESS. No* Words: 535 Tellers Henrietta McCullers Worker* Mary Hicks Editors Daisy Bailey £aitt W&i=M-!u:% '' . 320219 7S A GOOD MISTRESS An interview with Henrietta McCullers, eighty-seven years old, of 531 E« Davie Street, Raleigh, North Carolina* w I wus horned roun* eighty-seben years ago in Wake County* Me an' my mammy 'longed ter Mis* Betsy Adams an' my pappy 'longed ter Mr. Nat Jones* I think dat Marse Mat had a whole passel o' slaves, but Mis* Betsy ain't had more'n six or seben* w Yor ax me iff en Mis' Ifetsy wus good ter us? She wus so good dat I loved her all her life an' now dat she's daid I loves her in her grave. " We et de same rations what she et an' we slept in de same kind or bed she slept in* I knows dat sometimes she'd have company an' she*d do a heap or extra fixing but she ain't neber fix better fer de company dan fer us. M She'd let us have a co'n shuckin* ifenct a year, an* of course, we had a heap of prayer meetin'e an' a few socials. She ain't wanted her niggers ter dance case she am such a good Christian, but she let us have candy pullin's an* siclw * When de wudfc warnH pushin* she'd let us go fishin1 ®n* sftiasain* an'all, only we jist waded, case we ain't used enough ter de water* Yo* know dat niggers am natullly skeerd o* water anyhow. 2. tt If fen de wuck y/us pushin' we wucked from sunup till dark an' Mis' Betsy wucked too. Man, she wus a wuckin' woman, an' she made us wuck too; but I loves her better dan 1 does my own chilluns now, an1 dat's one reason dat I wants ter go ter heaben. All my life when I done a bad thing I think 'bout Mis' Betsy's teachin's an* I repents* " I plowed an.' dug ditches an' cleaned new groun'* an* hard wuck ain't neber hurted me yit. De master•wus too puny to wuck, an' I often thinks dat maybe he married Mis' Betsy to look atter him. Dey only had one man, Uncle Mose, an' so, of course,he had to have some help ter ten' 'bout a hundert acres. " Most of our Ian' wus planted in feed stuff fer us an' de cattle. An'so we raised ever'thing but de coffee. Sometimes we drunk Japonica tea, an' done without de coffee. " On Sunday's' yoU should o* seen us in our -Sunday bes* goin' ter church 'hind de missus coach, wid ole Uncle Mose high on de box. We can't read de hymns eben if fen we had a book 'cause we ain't 'lowed ter have no books, but we sung jist de same. n At Christmas time we "had a party at de big 'house/ Mis' Betsy had sabed a bushel er so o* de lates* apples an' she made a big dish of lasses candy an' we popped pop corn an* wus happy. Mis' ^etsy always give us some clothes an' we had a 3. * 75 feas' all through de week of holidays* " When de Yankees corned dey jist about cleaned us out* Dey kills pigs, turkeys, calves an' hens all over de place, de„ gits de Deserves an' a heap or de lasses an' dey sass Mis' Betsy* All dis wus dem bad-mannered soldiers fault, case Abraham Lincoln ain't mean't fer it ter be dis way$ " I know* 1 reckon dat most o' dem soldiers wus pore white trash* Dey doan keer 'bout de niggers, but dey ain't «aa&ted our white folks ter be rich. ^e Yankees ain't stayed long in our neighborhood case dey am a-lookin' fer our soldiers, so dey goes away* tt Did I leave atter de war wus ober? Naw sir, I ain't, an' all de rest stayed on too. Uncle. Hose stayed on too* Uncle Mose stayed de rest o1 his life, but I left two years atterwards when I got married. * My memory am gittin* so short dat I doan Member * my daddy's name, ner my brothers an' sisters names* I "member dat my mammy v/us named Piety do' an' I. 'members my fust lesson, from Mis* Betsy, 'Doan lie, an' doan steal, ax fer what yoU needs, needs, mind yofc, not what yoU wants.*rt I diggers ort ter be back in slavery now, dey'd be better an' happier dan dey is. I ain't neber.had a whuppin* in my life an' dat's more dan most of des.e free niggers can say. EH 3.20024 ; 76 N. C. District No. 2 Subject WILLIE McCULLOJGH Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed Willie Mc-» Cullough No. Words 1050______ Editor G. L. Andrews_______ 320924 *. W WILLIE McCULLOUGH 8 McKee Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. Age 68 years. MI was born in Darlington County, South Carolina, the 14th of June 1869. My mother was named Rilla Mc- Cullough and my father was named Marion McCullough» I remember them very well and many things they told me that happened during the Civil War. They belonged to a slave owner named Billy Cannon who owned a large plan- tation near Marion, South Carolina. The number of slaves on the plantation from what they told me was about fifty. Slaves were quartered in small houses built of logs. They had plenty of rough food and cloth- ing. They were looked after very well in regard to their health, because the success of the master depended on the health of his slaves. A man can't work a sick horse or mule. A slave occupied the same place on the plantation as a mule or horse did, that is a male slave. Some of the slave women were looked upon by the slave • owners as a stock raiser looks upon his brood sows, that is from the standpoint of production. If a slave woman had children fast she was considered very valuable be- cause slaves were valuable property. -2- k- 78 "There was classes of slavery. Some of the half- white and beautiful young women who were used by the marster and his men friends or who was the sweetheart of. the marster only, were given special privileges. Some of *em worked very little. They had private quarters well fixed up and had a great influence over the marster. Some of these slave girls broke up families by getting the marster so enmeshed in their net that his wife, per- haps an older woman, was greatly neglected. Mother and grandmother tole me that they were not allowed to pick their husbands. "Mother tole me that when she became a woman at the age of sixteen years her marster went to a slave owner near by and got a six-foot nigger man, almost an entire stranger to her, and told her she must marry him. Her marster read a paper to them, told them they were man and wife and told this negro he could take her to a certain cabin and go to bed. This was done without getting her consent or even asking her about it. Grand- mother said that several different men were put to her just about the same as if she had been a cow or sow. The slave owners treated them as if they had been common animals in this respect. "Mother said she loved my father before the surr-eQ?der and just as soon as they were free they married. Grand- mother was named Luna Williams. She belonged to a planter -3- who owned a large plantation and forty slaves adjoining Mr. Cannon's plantation where mother and father stayed. %¦ grandmother on my mother's side lived to he 114 years old, so they have tole me. "I ran away from home at the age of twelve years and went to Charleston, South Carolina. I worked with a fam- ily there as waitinr boy for one year. I then went to Savannah, Qa. I had no particular job and I hoboed every- where I went. I would wait all day by the side of the railroad to catch a train at night. I rode freight trains and passenger trains. I rode the blind baggage on passenger trains and the rods on freight trains. The blind baggage is the car between the mail car and the engine. The doors are on the side and none at the end. I hoboed on to Miami over the Florida East Coast Rail- road. I next went from Miami to Memphis, Term, after staying there a few days and working with a contractor, I again visited Charleston, S. C. I had been there only two days when I met some Yankees from Minnesota. They prevailed on me to go home with them, promising if I would do so they would teach me a trade. I went with them. We all hoboed. We were halted at the Blue Ridge mountains but we got by without going to jail. We then went to N". «T. from H. J. to Chicago, 111., then into Milwaukee, 79 -4- ?¦ 80 Wis., then on into Minneapolis, Minn. Many towns and cities I visited on this trip^I did not know where I was. My Yan- kee companions looked out for me. They taught me the trade of making chairs and other rustic furniture. They taught me 164 ways of making different pieces of furniture. I spent 11 years in Minnesota but during that time I visited the South once every three years, spending several days in the county of my birth. Mother and father farmed all their lives and they often begged me to settle down but the wanderlust had me and for 30 years I travelled from place to place. Even while in Minnesota I did not stay in Minneapolis all the time. I visited most every town in the state during the eleven years I stayed there and made hobo trips into most of the adjoining states. "The main Yankee who taught me the trade was Joe Burton. He and the gang helped me to get food until I learned the trade well enough so I could make a living working at it. HI have made a lot of money making and selling rustic furniture, but now I am getting old. I am not able to work as I used too. Mot long ago I made a trip from Raleigh to Charleston, S. C., but the trip was different from the old days. I hitch-hiked the entire distance. I rode with white folks. On one leg of the trip of over 200 miles I rode with a rich young man and his two pals. -5- 81 They had a fruit jar full of had whiskey. He got about drunk, ran into a stretch of bad road at a high rate of speed, threw me against the top of his car and injured my head. I am not over it yet, "I quit the road in 1924. My last trip was from Raleigh, N. C. to Harrisburg, Perm, and return. I have made my home in Raleigh ever since. Done settled down, toe ole to ramble anymore.** LB 320207 82 N. C. District No. 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 1,477 Subject JAMBS TURNER McLEAH Story teller James Turner McLean Editor Daisy Bailey Waitfc 320207 83 JAMBS TUBHER McLEAN Lillington, N. C. Route 1 "My name is James Turner McLean. I was born in Harnett County near Cape Fear River in the Buies Creek Section, Feb. 20, 1853* I belonged to Taylor Hugh McLean, and he never was married. The plantation was between Buies Creek and the Cape Fear river*, the edge of it is about 75 yards from where I now live. The place where I live belongs to me* *Way back it belonged to the Bolden's* "The Boldens came from Scotland, and so did the McLeans* There were about five hundred acres in this plantation and Marster Hugh McLean had about fifty slaves* The slaves lived in quarters and Marster lived in the big house which was his home. Marster took good care o* his darkies. He did not allow anybody to whip '•em either. We had good food, clothes and places to sleep. My father was Jim McLean and my mother was named Chariotta McLean* My grandmother was named Jane* I called my mother 'Sissie' and called my grandmother ,mammyf in slavery time • They did not, have me to do any heavy work just tending to the .calves, colts, and goin1 to the post office* 2. i Q4 "The post office was at Mr. Sexton*s and we called it Sexton's post office, on the Haleigh and Fayetteville Hoad. The stage run on this road and brought mail to this place. This post in my yard is part of a stage coach axle. You see it? Yes sir, that's what it is. I got it at Fayetteville when they were selling the old stage coach* We bought the axle and wheels and made a cart. We got that stuff about 1870; my father bought it. He gave twelve dollars for jesf the wheels and axle. This was after we had taken the iron clad oath and become more civilized* "We were dare some to be caught with a paper book or anything if we were try in' to learn to read and write. We had to have a pass to go around on, or the patter oilers would work on us. I saw a lot of patteroilers. Marster gave his Negroes a pass for twelve months. He sent his timber to Wilmington, and worked timber at other places so he gave his slaves yearly passes. Then when the war was about up me and him went to the post office, and he got the paper. All the niggers were free. We stopped on the way home at a large sassafras tree hy the side o1 the road where he always stopped to read, and he read, and told me I was free* ttI did not know what it was or what it meant* We came on to the house where my mother was and I said, 'Sissie, 85 we is free.* She said, *Hush, or I will put the hickory on you.* I then went to grandma, the one I called mammy and threw my arms around her neck and said, 'Mammy we are free, what does it mean?* and mammy, who was grandma, said, JYou hush sich talk, or I will knock you down wid a loom stick.1 "Marster was comin* then, and he had the paper in his hand and was cryin*. He came to the door and called grandma and said, *You are free, free as I am, but I want you to stay on. If you go off you will perish. If you stay on now the crop is planted and work it, we will divide.* Marster was cryin* and said, *I do not own you any longer.• He told her to get the horn and blow it. It was a ram's horn. She blew twice for the hands to come to the house. MThey were war kin* in the river lowground about a mile or more away. She blew a long blow, then another. Marster told her to keep blowin?» After awhile all the slaves come home; she had called them all in. Marster met them at the gate, and told them to put all the mules up, all the hoes and plows, that they were all free. He invited all to eat dinner. He had five women cooking. He told them all he did not want them to leave, but if they were going they must eat before they left. He said he wanted everybody to eat all he wanted, and I remember the 4. 8G ham, eggs, chicken, and other good things we had at that dinner. Then after the dinner he spoke to all of us and said, *You have nowhere to go, nothin' to live on, but go out on my other plantation and build you some shacks •' - ttHe gave them homes and did not charge any rent. He bought nails and lumber for them, but he would not build the houses. Some stayed with him for fifteen years; some left. He gave them cows to milk. Ke said the children must not perish. "Marster was a mighty good man, a feelin' man. He cried when same of his slaves finally left him. Mother and father stayed till they got a place of their own. I waited on him as long as he lived. I loved him as well as I did my daddy. I drove for him and he kept me in his house with him. Ke taught me to be honest, to tell the truth, and not to steal anything* rtlhen freedom came raarster gave us a place for a school building and furnished nails and gave the lumber for the floors* He instructed them in building the windows. He was goin1 to put his sister Jenette McAllister in as teacher. She had married Jim McAllister at the Bluff Church, right at the lower part of the Averysboro Battleground where some of the last fightin1 between the North and South was 5. '• 87 done, but a man by the name of George Miller of Harnett County told him he knew a nigger who could teach the school« He employed the nigger, whose name was Isaac Brantley, to teach the school. He came from Anderson's Creek in the lower part of Harnett County. We learned very little, as the nigger read, and let us repeat it after him. He would hold the book, and spell and let us repeat the words after him without lettin' us see in the book. He stayed there two months, then a man by the name of Matthews, Haywood Matthews, son of Henderson Matthews came. They were white folks, but went for negroes. Haywood teached there. He got the children started and most of 'em learned to read and write. "I saw the Yankees come through. Also Wheeler's Cavalry. The Yankees took chickens and things, and they gave us some things, but Wheeler's Cavalry gave us nothin*• They took what they wanted and went on. Marster hid his horses and things in the Pecosiii*. "When the Yankees came Marster was hid. They rode up to my mother and asked her where he was. She said, *I do not know.' They then asked her where was de silver, his money, an1 de brandy, an1 wine. "They got one demijohn full o* brandy. They went into the house, tore up things 6. 88 got his china pipe, fixed for four peop&e to smoke at one time. You could turn a piece and shett off all de holes but one, when one man wanted to smoke. They threw away his old beaver hat, but before they left they got it and left it in the house, feeler's Cavalry stomped things and broke up more den de Yankees* "Daddy hid marster^ money, a lot of it, in the jam o' de fence. He covered it with sand that he threw out of a ditch that ran along near the fence. The Yankees stopped and sat on the sand to eat their dinner and never found the money. aI have never seen a slave sold, and none never ran away from marster's plantation. When any of his men went to visit their wives he let them ride the stock, and give them rations to carry. There was a jail for slaves at Summerville. I saw it. "We went to the white folks church at Neill's Creek. Mother used herbs to give us when we were sick* Dr. Turner, Dr. John Turner, looked after us. We were bled every year in the spring and in the fall. He had a little lance. He corded your arm and popped it in, and the blood would fly. He took nearly a quart of blood from grandma. He bled according to size and age* 7. 89 *We ought to think a lot o» Abraham Lincoln and the other great men such as Booker T. Washington* Lincoln set us free. Slavery was a bad thing and unjust. AC 320023 > 90 ,v :i. C. District No. 2 Subject FRANK MAGWOOD ________ Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed ffrank Magwood No. Words 857 Editor G. L. Andrews ___ *20()33 O 91 FRANK MAGWOOD "I was born in Fairfield County, South Carolina, near the town of Ridgeway. Ridgeway was on the Southern Rail- road from Charlotte, N. C. to Columbia, South Carolina* I was born Oct. 10, 1864. I belonged to Fora Rines whose wife was named Emma, He had four girls Frances, Ann, r Cynthia, and Bmma and one son named George, There was about one thousand acres of land inside the fences with about two hundred acres cleared. There were about seventy slaves on the place. My mother and father told me these things. Father belonged to a man by the name of John Gosey and mother belonged to ole man Rines. My father was named Lisbon Magwood and my mother was named Margaret Magwood* They were sold and resold on the slave auction block at Charleston, South Carolina, but the families to whom they belonged did not change their names until mother's name was changed when she married father in 1862, "There were twolve children in the family, three boys and nine girls. Only two boys of this family are living, Walter and myself* "Mother and father said at the beginning of the war that the white folks said it would not last long and that in the first years of the war they said one southern soldier -2- * g^ could whup three Yankee soldiers, but after awhile they quit their braggin. Most everything to eat and wear got scarce. Sometimes you couldn't git salt to go in the vegetables and meat that was cooked. People dug up the salty earth under their smoke houses, put water with it, drained it off and used it to salt rations* "There came stories that the Yankees had taken this place and that they were marching through Georgia into South Car- olina. They burned Columbia, the Capitol of South Carolina, and had both whites and black scared, they were so rough• The Yankees stole, burned^and plundered. Mother said they hated South Carolina cause they started the war there. They burned a lot of the farm houses. The army, so my father and mother said, was stretched out over a distance of sixty- two miles. Jest think of a scope of country sixty two miles wide with most of the buildings burned, the stock killed, and nothing to eat. The southern army and the north- ern army had marched back ana forth through the territory until there was nothing much left. Where Sherman*s army stopped and ate and fed their horses the Negroes went and picked up the grains of corn they strowed there and parched and ate them. People also parched and ate acorns in South Carolina* "Father and mother got together after the war and -3- 93 they moved to a widow lady's place by the name of Ann Hunter, near Ridgeway. She was good to us and we stayed there sixteen years. Ann Hunter had three sons, Abraham, George and Henry. Abraham went to South America on a rambling trip. He decided to stay there. He was a young man then and he married a Spaniard. When he came home to see his mother it was the year of the earthquake in 1886. He was a grown man then and he brought his wife and children with him. He had three children, all of them spole Spanish and could not understand their grandmother's talk to them. His wife was a beautiful woman, dark with black hair and blue eyes. She just worshipped her husband. They stayed over a month and then returned to South America. I have never seen fem since or had any straight news of them. "Mother and father lived on the farm until they died, with first one ex-slave owner and another. They said they had nothing when the war ended and that there was nothing to do. "I stayed with my mother and father near Ridgeway until I was 21 years of age. I left the farm then and went to work on the railroad. I thought I was the only man then. I was so strong. I worked on the railroad one year then I went to the Stone mountain Rock Quarry in Georgia. -4- 94 WI got my hand injured with a dynamite cap after I had worked there a year and I came home again. I went back to working on the farm as a day hand. I worked this way for one year then I began share croppin*. "I farmed ever since I came to Wake County 15 years ago. I farmed on Mr. Simpkins place one year then Mr. Dillon bought the place and I stayed there nine more years then I became so near blind I could not farm. I came to Raleigh to this house four years ago. I have been totally blind since the fifteenth of last December* "I married Alice Pray lor near Ridgeway when I was 23 years of age. We had nine children. nMy last marriage was to Mamie Williams. I married her in South Carolina. We had four children. They are all living, grown and married off. My chief worry over being blind is the fact that it makes me unable to farm anymore." LE f"\ BSOOgfT ^^WW^^^^f^W^ N. G. District Kb. 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews Ho. Words 1120 Subject JACOB MAMSON Person Interviewed Jacob Manson Editor G. I*. Andrews ','?•-;¦-3-;ti. 330051 t 90 JACOB MAHSOIT 317. N, Haywood St. Raleigh, K. G. 86 years of age. ttIt has been a long time since I wus "born—bout all my people am dead rcept my wife an one son an two daughters. Be son an* one daughter live in I. C. an de other daughter lives in Richmond, Va. MI belonged to Col. Bun Eden. His plantation wus in Warren County an1.he owned *bout fifty slaves or more, Bere wus so many of fem dere he did not know all his own slaves. We got mighty bad treatment anr I jest wants to tell you a nigger didn't stan* as much show dere as a dog did. Bey whupped fur nios1 any little trifle. Bey whupped me, so dey said, jes to help me git a quicker gait* Be patterollers come sneakin* round often an* whupped niggers on $arster*s place. Bey nearly killed my uncle. Dey broke his collar bone when dey wus beat in him ah marster made *em pay for it rcause uncle never did git over it. "Harster would not have any white overseers. He had nigger foremen* "-Mai ha I he liked ssa&e of de nigger *omans too good to have any udder white man playin aroun* *em. ^W^te night anf a slave who made a w^ek, even atter d©in daty wus lucky if he got off wid^out ' .. . ... • i tettin* a leatlm Ife^ad-poor food an* de young slaves wus fed otstea^troughs'* ¦©# fe^wu^'put; in a ,ts*<^h: ah;de;:little\nigg^M; "^'' g^hM^^r.buhdv:a^ 'ah;!i;|#fc;;;c:^|^i#y^,:::fi|i^;'¦$&0;: v;us killed by. beat in1' or burnin'. Col. Skipper did dat thing. He lived near Clarksville, Va. He put a lot of ole men an women on a -island in the Roanoke River. De river rose an stayed up eighteen days an dey parished to death. Dey were sent dere when sick and dey died. Mir. Skipper had over two hundred slaves. He wus one of the richest men in the south and Ma?. Mick Long wus another rich man. Mick Long owned de plantation now known as the Caledonia State's Prison Farm. Gen. Ransom's plantation wus 'a part of de land 'longing to the Caledonia State Prison Farm now. It joined Hick Long's plantation. ......__—. -^Father and mother had bad fare, poor food, clothes an shoes. Dey didn't sift slave meal. Dey had no sifters. Sometimes de collards and peas was not .cleaned 'fore <£0©kii|r. Dey said de more slaves a man had de wusser he wus to slaves. Marster had dirt floors in de cabins. Dey slept on straw- bunks ipde-;^ baggin* and straw* Some slept on wheat straw an* shucks an1 covered wid baggin. I Ole man Mat Bollock, ^^^i^^^^^^^^^^MSHG^&^H-M * -3- a negro slave, an' his mother Ella an1 grandmother Susan, also slaves, froze to death. Eat Bullock the son of Ole man Mat Bullock tole me this. Dese slaves 'longed to Jim Bullock wnors plantation wus near Townsville, N. C. "Weldon Edwards who owned "Father and mother had a whuppin post an dey said dey whupped ole man Jack Edwards to death 'cause he went to see his sick wife. He crawled from d^e whuppin post to de house atter he in whupped and died. Dey tole him 'fore dey whupped him dat dey wus goin to stop him from runninr away. Families wus broken up by sellin*. Dey couldn't sell a slave dat wus skinned up. Aunt Millie, Agie, Gracy and Lima wus sold from the Edwards family. Aunt Millie cried so :.-uch cause she had to leave her yo.ung baby dat dey talked of whuppin her, ut den dey say 'we cannot sell her if we whup her an* so dey carried her on. Mother sed Karster V/eldon Edwards sole four women away from dere young chilluns at one time. "We lived in lo;- cabins with dirt floors, one door, and one small winder at de back. De cabins had stick an dirt chimbleys./''When freedom c ome mother and father stayed on wid marster cause dey didn't have nuthin. Dey couldn't lease. Dey farmed for shares. Next year the overseer who had beat father so bad come atter him to go an work with him. it wus 16?. David Porter. I axed pa ain't dat de man who beat you so when you wus a slave? An pa say, 'you shet your mouth.' He stayed with ¦*¦&&&. ¦ -4- im ilr. Porter two years den we went to Mr, William Paschal's* We stayed thfere four years* Endurin1 the next fifteen years we itoved a good many times. We farmed round and round an1 finally went to Mr. Peter V/yms1 place near where I wus borned. 111 wus married there to Jack Manson, 52 years ago in January. I had ei^ht chilluns five girls anr three boys* ihree are living now. One boy and two girls. Two of th^ chilluns are in N. C. and one. a girl, is in Virginia. rtI think slavery wus a bad thing but when freedom come ciere wus nuthin1 else we could do but stay on wid some of de white folks fcause we had nuthin to farm wid an nuthin to eat an wear. l*Be men who owned de plantations had to have somebody to farm dere Ian1 anf de slaves had to have somewhur to stay. Dats de way it v/us, so if dere wus a lot of movin1 about de exslaves kept do in de work cause datfs de only way dey had to keep from perishin*. De marsters needed rem to farm dere Ian1 an1 de exslaves just had to have somewhur to live so both par- ties kept stayin1 an1 wurkin together. l!De nigger made mosr dey has out of workin* fer white folks since de war 'cause dey didn't have nuthin* when set free an dat is all dere is to it.tt . . §lmM$^§§ /.' 'm 1 1937 If, C. District _ Ivo. Words 700 ML 105 Yforker Travis Jordan Subject MIJLLIE MARKHAM'S STORY Interviewed Millie Markham_______ 615'St. Joseph St»T Durham. N. C. i^.fi:^v;">r^i ,;{ i'3/¦':*•-~*' ¦ '\-ii4'£g$i 32D2W EX-SLAVE STORY AS TOLD W MILLIE MARKHAM OF 615 ST. JOSEPH ST., DURHAM^ N. C. ttI was never a slave. Although I was born somewhere about 1855, I was not born in slavery, but my father was. I'm afraid this story will be more about my father and mother than it will be about myself. wMy mother was a white woman. Her name was Tempie James. She lived on her father*s big plantation on the Roanoke River at Rich Square, North Carolina. Her father owned acres of land and many slaves. His stables were the best anywhere around; they were filled with horses, and the head coachman was named Squire James. Squire was a good looking, well behaved Negro who had a white father. He was tall and light colored. Tempie James fell in love with this Negro coachman. Nobody knows how -long they had been in love before Tempie*s father found it out, feut when he did he locked Tempie in her room. For days he and Miss Charlottie, his wife, raved, begged and plead- ed, but Tempie Just said she loved Squire. f¥hy will you act so?* Miss Charlottie was crying. rHaven*t we done everything for you and given you everything you wanted?1 ^^ilapie shook her head and said* lYou haven*t given mei Sqttire. He*s all I do want.* "^fehen it was that in the dark of1 the night Mr. James sent iqtflre S^y; he sent him: td another state and sold '¦:*£&£;fsaig,£e\Soim&¦ it ®tt&*. Site¦'¦io.ot.k wliat mooey siie 2. could find and ran away. She went to the owner of Squire and bought him, then she set him free and changed his name to Walden Squire Walden. But then it was against the law for a white woman to marry a Negro unless they had a strain of Negro blood, so Tempie cut Squire's finger and drained out some blood. She mixed this with some whiskey and drank it, then she got on the stand and iswore she had negro blood in her, so they were married. She never arent back home and her people disowned her. "Tempie James Walden, my mother, was a beautiful woman. She was tall and fair with long light hair. She had fifteen children, seven boys and eight girls, and all of them lived to be old enough to see their great-grand- children. 1 am the youngest and only one living now. Most of us came back to North Carolina, Two of my sisters married and came back to Rich Square to live. They lived not far from the James plantation on Roanoke River. Once when we were children my sister and I were visiting in Rich Square. One day we went out to pick huckleberries. A woman came riding down the road on a horse. She was a tall woman in a long grey riding habit. She had grey hair and grey eyes. She stopped and looked at us. 'Myr, she said, *whoae pretty little g'irls are you?1 *¥e»re Squire Walden's children,1 I said. "She looked at me so long and hard that I thought she w? was going to hit me with her whip, but she didn't, she hit the horse. He jumped and ran so fast I thought Hhe was going to fall off, but she went around the curve and I never saw her again. I never knew until later that she was Mis1 Charlottie James, my grandmother. "I donH know anything about slavery times, for I was born free of free parents and raised on ray father'sr own plantation. I've been living in Durham over sixty- five years. Of & vo\<$ IT.C. District ¥o., Subjects A. SLAVERY STGBY i;oo v/ords: 380 STCEY TSLLEEj MASGIS MI&L8 ,'orltert T. Pat Matthews Editor* George L. Andrews ¦'^i;%4^''i- 320009 ±m 73 years old, of 202 Laple Street5 H&leigh, I forth Carolina* f: onnstori County* I belonged to Tom Demave anr oie missus nIfll never foryit de day when de Yankees come through aty*j in slavery time wus named Liza* HDe Dern^es lived in Raleigh when 1 wus born, so mother ¦tole me, but dey aoved to a place near Sniithfield* He had !ucut a dozen slaves*. V/e ha-., iixtle cabins to. live in, out marstei'* had a biy house to live in that set in a ^.rove. be food I goz was good because I mie a pet in .de faaily* My iuoth^r'-v/us a cook an* a pet*My marster yais good to all of us an! 1 fared better den dan I do now. Die marster thought de v/orld of me and I loved him* Marster 'allowed his slaves to visit? have prayer meetings, hunt, fish, an* sing ana have a good time when de work wus done* Some of de slave owiers did not like marster cause he wus so good to his slaves * .—¦---"I don't know my age zackly but, I wus a big; gal, big enough to d£a|S.,a youngin roua1 vdien de Yankees come throv' I wus six years old. if no older* :• .."When df,Yankees come dey called us to de wagons-.an* tole us we wus Tree* Dey £ive each of us a cap full of hard- tack* Dey toojc clothes an1 provisions an' give us nothin** •S"%^*i>&„'%.}\\'"\ ' One crowd of Yankees would come on an' give us something an1 another would come along an1 take, it away from us» Dey tole us to call marster an' missus Johnny Rebs, that we 'vus free an' had no marsters* Bat wus a day for me* Some of de Yankees wus ridin1, some walking an' some runnin'» Bey took de feather beds in marsters house to de windows, cut dem Open an1 let de feathers blow away* i It wus a sad time to me cause dey destroyed so much of marster*s stuff* '* After de-Yankees left we stayed right on with marster a long time, den. we .moved a-jvay to other members of de " family. Mother M>uld not give up de family an' she an1 daddy stayed Wid tern as long as dey lived* I love de family-now an' I rather be livin' wid f.era den like I is* Dere £s only a.few of de younger set of de Bemayes livin'• Ole marster an* missus had three boys,- Sye, Lee, Eoaj g#l$Ls% Vicfcj Correna and Phidelia, six chllluns in all. Dey is all dead but I can't never forgit *em if I live to be a hundred years ole* "I tries to live right before God an' man. cause I knows I haint got much longer on dis earth. .1 knows I got to lay 3mm sometime to rise no more till Judgment Bay, den I wants to me^t-ole-iaaa*ster, missis ail1 de family in dat- • ¦ eouhtry i&xm>m;$$i£&$^ b« mc^ more goc^ayes^.; ............|*^ty::y@ar||:"^^ jgfc,^'',* I v.'us hired as- a house girl at dis place wid Mr. Alango Miles family * Bey mis some of de Demaye family* I had ten chillun, four boys: an* six girls* Six of my ehillun are liTrin1 now. tw6...Joys. an' four girls* My huaba®# been dead . 'bout 16 years. He died in Oct. 1921. Buried on de third Sunday in October. "I have farmedxbos$of my life an* have raised a big- family. Sometimes we wus hongry an* sometimes we had plenty*' None of my chilluns mx& never arrested an1 none ever went to prison. I thinks data something to knock on wood about* "Slavery wus a good thing by all niggers who happened to have good Earst^rs* Be owners, wus to.blame for slavery gettin1 such a: bad reputation... Some of 'em jus* done a little too much.an' sich caused de war an1 give de niggers freedom* Slavery wua good for some an*, bad for others.H m luC. District # 2 , Subject: gx-$lave Story fco. Words: 344________ Teller: Anna Mitehel_______ V/orker: Mary Hicks Editor: Daisy Bailey Waitt fe- rn 320224 **4 ANNA MITCHEL . Ex-slave story. An interview with Anna Mitchel, 76 of 712 S. Person Street, Raleigh, North Carolina* M I was borned in Vance County an' I'Hanged ter Mr* Joseph Hargrove, de same man what owned Emily an' Rufus Hargrove, my mammy an' pappy* He also owned Joseph an* Cora, my bruder an1 sister* My mammy uster 'long ter 'nother man what lived in Firginia, but Mr* Hargrove buyed her when she was sold on de choppin* block at Richmon*. He already had my pappy so dey got married dar on his plantation. tt Marster ain't neber whup nobody, case he am too much de gentleman, but de oberseer done nuff fer 'em all* H Dar wasn't no Sadday evenin's off 'cept fer de wimen what had eight or ten chiliuns an' dey got off ter wash 'em up* In de rush time, dat is when de fodder wus burain' up in de fiel's or de grass wus eatin' up-de cotton dey had ter wuck on Sunday same as on Monday. n My mammy wus a seamstress, an* I'se knowed her ter wuck all night an' half de day ter make clothes fer de slaves* " We ain't had Mt two meals a day an' dey wus scant* "We had a few frolieks, dances an' sieh lak onct in a while 2. 115 an' onct a year we all went ter a show, sorter lak a circus* w I 'members dat we sung 'Swing Low Sweet Chariot, De Promised Lan*, Ole Time Religion'an1 one dat goes: *' Dark wus de night an' col* de groun' On which my Saviour lay, An' sweat lak drops of blood run down While ter de £od he pray*11 . u Dar wus a few mo* ; but I done fsrgit* n Does you know dat I can't 'member much 'bout de slave days? I doan recoleck when de Yankees corned, mebbe dey ain't come ter our part o' de country* I 'members when ivxarse Joseph corned out ter de slave cabins an' tells us dat we can leave case we am free. I think dat dat wus de las' of August, case de fodder wus in. * I still knows a lady an1 gentleman do*. A lady or gentleman speaks nice ter you, case dey wus borned wid a silver spoon in dey mouth, but de other kin* what talks biggety shows plain dat de spoons which dey am borned wid am brass." EH #¦' V' ^ $¦ 311203 K.C. District J£__2. Subject: A SLAVE STCEY No. ,/ords: 1,474 Ref erenc e j Patsy Mitchner workers T. Pat 'Matthews Editor: George L. Andrews ? H:. 320203 PATSY MITCHMER 84 years old, of 432 McKee Street, Raleigh, iT.C» tt Come right in, honey, I been expeetin' some of you white folks a long time from what I dreampt an1 I wants to tell you my story. You see I is umble an1 perlite 'cause my white folks teached me dat way. * Come right in, I'm not feelin' .well. My husban* has been dead a long time. I cannot stan' up to talk to you so have a seat. n I belonged to Alex Gorman, a paper man. Ke printed the J,3pirit of the Age," a newspaper. I reckon you can find it in the Museum. I reckons dey keeps all way back yonder things in dere jest to remember by. He had a lot of printers both black an1 white. De slaves turned de wheels de most of de time, an' de white mens done de printin*. Dere wus a big place dug out at each side of de machine. One'man pulled it to him an' de other pulled it to him* Bey wurked it wid de han's. It wus a big wheel* Dey didn't have no printers den like dey .got now* 11 De ole printin' place is standin' now. It stands in front of d§ laundryon Pawsoii* Street, where st lot of red :wa^pn$vStan's,go|n^.. up /fcoipiFjds the bua station. De ole build-. ;.^|::f$,i. stairsteps •'.£$ gG_uj^.:'. Dey .sot de type upstairs an'.^e MieMSA wus/on d©\:g^bun*.' flo©r.# n Marster married Gormans twice an' dey wus both named Mary. Don't know whether dey wus sisters or not, but dey wus both Virginia women* So my missus name wus Mary Gorman. 11 do not know my age, but I wus 'bout 12 years old when Wheeler's cavalry come through* Dey skeered me so much I squatted like a rat. uey pulled clothes off de line an' stole clothes from stores an' went down to de depot an*_changed clothes* Dey stole de womens drawers an' filled 'em wid things. Dey stole meat, com an' other things an' put 'em in womens drawers, throwed 'em across dere horses backs an' • went on. You know women den wore long* drawers open in front, hat hat ". Wheeler*s cavalry tied up de legs an' front of 'em an' filled de legs an' seat full of things dey stole. Dey jest grabbed everything an' went on* Dey had a reason for leavin1j de Yankees wus at dere heels. tt y;.lilapste^:¦¦aa/¦v¦mie«u0# ¦¦-;;.¦¦-.% Be flag brought peace Hsuse de Yankees did hot tear Z.~ up^xlf.tiwai ley h^;^^ds out around de houses ;&n* dey marched £: iMj^i.^pf1 ^#a3?th>day an';Oi£^i&-to ke^ evei^o^ trokirt^iit* de -3- "De Yankees wid dere blue uniforms on jest kivered de town. Dey wus jest like ants. Dey played purty music on de ban* an' I liked dat. I wus fraid of 'em dough 'cause marster an* missus said dey were goinf to give us to 'em when dey come. I stayed hid mos' of de time right after de/ surrender 'cause I didn't want de Yankees to ketch me. When de others lef' after de surrender I run away an' went to Rev. Louis Edwards, a nigger preacher. . He sent me to my aunt at Holesville. My Aunt wus named Patsy Lewis. I stayed dere bout three weeks when my uncle rented whur Cam- eron Park is now an' tended it dat year. We all come to Ral- eigh an' I have lived here all my life, but the three weeks I stayed at Rolesville. "I have marked for white folks, washin', cookin', an' wurkin1 at a laundry ever since freedom come. "I never seed my father in my life. lay mother wus named Tempe Gorman. Dey would not talk to me 'bout who my father wus nor where he wus at. Mother would laf sometime when I axed her 'bout him. "Marster treated his niggers mean s ometimes. He beat my mother till de scars wus on her back, so I could see 'em. "Dey sold my mother, sister an* brother to ole man Askew, a slave speculator, an* dey were shipped to de Miss- issippi bottoms in a box-car. I never heard from mother any- more. 119 -4- I neber seed my brother agin* but my sister come back.to Charlotte* She come to see me. She married an' lived dere till she died* * In slavery time de food wus bad at marsters. It wus cooked one day for de nex*, dat is de corn bread wus baked an' de meat wus biled an' you et it col1 fer breakfas*. De meat wus as fat as butter an' you got one rashen an' a hunk of rcorn bread fer a meal* No biscuit wus seen in de slave houses. Mo sir, dat dey wus not. Wo biscuit for niggers at marsters* ** Our clothes wus bad an' our sleep in' places wus jest bunks. Our shoes had wooden bottoms on 'em# n I heard 'em talk about patterollers so much I wus skeered so I could hardly sleep at night sometimes. I wus 'fraid dey v/ould come an' catch me but I neber seed one in my life. n I neber seed any slaves sold, in chains, or a jail for slaves. I neber seed a slave whupped. Marster took lem in de 'back shed room to whip ' em* * We wus not teached to read an' write* You better not be caught wid no paper in yore nan* if you wus, you got de cowhide. I clarsent to talk back to 'em no matter what if& dey would git you if you talked back %o 'em* ./:*:£/m€Erri©& Tour^i&§jp£',gfter de war* : I w^tfcy de fer;-. ¦ <*¦&$$$¦ ¦: -iftU.:¦•'•:;Y0"m^- wtM* ^^My^:&^\S< *;> foai *fe [*bW4&S&M^n£YMWr.\£P: Ymmmm -5- a slave. My marster lived whar de bus station now is on de corner of Martin an' McDowell Streets in dat ole house dat stan's near dere now. I wus born an' bred in Raleigh an' have neber libed out of Wake County* "Ole Dr. Jim McxCee, who is dead an' gone, looked atter us when we wus sick. He give us- medicine an1 kep us clean out better en people is clean out now. Dr. John McK.ee at de City Hall is his son* 'Dey pays no 'tention to me now; guess dey has forgotten me. " Did you say ghosts, Lawsy, no I neber seed one but our spirits is always wonderin' aroun1 eben before we dies. Spirits is wonderin' eberywhere an' you has to look out for 'em. " Witches is folks. I neber had a spell put on me hy one, but I knowed a woman once ,who had a spell put on 'er, an' it hurt her feet, but a ole white man witch doctor helped take de spell off, but I think it wus de Lord who took it off. I is a Christain an1 I believes ^fcerytM©-1 is in his han,s. HDe people is worser now den dey mis in slavery time. We need patterollers right now* 'Twould stop some uv dis stealin* an'keep a lot of folks out of de penetentiary. Ife need 'em right now. . . H Slavery wus better for us den things is now in some cases. Niggers den didn't have no responsibility, jest wurkt o^ey"'jm''!reai*'',,^row'l'diey got to shuffle around an' live on jest what de white folks rnin1 to give !erru n Slaves prayed for freedom. Den dey got it dey didn't Know v/hat to do wid ig» Dey wus turned out wid nowhere to a*o an* nothinr to live on. Dey had no ' sperence in lookin1 out for demselves anr nothinr to wurk wid an* no Ian** tf Bey made me think of de crowd onetime who prayed for rain when it wus dry in crap time- De rain fell in torrents an1 kept fallin1 till it wus 'bout a flood* De rain frigs rgin to holler an1 callin' mo1 rain an1 it rained anr rained* Den de raincrw got up in a high tree an1 he holler anf axed de Lord for rain* It rained till ebery little rack of cloud dat come ober brought a big shower of large drops* De fields wus so wet an1 miry you could not go in 'em an1 water wus standin* in de fiel's middle of ebery row* while de ditches in de fiel's looked like little rivers, dey wus so full of water* It begun to thunder agin in de southwest*, right whar we call de "Chub hole11 of de sky, whar so much rain comes from an1 de clouds growed blacker an' blacker back dere* 11 -%n one of de xnens who had been prayin* for rain up an1 said, !I tell you brothers if it don't quit rainin* every- thing goin1 to be washed away*1 Dey all looked at de black rain cloud in de west wid sor*ful faces as if dey felt dey dicta* t know what' use dey had for rain after dey got it* Ben one of de brothers said to de other brothers kinder easy an1 shameful like, 'Brothers don't you think we overdone dis thing?* Data what many a slave thought 'bout pray in1 for free- . &om* -7- " Before two years had passed after de surrender dere wus two out of every three slaves who v/ushed deyt.wus ;bakk.Md dere marsters. " De rnarsters kindness to de niggers after de war is de cause of.de nigger havin' things today. Dere wus a lot of love-between marster an' slave en dar is few of us dat don't love de white folks today. " Slavery wus a bad thing an' freedom, of de kin' we got wid nothin* to live on wus bad* Two snakes full of pisen. Qzx£i,lyixi1 wid his head pintin1 north, de other wid his head pintin' south. Dere names wus slavery an' freedom. De snake called slavery lay wid his head pinted south an' de snake called freedom lay wid his head pinted north. Both bit de nigger, an' dey wus both bad.11 EH* 320204 124 N. C. District II Subject Emeline Moore, Ex- Worker Mrs. W. N. Harriss slave. No. Words 396_______ Interviewed Emeline Moore,_____ Edited Mrs. W. N. Harriss 707 Hanover Street, Wilmingtom.N.O, - 1 - OK 320204 135 MELINE MOORE, EX-SLAVE 707 Hanover Street, Wilmington, N. C. "I don* exac'ly know how ole I is, but dey say I mus* be eighty. No mam, I ain* got nothin* in no famTly Bible. ?/here*d I git a iam'ly Bible? My mammy (with a chuckle) had too many chillun to look after to be puttin* *em down in no Bible, she did*n have time, an* she did*n have no learnin* nohow. But I reckon I is eighty because I Members so much I*s jes' about forgotten it all. "My folks belonged to Colonel Taylor. He an* Mis* Kitty lived in that big place on Market Street where the soldiers lives now, (The W. L. I. Armory) but we was on the plantation across the river mos* of the time. nOf co*se I was born in slavery, but I don* remember nothin* much excep* feedin' chickens. An' up on Market Street Mis* Kitty had chickens an* things, an* a cow. The house had more Ian* around it than it got now. I do remember when they thought eve*ybody *roun* here was goin* to die an' I got skeered. No*m t'want no war it was the yaller fever. We was kept on the plantation but we knowed folks jes died an* died an* died. We thought t*would*nt be nobddy toft. I don*t remember nothin* about Lincoln travelin* aroun*. I always heard he was President of the Lunited States, ah* lived in Washington, an* gai 3 us freedom, an* got shot. Of co*se I knows all about Booker Wash- ington, a lot of our folks went to his school, an' he been here -n8 - 126 in Wilmington? Ifd know a lot about slave times only I was so little. I have heard my mammy say she had a heap easier time in slavery than after she was turn1 loose with a pa1 eel of chiliuns to feed* I married as soon as I could an1 thatfs how I .got this house. But I canft work, an' I dismemembers so much* The Welfare gives me regerlar pay, an1 now an.1 then my friends give'me a nickel or a dime* ftI lives alone now, until I can git a decant fooman to live with me. I tells you Missus these womens an1 young awhile girls today are sumpin else. After you had fem arounr/ycm wish you never knowed remu "Sometimes when I jes sets alone an rocks I wonder if my mammy didn't have it lots easier than I does." m 320003 STATE EDITORIAL IDENTIFICATION FORM 137 STATE: North Carolina RECEIVED FROM: (State office) Asheville____________ „I3 .Interview with Fannie Moore WORDS 2,300 QUOTA Jiix-siave. STATE GUIDE LOCAL GUIDE NON-GUIDE X TABLE OF CONTENTS DIVISION COIvIPLETE FOR THIS SECTION? PREFINAL REVISE NO.___ PRSFINATL REVISE NO.____ PREFINAL REVISE NO.____ PREFINAL REVISE NO.____ PREFINAL NEW: WHAT PERCENTAGE REMAINS? WASHINGTON CRITICISM WASHINGTON CRITICISM WASHINGTON CRITICISM WASHINGTON CIRITCI3M VOLUNTEER CONSULTANT: Name Position Address By. Position DATE: Sept,27, 1937t By Marjorie Jones, Sept. 21, 1937. 320003 IKerview with" ' Fannie Moore, Ex-slave, 151 Valley Street, »v»rj Asheville, K. C. ' 1«0 Nowadays when I heah' folks a'growlin an' a'grumblin bout not habbin this an1 that I jes think what would they done effen they be brought up on de Moore plantation. De Moore plantation b'long to Marse Jim Moore, in Moore, South Carolina. De Moores had own de same plantation and de same niggers and dey children for yeahs back. When Marse Jim's pappy die he leave de whole thing to Marse Jim, effen he take care of his mammy. She shore was a rip-Jack. She say niggers didn't need nothin1 to eat. Dey jes like animals, not like other folks. She whip me, many time wif a cow hide, til I was black and blue. Marse Jim's wife war Mary Anderson. She war the sweetest woman I ebber saw.' She was allus good to evah nigger on de plantation. Her mother was Harriet Anderson and she visit de Missus for long time on de farm. All de little niggers like to work fo' her. She nebber talk mean. -Jes smile dat sweet smile and talk in de soffes' tone. An when she laugh, she sounr jes like de little stream back ob de spring* house gurglin' past de rocks. An' her hair all white and curly, I can'member her always. Marse Jim own de bigges' plantation in de whole country. Jes thousands acres ob Ian'. An de ole Tiger Ribber a runnin' right through de middle ob de plantation. On one side ob de ribber stood de big house, whar de white folks lib and on the other side stood de quarters. De big house was a purty thing all painted white, a standin1 in a patch o1 oak trees. I ean't remember how many rooms in'dat house but powerful many. 0'corse 129 it was built when de Moores had sech large families. Marse Jim he only hab five children, not twelve like his mammy had. Dey was Andrew and Tom, den Harriet, Nan, and Nettie Sue. Harriett was jes like her granny Anderson. She was good to ebberbody. She git de little niggers down an' teach em dey Sunday School lesson. Effen ole Marse Jim's mammy ketch her she sho' raise torment. She make life jes as hard for de niggers as she can. De quarters jes long row o' cabins daubed wif dirt. rEver one in de family lib in one big room. In one end was a big fire- place. Dis had to heat de cabin and do de cookin too. We cooked in a big pot hung on a rod over de fire and bake de co'n pone in de ashes or else put it in de skillet and cover de lid wif coals. We allus hab plenty wood to keep us warm. Dat is ef we hab time to get it outen de woods. My granny she cook for us chillens while our mammy away in de fiel. Dey wasn't much cookin to do. Jes make co'n pone and bring in de milk. She hab big wooden bowl wif enough wooden spoons to go 'roun'. • She put de milk in de bowl and break it up. Den she put de bowl in de middle of de flo' an' all de chillun grab a spoon. My mammy she work in de fiel' all day and piece and quilt all night. Den she hab to spin enough thread to make four cuts for de white fo'ks ebber night. Why.sometime I nebber go to bed. Hab to hold de light for her to see by. She hab to piece quilts for de white folks too. Why dey is a scar on my arm yet where my brother let de pine drip on me. Rich pine war all de light we ebber hab. My brother was a holdin* de pine so's I can help 130 mammy tack de quilt and he go to sleep and let it drop. I never see how my mammy stan' sech ha'd work. She stan' up fo' her chillun tho'. De ol1 overseeah he hate my mammy, case she fight him for beatin* her chillun. Why she git more whuppins for dat den anythin' else. She hab twelve chillun. I member I see de three oldes' stan' in de snow up to dey knees to split rails, while de overseeah stan off an1 grin. My mammy she trouble in her heart bout de way they treated. Fver night she pray for de Lawd to git her an1 her chillun- out ob de place. One day she plowin' in de cotton fiel. All sudden like she let out big yell. Den she sta't singin' an' a shoutin', an1 a whoopin1 an' a hollowin'. Den it seem she plow all de harder. When she come home, Marse Jim's mammy say: "What all dat goin' on in de fiel? Yo' think we sen' you out there jes to whoop and $ell? No siree, we put you out there to work and you sho1 bettah work, else we git de overseeah to cowhide you ole black back." My mammy jes grin all over her black wrinkled face and say; MI's saved. De Lawd done tell me I's saved. Now I know de Lawd will show me de way, I ain't gwine a grieve no more. No matter how much yo' all done beat me an' my chillun de Lawd will show me de way. An' some day we nevah be slaves." Ole granny Moore grab de cowhide and slash mammy cross de back but mammy nebber yell. She jes go back to de fiel a singin'• My mammy grieve lots over brothah George, who die wif de fever. Granny she doctah him as bes1 she could, evah time she 131 git way from de white folks kitchen. My mammy nevah git chance to see him, 'cept when she git home in de evenin'. George he jes lie. One day I look at him an1 he had sech a peaceful look on his face, I think he sleep and jes let him lone. Long in de evenin I think I try to wake him. I touch him on de face, but he was dead. Mammy nebber know til she come at night. Pore mammy she kneel by de bed an' cry her heart out'. 01r uncle Allen, he make pine box for him an' carry him to de graveyard over on de hill. My mammy jes plow and cry as she watch em' put George in de groun'. My pappy he was a blacksmith. He shoe all de horses on de plantation. He wo'k so hard he hab no time to go to de fiel'. His name war Stephen Moore. Mars Jim call him Stephen Andrew. • ^ a He was sold to de Moore fs, and his mammy t A , eat .till I come to Raleigh* On de plantation we got plenty £^^i^$«4 f e had.- good clqthef on de plantatioj.»| 1 ^ .am i|§i»|§|i|ie§ : now; '&m/Z:::0i®&; -1^l&#^oj»e:;- &::'my;;3;|lei*:';, ¦'. '¦'¦:::; .¦ .'£¦ ^i^^^^^M;^i^^[^:M^f^y..... ' •>••¦-• ¦¦.............- ..... ................•» ..........>......- ¦ ¦•¦ -.........- wWe went to both de white an' colored church.es in Virginia* I never could learn to read an' write. I never could learn to make a number correct. I just can't learn. I tried my bes* to write. I went to four sessions of school but couldn't learn. I wus raised by some mighty good white people. I wanted to learn so bad J. slept wid my books under my head but I couldn't learn. "I am well thought of at my home in Virginia. Dey have sent me rations since I been here. I had de worse time of my life since de surrender. I don't know nothin' 'bout de Yankees comin' through only what I heard others say* I heard 'em talkin* 'bout freedom an' de. war but I dicta*t know or care no thin* 'bout it. My father went-to lanassas Gap to de war* I heard him talk 'bout de breastworks but I don't know no thin' 'bout 'em.' *I wus my father's only chile. He didn't have any chillun by his las' wife. I fergot de name of his las* wife* ¦¦ ¦ '•"'¦'. " " '¦>:.¦*£ heard 'em say Abraham Lincoln come through de south i^*':-;ju8ft-;l«apaa^d ever'thing 'bout de folks. He wus 'guised / s% nobodyrkncmed ^^o 1m wast ^m9 I heard 'bout dat an' when dey foun' out he been here he done come through an* gone, back. '".......-- vi^l^er^'isus. bett«P'..d«n-;..±t\i#','^jr*, ..Shore it i«us> X;'. \;;||§|||i:^ life :^:^^|ij^|^v:::,,.:':>J a. wus better den it is now. I never did have any mean white folks* De/Lord made me lucky in dat way. De Yankees took, stole, an' carried off a lot of things an' dere wus a lot of talk 'bout' ' ein> but I never saw 'em 'cept when dey wus XDaradin*. I never seed any of 'em down dere at my marster's plantation. "My grandfather died in Baleigh. Grandmother wus de mother of thirteen chilluns but none of 'em 'cept two ever seed Baleigh. Dey wus so scattered 'bout 'cept de two younges*, a boy an' a girl*. Dey come to Baleigh atter de surrender when grandmother an' me come, fe lived worser in Raleigh den we did in Virginia, an' if I wus back home wid my white folks I would git plenty to eat but I don't git it here* Dey sends me a little money now an' den. Here is some of dere letters where dey sent me money. You can see by dese letters dat my Virginia white folks Mves me an' I love dem» nI wus 'bout ten years ole when"de"v/ar wus go in* on. I think slavery wus not such a bad thing 'pared wid de hard tiises now*n ' EH 320202 A # £ 162 IU C. District No* 2 i/orker Mary A» Hicks No. Words 794______ Subject SLAVERY DAYS IN FRANKLIN COUHTY______ Story teller Idly Perry Editor Geo« L> Andrews 320202 163 SLAVERY DAYS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY An interview with Lily Perry, 84 years old, of 9 McKee Street, Raleigh, N. C. "I wus borned on de plantation of Mister Jerry Perry near Louisburg, about eighty-four years ago. }fy daddy, Riddick, * longed ter him an' so did my mammy, do she 'longed ter a Mis' Litchford 'fore she married daddy* "De fust things dat I can remember wus bein1 a house gal, pickin' up chips, mindin' de table an* feedin* de hogs. De slop buckets wus heavy an* I had a heap of wuck dat wus hard ter do. I done de very best dat I could but often I got whupped jist de same. "Vfoen dey'd start ter Whup me I'd bite lak a run- mad dog so dey'd chain my ban's. See hyar, hyars de scars made by de chains. Dey'd also pick me up by de years an* fling me foun1, see hyar, I can wiggle my years up an' down jist lak a mule can, an1 I can wiggle *em roun* an1 rounr lak dat, seel "One day I ain't feelin' so good an' de slops am so heavy dat I stops an' pours out some of it. De oberseer, Zack Terrell, sees me an' when I gits back ter de house he grabs me ter whup me» 2. 164 "De minute he grabs me I seize on ter his thumb an' I bites hit ter de bone, den he gits mad an' he picks me up an* lifts me higher dan my haid an* flings me down on de steel mat dere in front of de do' • "Dey has ter revise me wid cold water from de- spring an' 1 wus sick fer a week. We ain't had good food which makes me weak an' I still has ter do heavy wuck. "Dar wus a slave block in Louisburg an' I'se seed many a slave sold dar. Very few wus put in chains, most of 'em wus put in a kivered wagon wid a guard an' wus chained at night. I'se seed many a 'oman cryin' fer her chile when one er de tother wus put on de slave block in Louisburg• "I wus 'bout twelve years old when de Yankees come, I wus pickin' up chips in de yard when dey comes by wid dere hosses steppin' high an' dere music playin1 a happy chune. I wus skeered, but I don't dasent run case mars ter will sho have me whupped, so I keeps on wid my wuck. "Dey pass fast on down de road an' dey doan bother nothin' in our community but de white folkses hates 'em jist de same. "Marster Jerry tells us 'bout a week later dat we am free an' all of de two hundret 'cept 'bout five er six 3. 165 goes right off* He tells all of us dat he will pay us effen we will stay an* wuck, so me an' my family we stays on. "We lives dar f er seberal years den I marries Robert Perry who lives on de same plantation wid us. ¥e ain*t had but one daughter an* dat's Kate, who still 3j.bes wid me. "Me an* Robert wus raised up tergether, he bein* five years older *n me an* I loved him frum de time I wus "corned. I know how he uster hate ter see me git dem beatin*s an* he*d beg me not ter let my mouth be so sassy, but I can*t help hit. He uster take my beatin*s when he could an' a heap of times he sneak out ter de fiel's in de ebenin' an' toted dat slops ter de pigs. "Onct when marster wus whuppin* me Robert run up an* begged marse ter put de whuppin' on him 'stead of me. De result wus marse whupped us both an* we 'cided ter run away* "We did run away, but night brung us back ter another whuppin* an* we ain*t neber run away no mo*» **We wus at a frolic at Louisburg when he proposes ter me an* he do hit dis way, 'Honey gal, I knows dat you 4. 166 doan love me so powerful much, but will you try ter do hit fer me?' "Course I sez, 'Go long, nigger, iffen I doan love yo1 den dar ain't no water in Tar riber.* Den I sea, 'We can git Marse Henry outen de bed an' he'll marry us ternight.* "Rob wus tickled pink an' sho nuff we wus married right away dat very night • *We lived pore, dat I knows, but we wus too happy in ourselves ter worry 'bout sich things an' de lack* "I laughs now ter think how ignorant we niggers wus. We'd do our washin' an' 'bout de time we hung hit on de line, we'd see a string of folks comin' home frum de Prospect Church an' we'd know dat we'd done our washin* on a Sunday.* AC 7 3202?? AtfGl 7 1937 IT.C. District • Ho* 2 iCo» Words* 615 Subj ectt A SIAVK S-JQRY, THE uCMS OVERSEER Person Interviewed* Valley Perry V/orker: Llary Kicks Sditor: George L. Andrews lK*^5J%*v" y-3«if; 18^ 320277 THE WOMM OVEHSEER An interview with Valley Perry, 50 years of age, of Gary, North Carolina, Houte # 1* "Course bein' no older dan I is I can't recollect 'bout de war, but I'se heard my manny tell a little an* my gran'mammy tfjLl'a right smart 'bout dem slavery times yo*s talkin' 'bout. ttGran'mammy Josephine, an' mammy Clarice 'longed ter air. ffat Whitaker in Wake County* 1 Mr. Hat's wife wus iiMeo! Mis' Luiy, an'she wus so good dat ever'body what ever seed her 'membered her. Bar is eben de belief among de niggers dat she riz up ter heaben alive, like Elijah* "Dey said dat Mr* Hat's oberseer wus kinder mean ter de slaves, an' when he wnupped dem dey 'membered hit ter de longest day dfey lived* Mr. Hat wusen't near so bad an' Mis' Lucy wus a angel. She'd beg Mr. Sat ter make de oberseer stopj but W. Nat 'fused, 'case he said dat de .niters' won't obeiy him iff eh he teaches dem he won't let ...i^^'Vb^s^e^'/pifcish J|m ;g0,od ¦/&&*,:plenty.' , Sen.Mis'''Lucy''ud ;\ ? ' -5- find a place to go, and leave like folks.1 Marster allowed her to take all her things with her when she left. The white folks told her good bye. "We went to a colored Methodist Church in slavery time but we had a white pastor. His na^e was Dr. Pell. He was a mighty nice raan and all the colored people loved him. After the surrender it was a long time that ther colored people had white preachers in their churches. It was a long time after the war before any of the colored churches had Negro preachers. William Warrick was the first colored preacher in Raleigh. He preached in thie basement of the Baptist Church now standing on the corner of Hillsboro and Salisbury Streets. I went- to church and Sunday school there after the surrender. HI went to school in Raleigh and taught school in Ft. Payne, Alabama. My husband was a carpenter and went there wliere he could get good wages. Slavery was a very bad thing. Abraham Lincoln was one of the best men that ever lived. "Roosevelt is just grand. He is no doubt one of the greatest men of any age. I love to look at his picture. I love him because he has done so much for humanity. I pray to the Lord to let him live to serve his country, and help his people. W3» -? '^^^MhM-ti^^M'^ 320215 IT. C. District No. 2 Worker T. Pat Mattheww No. Words 2036______ 183 Subject PARKER POOL_________ Person Interviewed Parker Pool Ed itor Daisy Bailev Waitt Hli 320216 I84 PARKER BOOL "Good Morning, how is yer? Dat front door am locked Mister, but I'll come 'round and undo it." "I'm not feeling ve'y well an' it looks lak dey '11 rob me out'n all I got. Dey had a mortgage on my home fer $850. I paid it, an1 den dey got to gamblin' on it, an-' tuk it. I didn't git de right receipts, when I paid? dat's de truf. I got a farm loan on de house part, yes sir, an* I • still has it. "I wuz born near Garner, Wake County, North Carolina. I belonged to Aufy Pool. He wuz a slave owner. His plan- tation wuz near Garner. I am 91 years old. I wuz born August 10, that's what my grandmammie tole me, an' I ain't never fergot it. "My missus name wuz Betsy. My fust master, I had two, wuz Master Aufy Pool. Den he give us to his son, er his son bought us in at de sale when Blaster Aufy died. After Master Aufy died, his son, Louis Pool wuz my master den, an* his plantation wuz in Johnston County. My mother wuz named Violet Pool. Bhe died in child-birth two years atter I wuz bora. % father wuz named Peter Turner.j He belonged to John Turner in Johnston County, ri^ht near -2- 185 Clayton. »*%- grandfather, I had twfc grandfathers, one on my mother's side and one on my father's side. On my mother's side Tom Pool, on my father's side Jerry Beddingfield* I never seed my great-grand parents, but my great-grandfather wuz name Back. He wuz right out o* Africa. His wife wuz name Hagar. I never have seen dem, but my grandmother wuz deir daughter. Dey had three chillun here in America. Bty grandmammie and grandfather told me this* My brothers were name, oldest one, Haywood, den Lem, an' Peter, an' me, Parker Pool. De girls, oldest girl wuz Minerva Rilla. "I had good owners* % missus and master dey took jes as good keer o' me as they could* Dey wuz good to all de han*'s. Dey giv' us plenty to eat, an' we had plenty o' clothes, sich as they wuz, but de wuz no sich clothes as we have now. Dey treated us good, I will have to say dat. Dey are dead in their graves, but 1 will have to say dis fer 'em* Our houses were in de grove. We called master's house fde great house'. We called our homes *de houses'. We had good places ter sleep* **& g°t UP at light* I had to do most o» the nursin' o1 de chillun, case when choppin* time come de women had to go to work. We had plenty ter eat, an* we et it. Our some'in to eat wuz well fixed anr cooked. We caught a lot o* opossums, coons an' other game, but I tell yer a coon is a lot harder to ketfii den a possum. We had one garden, an1 -&. 186 de colored people tended the garden, an1 we all et out'n it. ttDere wuz about 2000 acres in de plantation. All de farm Ian' wuz fenced in wid wood rails. De hogs, cows anr stock wuz turned out in de woods, an' let go. The cows wuz drived home at night, dat is if dey didn't come up. Dat is so we could milk de ones we wanted ter milk. nWe dug ditches to drain de Ian*, blin* ditches; we dug rem an* den put poles on top, an' covered 'em wid brush an1 dirt. We put de brush on de poles to keep de dirt from runninr through. Den we ploughed over de ditches. ttWe tanned our leather in a tan trough. We used white oak bark an* red oak bark. Dey put copperas in it too, I think. *I knows how to raise flax. You grow it an1 when it is grown you pull it clean up out of de groun1 till it kinder rots. Dey have what dey called a brake, den it wuz broke up in dat. De bark wuz de flax. Dey had a stick called a swingle stick, made kinder like a sword. Dey used dis to knock de sticks out of de flax. Dey would den put de flax on a hackle, a board wid a lot of pegs in it. Den dey clean an' string it out till it looks lak your hair. Dey flax when it came from de hackles wuz ready for de wheel whur it wuz spun into thread. I tell you, you couldn't -4- 187 break it either. "When it wuz spun into thread dey put it on a reel. It turned 100 times and struck, when it struck it wuz called a cut. When it come from de wheel it wuz called a broach. De cuts stood fer so much flax. So many cuts made a yard, but.dere wuz more ter do, size it, and hank it before it. wuz weaved. Most of the white people had flax clothes. "We had no church on de plantation. We had prayer meetin1 an* candy pullin*s, an* v/e would ask slaves from udder plantations? My master had no public corn shuckin*s. His slaves shucked his corn. He had about 50 head. De slaves dey went to de white folks church. Dey had a place separate from de white folks by a railin*. We could look at de preacher an1 hear him preach too. "No, sirree, dey wouldn't let us have no books. Dey would not let none o' de chilluns tell us anything about a book. I cain't read an* write, not a bit. Dey preached ter us to obey our master. Preacher John Ellington wuz my favorite preacher. No nigger wuz allowed ter preach. Dey wuz allowed ter pray and shout sometimes, but dey better not be ketched wid a book. De songs dat dey sung den, dey hardly ever sing 'em now. Dey were de good ole »ongs. 'Hark from de tomb de doleful sound*. '% years are tender,' *Cry, You livin* man,' 'Come view dis groun' where we must shortly lie*. .5- 188 "No one ran away from our plantation, but dey did from some other plantations. When some or de niggers were carried by their masters to wait on 'em as servants up no'th, some o' de other people would see how dey were treated an1 git 'em to run away. When dere master started home dey couldn't find 'em, Dey took and educated 'em and made women an' men out'en 'em. "We visited at night during slavery time. De men went courtin1. Yi/hen a man, a slave, loved a 'oman on another plantation dey axed der master, sometimes de maffter would ax d«k other master* If dey agreed all de slave man an' 'oman had ter(de)Satdy night wuz fer him to ; .:1c come over an* dey would go to bed together. Dere wuz no marriage- until atter de surrender. All who wanted to keep de same 'oman atter de surrender had to pay 25£ fer er marriage license, den $150, den #3.00. If de magistrate married you, you didn't have to pay anything, less he charged you. "We got de holidays, Christmas, and atter lay-by-time o' de crops. Dey had big dinners den. Dey had big tables set in de yard, de rations wuz spread on 'em, an1 everybody et. We had brandy at Christmas. "I have been whupped twice, an' I have seen slaves whupped. Ha! Ha! missus whupped me. She wouldn't let no- -6- 189 body else whup me neither. I 'members what it wuz about as if it wuz yesterday. Andrews_________ moosi 193 R3EA. RAINES "I wus three years ole when de Yankees come through. I do not rmember much 'bout slavery, but I knows a lot my mother tole me. uMy mother wus named Vicey Rogers anf my father wus named Bob Hunter. He ' longed ter de Hunters of Wake County an1 mother longed ter Marster John Rogers. Her missus' name wus Ann Rogers. I 'members my grandfather on my mother's side but do not 'member any more of my grandparents. "Marse John Rogers wus a ole batchelor before he wus married an' he had 'bout twelve slaves when he married Mis' Ann Hunter. She owned one slave, a colored boy, when she wus married. Her father gave her the slave. The plantation wus between Apex an1 Holly Springs in Wake County. All my people lived in Wake County anr I vms born on de plantation. Marster wus good ter his niggers before he wus married, but when she came in it got mighty rough. . It got wusser an' wusser till 'bout de time of de surrender. De place vms a Hell on earth, mother said, if dere could ever be one. Missus had slaves whupped fur most any little thing an' den she wud not allow 'em to have much ter eat. My mother tole me all about it, atter de surrender. Mother said Missus runned the plantation an* made it hard fur all de slaves. She jist liked ter see slaves beat almost ter death. Dere wus a lot of niggers whupped in d*at neighborhood by the overseers, owners an* patterollers. -2- 194 "Slaves wus sold 'round from one to a nother 'mongst de white folks. Mother said you jist couldn't tell when you would git whupped. De wurk wus hard from sun to sun. Poor food ter eat, poor clothes, barefooted most of de time, an' a general hard time, till freedom put an end to it. % mother tole me ole man Pasqual Bert who lived near 'em in Wake County had his r.iggers whupped all day sometimes* He beat rem unmercifully an sometimes made away wid 'em an' dey wus not seed no more. She said de way he whupped his slaves wus ter lay rem up an1 down on a log wid de bark off. He made 'em lie flat down on dere stomachs an' den buckled 'em on den de overseers beat 'em unmercifully. One time a overseer's wife heard a pat, pat, pat, down at de whuppin' log an' she ax him what it wus an' why he beat niggers from sun to sun an he tole her ole man Bert made ' im do it or else leave. So his' wife say® We will leave, you must not beat any more niggers if we perish to death/ an de overseer left. Mother said ole man Bert fed his little niggers out of a trough like hogs. Ole man Bert also had niggers tied to barrels an whupped. "De grown slaves got one pair shoes a year. Dey wus give ter dem at Xmas. an de chillun didn't have no shoes at all. De clothes wus homemade. De houses wus made out of logs an had stick an dirt chimleys to 'em. De sleepin' places wus bunks fer de grown niggers an de chillun slept on de floor on pallets. A pallet wus made by spreadin' a quilt made of to?/baggin' or rags -3- on de floor, datfs whre de chillun slept in our neighborhood A before de surrender. "Mother and father married by jumpin1 de broom, Dey put de broom down on de floor den dey he It one another's hands an den dey jumped de broom, den dey went ter de slave house an1 went ter bed. Mother anr father come ter Raleigh atter.de surrender an wus married right. Mother an* father lef ole man Rogers as soon as dey wus free. Dey lived on hard tack an* pickled meat de Yankees give for sometimes den dey went an* stayed wid Mr. Gray Jones an* when I wus a great big girl we lef1 an moved ter Chatham County. Fa bought a place, paid for it, built a little house on it anr lived dere until he died. nI married in Chatham County an* lived dere till my husband died den I kept stayin* till all my chillun married off an* I come ter Raleigh ter live wid my son. I had four chilluns/ Dey are a 11 dead but de one I live wid. ttI have been unable to git out of de house widout help fur a long time. I have heart trouble an' high blood pressure. Slavery wus a right bad thing. I thank God it is over.® &•'¦¦ pfe Wi^?0MS\--^ ' ..;;¦¦;;: ';•.'•;':' lliip M^MaM ;.;v'Hv'^ >::. ;^; ?^;.r;U 320259 196 N. C. D-Tstrict No. 2 Subject ANTHOMY RANSOM_________ Worker Mary A. Hicks______ Person Interviewed Anthony Ransom No. Words_______303________ Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt________ 320259 19? ANTHONY RANSOME Ex-Slave Story (Free) An interview with Anthony Ransome of 321 S. Tarboro St. Raleigh, N. C. "I reckon dat I is eighty years old, an1 I wus borned in Murfreesboro in Hertford County. My mammy wus named Anniee an1 my father wus named Calvin Jones. My brothers wus named Thomas, Wesley, Charlie, Henry anr William. "We wus borned free, my mammy bein1 de daughter of a white roman, anf my paw's paw onct saved do life of his masterfs chile, an1 wus freed. "My paw wus a shoemaker an f he made a putty good livih* fer us. Course we ain't knowed so much fbout slavery, but Doctor Manning who lived near us owned some slaves an1 he treated fem bad. We could hyar fem screamin1 at de top of dere voices onct in a while, an1 when dey ^ot through beatin1 'em dey wus tied down in de cellar. Dey ainft had much ter eat nother. nDar wus a preacher what tolf us fbout a member of his: congregation durin* de war. De wife wus sold from de husban * an1 he married ag'in. Atter de war his fust wife corned back an* atter his secon1 wife died he married de fust one ober ag'in. 0$3f H. G. District No. 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks No. "words 1083 Subj ec t CAHQLIKS RICHABPSOlf Person Interviewed Caroline Richardson Ed it or ______Q. L. Andrews ______ 320014 199 ^ a t> ^rCOLIKE KICEARD30N An interview with Caroline Richardson who does not know her a^e. She resides near the northern city limits of Selma. !tI reckin dat I is somers 'bout sixty year old* Anyhow I wus ten or twelve when de Yankees come ter marse Ransome jridgers* place near Clayton. Datfs whar I wus borned an1 my pappy, my mammy anr we rleben chiliuns rlonged ter ifarse ...ansome an* imisr Adeline* .Dar v/us also young marse George an ! young kiss metsy who I 'longed to. umisf Adeline wus little an1 puny an1 k'arse Ransome wus big an1 stout, dat*s why it am funny dat mammy won!t let Lis* Adeline whup her but she donrt say nothin* when de mars ter gits de whup. bere ain!t nobody ;,ot many whuppin*s nohow an1 a slave on marsterrs place had ter be mean ter .-.it a whuppin*. You see mammy would sass dem all* - HWe ain*t heard much rbout de war, nothin1 laic we heard fb out de world war. I knows dat nobody from our plantation ainft gone ter dat war case Llarse Ransome wus too old an1 marse George wus a patter oiler, or maybe he wus just too young < Bar wus a little bit of talk but most of it we ainrt heard. I tended to de slave babies, but my marrmy what cooked in de big house heard some of de war talk an1 I heard her a-talkin1 to pappy about it. 'when she seed me a-.listenin1 she said dat shefd cut my year., off if fen I told it. 1 had seen some of de -2- slaves wid clipped years an* I wanted to keep mine, so I ain't said nothin*. "One day Mis* Betsy come out ter de yard an1 she sez ter we chilluns, *You has got de habit of runnin1 ter de gate to see who can say howdy first to our company, well de Yankees will be heastjtoday or tomorrow an1 dey ain't our company. In fact iffen yo* runs ter de gate ter meet dem dey will shoot you dead.1 rrOber late dat evenin* I heard music an' I runs ter de gate ter see whar it am. Comin* down de road as fast as dey can 1 sees a bunch of men wid gray suits on a-ridin* like de debil. Dey don't stop at our house at fTJl but later I heard dat dey wus lheeler*s cavalry, de very meanest of de Rebs, though His said dat dey wus brave in battle. "About a hour atter Iheeler's men come by de Yankees &©ve into sight* Be drums wus beatin*, de flags wayin* an* de hosses prancin* high* fe niggers has been teaehed dat de Yankees will kill us, nien women an' chilluns. Be whole hundftet or so of us runs an1 hides* ttYe# maM^ I 'members de blue uniforms an* de brass: buttons, ah1 ! *member® how 6.ey said as dey come in de gate lat dey has as food as won de * war, an1 tat dey ort ter hang de jfouthern-flfeiiwhat won't go ter war. •I T0^kM ilit deyHalk^p€r1^;';rough'ter';:ferse;la^s^|ae.; ¦'¦*'¦* iili^^lto'^e^^JajiJlee -ili|*|iin;:i§a% fii'^-ort'te^-ie^^ WKfe" friiKI&^fe dat iffen datrs de way deyrre gwine ter git her freedom, she don't want it at all. Wid dat mammy takes Mis' Betsy upstairs v/har de Yankees won't be a-starin' at her. "One of de Yankees fin's me anr axes me how many pairs of shoes I gits a year. I tells him dat 1 gits one pair* Den he axes me what I wears in de summertime. When I tells him dat I ainft wear nothin' but a shirt, an1 dat I' goes barefooted in de summer, he cusses awful an' he damns my marster. "Mammy said dat dey tol' her an' pappy dat dey'd git some land an* a mule iffen dey wus freed* You see dey tried ter turn de slaves agin dere marsters. ttAt de surrender most of de niggers left, but me an* my, family stayed fer wages. We ain't really had as good as we done before de war, an1 'cides dat we has ter worry about how we1re goin1 ter live. •*We stayed dar at de same place, de ole Zola May place, on de Wake an* Johnston line, fer four or five years an* I vrant to school a little bit. Atter we left dar we went to Mr. John E. Wilson's place near Wilson's Mill. It wus at de end of dese ten years dat mammy wus gwine ter whup Bill, ngr brother, so he went off ter Louisanna anr we ainrt seed him since. "At de end of dis time X married Barney Richardson an* we had three chilluns, who am all dead now. We worked an1 slaved till we bought dis house an* paid fer it, den in 1918 he died. I married John Haskins de second time but he*s been iS -mJ^rnrn dead now fer about ten years. "I told you dat I owned dis shack but you see how de top has come ter pieces an' de steps has fell down, I'm be- hind in my taxes too so I*m 'speetin* dem ter take it away from me at any time. I has been dependent on de white folks now fer four or five years. De county gives me two dollars a month an* ae white folks gives me a little now an* den. You see dat I canrt straighten up so I can't work in five years. "Drawin1 water out of dat well wid no curb shore bothers l.b too, come an' look at it. I looked at the well and in the well and was horrified. There was no curbing at all, only a few rotting planks laid over the hole, and on these she stood right over the water while she drew up the heavy bucket with a small rope and without the aid of a wheel. BT reckin dat some of dese days somebody will draw me outen dis well,11 she continued briskly. "Anyhow hit don't matter much. "You see dat little patch wid de roastin* ears comin* an* de peas a-blcGmin*. I grut)bed it up wid my ho'e an' planted it , myself. Iffen you can spare it I wish you'd give me a quarter I an' iffen you're round he*f'bout three weeks stop an1 git you f-;a mess'-of-peas/.^- ¦* - mMim&mmm^^M^^^msmmmimsm^^i T 32Q2S0 *v N. C. District No. 2 Worker T» Pat Matthews I\ro. Words 638______ 203 Subject CHARITY RIDDICK Story teller Charity Riddick Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 204 320280 CHARITY" RIDDICK 813 E. D. Street. "I am 80 years old, you know after 79 comes 80, dats how old I am. A year ago, a little over a year ago, I wus 79 by de age in de Bible, My son Ernest Riddick. tole me dat. He is gone to Greensboro to work. He carried de Bible wid him. If I had de Bible I could tell de story better den I can. My full name is Charity Riddick and my husband wus Weldon Riddick. He is dead. My father wus named Lewis Jones. Mother wus named Haley Jones. I had three brothers, Washington, William and Turner, two sisters Mary and Celia. All my people are dead except my sons. I have three sons livin*. "I got sick an* I got way down in my taxes. I am payin* a dollar on 'em every time I can get it. I ain't able to work much. I chops in de garden to make a little to eat. My sons help me some. Dey have children you know, but dey send me a little. Dey is all married. One has eight chillun^the other five chillun and de third has four chillun. Dey can't help -me much. "I belonged to Madison Pace in slavery time. He dead an' gone long ago do*. My missus wus name Es.' Annie 2- 205 Pace. Sometimes I got plenty to eat and sometimes I didn't. All I got came through my mother from marster and missus. I wus in my mother ls care. I wus so young dey didn't have much to do with me. The plantation wus about three miles east o* Raleigh. ttDis house did belong to me but I am a long way behind on it. Dey lets me stay here and pay what I kin. I rents a room to an old lady fer 75 cents a week. I buys oil and wood wid it. pe lights has been cut off. I uses a oil lamp fur light. Lights done cut off. I can't pay light rent, no sir, I haint been able to pay dat in a long time. "In slavery time when de people you call de Yankees come, I wus small, but father took us and left \.itfe plantation. We lived in Raleigh after that. Father did not stay on " He plantation anymore but he farmed around Raleigh as long as he lived. He made corn, peas, potatoes and other things to feed us with. I used to hear *em talk about de Ku Klux. We wus mighty afraid of dem. nI used to hear my father say he had a very good master. Bty min1 is not good but I remember we used water from a spring and lived in a little log house out from my master's 'great house*. I remember sein* de slaves but 3- 200 I do not remember how many dere wus. I never saw a slave whupped. My mother's son wus sold^that wus my brother Washington wus sold away from her before de surrender. Mother cried a lot about it.I remember sein' her cry about my brother bein' sold* MI remember sein' Pat Matthews Story teller Simuel Riddick No. Words 736 Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt o£L£cU Q(}R SIMUEL RIDDICK 2205 Everette Ave. "%• name is Simuel Riddick* I was born the fourth day February, 18CU Bty- owners, my white people, my old mistress wrote me a letter telling me my age. S^r mother was Nancy Riddick; she belonged to the Riddicks in the Eastern part of the State* % father was named Elisha Riddick. }fy master was named Elisha and my mistress Sarah Riddick. They had three daughters, Sarah, Christine, and Mary, one boy named Asbury Riddick. *I was born in Perquimans County, North Carolina and I have lived in North Carolina all my life. We had good food,for marster was a heavy farmer. There were about 200 acres cleared on the plantation, and about 25 slaves. The great house was where marster lived and the quarters was where we lived. They were near the great house* I saw only one slave whupped. I had mighty fine white people, yes, mighty fine white people. They did not whup their slaves, but their son whopped my mother pretty bad because she did not balfe enough corn and turnips to feed the fattening hogs* "He was a rang tang* He loved his liquor, and he loved colored women. The ole man never whupped anybody* 2. 209 Young marster married in the Marmaduke family in Gates County. He sold one man who belonged to his wife, Mary* I never saw a slave sold. ttI have seen lots o' paterollers. They were my friends. I had friends among 'em because I had a young missus they run with. Dats why they let me alone. I went \vith her to cotton pickin's at night. They came, but they didn't touch me. l$r young missus married Dr. Perry from the same neighborhood in Perquimans County. Bill Simpson married her sister. He was from the same place. Watson Shite married the other one • He was from Perquimans • "There were no half-white children on Marster's plantation, and no mixups that ever came out to be a disgrace in anway. W white folks were fine people. I remBUjber marsterfs brother's son Tommy going off to war» Marster *s brother was named Willis Riddick. He never came back. I got a letter from my missus since I been in Raleigh. She was a fine lady. She put fine clothes on me. I was a foreman on the plantation and looked after things in general. I had charge of everything at the lots and in the fields. They trusted me. "When the war broke out I left my marster and went to Portsmouth, Virginia. General Miles captured me and put me in uniform. I waited on him as a body servant, a private 3. 210 in the U. S. Army. I stayed with him until General Lee surrendered. When Lee surrendered I stayed in Washington with General Idles at the Willard Hotel and waited on him. I stayed there a long time. I was with General Miles at Fortress Monroe and stayed with him till he was in charge of North Carolina. He was a general, and had the 69th Irish brigade. He also had the Bluecats and Greentorches ? "I waited on him at the Abbeck House, Alexandria, Virginia after the war. I stayed with the general a long time after the war. I didnft go with General Miles when he was ordered to the plains of the west. "I stayed on the Bureau here in Raleigh. Dr. H. C. Wagel was in charge. After I left the Bureau I worked at the N. C. State College Several years then I worked with the city at the city parks. I never left the state after coming here with General Miles* I had mighty good.white people, was treated all right, was made foreman and treated with every kindness. I haven*t anything to say against slavery. My old folks put my clothes on me when I was a boy. They gave me shoes and stockings and put them on. me when I was a little boy. I loved them and I can't go against them in anything. There were things I did not like about slavery on some plantations, whuppin* and sellin1 parents and children from each other but I haven't much to 211 say. I was treated good. | Don't know much about Abraham. Lincoln, haven't much to express about Mr. Roosevelt. He is a mighty pleasant man tho1* I learned to read and write after the war. I could not read and write when I was a soldier.* AC 320272 212 yt C. District ETo. 2 Subject Sx-Slave Stories_______ Worker Mary A. Hicks Person Interviewed Adora Rienshaw jo. Words 453 Editor Daisy Bailev Waitt______ # ¥ 320272 813 EX-SLAVE STORIES An interview with Adora Rienshaw, 92, of 431 South Blood- worth Street, Raleigh. "I wuz borned at Beulah, down hyar whar Garner am now, an* my parents wuz Cameron an' Sally Perry. When I wuz a month old we moved ter Raleigh. "We wuz calledf01e Issues, case we wuz mixed wid de whites. My pappy wuz borned free, case his mammy wuz a white 'oman anr his pappy wuz a coal-black nigger man. Hit happened in Mississippi, do* I doan know her name *cept dat she wuz a Perry. "She wuz de wife of grandfather's marster an' dey said dat he wuz mean ter her. Grandfather wuz her coach- man an* he often seed her cry, an' he'd talk ter her an' try ter comfort her in her troubles, an' dat's de way dat she come ter fall in love wid him. "One day, he said, she axed him ter stop de carriage an' come back dar an' talk ter her. When he wuz back dar wid her she starts ter cry an' she puts her purtty gold haid on his shoulder, an' she tells him dat he am her only friend, an' dat her husban' won't eben let her have a chile. -2- 214 "Hit goes on lak dis till her husban1 fin's out dat she am gwine ter have de baby. Dey says dat he beats her awful an* when pappy wuz borned he jist about went c»azy. Anyhow pappy wuz bound out till he wuz twenty-one an* den he wma free, case no person wid ary a drap of white blood can be a slave. "When he wuz free he corned ter Raleigh an1 from de fust I can remember he wuz a blacksmith an1 his shop wuz on Wolcotrs Corner. Dar wuz jist three of us chilluns, Charlie, Narcissus^ an' me an* dat wuz a onusual small family. "Before de war Judge Bantin's wife teached us niggers on de sly, an* atter de war wuz over de Yankees started Hayes's school. I ain't had so much schoolin' but I teached de little ones fer seberal years. "De southern soldiers burned de depot, which wuz be- tween Cabarrus an1 Davie Streets den, an1 dat wuz ter keep de Yankees from gittin' de supplies. Wheeler's Cavalry wuz de meanest troops what wuz. "De Yankees ain't got much in Raleigh, case de Con- federates has done got it all an* gone. Why fer a long time dar de way we got our salt wuz by boilin* de dirt from de smoke house floor where de meat has hung an' dripped. -3- 215 "I'm glad slaveiy is ober, eben do' I ain't neber been no slave. But I tell yo' it's bad ter be a'Gle Issue*." f 3 20237 H". C. District Ko. 2 Works r T. Pat Matthews No. Worrits 712 216 Subj ect Celia Robinson Story teller Celia Robinson Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 32u23 f Qi'V CELIA ROBINSON 611 S. Cabarrus St. nly name, full name, is Celia Robinson. I can't rest, I has nuritus so bad; de doctor says it's nuritus. I do not know my age, I wus eight or ten years old at de close o* de -war. De ole family book got burned up, house an1 all. I wuz borned a slave. Dat's what my father and mother tole me. My father, he 'longed to Dr. Wiley Perry of Louisburg, N. C, Franklin Co.', an1 my mother rlonged to McKnight on an adjoining plantation. I do not s know McKnight's given name. My father wu£ named Henderson Perry. He wuz my marster' s shop man (blacksmith). My mother wu$$ named Peggy Perry. McKnight *s wife wus named Penny. I member her name. ttI member when de Yankees came ter my mother's house on de McKnight plantation near Louisburg an' day went intar her things. When de Yankees came down my brother Buck Perry drug me under de bed and tole me to lie still or de Yankees would ketch me. I member de sweet music dey played an' de way dey beat de drum. Dey came right inter de house. Dey went inter her chist; they broke it open. Dey broke de safe open also. Dey took 2. 218 mother's jewelry* But she got it back. Missus went ter de captain an' dey give back, de jewelry. My missus wu£ de cause of her gittin' it back, :— "I wuz old enough to go up ter where my brother kept de cows when de war ended. I member where he kept de calves. My brother would carry me up dere ter hold de calves off when dey wus milking de cows. My marster would take me by de hand and day 'Now, Celia, you must be smart or I will let de bull hook you.' He often carried me up to de great house an' fed me. He give me good things ter eat. ^es, I am partly white. It won't on my mother's side tho', but let's not say anything about dat^jist let dat go. Don't say anything about dat. Marster thought a lot o' me. Marster and missus thought there wus nothin' like me. Missus let me tote her baaket,and marster let me play wid his keys. "I cannot read an* write. I have never been ter school but one month in my life. When I wugf a little girl I had plenty ter eat, war, an' a good time. •I'member when my father would come ter see mother* Be patterollers tole him if he didn't stop coming home so* much dey wu* go in' ter whip him. He had a certain knock on de door, den mother would let him in. "T 'member how mother tole me de overseer would come ter her when she had a young child an' tell her ter go 3. 219 home and suckle dat thing, and she better be back in de field at work in 15 minutes. Mother said she knowed she could not go home and suckle dat child and git back in 15 minutes so she would go somewhere an* sit down an' pray de child would die, **We lived at Dr. Wiley Perry's one year atter de war, then we moved ter de plantation of Seth Ward, a white man who was not married, but he had a lot of mulatto children by a slave woman o1 his. We stayed dere four years, den we moved ter de Charles Perry plantation. Father stayed dere and raised 15 children an* bought him a place near de town o* Franklinton. I got along during my early childhood better dan I do now. ¥es, dat I did, I plowed, grubbed an* rolled logs right atter dewar, I worked right wid de m«n» *I married Henry Rofciaann. We married on de Perry plantation. We had two children born ter us, Ada an* Ella. Dey are both dead, I wish I had had two dozen children. I have no children now. If I had had two dozen maybe some would be wid me now. I am lonesome and unable to work. I have been trying to wash and iron fer a livin*, fcut now I am sick, unable to work. I live with my grand- son an1 I have nothing.* \ 520236 220 K. C. District Ho. 2 Subject GEORGE ROGERS________ Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed George Rogers Bo. Words 1239______ Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt_____ w&&. 320236 221 GEORGE ROGERS Ex-Slave Story "George Rogers is the name. I has carried fur 94 years an' over. I will be 95 the first day o* this co.min' August. Louis Rogers wuz my father. My mother wuz Penny Rogers. All my brothers an' sisters are dead except one sister. She is livin* in Buffalo, Few York. She is somewhere in » seventy years old. She wuz the baby in our home. My mother an' father an' all o* us belonged to Felix Rogers. He lived in the edge or Wake County next to Greenville County, liy mother came from Canada. My master came here from Canada an' married here. He married old man Billy Shipp's daughter. Her name wuz Matilda Shipp. "I cannot read an' write. Dey did not 'low no niggers to handle no papers in dem days. Master had three plan- tations an' about one hundred slave®. We had good houses an' plenty to eat. My master wuz a good man. We had no church on the plantation, but we had prayermeeting in our houses. He 'lowed dat an1 when dey had big meeting, he made us all go. We had dances or. anything else we wanted to at night. We had corn shuckings, candy pullings, an' all the whiskey an' brandy we wanted. My daddy didn't do fiuthin* but 'still for him. Whiskey wuz only ten cents a -2- 222 quart den. "I have never seen him really whup a slave any more dan he whupped his own chilluns. He whupped us all together when we stole watermelons and apples.. He made us chillun, white and black, eat together at a big table to ourselves. V/e had ordinary clothes, but we all went alike. In the summer and winter we all went barefooted and in our shirt tails mos* er de time. His chilluns wuz just as bad fer goin' barefooted as we niggers wuz. "We had our patches, and he allowed us to have the money we made on rem. Our houses were called slave quarters. Our marsters house wuz a big fine two story-house. We slaves called it 'de great house*, None er de slaves from Marster Roger1s plantation never run away. "We chillun played de games uv marbles, cat ball, an1 we played base, prison base. At night we all played peep squirrel in the house. We played blind fold and tag. "We fished a lot in Briar Creek* V/e caught a lot a' fish. Sometimes we used pin hooks, we made ourselves. We would trade our fish to missus for molasses to make candy out uv. "When we got sick v/e had a doctor. His name wuz Dr. Hicks. I never Wuz sick, but some uv de res' wuz. We had an old colored man who doctored on all us chillun. He give us roots an' herbs. "3- 223 "Yes sir, I have seen slaves sold. My marster died the year the war started; den dey had a big sale at our house. Dey had a sale, an* old man Askew bought a whole lot o' our niggers. I don't know his name only dey called him 'old man Askew1. He lived on Salisbury Street Baleigh, down near de Rex Hospital, Corner Salisbury and Lenoir Streets. Old man Askew wuz a slave speculator. He didn't do nothinr but buy up slaves and sell fem. He carried de ones he bought at our house to Texas. He bought my half-sister and carried her to Texas. Atter de surrender I saw her in Texas once, never no more. "When de war begin dey carried young marster off. His name wuz William Rogers, an' dey sent me to wait on 'im. I wuz in camp wid 'im up here by de old Fair Grounds. Atter we got there I seed old Colonel Farrabow, he wuz Colonel o ' dat regiment. We all lefr Raleigh on wagons, an' I don't knoir whur we went atter we leff Raleigh; I wuz las*. We got on de train at Fayetteville, whur dey kept de rations. We went to a place whur dere wuz a lot o" water. I don't know its name. We were dere about three days when dey had a battle, an* den Colonel Farrabow come round an' tole me marster wuz gone. He told us to go to the breas'works and work. I stayed dere three years and eight months. Den dey had anudder battle dar just befo1 I lef*, and de Yankees tucf de place« -4- 234 "I went to de Yankees den. Dey give me clothes, shoes, sumtin to eat, and some money too. I worked for 'em while dey were camped in Raleigh. I come wid 'em back to Raleigh* Dey were camped on Newbern Avenue ani Tarboro Street and all out in Gatlin* Field in de place now called Lincoln Park. De Yankees, when dey tuc1 us, tole us ter come on wid *em. Dey tole us to git all de folksrs chickens and hogs. We wuz behind 'em, an1 we had plenty. Dey made us steal anr take things fur 'em. Wheeler*s Calvary went before us, dat*s why dey wuz so rich. Dey got all de silver, an* we got de chickens and hogs. "De Yankees skinned chickens and geese. Dey cut hogs an' cows up an1 den skinned rem. Dey took jis' part of a cow sometime, jis* de hind quarters an1 lef de res1. We went to one place, an' de white 'oman only had one piece of meat an' a big gang o' little chillun. I begged de Yankees to let dat piece of meat alone, she wuz so pof, but de officer tole *em to take it, an' dey took her las' piece or meat. HI stayed wid de Yankees two years arter de surrender. Dey carried me to Florida when I lef Raleigh, when I lef* *em in Florida I went ter Texas to min1 cattle. I stayed in Texas seven years. Den Mr. Hardie Pool from down here at Battle Bridge, Wake County come out dere. When he started home I couldnrt stan' it no longer, an' I jis tole him I wuz goin* back home to Horth Carolina. No Sir, when I got home, I would not go back. Uo mo mindin * cattle in Texas fur me* I married arter I come back here. I married Polly Bancomb first, den a roman named Betsy Maynard, and las*, Emily Walton. MWhen de surrender come marster wuz dead, but he lef it so dat all his slaves who had families got a piece o' Ian1. Dere were four of *em who got Ian'. He wuz dead dor, but missus done like he had it fixed. r "We had white overseers. Old man John Robinson stayed there till de surrender; den he lef. We used to kill squirrels, turkeys, an* game wid guns. When marster went off some of us boys stole de guns, an* away we went to de woods hunt in1. Marster would come back drunk. He would not know, anr he did not care nuther, about we huntin1 game. W$ caught possums an* coons at night wid dogs. Marsa an1 missus wuz good to us. UI heerd a heap uv talk about Abraham Lincoln, but I don't know nuthin' bout him. I like Mr- Roosevelt all right. He is all right as fur as I know of 'am. I digs fish worms fer a livin* J I can't work much. I jist works awhile in the mornin1. I don't git anything from charity, de county, ner de State. I don1 have much. Dese are de bes*. shoes I has. i)ey flinged dem away, an1 I,picked 'em up. Devis just rags uv shoes. I shore need, shoes. isp m 4 1^1 236 H. C. District No. 2 Subject HATTIE ROGERS Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed Hattie Rogers No. Words 1172______ Editor G. L. Andrews__________ "•20133 "---- 337 HATTIS ROGERS "I was born a slave in New Bern, If. C, Craven County, the 2nd day of March 1859. My full name is Hattie Rogers. My mother's name was Roxanna Jeffreys. Her husband was named Gaston Jeffreys, but he was not my father. I/y father was Levin Eubanks, a white man. I was born before ray mother was married. I called my father Marse Levin. We belonged to Allen Eubanks of Hew Bern, N. C. and his sister's son was ivy father. His sister was named Harriot and I was named after her. Marster didn't care who our fathers was jest so the women had children. My father died in 1910. liy mother was 15 years old when I was born. When I was a little girl they moved us out to the plantation on the White Oak River; in Onslow County where we had plenty to eat and wear. We made the stuff and we ate it. Cur marster was good to us. Marster carried me around in his arms a whole lot. He would say to me, 'Come on Harriot, and lets go get a dram. If you're like your daddy I know you like it.' "Our marster did not whip us or allow anyone else to whip us. "When the Yankees took Few Bern, two years before the war ended,, we all were refuged to Franklin County to keep them from setting us free. All who could swim the river -2- and get to the Yankees were free. Some of the men swum the river and got to Jones County, then to Hew Bern and freedom. One of these was Alec Parker. The White Oak River was in Onslow County bordering Jones County. There was a lot of slaves who did this, but he is the only one I personally remember* "When we got to Franklin County, we saw plenty of patterollers, and many of the men were whipped. Mother's husband was beat unmercifully by them. "There was no churches on the plantation, but we went to the white folks church and sat on the back seats. The white people was friendly to us in the eastern part of the state. Indeed it was more stiff up in Franklin County. Some of the slave-owners was very mean to their slaves. I remember seeing some of the slaves almost beat to death. Lawsy mercy, that was a time. I saw a slave-owner whip a colored woman named Lucy, his servant. He was named John Ellis, Judge Ellis*s son in Franklinton. uliy mother cooked for Judge Ellis then. John Ellis whipped Lucy because he found a piece of pickle outside the pantry door. He accused her of stealing it. There was a string attached to a bell, near where Lucy stayed. She was a house girl. He accused her of stealing the picfiile and leav- ing it there when the bell rung, and she had to go in the house. 328 -3- 229 He made her strip to her waist and then he made her hug' a tree. He whipped her with a cowhide whip until she could only say in a weal?: voice, 'Oh pray! Harster John'. Major Thomason was there, and he went to Marse John and said 'John, don't kill the dam nigger.' "A lot of the white folks hid in the woods and in caves ana swamps. They hired slaves out when they didn't need 'em themselves. They hid jewelry in hoss stables by digging holes, putting the jewelry in, and then replacing the straw. "When the slaves was sent from a/hite Oak to Franklinton before Lee surrendered they had to walk all the way. We children was carried in dump carts drawn by mules. My mars- ter nor none of his boys was ever in the Confederate Army, when they got us to Franklinton they put us in jail for safe keeping. "If a woman was a good breeder she brought a good price on the auction block. The slave buyers would come around and jab them in the stomach and look them over and if they thought they would have children fast they brought a good price. "Just before the war started when the birds would sing around the well, Missus would say, 'War is coming, them birds singing is a sign of.war; the Yankees will come and kill us all.' I can see the old well now jest as plain. It had a sweep and pole. You pulled the sweep over by -4- 230 pulling the pole and bucket down into the well. ^hen it sunk into the water, the heavy sweeD pulled it up again* f,I wouldn!t tell anything wrong on my ole marster for anything. He was good to all of us. He offered my mother a piece of land after the war closed, but motherrs husband would, not let her accept it* Ivy- grandmother took ajplace he offered her. He gave her fifty acres of land and put a nice frame building on it* nThe man we belonged to never was married. He bought a woman who had two little girls, on named Lucy and the other Abbie. He took Lucy for a house girl to wait on his mother. She had eleven children by him. They're all dead except one^ 4ill the missus I ever had was a slave, and she was this same Lucy* Yes, sir he loved that woman, and when he died he left all his property to her. "Yflien the slaves on the plantation got sick they relied mostly on herbs. They used sage tea for fever, poplar bark water for chills. "TOien the husbands and brothers and sweethearts were gone to the war the white ladies would sing. Annie Ellis and Mag Thomas would sing these pitiful songs. cAdieu my friends, I bid you adieu, I'll hang my heart on the willow tree and may the world go well with you.* "When I was three years old I remember hearing this •5" song. 'Old Beau-regard and Jackson came running down to lanassas, I couldn't tell to save my life which one could run the fastest, Hurray boys, hurray 1 "* "When the surrender came the Yankees rocked the place where we were in. We were in a box car. They wanted to ?et a light-colored slave out. "The Yankee officers came and gave mother*s husband a gun and told him to shoot anyone who bothered us. They put a guard around the car, and they walked around the car all night. "My mother was dipping snuff when the Yankees came. Cne rode up to her and said, 'Take that stick out of your mouth. • Mother was scared when the Yankees tried to break in on us. She cried and hollered murder I and I cried too. I din't know about freedom. I was too young to realize much about it. When the war ended I had just been hired out. I was never sent off. I think slavery was an awful thing, and that Abraham Lincoln was a good man because he set us free." 231 LE 320033 2Z2 IT. C. District Ho. 2 Subject liSKKY" RCUKTRES_______ './orker Mary A. Hicks Person Interviev/ed Henry Rountree Ho. Words 669______ Editor G. L. Andrews________ 330033 HENRY ROUI-JTKEB J Henry Rouritree, 103 years old, of near Mews am* s Store in V/ilson County. !,I wus borned an* bred in Wilson County on de plantation of Mr. Dock-Rountree. 1 wus named fer his oldest son, young Karse Henry, tty mammy, Adell, my.pappy, Shark, an"* my ten brothers an* sisters lived dar, an' aldo* we works middlin* hard we has de grandes* times ever. "We has two er three corn shuckings ever* fall, we has wood splittin* days an* invite de neighbc.-*s in de winter time* De wimmen has quiltin's an* dat night we has a dance* In de col* winter time when we*d have hog killin*s we*d invite de neighbors case dar wus a hundret er two hogs ter kill *fore we quit* Yes, mam, dem wus de days when folkses, white an* black, worked tergether. "Dar wus Candy pullin's when we makes., de * lasses an' at Christmas time an* on Mew Year's Eve we has a all night dance. On Christmas mornin* we serenaded de marster's family an* dey gived us fruits, candy an* clothes. ^My marster had game cocks what he put up to fight an* dey wus valuable. Jhen I.wus a little feller he had one rooster that. *ud whup me ever* time I got elose ter him, he*d whup young Bfersfc ifenry too, so both of ms hated; lim*s; w "One day we set down wid bruised backs ter decide how ter git rid of dat ole rooster, not thinkin* *bout how touch he cost. We. made our plans, anr atter gittin* a stick apiece ready we starts drappin* a line of corn to de ole well out in de barnyard. De pesky -/varmint foilers de corn an* when he gits on de brink of de well we lets him have it wid de sticks an' pretty shortly he am drownded. Marse ainrt never knowed it nother. wDe missus had a ole parrot what had once 'longed ter her brother who wus a sea captain. Bat wus de cussingest thing I ever seed an1 he'd Cuss ever'bod^ an* ever*thing. One day two neighborhood men wus pass±nf when dey heard somebody 'holler Hfeft a minute.* Ihen dey turns *roun* de ole parrot sez, *G© on now, I «Jist wanted ter see how you looks, Great God what ugly men I 'An* de ole thing laughs fit ter bust. wDat ole parrot got de slaves in a heap of trouble so de day when de hawk caught him we mis tickled pink. Be hawk sailed off wid de parrot sereamin* over an* over, 'Pore polly's ridin*. We laughed too quick case de hawk am skeerd an' turns de ole fool parrot loose* ^at's things lak dat dat I 'members mostly, but I does rmembe# when de news of de war come. ®le missus says dat de . '¦;¦¦ i '¦ ¦ . : ¦-., . . ;;:iril2S- of i>$iiI10rd-.be'¦¦¦done. ..-Bea.'bl©-:Mars.e- see -.dat>his;:slJaves -3- '*De war comes on an* as de niggers learns dat dey am free dar am much shoutin' an rejoicin1 on other plantations, but dar ain't nothin* but,.sorrow on ours, case de marster • sez dat he always give us ev/er*thing dat we needs ter make us happy ljifeit he be drat if fen he is gwine ter give us money ter fling away. So we all has ter go. ftGle marster do an live long atter de war am ""over, but till de day dat he wus buried we all done anything he ax us. "I has done mostly farm work all of my life, an* work aroun1 de house. Fer years an* years I lives on a part of Karse's land an* atter dat I lives here I ain't got no kick « comin* 'bout nao^in^; 'cept dat X wants my ole age pension, I does,::anl I'd, like to say too, Miss, dat de niggers *ud be better off in slavery. I ain't seed no happy niggers since dem fool Yankees come along.11 LE $%Ml*$% -f. ^y^ §0Mm4:. &?;sQ(?:::;m$Mi$$: ¦NS^ 520145 236 By Miss Nancy Watkins Madison, Rockingham County 3iography Sketch of Ex-Slave, Anderson Scales, 82 Three fourths of a mile from his master's mansion in Madison on Hunter Street, with his large plug tobacco factory across the street on the corner (where^l937 stands the residence of Dr. Wesley McAnally,) in some "quarters" which Nat Pitcher Scales had near Beaver Island Greek, Anderson was born to slave mother, Martha Scales of a father, "man name uh Edwards*" Baby Anderson was the slave of William Scales, at one time the world's largest manufacturer of plug or chew- ing tobacco and he was named for Henry Anderson, the husband of Mrs. William Scales* sister. Cabins here "quarters" consisting of three or four log ones. Cabins were near the old "free white schoolhouse" or rather the "schoolhouse" for whites. Rolling around the yards with the other picka- ninnies, Anderson passed his babyhood, and when he was a boy he went to be house boy at Marse Jim Dick Card- well's on Academy Street facing Nat Pitcher Scales' home, later that of Col. John Marion Gallaway. Here he learned good manners and to be of good service. Later he was houstboy in the big house just beyond the 237 Methodist church at James Cardwell's who had a rail! five miles west of Kadison and whose wife was Sallie Martin; granddaughter of Governor Alexander Martin. Here Anderson learned more good manners and rendered more good house boy service such as sweeping floors, bringing in "turns" (armfuls) of fireplace wood, draw- ing water from the yard well and toting it into the house, keeping flies off the dining table, carrying out slops and garbage, for every town house had its back lot pigs. Larger Anderson was hired «o Nat V/all, (color- ed) farmer and blacksmith, then to Joshua V/all, white planter of Dan Valley nertheast of town a few miles. White men would get contracts to have the mail carried to various towns and Anderson Scales was hired by one of these contractors to carry the mail from Madison to Kt. Airy, fifty miles distant in north- west Smrry County. Ee would go by horse and sulky (sulky) on Monday, return on '.Wednesday; go on Thurs- day, return on Saturday. This was in the late 1870's and 1880rs. During the tobacco season, he worked in factories in Winston (no Salem then) and Greensboro. Then he worked in Nat Scales' factory in Madison and in that of his former Marster, William Scales. He married Cora Dalton and started his home a mile up 3 238 the Ayresville road from town. The railroads having come with the conse- quent transporting of freight to and fro, Anderson started a public dragying business of one horse and a wagon, which lasted thirty eight years and v/as given up,vby hin^ to his son-in-law, Arthur Cable who now, in 1937, has an auto-truck and hauls large paper poxes from the Gem Dandy Suspender and Garter Company lo- cated across Franklin Street from Anderson*s house boy home, that of James Cardwell, to the post office* From the freight train depot, Arthu. hauls merchandise also in paper cartons to the feed stores which do not own an auto truck of their own, and he hauls to the garter factory a few two by three foot wooden boxes loaded with metal fillings for the suspenders. This is a complete contrast to the loads '^drayed'* by An- derson through the 1880 »s, 1890's and the 1900 »s to about 1915 when the automobile began to change the world of transportation, and Anderson's one horse wagon dray business along with it. ^/For thirty-eight years Anderson met every train to capture the trunks of visitors or "drummers* in town. Two immense hog- heads packed with leaf tobacco was sold on the floors of Webster*s ware house and Planters* warehouse. Two stacks of tobacco baskets loaded with the bundles of leaf, Anderson, five feef high, and his lean horse could dray from the sales floors to the packing houses r-7 239 where the -tobacco v/as packed and pressed into the hogs- heads or else stored for removal at a greater profit. One such packing house was converted into the Gem Dandy Garter Factory about 1915', and today three of the ori- ginal five remain. One or two are still used for to- bacco packing, though the season of 1936-1937 marked the hauling of immense loads of tobacco direct from the sales floors to the WinstOEHSalem buyers. One pack house is used as a fertilizer sales houset One loaded to the roof comb with heavily insured tobacco was mysteriously burned during the irld War where such insurance collections were the fashion I Thus Anderson's dray business dwindled. Any kind of haul- ing he could get done, and his horses as they died from strenuous work would be replaced by others who in no time learned the meaning of Anderson's constant pulls on their reins and his constant and meaningful clucks. With no swivel features to his wagon, Ander- son could nevertheless work the horse and wagon into any kind of close position for leading and unloading. He always said the baggage of the writer was the heaviest he carried. This was so because of books packed in the trunk or in boxes and twenty-five cents a piece was the fareI 240 Anderson*s wife and children at home wdre making the acre homestead pay with cow, pigs, chickens and vegetables quickly grown on soil enriched from his dray horse stable as well as the cow stable: "snaps", tomatoes, Irish potatoes, roasting ears, butterbeans, squash in the summer, in the spring mustard and onions; in the winter "sallet" from the "seven top" and turnips, tool Fruit trees planted in time gave fruit for eating, canning and "pursurving" while all the little darkies knew where wild strawberries, crab apples and black berries grew for the picking. With "ommuh taking in white folks washing and the dray horse money coming in, Anderson Scales prospered in Madison where he start- ed from zero scratch. He had money in the bank. Anderson said after "Srenduh", he learned to read and write at a negro free school taught by Matilda Phillips. VTith his wife, Cora Dalton, sister of Sam. Dalton, Anderson joined the African Methodist Church fifty years ago. This was located just across the street from the home of his former employer, Nat Wall until 1925 when it was abandoned with its parsonage and a new brick church built on the Mayodan road with stained glass memorial, windows, electric lights, piano, well finished interior, and christened St. Stephen*s Methodist Episcopal Church. The omission of the word *Southtt emphasized the fact that the members consider- 241 ed it a northern Methodist church as well as African. In this church, Anderson was exhorter, trustee and class leader. In then religious cavities, his edu- cation by the colored teacher, Matilda Phillips was a great help to him. Anderson's second v/ife was Dinah Strong who had no children. She died December, 1933 from a goiter on her throat. For ten years or more Anderson has operated a grocery store in the corner of the Mayodan and the Ayresville roads. Customers come m ?e at night, so Anderson has time in the day to work his garden patches of onions, snaps and the like and to stop and rest on the porch of the small store house. Clad in good dark elothes, a low crowned derby hat, he often snoozes as he rests his eighty-two year old frame. Anderson and many of his children were dis- tinguished by their very large round eyes with much white showing. One of his sons inherited the blackness of his skin. This was "Little Anderson" who once sought a warrant from a local justice to punish |gy trial some boy at the tobacco warehouse, who had remarked thus: "Boy, charcoal would leave a light mark on your skinJ" 242 Anderson's son, '/ill Scales, was the first husband of Bertha who had to nurse him through the terrible spells he would have from liquor debauchery, will was the servant of the Nat Picket family and once Llrs. Pickett herself went down to their home and nursed Will through one of his terrible"cramping \v spells. After Will Scales' death, Bertha married Gleve Booker, plumber, ex-World War veteran and of surpassing "good nature from Washington, Georgia. Their oldest son they named Ghilicothe, Ohio,because at that city, Gleve was in war camp and met bertha who had gone there to go out in service. Some of Anderson Scales other children still live in Madison in homes marked by good construction, clean well furnished interior, artistic surroundings. Martha married Arthur Gable who also holds an honored place in the church. One daughter married Ode 11 Dyson. Fannie Sue married Thompson. Walter married Morris Garter's daughter. He died in early 1937 of pneumonia in West Virginia. So his widow went to help take care of "Pap Anderson". Nancy Scales married iSler William. Wells. When told tnat the pioneer graveyard of the Scaleses which is a mile or so west of his store was a thick tangle of growth andnno stones to the once wealthy 8 tobacco manufacturer, William Scales, Unka Anderson exjesxx exclaimed May 19, 19371 "You don't mean to tell me my ole Marse ain't got no tombstone to his ^rave". A merchant's wife stated that about 1930, Anderson had more ready cash in the bank of Madison than any white man in town, but Uncle Anderson^dis- claimed this. But the Depression of 1930-1934 did not in- jure this energetic black man who started in a "quar- ters" cabin a mile or so west of his )resent home and store, lived all his life in Madison and faces the "one clear call" with comfortable snoozes on his own front porch. Respected by white and colored,Anderson Scales, 82, has guided his life by the gospel preached by .his pastor, also an ex-slave, William Scales of Madieon. 243 # a&#&.' 320196 244 By Miss Nancy Watkins Madison, Horth Carolina Rockingham County BIOGRAPHY OF EX*SLAVE» CATHERINB SCALES About ten years old at the "Srenduh*, now quite feeble, but aristocratic in her black dress, white apron and small sailor hat made of black taffeta silk with a milliner's fold around the edge, Aunt Cathe- rine is small, intensely black with finely cut features and thin lip. Her hand is finely mooted, fingers long and slender, Her voice is soft and x>ise marks her personality* Sallie Martin, a ginger cake colored woman, sixty-five, has lived as a kind of caretaker with Aunt Catherine since 1934 and thereby gets her own roof and refreshment. For Aunt Catherine has got- ten ^relief* from the county welfare chief, Mrs. John Lee Wilson, and Jeff Scales, seventy, brings Sallie to the "relief* dispensary in his two horse wagon for the apples or onions or grape fruits or prunes with dried bena, milk, canned beef or potatoes as the stores yield. A white horse and a brown mule comprise the team, and several dogs trot along side. Sally also small and frail looking sits in a chair planted in the flat wagon bed behind the drivers' seat, a plank resting on the sides. Jeff drives close to the door, alights and helps Sallie step on to the back of the bed, thence to a chair he has placed, then to the graund, juat as "2" 245 polite whites did to their women folks after the war when they would ride to town or to'church or to picnics , in wagons in order to carry the family, the servants, the dinner, horse feed, water bucket, chairs, cushions. Sallie gets in line, presents Aunt ^Catherine's card , which she has gotten by mail, hears the dispensing lady call to the helping men what Aunt Catherine is to have, and Struggles to the door with it where Jeff meets her, transfers the load to his wagon bed. Then with his hands he steadies Sallie as she mounts the chair, then the back of the wagon b^d, over the side with voluminous long skirts, and ola fashioned ruffled sun bonnet.! Off to the hilly north part of Madison called Freetown, Jeff's expertly guides his team through automobile traffi. During the worst of the depression Aunt Sallie said she kept her coal reserve in a tub up- stairs so nobody could steal it. Aunt Katherine strengthened by her relief food can talk comfortably.v • ir •I shure did love my white fokes - Ole Marse, Timberlikk (Timberlake) an* Ole Miss Mary Timberlikk. My mother, Lucy Ann Timberlikk hough their portraits at the sale of the old Timberlake things, and kepp them an' brought them with her to Madison, when we moved up here, an kepp them until mummy was in her last sickness, an' two of Ole Misses daughters came over from Greens- -3- 246 boro, anr begged, - an mammy sold the pictures to them for a quarter a piece. I still have Ole Misses mother's dish, though. I've got in packed away in a safe place. I'll get it and show it to you. It is a large flat platter of the ware called iron, ware and was generally used to serve fried ham and eggs while the gravy came in a small deep dish. In summer, a heap of snaps greasy with middling meat slashed and boiled down dry with Irish potatoes around the edge-came to table in the platter. The keeper of the Timber] ke oil portraits was Lucy, slave of Nat Scales, and Lucy's husband was Nathan Scales. Slave Nat Scales (named for Marse Nat) had married a black woman who came "across the water", Sallis Green who become by purchase Sallie Scales. Thus Aunt Katherine recalls her grandmother as one who "cum over the water with a white lady". The purchaser Mrs. Scales was from the LeSeur family. Her father was clerk of the Rockingham county court as early as and kept the session records of his Presbyterian church in a fine neat script. "The LeSeurs had as big a house as the Scales house at Deep Springs. I've stayed many a nite in it. It was next to Ole Marse Jimmie Scaleses. John Durham Scales, Marse Jimmy's grandson lived and died in it - ¦ his grandmother's house, the oJd Le Seur place, ten miles down the Dan river towards Leaksville. Miss "4" 247 Mary Le Seur married Marse Gus Timberlikk, an was the grandmother of William Timberlake Lipscomb who used to come up to Madison and go to Dr. Schuck's Beulah Academy just after the Srenduh. When Marse Billy'd get lonesome, he'd go down to Spring Garden and dance with the Scales girls. Ole Marse Le oSeur's wife was Miss Lizzie Scales Marse Jimmie's. • Nome, us slaves didn't have no chuch. Marse Hat Scales ud let his slaves go to the babtizings. I could hoe but I didn't do much clean up work. I spun on a great big wheel that w t m-m-ai-m-m. I wish I had a big wheel to spin on right now. My mammy, Lucy Ann, could weave. She sho loved her white fokes. Cullud fokes didn't have much sence den. she would take cow hair and kyard and spin it with a little cottin in (to rolls, and then she'd weave cloth out of it. "An how they made their shoes den: My father would cut shoes out of the raw cowhide and put them on bottoms (soles) he cut out uv wood. An he couldn't run in them a-tall, just had to stomp along! An day didn't put on shoe till nearly Christmas. Schooling Aunt Katherine said she 'learned her letters1* in a school fuh cullud fokes only taught by Mr. Sam. Allen just after the Srenduh close to the old Timber- lake place. Mr. Sam was the son of Mr/val (entine) -6- 248 Allen an Eiss Betsy Martin Cshe was the granddaughter of Governor Martin) "Sometimes Miss Betsy»d git worried with little nigguh rolling roun on de floor thub hader under her feet, an* she'd say: "Gway! Gway!! Gway fum hyuhl Gway tuh Pamlieo! An the little nigguhs'd says "Miss Betsy, whah's ,-Pamplico?1* "Nine miles tother sede o* hell!* »Yesin Mr. Sam Allen learn't me my letters. He was crippled. He married a Grogan, an* two Allen girls married Grogans - one, Mary! ir. Val's father was William Allen. I went to Mr. Vaul Allen's funer- al an he was buried on his father's ole place, an Miss Betsy too. "How de cullud fokes did hate to be sold down south in de cotton country! One time ole Marse Jimmy Scales wuz go sell uh hunduhd down south, and he died, an' all de cullud fokes wuz glad he died dause he vpiz go sell urn, an of tuh he died, day didn^t half tuh be sold way fum home. "One slave woman wuz sold way fum home - had three chilloin, and daze six an eight an ten yuh.s ole. She sang a song juss fo day tuh hub off. She put her three children between her knees. She sung, "Lord, Be mm m «* -6- 249 ¦e- ¦Q- ¦e- ¦Q- rj do - me - sol "Remembuh=; me - re- do - sol - te - sol - me - do - do - sol- Remembuh me Oh Lord fa - me - sol remembuh~me - do This was sung full of quavers and pathos, and entreaty. "Den she cried! An dey t :>k huh off, and de chillun never saw her no more* wAftuh I learned my lettuhs at Marse Sam Al- iens school, I learned a Bible verse ebry day an if I want bixxy I8d learn ah half uh chaptuh. I read some newspapers, and some story books de Miss Mary Timberlikk give us chillun to read an look ovuh. I learned to write in a copy book, an I8d write stories about Christ, and several different stories. I filled a great big copy book with practice. I learned the most, tho*, from Webstuh*s Weekly in ReidsviHe. We took that papuh go in on five yuhs. I read evrything in it. ^JTome, I didn*t know Miss Irene McGehiet. flkele John R. Webster made that paper. It sure wuz a good paper! ttMy daddy wuz Marse Iat*s slavef an Porter Scales wuz his slave too. Ole Marse Jimmie Scale's mm was Sat Pitcher and John Durham, and John Durham -7- 250 went to wah. He took Richmond Scales long wiff him to wait on him* Cook fun him! Make his pallett Clean his clothes I Rub down his horse t Marse John Durum rd sleep with Richmond in de wintuh to keep him warm. Richmond *d carry him watuh in his canteen dur- ing a battle. Marse John Durum had on a ring that wuz carved and he tole Richmond take a good look at this ring -sose he'd know him by it, if he didn't kum up aftuh a battle. Richmond ud hole onto his hawse's tail, an go wif him fuhs he could fo a battle. "Yes'm I ma'd, Richmond £ ales when he wuz a widower an had a boy named Jeff. I never had no chillun. Jeff's (70) seventy now, an lives right ovuh cross de street dere in the other hous the Vadens built sixty years ago. I live in one, too." Aunt Katherine's house has a front room with stairway in the corner leading to one above. A back door leads to a side porch flanked by a two roomed ell, and ended by a pantry. Chimneys with fireplaces once gave heat, but economy had put in Aunt Katherine's tiny stove which she a lump at a time in the winters of de- pression and relief 1932 - 1937. A big fat clean double bed, bureau, wash stand, "centuh" table, chairs and the stairway con- sumed the living room floor space. "HomeI I joined de chuch after a big meet- in* held by preacher Richard Walker about 1907. I -8- joined the Methodiat Chuch an I have always loved to go tuh chuch. This street goes on and goes into the Mayodan road at our new brick (1925) Methodist Chuch. Richmond Scales, my husband died long ago5 my mother, about four years ago. She was very old I I wanted to move to Reidsville when we leff de ole plantation whab we could get more wok (waiting) waten on wimmen (ob- stetries) but the men fokes had kin fokes uphyuh, an we keem hyuh. rtI know whah de ole Sharp graveyard *bout two miles fum (east) Madison close to Mist Tunnuh (Turner) Peayrs; cause lots uh cuilud fokes uuried there an I went to the funerals. I could go straight tuh it.tt —00O00— 251 # 320167 0<_ * By Miss Nancy Watkins, volunteer Madison, North Carolina Story of Bx-Slave, Porter Scales Monday, December 19, 1933, the faithful color- ed friends of Uncle Porter Scales transported his body from St. Stephen*s African Methodist Episcopal Church located on the Madison-Mayodan highway to a plantation grave yard several miles east of town, along roads slippery with sleet. He was airied by the side of his first wife on the 130 acre farm which Uncle Porter said he bought from Mr. Ellick Llewellyn to raise his family on and which he later swapped to Mr., Bob Cardwell for a town house in Pocomo (Kemoca, a suburb from first syllables of promoters* names,(Kemp - Moore - Cardwell - Kemoca). In this town house, Un&le Porter passed away aged he thought ninety-seven. For a number of years, he had drawn a pension of $100.00 per year for his services to the Confederate govern- ment in hauling foodstuff from Charlotte, North Caro- lina to Danville, Virginia* Ai a gloye of Nat Pitcher Scales residing in the brick mansion on Academy Street across from the Metho- dist church, Porter came to Madison when ten years of age, and his memory held the^-development of Madison 253 from the erection of the churches around 1845 to de- tails like seeing little Bettie Carter (Mrs. B. Watkin's Me bane) cry from stage freight and pass up her "piece'* at school "exhibition" (commencement). He saw Madison grow from a tiny trading village with aristocratic slave holding citizens with "quarters" on their town lots to a town of 1500 with automobiles clipping by to Mayodan, a mill town of 2000, and a thickly populated^ though un- incorporated country side. In 1930, Uncle Porter was strucK. by an automobile, and since he poked his way about town cautiously with A his cane, no longer working as hanuy man to Thomas R. Pratt1 s family on the corner of Academy and Market streets. His slavery home was in a two roomed (with loft) cabin next door to the house Mr. Pratt built in 1890 when he moved to Madison from Leaksville. This cabin Col. Gallaway in the 1890rs had enlarged to house the Episcopate rector, Mr. Stickney. Uncle Porter's slave home stands in 1937, occupied by Mr. Pratt*s daughter, Mrs. Pearl Van Noppen and sons. Uncle Porter was ever very polite and humble, for all his contacts he thought had always been with the highest of Dan-river aristocracy. His medium, lean body, with a head like Julius Caesarrs was cover- ed with skin of "ginger cake color1*. On the Deep Springs Dan River plantation lived 254 Mrs. Timberlake whose daughter married Mr. Le Seur from an adjoining plantation just across the Dan river from Gov. Alexander Martin's Danbury plantation. She in time married Mr. Scales, and as property of this lady, Porter was born of legally married parents. Porter's brother, Nathan Scales, was given by his mistress to her daughter, when she married another Le Seur, and thus he became Nathan Le Seur. Both brothers have descendants in Madison of a high typeof citizenship. Porter, him- self was given the choice by his ole Miss of belonging to either of her two sons, John Durham Scales or Nathan- iel Pitcher Scales. Porter chose hat Scales as his young marse and come to Madison to live with him about 1845. By obeying orders from his marse Nat Pitcher Scales, Porter operated a train of fifteen wagons loaded with corn for the Confederate cavalry from Charlotte, North Carolina to Danville, Virginia. Thus a Confederate soldier, he in his old age received a pension. Porter said he got lots of practice in managing feed wagons by^ ^"Waggoning in Georgia" for his marster between the two cities, Augusta and Wadesboro. His master, he said, traded his services to ttDan River Jim Scales'* who H bossed* the teams between Augusta and Wadesboro which were owned by John Durham Scales and Dan li^er Jim Scales. These wagons also carried corn. Wat Pit-> cher, porter ^mm*!** fey choice, operated a aiire at 4 255 Wadesboro, Georgia. Uncle Porter's "waggoning in Georgia" shows Madison's connection with the far south not only through the Scales family but through other families. But the great honor of a tobacco country slave was that of beinj sold udown south to the cotton coun- try.* So after the war, Porter Scales came back to the Dan river in Rockingham county, and bought his 130 acres farm from Mr. Alex Llewellyn. He liked to recount his matrimonial matters except those of his second wife who married him for a rich nigger widower, and spent his hard won dollars freely for lace curtains and such to adorn the town house in aPoeomorl and finally forced him out of the tttown* house into the woodhouse in the yard where he lived some years, dying there. His church friends took charge of his body and kept it until put away by the side of his first wife. She, Martha Poy, he said in 1932 to me, was bought by Dr. Ben Poy of Madison from Wheeler Hancock of Went- roth. Six of their children are living near Madison and in West Virginia, Stephen and ^Lindsay Scales at the old place down at Deep'Springs. He told of Agoing tuh see* the attractive Betsy Ann, house girl slave of Mrs. Nancy Watkins Webster but was *cut out* by Noah Black. Aunt iPS' 250 Betsy Ann Black is remembered, .as being the superlative obstetrical nurse in homes of the rich about Madison, and was designated by them as being a "lady" if ever there was a negro lady. She was never dressed except in "cotton checks". "Being cut out" thus, Porter cited as evidence of his aristocratic associations for one of Aunt Betfsy's son became a Methodist preacher, and two of her grandaughters teachers in the public schools of North Carolina. Porter told of the white school teacher, Professor Seeker who taught in the Doll academy, Madison's old "female academy" which still stands (remodeled since 1900 into a dwelling) on Murphy Street at the 60 foot deep well in the street, by the old Dr. Robert Gallw— way house (standing still in 1937) just south of John H. Moore's five acre homeplace. Professor Seeker, he said left Madison and went wps. up on Baughn's Mountain to teach among the Baughns, Lewises and Higgies and Bibaons, pioneer families of that area. On that May 2, 1932 in his Kemoca yard, Uncle Porter recited the poem which little Bettie Garter forgot in stage freight at Professor Seeker's "exhibition" before Professor Jacob Doll ever started his "female school** All these pupils were pay .¦scholars". The free school for Madison, the "old field school- house'* was way down the hill from the old Dr. Smith 257 house near Beaver Island Greek. Only white folks inti- mate with itch, head lice and ling standing poverty then sent their children to the "free ole feel school- house" . Porter said as a laborer he helped build a big tobacco factory at Dr. Smith's old place. By 1880, this factory had been purchased by Madison negroes as community and fraternal "Hall" for assemblies. It served thus to 1925 when it was abandoned, and in 1936, it was torn down, the last of the several large plug tobacco factories operated in Madison 1845-1875 by the Scales, Daltons and Hays. Porter could name and designate vocationally Madison's early white residents, and others, too, whom his Marse Nat Scales visited. His story of some Civil T.7ar refugees led to how their slave girl, Rose, acquired a small farm two miles east of town held to this day (1937) by her descendants, the Ned Collins family of Madison. Rose acquired the farm by Kindness to its owners, who willed it to her. Forced to live in cellars in Petersburg, Virginia, (Mrs. A.. R. Holderby, William Holderby, Miss Fannie Holderby, Mrs. Aiken) because of bombording Federal shells 1864 came to Madison afflicted with tuberculosis. Their slave girl was Rose. The whites died except a son, who became a Presbyterian minister. The whites were buried on a hill just north of the pioneer Joel 258 Cardwell home (1937 Siegfired Smiths'). Rose was mar- ried to Uncle Henry Collins, and they lived on the place of Mrs. Louise V/hitworth and Scylla Bailey* These white women willed their tiny farm to Rose Collins be- cause of her kindness to them in their old age. # \\ \<$ S20146 259 N.C. District No. 2 Worke r s T, Pat Matthews No. Words: 1197______ Subject WILLIAM SCOTT Story Teller William. Scott Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320146 360 WILLIAM SCOTT Ex> Slave Story 401 Church St-, 77 years old, *^y name is William Scott, I live at 401 Church Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. I wuz born 1860, March 31st, I wuz free born. My father wuz William Scott, I wuz named after my father. My mother wuz Cynthia Scott, She wuz a Scott before she wuz married to my fathe . She wuz born free* As far back as I can learn on my mother's side they were always free* *My mother and father always told me my grandfather wuz bom of a white woman. My grandfather wuz named Elisha Scott, I have forgot her name. If I heard her name called I have forgot it« I$y grandfather on my mother* s side wuz a Waverly, I canft tell you all about dese white folks, but some of *em, when they died, left their property te lulattoes, or half-breed children, and several of them are living in tliis community now, I cam tell you exactly where they are, and where they got their property. Some of them are over half white* They were by a Negro woman who wuz a mulatto and a white man. Bey air so near white you can*t tell them from white folks. Kits condition has- existed as long ago as I have any recollection, and it still llfe^H' 2. 261 exists, but there are not as many children according to the relations as used to be. **Free Negroes were not allowed to go on the plantations much. Kow you see my father wuz a free man. We lived right here in town. My father wuz a ditcher and slave gitter. One night the man he worked for got ua a crowd and come to whup him and take his money away from him. He had paid father off that day. Dat night dey come an* got him an* blindfolded him. He moved the blindfold from over his eyes and run an* got away from *em. He never did go back o more to the man he had been workin1 for. 1 was a little boy, but I heard pappy tell it. Dat wuz tereckly after de surrender. Pappy saw the man he had been workin* for when he slipped the blindfold off his face, and he knowed him.^ *1 wuz a boy when the Yankees came to Raleigh. They came in on the Fayetteville Road. They stopped and quartered at the edge of the town. I remember they had a guardhouse to put the Yankees in who disobeyed. Later on they came in from the eatit and quartered at the old Soldiers Home right in there, but not in the buildings. There were no houses there when the Yankees came. They had some houses there. They built *em. They stayed there a.good while until all the Yankees left. When the Yankees first came in they camped .over near Dix HilX, when they come into town you hardly knew where they come from. They were jist like blue birds* *key 4ist covered the face of the earth. They came to our a- 262 house and took our sump in* to eat. Yes sir, they took our sumpin* to eat from us Negroes* My daddy didn't like deir takin1 our i'ations so he went to de officer and tole him what his men had done, and the officers had sump in* to eat sent over there. "My mammy cooked some fur de officers too.- Dey had a lot of crackers. Dey called 'em hard tack. The officers brought a lot of 'em over dere. We lived near the Confederate trenches jist below the Fayetteville Crossin' on Fayetteville Street. The breastworks were right near c r house. nl know when the colored men farmed on share crapa, dey were given jist enough to live on, and when a white man worked a mule until he wuz worn out he would sell him to de colored man. De colored man would sometime buy 'im a old buggy; den he wuz called rich. People went to church den on steer carts, that is colored folks, most uv 'em. De only man 1 wurked for along den who wud gib me biscuit through de week wuz a man named June Goodwin. The others would give us biscuit on Sundays, and I made up my mind den when I got to be a man to eat jist as many biscuits as I wanted; and I have done j ist dat. *%y mammy used to hire me out to de white folks. I worked and made jist enough to eat and hardly enough clothes to wear to church until I wuz a man. I worked many a day and had only one herrin' and a piece of bread for dinner. You *• 263 iaiow what a herrin1 fish is? 'Twon't becase I throwed my money away, twas cause we didn't git it, nuther to save up. When we farmed share crap dey took all we made. In de fall we would have to split cord wood to live through de winter. ttI will tell you now how I got my start off now, I am going to use dis man's name. I went to work for a man name George Whitaker. I drive a wagon for him. He lowed me all de waste wood for my own use. This wuz wood dat • would not sell good on de market. I hauled it over home. I worked for him till he died, en his wife lowed me a little side crap. I made this crap, took de money I got for it, and built a little store house. I disremember how long I worked fer Mis' Hannah Whitaker. Den I quit work for her and went to work for myself. I owns dat little storehouse yit, de one I worked wid His! Hannah Whitaker, en from dat I bought me a nudder home. "When de Yankees come to Raleigh dere wuz a building dey called de Governor's Palace, it stood whur de Auditorium now stands. Eight back o' where de courthouse now stands wuz a jail and a gallows «&' a whuppin1 pos* all dere together. I know when dey built de Penitentiary dey hauled poles from Johnston County. Bey called dem Johnston County poles. Dey hauled em in on trains. Dis post office wuz not built den. Be post office den wuz built of plank set up an' down. 5. 264 "I remember seeing a man hung down at de Jail, His name waz Mills, He wuz a white man. When he got on de scaffold he said, *What you gwine to do to me do it quick and be done wid it*. *I think Abraham Lincoln done the colored man a heap of good. If it hadn't been for Mr. Roosevelt there are many livin' today who would have parished to death. There are plenty of people walkin* about now who would have been dead if Mr. Roosevelt had not helped them. The only chance I had to hold my home wuz a chance given me through him. At my age, I cannot make much at work, but?,,through things he helped me, and I is holding my own,* B.N. 320191 265 N. G. District No. 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks No. Words 607 Subject Tiney Shaw, Ex-Slave of Wake County, 76. Story Teller Tiney Shaw Edi to r Daisy Bailey Waitt 320191 260 TDJEY SHAW Ex-Slave of Wake County, 76, "My papa wuz a free nigger, case he wuz de son of de master who wuz named iviedlin. When a chile wuz bomed ter a slave woman an1 its pappy wuz de boss dat nigger wuz free from birth* I know dat de family wuz livin1 on iviis' Susy Page's place durin' de war an' we was jist lak slaves alldo* we wuz said to be 'ee den* "My pappy wuz named Madison Medlin, maybe for de president, an1 my mammy wuz a pretty, slim brown-skinned gal when I could remember. Dey said dat she wuz named fer Betsy Ross* I had four brothers, Allison, William, Jeems and John an' five sisters named Cynthy Ann, ifancy, Sally, Caroline an1 Holly. "We hyard a heap 'bout de war, but de white folkses didn't want us to know 'bout it. Most of de white vdmmens had ter live by dere selves durin' de time dat de men folkses wuz away at de war, but de niggers in our neighborhood stuck ter de missus an' dar ain't no niggers from other plantations come dar ter insult 'em nother» lteI * members dat it \-aiz in April when de Yankees come §ml I hyard Mis' Susy cry in', case she wuz a widder toman; an' her crops wuz jist started ter be planted. 2. 267 She knowed dat she wuz mint, I reckon. wMe an' my mommy wuz sittin1 by de fireplace when de Yankees come. I crawled under de wash bench but de Yankee officer drug me out an1 he sez, 'Go fetch me a dozen aigs, an' I wants a dozen now, mind yo*»* WI looked till I found twelve aigs art"* I started ter de house wid 'em, but bein' so excited I drapped one uv dem an' cracked it. I wuz seeered stiff now sho' nuff, an' I runned inter de back do' an' crawled under de bed. De officer seed me do' an' ae cracks his whup an' makes me come out den &e sea, 'ligger what's dat out dar in dat barrel in de hallway?* ""I sez, 'Lasses sir1, an' he sez 'draw me some in dis cup*' "I draws 'bout a half a cupful an' he sez, 'Nigger dat ain't no 'lasses,* an' he cracks his whup ag'in. WI den draws de cup full as it could be an' he tells me ter drunk it. "I drinks dat whole, cupful uf 'lasses 'fore he'll lemmie 'lone. Den I runs back ter my mammy. "Atter awhile de Yankee comes back an'"sticks his haid in de do' an' he 'lows, 'ole doman, yo' 'lasses am leakin'.. * *Sho' nuff it wuz leakin* an' had run all down de hall an' out in,de yard, but he done pull de stopper out a. 268 fer meanness so he could laff at mammy when she waded through dat 'lasses. Dey laffs an ' laffs while she go steppin' down through de 'lasses lak a turkey walkin' on cockleburs. ttDem Yankees done a lot of mischief, I knows case I wuz dar. Bey robbed de fqlkses an' a whole lot of darkies what ain't never been whupped by de master got a whuppin' from de Yankee soldiers. "De Ku Klux Klan warn't half as bad as dem Yankee robbers what stayed in Ealeigh att€ de war^robbin*, plundering an' burnin' up ever'thing. De south had ter have de Ku Klux Klan but dey ain't had no need fer de Yankees. "De first winter atter de war wuz de worse winter I ever knowed, an' I*se tellin' yo' dat wuz bad. Maybe yo' do an think so but nigh *bout ever* nigger in de world cussed ole Abraham Lincoln dat winter.'* B.N. ^l^^^f^f^pPI^^^^^^^P^^P^^^^f^S^^W^^^^P^fp^ I. c. District Mo. 2 Worker T. f&t 3fetthe«f Kb words 1648 itjory^tfper J@hn anith Editor. Office ^teee- .w :''a®r.sC' iH tgi......"' tltfll^^ 330176 ¦ "• ¦'; ¦•¦^ij&$z$f^ 270 john mrm John, Smith, a Hegro in the Kfeke County Home, Raleigh, F. C. Interviewed by T. Pat Matthews, May 10, 1937. "John Smith is my name, an I wuz horned at Knight- dale, right at ray marster*s house* Yes sir, right in his home* I wuz born right near whar de depot now is. My marster owned de Ian*, all de lanr dere. I wuz bred an' bawn dere on my marster's plantation. [l is, countin* day ' an* night, 2X6 years old, not count in* day an* night I is 108 years old/\ "My marster*s name wuz Haywood amith an* he wuz one ob de bes* men I ebber seed. He wua good, to all us niggers, he would come round an* talk to us, he lubbed us, '""""•and we lubbed him. Sly marster, Haywood Smith, nebber married ^ but he had a nigger *oman. She also had a nigger husband. )She had two chillun by Marster Haywood Smith, a gal and a \ boy. Peter Knight owned my marster *s Ian* at Khightdale atter my marster died. Be died de year de war commence. "Ben de gardeen, de gardeen dat wuz appointed for all us slaves, and his name wuz__Bat Moore, he carried us slaves to Harster layimod Smith*s brotherfa chillun in Alabama. He wuz de garde em. I got dere de month de war commeiiee. lat fe®a?e carried m© to Mafom&u larster ELam Steitlj%\mJ03tt:wiz. named ; l&amk an* John: Mjam* -Mm hoy's l#:JSoti^'::Wu^'\;nam«^" W&m- Mary,' -d®£«, fM&ev wuz dajd^ ;. IH&e' ^^^&^^^^iiii^i^^^^l^^^^^MSii^^ffiSSSiS^ 2i Mary moved off, hut I staid wid de boys* "My mother's name wuz Hose Smith, my father's name wuz Powell. He died at Wilmington, N. G. when dey wuz diggin' de trenches roun* de fort dere durin* de war* My mother died in Greene Co. Alabama, at a place called Ssiithfield. My father belonged to Mack Powell. I made no money before or after de war. I worked in Alabama until de wax close. »I seed millions of Yankees, just like bees. When de war close I went wid *em. I did not work enny for a year. I wuz so glad when de war ended, and dey tole me I wuz free I did not know what to do. I w it wid de Yankees, dey wuz kind to us. Dey said dey wuz shore glad to see us. Dey gib us Just what dey wanted us to hab. *Buring de war, I had corn bread wid one piece o^ meat a day. De meal wuz not sifted. De white folks had sifters wa&& of horse hair but de slaves didn't have no sifters, when I carried a dress off to have it made on Sunday for H&rt'ss during de war, when she comld not make it /herself, she gimme a biskit. We called Sunday, Blue Eon- \ day. She gimme de biskit fur workin'on Sunday. Den : I got a biskit fur going atter de dress. I got about two biskits a year when de war w»s going on. I wuz workin* to keep d# stsl&ters fed, dey got de biskits. y »tom Bridgers wuz marster*s overseer. He had ,C . . ;. Jl60 cMltttEWfr- by iiiggers. lairster ipidgetrBirode a JiorsB i» 1 -"¦ ' n&en he went ober de plantation. "^ «$¦#. **De only game I eber played wuz marbles. I played fer watermelons* We didn't hab eny money so we played fer • watermelons. T <*..- : • "' . w'3n Alabama we got up at 4 o'clock and worked to 9 or 10 o'clock den we bad breakfast, en rested t ill 4 o'clock. Dat wuz when de weather waz dry and hot. It wud kill de truck to work it den, When it wuz wet we worked -longer. In North Carolina we worked from sun to sun, but we rested two hours a't noon. You hardly ever heard of a man gittin* sick. If he did, he had de typhoid den Br. Sewell at Inightdale, atter a while called Jedge Sewell, would jome en doctor him. Old man ledge Sewell was buried near St, Augustine School, other sile ^aarboro Road. '*I didn* have to pay anthing fer going to Alabama. / ¦,.. . ¦ / I wuz carried. Bat Moore carried me, he wuz de gardeen, i ¦ hut I had to pay to come back. Bey went atter me, and' I had to work two years/io pay it back. Yes, Sir^ee, two j whole years "So pay fer coming back, I wuz glad to g it back. Sometimes, dey gib us a fofe of de crap to farm. Some years we didn* make much, when it wuz dry. Bo, we didn* make much. People didn* soeiate together, pore whites, free niggers, slaves, and de"slave"owners, Ho dey didn* soeiatemuch beford@:wi^, "itot dey did atter d$ war, dey got: to mixin' , den,' ¦'''¦'¦'''¦¦*;¦¦".....¦¦'*¦¦¦¦¦"¦•.¦¦.....¦¦¦¦¦. ' ~-- _"- . , ' /¦ .y'/ litlllltS^^ 4. 273 muddied de- water an* caught fish. I caught rabbits, coons, an1 possums wid dogs. Dey fared but middlin pore chance wid us. We caught rabbits in hollers an* -cavesj an* possums in trees, but we had a hard time ketchin* squirrels. We niggers had no guns, so we had a hard time ketchin* squirrels. I et rabbits in summer whin dey had kits in *em. We caught all dese animals wid dogs. wDe white chillun didn* work, but de white folks wuz good to me. Yes, Sir-ree, dey wuz good to me. If dey done anything to me it wua my fault. I belonged to Elam Staith*s chilluns, Frank and John Slam. **I seed many Yankees during de war in Alabama. When de war ended dey tole me I wuz free. I wuz so glad I didnr know whut to do. De Yankees tole me I wuz free. I went wid *em. I stayed wid *em from May till August. Den I slipped away from *em. I had no clothes and shoes till de Yankees come. Yes, Sir, I went barefooted. Dey / gimme clothes and shoes, but I slipped away from *em because \ dey wanted me to do things I didn* want to do. \ \ ^Ihite folks, if I mast tell you, I must. I think juesus sent you to me so I can tell my story. Bey just / wanted me to forage aroun* and git chickens, collards, j taters en anybody*® hogs I cteild git. I didn* have no slips or¦,&&&%&} b© tinner clothes for 40 years befo* de Yankees a«Bur$< bmt I slipped- away. I 6M&* wast to do what * \dey;W^^M-m^%l.•¦ ^-o~, gA, v •, / ':*&k:,:p€re white. f$2kft 'done' talembls;; well' btat d«;. 5' 274 rich slave owners didn* 'low *em to come on dere plant- tat ions • Dey didn* Mow free niggers to come on de plant- tat ions if dey could help it, but dey couldnr hep it. Dey slipped in dere at night when de marster didnr know it. '*%• marster owned three plantations and 300 slaves. Ee started out wid 2 'oman slaves and raised 300 slaves. one wuz called short Peggy, and the udder wuz called long Peggy. Long Peggy had 25 chillusn. Long Peggy, a black 'oman, wuz boss ob de plantation. Marster freed her atter she had 25 chilluns, just think o*dat, raisin* 300 slaves wid two *omans. It sho is de truf do1. "There wuz no jails but dey had whippin* pas' on de plantations . 'When a nigger done anything he wuz tied and whupped, dare ainrt no scars on my bafek, no nary a one. Dere wuz slave auction blocks at Rolesville, en down to Rosinburg, Harpsborough, below Zebulon, next place, Smith- field. ,f^hite folks didn* hep me to read anf write. If I wuz caught wid a book I had better run an* git in a hole somewhar. Dey didn* low me to hab nothing to do wid books. "Ify marster preached to us on Sunday. He wuz % preacher. % marster preached to his slaves. No slaves didn* run away from my marster. He wuz too good to *em. Be slaves from other places run away do*, an& when dey caught * em dey whupped * em too* mae; 275 "Yes Sir, my marster gib us Christmas* Sometimes he gib us two weeks befo* we went to work agin Christmas;. Licker wuz: no mo ren water. Brandy, de highest price of any of it wuz 40 cts. a gallon. We had a plenty uv licker, but nobody got drunk. Sometimes a white man got drunk en now en den a nigger would git drunk. "All worked for one an'er den. I tell you dis young bunch ain't right, dey don't do right, dey don't work fer one an'er. "I never married befo* de war. Sfobody married on marsterfs plantation, but dey had 'omans l&y 'ornan wuz mighty good to me. I slep' anywhar I could befo' de war ended, in de shuck pen, cotton seed house, anr went bare- footed in slavery days. I married Helen Jones atter de war. I had four chilluns by her, 2 gals an' 2 boys. One o' dem boys is livin* now, but I doan know whar he is. I had one child by my 'oman in slavery time. My 'oman died in Greene County Alabama. I been married twice. I married another 'oman named Amy Gunipton in Wake County. She had four chillun by me, one, a boy is in de navy yard, a girl ( in a^ooklyn, 2Tew York, oxm in Wake County, a farmer, an* ^ one died. I lub de southern people, but de aebbil got de / ¦• ..- ' ......."~" ( besr of *em; dey wuz good toi me. **I doan think ttr* Abraham Lincoln wuz a good man, no sir-ree, de debbilgot &$m. atter he whupped and won all ie Ian'. He wanted to gib it back-agin. Be debbil got ie beg* o* him* ^e €Mri¦¦.¦* lib I@ag ¦¦¦atte* he stepped, did sss 330030 3tf. G. District Ko. 2 Subject JOHR" SMITH Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed John Smith Ho. -.fords 924_______ Editor G. L« Andrews______ A, M0^ 'C- ^fe^-^.^/k^f ¦:;'.'.''''"'».V ^^^^rHi''¦'¦¦''¦ ¦ .^<&£$: MM^&MMS^&MiMliM:MM^^M&^SMS^^ 320030 J0H1\T SLOTH 10 Pettigrew St. ,• Raleigh, IT. C. Age 77. "My mother was named--€-har_lotte Smith and father was named Richmond Sanders* You know niggers v/ere sold an* traded an* given away just like stock, horses, mules an' de like in slavery time. • "My mother belonged to John Smith and father belonged to .Richmond Sanders. I belonged first to John Smith, but was ive away when I was a child to Solomon Gardner. John Smith's plantation was in Johnston County near Smithfield. Solomon Gardner's place was in Wake County. All these people are lead an* gone. My uncle, 3en Thomas., died 'bout one month ago in Johnston County. He was the last of the old gang. Mother and father said we got reasonably good food and.clothes. The houses were small and poorly furnished but v/ere warm and « they got on very well. There was lbout twenty-five slaves on the place and they worked long hours under overseers. "The rules were, strict about books, goin* visiting an* having meetings of any kind* Ho slave was allowed, to carry, iuns or hunt without some' white man with him unless his marster give him a pass* Bey caught rabbits in gums, birds in traps an* hunted possums wid dogs at night* Dere was not much time for fishin* cept at lay-by time anel^at de Fourth of July. Den WMMmsw&i&i ftilliliii -&- slaves an1 whites sometime "went fishin1 in de Neuse River together• At Christmas de holidays was give slaves and den dey had plenty to eat, shoes *£0 etc. "Slaves were sold at Smithfield on a auction block tout a lot 'were carried to Richmond, Va. and to Fayetteville, N. G. Jhildren were not made to work till dey got 12 or 14 years old unless it was some light work around de house, mindinr de table, fannin* flies, anr pickinr up chips to start a fire, scratchin1 marster's head so he could sleep in de evenings an1 washin1 missus feet at night 'fore she -vent to bed* Some of. de missus had nigger servants to bathe fem, wash dere feet an-1 fix dere hair* When one nigger would wash de missus feet dare would be another slave standin1 dere wid a towel to dry rem for her. Some of dese missus atter de war died poor. Before dey died dey went from place to place livin1 on de charity of dere friends* rrI was born 2nd Sunday in May 1860. I remember see in1 de Yankees but I know very little fbout ?em. Guess rnos* all dem Yankees are dead now. Be ones dat whupped anf de ones dat got whupped are mosr all dead. I lerned to read an1 write since slavery. I remember de Yankees. Dey give us chillunshardtack* Bey liad cans on dere backs an* guns, blue ;fiijD^ on dere clothes. Dey had covered ^^^^M^S^^l-^'M yK£& 1 li-\i-^)'rr^':^r>i^^:-<^3^ii^^is^'&i'. -3- wagons in front anr dey was walkin*. I remember seein' d'em kill a hog and take part of de hog an' carry it off on dere backs. MDe only time I saw anything in de slave situation dat ;:;ade a big impression on my mind was when Marster Thomas tied my Aunt Anne Thomas to a peach tree and whuppedTher. I will' never forgit how she cried. Another thing 1 'members, my uncle teached me to cuss folks. His name, was Needum Thomas* 1 can remember fore I could walk better than I can remember happenings now. "Atter de war my daddy took mother an1 moved to Dr. Leach's in Wake County, next year we went to Mrs. Betsy Jordan's plantation in Johnston County. The fourth year atter the war they put me to work. We stayed with the Jordans several years then we moved to Mr. Thomas' where my aunt was whupped in slavery time an* de marster dat owned some of our people in slavery time. We stayed there a-few years. Then we moved to John Averyps near Snithfield. Father bought a place there an' paid for it. ^Father believed in whuppin like de white folks did. He ; cut de blood out of me. w£d a switch an' scarred me up an* I left.-h.ifli. '¦..'¦.Ifeea¦.$.. was/$wenty-one, a .fr.ee man, I went back an' $$Zga^ de time-!'-. J|||p|l^^ -4- just debt. Daddy said before he died I had done more for him dan ae other chilluns. He whupped me too much but atter all he was my father an* I loved him anr paid him all I o?/ed him for de time I was away. "I married three times in Raleigh. I married Juliva Smith, she lived one and one ^g^^aa^^jjfe had one child dat lived six days. I have no n^^^|ai^^|*;I:;:&arried Mahalda Rand. She^lived a year and 1|^^|^^^lEi[:thfe' third an* last time I married Maggie Tayloff|f§§fl livid with, her eleven years anr she died. I am single!j^.- ¦. "Haywood Smith was\::m: ,£lrst father-in-law. He is 'bout 108 years ole. He livjjjffa't d^^toity home* *I am livin* right l^lis world tryin1 to be ready when God calls me. SlaveryHH^^jBij&> Workin' the colored people . over two hundred years Mltt^t^iivihg fem anything but derl* food an* clothes. Yes slavery was bad.'* ;l$ . 2 N. C. District Worker Mary A. Hicks i No. Words j S6% Sa&Jeeet JQSEPHIICE SMITH Story teller JoaepMa* ?"f "fo Editor BadsT Bailey ;ifcUi& L"^$r k&$I^^&>^^^ 320181 282 JOSEFHENE SMITH Ex-Slave Story An interview with Josephine Smith, 94 years old of 1010 Mark Street, Raleigh, H. C. "I wuz borned in Norfolk, Virginia an1 I doan know who we belonged to, but I •members de day we wuz put on de block at Richmond. I wuz Jist todlin* roun1 den, but me an' my mammy brought a thou sari* dollars* ISy daddy, I reckon, belonged ter somebody else, an* we wuz Jist sold away from him Jist lak de cow is sold away from de bull* *A preacher by de'name of Maynard bought me an1 mammy an* carried us ter Franklinton, whar we lived tiH his daughter married Doctor John Leach of Johnston County; den I wuz give ter her* •All my white folkses wuz good ter me, an* I reckon dat I ain't got 90 cause fer complaint. I ain't had much clothes, an* X ain't had so much ter eat, an' a many a whuppin', but nobody ain't nebber been real bad ter me* *I 'members seein* a heap o* slave sales, wid de niggers in chains, an' de speculators sellin' an' buyin* dem off* I also 'members seein' a drove of slaves wid no thin* on. but a rag 'twixt dere legs bein* galloped renn* 'fore de buyers. 'Bout de wust thing dat eber I seed do* 2. 283 mzz a slave 'oman at Louisburg who had been sold off from her three weeks old baby, an* wuz bein* inarched ter New Orleans* "She had walked till she wuz give out, anr she wuz weak enough ter fall in de middle o» de road. She wuz chained wid twenty or thirty other slaves an* dey stopped ter rest in de shade o' a big oak while de speculators et dere dinner. De slaves ain't bavin1 no dinner. As I pass by dis 'oman begs me in God's name fer i drink o1 water, an' I gives it ter her. I ain't neber be so sorry fer nobody. "Hit wuz in de mont» of August an1 de sun wuz bearin' do\m hot when de slaves an' dere drivers leave de shade. Dey walk fer a little piece an' dis 'oman fall out. She dies dar si.de o' de road, an1 right dar dey buries her, cussin', dey tells me, 'bout losin' money on her. *Atter de war I comes ter Raleigh an* wucks fer Major Russ den I cooks a year on Hillsboro Street fer some- body who I can* 'member right now, den I goes ter Louisburg ter cook in Mr. Dedman's hotel, an* hearin' 'bout Melissa I fin's dat she am my sister, so I goes ter Ms* Mitchel's an' I gits her. **A few years atter de war I marries Alex. Dunson who woz a body slave fer Major Fernie Green an' went through 3* all de war. Me an1 him lived tergether sixty years, I reckon, an* he died de night *fore ,^hanksgivin, in 1923.. "Slavery wuzn*t so good case it divided famblies an1 done a heap o» other things dat wuz bad, but de wuck wuz good fer everlbody. It's a pity dat dese youngins nowadays doan know de value o* wuck lak we did* ?#iy when I wuz ten years old I could do any kind o* house wuck an* spin an' weave ter boot. I hope dat dese chilluns will larn some thin1 in school an* church. Letts de only way dey can larn it.* 284 AC .-».# IT. C. District ffo. 2 Smb.iect UEIUE SMITH_________ Worker.,, Tt H% IfeUfoSWft Person Interviewed Nellie Smith Fo. Words 631______ Editor Daisy Bailey Waitl m[ 320206 286 NELLIE SMITH Main St. Dunn, JSorth Carolina Route 6 "lyfy- name is Kellie Smith. I wus horn on a plan- tation in Harnett County in 1856, near where Linden now stands. I belonged to ole man Jack Williams. His wife wus dead when I wus horned. There were many acres in the plantation; it wus a large one. I don't know exactly how many acres. There were rbout fiftr slaves on the place, The slave houses were on a hill. Marster lived in the big house; and it wus a big one too. ttI do not remember ever goin* hongry when I wus a slave. Father wus the butler and mother wus a house woman, and we got plenty to eat. B3y mother wus named Rosetta Williams and father wus named Atlas Williams. I do not remember my grandmother and grandfather, but I remember my great grandmother. *¦§ had good home made clothes and good beds. Jack Williams wus good to his slaves. He wus good to me and my mother and father, I have heard "em say that he wus always good to *em. Our livin^ with him wus good and we loved him. He thought a lot o' his niggers. He had six child- ren of his own 4 boys and 2 girls; the boys Dr. Jack Williams, Dr. Jim Williams, William Williams, Jim WiUiams; -2- 28? the girls Hary ami Martha* "I did little work in slavery time. Sometimes I fanned flies off the table at meal times and did other light work. They made children do very little work in slavery time. We children played base, an* hide the switch. "I saw a jail for slaves in Fayetteville, North Carolina, but 1 never saw a slave sold. I saw an over- seer whup a man once but he certainly didn't hurt him much. He done more talk in1 dan whuppln. ttWe went to the white folks' church but they would not allow any of us any books. $o one taught us to' read an1 write. My father ran away once because he would not take a whuppin*. When he came back they did not do or say anything to *im. Jack Williamw would not allow a patteroller to whup a nigger on his land. If they could git on his land dey were safe. .St had overseers at the plantation. I remember one whose name wus Buck Buckannon. When we got sick Dr. Jack Williams looked after us. When Marster Jim Williams got to be a doctor he looked after us*. "Tea, I remember" de Yankees. Bey went to our house one Sunday momin*. Bey did not fight on our -3- side of the river; dey fought on de other side o* de river near de Smith House. It wus the battle of Averys- boro. 'jUs S&ith House wus a hospital. Bey came into the house, my sister Irene wus house girl. The Yankees put dtiLr pistols to her head and said, fYcu better tell me where dem things are hid. Tell us where de money and silver is hid at.1 Sister did not tell* Boss had started off wid de silver dat mornin1. De Yankees caught him, took it, an' his boots, horse and all he had. He come back home barefooted. Dey got mosr every- thing at Marsterrs house. Bey took my mother's shawl, an* a lot of things belongin' to de slaves. ttI have heard o1 de Ku Klux Klan, hal ha! Yes, I have. I heard tell of dey beatinr up people, but I never got into any tangle wid 'em. I just donH know bout all dem old folks Lincoln, Davis, Booker Washing- ton. I think slavery wus a bad thing cause dey sold families apart, fathers from their wives and children, and mothers away from their children. Two of my sis- ters were fixed up to be sold when the war ended.* LE ffer 990019 t? a U. C. tHfltriet No. 2 Worker Mary A, Hicks, No. Words 465 Subject SARAH AM SMITH______ ' Person Interivewed Sarah Ann Smith Editor G. L. Andrews__________ 'imir 320019 SARAH AM SMITH An interview with Sarah Ann Smith of 623 West Lenoir Street, Raleigh, %rth Carolina. "I wus borned January 22, 1858 ter Martha an* Green Womble in Chatham County, near Lockville. My father 'longed ter Mr. John Womble an* mammy 'longed ter Captain Elias Bryant. Dey had six chilluns, I bein* nex* ter de oldes*. "Father wus a carpenter an* by'his havin* a trade he got along better before an* atter de war dan de other niggers. Mammy wus housekeeper an' cook an* she axways wus neat as a pin an' as quick as lightnin*. Both families wus good ter dere slaves, givin* dem plenty ter eat a^n' enough ter wear. "I stayed wid mammy on Captain Bryantrs plantation, an* I doan 'member doih* any wurk at all *cept lookin' atter de babies onct in a long while. "I/hen de Yankees come Marse wus off ter de war so dey tuck de place wid out any trouble at all. Dey wusn't as good ter us as our white folkses wus an* somehow we doan feel right 'bout *em takin* Marse*s stuff, but we knows hit ain*t no use ter say no thin* Tbout hit. MAt last de war wus *ober, de Captain wus too busted ter hire us ter stay on, so we moved over ter Mr. Womblefs place den. "Life wus a heap different ffrom what hit wus *fore de -2- surrender • We ain't had no fun now case when we has time we is too tired an* when we do have time is soldom. Kb mo* dances an1 parties fer us. We ain't eben got de 'lasses ter have a candy pullin'. We ain't got de 'ligion we had 'fore de war, so prayer meetin' am not hilt often. De Yankees gived us a school but dey ain't give us nothin1 ter eat so we's got ter wurk, we ainrt got no time fer edgercation. "1 growed up in dis nan* mouth way an* when I wus thirteen I seed Henry Smith who wus rentin* a little farm dar near us. He wus young an1 slim arP1 yaller* My f^lks wanted me ter marry Bill Bunn but he wus thirty-odd, black a n* heavy, an* I ain't laked him. "Me an' Henry we cou'ted jist as we pleased case dey warn't strict on us an r when I tol' him dat I reckin dat I is got ter marry Bill Bunn he gits mad an* he sez dat I ain't nother, case I is gwine ter marry him. Well I did an1 I ain't never been sorry yet. "Henry has been dead now fo'teen years an' de five chilluns what we had am dead too an* I is hop in' ter git .my pension soon. I does need hit, bein* all alone in de worl'.** LE '"¦*^l. 392 H. C. District Ho. g fl»iiw-fc wtt.t.tam rmtw Worker T. Pat Matthews Story teller William SMth No* Words 394____________ Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt Ki 320221 293 WILLIAM SMITH 920 Oberlin Road full name is William Smith. I was born August 1?, eighty years ago, near Neuse River at a place called Wilder*s Grove. I belonged to Gaston E. Wiley- and my missus was Sarah. Don't remember how many children they had but one or two ©' *em are living in Raleigh now, some place on North Street. I had good food and clothing and a good place to sleep. I was not >ig enough, to work much but they were good to me. I jest done little things aroua* the house. I remember see in' the Yankees. I seen 'em take things. Yea, I wus big enough to see 'em shoot hogs, an' cows, an1 kill the chickens. They went through the house and took what they wanted. After the war we moved over about the Asylum on the Haywood Place. We went to Bryant Green's from the Haywood place. We lived in Raleigh a long time, then I went to Arkansas. My mother and father died in Raleigh. X stayed in Arkanses 40 years, and then came back ' f 1 to Raleigh. I am partly paralized. I have had a stroke. {f I married Anna Regan of Wake County. She went from Wake County to Arkansas and I married her there. Her 2. 294 mother* s father and the family all went to Arkansas. She is 71 years old the 8th of last April. She has had! two strokes and can't talk any more. We have no beys but two girls, Matilda and Smma Maye Smith. Matilda Parker my daughter lives in Pittsburg, Pa. Emma Maye works to support us. She works as nurse for %s. J. H. Hunter but right now is out of work. Charity helps us a little. One half peck meal, 1 pound powdered milk, two cans grape fruit juice, one half pound coffee per week. This amounts to about eighty cent* .worth rations per week. The charity don't have much to give. "T have been back from Arkansas nine years the seventh of last April. I was never teached no books. I never saw a patteroller, but daddy told me about *em. I do not remember much about churches before the surrender. I cannot read and write. **I don't remember the overseers, and I know nuthin1 *bout dem men Lincoln and the rest of *em you have asked me bout. Reckon they were all right. m 4 - 320201 H;' C. District Fo» 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks HO. Words________797 295 Subject THE BOUND GIRL Person interviewed Laura Sorrell Editor G» L. Andrews___________ 320201 296 THE BOIMD GIRL An interview with Laura Sorrell, 72 years old, of 207 Battle Street, Raleigh. The story is her mother's. "My mammy, Virginia Burns, wus borned in Fayetteville, Cumberland County. She never knowed her parentSL.anf frum de fust she can 'member she is a bound girl. "£rum de fust she could 'member she wus bound out ter a Mis* SVizelle what beat her, give her scraps lak a dog, anr make her muck, lak a man. Dey eben r .kes her git on de well sweep an* go down in de well an' clean hit out. She said dat she wus skeerd nigh ter death. "She wus a grown woman when she 'cided dat she can't stand de treatment no mo1. She has cut wood since she wus big enough ter pick up de axe an' she makes up her min* ter quit. "Dey wus a-fixin* ter chain her up an* beat her lak dey usually done when she 'cides ter go away. She has ter go den or take de whuppin' an* she ain't got time ter make no plans. ttPust she runs ter de Marster's bedroom an* slips on a pair of his ole shoes, den she goes out ter de big chicken house back of de barn» She hyars de Marster a-callin* fer her 'fore she gits ter de woods so she runs back an' hides in de chicken house. -2- 29? "Dey calls an* dey calls, an* de chickens comes ter de roost but she lays low an* doan make no fuss, so dey goes on ter sleep. She hyars de folkses a-callin* her but she lays still, den she sees de torches what dey am usein* ter find her an* she thanks God dat she ain*t in de woods. Atter awhile she thinks dat she can sneak out, but she hyars de bayin* of de bloodhoun*s in de swamp so she lays still. "Hit am four o*clock *fore all gits quiet. She knows dat hit am safe ter go now, case she has done hyard Mister Frizelle an* one of de patterollers a-telkinr as dey goes back ter de house. Bey *cides ter go home an* start out ag*in de nex* mornin* bright an* early. "Mammy am skeerd pink but she knows dat unless she am keerful dey am gwine ter ketch her. She lays still till daybreak den she flies fer de woods. "I*se hyard mammy say dat dem nights she slept in de woods wus awful. She*d find a cave sometimes an* den ag*in she*d sleep in a holler log, but she said dat ever*time de hoot owls holler or de shiverin* owls shiver dat she*d cower down an* bite her tongue ter keep frum screamin*. **She said dat de woods wus full of snakes an* hit wus near *bout two weeks *fore she got ter Quilford County. She had stold what she et on de way dar, an* dat hadn't been much so she wus weak. **Cbe day she crept out en de woods an* look roun* her an* hit beinr in July, she spies a- wateraillion patch. She -3- 298 looks roun' an* den flies out dar an1 picks up a big million, den she shakes a leg back ter de woods. "While she wus settin' dar eatin1 de watermillion a young white man comes up anr axes her her business an* she, seein' dat he am kind-lookin*, tells him her story, "She fully 'specks him ter turn her ober ter <&e sheriff but 'stid of dat he tells her dat his name am Daniel Green, an' dat he arn a Union sympathizer, an1 den he takes her ter some colored folkses house. "Dese colored folkses am named Berry an1 my mammy am stayin' dar when she falls in love wid j ? paw, Jake Sorrell, an' marries him. "She ain't never been ter dances an' sich before but now she goes some, an' hit wus at one of dese dances whar she met my paw. When she gits engaged ter him she won't let him kiss her till she axes Marster Daniel iffen she can marry him. Yo* see she wus wuckin* fer Marse Dan. "Well he give his consent an1 dey wus married. Dey had me soon, case I wus eight months old when de Yankees come, an1 we wus freed by de law. "My mammy an9 paw had a hard time do1 dey ain't had but us two chilluns, but dey manages ter feed us. all right, Dey wus superstitious an1 paid de witch doctor, a right smart ter keep off de witches but jist de same we got along well as most folks eben do' we did have ter eat hard tack an* black molasses fer seberal years atter de war." v^pjpHySsSs f, C. District No» 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews jTo. Words 1414______ Subject RIA 30ERELL Person Interviewed Ria Sorrell Editor G. L. Andrews , =¦••£'; v .•^.;.'?A-^-''' ';fe^X'5 320087 R1A SORRELL 97 years old. 536 E. Edenton Street, Raleigh, B. G. MI jist lak three years of bein1 one hundred years old. I belonged to Jacob Sorrell. His wife wus named Elizabeth. My age wua give to fee by Mr. Bob Sorrell, the only one of ole marster's chilluns dat is livin' now, "Bey had four boys, Marcillers, Bob, Adolphus and Dr. Patrick Sorrell. Dey had three girls, Averada an1 two udder ones dat died 'fore dey wus named. I ..as born on marster's plantation near Leesville, in Wake County. Dats bien a long time ago. I can't git around now lak I could when I wus on de plantation, "Dere wus 'bout twenty-five slaves on de place an1 marster Jist wouldn't sell a slave. When he whupped one he didn't whup much, he wus a good man. He seemed to be sorry everytime he had to whup any of de slaves.. His wife wus de pure debil, she Jist joyed whuppin' Negroes. She wus tall an* spare-made wid black hair an' eyes. Over botb>&er eyes wus a bulge place in her forehead. Her eyes set way back injer heaa;~r«er jaws were lar^e lak a man's a^ her chin stuck up. Her mouth wus large **n' her lips thin an' seemed to be closed lak she had sumptin' in her mouth mm% i:::^l;#^iSe^ . o:le^:§6|^^^;;wM-:::Vi -2- She tried to boss marster but he wouldn*t allow dat. He kept her from whuppin* many a slave. She jist wouldn't feed a slave anr when she had her way our food wus bad. She said underleaves of collards wus good enough for slaves. Marster took feedin' in his hands anr fed us plenty at times. He said people couldn*t work widout eatinp. "Our houses wus good houses, *case marster seed to it dey wus fixed right. We had good beds an1 plenty of kiver. De houses wus called de nigger houses. Dey wus 'bout two hundred yards from, de big house. Our houses had two rooms an* marster1s had seven rooms. "We didn't have any overseers, marster said he didn't believe in *em an* he didnrt want any. De oldest slaves on the place woke us up in the morning, anr acted as foreman. Marster hardly ever went to de field. He tole Squire Holman an* Sam Sorrell, two ole slaves, what he wanted done an* dey tole us ah1 we done it. I worked at de house as nurse an* house girl most of de time. "Mother an* father worked ir de field. Mother wus named Judy an* father wus named Sam. You sees father wus a slave foreman. Marster bought Squire Holman from de Hoi- mans an* letliim keep his name > Dats why he wus dolled datt • ""'"'' *$&'. worked- from sunup till sunset wid a rest spillX'atv '''¦ l^';o--^^lbi'^'':'t^'^ioii^.t'\''He^giVe/'US'^h^i^ays1'tb;restfin^"' ¦' "*: -3- Dat wus Christmas, a week off den, den a day every month, an* all Sundays. He said he wus a Christian an1 he believed in ¦ givin1 us a chance. Marster died of consumption. He give us patches anr all dey made on it. He give slaves days off to work dere patches. "I shore believes marster went to Heaven, but missus, well I don't know. Don1 know 'bout her, she"~wu3 so bad. She would hide her baby's cap an1 tell me to find it. If I couldn't fin' it, she whupped me. She would call marster, an1 I doin' de best I could to please her, an' say come here Jacob an1 whup dis nigger, but marst-^ paid no attention to her. He took our part. Many wus de meals he give us unbe- known to his wife. Dere wus no mixin' white an1 black on marster*s place, no sir, nothin' lak dat. He wus lak a father- to us. Sometimes he brought hog haslets an' good things tode nigger house an* tole us to cook it. When it yais done he come an* -s.tL.all he wanted., got up an' said, 'I'm goin1 how*.an1 you didn't see him no more till next day* ".We had prayer meetin' anytime an' we went to the white folks church. Dere wus no whiskey on de place, no, no, honey, no whiskey. How at corn s hue kin rs dey had a big supper an* a»t all et all dey wanted. 1*1.1 tell you Jake Sorrell wus. all rightf,. .We didn't have any dances no time. Some nights ^ma^ierwould ;\OQ^;..:tbJ.c^'Galj-lns^^cail-ufi'all into one of *em '¦an^#?ay:;wid,.A^*J::^;fitooi;';mp.in-de: floor an* tole us all t© ''!im:;%QM::m:>W®$:* : y^SJ^. hxm: die*''"' #-:|j^|[|j|^ —4- went out of him. De last word he said wus, fLord do your will, not mine*1 Den he breathed twice anr wus no mor# •. "Missus died since de surrender, when she got sick she sent for me to go an* wait on her. I went an* cleaned her lak a baby, waited on her till de evenin* she died dat night. I went off dat evenin* late to spend de night an* next mornih* when I got dere she wus dead. I jist couldn't refuse missus when she sent for me even if she-had treated me bad. HMy grandmother wus as white as you is. She wus Lottie Sorrell. Marster bought my grandmother. I do not know my grandfather's name. Grandmother -#us a cook an* she tole me the reason she wus so white wus eause she stood over de fire so much* Ha, ha, dats what she tole me. She had long straight hair. I 'members her well. "Yes I *members de Yankees. De Southern, our folks, wus in front. Bey come along a road right by our house. Our folks. wus goinr on an* de Yankees right behind, ^ou could hear *em shootin*. Bey called it skirmishin*. It wus rainin* an oof folks wus goin* through de mud an* slush. Bey had wagins an* some would say, *©rive up, drive up, God j3amh it,drive up, de damn X^ikees right behind us.* Bey had turkeys an* chickens"on .de"wagins''an*';'on^'dfere 'lierss^s.' Bey goi ! things out c^''de.:'1louiet ':""?¦' /an^;--M©^^^ 0^i'i^i^&iedfke%6^Be^''iiSt'\t6^ de 'quiits"-i::;...;;:: lllligflil^ -£>- wus a time. Dey took all dey could find anf dere want much left when all got through. De Yankees poured out lasses an* stomped down things dey could not carry off. I wus afraid of de Yankees. Dey come up an' said, 'Haint you got some money round here?* I tole *em I knowed nothin' about money. Dey called me auntie an1 said 'Auntie tell us whar de money is, you knows.* I says, 'Dey don*t let me see everything a round here, no dat dey don't.' "When dey tole us we wus free we stayed right on wid marster. We got crackers an' meat from de Yankees an' when de crap wus housed in de fall marster ,^-ve us part of all we made. We come to Ealeigh on a ole steer cart to git our crackers an* meat dat wus our 'Lowance. We stayed at marster*s till father died. I married there. We finally moved to the Page place 'bout eleven miles north of Ealeigh. We. been farmin' wid de white folks eber since, till we got so we couldn't work. "I married Buck Sorrell since de surrender. We had four boys an* two girls, six children in all. Dey are all dead, *cept one, her name is Bettie. She works at Dr. Rogers'. ^Br Young 3-ooked after us when we wus sick. **Bere wus one thing dey wouldn't allow, dat wus books an1 papers. I can'Jr^read an' write. I heard talk of Abraham Lincoln y. cousin' through when talk of de war come rbout» Dey met., him %}.-mi^060Davis, in Sotith Carolina. Mnebin said, '|F@ff Davis,;.; |i|e|:;^|!a;::niggers go; ,fi*ee^f ;,;^ef^.Bavis tole. him you- can't make ^^'.f^bfii'rt^'?<^^^3^'^;?i"',:,-'.''' '''¦'¦'"vvr''v!-''i.' ":S''':[~':"l -6- us give up our property.1 Den de war started* UA lot of de niggers in slavery time wurked so hard dey said dey hated to see de sun rise in de inornin*. Slavery wus a bad thing, 'cause some white folks didnH 1/ treat dere niggers right• 320029 306 tf»0» District Ho No. Words: 320 Workers Mary Hicks Subjects A SLAVERY STCBY Story Tellers GHAww sptct.t. Editors George L» Andrews 320029 307 CHANEY SPELL An interview with Chaney Spell, 101 years old, Contena Heights, Wilson, North Carolina* "I really doan know who my first mars ter wus, case I has been sold an* hired so much since den* I reckin dat I wus borne d in Hew Hanover er Beaufort County an1 1 wus sold fust time in my mammy's *xms"-» We wus sold ter a man in Carteret County and from dar de speculators took me ter Franklin County. I wus sole ter a Mr. McKee an1 dat's de fust thing dat I 'members* HI doan 'member anything 'bout maw 'cept dat dey called her Sal an' dat she died years an' years ago* I reckin dat I once had a pappy, but I ain»t neber seed him. "Marster McKee wus mean to us, an' we ain't had no thin' to eat nor wear half of de time. We wus beat fer ever' little thing* He owned I reckia two er three hundret slaves an' he had four overseers* De overseers wus mean an' dey often beat slaves ter death* "I worked in de house, sometime 'round de table, but I ain't got so much te eat* "When word come dat we wus to be sold I wus glad as I could be* Dey tol' me dat de marster has gambled *• 308 awa^ hia money an' lost ever*thing but a few slaves* Later I learned dat he had lost me to a Mr*.Hartman in Nash County ? "Marse Sid Hartman mis good as he could be, sometimes his overseers wusn't but when he foun1 it out he let dem go* Marse Sid ain't got but one weakness an* dat am pretty yaller gals. He just can't desist dem at all* Finally Mis1 Mary found it out an* it pretty near broke her heart* De ole marster, Marster Sid's daddy, said dat long as he could ride a hoss he could look out fer de plantation so Marse Sid took Mis' Mary to de mountains* "Soon atter dey went away de war broke an* ole marster was right busy, not dat de slaves ain't stuck to him but de Yankees won't let dem stick* When Marse Sid an* Mis' Mary come home de war wus closin* an' dey has lost dere slaves* De slaves still loves 'em do* an* dey goes over an* cleans house an1 fixes fer de young folks* "Atter de war I married Lugg Spell an' we had five Chilians* He's been dead dese many years an' I'se worked* worked an' worked to raise de Chilians* I has been on charity a long time now, a long time* W" ?•$$ ¦f-'r. pyk \4 H.C. District So» 2 Spk J ect s A SLAVERY FAMILY Ho. Words: 432 References Tanner Spikes- Workers Mary Hicks Editors George L« Andrews 320131 o A SLAVERY FAMILY An interview with Tanner Spikes, 77 years of age, of 43 Bragg Street, Raleigh, North Carolina. "My mammy had fifteen chilluns which wus all horned on Doctor Fab Haywoodrs plantation here in Wake County. My mammy 'longed ter him, but my daddy 'longed ter a Mr. Wiggins in Pasquotank County, i think that Dr. &aywood bought him just 'fore de war. Anyhow, we took de name of Wiggins. "Mammy's name wus Lucinda an1 pap r's name wus Osburn. I doan 'member seein' many Yankees on Dr. Haywood's place. I doan reckon many corned dar. Anyhow, we had a gyard. "I 'members a corn shuckin' what happened 'fore de war wus over, an1 what a time dem niggers did have. Dey kisses when dey fin' a red year an' atter dat :,ey pops some pop- corn an' dey dances ter de music of.de banjo which Uncle Jed am a-playin'j Dey dances all night de best I can 'member. "I seed a few Yankees, but dey wus just lookin' f er something ter eat. We ain't knowed no thin' 'bout freedom, but de Yankees tol1 us dat we ort ter be free, dey also said dat we ort ter have meat an* stuff in de smokehouse. My mammy sez dat dey ain't got good sense anr she tells marse what dey said. 310 2. ttDe, Yankees has done tuck all de rations so dar ainlt no thin* lef' fer de niggers ter take but mammy tells Marse Haywood what dey sez anyhow. Marse Haywood sez dat iff en he ketch any niggers in his smokehouse dat herll skin 'em alive* He also sez dat we ain't free an' dat we ain't never gwine ter be free. **De nex' year, atter de war, v/us a hard year. We ain't had nothin' ter eat but hard^tack an* Masses an* sometimes not half enough of dat. Liy pappy still farmed fer Marse Haywood, but hit ain't as good as it is in slavery days. ttSeberal years atter dat, while we wus livin* on Davie Street, I met Frank Spikes an' I married him. I can't tell yo' much 'bout our love-makin' case hit warn't much, but he always called me honey gal an' he axed me ter marry him in de kitchen while I wus washin* dishes* He jist puts his arms 1 round me an* he sez., 'I wants ter marry yo*, honey gal*1 «Well we gits married by de Baptist preacher in Ealeigh fifty odd years ago an' we lives tergether till dis past March, when he dies*. "Other boys corned ter see me but I ain't loved none of dem but Frank. He ain't never whupped me but onct an' dat wus fer sassin* him, an1 I reckin dat I neeued dat, »We had five ehilluns an* I'se stayin' wid my daughter S#K©# 1# died, but I misses his, yes mam, I misses him purty ^S«K u M 330113 N. C. District Ho, 2 [Worker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 817 Subject ANNIE STEPKENSON__________ Person Interviewed Annie Stephenson Editor G. L. Andrews 820113 ANNIE STEPHENSOK 80 years old 1813 Rosewood Ave. Richmond, Va. Fow at 717 Saunder's Street Raleigh, N. C. "I wus born in Hillsboro, H. C. I 'longed to Charles Holman and my missus wus named Rachel. He owned~a plantation near Hillsboro. It wus: a mighty big plantation in Orange County, an* he had a good many slaves on dat place, We had tolerable good food an* log cabins and clothes dat you wove in de loom. ¦Home-wove cloth. We had no feather bed . We did not know nuthin' 'bout feather beds. Slaves like dat had bunks anr some slept on de floor. We went barefooted most of the time. Slave shoes had wooden bottoms on •em. Chilluns wus not give shoes at our place till dey wus big enough to work. HI 'member meein' de Yankees. Dey wore blue clothes an had brass buttons on 'em. Be only work I done was to sweep yards an' nurse small chilluns. I done very little heavy work. . My mother wus named Hicy Oldman an' she worked inde field. My father wus named Billy Bri ;gs, cause he 'longed to the Briggs family. I do not 'member seein' my father but one time. I never seen a slave sold or whupped, but I heard tell of it. ly mother tole me 'bout marster whuppin' so severe. We had a rough boss. He had two colored foremen. Bey were slaves who 'longed to marster. -2- 314 ltDere wus no patches allowed to any of the slaves, an1 none of 'em had any money. "We wus not allowed to have any prayer meetin's. Mother said she never knowed one on de plantation. "Dere wus a lot of talk 'bout de patter oilers but marster done his own sneakin' around. He done a lot of eavesdroppin'. My mother said when dey thort he wus asleep he wus awake. He wus strict on his slaves an1 I didn't know what church wus. No books of any kind wus allowed to slaves an* I can't read an1 write. "They give tvo days Christmas. Mother said dat had always been marster1 s rule. "I 'member de cornshuckin's. Bey lasted two or three days. Dere wus enough slaves to shuck de corn. Dey had plenty of cider at corn shuckin's an* a lot better things to eat den at other times. Marster made corn, peas, anr tobacco on de farm, mostly corn. Dey had plenty hogs an' dat wus a time when dey killed 'em. Dryin' up de fat for lard, trimmin' an1 saltin' de meat an* chitlins. De hog guts wus called chitlins. Slaves wus allowed to eat meats as soon as de hogs wus gutted. Dey wus allowSd to boil some lean parts of de meat an' eat it at de killings. "We played base an' hide an1 jumpin' when I wus a chile. "When we got right smart an* sick we had a doctor. When we wus not mighty sick, we took tea made of catnip, sassafras, an' roots. fYes, I 'member when dey tole^us we wus free. Mother got up de Ghilluns to leave. She got just a few clothes* I'member "3" 315 seein' my uncle come to de house an' put up de horse, ^e put 'im in de stable anr we all lef ' together. We went to my uncle 'bout five miles av/ay on his marster's ;plantation. His marster wus named Harvey Round tree. We stayed there three weeks, den we went to a white man's place, Bill Gates. We stayed there several --ears, --other had six chilluns. Three wus boun' out for dere victuals an1 clothes an1 three wus with her. "We come to Wake County when I wus fully grown. We come in a covered wagon* I saw father one time to 'member him. Ee died before de war closed, an' mother never married again. We went to Mr. Jeff Upchurch of Wake County ""-a1 worked on his farm. We stayed there ten or twelve years an' I married while we wus there. I married Albert Stephenson. We stayed right on there about six years after we married. We then went to Mr. Lonnie Stephen's place, the man who onct owned my husband's father. We stayed there two years workin' as day hands, then we rented a farm from Mr, Joe Smith. Dis wus de fust time any of us had ever farmed for ourselves. We kept it up until old age made us un- able to. farm an' all de chilluns had got grown an' lef us. "We had thirteen chilluns, an' six is livin* yet. ly husband died two years ago dis comin' August. "Slavery from what I knows an* whats been tole -me wus a mighty bad thing. Bon1, see how some of de slaves stood it. I never did min1 work but I is unable to work now. I has got a good will but I is worn out. De only way I lives is by goin» .'round 'mong my people. I have no home of my own." -> C ' 320004 JUN 1 1937 H; C* District Ko. 2 Subject Sam T. Stewart. Bx-slave iinykpy Ivlarv A. Hicks Person Interviewed Sam T. Stewart Ko. words 1519 Editor ___Daisy Bailev Waitt______ 320004 ° SAIVi T. STEWART - f¥ ^^>. nUbf name is Sam T. Stewart, I was born in Y/ake County, l.orth Carolina Dec. 11, 1863. My father was a slave, A. K. otewart, belonging to James Arch Stewart, a slave owner, whose plantation was in Wake County near what is no?/ the Harriett County line of Southern Wake. Tiresa'was my mother's name. James Arch Stewart, a preacher, raised my father, but my mother was raised by Lorenzo Franks, a Quaker in Wake County. When I was two years old James Arch Stewart sold my father to speculators, and he was shipped to Miss- issippi. I was too young to know my father. "The names of the speculators were—Carter Harrison, and—, and a man named Houlhac. I never saw my father again, but I heard from hira the second year of the sur- render, through his brother and my aunt. My father died in Mississippi. **The speculators bought up Negroes as a drover would buy'up mules* They would get them together by 'Hegro . drivers*, as the white men employed by the speculators were called. Their names were, Jim Harris of Raleigh, and-------yes, Dred'*Thomas, who lived near Holly Springs in Wake County. Wagon trains carried the rations on the trip to Mississippi. The drivers would not start until 2* 318 they had a large drove. Then the slaves were fastened to- gether with chains. The chain was run between them, when they had been lined up like soldiers in double file* A small chain was attached to a Negro on-the left and .one to the Negro on the right and fastened to the main chain in the center. Billy Askew was another speculator. He lived on the corner of Salisbury and Carbarrus Street in Kaleigh. Sometimes as many as thirty slaves were carried in a drove. They walked to Mississippi. "My orothers and sisters are dead. Down on the plan- tations our houses were built of po^^s daubed with mud, with a rived board (split board). I had good beds, good clothes, and plenty to eat. V/e made it,and we ate it. When a slave owner treated his slaves unusually good some other slave ov/ner would tell him that he was raising slaves who would rise against him. Lorenzo Franks, who owned me and my mother, v/as a Quaker. He treated his slaves unusually well. He would not sell any of them. His brother was an Iron Side Baptist preacher, and he would tell his brother he was raising slaves who would rise against him. Franks owned seventeen slaves, I don't know ho?/ many Stewartrowned. -> Mp.k ttj di(i farm work in slavery time. I earned no money except what we made on patches* These patches were given to my mother by my master. We caught birds and «S3k <3. 319 game, sent it to town, and sold it for money. We caught birds and partridges in traps. Cur master would oring them to town, sell them -for us, and ~ive us the money. We had o lot of possums and other game to eat. We got our food out of the big garden planted for the whole shebang. My master overseered his plantation. "We didn't "think much of the poor white man. He was down on us. -He was driven to it, by the rich slave owner. The rich slave ovmer wouldn* let his Negroes sociate with •ooor white folks. Some of the slave -ovmers, when a poor white man's land joined theirs and they wanted his place would have their Negroes steal things and carry them to the poor white man, and sell them to him. Then the slave owner, knowing where the stuff was, (Of course the slave had to do what his master told him.) would go and find his things at the poor white man's house. Then he would claim it, and take out a writ for him, but he would give him a chance. He would tell him to sell out to him, and leave, or take the consequences. That's the way some of the slave owners got such large tracks of lands. ttThe free Negro was a child by a white man and a colored woman, or a white woman and a Negro slave.' A child by a white man and a Negro woman was set free when the man got ready. Sometimes he gave the free Negro slaves. Oscar Austin, an issue, was set free and given slaves by his master and daddy. Old man Oscar Austin lived by the S»y' mt 4. depot in Baleigh. He is dead now. **lhen a child by a Hegro man slave and a white woman arrived he could not be made a slave, but he was bound out until he was 2.1 years old. The man, who ever wanted him, had him bound to him by the Courts and was his garde en until he was 21 years old. He could not be made a slave if he was born of a free woman. Theife were .Jails for slaves called dungeons; the windows were small* Slaves were put into Jail for misdemeanors until courtf was held, but a white.man could not be kept there over 30 days without giving bond* Whites and slaves were kept in the same Jail house, but in separate rooms. ' *They never taught me to read and write; and most slaves who got any reading and writing certainly stole it. There were rulesagainst slaves having books. If the fmtte3rollers caught us with books they would whip us. r£her@W€fr'e whipping p©sts on the: plantation but patter- oilers tied Megroes across fences to whip them, fhere was no church on the plaittatibm. 1@, had prayer meetings iav;t^\; Lft/U/vf~ -Wnn P.^o . iiliil^H^^^^^^^ I. C. District Ho. 2 Subject Ex-Slave Recollections Worker Marv A. Hicks Person Interviewed Bama Stone wa. Words 326 Editor Daisy Barley WaJU_____ SX^SEAVE EECOLLECTIONS An interview with Imma Stone, 77 of Heckrs-Town, Durham, Durham County* lay 21, 1937. ttlfy mammy wuz a Free Issue anr my pappy belonged ter de Bells in Chatham County. Pappy wuz named Ed- mund Bell, mammy wuz named Polly Mitehel. My sisters wuz Fanny, Jane, Ann, Josephine, Narcissus, and Cressie. My brothers wuz Lizah, Milliard an* another one, but I doan 'member his name. ¦'*tof knows dat I doah *m©fliber much, but I does know dat days on de plantation wuz happy. When my mammy mar- ried pappy%iie moved ter de Bell's plantation se we chiliuns, long wid her, wuz lak de udder slaves. wDe missus gib us her old hoop skirts ter play in an* we played nigh *bout all de time. We wuz doin' dis when de Yankees corned fty* Dey drives dere hosses up ter de gate an1 dey says dat dey is lookin* fer Iheeler's Cavalry. We knows dat it done pass dar de day 'fore, but we is too skeered ter say a thing. f*Be Yankees stays ^round dar fer a little while, an^ dey gathers rations, den dey goes on atter wheeler. A;'.iiM*i^ but I ©sly , '%j>$.r -d^^'it"'weii- -laic £$&£$-¦ ^.^-s,'^: -2- 336 "Wheeler's Wheeler's Cav—al—ry, \ Marchin1 on de battlefield \ Wheeler's Wheeler's Cav—al—ry } Marchin* on de battlefield. / It wuz really a game we played, while we marched an* pranced an1 beat on tin pans. De missus ain't carin' case we. is bein1 true ter de south she think®. Shucks we doan care nothin* 'bout Wheeler 'cept what we hyar, an dat eirit so good. We doan kee.3? 'bout de Yankees nother, case we is skeered of dem. "I hyard grown folkses-pfeisen' Lincoln but I doan know much 'bout him. I d^J)]^©^§othinf much 'bout none of it, but I does kn^^iSl^^z^Jin a Sunday dat de picket wuz lookin' fer Wheeler an'::dat we wuz playin' hide an* seek". 327 *v H, C. District No. 2 Worker Marv A, Hicks No. Words 848________ Subject WILLIAM SYKSS__________ Person Interviewed William Sykes Eft itor • Daisy Bailey Waitt 320229 328 WILLIAM SYKES Ex-Slave Story An interview with William Sykes 78, of State prison, Raleigh, N. C. "My mammy Martha anr me we rlonged ter Mister Joshua Long in Martin County, an* my paw, Henry 'longed ter Squire Ben Sykes in Tyrell County. Squire Sykes lived in what wus called Gum Neck, anr he owned a hundert slaves or more an* a whole passel of Ian1. "I lived wid my mammy in Martin county from de fust dat I could 'member, me an' my brothers, Henry, Benjamin an' Columbus, an' my sisters Hester, Margaret, Lucy an* Susan. "I doan 'member so much what happen 'fore de war, of course, but I does 'member a heap cl little things. I knows dat Mister Long an* Mis''Catherine wus good ter. us an' I 'members dat de food an* de clothes wus good an* dat dar wus a heap o' fun on holidays. "Most o* de holidays wus celebrated by eatin* candy, drinkin* wine an* brandy. Dar wus a heap o* dancin* ter de music of banjoes an-' nan* slappin*. "We had co*n ghuckin's, an1 prayer meetin's, an* -2- 329 sociables an1 singin's. I went swimmin' in de crick, went wid ole Joe Brown, a-possum hunt in*, an1 coon hunt in', an1 I sometimes went a-fishinr. "When de Yankees corned dey come a tearing Dey ain't clone so bad in our neighborhood, case hit warnft so full of de ' infernal Rebs* as de Yankees said. Dey tooked de bes* o'eber'thing do* but dey ain't doin* scr much deruction. Dey eben buyed terbacker from my mammy, an* dey paid her a dollar an* fifty cents a pound, stim an* all. "Dey paid her wid shin plasters, which wus green paper money, an* de fust dat eber I seed* "We slaves was skeerd o* de Yankees, an* fer some reason I got sent ter paw at Squire Sykes* house in Tyrell County. "Squire Sykes come stompin' in one day an* he says ter my paw, 'Henry, dem damm Yankees am comin' t8r take ray niggers 'way from me, an* I ain't gwine ter stan* fer hit nother» Le's you an* me take dese niggers an' march straight ter de Blue Ridge mountains, an1 up dar in dem mountains dar won't be no trouble, case dey won't dare come up dar atter us.' "Wal, we got on de march fer de mountains an1 we march on ter Judge Clayton Moore's grandfather's place in Mitchell, County, whar we camps fer seberal days. -3- "While we wus dar one day, an* while Mr. Jim Moore, de Jedgers daddy am in town de missus axes my cousin Jane ter do de washinr. 11 Jane says dat she has got ter do her own washin* an dat she*11 wash fer de missus termorrer. De missus says •you ain*t free yit, I wants you ter know.' '"I knows dat I*s not but I is gwine ter be free*, Jane says. "De missus ain*t said a word den, but late Sadday night Mr. Jim he comes back from town anr she tells him *bout hit. ttMr. Jim am some mad an* he takes Jane out on Sunday, mominf an* he beats her till de blood runs down her back. ttDe patterollers wus thick dem days, Mr. Joe Jones wus our regular patteroller an* he gibe us de very debil. **A few days atter Jane got her beatin* we marches away. De wimen am left at Jamesville but us mens anr boys, we marches on ter Buncombe County anf we ain't seed no mo* Yankees* HAtter de war my paw an* mammy wj?£t ter live on Mr* Moorers plantation an1 we had a hard time* A whole heap or times I has had nothin1 ter eat but one cupful or peas anf a hunk of cornbread all day "long. A white lady, Mis* 330 -4- 331 Douglas give me a quart of milk eber Sunday^ but I.had ter walk three miles fer hit. "We ainrt wucked none in slavery days ter what we done atter de war, an1 I wisht dat de good ole slave days wus back. "Bar's one thing, we ole niggers wus raised right an* de young niggers ain't. Iffen I had my say-so dey'd burn down de nigger s chools, gibe dem pic^anninies a good span- kin* an* put *em in de patch ter wuck, ain't no nigger got no business wid no edgercation nohow. "Yes*urn, dey says dat I is a murdererM. Uncle William stroked his long white beard, "i runned from dis young nigger seberal times, an' I wus tryin* ter run wid my knife what I had been whittlin' wid open in my hanr. I wus skeerd nigh ter death, so when he grabs me I throw up my han's an* in a minute he falls. I breshes de blood offen my coat, thinkinr dat he has hurt me, anr I sees de blood pourin* from de jugular vein. ttI has sarved ten months o* my sentence which dey gived me, three ter five years fer manslaughter; what could I do? I stood up an' I said, 'Thank you, JedgeV Xi.l!* ifiS 332 f. C. District Ho. 2 Worker Marv A. Hicks No. Words 503 Subject ANNIE TATE Person Interviewed Annie Tate Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320226 333 ANNIE TAIE Ex-Slave Story An interview with Annie Tate 73 of 624 S. Harrington Street, Raleigh, Mr. C. "I wuz a year old when de war wuz ober but of course I ain't knowin* nothin* 'bout slavery 'cept what my mammy said, an* dat ain't so much. 111 reckon dat it wuz a brother of Calvin Jones dat my mammy belonged ter, anyhow, it wuz at Wake Forest. My mammy wuz Rosa Jones till she married Phil Perry, my pappy. nMy mammy's mammy, who also belonged ter de Jones family killed herself 'cause dey sold her husban1. Mammy said dat she wuz eight or ten years old at de time. HOld marster wuz very fond, of my grandpaw an' he wouldn't 'low de oberseer ter beat him, but ole marster went off on a trip an' he left young marster in charge of de big farm an' de whole slue ©' slaves dat he owns. "One day atter ole marster wuz gone de oberseer tried ter run de hawg over gran'paw an' wuz cussin' him scan'lous. Gran'paw cussed back at him an1 den de oberseer started te» beat him. Gran'paw drawed de hoe back ober his haid an' tells him dat if 'en he comes a step closter dat he am gwine ter bust his haid open. De oberseer comew on an' de hoe 'cends on his haid choppin* hit wide ©pen. , -a- 334 tt01e marster ain*t dar so young marst©£ makes seberal of de slaves hold him while he lashes him wid de cowhide. He cuts his back all ter prices an* den he throws him in de barn, chained down ter de flo». "Gran'mammy snufce out ter see him an* whisper ter him through de cracks, but one night she goes out dar ter de barn an* he an gone. She runs ter young marster an* axes him whar am gran*paw an* he tells her dat he am sold ter a man from Mississippi an* dat if*en she whimpers 'bout him seHin * de black bastard dat he will whup her, den wash her down wid vinegar, red pepper an* salt. ttPore gran'maw am nigh "bout crazy so she walks off* en de plantation* Down on de aidge of de plantation runs de Ueuse so gran'maw gits dar, an' jumps in. *My mammy am little an' she ain't got no brothers an* sisters so de missus takes her in de house wid her. Bey said dat de ole marster had a fit most when he fin's out *bout what been done dar while he am gone, so he am extra good ter mammy. "At de surrender he calls his niggers in an' he says dat he will give *em permission ter libe on de riber plantation, dey can build deir .shacks dar an' live dar durin* dare life time. Some of dem 0ms dis, an* fer seberal years dey stays on dar. Mammy said dat he tol' de Ku Klaxes ter stay off'en his lanf too. dat he could manage his own nigger*.** !*•£« 320205 335 JST. C. District Ho. 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 1258_______ Subject R» S. TAYLOR Story teller R. S. Taylor Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt V* 320205 336 R. S. TAYLOR 710 South McDowell Street "My name is Ransom Sidney Taylor. I was borned in slavery the 5th day of January, 1857. Adam Taylor was my father and Mary Taylor my mother. My brothers were* William H., Jesse, and Louiaj sisters* Virginia, Annie, and Isabella; all born in slavery, We all belonged to John Cane* He owned a plantation on Ramkatte Road near Yates Mill, between Yates Mill anc Penny's Mill. There was a whiskey still at Penny* s Mill. "There were sixty slaves in all, but Marster only i»pt seven on the plantation with him at Yates Mill. Marster^& sister Mary was our missus after he died. He died before the surrender. The war was going on when he died. He was a Northern man. His sister came down to the funeral from Hew York and then went back, then she came back to settle up the estate. She stayed here a long time then. She told all the slaves they were free* That was about the close of the war. "Marster John Cane was buried in the Catholic Graveyard in Raleigh. His wife had died in the North, so my mother told me. We had plenty of something to eat, beans, peas, butter milk and butter and molassaB 2. 33? i and plenty o* flour. We made the wheat on the plantation and other things to eat* We didn't have clothes like they have now hut we had plenty o* good and warm wove clothes. Our shoes had wooden bottoms, but were all right* "We had prayer meetings on the plantation and at times we went to the white folks' church. Marster was a Catholic, hut we went to the.Methodist Church, Edenton Street Methodist Church. My marster would not allow any- one to whip his Negroes. If they were to be whipped he did it himself and the licks he gave them would not hurt a flea. He was good to all of us and we all loved him. "We called our parents pappy and mammy most of the time* My marster looked like you, jes' the same complection and about your size. He weighed around 200 pounds had curly hair like yours and was almost always smiling like you. My marster was an Irishman from the Korth* Mother and father said he was one of the best white men that ever lived* I remember seein' him sett in* on the porch in his large ana chair* He called me "Iionnie*, a nieiQname. He called me a lot to brush off his shoes. I loved him he was so good* Our overseer was named John H. Whitelaw. He get killed at the Rock Quarry near the Federal Cemetery when l-;:i,..: Yates Mill was a flour miUT" 3. 338 they were carrying a boiler to the Rock Quarry a long time after the surrender about 14 or 16 years ago. He and John were standing on the side of the boiler and the boiler turned over and killed both of ! em. Marster*s overseer was bad to us after marster died* Nothing we could do would suit him, and he whipped the Negroes. We never heard the word Negroes until we moved to Raleigh after the surrender. They called us niggers and colored folks. "We were darin* to have a book to study. It was against the Confederates1 rules at dat time, but marster called us in to have prayer meeting on Sunday mornings. ttI have seen patterollers. Dey had 'em but not when my marster was living. Dey didn't come around den, but when he died dey come around every night; we never knowed when dey was comin1, you know. ftI never saw a slave really whipped. Marster would switch a slave sometime, but it was a matter o' nothing •cause he didn't hurt much. MWe had good houses and plenty o' good places to sleep, and we fared fine in slavery time. We called marster's house with its long porch the •dwelling house1 ? When the Yankees came through they told us we were free and we didn't have to work for the Johnnies no more* *We got everything all right on the plantation near Yates Mill, then we moved to Raleigh. "My mammy belonged to old Captain Hunter before she was married to pappy. When she got married the Taylors *• 339 bought her, and she and pappy stayed with the Taylors. As soon as we got the plantation fixed up, we moved to Raleigh and mammy and pappy went back to her white folks, the Hunters* J^r father was a carpenter by trade, and a preacher* He preached at St. Faul*s Church on the corner of Harrington and Edenton Streets* We lived in Raleigh all our lives except Annie* She went to Brooklyn, Few York and died there about four years ago* *I thinned corn, and turned potato vines, and helped look after/ and feed the stock* Our marstera gave u* mm*, money, five and ten cents at a time, that's the only way we got any money* "We caught rabbits, bunting in the day time, and possums, hunting at night. We hunted on holidays* We had holidays at layby time, and the 4th of July* When we caught up with the work we had nothing to do* We got Christmas holidays* *I never saw a slave sold and none never ran away* We went fishing in Swift Creek. I never saw a jail for slaves and never saw any in chains. We played push and spin on the plantation* "My mother looked after most of us when we were sick. She used roots, herbs, and grease, and medicine the over- seer got in town. When my mother got through rubbin* you, you would soon be well* 1 Kie Begroes interviewed frequently speak fairly correctly at first hut when they begin to talk of old times lapse into dialect. ? 340 "When I first saw the Yankees I was afraid of 'em. It was a curiosity to see *em comin' through the fields with dem guns and things. They come down and talked with us and told us we were free and then I was not so-scared of 'em. «I married Francis Lipton in 1885. _We were married [ ' at the end of McDowell Street at Mr. Chester's home. Jus"t a quiet wedding with about 30 friends present. I didn't think a thing about slavery while we fared mighty well; bad but it was/on other plantations. *I don't know anything about Booker T. Washington, nor Jefferson Davis, but I know Jim Young. He was a Hegro politician. I do not know much about Lincoln or Roosevelt• "Ere Yankees jjes' shot hogs and cows and took every- thing on de plantation dey wanted. I can see 'em now runnin' chickens. Dere was an old rooster, he said, "Cluck, cluck, cluck cluck, as he run. Dey shot his head off and he turned somersets awhile, and rolled over dead. Jes1 seemed lak if dem Yankees pointed a gun at a chicken or hog dey would roll over dead. Dey had live geese tied on their hosses. One ole gander would say, 'Quack, quack, quack,* as the hoss stepped along and jarred him. Some ©' de Yankee, soldiers were carrying e* 341 hams of hogs on deir bayonets. Dat mis a time, Lawsy, Law&y, a time. One ole hen, she had sense. When de Yankees were killin1 de res* o' de chickens she ran for de piney woods and hid dere and stayed till de Yankees left Raleigh; den she come home. Mammy caught her and raised about forty chickens off her in Raleigh. BE #• RftvuSqa+e Redd - vucfev^^j IRa^eaf or flhaJuffe. /K,cUm/0K %% Sr.Poll's A,M.E. Meffjcji'^f C^vrth vvuve i 4e> E$*i$$$ir. ;:•.; G20006 %^ ELLEN TRELL Age 73 20 McKee St., Raleigh, Forth Carolina. "Meedham Price owned about fifty slaves, and mother anr I were among that number. He was a very rich man, and owned a large plantation in Wake County, If.. C., near the town'of Knightdale. *2$r father belonged to Tom Bodie way down in Edgecombe County, and mother and I went by the name of Bodie. JBty father's given name was Haywood. Mother's name w$s Caroline. The fare was bad in regard to food and clothing, but the slave quarters, though small and shanty-like in appearance, were warm an * dry. The rules were strick and the privileges ' few. Mother was whipped and scarred by the lash so bad the scars were on her when she died. I have seen them many times. "There were no books of any kind allowed the slaves and .no social gatherings tolerated. Slaves were allowed to go to the white folks church and at times all slaves were canted to services at the church. The preacher told them to oh¥f th^ir marsters and missuses, that the Bible said olbey. /""'.¦;¦' 'i'-*;-'«^^fteriM#ed,; in;"a large :iiotise;:;with fourteen rooms, which . * :::'"lhJ?stoa^e#"'S ncis,eVJ; "Hr'had four house servants . ¦ ^ -a- food and various kinds of liquors to their guests. When mar- ster was in his cups he was mighty rough, and any of the slaves who displeased him at these times were liable to get a beating. "T have heard a lot of talk about ghosts and witches among the colored folks. I have seen a few who had spells put on them by witches. % mother had a spell put onrher and she lay in bed talking to herself and sweating draps of sweat as big as the end of my finger. She would groan and say, •go away evil spirit, go away,T but the spell would not leave her until she went to a white witch-doctor and goc cured. "After the surrender father came up from Sdgecombe County and he and mother went and worked with Mr. Ruth Dunn of Wake County. They stayed close, never going out of the county. Mother, after a year (oB two at Mr* Dunn*s, began to think about go in* back home. She was free and though her ole marster had treated her rough she loved the missus and said she rather stay with marster Price than anyone else. Father went to- see .Mr. Price. He told him to tell Caroline to come on back home and that he shure better bring her back. Mother said when she V got back home they all had a general good time cooking, eating, | and laughing. Marster tole her he never wanted her to leave | him again. Mother said she was so full of gladness slhe could I not reply so she just stood there and cried. Marster walked |J off. Ifether took charge of the house and father jist about took 1? ~»&*— possession of the farm* He looked after the stock, all the farm tools, kept plenty of wood on the wood pile all the year roun'. "Father and mother carried the keys and acted like the place belonged to them. They got most of the slaves who were agreeable to come back. Marster gave them work and he loafed and prospered. Because he trusted the negroesrso much they felt the responsibility put upon them, and they worked for his interests. "Mother and father stayed there until they died. I stayed with father and mother until I married i^adger Farre11 then we stayed in a cabin on the plantation several years. Most of my life was spent near Knightdale, Wake County, until my husband died fifteen years ago. I had eight children,four girls and four boys. They are all dead except one, a boy, whom I have lived with in Raleigh since my husband died. i ttI think slavery was a bad thing. This story is the things my mother and father told me of slavery and my own observations since I became old enough to remember the general happenings. Mother said the place which had been a place of torture in slavery days turned out to be a haven of rest after slavery, a home where peace, plenty and contentment reigned supreme.** ^"^pss^g? T Qgjpn"«- '¦#§<* •*¦ ra"c "*nggizq*®JBF&ii™*Bf*jp^^ '"^'^^^^^s^^ f. C District Wo. 2 Subject' HSHRY JAMES TBEHT-HM1 Worker T« Pat iattnew® Person Interviewed Henry James frentham No. Words 760 Editor g. L» flnflfrewB.' -, ¦¦ j..t -. rX '>¦*/' 320046 KEHRY JAMES T.S3FTKAM Kaleigh, H. C. Rt. 2 Age 92 years "I wus born de second day of December 1845. Dat would make me 92 years of age. I wus born on a plantation near Carnden, S. C. I belonged to Dr. Trehtham and my missus wus named Eliz- abeth. Ky father wus named James Trentham an -2- 365 "We hated to see de sun rise in slavery time cause it meant anudder hard day, but den we wus glad to see it go down* "Marster lived in a large two story house wid rbout twelve rooms in it. We called it de plantation-house. Dere wus a church on de plantation, an1 both white an1 black went to preachin1 dere* Dere wus Sunday School dere- too, De preacher tole us to obey our missus an* marster. He tole us we must be obedient to renu Yes oir, datfs what he tole us. Some of de slaves run away* When dey wus caught dey wus whupped and put in de stocks . in de jail. Some of de slaves dat run away never'did come back. De overseers tole us dey got killed reason dey never come back, "De patterollers come round ever now an1 den anf if you wus off de plantation anf had no pass dey -core you up wid de lash * "Marster an1 missus rode around in a carriage drawn by two horses and driven by a driver. Dey had four women to work in de house as cooks, maids, anr de like. "No hunt in1 wus allowed a slave if no white man wus wid fim, an1 dey wus not allowed to carry guns. "De corn shuckinfs wus a great time* Marster give good iicker to everybody den. When anybody shucked a red ear he got a extra drink of whiskey. We had big suppers den an1 a good time at corn shuckin's. Atter de shuckin* at aa&MFdere would be a wrastlin1 match to see who was besr on de plantation. We got a week holliday at Xmas. Den wus de time shoes wus give to de slaves,, an1 de good times generally lasted a week. At lay-by time wus another bi& time. Cat wus ^outde^^ Dey give a big dinner an' everbody et all de barbecue an^Qak^j3 dey wanted. HI saw slaves sold at Camden. Marster carried some slaves dere an1 put 'em on de auction block an' sold 'em. I wus carried but I wus not sold. I went with the old doctor. I wus his pet. Bey carried slaves away from de plantation in chains* Dey carried five or six at a time. If a nigger didnH suit him he sold him* "Missus didn't like for him to ,,-aat 'em so much no how. Be old doctor had three boys, William, Sidney and Henry and two girls-, Missie and Carrie. "Bey would not allow slaves no books an' I can't read an* write* I did not git any learnin. •*lhen a slave died dere wus- only a few to go to de buryin. Bey didn't have time to go, dey wus so busy workin. B« slaves wus burried in plain wood boxes which wus made by slave men on de plantation. Our marster looked atter us when we got :\;:);M;CT-£vm ago;'; in .;iouth :.Garoll;na;.,. . \ 330132 ** F. C. District Ho. 2 Subject JAM AIMS PRIVBTTE UPPEHMftff Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed Jane Anne Privefcte Up-perman No. Words_______631______ Editor G. L. Andrews____________ 320132 368 JANE AJME PRIVETTE UPPERMAN 74 years old, of 330 West- South Street, "1 wusn*t livin in Raleigh when my mother wus freed from slavery. We wus livinr in Nash County right near- the border of Wake County. We belonged to Shirley Brantly. Our missus wus named Penina. "I wus born a slave, but I wus only 'bout two years old at de time of de surrender. I am 74 now, I wus born in April. I had my age in a Bible, but cle book got tore to pieces anr my age got lost. "We lived on Marster Brantiys plantation an' de slave quarters wus near de great house. Mother said she wurked in de fiel's from sun to sun. Dey did not eat breakfast in de mornin' fore dey went to wurk. It was cooked an' put on a shelf an1 dey had breakfas1 at about eleven o'clock in de day. Mother said sometimes de flies got to de meat an* blowed it fore dey could come in to eat it. Mother said de food wua bad an* not fixed right. "Dere wus a lot of de slaves divided among marsters chillun, I can't remember how many. "Marster wus a soldier an1 when he come an* tole mother she wus free, Missus Penina tole her, *Ifo, you aint free, you*se got to stay here an* wurk right on.1 Marster tole her if she had been through wid what he been through wid she could give mother up as free as tak'in* a drink of water. -2- 369 "When de war ended father come an* got ma an1 took her on to his marsters plantation. l£y father wus named Carroll Privette an* my mother wus Cherry Brantly, but after she wus free she begun to call herself by my fathers name, Privette. Father belonged to Jimmie Privette across Tar Hiver from whar ma lived. He lived near a little place named Cascade. We lived there at father's marster*s place till most of de chillun wus *bout grown, den father bought a place in Franklin County from Mr- Jack Griffin. He stayed there long enough to pay for de place; den he sold it an' we moved to Clayton. ttAt this time all de older chillun wus married, an1 dats what dissatisfied my father. He had nobody to help him wurk. Arch, Frank^an1 Dennis wus married. Mary wus married. Two girls an* one boy wus lefr single. Dere wus seben of de chillun. We moved from Clayton to Raleigh., I wus married in Raleigh* I married William Upperman. "Mother an' father died in Raleigh. Mother died right here in dis house. My mother an* father couldn't do no writin*, but father could read a little. He could read hymns an1 de Bible. "I aint remember nothin* *bout slavery 'ceptin* what I've heard *em say. Some said dey had a good time an1 liked slavery. Dat was when dey had good marsters. Den some says dey had a hard time an* didn't like it. Dat wus when dey had -3- 370 bad marsters. Slavery wus good an1 bad accordin' to de kind of raarster you had. "Jfy- husban ' died September 6, 1925. I am unable to mirk. I've had a stroke on one side* I'se jest hanginr •round home. "Hty- daughter wurks for de WPA an1 supports me but now she has been laid off? ity chillun, some of rem live in Harlem, New York, but dey has to have so much to live on dey can't help me* Dey sends me a Christmas present most of de time, an* dey remembers me on mother's day sometime. ttI aint signed up wid any of de places to g et money yet. Donft see what I is goln' to do. I aint got 'nough money to pay bus fare to de registerin' place other side of town." IE "v t-< frt j'»> ;*V w^ ? - <¦>'-',' .-*".<$ 31 r.;^v,-c -^ . .« fc# C*, District No. 2 fcorker -gEarv A* H&kg..... Mo words,_______901 Subject BX-SLAVE STORIES________. Person Interviewed 0ibiielia Ifaitlev ^itor Daisy Bailev feitt ;:#$ ¦. :^%r ^m- '¦¦S0.':^tM: 320215 ^ 372 EX-SLAVE STORIES An Interview by Mary A. Hicks with Ophelia Whit ley of Zebulon, (Wake Co.) N. C. May 12, 1937. "I'wuz borned at Wakefield in 1841, here in Wake County. % mammy wuz named Eliza an* my pappy wuz named Thomas. Dar wuz eleben uv us chilluns, Frances, Sally Ann, Jane, Pattie, Louisa, Alice, Firginia, Sam, Haywood, Boobie and me. We belonged to Mr. Agustus Foster an1 he wuz right good to us even dor he had a hundred or so other slaves. rlI rmembers one whuppin* I got when I wua little rbout a big matter dat looked little at de time. Mens would come by in kivered wagons, (we called dem speckled wagons) an,: steal Marse Gus* nigger *: 1 373 wimrnen plowed an* grubbed ,anr Irse known dem ter leave de field, go ter de house an1 find a baby an1 be back at wuck de next day. Dat ainH happen often do1, mostly dey done light wuck fer a week or so. De babies wuz carried to Ant Hannah's house an' she raised *em all sors dat de other wimrnen could wuck. De mammies ain't egen 'member which wuz dere chilluns half de time^so dar wnz no mo'nin' when somebody got sold. "I 'members a slave sale an* hyarin' de marster tell Cindy an* Bruce ter act up fev de benefit of de buyers. Cindy said dat she could do ever'thing, so she brung a good price, but Bruce, atter sayin* dat he could do it all, wuz tole ter hitch up a hoss in a hurry. He got de hoss an' turned his head ter de spatter board an' tried to hook de hoss up hind part befor. De marster can't find no buyer,- so he whups Bruce awful atter he gits him home, but dat black boy says, 'Marse, Yo' can kill me, but I'd ruther stay on hyar.1 I'se seed niggers in chains, but dey wuz travelin', or wuz mighty bad niggers. "We "had log cabins to live in an' dey wuz comfort- able but we ain't had much jubilees, de marster not be- lievin' in such things. We warn't teached nothin1, not even religion an' we got whupped if we wuz ketched wid a piece uv paper or a slate. De white folks warn't teached nothin* den, an* you know dey won't gwine ter take no trouble wid de niggers. De niggers had a doctor f~ do* when dey got sick same as de white folks, anr dey got a lot of spring tonic an* such, made out of barks art* roots. *Wnen de slaves g ot married dey done it dis way? de marster hilt a fcroom an* dey solemnly steps over it twiet den dey kissed an* dey waz married, ,course dar wuz something dat de siarster said, but I done forgot whut it muz* m0hen we byard dat de Yankees wuz comin* some of de niggers went f er de woods an* stayed till atter de surrender, but most uv us stayed on an* wucked jist de ttMy marster made his own brandy an* whiskey an* when de Yankees come he wuz a rich mm* His smoke house wuz ful o* hams an1 he hid *em in de ceilin* of my mammy*B ghack, an* he burled dem barrels of brandy, but de Yankee© done" found it all an* dey ain't left no-thin*. *I fmembers how some of deis Yankee officers cussed in front of my missus an* how I tole *em dat dey sought he Yankees but dey won't half raised at dat* "Atter de surrender my marster had ter aake de slaves leave, but he moved my pa$yfa cabin furder anr we Jl&t stayed on sane as always till he died* X 'members mmsghty wall wfcem sf mmmy an* pa$r && m&rrUd case I seed it two years atter de surrender, aiif Itlift f'llda an1 .... I*se seed dem brewin* coffee a many a time an* pourin* it out in a long neck goard. Dey done a powerful lot of things which I canrt recollect right dis minute, anyhow dey wuz witches. nI uster see ghosts on dis very road nigh *bout ever* night. Dey wuz white an* spongy lookin' an1 dey set under de bushes an* holler an* holler anfrholler. Ifse poured water on fem many a time but it ain't done no good. "Do ycu know chile, slavery wuz a good thing, but folks has improved a lot since den, an* de Yankees warn't half as good ter us as our ole marster an missus wuz, even if*n dey did put a^-stop ter de Ku Klux Klan bea~tin* sorry niggers dat had ort ter be hung, MH/LE 3-:fC%* .?¦! I 'P1®^^^ ^p»?S| ml 193? N. C. District Ho. 2 Worker Mary A., Hicks No. Words 6M Subj ect ^»LA^g STOBX; Story teller !f©ai..lfeio3E-;t:: Editor Palsy Bailey laitfe fckt&j/£ly y$ jUyi*. IhUfau h^^in-A^fcui fry Xu^ iiiiiis^^ SftSilSSBIi^Sife- ^:M^siiliii«iis^li 320168 _ 377 EX-SLAVE STORY - N 2 Subject REy. WfflW wtt.t.tams Worker T. Pat Matthews Person Interviewed Rev. Bandy Williams Ho. Words ______755 Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt -^ (Js A V 320208 3m B&J. HAilDY WILLIAMS Dunn, Iforth Carolina, ttify name is Handy H. Williams, When de war went up I wus twelve years old, 12th of March. I belonged to Blaney Williams, and his wife mis named Polly. My mother wus named Margaret Williams, and my father wus named Sam Williams. I do not remember my grandmother and grandfather; can*t remember 'em. Misy father lived in Greene County. De plantation wus in Greene County. Dere were about 190 acres in de farm and dere wus about 25 slaves on it. '*!* lived in Greene County till the war went up. We had plenty to eat, good clothes and a nice place to sleep. Marster wus not good to us, but he gave us plenty to eat and wear. He worked us from light till dark and then my mother had to do house work after workin' in de fields all day, an* father had to do de feedin1 or pick cotton at night. "We had no holidays. Prayer meetings were not allowed in de quarters and a slave darsent to be caught wid a book in his nan1. "De patterollers come by often an* dey caught and whupped de slaves many times. Marster whupped slaves for ffios' ai^rthing. Sometimes he would get mad, an* whup us -*• 38? when he hardly had an excuse. Yes sir, he would get drunk and whup somebody jest 'cause he wus mad. Some of de slaves run away. My Uncle Needham Williams run away. When he come back he wus whupped an* then put up and sold. Aunt Chaney, my mother's sister, wus put up and sold. She wus sold away from her children. When de war went up, she come back home. My Aunt Beadie wus sold on de block in Fay- etteville. I remember her well, but we have never heard from her since. She never come back after the surrender. God only knows what become o1 her. ttwhen de war went up we went to Harnett County to Mr. Jim Surles* place, about three miles from whur this town now stands. Dunn wus not here then* ttWe stayed there five years, and then moved to Mingo in what is now Sampson County on the Louis Martin Tew Place, and my father bought a place. The deed called for 199 acres more or less* Bat's what de deed called for. We paid for de place, but icy father mortgaged de place. He didn't lose it, cause it wus fixed so dat no one could sell or mortgage it while any of de heirs wus livin*. AH are dead *cept Pink Williams and myself, and de Ian* fell back to us. Mammy and daddy are both dead long time ag®, *bout twenty-five years* *Bmy had overseers on marsterfs farm in dreeae County -3- and dey were mean" to de slaves. I wus not big enough to work much, but dey had me feedin' stock and helpin' around de house. "We children didn't play any games we wus afraid to play around de white folks. Marster wus a rip snorter and he would get you if you got in his way. He lived in de great house not far distant from de quarters, cut we did not go dere unless we had to go dere to work. "Yes sir, you know how children is when dey hear wagins coomin', and a big crowd marcl.in' together. Yes sir, I remember de Yankees. Dey rode dere horses against de fences and tore em down. Dey corned in de yard and turn- ed over de bee gums. Dey shot de chickens. Dey would - say fDere he goes, shoot'him, shoot him', and den de guns would go 'bam, bam, bam, an1 de chickens would fall deadr. Dey shot de dogs in de yard. Course, to Heben, I am tellin1 de truth. Dey took de meat and destroyed mos1 everything at Marster's. After dey lef, if you could get a few beans or peas dey wus mighty good. People et tater peelin's an1 some come near starvin*. HI wus mighty lucky an* what I got I got it from de Southern white folks; dey been mighty good to me since de war. I have worked fur de town 'bout 35 years and I work for it now. I ain't able to do much now, but -*- 389 I have a section of de Courthouse. I keeps it might clean, MI know no thin* much bout de great men you ax me 'bout; don't remember much about *em» I think slavery wus a bad thing, yes sir, I shore does. LE itf 320011 390 I\T. C District No, 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews No. Words 544 Subject JOHN THOMAS WILLIAMS Person Interviewed John Thomas _ Williams___ Editor G« L. Andrews 320011 JOEN THOMAS WILLIAMS 77 years old. 1272 Pettigrew Street, Raleigh, Forth Carolina. "I donft know who I am nor what my true name is. I wus born December 25, 1860 on a plantation in Kew Hanover County. The plantation belonged to John Williams, whose wife wus named Isabella and the farm wus on land which is now in the corporate limits of Wilmington, K. C. "The reason I don't know who I ai. is that I don't remember my father and mother or any of my people. When I got so I could remember anything I wus with the Williams family. Marster an* missus, an1 their family are the only ones I ever looked upon as my people. They never told me who I wus. "After the war I stayed with them a long time and helped them on the farm* They run a truck farm. I got along all right -while I wus with the Williams family, but when I got grown I left them. I loved them but I realized I wus a nigger and knew that I could never be like them, and that I wus one to myself. "teen I left I went to Little Washington, H". C. Then to Plymouth. I stayed at these places several years working as a hand on truck farms. Er/Gm there I went to Charlotte, Greensh©ro, and Horf oik. I tbeauvfeat Korth an * staye& eight year©" ia\ >:iSiir^PtePfc ¦City^:a:s;;a'^^ti3a»^;ior, a-white man-and 'ItiV.- 'v *. -2- "I married Maggie Swain, a former sweetheart, as soon as I got back to Plymouth. We had two children. She lived six years. I then married Mary Bavenport of Little Washington." We had seven children. She died and I come to Raleigh and married Maggie Towel. V/e had no children by our marriage. nl own no home and have never owned one* Excepting the eight years I spent in Mew York ^ity my life has oeen spent in farming. I farm some now and do little jobs for the white folks. "I don't know much about slavery, as 1 wus too young to know much about it. There wus other slaves belonging to Marster Williams but I don*t remember any of them because when I got so I could know what it wus all about they v/ere free and gone from the plantation. 111 have asked thousands of questions trying to find out who my people are but no one has ever told me who I am or who my -people are. If I have any brothers and sisters, I don*t know it. *I have nothing to say about being partly white, I leave that to your imagination, I have thought about it a lot. I don't know. . ., *I have been blessed with good health, I mi breaking now but I am still able to do light jobs. ttI ao a good fiddler. The white folks have taught me to do lota of diiffersnt things* I have had very fesr advantages -3- 393 "I have never been in jail in my life. I can give good references from dozens of white folks. I try to live right, be honest and above all give my fellow man a square deal.11 LE Interview with LIZZIE WILLIAMS, Ex-slave, 35 Max Street, Asheville, N. C. v By Marjorie Jones, Aug. 24, 1937. rrs bo'n in Selma, Alabanf, I cant mind how long ago, but. jes "bout ninety yeans. I come to dis country *bout 1882. Yes, I»e purty porely des days an1 I*s gettin1 homesick for my ol1 hemie. 1*8 bo'n and lib on ol* man Billy Johnson's plantation - thousan's acres of groun' and plenty of niggahs. My pappy he allus b'long to ol» man Billy. He ----- not sich a bad man but de Lawd knows I's seed bettah ones. When I»s right sma't size Missy Mixon, she was Marse Billy»s wife siatah, she get Marse Billy to let her hab me. She war a good woman. She took me to town to lib and make a little white girl out ten me. Y»all knows what I means j I got treated moh like de white folks den de res' of de' niggahs. But ttwarn,t long afore Missy send me to New •Leans to nurse de sick chile of her sistah. I never war satisfi' down dar. Ewerbody so differen*. But de nex* year we go back to Alabam1,. 1^ went, to Marse Ellis Mixon* s, he tubble mean '$o/%t8/0gg&im+,, But 1 belong' to de Missus, she allays; treat me good. All de little niggahs have to learn t© work :when./def;-i^||| get ®ut*n pull weeds^.,€ey.^ebef,.|^d:,fQ,:. J)^.'^!^}:^;^ ~2« 395 get whupped jes like a mule iffen dey act like dey don' wanna Work. Dey neber get much to eat, jes side meat, co'n bread and 'lasses. 01* Billy he had overseers whut was mean to de pore niggahs. Sometime dey ties dem up an' dey strip dem and dey whups dem wif cow hide, else dey lets other niggahs do it. All de niggahs have to go to church, jes lik» de white fokes, Dey have a part of de church for demselfs. After de wah we hab a church of our own. All de niggahs love to go to church an' sing. I mind a lot of de songs we used ter sing in oe fiel's. I mind my papp;; used ter sing in de fiel'* '?Git on bo'd, little chillun, git on bo'd." Sometimes day babtiz in de ribber. Den dey sing: nl wanna be ready I wanna be ready good Lawd I wanna be readyAo walk in Jarusalem jes like John. John say de city was jes four square, To walk in Jarusalem jes like John. But I'll meet my mothah and fathah dar, To walk in Jarusalem, jes like John." I ^members 'bout de paddyrollers. De niggahs hab* to get a pass from de massa or de missus if dey go ennywhar. De •Bout dozen of dem ride 'long togedder. Fus thing 6ey say; paddyrollers jes llk» police. /"Whar yo* pass?" lien iffen yo» hab one dey lets you go but iffen you don' hab one dey strips yo* to de waist and dey lams yo' good till de blood comes. ¦ ~3- Sometime dey rolla yotf over a barrel and lams yo¥ while de barrel rolls, I mine a tale my pappy tell 'bout one time he aee de gaddyrollers eoisin*. He scared to death c&s he did'n h&b no pass, Ee too* if fen dey finds hii» whut dey do. So pappy he gets down in de ditch an' throw sand an* grunts jes like a hawg. 5ho* nuf dey thinke he a nawg&nd dey pass on, cept one who was behin1 de others. He sayj *j|at am de gruntin'es ol* hawg I ebber hear. I think I go see him." But de udders day says **Jes let dat ol* hawg lone an' min* yo own business." So day pass on. Pappy he laff 'bout d&t for long time. I mind ol* Mose, he hab monthlj pass from de raassa but he forgit it one day and de/ paddyroilers whup him and throw him in de callaboose. In de m&wnin' when de massa wake and fin no fresh water and no fire in de stove and de cows not milk, he sayt * I know Mose in de callaboose," and he hab to go atter Mose. Lots of de pore niggahs run away, but 'twarn't no use. Der wa'nt no -place to go. Bay was allus lookin' for yoicand den yoChad to work harder den ebber, 'sides all kin's of punish- ment yoU got. Den dey nearly sta've yo^to def, jes feed yotcon bread and water for long time. De niggahs nebber kno* nothin''bout learning jes wuk* all dey*s fit for. Be only thing I ebber do wif a book is jee to dust it off. I mind two little niggahs whose missy teach dem to'read. Emily, she look Ilk' a white gal. She was treated jee like she white. Her daddy was a white man. Emily was a sma't gal. She belong to cue of de Johnson mens. .She do all de sew in' ^^^S&MsU*^MABMM!i^}^^SS):i',Mr&^ ^P^^f^Pf!||^!^^^||^ for her missy. When de missy go to buy clothes for de chillun she allus take Emily along. Her pappy pay no more 'tention to her den to de res' of de niggahs. But de missy she was good to her. She never stay in de quarters, she stay in de house with de white fokes. But E|jiily have de saddes* look oh her yaller face cas' de other niggahs Yifhisper 'bout her pappy. Many de pore niggah women hab chillun for de massa, dat is iff en de massa a mean man. Dey jes tell de7 niggahs whut to do and dey know better den to fuss. 01 * missus she good to me. I mind one time I got tubble mad an' say some ugly words. S5arse Elides he come up ahin* me *' and he say: tttLizabeth I gwina wallup yo! good for dat.'* I 'mense cryinr and run' to d# missus and she say: HLook heah Ellis Mixon, y*all mind yo' own business an* look atter yor own niggahs. Dis one belongs to me." Leaits and when de Yankeestake de town larse Hyde he promise not to leave I btl£%heii de/s^jers/he *scape and come to hie house on Pea Ridge, m"^^^-^m^MytM^ Mm kere dey burn, him in de house wif >:'£i^#iK&$W"j«£. On de Tuesday mawnin' after dey burn Selma I wake up to see Marse Ellis* plantation all surroun' wif Yankee sojers. I war nigh scared to death. I so 'fraid dey hurt me an'Missy but dey dicden, dey jes march through de house an* when-day see Mars^ Ellis day ask him for he guns an1 things dey want. Marse Ellis show dem whajrde things war. 'Twarn't no use to do anything else, I take Marse Frank's 'hacker an' hide it in de Missus' trunk. Den when de sojers git what dey want deyr laugh and ma'ch 'way on de hill. After de surren'er all de niggahs jes lost. Nowhar to go, no thin1 to do, 'less d&y stay wif de massa. Nobuddy ha'b anything but 'federate money and it no good. My pappy had 'bout three hunner dolla's but 'twarn't no good 'tall. All some of de white fokes think of war killin' de pore niggahs what worked for dem for yeahs. Dey jes scour de country and shoot dem, 'specially, de young men. One day dey come down de road to'ards my pappy. Dey start askin' questions 'bout what he gwine to do now he free. "What I gwin to do?tt says pappy. "What can I do? I jes stay on de plantation an' help ol' Massa iffen I can get an olr mule an' a piece of an ol* plow^ One of de boys look at pappy an' say: "I like take yo» head for a target," but de ol' man wif dem say no so cley leave my pappy 'lone. Day hab de commissary whar de fokes git food; it brlong to de Yankee sojers. Pood scarce lik' ebberthing. F©3fcs say now dey hab hard times; 6,ey don' know Rettin' 'bout hard times less day lib in war time and be slave to white fokes. -7- 400 Den dey was de Ku Klux Elan. Bey war frightful lookin' critters. B^y pappy say dey go out in de country an' tie pore niggahs to de tree and beat rem to death. Dey dress all kin's of fashions. Most of dem £ook lik' ghosts. Dey nebber go lik' de paddyrollers, dey jes sneak 'round at night when de poor niggahs in bed. Den 'bout twelve 'clock dey tie up all de niggahs dey ketch and atter dey through beatin' saem dey leaves dem wif dey han's tied in de air and de blookjastreamiji' outten * dey backs. Atter freedeom I come heah to live wif my fokes de Williams»s, dats how I come to be Williams. Nebber had no chilluh of my own. Day calls me 'Lizbeth Johnson rfore I went to live with de Mixons, den I be one of de Mixon niggahs, den later I be a Williams; don' guess names matter much no way. 32022? 401 N. C. District No. 2 Worker Mary A> Hicks No. Words__801 Subj ect PENNY WILLIAMS Story teller Penny Williams Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320228 4()2 PSMKY WILLIAMS Ex-Slave Story An interview with Penny Williams 76, of 716 S. East Street, Raleigh, N. C* "I wus horned at de Hinton place 'bout three miles south of Raleigh,an* course we 'longed ter Mr. Lawrence Hinton* **My mammy wus named Harriet Moore an* my pappy wus named Mack Moore, dat wus cause dey * longed fust ter a Mr. Moore I 'specks. I had ten bruders an' sisters, an* we all done putty good* wDe marster ®wned 'round two hundert slaves an* 'bout four hundert acres o* Ian* an' dey had ter wuck peart, dey sez. **We had 'nough ter eat, sich as it wus, but dat ain't braggin' , I reckins. An' we wus punished putty bad iffen we complains, sasses or 'fuses ter wuck lak we should. Nat fhitaker wus de oberseer an' patteroller an* he wus strick, I'ae tellin' you* I'se seed him beat slaves till de blood run* **Dar wus some nigger mens what *ud go coutin' spite of de debil, an' as de marster ain't gib in* dem no passes dey goes widout * em. Mr. l&itaker, he wimps, an' whups, but dat ain't stop *em* At las' Marster Lawrence 'cides ter hang cowbells on dere necks so's he can hyar dem if* en 2. 403 dey leabes de p^ace atter night, "I'se tellin1 you chile, dem niggers am groin* anyway. Hey ain't got sense nuff ter put dere han's in de bell ter keep de clapper from ringin1, but dey does stuff de bell wid leaves an' it doan ring none, 'sides dat dey tears detp shirts, or steals sheets from missus clothes line an1 fold dem ter make a scarf. Dey ties dese 'roun' derp necks ter hide de bell an1 goes on a-courtin1, "Dey ain't got no pins ter pin de scarf on, but dey uses thome& from de locust tree or de crabapple; an' dey hoi's fine, **Dey warn't no spoons, knives, an1 forks dem days, but de smart slave cut him some outen hickory an1 dey wus jist as good as de other kin* • "Dey also ain't go no matches dem days so flint rocks wus rubbed tergether. ftI 'members mostly 'bout de rear en' o" de war, 'specially *bout de Yankees comin*. I 'members dat marster an1 his fambly done moved ter town, case dey can't git no 'tection dar, Dar wusn't a soul on de place but de slaves dar when de Yankees coined a-takin1 an1 a-killin' • *I 'members dat I wus drawin* water at de well, when de Yankees corned. I looks up de road an' dar an a gang o* *em comin'. I draps de bucket back in de well an* I flies in de big house. a. 404 "Well sir, dey kills de chickens, hogs, geese, an* eber' thing as dey comes, eben ter marster's collie, an* when dey gits ter de big house dey swears dat dey'11 burn hit down, Dey Stan's dar fur a minute, an* den one o* *em sez dat hit am too putty ter burn, another one sez dat hit am too putty ter belong ter a damm Reb, but dey doan burn it. I hyars hit all from de winder in de big house, an1 I shore is glad dat dey ain't burn hit. "Dey tears up all dey wants to, den dey robs de amokeQiouse• an' dey goes on 'bout dere business, ttAtter de surrender our white folkses comes back an' we stays on five or six years I reckon, den we moves ter Mis* Emma Greens' place five miles furder in de country. We shore ain't got long good atter de war. De Yankees what *ud die ter free us ain't carin1 iff en we starves nother.w *~~ Suddenly Aunt Penny was attracted by a humming- bird flitting around the pomegranate bush hear the doorstep, "Does you know which am de bes' way ter ketch a humminr bird chile? After a negative answer she smiled. 'When you sees him 'roun' de flowers den you soaks two er three in whiskey, dey bird will suck till he gits drunk an* can't fly 'way, dat's how you ketch him,1 *I hates de town sparrers an1 de cowbirds what ain't got nuff sense ter leave de floods. You read 'bout hit in de papers I reckon. You knows dey am 'bout de size of a *• 405 peckerwood, **Xesum, one y/itch tried ter ride me onct. I wua in de bed, an' she thought dat I wus * sleep. I feels her when she crawls up on ray lef leg an* stops de circulation. I icnows how ter fix her do* so I gits up an* puts a knife under my pillow* "I has slep' wid dat /jriife dar ever' since dat time an* I ain't haa no bid* trouble wid witches, ner circulation nother* 3© I reckons dat I fixea her ^ood an' plenty.* 320034 406 N» G. District Ko» 2 Worker Mary A. Hicks No* Words 471 Subject MMT PLAZ Source Plaz Williams Editor Geo. L» Andrews 320034 407 AUNT PIAZ An interview with Plaz Williams of Four Oaks who says that she is around 90 years of age. "Margaret Thornton sez dat she has got de world record beat on nussin* but dat's whar she'.s wrong. She ainft a day over seventy, yit she sez dat she has nussed more dan I has an' me ninety. Right now I'se a nusbin' of a 'oman what has jist got back from de hospital. Yes, mam, a heap of people sez dat dey'd ruther have me dan de doctor. "I wus borned in Mississippi, so dey tells me, den I wus sold ter Mr. Moses liordecai of Raleigh, atter dat I 'longed ter a Mr. Henry Lane who lived in Wake County. Dar wus two er three of dem Lane's named Henry, course dis one wus de youngest* "I worked in de fiel's like-ngrman an' I liked it too* Marse Lioses had oberseers what beat you fer nothin' but Marse Henry ain't dat sort of a person at all. Marse Moses an' Marse Henry both drunk whiskey an* such but. dey wus different when dey wus drunk. Marse Mos$es 'ud beat you an' cuss you, but Marse Henry rud laugh at you an' play wid you. 2. 408 **I know one time Marse ivioses coined ter -see Marse Henry anr atter dey had drunk awhile Marse Henry seed me in de yard* Kit bein* on Sunday he calls me ter come to his library, when I gits in he axes me if fen.. I'se ever been drunk anr I tells him no. Ben he pours me a glassful an1 sez for me ter drink it. I begs at fust, den I sez dat I won't drink de brandy, Marse Henry laugh anr would have let me go but dat debil, Marse Moses, sez, 'lie's hoi* her an* pour it aown her guzzle, Henry.' Dat's what dey done an' dey pours down seberal drinks. Terreckly Marse Henry axes me ter fetch him some water but when I starts my laigs am too weak to go so I sets down on de floor. Marse Henry laugh an* laugh but Marse looses sea, r»ifaup ce shameless hussy what ainrt got no mor raisin' dan ter git dog drunk.* He would have whupped me too but Marse Henry won't let him do it. 'Stid of beatin' me he sez ter git in de corner an' sleep it off. nI doan know nothin' 'bout de Yankees comin' case we wus sent 'way back in de country ter stay. Marse Henry comes out dar an' tells us dat we is free. Marse Henry has told Jack Williams dat he can't have me 'fore dis, so I axes, fCan I marry Jack now, Marse Henry?' He sez yes, so 'fore *• 409 night I is at Jack's cabin. I thought dat dar ain't got ter be no preacher, but a week er two atter dis a preacher comes t>y an' marries us* "We moved here case hit am better farrain' land. We worked hard ter make anything do', an' fer awhile I thought dat we'd starve ter death. "Dar ain't so much ter tell about atter de war. Our chilluns died fast as we had 'em. ,/e worked hard an* 'bout twenty years ago Jack died. I'se been on de charity some but I hope dat when I gits my pension I won't have ter trouble dem no more." 320213 410 N. C. District Ho* 2. Worker Mary A. Hicks No. Words 652 Subject sprfresA mrrr.T.TAMgor Story teller Melissa Williamson Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320213 411 MELISSA WILLIAMSON Ex-Slave Story An interview with Melissa Williamson 77 ©f Bledsoe Avenue, Raleigh, N. C. **Bis June fifteenth sebenty-eight years ago I wuz borned in Franklin County near Louisburg;* it (r) **l$r mammy an* me belonged ter 2fi?* Billy Mitchel •fere she died, which wuz one of de fust things dat I 'members, an* den Ms* Mitchel tuck me in her house an* raise me* Dat wuz de fust year of de war, I believes* L *De Mitehels wuz good ter us in a way, an' dey doan spare de rod when it am needed, nor does dey think, dat a picaninny can*t go barefooted in de hot summertime* Dey believes in a heap of wuclc do* an* no play at all, an* very little rations* _ "De men slaves *ud wuck in de fiel's an* at dinnertime 6jbj ain*t had no thin* *eept a quart of butter^milk an* a ash^fc cake* I got a whole heap better dan dey did, but youngin*- like I begged dem fer some of dere dinner* "I aeber thought dat Mis * Mitchel wuz hard till I seed her whup Aunt Pidea. Aunt Pidea wuz a good soul an* she wuz good ter we youngins-, an1 we loved her« She got ter (?; a. 412 gittin.* frantic do', an' she'd put on her dinner on de stove, den she'd go ter de woods an' run an' romp lak a chile? "Mis Mitchel had loved her too, but atter awhile she got mad an' she wuz mad bad too. She tuck Aunt Pidea out ter a tree, stripped off her waist, tied her ter de treefan* whup her wid a cowhide till de blood runs down her back. "We wuz told dat de Yankees would kill us ap.' we wuz skeered of dem too, an' I wuz always runnin' fer fear de Yankees would git me. Mien dey did come I wuz out at de well, drawin' water wid de windlass an' I wuz so short dat I had ter jump up ter grap de handle. I looked up de road an' de Yankees wuz comin' up de road as thick as fleas on a dog's back. I gives a yell, turns de windlass a loose, an' flies roun' de house ter my missus. Hit's a wonder dat windlass ain't turn ober an break my haid in. "I had hyard 'bout my sister what wuz sold 'fore I wuz borned, an' I ain't knowin' whar she is, but atter de war had been ober fer two years she corned ter Mis' Mitchel's an' got me. She carried me ter Louisburg an' sont me ter de Yankee school dar. I 'member a song dat de Yankees teached us, or at least a part o_» one* 3. 41,3 "How often we think o» childhood joys And tricks we used to play Upon each other while at school To while the time away* Chorus They often wished me with them But they always wished in vain I'd rather be with Hosenell A-swinging in the lane* "I won't talk ter my chilluns 'bout slavery days, case I doan want 'em ter git stirred up 'bout it. I'se told 'em dat we ain't paid no mo1 dan de white folkses fer our freedom, case some of dein sold dereselbes ter git hyar an' dey fought in wars dat de nigger doan know no thin' 'bout. **I know dat Mis' Mitchel done wrong when she ain't give us enough ter eat, an' when she whup Aunt Pidea 'bout bein' crazy, but I 'members soraethin* else dat make me tender towards her an' other white folkses. WI 'members dat Mis' Mitchel used ter take me visitin' ter white folkses houses an' some o' dem hates niggers an' won't give me no place ter sleep, 'cept on de floor by missus bed. Sometimes I can feel her now, kiverin' me up wid her own clothes durin' de night or feelin' me to see if I'm chilly or too hot." AC 320231 414 MT. C. District No» 2 Worker T» Pat Matthews Fo. Words 1108 Sutg ect ALEX WOODS_______ Story teller Alex. Woods Editor Daisy Bailey Waitt 320231 415 ALEX WOODS Ex-Slave Story 8 Ford Alley—end of Martin Street, Raledgh, N. C. "My name is Alex Woods* I wus born May 15, 1858. In slavery time, I belonged to Jim Woods o1* Orange County, De plantation wus between Durham and Hillsboro near da edge. or Granville County. My missus name wus Polly Woods* Dey treated us tolerable fair, tolerable fair to a fellow. Our food wus well cooked. We were fed from de kitchen o* the great house* "We called marster1s house de 'great house* in dem times. We called de porch de piazza. We were fed from de kitchen o1 his house during dev/eek. We cooked and w et at our homes Saturday nights and Sundays. We wove our clothes; children had only one piece, a long shirt. We went barefooted, an' in our shirt tails; we youngins1 did. "we did not have any shoes winter nor summer, but mother and father had shoes with wooden bottoms an* leather tops. Dr. Tupper de man who was principal of de Shaw School, de man who started de school and de church on Blount St., gave me my first pair o* shoes. Dis wus the second year after de surrender. I wus nine years ole den. Dey were boots wid brass on de toes, solid leather 2- 416 shoes, made in Raleigh on Fayetteville Street in de base- ment o1 Tucker's Dry Goods Store, rbove de Masonic Temple as you go up. Ole man Jim Jones, a colored shoe maker, worked in dis shop* ttI can read, but I cannot write, 'cause I*ve "been run over three times by automobiles* Once my buggy wus torn to pieces, an' I wus knocked high in de air* De first time dey run into me dey killed my;hosa*. De third time dey paralized my arm and busted the liniu* o' my stomach* ttI learned to read an' write since de surrender by studying in spare time* Dey wouldn't let any slaves have books in slavery time. Mother had a book she kep' hid. Bey would whup a slave if dey caught him wid a book* SDere were between twenty-five and thirty slaves on de plantation but dere wus no church. Dey would not allow us to have prayer meetings in our houses, but we would gather late in de night and turn pots upside down inside de door to kill de sound and sing and pray for freedom* Ho one could hear unless dey eaves-drapped* "The patteroller rode around to see after de slaves and whipped 'em when dey caught 'em away from home* I have seen slaves whipped. Dey took them into the barn and corn crib and whipped r em wid a leather a trap*, called de cato'nine tails* Dey hit rem ninety-nine licks some- 3. 417 times* Dey wouldn't allow *em to call on de Lord when dey were whippin' 'em, but dey let 'em aay *0h. pray, QhJ pray, marster'• Dey would say, 'Are you goin* to work? Are you goin' visitin* widout a pass? Are you goinr to run away?1 Dese is de things dey would ax him, when dey wua. whuppin' him. "My old marster's brother John wus a slave speculator* I 'member seein' him bringin' slaves in chains to de plantation when he wus carryin* 'em to Richmond to put 'em on de auction block to be sold. Dey were handcuffed wid a small chain to a large chain between 'em, two men side by.side; dere wus 'bout thirty in a drove. Dere wus 'bout three or four white men on horses. Dey wus called slave drivers; some went before, an' some behind* Dey carried pistols on dere sides* De distance wus so fur, dey camped out at night. De slaves set by de fire, and slept on dese trips wid de chains on 'em. Evertime de mens come to our house I wus afraid my mother and father would be sold away from me. If a woman wus a good breeder she sold high, sometimes bringin' five hundred to a thousand dollars. De man who wus do in' de buyin' would inspect dem. Dey would look in dere mouthes, and look 'em over just like buyin' bosses. There were no jails on de plantation* ^Sometimes we went to the white folkses churck* 4. 418 De preacher would tell us to obey our missus and master. Dat's what de preacher tole us. Dey would take us back home and give us plenty to eat after preachin' was over, and tell us to do what de preacher said. Dey tasked us Saturday mornings, and if we got it done we could go to de branch on a flat rock and wash our clothes* *Dey • lowed my father to hunt wid a gun. He wus a good hunter an1 he brought a lot o' game to de plantation. Dey cooked it at de great house and divided it up. My father killed deer and turkey. All had plenty o' rabbits, possums, coons, an* squirrels. "My father's first wife wus sold from him, an1 I am de chile o' de second wife. I had five brothers, Greene, Isom, Nupez, den Sam Woods, who was no slave, den Spencer Woods, he wus no slave. I had five sisters: Mollie, Rasella, who were slaves, an* Nancy, Catharine, an1 Fanny who were not slaves. My father wus named Major Woods, and mother wus named Betty Woods. Yes Sir, I 'member gettin' sick befor«;de surrender, an* dey bled me and gave me blue mass pills* Dey wouldlttt tell me what was de matter. Missus chewed our food for us, when we wus small. De babies wus fed wid sugar tits, and the food missus chewed. Deir suckled mothers suckled dem at dinner, an' den stayed in de field till night. I remember missus chewin1 f er me, an* de first > 5- whippin1 I got. Missus whipped me for pushin1 my sister in de fire. Sister called me a lie and I pushed her in de fire an1 burned her hand. Missus whipped me. We never did fight nor push one another after dat. "Marster used colored overseers when he did not work his men hisself. "I wus very much afraid o1 de Ku Klux. Dey wore masks and dey could make you think dey could drink a whole bucket of ;vater and walk widout noise, like a ghost, Colored folks wus af»aid of *em. Dey wus de fear o1 de niggers. nI married Addie Shaw in 1888 first, den in 1918 I married agin. I think Abraham Lincoln was all right. He caused us to be free. Franklin D. Roosevelt is all right; he kept a lot of people from peifehing to death. 419 BN 0iV District Mo* 2 Subject: A SLAVE STORY, MM. MIQHT Ho* Words: 580 Person Interviewed: AMA MIGHT Worker: Mary Kicks Editor: George L» Andrews :-^'"' xiO^' . •;«^rB^^j^-i /"' itS'ii:'. 'v^it ife£&&3f?t; i&& iii^?li^^^^ 380089 m? MWk IVRIGHT An interview with Anna Wright, 72 years of age, of Wendell, North' Carolina. "I wus borned de year de war ended so.I,can't tell nothin' dat I seed, only what my mammy tol* me* We lived dar on Marse James Ellis1 plantation till I wus five or six years old, so I 'members de slave cabins an' de big house. w De plantation wus in Scotland County an' de big house set on a little knoll* Back of de big house set de rows of slave cabins an' back of dem wus de apple orchard ,an* de bee orchard. Hit wus a purty place sho* nuff, an*' dey tells me dat dey wus happy 'fore de war, 'case Marse. James wus good ter dem* nBere must of been 'bout two hundret slaves, 'cordin' ter de number of cabins. De slaves wurked hard in de fiel's but unless de wurk wus pushin* dey had Sadday evenin' off tar go a-fishin* er do anything de wanted ter do* Two or three 'times- a year Marse James let dem have a dance/ an* invite in all de neighborhood slaves. Day had eorn shuskin's ,@^^f'fa>l^ . SS^Ii^^teSiiSl^^^^fi^SSfSsij' Sfi^MIISBiii^ 2* -''¦¦ t1& an1 pull de candy. While de candy cooled.dey'd play drappin' de handkerchief an' a heap of other games* De courtin' couples liked dese.games 'case dey could set out-, or play an' court all dey pleased* Dey often made up dere min*s ter ax de marster iff en dey could narry too, at, dese parties. wDe weddin's wus some thin' fine, believe me* De niggers dressed lak a white folks weddin* anf de circuit parson married dem in de big house parlour*" De marster an'- de missus wus dere, anf dey always gived presents ter de bride too* Atter de ceremony wus over dar*d be a feas* an1 a dance* Most likely darrd be a heap of noise. I've heard mammy tell of seberal big weddin'a* "Mammy tol* me dat ^^arse J"ames mis a very religious man, an' dat was why de preacher married de slaves, an* why he made all of de slaves go ter church on Sunday air* say de Messin* at meal times* f'My pappy wus named Tom, an* he wurked in de fiel's fer Marse James* Hit mis pappy dat haul up de waremelons in de *ii£in body atter I could 'member, an' dey said dat he:'h&il demup in slavery .times too. Marse' James raise a .':¦¦¦ plentyfelons. f^'.. all .of de slaves-an' he raise plenty of ,.;:,:no^:;^^;.©a%;^^^&s*:-, i>e ¦¦ slave.© :;.uster' have awatessaelon 3. neighbors in* r,You wants ter know 'bout some ole slavery foods, well I'll tell you what I knows* Did you ever hear of kush? Kush wus combread, cooked in de big griddle on de fireplace, mashed up with raw onions an' ham gravy poured over hit* You m&ught think dat hit ain't good but hit-$nu rtFried chicken wus seasoned, drapped in flour anr den simmered in a big pan of ham gravy v/id a lid on hit till hit wus tender, den de lid wus tuck off an* de chicken wus fried a golden brown as quick as possible* , "Doss you know de old southern way of makin' baked chicken dressin*? Ifell^ it wus made from soft corn bread wid bacon grease, onions, black pepper an' boiled eggs. Some of de folks used cheese too in dis dressln'. nDe griddle cakes wus flour an' meal mixed, put on a big ole iron griddle on de fireplace an' flipped over two times* Ashe cake wus made of either meal or flour, wrapped in a damp cloth an' cooked in de hot ashes on de h'ath* Tatars wus cooked in de ashes tocjan' dey wus good like dat* I'se heard mammy say dat de slave chilluns uster bake onions dat way* wFish,, dem days., wus dipped in meal, 'for© dey wus cooked* rcept cat fish, an' day mis stewed wid onions*. l;,;; »®®mmal dumplin*s jftft. biled in de tuEaip .greens,' ¦^©ilards,' 'cabbpg.esj>. m* ¦ so- ..psaj"... even t^ siisip:beans,-Jan*'. ®&j ¦¦,-: :#£; ^iOMi:Ii^^i&4^MsM^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 4* 424 supper de pot licker wus eat wid de dumplinrs. Dat*s why de folks wus so healthy. ^Speakin' 'bout sweets, de blackberry or other kind of pie wus cooked in a big pan wid two crusts. Dat made more an' wus better ter boot. Cakes wus mostly plain or had jelly fillin', 'cept fer special company. *r* "From the first I could 'member de white folks an' niggers alike ain't had much ter eat. A heap of our rations wus vege'ables, squirrels, rabbits, possums an* coons. We drunk parched meal water fer. coffee an' we done widout a heap pf things, but at ter awhile we got richer, &nr Marse James got some money for something from de Ho'th, so dey got 'long all right. "When. I wus twelve we moved ter Wake County, out near Wendell an' when I wus thirteen I married Sam Wright, an' we got along fine till he dies 'bout ten years ago. We ain't had but three chilluns but we lived through a heap of bad depressions. '•What we needs mostly am law an' justice. Why hit wus fbetter when de Ku Kluxeshad law, dey tells'me. Uow-a-days de nigger fights on de streets like dogs* .Back den de jbossman. seed to hit dat dar wus law an' order in de town an* in de country too fer dat matter, an' dem wus de good ole rQ4n (r ^ «V' <* 320200 425 N. C. District No. 2 Worker T. Pat Matthews Bfo. Words 1,017_______ Subject DILLY YSLLADAY Story teller Dillv Yelladav Editor Geo. L. Andrews_____ /¦ 320200 426 DTT,T,Y YELLADY 909 Mark Street ^Yes sir, I •members *baut what my mammy tole me •bout Abraham Lincoln, Grant, an* a lot of dem Yankees corain' down ere 'fore de surrender. Frum what dey tole me Sherman knov/ed de south like a book rfore he come thror last time. Dat he did. Yankees come thro1 dressed like tramps an1 dey wus always lookin* fur some of dere people? Dat .wus dere scuse. Dey cus at big shindigs de southern white folks had 'fore de war. HMammy an1 dad dey said de niggers would git in de slave quarters at night an' pray fer freedom an* laf rbout what de Yankees wus doin' 'bout Lincoln an1 Grant foolin' deir marsters so* tt01e Jeff Davis said he wus goin* to fight de Yankees till hell wus so full of 'em dat dere legs wus hangin' over de sides, but when dey got fim in a close place he dres in 'omans clothes an' tried to git away frum 'em but dey seed his boots when he started to git in dat thing dey rode in den, a carriage. Yes dats what it ma a carriage. Dey seed his boots an' knowed who it wus. Dey jus laf fed an* pointed at 'im an* said you hoi* 2. 427 «t on dere we got you, we knows who you is anr den dey took 'im. He wus mighty 'brave till dey got 'im in a close place den he quit barkin* so loud. Mammy an1 dad dey said dere wus a lot of de white folks didn't keer much 'bout Jeff Davis* Dey said he wus jus de bragginest man in de worl', always a-blowin'. Dat bird flew mighty high but he had to come back to de groun' an' course when he lit de Yankees wus waitin' for 'im an* ketched 'im. "I wus born May 2nd, two years after de surrender* I is 70 years old. S^r mammy belonged to Autsy Pool* When he died she fell to his son Billy Pool. There wus six of the chillun, an' they wus given out to the Pool chillun. Bey went like Ian1 does nowj dey went to de heirs. Ole man Autsy loved likker so good he would steal it from hisself. He'd take a drink an* den blow his breath an1 keep wife from smellin* it. nMy uncle, Parker Pool, tole me de Yankees made a slave of him. His Marster wis so good to him he wus. as happy as he could be 'fore de Yankees come. nI wus born en the Harper Whitaker place near swift creek. Simon Yellady wus my father. He wus born in Mississippi an' he belonged to Dr. Yelladay. 428 nMy father an' his brothers run away an' went to de Yankees. I heard daddy tell 'bout it. He got sick an' dey shipped him back home to North Carolina. Dey shifted niggers from place to place to keep de Yankees fruin takin' 'em. When, dere got to be too many Yankees in a place de slaves wus sent out to keep 'em from bein' set free. 1 Mother said onet when she wus carrying the L cows to de pasture dey looked down de railroad an' everything wus blue. A nigger girl by the name of Susan wus with her* hiy mother wus named Hilla Pool. Dey said dey jus fell down an* de Yankees commenced sayin' 'Hello Dinah,' 'Hello Susie.' Mother an' Susan run. Dey just went flyin'. When dey crossed a creek my mother lost her shoe in de mud, but she just kept runnin'. When she got home she tole her missus de Yankees were ridin' up de railroad just as thick as flies. Den my great-grandmother said, 'Well I has been pray in' long enough for *em now dey is here.' My great-grandmother wus named Nancy Pool an' she wus not afraid of nothin'. I wus a little teency thing when she died* nMy mother tole we all about dem times dey rode de horses up to de smoke house4 an' got de meat. De Yankees went to de elothes line an' got de clothes an* 4. 429 filled de legs an1 arms wid corn an'jslung it over dere saddles an' rode away. ¥es, de Yankees freed us but dey. leff nuthin1 for us to live on. Dey give us freedom but dey took mos* everything an1 lef» us nuthin* to eat, nuthin1 to live on. "We lived in fake County all de time. I did not git only t,o the third grade in school. Sister Mary Eliza got to de second grade. Father could write a little, mother couldn't. Couldn't go to school 'cept when it wus too wet to work. Work, work, work, thirty acres in cotton an1 cawn, cawn plowed till de 15th of August, plow, plow, plow hard ground, bad ground. Nine girls an' one boy workin' from sun to sun. My mother had twenty-three chillun. She was just as smart as she could be, worked in de field till just awhile before she died. She been dead 'bout twenty years. My father been dead 'bout ten years. He died right here in Raleigh with me, at 121 corner Mark an.' Bledsoe Street. "I've had a hard time workin' all my life. I ain't able to work now but I does all I can. I have places to work a little every day for my white folks. I am gwine to work long as I kin. yfy mother an' father said dey had good raarsters an' dey were crazy 'bout 'em. Sometimes s. 430 dey sold slaves an1 den de pat tero Hers whupped !em now an* den, but dey had nutiiin1 to say against dere white folks* "Well, I losr "*y home. I have worked raos' uv my life since I come to Raleigh, buyin' a home, but I got ole an' couldn't keep up de payments an1 dey come down ere an' took my home* 'Twas the wurst thing dats come to me in ray ^foole life» Less you tried it yo' can't 'magine how bad it makes you feel to have to give up yer home*" &£ . ............................ &¦• 320031 V C^ 431 N.C. District Mo> 2 No* Words 398 Subject: HILLIARD YSLLEHDAY (A SLA.VE STCKY) Reference: HILLIARD YBLLERDAY W orfcer: t* Pat Matthews Editor: George L. Andrews S4 20021 432 HILLIiRD YELLERMY 1112 Oakwood Avenue, Raleigh North Carolina* ,tWy mother and father told me many interesting stories of slavery and of its joys and sorrows• from what they told me there was two sides to the picture* One was extremely bad and the other was good. "These features of slavery were also dependent on the phases of human attitude and temperment which also was good or bad* If the master was broadminded, with a love in his heart for his f ellownan, his slaves were at no disadvantage because of their low social standing and their lack of a voice in the civil affairs of the community, state. and nation* On the other hand if the master was narrominded, overbearing and cruel the case was reversed and the situation the slaves were placed in caused a condition to exist con- cerning their general welfare that was bad and the slave was as low socially as the swine or other animals on the plantation* ' wSome owners gave their slaves the same kind of food served on their own tables and allowed the slaves the same privileges enjoyed by their own children. Other masters fed their slave children from troughs made very much like those from which the hogs of the plantation were fed. -2- 433 There were many instances where they were given water in #iich the crumbs and refuse from the masters table had been placed. They gathered around this food with gourds and muscle shells from the fresh-water creeks and ate from this trough* Such a \cc%dition *