SLAVE NARRATIVES A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews ivith Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 o. VOLUME XII OHIO NARRATIVES Prepared by the Federal Writers' Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Ohio INFORMANTS Anderson, Charles H. Barden, Melissa Bledsoe, Susan Bost, Phoebe Brown, Ben Burke, Sarah Woods Campbell, James Clark, Fleming Davidson, Hannah Dempsey, Mary Belle East, Nancy Glenn, Wade Hall, David A. Henderson, Celia Jackson, George Jamison, Rev* Perry Sid 1 King, Julia 57 6 7 10 Lester, Angeline 62 McKimm, Kisey 64 11 McMillan, Thomas 66 15 Mann, Sarah 70 Matheus, John William 72 18 22 Nelson, William 74 26 33 Slim, Catherine 77 Small, Jennie 80 35 Smith, Anna 82 Stewart, Nan 86 38 Sutton, Samuel 92 39 Toler, Richard 97 42 Williams, Julia 102,108 45 Williams, Rev. 111 50,55 Williams, William 114 ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page Charles H. Anderson 1 Melissa Barden 6 Phoebe Bost 10 James Campbell 18 Angeline Lester - 62 Richard Toler 97 34004)5 Ruth Thompson, interviewing -¦ Ex-Slave Interview -j Graff, editing* Cincinnati Interview with Charles H. Anderson, 3122 Fredonia St., Cincinnati, Ohio. "Life experience excels all reading. Every place you go, you learn something from every class of people. Books are just for a memory, to keep history and the like, but I don't have to go huntinf in libraries, I got one in my own head, for you can't for- get what you learn from experience." The old man speaking is a living example of his theory, and, judging from his bearing, his experience has given him a philosophical outlook which comprehends love, gen- tleness and wisdom. Charles H. Anderson, 3122 Fredonia Street, was born December 23, 1845, in Richmond, Virginia, as a slave belonging to J. L. T.'foodson, grocer, "an exceedingly good owner - not cruel to anyone". With his mother, father, and 15 brothers and sisters, he lived at the Woodson home in the city, some of the time in a cabin in the rear, but mostly in the "big house". Favored of all the slaves, he was trusted to go to the cash drawer for spending money, and permitted to help himself to candy and all he wanted to eat. With the help of the mistress, his mother made all his clothes, and he was "about as well dressed as anybody". "I always associated with high-class folks, but I never went to church then, or to school a day in my life. My owner never sent me or my brothers, and then when free schools came in, education wasn't on my mind. I just didnft think about education. Now, I read a few words, and I can write my name. But experience is what counts most." Tapping the porch floor with his cane for emphasisf the old fellow1s softly slurred words fell rapidly but clearly. Sometimes his tongue got twisted, and he had to repeat. Often he had to switch his pipe from one side of his mouth to the other; for, as he explained, "there ain't many tooth-es left in there". Mr. Anderson'is rather slight of build, and his features are fine, his bald head shiny, and his eyes bright and eager* Though he says he "ainft much good anymore", he seems half a century old instead of "92 next December, if I can make it** -2- r 2 ! "I have been having some sick spells lately, snapped three or four ribs out of place several years ago, and was in bed for six weeks after my wife died ten year ago. But ; my step-daughter here nursed me through it* Doctor says he doesn't see how I keep on liv- ing* But they take good care of me, my sons and step-daughter* They live here with me, and we're comfortable." And comfortable, neat, and clean they are in the trimmest little frame house on the street, painted grey with green trim, having a square of green lawn in front and anoth- er in back enlosed with a rail fence, gay flowers in the corners, rubber plants in pots on the porch, and grape arbor down one side of the back yard. -Inside, rust-colored mohair overstuffed chairs and davenport look prim with white, crocheted doilies, a big clock with weights stands in one corner on an ornately carved table, and several enlarged framed pho- tographs hang on the wall. The other two rootas are the combined kitchen and dining room, and a bedroom with a heatrola in it "to warm an old man's bones". Additional bedrooms are upstairs. Pointing to one of the pictures, he remarked, "That was me at 37. Had it taken for my boss where I worked. It was a post card, and then I had it enlarged for myself. That was just before I married Helen". Helen Comer, nee Cruitt, was a widow with four youngsters when he met her 54 years ago. One year later they were married and had two boys, Charles, now 47, employed as an auto repair man, and Samuel, 43, a sorter in the Post Office, both bachelors* "Yes sir, I sure was healthy-looking them days. Always was strong, never took a dollars worth of medicine in fifty year or more till I had these last sick spells* But we had good living in slave days. In one sense we were better off then than after the war, * •cause we had plenty to eat. Nowadays, everybody has to fen1 for himself, and they'd kill a man for a dime* "Whip the slaves? Oh, my God! Don't mention it, don't mention it! Lots of fem in Old Dominion got beatings for punishment. They didn't have no jail for slaves, but the owners used a whip and lash on 'em* I've seen 'em on a chain gang, too, up at the peniten- tiary* But I never got a whipping in my life. Uwed to help around the grocery, and de- J .3. *' . 3 liver groceries. Used to go up to Jeff Davis1 house every day. He was a fine man. Al- ways was good to me* But then I never quarreled with anybody, always minded my own busi- ness. And I never was scared of nothing. Most folks was superstitious, but I never be- lieved in ghosts nor anything I didnft see. Never wore a charm. Never took much stock in that kind of business* The old people used to carry potatoes to keep off rheumatism. Yes, sir. They had to steal an Irish potato, and carry it till it was hard as a rock; then they'd say they never get rheumatism* "Saturday was our busy day at the store; but after work, I used to go to the" drag downs. Some people say 'hoe down1 or fdig downf, I guess 'cause they'd dig right into it, and give it all they got. I was a great hand at fiddlin1. Got one in there now that is 107-year old, but I haven't played for years. Since I broke my shoulder bone, I can't handle the bow. But I used to play at all the drag downs. Anything I heard played' once, I could play. Used to play two steps, one of *em called 'Devil's Dream', and three or four good German waltzes, and 'Turkey in the Straw' - but we didn't call it that then. It was the same piece, but I forget what we called it. They don't play the same nowadays* Play in' now is just a time-consumer, that's all; they got it all tore to pieces, no top or bottom to it. "Ie used to play games, too* Ring games at play parties - 'Ring Around the Rosie', 'Chase the Squirrel', and 'Holly Golly'. Never hear of Holly Golly? Well, they'd pass around the peanuts, and whoever'd get three nuts in one shell had to give that one to the one who had started the game. Then they'd pass 'em around again. Just a peanut-eating contest, sorta* "Abraham Lincoln? Well, they's people born in this world for every occupation and Lincoln was a natural born man for the job he completed? Just check it back to Pharoah' time: There was Moses born to deliver the children of Israel* And John Brown, he was born for a purpose. But they said he was cruel all the way th'ough, and they hung him in Feb- ruary, 1859. That created a great sensation* And he said, 'Go ahead. Do your work, I done mine'. Then they whipped around till they got the war started. And that was the start of the Civil War, "I" enlisted April 10, 1865, and was sent to San Diego, Texas; but I never was in a battle. And they was only one time when r felt anyways skittish. That was when I was a new recruit on picket duty. And it was pitch dark, and I heard something comin1 thfough the bushes, and I thought, fLet fem come, whoever it is*. And I got my bayonet all ready, and waited. Ifse gittin* sorta nervous, and purty soon the bushes opened, and what you think come out? A great big ole hog! "In June f65, I got a cold one night, and contracted this throat trouble I got- never did get rid of it. Still carry it from the war. Got my first pension on that - $6 a month* Ainft many of us left to get pensions now. They's only 11 veterans left in Cincinnati. I "They used to be the Ku Klux Klan organization. That was the pat-rollers, then they called tern the Night Riders, and at one time the Regulators. The f01e Dragon1, his name was Siraaons, he had control of it, and that continued on for 50 year till after the war when Garfield was president* Then it sprung up again, now the King Bee is in prison. "Well, after the war I was free. But it didn»t make much difference to me; I just liad to work for myself instead of somebody else. And I just rambled around. Sort of a floater. But I always worked, and I always eat regular, and had regular rest. Work never hurt nobody. I lived so many places, Cleveland, and everfplace, but I made it here longer than anyplace - 53 year* I worked on the railroad, bossin1. Always had men under me* When the Chesapeake and Ohio put through that extension to White Sulphtstr, we cut track* thfough a tunnel 7"mile long. And I handled men in f83 when they put the C & 0 th'ough her® But since I was 71, I been doin1 handy work - just general handy man* Used to do a lot of carving, too* till I broke my shoulder bone. Carved that pi1 pipe of mine 25 year ago out of an olf umbrella handle, and carved this monkey watch charm. But the last three year I ainft done much of anything. »Qo to church sometimes, over here to the Corinthian BaptisV Church of Walnut Hills* But church don't do much good nowadays. Tfcey got too much education for church. This aew*fangled education is just a bunch of igaoramacy. Everybody's ju£t looking for ^¦0^^:^S^ *© get sosifthiiig - i*®t to help others* About oae^third goes to see what '¦b;£t£-&*^ iVmk:*^ . *. 5 say, fWhat she think she look like with that thing on her haid?1* The other two-thirds? Why, they just go for nonsense, I jguess* Those who go for religion are scarce as chick- en teeth* Yes sir, they go more for sight-seein' than soul-savin*. "They's so much gingerbread work goin' on now* Our most prominent people come from the eastern part of the United States* All wise people come from the East, just as the wise men did when the Star of Bethlehem appeared when Christ was born* And the farther east you go, the more comttK^ got. That ainft no Dream Boat* Nowadays, people are gettin' crazier everyday* la got toojnuch liberty; it's allflittle you, and big me'* Everybody's got a ri&ht to his own opinion, and the old fashioned way was good enought for my father, Sni it$3 good enough for me. nIf your back trail is clean, you doaft need, to worry about the future* Your future life is your past conduct/ It1 a a trailer behind you* And I ain't quite dead yet, efn I do smell bad!*1 Story and Photo by 24©- Ex-slaves Frank M. Smith Mahoning County - Dist. $p £J Youngstown, Ohio The Story of Mrs. Melissa (Lowe) Bgrden* Youngs town, Ohio. Mrs* Melissa (Lowe) Barden of 1671 Jacobs Road, was "bred and born* on the plantation of David Lowe, near Summersville, Georgiat Chattooga County, and when asked how old she was said ftIfs way up yonder some wheres maybe 80 or 90 years." Melissa assummed her masterfs name Lowe, and says he was very good to her and that she loved him. Only once did she feel ill towards him and that was when he sold her mother* She and her sister were left alone* Later he gave her sister and several other slaves to his newly married daughter as a wedding pres- ent. Tiiis sister was sold and re-sold and when the slaves were given their free- dom her mother came to claim her children, but Melissa was the only one of the four she could find. Her mother took her to a plantation in Newton County, where they worked until coming north* The mother died here and Melissa married a man named Barden. '. Melissa says she was very happy on the plantation where they danced and sang folk songs of the south, such as >ySho> Fly Gto 'Way From Me*, and others after their days work was done* When asked if she objected to having her picture taken she said, "all right, but don't you-all poke fun at me because I am just as God made me** Melissa lives with her daughter, Nany Hardie, in a neat bungalow on the Sharon Line, a negro district* Melissa's health is good with the exception of cataracts over her eyes which have caused her to be totally blind* r-4* — 340034 Ohio tolde t ' Ex-Slave Stori4fc Aug. 15, 1937 SUSAN BLEDSOE 462 ~- 12th St. S. E., Canton, Ohio. "I was born on a plantation in Giles County, near the town of Elk- ton, in Tennessee, on August 15, 1845. My father's name was Shedriok Daley and he was owned by Tom Daley and my motherfs name was Rhedia Jenkins and her master's name w&s Silas Jenkins. I was owned by my motherfs master but some of my brothers and sisters- I had six brothers and six sisters — were owned by Tom Daley. I always worked in the fields with the men except when I was called to the house to do work there. !MasseT Jenkins was good and kind to all us slaves and we had good times in the evening after work. We got in groups in front of the cabins and sang and danced to the music of banjoes until the overseer would come along and make us go to bed. No, I donft remember what the songs were, nothing in particular, I guess, just some we made up and we would sing a line or two over and over again. We were not allowed to work on Sunday but we could go to church if we waiited to. There wasn't any colored church but we could go to the white folks church if we went with our overseer. Eis name was Charlie Bull and he was good to all of us. Yes, they had to whip a slave sometimes, but only the bad ones,and they deserved it. No. there wasn't any jail on the plantation. We all had to get up at sunup and work till sundown and we always had good food and plenty of it} you see they had to feed us well so we would be strong. I got better food when I was a slave than I have ever had sinoe* Our beds were home made 9 they made them out of poplar wood and gave us straw ticks to sleep on. I got two calico dresses a year and these were my Sunday dresses and I was only allowed to wear them on week days after they were almost worn out. Our shoes were made right on the plantation. When any slaves got sicky Mr. Bull, the overseer, got a regular doctor and when a slave died we kept right on working until it was time for the fun- eral, then we were called in but had to go right back to work as soon as it was over. Coffins were made by the slaves out of poplar lumber. We didn't play many games, the only ones I can remember are 'ball' and 'marbles'. Not they would not let us play Vjards1. One day I was sent out to clean the hen house and to burn the straw. I cleaned the hen house 9 pushed the straw up on a pile and set fire to it and burned the hen house down and I sure thought I was going to get whipped, but I didn't, for I had a good 'masse'. We always got along fine with the children of the slave owners but none of the colored people would have anything to do with the 'poor white trash' who were too poor to o*n slaves and had to do their own wo;k. There was never any uprisings on our plantations and I never heard about any around where I lived. We were all happy and contented and had good times. Yes, I can remember when we were set free. Mr. Bull told us and we cut long $oles and fastened balls of cotton on the ends and set fire to them. Then, we run around with them burning, a~singin9 and a-dancin1. No, we did not try to run away and never left the plantation until Mr. Bull said we could go. if ter the war, I worked for Mr. Bull for about a year on the old plant a- tion and was treated like one of the family. If ter that I worked for my brother on a little farm near the old home place. He was buying this farm from his mas- ter, Mr. Tom Daley. -3- I* 9 I was married on my brother's place to Wade Bledsoe in 1870. He has been dead now about 15 years. His_ master had given him a small farm but I do not remember his master's name. Yes, I lived in Tennessee until after my husband died. I came to Canton in 1929 to live with my granddaughter, Mrs. Algie Clark* I had three children; they are all dead but I have 6 grandchildren, 8 great-grandchildren and 9 great-great-grandchildren, all living. No, I don't think the children today are as good as they used to be9 they are just not raised like we were and do too much as they please# I can't read or write as none of ms slaves ever went to school but 1 used to listen to the white folks talk and copied after them as much as I could*" NOTE: The above is almost exactly as Mrs. Bledsoe talked to our inter- viewer. Although she is a woman of no schooling she talks well and uses the common negro dialect very little. She is 92 years of age but her mind is clear and she is very entertaining. She receives axk Old Age Pension. (Interviewed by Ch&s. McCullough.) Story and Photo by 240-Ex-slaves * ^f () Frank Sffi*tfe Mahoning County - Dist. #5 Young*town, Ohio* The.Story of Mrs, Phoebe Boat, of Youngstown, Ohio* Mrs. Phoebe Bost, was born on a plantation in Louisiana, near New Orleans. She does not know her exact age but says she was told, when given her freedom that whe was about 15 years of age. Phoebefs first master was a man named Simons, who took her to a slave auction in Baltimore, where she was sold to Vaul Mooney (this name is spelled as pronounced, the correct spelling not known.) When Phoebe was given her freedom she aasummed the name of Mooneye and went to Stanley County, North Carolina, where she worked for wages until she came north and married to Peter Bost. Phoebe, claims both her masters were very mean and would administer a whipping at the slightest provocation. Phoebe's duties were that of a nurse maid "I had to holf the baby all de time she slept" she said "and sometimes I got so sleepy myself I had to prop ma1 eyes open with pieces of whisks from a broom*n She claims there was not any recreation, such as singing and dancing per- mitted at this plantation. Phoebe, i«ho is now widowed, lives with her daughter, in part of a double housef at 3461 ffilaon Avenue, Campbell, Ohio. Their home is fairly well furn- ished and clean in appearance. . Phoebe is of slender stature, and is quite act- ive in spite of the fact that she is nearing her nineties* -0- 340043 WPA in Ohio Muskingum County A -i By Albert I Dugan District #2 Topic 240 - Ex-slaves ^Qi , Ben Brown v* Ex-slave - 100 years v^> Keen St*, Zanesville, Ohio* * Yes suh I wuz a slave in Vaginyah, Alvamaul (Albermarle) county an' I didn't have any good life, I'm tellik' you datt It wuz a tough life* I don't know how old I am, dey never told me down dere, but the folks here say I'm a hunderd yeah old an' I spect dats about right* My fathah's name wuz Jack Brown and' my mammy's Nellie Brown* Dey wuz six of us chillun, one sistah Hannaji an' three brothers, Jim, Harrison, an' Spot* Jim wuz de oldes an' I wuz next* We wuz born on a very lawge plantation an dey wuz lots an' lots of , u. ^ other slaves, I don't know how many* De log cabins what we live on both sides A* de path make it look like a town* Mastah's house wuz a big, big one anf had big brick chimneys on de outside. It wuz a frame house, brown, an' set way back from de road, an' behind dat wuz de slaves' quarters* ' De mastah, he wuz Fleming Moon an' dey say he wuz cap'n in de wah of 1812* De missy wuz Parley Moon and dey had one son an fouh daughters* All us chillyn an mammy live in a log cabin dat wuz lauge enuf foh us an we sleep in good beds, tall ones an' low ones dat went undaneath, trundles dey call 'em, and de covahs wuz comfohtable* De mammies did de cookin. We et cohn bread, beans, soup, cabbage an' some othah vegtubles, an a little meat an fish, not much* Cohn cake wuz baked in de ashes, ash-cake we call 'em an' dey wuz 4pod and sweet* Sometimes we got wheat bread, we call dat "seldom bread" an1 cohn bread wuz called "common" beoos we had it ev'ry day* A boss mammy, she looked aftah de eatins' and believe me nobuddy got too much* De meat house wuz full of smoked po'k, but we only got a little piece now an' den* At hog killin' time we built a big fiah an put on stones an' •-•¦ when dey git hot we throw 'em in a- hogshead dat has watah in it* Den moah hot -2- 12 stones till de watah is jus right for takin' de hair off de hogs, lots of 'em* Salt herrin1 fish in barls cum to our place an we put em in watah to soak an den string em on pointed sticks an1 hang up to dry so dey wont be so salty* A little wuz given us with de other food* I worked about de place doin* chores an takin' care of de younger chillun, when mammy wuz out in de fields at harvest time, an' I worked in de fields too sometimes• De mastah sent me sometimes with young recruits goih' to de army headquartahs at Charlottesvilie to take care of de horses an show de way# We all worked hard an' when supper wuz ovah I wuz too tired to do anything but go to bed* It wuz jus work, eat an sleep foh most of us, dere wuz no time foh play* Some of em tried to sing or tell stories or pray but dey soon went to bed. Sometimes I heard some of de stories about hants and speerits an devils that skeered me so I ran to bed an1 covered mah head* Mastah died an' den missie, she and a son-in-law took charge of de place* Mah sistah Hannah wuz sold on de auction block at Richmon to Mastah Frank Maxie (Massie?) an' taken to de plantation near Charlottesville* I missed mah sistah terrible an ran away to see her, ran away three times, but ev'ry time dey cum on horseback an git me jus befoh I got to Maxies. The missie wuz with dem on a horse and she ax where I goih an' I told her* Mah hands wuz tied crossways in front with a big rope so hard it hurt* Den I wuz left on de groun foh a long time while missie visited Missie Maxie. Dey start home on horses pulling de rope tied to mah hands* I had to run or fall down an' be dragged on de groun'• It wuz terrible* tfhen we got home de missie whipped me with a thick hickory switch an1 she wasn't a bit lenient* I wuz whipped ev^y time I ran away to see mah sister* /ftien dere wuz talk of Yankies cumin1 de missie told me to git a box an she filled it with gold an1 silver, lots of it, she wuz rich, an I dug a hole near de hen house an put in de box an' covered it with dirt an' smoothed it -3- 13 down an scattered some leaves an twigs ovah it* She told me nevah, nevah to tell about it and I nevah did until now. She showed me a big white card with writin1 on it an1 said it say "This is a Union Plantation" an1 put it on a tree so the Yankies wouldnft try to find de gold and silvers. But I nearer «aw any Yankie squads cum around.' Ihen de wah wuz ovah, de missie nevah tell me dat I wuz free an1 I kepT on workin* same as befoh. I eouldfttt read or write an1 to me all money coins wuz a cent, big copper cents, dey *wuz all alike to me. De slaves wuz not allowed any learnin an* if any books, papers or pictures wuz founf among us we wuz whipped if we couldnft explain where dey cum from. Mah sistah anf brother cum foh me an tell me I am free and take me with them to Mastah Maxies* place where dey workin. Dey had a big dinnah ready foh me, but I wuz too excited to eat. I worked foh Mastah Maxie too, helpin1 with de horses anf doin1 chores. Mammy cum1 an wuz de cook. I got some clothes and a few cents an1 travelers give me small coins foh tending dere horses an1 I done done odd jobs here an dere. I wanted some learnin but dere wuz no way to git it until a white man cleared a plaiSe in de woods an1 put up branches to make shade. He read books to us foh a while an1 den gave it up. A lavly white woman, Missy Holstottle, her husband1 s name wuz Dave, read a book to me anf I remember de stories to dis day. It wuz called "White an1 Black." Some of de stories made me cry. After wanderin about doin work where I could git it I got a job on de C an 0 Railroad workin1 on de tracks. In Middleport, datfs near Pomeroy, Ohio I wuz married to Gertie Nutter, a widow with two chillun, an dere wuz no moah chilluns. After mah wife died I wandered about workin1 on railroads an1 in coal mines anf I wuz hurt in a mine near Zanesville. Pelt like mah spine wuz pulled out an I couldn!t work any moah an1 I cum to mah neicefs home here in Zanesville. I got some compensation at first, but not now. I get some old '4- 14 age pension, a little, not much, but I'm thankful foh dat* Mah life wuz hard an1 sad, but now I'm comfortable here with kind friens* I can't read or write, but I' surely enjoy de radio* Some nights I dream about de old slave times an* I hear dem cryin' an1 prayin's f,0h, Mastah, pray Oh, mastah, mercyl" when dey are bein1 whipped, an* I wake up cryin.f I set here in dis room and can remember mosf all of de old life, can see it as plain as day, de hard work, de plantation, de whippings, anf de misery* I'm sure glad it's all over* 340021 James Immel District Three ** 15 Heporter Washington County folklore SABAH WOODS BUSKS Aged &5 "Yesslr9 I guess you all would call me an ex-slave cause I was horn in Grayson County, West Virginia and on a plantation I lived for quite a spell, that is until when I was sevenryears old when we all moved up here to Washington County. H nUy Pappy1 s old Mammy was exposed to have been sold into slavery when my Pappy was oub month old and some poor white people took him ter raise. Re worked for them until he was a growed up man, also •til they give him his free >>apers and • lowed him to leave the plant- ation and come up here to the North.n *How did we live on the plantation? Well — you see it was like this we lived in a log cabin with the ground for floors and the beds were built against the walls jus1 like bunks* I •member that the slaves had a hard time getting food, most times they got just v*hat was left over or whatever the slaveholder wanted to give them so at night thqy would slip outa their cabins on to the plantation m^L kill a pig 4 a sheep or some cattle which they would batcher in the woods and cut -op* ?he wimmin folks would carry the pieces back to the cab ns in their aprons while the men would stay behind and bury the head, skin and feeto* "Whenever they killed a pig they would have to skin it, because they didn't dare to build a fire* The women folk after getting home -2- ft. 16 would put the meat in speoial dug trenches and the men would come erlong and cover it xxp." ttThe slave holders in the part of the country I came from was men and it was quite offen that slaves were tied to a whipping stake and shipped with a blacksnake until the blood run down their todies." rtI remembers quite clearly one scene that happened jus1 afore I left that there part of the country. At the slaveholders home on the plantation I was at it war? customary for the white folks to ^o to church on Sunday morning and to leave the cook in charge. Shis cook had a habit of making cookies and handing them out to the slaves before the folks returned. How it happened that on one Sunday for some reason cr tother the white folks returned before the regular time and the poor cook did not have time to get the cookies to the slaves so she just hid then in a drawer that r/as in a sowing chair.*1 *The white folks had a parrot that always sat on top of a door in this room and when th® mi3trees came in the room the mean old Mrd hollered out at the top of his voice, fIts in the rocker. Itfs in the rocker1. Well the Missus found the cookies and told her husband**rhere upon the husband called his man that done the whipping and they tied the poor cook to the stake and whipped her till she fainted. Ifeajr morning the parrot was found dead and a slave was aecuaad becaus* he liked the woman that had been whipped the day bafore. Ihey whippad him than until the blood vm% down his legs. * *SplritsT Tessir I believe in them* but we warat bothered so jEauoh ty ifassa in fciiem days tout we v&s by the wild animals. Wfcgr aSUif -> 17 It got dark we children would have to stay indoors for fear of thsau The men folks would build a big fire and I can remember my Pappy a settin on top of the house at nl^it with a old flint lock across his legs awaiting for one of them critters to come elose enough so he could shoot ita %e reason for him being trusted with a gun was be- cause he had bt*en raised toy the poor white man who worked for the slaveholder. Ity Pappy did aot ?rork in the fields but ''rove a team of horses*H *I remembers that when we left the plantation and come to ash- ington County. Ohio that we traveled in a covered ?fagon that }i&<£ loig whits horse hitched: to it. 23he man that owned the horse was Blake Bandolls, l?e crossed the river 12 miles below Parkersburg. t^Ya. on a ferry and went to Stafford, Ohio in Monroe County where v?e lived until I ms married at the age of 15 to Mr* Burke. ^ the Justice of the Peace* ?dward Oakley* A year later we moved to Curtis Bidge which is seven miles from Stafford and we lived their for say 20 year or more. We moved to Hainbow for a spell and then in 1918 my husband died, fhe old man hard luck came around c$ase three years my home burned to the ground and then I came here to live with ipy boy Joe and his family, * *lfra Burke and myself raised a family of 16 chilihms and at that time wp husband worked at farming for other peeple at $2*00 a month and a few things they would give him. * %|y Pappy got his education from the boy of the white man he lived with b$««t2se he wasnH allowed to go to school and the white boy was ?ezy smart and taught him just as he learned* My Pappy, fought in the Civil War too. On which side? W#llt she nuff on the site of the Berth, boy. • 340006 Hallie Miller Reporter Audrey Meighen Author-Editor 18 District Three Gallia County Folklore - Ex-slaves - 240 JAMES CAMPBELL Age 86 "Well, I'se bofn Monro1 County, West Virginia, on January 15, 1852, jesf few miles from Union, West Virginia." "My mammy wuz Dinnah Alexander Campbell an1 my pappy wuz Levi Campbell an1 dey bof cum frum MonroT County. Datfs *bout only place I heerd dem speak fbout#w nDer wuz Levi, Floyd, Henry, Noah, an1 Mancy, jes1 my haf brud- ders an1 sistahs, but I neber knowed no diffrunce but whut dey wuz my sistahs an1 brudders." "Where we liv? On Marse John Alexanders farm, he wuz a good Marse too. All Marse John want wuz plenty wurk dun and we dun it too, so der wuz no trubble on ouah plantashun. I neber reolec1 anyone gittin1 whipped or bad treatment frum him. I does ?members, dat sum de neighbors say dey wuz treated prutty mean, but I don't 'member much fbout it fcaise Ifse leetle den** "Wherfd I sleep? I neber fergit dat trun'l bed, dat I sleep in. 11 Marse Johnfs place kinda stock farm an1 I dun de milkin1. You all know dat wuz easy like so I jes' keep busy milkin* an1 gits out de hard work. Nudder thing I lik to do wuz pick berries, dat wuz easy too, so I dun my shar* pickin1.* - 2 - "Money? Lawsy chile, I neber dun seen eny money 'til aftah I dun cum to Gallipolis aftah der war. Anf how I lik' to heah it jingle, if I jes' had two cents, I'd make it jingle." "We all had plenty an' good things to eat, beans, corn, tatahs, melons an' hot mush, corn bread; we.jes' seen white flour wunce in a while." "Yes mam, we had rabbit, wil' turkey, pheasunts, an' fish, say 1'se tellin' you-all dat riful pappy had shure cud kill de game." "Nudder good ole time waz maple sugar makin' time, mostly dun at night by lime stone burnin*. Yes, I heped with the 'lasses an' all de time I wuz a thinkin' 'bout dem hot biscets, ham meat, corn bread an' flasses#" "We liv in a cabin on Marse John's place. Der wuzn't much in de cabin but my mammy kept it mighty clean. Say, I kin see dat ole1 fiah place wid de big logs a burnin1 right now; uh, an' smell dat good cookin', all dun in iron pots an' skillets* An' all de cookin' an' heat in' wuz dun by wood, why I nebber seed a lump of coal all time I wuz der. We all had to cut so much wood an' pile it up Wo .veeks 'for Christmas, an' den when ouah pile wuz cut, den ouah wurk wuz dun, so we'd jes' hav good time." "We all woah jeans clos1, jes pants an' jacket. In de summah we chilluns all went barefoot, but in de wintah we all woah shoes," n01' Marse John an' his family liv in a big fine brick hous'. Marse John had des chilluns, Miss Betty an' Miss Ann an1 der wuz Marse Mike an' Marse John. Marse John, he wuz sorta spiled lik* He 19 - 3 - dun wen to de war anf runs fway frum Harpedjs Ferry an1 cum home jes1 sceered to death* He get hiinsef a pah of crutches an1 neber goes back. Marse John dun used dem crutches ftil aftah de war wuz ovah. Den der wuz ol1 Missy Kimberton - de granfmuthah. She wuz fculiar but prutty good, so wuz Marsefs chilluns." "Ol* Marse John had bout 20 slaves so de wurk wuznft so bad on nun ob us. I kin jesf see dem olf bindahs and harrows now, dat dey used den. It would shure look funny usinf fem now.M^ "I all1us got up foah clock in de morhin1 to git in de cows an1 I didn't hurry nun, fcaise dat tak in de time." "Ouah mammy neber f lowed de old folks to tell us chilluns sceery stories o' hants an1 sich lik' so der's nun foah me to 'member." "Travelin' wuz rather slof lik. De only way wuz in ox-carts or on hoss back. We all didn't hav much time fer t ravelin'. Our Marse wuz too good to think 'bout runnin' 'way." "Nun my fam'ly cud read er write. I lurned to read an write aftah 1 cum up Norf to Ohio. Dat wuz biggest thing I ebber tackled, but it made me de happies' aftah I leann't." "We all went to Sunday School an' meetin1. Yes mam, we had to wurk on Sundays, too, if we did hav any spare time, we went visit in'. On Saturday nights we had big time foah der wuz nos' all'us dancin' an' we'd dance long as de can'les lasted. Can'les wuz all we had any time fur light." "I ,'mesmber one de neighbah boys tried to run 'way an' de patrollahs got 'im an' fetched 'im back an' he shure dun got a wallopin' fer it# - 4 - Dat dun tuk any sich notion out my head. Dem patrollahs dun keep us skeered to deaf all de time. One, Henry Jones, runned off and went cleah u£ Norf sum place an1 dey neber did git fim. fCourse we all wuz shure powahful glad fbout his 'scapin'." "We'se neber 'lowed out de cabin at night. But sum times de oldah funs wud sneak out at night an'tak de hosses an1 tak a leetle ride. An* man it wud bin jes1 too bad if olf Marse John ketched fem: dat wuz shure heaps of fun fer de kids. I fmember hearin' wunce de ol' folks talkin1 'bout de way one Marse dun sum black boys dat dun sum- thin1 wrong. He jes* mak 'em bite off de heads of baccer wurms; mysef I'd rut her tuk a lickin." "On Christmus Day, we'd git fiah crackahs an' drink brandy, dat wuz all. Dat day wuz only one we didn't wurk. On Saturday evenin's we'd mold candles, dat wuzn't so bad." "De happies' time o' my life wuz when Cap'n Tipton, a Yankee sol- jer cumed an' tolf us de wah wuz ober an' we wuz free. Cap'n. Tipton sez, "Youse de boys we dun dis foah". We shure didn't lose noitime gittin' 'way; no man." "We went to Lewisburg an' den up to Cha'leston by wagon an' den tuk de guvment boat, Genrul Crooks, an' it brung us heah to Gallipolis in 1865• Dat Ohio shoah shure looked prutty." "I'se shure thankful to Mr. Lincoln foah whut he dun foah us folks, but dat Jeff Davis, well I ain't sayin' whut I'se thinkin*." "de is jss1 like de worl*, der is lots o* good an* lots o» bad in it." 21 WPA in Ohio Jeffersonftco Federal Writers1 Project Topic: Ex-Slavery Fleming Clark Ex-Slave, 74+ i& years. My fatherf£ name wuz Fleming Clark and my motherfs name wuz Emma- line ^lark. Both of dem wuz in slavery* Der massa fs name waz David Bowers. I donft know where dey cum from but dey moved to Bad Creek after slavery days. Der wuz three of us chillun. Charles, de oldest, den Anthony next and den me, de yoxingest. I wuz workinf for a white man and wu$ old enough to drive cows and work in de'bacoa fields, pic kin1 worms off de leaves. De other brudders worked wid my father on another plantation. De house where I lived wid de white Massa Lewis Northsinge and his Missus, wuz a log house wid just two rooms. I had just a little straw tick and a cot dat de massa made himself and I hed a common quilt dat de missus made to cover me. I hear dat my grandmother died during slavery and dat my grand- father wuz killed by his massa during slavery. On Sunday I would go home and stay wid my father and mother and two brothers• We would play around wid ball and marbles. We hed no school or church* Vfe were too far away for church. I earned no money* All I got wuz just my food and clothes. I wuz leasted out to my massa and missus. I ate oorn bread, fat hog,meat and drank butter milk. Sometimes uoy father would catch possum a®d my mother would cook them, and bring me over a piece. I usedio eat rabbit and fish# Dey used to go fishin1 in de creek. I liked rabbit and groundhog. De food waz boiled and roasted in de oven. De slaves have a fittle patch for a garden and dfy work it mostly at night when it wux moonlight. 22 2 » We wore geans and shirts of yellow cotton, we wore no shoes up til Christmas. I wore just de same during de summer except a little coat* We had 119 under shirt lik we have now. We wore de same on Sunday. Der wuz no Sunday suit. De mass and missus hed one boy. De boy wuz much older than !• Day were all kind to me. I remember plenty poor white chillun. I remember Will and John Ha than ? Dey were poor white people. My massa had three plantations. He hed five slaves on one and four on another. I worked on one with four slaves. &i\r father worked on one wid my brother and mother. We would wake up at 4 and 5> oTclock and de chores in de barn by lamp light. De overseer would ring a bejl in de yeard, if it wuz not too cold to go out. If it wux too cold he would cum and knock on de door. It wuz 8 or 9 o'clock fore we cum in at night. Den we have to milk de cows to fore we have supper. De slaves were punished fore cumin1 in too soon and unhitching de horses. Dey would dead dem acoross a barrel and switch dem and den send dem back to.de fields. I head dem say dey switch de blood out of dem and salt de wou^d den dey could not work de next day. I saw slaves sold, gey would stand on a block and men would bid for dem. De highest bidder bought de slaves. I saw dem travel in groups, not chained, oj^e white man in front and one in back. Dey looked like cattle. De white folks never learned me to read or wfcite. r n Der were parolles. Dey were mean if dey catch you out late at night. If a slave wug out late at night he hed to have a notice from his massa. Der wuz trouble if de slaves were out late at night or if dey run off to another man. 23 24 De s laves worked on Saturday afternoons • Dey stay in de cabins on Saturday nights and Sundays. We worked on New Years day. De massa would give us a/little hard cider on Christmas day. Dey would give a big supper at corn buskin* or cotton pic kin1 and give a little play or somethin1 lik dat* I remember two weddings* Dey bed chicken, and mutton to eat and corn bread. Dey all ganged round de table. Der wu„ milk and butter. I remember one wedding of de white people. I made de ice cream for dem. I remember playin* marbles and ball. Sometimes a racer snak e would run after us, wrap round us and whip us with its tail. The first one I remember got after me in de orchard. He wrapped right round me and whipped me with his tail* fry mother took care of de slaves when dey were sick. You had to be awful sick if dey didn't make you go out. Dey made der own medicine in those days. We used asafetida and put a piece in a bag and hung it round our necks. It wuz supposed to keep us from ketchin1 diseases from anyone else.. When freedom cum dey were all shoutin1 and I run to my mother and asked her what it wuz all bout* De iwfaflbe man said you are all free and can go. I remember the Yankee soldier cumin1 throurh the wheat field. My parents lived very light de first year after de war. We liveid in a log cabin. De white man helped dem a little. My father went to work makin1 charcoal• Der wuz no school for Negroes and no land that I remember* I married Alice Thompson. She wuz 18 and I wuz 28. We hed a little weddin1 down in Buskannon, Virginhy. A Baptist preacher named Shirley married us. Der were bout a dozen at de weddin1. We hed a little dancin1 4- 25 and banjo play in1 • I hed two chillun but dey died and my wife died a long, long time ago* I just hear4 a little bout Abraham Lincoln* I believe he wuz a good man. I just hed a slight remembrance of Abraham Lincoln and Jef- ferson Davis • I have heard of Booker T* Washington, felt just de same bout him. A pretty good man. I think it wuz a great thing that slavery anded, I would not lik to see it now* I joined de Baptist church but I have been ruamin* round from place to place, He always prosper and get along with our fellowmen if we are religious• De overseer wuz poor white trash. His rules were you hed to be out on de plantation before daylight* Sometimes we hed to sit ground on de fence to wait for daylight and we did not go in before dark. We go in bout one for meals • K. (Tsthimer 340039 ' MJQ 1 g }n brothers. There w&s Adeline, Dorah, Alice,and Lizzie. My brothers were Major and George Meriwether. We lived in a log cabin made of sticks and dirt, you know, logs and dirt stuck in the cracks. We slept on beds made of boards nailed up. WI donft remember anything about my grandparents. My folks were sold around and I couldn't keep track of them. ttThe first work I did out from haae was with my mistressfs brother, Dr. Jim Taylor, in Kentucky, taking care of his children. I was an awful tiny little somethin1 about eight or nine years old. I used to turn the reel for the old folks who was spinning. That's all I've ever known - work. *I never got a penny. My master kept me asd wy sister Mary twenty-two long years after we were supposed to be free* Work, work, work* I donft think my sister and I ever went to bed before twelve ©•clock at night. We never got a 2* penny* They could have spared it, too; they had enough* w !lffe ate corn bread and fat meat* Meat and bread, we kids called it* We all had a pint tin cup of buttermilk* No slaves had their own gardens* tfThe men just wore jeans* The slaves all made their own clothes. They just wove all the time; the wld women wove all the time* I wasn't old enough to go in the field like the oldest children. The oldest children - they worked* After slavery ended, my sister Mary and me worked as ex-slaves, and we worked* Most of the slaves had shoes, but us kids used to run around barefoot most of the time. "My folks, my Piaster and mistress, lived in a great, white, frame house, just the same as a hotel* I grewup with the youngest child, Mayo* The other white children grew up and worked as overseers • Mayo always wanted me to call him ^Master Mayo*. I fought him all the time. I never would call him fMaster Mayo'. My mistress wouldn't let anyone harm me and she made Mayo behave* !lMy master wouldn't let the poor white neighbors - no one-tell us we was free* The plantation was many, many acres, hundreds and hundreds of acres, honey* There were about twenty-five or thirty families of slaves. They got up and stood until daylight, waiting to plow. Yes, child, they was up early* Our folks don't know how we had to -work* I don't like to tell you how we were treated - how we had to work* Itfs best to brush those things out of our memory. 11 If you wanted to go to another plantation, you had to have a pass If my folks was- going to somebody's house, they'd have to have a pass. Otherwise they'd be whipped. They'd take a big man and tie his hands behind a tree, just like that big tree outside, and whip him with a rawhide and draw Hood every whip* I know I was scared every time I'd hear the slave say, 'Pray, Master*' ttOnee, when I was milking a cow, I asked Master Ousley, 'Master Ousley, will you do me a favor?' lfHe said in his drawl, 'Of course I will*' n 'Take me to McCracken County*' I said* I didn't even kaow where MoCracken County nas, but bqt sister wasthere*. I wanted to find my sister* TBken I reached the house where my sister stayed, I went through the gate* I asked if this was the house where Mary Meriwether lived* Her mistress aaid, 'Yes, shefs in the baok* Are you theti&rl Mr* Meriwether's looking for?1 % heart was in my mouth* It gust seemed I couldnft go through £he gate* I never even saw my sister that time* I hid for a while and then went back. "We didnft have any churches • My master would come down Sunday morning with just enough flour to matte bread* Coffee, too* Their coffee was parts of meal, corn and so on* Work all week and thatTs what they had for coffee* l1We used to sing, 'Swing,low, sweet chariot1. TRJhen our folks sang that, we could really see the chariot* r,Oice, Jim Ferguson, a colored man, came to teach school* The white folks beat and whipped him and drove him away in his underweat* tfI wanted so hard to learn to read, but I didn't even know I wa s free, even when slavery was ended* ,fI been so exhausted working, I was like an inch-worm crawling along a roof* I worked till I thought another lick would kill me* If you had scciething to do, you did it or got whipped* Once I was so tired I couldn't work any more. I crawled in a hole under the house and stayed there till I was rested* I didn't get whipped, wither* MI never will forget it - how my master always used to say, 'Keep a nigger dpwnl' I never will forget it. I used to wait on table and I heard them talk* wThe only fun we had was on Sunday evening, after work* That was the only chance we got* We used to go away off from the house and play in the haystack* wOur folks was so cruel, the slaves used to whisper fround* Some of them knew they was free, even if the white folks didnft want 'em to find out they was free* They went off in the woods sometisres. But I was just a little kid IM I wasn't allowed to go around the Mg folks. "I seen enough what the old folks went through. My sister and I went through enough after slavery was over. For tw»n*y*one long years we were enslaved, even *• 29 after we were supposed to be free. We didn't even know we were free^ We had to wash the white people's feet when they took their shoes off at night - the men and women. "Sundays the slaves would wash out their clothes. It was the only time they had to themselves. Some of the old men worked in their tobacco patches. We never observed Christmas. We haver had no holidays, son, no, sir!-We didn't know what the "word was ? 111 never saw any slave funerals. Some slaves died, but I never saw any of them buried. I didn't see any funerals at all. j !!The white folks would came down to the cabins to marry the slaves. The master ,¦ I or mistress would read a little out of a book.. That's all there was to it. "We used to play a game called 'Hulgul'. We'd play it in the cabins and some- \ times with the white children. We'd hold hazelnuts in our hands. I'd say 'HulgulI j How maty? You'd guess. If you hit it right, you'd get them all and it would be i your turn to say 'Hulgul'. If you'd say 'Three 1f and I hnly had two, you'd have to give me another to make three. "The kids nowadays can go right to the store and buy a ball to play with. We'd have to make a ball out of yard and put a sock around it for a cover. Six of us would stay on one side of a house and six on the other side. Then we'd throw the ball orer the roof and say ' Catchi' If youfd catch it you'd run around to the &ther side and hit somebody, then start over. We worked so hard we couldn't play long on Sunday evenings. "School? We never seen the inside of a schoolhouse. Mistress used to read the Bible to us every Sunday morning. "We say twd sbngs I still remember. "I think when I read that sweet story of o3d, When Jesus washere among men, How he called little children like lambs to his fold, I should like te have been with them then* "I wish that his hands had been placed on aay head. 30 That his arms had been thrown around me, That I might have seedi his kind face when he said, fLet the little ones come unto me*1 "Yet still to his, footstool in prayer I may go And ask for a share of his love, And that I might earnestly seek Him below And see Him and hear Him above. "Then there was another: 111 want to be an angel And with the angels stand With a crown, upon my Sorehead And a harp within my hand. ttAnd there before my Saviour, So glorious and so bright, I'd make the sweetest music And praise him day and night. "And as soon as we got through singing those songs, we had to get right out to work. I was always glad when they called us in the house to Sunday school* It was the only chance wefd get to rest. "When the slaves got sick, they'd take and look after themselves. My master had a whole wall of his house for medicine, ju t like a store. They made their own medicines and pills. My mistress's brother, Dr. Jim Taylor, was a doctor* They done their own doctoring* I still have the mark where I was vaccinated by ray master* "People was lousy in them days. I always had to pick louses from the heads of the white children* You don't find children like that nowadays* "My mistress had a little roan horse. She went all through the war on that horse* Us little kids never went around the big folks* We didn't watch folks faces to learn, like children do now* They wouldn't let us* All I know about the Civil War was that it was goin' on. I heard talk about killin' and so on, "but I didn't know no thin' about itl w$y mother was the last slave to get off the plantation • She travlled across 1 the plantation all night with us children. It -was pouring rain. The white folks surrounded her and took away us children, and gave her so many minutes to get off the plantation. We never saw her again. She died away from us. 6. ft 31 brother came to see us once when slavery was over* He was grown up* My master wasn't going to ]et him see us and he took up his gun. My unstress said he should let him see us* My brother gave me a little coral ring* I thought it vvas the prettiest thing I ever saw. 111 made my sister leave* I took a rolling pin to make her go and she finally left. They didn*t have any more business with us than you have right now* tfI remember when Yankee e&ldiers came riding through the yard* I was scared and ran away crying* I can see them now* •i-'heir swords hung at their sides and their horses walked proud, as if they walked on their hind legs* The faster was in the field trying to hide his money and guns and-things* The soH iers said, fWe won't hurt you, child*f It made me feel wonderful* "What I call the Ku Klux were those people who met at night and if they heard anybody saying you was feee, they would take you out at night and vdiip you* They were the plantation owners• I never saw them ride, but I heard about them and what they did* Icy master used to tell us he wished he knew who the Ku Kluxers were* But he knew, all right, I used to wait on table and I heard th&m taling* 'Gonna lynch another nigger tdnighti* lfThe slaves tried to get schools, but they didn't get anyl Finally they started a few Schools in little log cabins* But we children, my sister and I9 never went to school* ttI married William L. Davifeon, when I was thirty-tro years old* That was after I left the plantation* I never had company there* I had to work* I have only one grandchild still living, Willa May Reynolds* She taught school in City Grove, Tennessee* §hefs married now* "I thought Abe Lincoln was a great man* What little I know about him, I always thought he was a great man* He did a lot of good* ,fUs kids always used to sing a gong* lfGonna Jaang Jeff Davis to a sour apfle tree as we go marchin1 home*1 I didnft know "what it meant at the time* i 32 "I never knew much about Booker T. Washington,, but I heard about him* Frederick Douglass was: a great man, too* He did lots of good, like Abe Lincoln* "Well, slavery's ^over and I think that's a grand thing* A white lady recently asked me, 'Don't you think you were better off under the white people?1 "I said fWhat you talkin* about? The birds of the air have their freedom1 • I don't know why she should ask me that anyway. lrl belong to the Third Baptist Church* I thin£ all people should be religious* Christ was a missionary* He went about doing good to people* 3Fbu should be clean, honest, and do everything good for people* I first turn the-searchlight on myself • To be a true Christian, you must do as Christ saad: vLove one another1 • Y0u know, that's why I said I didn't want to tell about my life and the terrible things that I and my sister Mary suffered* I want to forgive those people* Some people tell me thasse people are in hell now. But I don't think that. I believe we should all do good to everybody*11 Paulding Co. District 10 240 - Folklore Ex-Slaves. 33 340010 Reporter ~'etty Lugabell Editor Harold Pugh Supervisor , R.~S. Drum jv Mary Belle Dempsey \ Ex-Slave 87 years, "I was only two years old when my family moved here, from Vfilford county, Kentucky. 'Course I don't remember anything of our slave days, but my mother told me all about it.tf uMy mother and father were named Sidney Jane and William Booker* I had one brother named George William Booker.11 "The man who owned my father and mother was a good man.tr He was good to them and never 'bused them. He had quite a large plantation and owned 26 slaves. Each slave family had a house of their own and the women of each family pre- pared the meals, in their cabins. These cabins were warm and in good shape. The master farmed his land and the men folks helped in the fields but the women took carepf their homes.tt l*We had our churches, too» Sometimes the white folks would try to cause trouble Y/hen the negroes were holding their meetings, then a night the men of the church would place chunks and matches on the white folks gate post# In the morning the white folks would find them and know that it was a warn- ing if they din't Tjuit causing trouble their buildings would be burned.* ifThere was a farm that joined my parents' master's place and the owner was about ready to sell the mother slave with her five small children. The children oafrrfed on so much because they were to be separated that the mis- tress bought them back although she had very little money to spare." WI don't know any more slave stories, but now I am getting old, and I - 2 - 34 know that I do not have long to live, but I'm not sorry, I am ready to go# - I have lived as the Lord wants us to live and I know that when I die I shall join many of my friends and relatives in the Lord's place. Religion is the finest thing on earth* It is the one and only thing that matters.u 340033 District #2 Former* Slave Interview Special Middletown Butler County • Aug. 16, 1937 Interview ?ath - Mrs. -Nancy East, 80y Seventeenth Ave., Middletown, Ohio. ^Mammy11 East, 809 Seventeenth Ave.,Middle town, Ohio, rules a four- room bungalow in the negro district set aside by the American Rolling Mill Corporation. She lives there with her sons, workers in €he mill, and keeps them an iramaculate home in the manner which she was taught on a Southern plantation. Her house is furnished with modern electrical appliances and furniture, but she herself is an anachronism, a personage with no faith in modern methods of living, one who belongs in that vague period designated as Hhefo! de wah.w nI imembahs all 'bout de slave time. I was powerful small but my mother and daddy done tole me all 'bout it# Mother and daddy bofe come ffom Vaginny; mother1 s mama did too. She was a weaver and made all our clothes and de white folks clothes, Datfs all she ever did; just weave and spin. Gran'mama and her chilluns was sold to the Lett fambly, two brothers from Monroe County, Alabama. Sole jist like cows, honey, right off the block, jist like cows. Bat they was good to they slaves* MMy mother1 s last name was Lett, after the white folks; and my daddy's name was Harris Mosley, after his master. After mother and daddy married, the Mosleys done bought her from the Letts so they cou^Ld be together# They was brother-in-laws. Den I was named after Miss $ancy# Day was Miss Hancy and Miss Hattie and two boys in the Mosleys. Landt 35 -2- 36 honey, they had a big (waving her hands in the air) plantation; a whole sec- tion; and de biggest home you done ever see. We darkies had cabins* Jist as clean and nice#/ The* Mosleys, they had a grist mill and a gin. They like ray daddy and he worked in de mill for them. Dey sure was good to us. Lly mother worked on de place for Miss Hancy.H HaJfflay East, in a neat, voile dress and little pig-tails all "over her head, is a tall, light-skinned negro, who admits that she would much rather care for children thaj attend to the other duties of the little house she owns; but the white spreads on the beds and the spotless kitchen is no indication of this fact. She has a passion for the good old times when the negroes had security with no responsibility. Her tall, statuesque appearance is in direct contrast to the present-day conception of old southern Emmies.* nDe wah, honey? Why, when dem Yankees come throx^h our county mother and Miss Hancy and de rest hid de hosses in de swamps and hed other things in the house, but dey got all the cattle and hogs. Killed 'era, but only took -the hams. Killed all de chickens and things, too. But dey didnH hurt the house. "After de wah, everybody jist went on working same as evelr. Then one d^y a white mans come riding through the county and tole us we was free. Free! Honey, did yo1 hear that? Fny we always had been free. He didn't know what he was talking *bout. He kept telling us we was free and dat we oughtn*t to work for no white folks *lessfn we got paid for it# Well Miss ^ancy took care of us then. \7e got our cabin and a piece of ground for a garden and a* sMare of de crops. Daddy worked in de mill. Miss Hancy saw to it that we always had nice clothes too. -3- 37 "Ku Klux, honey? Why, we nevah did hear tell of no sich tiling where v/e was. ^evah heered no thin' 'bout dat at all until ,we come uo here, and dey had en here. Lav/, honey, folks don't know when dey's well off. My daddy worked in de mill and save his money, and twelve yeahs aftah de wait he bought two hundred and twenty acres of land, fbout ten miles away. Den latah on daddy bought de mill from de I'osleys too. Yas!ra, my daddy was well off* HMyf you had to be somebody to votes. I sure do 'merabahs all 'bout ¦•"' dat. You.had to be e&icated eu-d have money to votes. But I don'Wenibahs no trouble 'bout de votin'. Hot where we come from, no h$w. "I was married down dere. Man husband's fust nanie was Monroe aftaii the county we lived in. fcly chilluns was named aftah some of the I.los- ^ —¦ ... leys. I got^Ed and Hattie. Aftah iay daddy died we each got forty acahs. I sold mine and come up here to live with r.iy boys. r,But honey dis ain't no way to raise Chilians. Hot laic dey raised now. All dis dishonesty and stealin' and laziness. Ho aiam! look here at my gran'sons. Satin' of fen dey daddy. Ho place for 'e,:a. Got edication, and caint git fSo jobs outside cuttin' grass and de like. Down on de plan- tation ev'hody worked. Ho laziness er 'oneriness, er no thin J I tells yo1 honey, I sure do wish these chilluns had de chances we had. Hot much learnin' , but we had up-bringin' J Look at dem chilluns across de street. Jist had a big fight ovaii dere, and dey niothahfs too lazy to do any thing 'bout it. Ho'm, nevah did see none o1 dat when we was young. Gittin' in de folkeses hen houses and stealing, and de carryins on at night. Ho mam! I sure do wish de old times was here. 111 went back two-three yeahs ago, to de old home place, and dere it was, jist sa^e as when I was livin' with Miss Nancy. Co'se, theys all dead and gone now, but some of the gran1 chilluns was around. Yas'm, I .nembahs heap bout dem times." 3400J 2 WARREN COUNTY OHIO District 21, as Miriam Logan Lebanon Ohio. STORY OF WADE GLENN from WINSTON SALEM NORTH CABOLINA:(doesn't know his age) H-17 'Yes Madam, I were a slave-l'm old enough to have been "born into slavery, but I was only a baby'slave, for I do not remember about slavery, I've just heard them tell about it." My Mammy were Lydia Glenn, and father were Caesar Glenn, for they belonged to old Glenn. I've heard tell he were a mean man too." My birthday is October 30th.-but what year-I don't know. There were eight brothers and two sisters. We lived on John Beck's farm-a big farm, and the first work for me to do was picking up chips o' wood, and lookin' after hogs. In those days the# all kinds of work by hand on the farm. No Madam, no cotton to speak of, or tobacco then. Just farmln' corn, hogs, wheat fruit,- like here, Yes Madam, that was alll on JohnBeck' farm except the flax and the big wooley sheep. Plenty of nice clean flax-sloth suits we all had," Beck wasn't so good-but we had enough to eat, wear, and could have our Saturday afternoon to go to town, and Sunday for church. We sho did have church, large raeetin'-camp meetin'-with lot of singin' an shoutin' and it was fine.' Nevah was no s inger, but I was a good dancer in my day, yes-yes Madam I were a good dancer. I went to dances and to church with my foils. My father played a violin. He played well, so did my brother, but I never did play or sing." Martray sang a lot when she was spinning and weaving. She sing an'that big wheel a turnin.1 "When I can read my title clear, Up Yonder, Up Yonder, Up Yonder.'— and another of her spinnin' songs was a humin?- ' The Promise of God Salvation free to give....* "Besides helpin'on the farm, father was ferryman on the Yadkln River for Beck. He had a boat for hire. Sometimes passengers would want to go a mile, sometimes 30. Father died at thirty-five. He played the violin fine. My brother played for dances, and he used to sing lots of songs:- "01' Aunt Katy, fine olf soul, She's beatin' her batter, In a brand new bowl"......... — that was a fetchin' tune, but you see I can't even carry it. Maybe I could think up the words of a lot of those ol' tunes but they ought to pay well for them, for they make money out of them. I liked to go to church and to dances both. For a big church to sing I like Nearer My God to Thee-there isn't anything so good for a big crowd to sing out blgi" Father died when he was thirty-five of typhoid. We all had to work hard. I came up here in 1892-and I don't know why I should have, for Winelton-Salem was a big. place. I've worked on farm and roads. My wife died ten years ago. We adopted a girl in Tennennesee years ago, and she takes a care of me now. She was always good to us-a good girl, Yes, Madam. Wade Glenn proved to be not nearly so Interesting as his appearance promised. He is short; wears gold rimmed glasses; a Southern Colonel's Mustache and Goatee-and capitals are need to describe the style.' He had his comical-serious little countenance topped off with a soft felt hat worn at the most rakish angle. He can't carry a tune, and really is not musical. His adopted daughter with whom he lives is rated the town's best colored cook. S40035 Ohio Guide - Special Ex-Slave Stories - 39 August 16, 1937 DAVID A. HALL nI was born ^t Goldsboro, N. C, July 25, 1847. I never knew who owned my father, but my mother's master1 s name was Lifich Pamer. My mother did not live on the plantation but had a little cabin in town. You see, she worked as a cook in the hotel and her master wanted her to live close to her work. I was born in the cabin in town. "No, I never went to school, but I was taught a little by my master's daughter, and can read and write a little. As a slav§ boy I had to work in the military school in Goldsboro. I waited tableSand washed dishes, but my wages went to my master :,the same as my mother's. "I was about fourteen when the war broke out and remember when the Yankees came through, our town. There was a Yankee soldier by the name of Kukns who took charge of a Government Store. He would sell tobacco and such like to the soldiers. He was the man who told me I was free and then give me a job working in the store. ftI had some brothers and sisters but I do not remember them - can't tell you anything about them. : "Our beds were homemade out of poplar lumber and we slept on straw ticks. We had good things to eat and a lot of corn cakes and sweet potatoes. I had pretty good clothes, shoes, pants and a shirt, the same winter and summer. "I don't know anything about the plantation as I had to work in town and did not go out there very much.v i^o, I don't know how big it was or how many slaves there was. I never heard of any uprisings either. "Our overseer was 'poor white trash', hired by the master. I remember the master lived in a big white house and he was always kind to his slaves, so was his wife and children, but we didn't like the overseer. I heard of some slaves 40 being whipped, but I never was and I did not see any of the others get punished. Yes, there was a jail on the plantation where slaves had to go if they wouldn't behave* I never saw a slave in chains but I have seen colored men in the chain gang since the war. "Y/e had a negro church in town and slaves that could be trusted could go to church. It was a Methodist Church and we sang negro spirituals. "We could go to the funeral of a relative and quit work until it was over and then went back to work. There was a graveyard on the plantation. "A lot of slaves ran away and if they were caught they were brought back and put in the stocks until they were sold. The master would never keep a runaway slave. We used to have fights with the fwhiie trash1 sometimes and once I was hit toy a rock throwed by a white boy and thatfs what this lump on my head is. "Yes, we had to work every day but Sunday. The slaves did not have any holidays. I did not have time to play games but used to watch the slaves sing and dance after dark. I don't remember any stories. "When the slaves heard they had been set free, I remember a lot of them were sorry and did not v*ant to leave the plantation. No, I never heard of any in our section getting any mules or land. "I do remember the f»ight ridersf that come through our country after the war. They put the horse shoes on the horses backwards and wrapped the horses feet in burlap so we couldn't hear them coming. The colored folks were deathly afraid of these men and would all run and hide when they heard they were coming. These 'night riders1 used to steal everything the colored people had - even thei* beds &nd straw ticks. "Right after the war I was brought north by Mr. Kuhns I spoke of, and for a short fciiile I worked at the milling trade in Tiffin and came to Canton -3- 41 in 1866? Llr. Kuhns owned a part in the old flour mill here (now the Ohio Builders and Lilling Co.) and he give me a job as a miller, I worked there until the end of last year, 70 years, and I am sure this is a record in Canton, No,..I never worked any other place. MI was itiarried July 4, 1871 to Jennie Scott in Massillon. We had four children but they are all dead except one boy. Our first baby - a gitl named Mary Jane, born February 21, 1872, was the first colored child born in Canton. My wife died in 1926. No, I do not know when she was born, but I do know she was not a slave. WI started to vote after I came north but did not ever vote in the south. I do not like the way the young people of today live; they are too fast and drink too much. Yes, I think this is true of the white children the same as the colored. WI saved my money when I worked and when I quit .1 had three properties. I sold one of these, gave one to my son, and I am living in the other. No, I have never had to ask for charity. I aiso get a pension check from, the mill where I worked so long. WI joined church simply because I thought it would make me a better man and I think every one should belong. I have been a member of St. Paulfs A.M.E. church here in Canton for 54 years* Yesterday (Sunday, August 15, 1937) our church celebrated by burning the mortgage. As I was the oldest member I was one of the three who lit it, the other two are the only living charter members. My church friends made me a present yesterday of $100.00 which was a birthday gift. I was 90 years old the 25th of last month.w EaU resides at 1225 High Ave., S.W., Canton, Ohio. 340010 ^ •Miriam Logan *1 / -•<• _. . Lebanon Ohio, (drawing of Celia Henderson) . * ^^ Interview with Mrs. Celia Henderson, aged 88, bwb Hardln County Kentucky in 1849 "Mah mammy were Julia Dittoe, an pappy, he were name Willis Dittoe. Dey live at Louleville till mammy were sold fo' her marster's debt. She were a powerful good cook, mammy were-an she were sol' fo to pay dat debt." " She tuk us four chillen 'long wid her, aa pappy an th' others staid back in Louleville. Dey tuk us all on a boat de de Big Ribber-evah heah ob de big ribber? Mississippi its name-TSut we calls it de big ribber." "Natchez dn de hill- dats whaah de tuk us to. Nactchez-on- de-hill dis side of N' Or'leans. Mammy she have eleven chillen. No 'em, don't'member all dem names no mo'. No 'em, nevah see pappy no moah." Im 'member mammy cryin' goin' down on de boat, and us chillen a cryln' too, but de place we got us was a nice place, nicer den what we left. Family 'o name of GROHAGEN it was dat got us. Yas'em dey was nice to mammy fo1 she was a fine cook, mammy wus. Aflne cookj" "Me? Go'Long! I ain't no sech cook as my mammy was." But mah boy, he were a fine cook. I ain't nothin* of a cook. Yas'em, I cook fo Mis Gallag- her, an fo 4 o' de sheriffs here, up at de jail. But de fancy cookln' I ain't much on, no'em I ain't. But Mah boy an mammy now, dey was fine^" Mah boy cook at hotels and wealthy homes in Louleville *til he died.". "dey was cotton down dere in Natchez, but no tob&oco like up here. No 'em, I nevah wuk in cotton fields. I he'p mammy tote water, hunt chips, hunt algs, get things outa de col' house. Dat way, I guess I went to wuk when I wuz about 7 or 8 yeahs ol*. Chillen is sma't now, an dey hafto be taught to wuk, but dem days us culled chillen wuk; an we had a good time wukin' fo dey want no shows, no playthings lak dey have now to takey up day time, no'em." "Nevah no church fo' Bulled poeple does I 'member in Natchez. One time dey was a drouth, an de water we hauls from way ovah to de rivah. Now dat wuz down right wuk, a haulin dat water.1 Dey wuz an ol' man, he were powerful In prayer, an gather de darkies unda a big tree, an we all kneels down whllse he pray fo de po' beafltes what needs good clean water fo to drink. Dat wuz a putty sight, dat church meetin' under de big tree. I alus member dat, an how, dat $a$- he foun a spring wid he ol' cane, Jes* like a miracle after prayer. It were a putty sight to see mah cows an all de cattle a trottin' fo dat water. De mens ftWdug out a round pond fo'de water to run up into outa de spring, an it wuz good watah dat wudn't make de beastes sick, an we-all was sho1 happy." "Yes'em, I'se de only one of mammy's chillen livin*. She had lip lllen. Mah gran'pa on pappy*s side, she live to be one hundred an ten yeahf's ol'; powerful ol'*ev'y body say, an she were part Indian, gran'ma were, an dat made her live to be ol'. "Me? I had two husband an three chillen. Mah firs' husban die an lef' me wid three little chi liens, an mah secon' husban', he die 'bout six yeahs ago. Ah cum heah to lebanon about forty yeahs ago, because mah mammy were heah., an she wanted me to ccae. When ah wuz little, we live nine yeahs in Natchez on de hill. Den when de wan were ovah Mammy she want go go Tiaek to Miriam Logan page 2-Cel a Henderson, j. 43 Lebanon Ohio. Louieville fo her folks wuz all theah. Ah live in Louieville til sb. cum to Lebanon. All ah 'members bout de close o'de wan, wuz dat white folks wuz broke up an po' down dere at Natchez; and de fus time ah hears de EMANICAPTION read out dey was a lot o' prancin 'roun, an a big time." *Ah seen soldiers in blue down there in Natchez on de hill, oncet ah seen dem cumin down de road when ah were drivin mah cows up de road. Ah wuz scared sho, an' ah hid in de bushes side o' de road til dy went by,8! don' member dat mah cows was much scared though.'* Mammy say 'bettah hide when you sees sojeps a-marchin by, so dat time a ishole line o dem cum along and I hide." "Down dere mammy done her cookin' outa doors,wid a big oven. Yo gits yo fiah goin' jes so under de oven, den you shovels some fiah up on top de oven fo to get you bakin jes right. Dey wuz big balck kettles wid hooks an dey run up an down like on pulleys ovah de oven stove. Den dere wuz de col'house. No 'lectric ice box-lak now, but a house under groun* wheah things wuz kept jest as col' as a ice box. No'em don't 'member jes how it were fix inside." "Yas'em we comes back to Louieville. 'Yes'em mah chillen goes to school, lak ah nevah did. Gulled teachers in de culled school. Yes'em mah chillen went far as dey could take'em." / "Medicin? My ol' mammy were great fo herb doctorin' an I holds by dat I too a good deal, yas'em. Now-a-days you gets a rusty nail in yo foot an | has lockjaw. But Sh member mammy-she put soot mix wid bacon fryin's on j mah foot when ah run a big nail inter it, an mah foot get well as nice.1" r^ "Long time ago ah cum heah to see mammy, &h got a terrible misery.Ih wuz / asleep a dreamin bout it, an a sayin, "Mammy yo recfefcn axel grease goin1 to he*p it?" Den ah wake up an go to her wheahs she's sleepin an say it. "What fo axel grease go into hep? -an I tol her, an she say:- "Axel grease put on hot, wid red flannel go in'to tak it away chile." Ah were an ol' woman manse'f den-bout fifty, but mammy she cliaib outa bed an go out in de yard where deys an ol' wagon, an she scrapes dat axel off, an heat it up an put it on wid red flannel. Den ah got easy! Ah sho was thankful when dat grease an flannel got to wukin on me| "You try it sometime when you gets one o* dem col' miseries in de winter time. But go 'longj Folks is too sma't nowadays to use dem good ol' medicines* Dey jes' calls de Doctor an he come an cut'em wide open to de •pendycitl»-&e sho doj Yas'em ah has de doctor, ef ah needs him. 4h has de rheumatism, no pain-ah jes gets stiffer, an* stiffer right along." v Mah sight sho am poor now. Ah cain't wuk no mo. Ah done ironing aftah ah quit cookin-washln an ironin, ah likes a nice wash an iron the bes fo wuk. But lasyear maheyes done give out on ae, an dey tell me not to *mm$ dey gofato give* me a pension. De man goes to a heap o' wuk to get dem papers fix jes right." Miriam Logan -* Lebanon Ohio. page 3-Interview with Celia Henderson, ex-slave. ^^ "Yes fem, I'se de on'y one o» mammy's chillen livin. lte!a,gran'ma on pappy's side, she live to "be one hundred and ten yeah's ol-powerful ol eve'ybody say, %e were part Indian, gran1 ma were, an dat made her to be ol." "Yes'em, -mos' I e.vah earn were five dollars a week. Ah gets twenty dollars now, an pays eight dollars fo rent. We is got no mo'-ah figgers -a wukin fo ourself den what we'd have wuz we slaves, fo dey gives you a log house, an clothes, an yo eats all yo want to, an when you buys things, maybe you doesn't make enough to git you what you needs, wukin sun-up to sun down. No'em 'course ah isn't wukin now when you gits be de hour-wukin poeple does now; but ah don't know no thin 'bcu t that way o'doln." "W§ weahs cotton cloths when ah were young. Jes plain weave it were; no collar nor cuffs,n' belt like store clothes. Den men's jes have a kinda clothes like...well,like a chemise, den some pantaloons wid a string run through at de knees. Bare feet-yes'em, no shoes. Nevah need no coat down *o Natchez, no'em." r "When we comes back to Louieville on de boat, we sleeps in de straw on de flo* o* de boat, it gits colder 'n colderi Qome big chunks o'lce down de river. De sky am dark, an hit col' an spit snow. Ah wish ah were back dere in Natchez dat time after de war were ovahi Yes'em, ah members dat much,1* "Ah wuk along wid mammy til ah were married, den ah gits on by mahsef, Mappy she come heah to Lebanon wid de Suttons-she married Sam. Sutton's pappy. Yes 'em dey wuz about 12 o'de fambly cum heah, an ah come to see mammy,,..,den ah gits me wuk, an ah stays." "Cookin1? Yes'em, way meat is-so high now, ah likes groundhog. Ground hog is good eatin. A peddler was by wid groun' hog fo ten cents apiece. Ground hog is good as fried chicken any day. You cleans de hog, an boils it in salt water til its tender. Den you makes flour gravy, puts it on after de water am drain off; you puts it in de oven wif de lid on an bakes hit a nice brown. No*em, don* like fish so well, nor coon, nor possum, dey is too greasy. Likes chicken, groundhog an pork." wid de wild meat you wants plain boiled potatoes, yes'em Irish potatoes. Sho enough! ah heard o' eatin skunk, and muskrat, but ah ain&t cookin em. But ah tells you dat groun* hog is Rood eatin. [v ' "Ah were Baptized by a white minister in Louieville, an' ah been a Baptist fo' sixty yeahs now. Yes'em dey is plenty o'colored churches in Louisville now, but when I were young, de white folks has to see to it dat we is Baptised an knows Bible verses an' hymns. Dere want no smart culled preachers like Reverend Williams,..an dey ain't so many now." "Up to Xenia is de culled school, an dey is mo's smart culled folks,ol' ones too-dat could give you-all a real story if you finds dem. But me, ah cain't read, nor write, and don't member's nuthin fo de War no good." Celia is very black as to complexion; tall spare; has small grey eyes. In three long interviews she has tried very hard to remember for us from her youth and back through the years; it seems to trouble her that she cannot remember more. Samuel Sutton's father married her mother. Neither she or Samuel had the kind of a story to tell that I was expecting to hear from what little I know about colored poeple. I may iaave tried to get them on the songs and amusements of their youth too often, but it seems that most that they knew was work; did not sing or have a very good time. Of course I thought they would say that slavery was terrible, but was surptieed there too. Qolored poeple here are used to having white poeple come for them to work as they have no -telephones, and most white poeple only hire colored help by the day or as needed.; ::G0l|a,.ejid\Samuel, old-age w^X^f^f^y^::.^X^^. beeause they;:ar0^®o^':io.nger-^able to;w$rk*:. .¦..r...---.:.->^®&mm mmn V2 ^m 1PA in Ohio Jefferson County Federal Writers1 Project District #5 Bishop & Isleman fft*i^.\^J \ 2*° - ^Slftves* Reporter: Bishop f*—^ Xsasx: 45 George Jackson Bx-Slave, 79 years• I was born' in London County> Virginny, Feb., 6f 1858. Vty mother*s name was Betsy Jackson. My father1 a name was Henry Jackson. Dey were slaves and was born right der in Loudon County. I hed 16 brothers and sisters* All of dem is dead. My brothers were Henry, Richard, fesley, John and me; Sisters were Annie, Marion, Sarah Jane, Elizabeth, Alice, Cecila and Maryl Der were three other chillun dat died when babies. I can xwMiaber Henry pullin1 me out of de fire. Pre got scars on my leg yet. He was sold out of de family to a man dat was Wesley McGuest# Afterwards my brother was taken sick with small-pox and died. We lived on a big plantation right close to~Bloomfield, Virginny. I was born in de storeroom close to massafs horns. It was called de weavin1 room — place where dey weaved cotton and yarn. My bed was like a little cradle bed and dey push it under de big bed at day time* My grandfather died so my mother told me, when he was very old. Hy grand- mother died when se bout 96. She went blind fore she died. Dey were all slaves. My father was owned by John Butler and' my grandmother was owned by Tommy Humphries. Dey were both farmers. My massa joined de war* He was killed right der where he lived. When my father wanted to cum home he hed to get a permit from his massa. He would only cum home on Saturday. He worked on de next plantation joinin1 us. All us chillun and my mother belonged to Maasa Humphries. J worked in de garden, hoe in1 weeds and den I washed dishes in de kitchen, I never got any money. vT^; I eat fat pork, corn bread, black molasses and hed milk. The meat was most- ly boiled. I lived on fat meat and corn bread. I dem** ms0^mw eatin1 rabbit, •r$-M! 46 possium oJP fish. Be slaves on our plantation did not own der own garden. Day ate vegetables out of de big garden. In hot weather I wore gean pants and shirt. De pants were red color and shirt white. I wore heavy woolen clothes in de winter. I wore little britehes wid jacket fastened on. 1 went barefooted in de summer. De mistress scold and beat me when I was pullin* weeds. Sometimes I pulled a cabbage stead of weed. She would jump me and beat me. I can remember cryin1. She told me she had to learn ma to be careful. I remember the massa when he went to war. He was a picket in an apple tree. A Yankee soldier spied him and shot him out of de tree. I rraember Miss Ledig Humphries. She was a pretty girl and she had a sister Susie. She married a Mr. chamlain who was overseer. Der were Robert and Herbert Hyunphries. Day were older dan me. Bobert wu£ arbout 15 years old when de irar surrender* De one that married Susie was de overseer. He was pretty rough. I donft remember any white neighbors round at dat time. Der were 450 acrea o£ de plantation. I can't remember all de alaves» I know der were 80, odd slaves. Lots of mornings I would go out hours fore daylight and when it was cold my feet would ?most freeze. They all ftndw dey had to get up in de mornin1. De slaves all worked hard and late at night. I heard some say that the overseer would take dem to de barn. I remember Tom Lewis. When his massa sold him to our massa he told him not to let the overseer whip him. The overseer said he would whip him. One day Tom did some- thing wrong. The overseer ordered him to de barn. Tom took his shirt off to get ready for de whippin1 and when 4e overseer raised de whip Tom gave him one lick wid his fist and broke de overseerfs neok# Den de massa sold Tom to a man by de name of Joseph Fletcher. He stayed with old man Fletcher til he died* ¦ *" 47 Fore de slaves #ere sold dey were put in a cell place til next day whan dey would be sold. Uncle Marshall and Douglas were sold and I remember dem handcuffed but I nver saw dem on de auction block* I never knew nothin1 bout de Bible til after I fas free. I went to school bout three months* I was 19 or 20 years old den* My uncle Bill heard dey were goto1 to sell him and he run away. He went north and cum back after de surrender. He died in Bluement, Virginny, bout four years ago. After de days work dey would have banjo pickin1, singin1 and dancin'. Dey work all day Saturday and Saturday night those datrlied wives to see would go to see dem* On Sunday de would sit around. When Massa was shot my mother and dem was cryin*. When Slaves were sick one of the mammies would look after dem and dey would call de doctor if she couldn't fix de sick* I remember de big battle dey fought for four days on de plantation. That was de battle of Bull Run. I heard shoot in1 and saw soldiers shot down. It was one of de worst fights if de war. It was right between Blui Ridge and Bull Run mountain* De smoke from de shoo tin1 was just like a fogi I saw horses and men runin* to de fight and men .shot off de horses. I heard de cannon roar and saw de locust tree cut off in de yard. Some of de bullets smashed de house. De apple tree where my massa wfcs shot from was in de orchard not far from de house. De Union Soldiers won de battle and dey camped right by de house. Dey helped demselves to de chickens and cut their heads off wid their swords. Dey broke into de cellar and took wine and preserves. After de war I worked in de cornfield* Dey pay my mother for me in food and clothes* But dey paid my mother money tfor workin1 in de kitchen* De slaves were awful glad bout de surrender. De KLu Etax Klan, we called dem de paroles, dey would run de colored people, who were out late, back home* I know no school or church or land for negroes. I married infFarguar)Co., state of Virginny, in de county seat* Dat was in 1883* I was married by a Methodist preacher in Leesburg* I did not get drunk, but hed plenty to drink* We hed singin1 and music* My sister was a religious woman and would not allow dancin1* I have fourteen chillun. Four boys are livin and two girls. All are mar- ried* George, my oldest boy graduated from grade school and de next boyl I have 24 grandchillun and one great grandson. John, my son is sickly and not able to work and my daughter, Mamie has nine chillun to support. Her husband doesn't have steady work. The grandchillun are doin1 pretty well. I think Abraham Lincoln was a fine man. It was put in his mind to free de colored people. Booker T. Washington was alright. Henry Logan, a colored man that lives near Bridgeport. Ohio is a great man. He is a decon in de Mt. Zion Baptist church. He is a plasterer and liked by de colored and white people. I think it wuz a fine thing that slavery was finished. I don't have a tiling more than my chillun and dey are all poor. (A grandchild nearby said, ttWe are as poor as'church mice".) My chillun are my best friends and dey love me. I first joined church at TJpperville, Virginny. r was buried under de water. I feel dat everybody should have religion. Dey get on better in dis life, and not only in dis life but in de life to cum. My overseer wuz just a plain man. He wasnft hard* I worked for him since the surrender and since I been a man.. I was down home bout six yares ago and met de overseer's son and he took me and my wife around in his automobile. My wife died de ninth of last October (1936). I buried her in Week's cemetery, near'Bridgeport, Ohio. We have a family burial lot there, flat where I want to be buried^ if I die around here. «*5«» lUTDRtii OF GSORGS JACKSON. George Jackson is about 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 145 lbs. He has not done any manual labor for the past two years* He attends church regularly at the Mt. Zion Baptist church* As he only attended school about four months his reading is limited. His vision and hearing is fair and he takes a walk every- day. He does not smoke, chew or drink intoxicating beverages. His wife, Aalina died October 9, 1936 and was buried at Bridgeport, Ohio. He lives with his daughter-in-law whose husband forks for a junk dealer. The four foom house that they rent for #20 per month is in a bad state of repamfs and is in the midst of one of the poorest sections of Steubenville. WPA in Ohio O^vrwrr ^ Jefferson County Federal Writers1 Project District #2 ... £*/^ Written by Bishop & Taleman 240-Ex-slaves ""' Edited by Albert I* Dugen (Perry Sid Jemison lives with his married daughter and some of his grand-chiH ren at 422 South Sixth Street, Steubenville , 0#) Perry Sid Jemisen Ex-Slave, 79 years MI wua borned in Perry County, Alabama* De way I remember my age is, I was 37 years when I wuz married and dat wuz 42 years ago the 12th day of last May* I hed all dis down on papers, but I hab been stayin1 in different places de last six years and lost my papers and some heavy insurance in jumpin1 round from place to place. "My mudders name wuz Jane Perry* Father's name wuz Sid Jemison* Father died and William Perry was mudders second husband* n%- mudder wuz a ¥irginian and my father was a South Carolinian. My oldest brodder was named Sebroii and oldest sister wuz Maggie* Den de next brudder wuz William, de next sister wuz named Artie, next Susie* Dams all of dem* MDe hoi entire family lived together on the Cakhoba river, Perry County, Alabama* After dat we wuz acattered about, some Cod knows where* ttrte chillun played fohioken me crener crow1* We go out in de sand and build sand houses and put out little tool s and one thing and another in der. "When we wuz.all together we lived in a log, hut* Der wuz a porch in between and two rooms on each side. De porch wuz covered over - all of it wu2 under one roof* 11 Our bed wuz a wooden frame wid slats nailed on it* We jus had a common hay mattress to sleep on« We had very respectable quilts, because icy mudder made them* I believe we had better bed covers dem days den we hab des days* nify grandmother wuz named Snooky and my grandfather Anthony* I thought •fi 51 der wuznft a better friend in all de world den isy grandmother. She would do all she could for her grandchildren. Der wux no food allowance for chillun that could not work and my grandmather fed us out of her and ny mudders sllowance* I member my grandmudder giving us pot-licker, bread and red syrup* * MDe furst work I done to get my food wuz to carry water in de field to de hands dat wuz workin1• De next work after dat, wuz when I wu§ large enough to plow. Den I done eberything else that come to hand on de farm* I nefrber earned money in dem slave days. f,our general food wuz such as sweet potatoes, peas and turnip greens. Den we would gtump out and ketch-a coon or possum. Tfe ate rabbits, squirrel] ground-hog and hog meat. We hed fish, cat-fish and scale fish* Such things as greens9 we boil dem. Fish we fry* Possum we parboil den pick him up and bake him. Of all dat meat I prefer fish and rabbit* ^hen it come to vegetables, cabbage wuz my delight, and turnips. De slaves hted their own garden patch* nI wore one piece suit until I wuz near grownf jes one garment dat we * called et dat time, going out in your shirt tail* In de winter we hed cotton shirt with a string to tie de collar, instead of a button and tie. We war den same thes bn Sunday, excepting dat mudder would wash and iron dem for dat day. fl¥e went barefooted in de summer and in de winter we wore brogan shoes* Dey were made of heavy stiff leather* ,f% massa wuz named Sam Jemison and his wife wuz named Chloe, Dey hed chillun* One of the boys wuz named Sam after his father• De udder wuz Jack* Der wuz daughter Nellie* Dem wuz all I know bout. De hed a large six room building* It wuz weather boarded and built on de common order* 3. 52 nDey hed 73>0 acres on de plantation. De Jemisons sold de plantation to my uncle after the surrender and I heard him say ever so many times that it was 750 acres. Der wuz bout 60 slaves on de plantation. Dey work hard and late at night. Dey tole me dey were up fore daylight and in de fields til dark. WI heard my nrudder say dat the mistress was a fine woman, but dat de xaarse was rigied. wDe white folks did not help us to learn to read or write. De furst school I remember dat v/uz accessbile was foh 90 days duration. I could only go when it wuz too wet to work in de fields. I wuz bout 16 years when I went to de school. "Der wuz no church on de plantation. Couldn't none of us read. But after de surrender I remember de furdb preacher I ebber heard. I remember de text. His name was Charles Fletcher. De text was "Awake thou dat sleepeth, arise from de dead and Christ will give you life!11 I remember of one of de baptizing. De men dat did it was Emanuel Sanders. %s wuz de dong dat dey sing: "Beside de gospel pool, Appointed for de poor." Dat is all I member of dat song now. MI heard of de slaves running away to de north, but I nebber knew one to do it. My mudder tole me bout patrollers. Dey wou]d ketch de slaves when dey were out late and whip and thress dem. Some of de o ners would not stand for it and if de slaves would tell de massa he might whip de patrollers if he could ketch dem. 11 knowed one colored boy. He wuz a fighter. He vmx six foot tall and over 200 pounds. He would not stand to be whipped by de white man. Dey called him Jack. Bis wuz after de surrender. De white men could do nothin* wid him. 4. En so one day dey got a crowd together and dey shoot him. It wuz a senation in de country, but no one was arrested for it. '*De slaves work on Saturday afternoon and sometimes on Sunday. On Saturday nigKt de slaves would slip around to de next plantation and have parties and dancin1 and so on. ^N\ien I wuz a child I played, fchicken me craner crowf and would build little aand houses and call dem frog dens and we play hidin1 switches. One of de play songs wuz fRoclcaby Miss Susie girl1 and Sugar Queen in goin* south, carrying de young ones in her mouth •• nT remember several riddles. One wuzi nTty father had a little seal, Sixteen inches high . He roamed the hills in old Kentuck, And also in sunny Spain. If any man can beat dat, 1*11 try my hand agin.1 11 One little speech I know: WI tumbled down one day, Iflfhen de water was wide and deep I place my foot on the de goose!s back And lovely swam de creek.^ "When I wuz a little boy I wuz follin1 wid my father's scythe. It fell on ay arm and nearly cut if off. Dey got somethin1 and bind it up. Eventually after a while, it mended up. MDe marse give de sick slaves a doee of turpentine, blue mass, carcmel and number six* "After de su rrender ray mother tole me dat the xaarse told de slaves dat dey could buy de place or dey could share de crops wid him and he would rent dem de land. *I married Lizzie Perry, in Perry County Alabama. A preacher married us by the name of John Jemison. We just played around after de weddin1 and hed a good time til bed time come,and dat wuz very soon wid me. 53 5* 54 nI am de father of seven chillmn. 8oth daughters married and dey are housekeepers. I have 11 grandchillun. Three of dem are full grown and married* One of dem has graduated from high school* ffAbraham Lincoln fixed it so de slaves could be free. He struck off de handcuffs and de ankle cuffs from de slaves. But how could I be free if I had to go back to my massa end beg for bread, clothes and shelter? It is up to everybody to "work for freedom* HI dQn*t think dat Offers on Davus wuz much in favor of liberality. I think dat Booker T. Washington wuz a man of de fursb magnitude. When it come to de historiancs I donft know much about dem, but according to what I red in dem, Fred Douglas, Christopher Batten, Peter Salem, all of dem colored men - dey wu* great men. Christopher Jiatton waz de furst slave to dream of liberty and den shed his blood for it. ^e three of dem play a conspicuous part in de emancipation* " ttI think itfs a good thing dat slavery is ended, for GodpadnH intended there to be no man a slave. nBy reason for joining de church is, de church is said to be de furst born, the general assembly of the living God* I joined it to be in the general assembly of God* nWe have had too much destructive religion* We need pure and undefiled religion.* If we had dat religion, conditions would be dc reverse of that dey are* (Note: The worker who interviewed this old man was impressed with his deep religious nature and the manner in which there would crop out in his conversation the f&cile use of such words as eventually, general, accessible, etc* The interview also revealed that the old men had a knowledge of the scripture* He claims to be a preacher and during the conversation gave indications of the oirafcory that is peculiar to old style colored preachers*) G40031 55 WORD PICTURE OP PERRY SID JAMISON AND HIS HOME. Mr* Jamison is about 5f2n and weighs 130 pounds* Except for a slight limp, caused by a broken bone that did not heal, necess- itating the use of a cane, he gets around in a lively manner* He takes a walk each morning and has a smile for everybody* Mr* Jamison is an elder in the Second Baptist Church and possesses a deep religious nature. In his conversation there crops out the facile use of such words as "eventually", ^general1!, "accessible11, and the like. He has not been engaged in manual labor since 1907. Since then he has ma.de his living as an evangelist for the colored Baptist church. Mr* Jamison says he does not like to travel around without some- thing more than a verbal word to certify who and what he is. He pro- duced a certificate from the "Illinois Theological Seminary11 awarding him the degree of Doctor of Divinity aid dated December 15, 1933, and signed by Rev. Walter Pitty for the trustees and S* Billup, D. D., Ph. D*> as the president* Another document was a ministers license issued by the Probate court of Jefferson county authorizing him to perform marriage ceremonies. He has his ordination certificate dated November 7, 1900, at Red Mountain Baptist Church, Sloss, Alabama, which certi- fies that he was ordained an elder of that church; it is signed by Dr» G* S* Smith, Moderator. Then he has two letters of recommendation from churches in Alabama and Chicago* That Mr. Jamison is a vigerous preacher is attested by other min- ft isters who say they never knew a man of his ag^ to preach like he does* Mr* Jamison lives with his daughter, Mrs. Elizabeth Cookes, whose husband is a 1PA worker. Also living in the house is the daughter's son, employed as a laborer and his wife. Between them all, a rent of #28#00 - 2 - 56 a month is paid for the house of six rooms. The house at 424 St Sev- enth Street, Steubenville, is in a respectable part of the city and is of the type used by poorer classes of laborers« Mr. Jamison's wife died June 4, 1928, and since then he has lived with his daughter. In his conversation he gives indication of a latent oratory easily called forth• £? Osthamer 840023 242 Pol3clor0 O'/ Author Stories From Ex-Slaves Lucas County - Dist# 9 Toledo, Ohio The Sfcory of Mrs* Julia King of Toledo, Ohio Mrs. Julia King resides at 751 Oakwood Avenue, Toledo, Ohio* Although the records of the family births were destroyed by a fire years ago, Mrs. King places her age at about eighty years. Her husband, Albert King, who died two years ago, was the first Negro policeman employed on the Toledo police force * Mrs. King, whose hair is whitening with age, is a kind and motherly woman, small in stature, pleasing and quiet in coversation. She lives with her adopted dau- ghter, Mrs. Elizabeth King ELmbrew, who works as an elevator operator at the La- salle & Koch Co. Mrs. King walks with a limp and moves about with some difficul- ty. She was the first colored juvenile officer in Toledo, and worked for twenty years under Judges OfDonnell and Austin, the first three years as a volunteer without pay# Before her marriage, Mrs. King was Julia Ward. She was born in Louisville, Kentucky. Her parents Samuel and Matilda Word, were slaves. She had one sister, Mary Ward, a year and a half older than herself ? She related her story in her own way* !tMarama was keeping house. Papa paid the white people who owned them, for her time. He left before Mamma did. He rxpx away to Canada on the Underground Railroad. *My mother's mistress - I donH remember her name - used to come and take Mary with her to market every day. The morning my ^mother ran away, her mistress decided she wouldnft take Mary with her to market. Mamma was glad, because she ha4 almost made up her mind to go, even without Mary. - 2 - 58 ••Mamma went down to the boat* A man on the boat told Mamma not to answer the door for anybody, until he gave her the signal* The man was a Quaker, one of those people who says fTheef and fThouf • Mary kept on calling out the mistress's name and Mamma couldn't keep her still* "When the boat docked, the man told Mamma he thought her master was a- bout* He told Mamma to put a veil over her face, in case the master was coming* He told Mamma he would cut the master fs heart out and give it to her, before he would ever let her be taken* ttShe left the boat before reaching Canada^ somewhere on the Underground Railroad - Detroit, I think - and a woman who took her in saidi 'Come in, my child, you*re safe now*' Then Mamaa met my father in Windsor* I think they were taken to Canada free* *I don't remember anything about grandparents at all* ••Father was a cook* ••Mother*s mistress was always good and kind to her* "When I was born, mother's master said he was worth three hundred dollars more* I don't know if he ever would have sold me* "I think our home was on the plantation* We lived in a babin and there must have been at least six or eight cabins* ••Uncle Simon, who boarded with me in later years, was a kind of overseer* Whenever he told his master the slaves did something wrong, the slaves were whipp- ed, and Uncle Simon was whipped, too* I asked him why he should be whipped, he hadn't done anything wrong* But Uncle Simon said he guessed he needed it any- way* * *I think there was a jail on the plantation, because Mamma said if the slaves weren't in at a certain hour at night, the watchman would lock them up -3- 59 if he found them out after hours without a pass. ttUncle Simon used to tell me slaves were not allowed to read and write* If you ever got caught reading or writing, the white folks would punish you* Uncle Simon said they wsre beaten with a leather strap cut into strips at the end* !II think the colored folks had a church, because Manma was always a Bap- tist . Only colored people went to the ohureh* ffMamma used to sing a songt MDonft you remember the promise that you made, To my old dying mothers request? r That I never should be sold, Not for silver or for gold, While the sun rose from the East to the West? nkn& it hadn*t been a year, The grass had not grown over her gjrave* I was advertised for sale, And I would have been in jail, If I had not crossed the deep, dancing waires* *Ifm upon the Northern banks J And beneath the Lionfs paw, / And hefll growl if you come near the shore*^S ttThe slaves left the plantation because they were sold and their children were sold* Sometimes their masters were mean and cranky* ^The slaves used to get together in their cabins arid tell one another the news in the evening* They visited, the same as anybody else* Evenings, Mamma did the washing and ironing and cooked for my father* llWhen the slaves got sick, the other slaves generally looked after them* They had white doctors, who took care of the families, and they looked after the slaves, too, but the slaves looked after each other when they got sick* ^1 remember in the Civil War, how the soldiers went away* I seen them all go to war* Lots of colored folks went* That was the time we were living in Detroit* The Negro people were tickled to death because it was to free the slave 8* -*- 60 ^Mamma said the Ku Klux was against the Catholics, but not against the Negroes* The Nightriders would turn out at night* They were also called the Know-Nothings, thatfs what they always said. They were the same as the Night- riders* One night* the Nightriders in Louisville surrounded a block of build- ings occupied by Catholic people* They permitted the women and children to es- cape, but killed all the men. When they found out the men were putting on women's clothes* they killed everything, women and children, too* It was terrible* That must have been about eighty years ago* when I was a very little girl* ttThere was no school for Negro children during slavery* but they have schools in Louisville* now, and they're doing fine* Hl bad two little girls. One died when whe was three years old, the other when she was thirteen. I had two children I adopted* One died ^ust be- fore she was to graduate from Scott High School* **! think Lincoln was a grand mani He was the first president I heard of • Jeff Davis* I think he was tough* He was against the colored people* He was no friend of the colored people* Abe Lincoln was a real friend* ttI knew Booker T* Washington and his wife* I belonged to a society that his wife belonged to* I think it was called the National Federation of Colored Women's Clubs* I heard him speak here in Toledo* I think it was in the Meth- odist church* He wanted the colored people to educate themselves* Lots of them wanted to be teachers and doctors, but he wanted them to have farms* He wanted them to get an education and make something of themselves. All the prominent Negro women belonged to the Club. We met once a year* I went to quite a few cities where the meetings were held* Detroit* Cleveland, and Philadelphia* - 5 - 61 "The only thing I had against Frederick Douglass was that he mrried a white woman* I never heard Douglass speak* ,fI knew some others too. I think Paul Lawrence Dunbar was a fine young man* I heard him recite his poems* He visited with us right here several times* ftI knew Charles Cottrell, too* He was an engraver* There was a young fellow who went to Scott High* He was quite an artistj I can't remember his name* He was the one who did the fine picture of my daughter that hangs in the parlor* "I think slavery is a terrible system* I think slavery is the cause of mixing* If people want to choose somebody, it should be their own color* Many masters had chilflren from their Negro slaves, but the slaves weren't able to help themselves* tlI'm a member of the Third Baptist Church* None join unless they've been immersed* That's what I believe in. I don't believe in christening or pouring* When the bishop was here from Cleveland, I said I wanted to be im- mersed* He said, 'We'll take you under the water as far as you care to go*1 I think the other churches are good, too* But I was born and raised a Baptist. Joining a church or not joining a church won't keep you out of heaven, but I think you should join a church*n (Interview, Thursday, June 10, 1937.) Story and Photo by 240 - Sx-Slaves. Q& Prank M. Smith Idahoning County - Dist. #5 Youngstown, Ohio The Story of Mrs. Angeline Lester, of Youngstown, Ohio. Mrs. Angeline Lester lives at 836 tfewt Federal Street, on U.S. Route #422, in a very dilapidated one story structure, which once was a retail store room with an addition built on the rear at a different floor level* Angelina lives alone with her Several cats and chickens wMch-iive in the house with her* She was born on the plantationrof Mrt Womble, near Lumpkin, Stewart County, Georgia febout 1847, the exact date not known to her, where she lived until she was about four years old. Then her father was sold to a Dr. Sales, near Brooksville, Georgia, and her mother and a sister two years younger were sold to John Grimrs, who in turn gave them to his newly married daughter, the bride of Henry Sagen, and was taken to their plantation, near Benevolence, Randolph County, Georgia. When the Civil War broke out, Angeline, her mother and sister were turned over to Robert Smith, who substituted for Henry Fagen, in the Confederate Army* Angeline remembers the soldiers coming to the plantation, but any news about the war was kept from them. After the war a celebration was held in Benevolence, Georgia, and Angeline says it was here she first tasted a roa&ted piece of meat. The following Sunday, the negroes were called to their master's house where they were told they were free, and those who wished, could go, and the others could stay and he would pay them a fair wage, but if they left they could take only the clothing on their back. Angeline said "We couldn't tote away much clothes, -2- 63 because we were only given one pair of shoes and two dresses a year*11 Not long after the surrender Angeline said, *My father came and gathered us up and took us away and we worked for different white folks for money," As time went on^Angeline's father and mother passed away, and she married John Lester whom she has outlived, Angelina enjoys good health considering her age and she devotes her time working "For De Laud", She says she has "Worked for De Laud in New Castle, Pennsylvania, and Ifs worked for De Laud in Akron** She also says "De Laud does not want me to smoke, or drink even tea or coffee, I must keep my strength to work for De Laud", After having her picture taken she wanted to know what was to be done with it and when told it was to be sent to Columbus or maybe to Washington, D,C. she said "Lawsy me, if you had tol1 me befof I'd fixed up a bit. -0- Reporter &**l)l)**\J Paulding Co. Betty Luprabill District 10 £*A 240-Folklore U J^ Editor Ex-Slaves O? Harold Pugh On Supervisor R.S. Drum Kisey McKimm - Rx-Slave 83 years. Ah was bohn in Bourbon county, sometime in 1353, in the state of ivaintucky where they raise fine horses and beautiful women* Me !n may Mammy, Liza fn Joe, all belonged to ivlarse Jacob Sandusky the richest man in de county. Pappy, he belonged to de Henry Young1 s who owned de plantation next to us. Marse Jacob was good to his slaves, but his son, Clay was mean* Ah remembah once when he took mah Mammy out and whipped her caiz she forgot to " put cake in his basket, when he went hunt in1 # But dat was de las* time, caiz de master heard of it and cussed him lak God has come down from Hebbin. Besides doin! all de cookin1 fn she -was de best in de county, mah Mammy had to help do de chores and milk fifteen cows. De shacks of all de slaves was set at de edge of a wood, anf ILawse, honey, us chillun used to hah to go out Tn gatha* all de twi^s fn brush fn sweep it jes1 lak a floor. Den de Massa used to go to de court house in Paris fn buy sheep an* hogs. Den we ust to help drive dem home. In de ebenin* our Mammy took de old does of Mistress Mary fn made does fo1 us to wear. Pappy, he ccme ovah to see uss every Sunday, through de summer, but in de winter, we would only see him maybe once a month. De great day on de plantation, was Christmas when we all got a little present from de Master. De men slaves would cut a whole pile of wood fo? de fiah place fn pile it on de porch. As long as de whole pile of wood lasted we didn!t hab to work but when it was gone, our Christmas was ovah. Some- times on Sunday after noons, we would go to de Master1 s honey room *n he - 2 - 65 would gib us sticks of candied honey, an* L«?wd chile was dem good. I et so much once, ah got sick ?nough to die. Our Liaster was what white folks call a "miser11, I remembah one time, he hid \;3,000, between de floor an' de ceilin*, but when he went fur it, de rats had done chewed it all up into bits. He used to go to de stock auction, every Monday, Tn he dicta.11 weah no stockinets. He had a high silk hat, but it was tore so bad, dat he held de top nf bottom to~gether wid a silk neckerchief. One time when ah went wid him to drive de sheep home, ah heerd some of de men wid kid gloves, call him a "hill-billy11 fn make fun of his clothes. But he said, "Don't look at de clothes, but loo£ at de-man11. One time, dey sent me down de road to fetch some thin* *n I heerd a bunch of horses coardn1, ah jumped ovah de fence fn hid behind de elderberry bushes, until dey passed, den ah ran home 'n tolf !em what ah done seen. Pretty soon dey come to de house, 125 Onion soldiers an* asked fof something to eat. We all jumped rounf and fixed dem a dinnah, when dey finished, dey looked fo* Master, but he was hid. Dey was gentlemen !n didn't botha or take nothin*. When de war was ovah de Master gave Mammy a house an! 160 acre farm, but when he died, his son Clay tole us to get out of de place or he'd burn de house an* us up in it, so we leff an1 moved to Paris. After I was married fn had two children, me an my man moved north anr ITve been heah evah since. 340030 ^XZjuJU^^JUU^ WPA in Ohio Jefferson County 66 Federal Writers1 Project District #5 Bishop & Isleman Topic: Ex-Slaves. Reporter: Bishop July 7, 1937 Thomas McMillan, Ex-Slave (Does not know age.) I was horned in Monroe County, Alabam. I do not know de date. My father1 s name was Dave McMillan and my mothers name was Minda. Dey cum from Old Yirginny and he was sold from der. We lived in a log house. De beds hed ropes instead of slats and de chillun slept on de floor. Dey put us out in de garden to pick out weeds from de potatoes. We did not get any money. We eat bread, syrup and potatoes. It wuz cooked in pots and some was made in fire, like ash cakes. We hed possum lots of times and rabbit and squirrel. When dey go fishin1 we hed fish to eat. I liked most anything they gave us to eat. In de summer we wore white shirt and pants and de same in de winter. We wore brogans in de winter too. De Massa name wuz John and his wife died before I know her. He hed a boy named John. He lived in a big house. He done de overseeing him- self. He hed lots of acres in his plantation and he hed a big gang of slaves. He hed a man to go and call de slaves up at 4 ofclock every morning. He was good to his slaves and did not work them so late at night. I heard some of de slaves on other plantations being punished, but our boss take good care of us. * . Our Massa learn some of us to read and write, but some of de udder massas did not. We hed church under a arbor. De preacher read de bible and he told 6'^ us what to do to be saved. I 'member he lined us up on Jordan's bank and we sung behind him. De partrollers watch de slaves who were out at night. If dey have a pass dey were alright. If not dey would get into it. De patrollers whip dem and carry dem home. On Saturday afteraiion dey wash de clothes and stag around. On Sun- day dey go to church. On Christmas day we did not work and dey make a nice meal for us. We sometimes shuck corn at night. We pick cotton plenty. When.we were chillun me other brudders and five sisters played marbles together. I saw de blue jackets, datfs what we called de Yankee soldiers. When we heard of our freedom we hated it because we did not know^hat it was for and did not know where to go, De massa say we could stay as long as we pleased. De Yankee soldier asked my father what dey wuz all doing around der and that day were free. But we did not know where to go. We stayed on wid de massa. for a long time after de war wuz over* De Klu KLux Klan wuz pretty rough to us and dey frhip us. Der was no school for us colored people. I wuz nearly 20 when I first took up with my first woman and lived with her 20 years den I marry my present wife. I married her in Alabama and Slder Worthy wuz de preacher. We had seven chillun, all grandchillun are dead. I don't know where dey all are at excepting me daughter in Steubenville and she is a widow. She been keepin* rooms and wash a little for her living. I didn't hear much bout de politics but I think Abraham Lincoln done pretty well. I reckon Jefferson Davis did the best he knowed how. Booker - 3 - T. Washington, I nebber seen him, but he wuz a great man* Religion is all right; can't find no fault with religion, I think all of us ought to be religious because the dear Lord died for us all. Dis world would be a better place if xve all were religious. 68 - * - r Word Picture of Mr. McMillan Thomas kcMillan, 909 Morris Ave., Steubenville, Ohio. He lives with his wife, Toby who is over 50 years old. He makes his living using a hand cart to collect junk. He is 5* 6n tall and weighs 155 pounds. His beard is gray and hair white and close cropped. He attends Mt. Zion Baptist Church and lives his religion. He is able to read a little and takes pleasure in reading the bible and news- paper. He has seven children. He has not heard of them for several years except one daughter who lives in Steubenville and is a widow. His home is a three room shack and his landlord lets him stay there rent free. The houses in the general surrounding are in a run down condition. 69 340025 { &tU^J[ C. R. McLean June 16, 1937 District # *7Q District Supervisor Summit County 240-Folklore Wilbur Ammon, Editor George Conn, Writer SARAH MAM Mrs. Mann places her birth sometime in 1861 during the first year of the Civil War, on a plantation owned by Dick Belcher, about thirty miles I southwest of Richmon, Virginia• Her father, Frederick Green, was owned ly Belcher and her mother, Mandy Booker, ty Race Booker on an adjoining plantation. Her grandparents were slaves of Race Booker. Ai*ber the slaves were freed she went with her parents to Clover Hill, a small hamlet, where she worked out as a servant until she married Beverly Mann. Rev. Mike Vason, a white minister, performed the ceremony with only her parents and a few friends present. At the close of the ceremony, the preacher asked if they would *live together as Isaac and Rebecca did.11 Upon receiving a satisfactory reply, he pronounced them nan and wife. Mr. and Mrs. Mann were of a party of more than 100 ex-slaves who left Richmond in 1880 for Silver Creek where Mr. Mann worked in the coal mines. Two years later they moved to Wadsworth where their first child was born* In I883 they came to Akron. Mr. Mann, working as laborer, was able to purchase two houses on Furnace Street, the oldest and now one of the poorer negro sections of the city. It is situated on a high bluff overlooking the Little Cuyahoga River. Today Mrs. Mann, her daughter, a son-in-law and one grandchild occupy one of the houses. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Mann, but only one is living. l£r> Mann, a deacon in the church, died three years ago« Time has laid its heavy hand on her property• It is the average home of colored people living in tkis section, two stories, small front ,fyeard, enclosed with wooden picket fence. £ large coal stove in front room furnishes heat. In recent years electricity has supplanted the overhead oil lamp. Most of the furnishings -were purchased m early married life. They are someishat worn but arranged in orderly manner and are clean. Mrs* Maian is tall and angular. Her hair is streaked with gray, her face thin, with eyes and cheek bones dominating. With little or no southern accent, she speaks freely of her family, but refrains from dis0ussing;;affairs of others of her race. She is a firm believer in the Bible. It is apparent she strives to lead a religious life according to her understanding. She is a member of the Second Baptist Church since its organization in 1892. Having passed her three score and ten years she is ^ready to go when the Lord calls her.tt Wk in Ohio Federal Writers' Project Bishop & ^sleman Reporters Bishop (Revision) ">* Jefferson County- District -j^S - Topioi Ex-Slaves July 8, 1937 72 John Williams'Matheus Ex-Slave, 77 years• "My mothers name was Martha* She died "when I was eleven months old* My mother was owned by Raoer Blue and his wife Sootty* When I was bout eleven or twelve they put me out with Michael Blue and his wife Mary* Michael Blue was a brother to Raoer Blue* Racer Blue died when I was three or four* I have a faint rememberanoe of him dying suddenly one night and see him laying out* He was the first dead person I saw and it seemed funny to me to see him laying there so stiff and still** *T remember the Yankee Soldier, a string of them on horses, coming through Springfield, W* Va* It was like a circus parade* What made me remember that, was a colored man standing near me who had a new hat on his head* A soldier came by and raw the hat and he took it off the colored mans head, and put his old dirty one. on the colored man's head and put the nice * new one on his own head*" "I think Abraham Lincoln the greatest man that ever lived* He belonged to no church, but he sure was a^cJaristfen* I think he was born for the time and if he lived longer he would have aone lots of good for the colored people*" *I wore jeans and they got so stiff when they were wet that they would stand up* I wore boots in the winter, but none in the summer** "When slavery was going on there was the funderground railway1 in Ohio* But after the surrender some of the people in Ohio were not so good to the colored people* The old folks told me they were stoned when they came across the river to Ohio after the surrender and that the colored people ) were treated like cats and dogs** "llaj?$* Blme had two daughters, both a little older than me and I played with them* One day they went to pick beBries* When they came back they left the berries on the table in the kitchen and went to the front room to talk to their mother* I remember the two steps down to the room and I came t© listen to them tell about berry piekin'* Then their mother told me to go sweep the kitchen* I went and took the broom and saw the berries* I helped myself to the berries* Mary wore soft shoes, so I did not hear her coming until fit© wiMft nearly in the room* I had berries in my hand and I closed my hand anduidctheefi^ndle of the broom with the berries in my hand* She says, 'John, what are you doin1? I say, fnothinf* Den she say, 'Let me see your hwacU I showed her my hand with nothia1 in it. She say, 'let me see the otfeer handt I had to show her my hand with the berries all cfus&ed ah the juice on my hand and on the handle of the broom*11 "Den she say; fYou done two sins1. 'You stole the berriest, I don't mind you hav$|g the berries,, bpt you should have asked for theml 'You stole them ?m4 yom hare sinaae^i fDen you told a lie! She says, 'Jotoxi I must "2" 73 punish you, I want you to be a good man; donft try to be a great man, be a good man then you will be a great man* She got a switch off a peach tree and she gave me a good switching. I never forgot being caught with the berries and the way she talked bout my two sins. That hurt me worse than the switch- ing* I never stole after that*11 "I stayed with Michael and Mary Blue till I was nineteen. They were supposed to give me a saddle and bridle, clothes and a hundred dollars. The massa made me mad one day. I was rendering hog fat. TSfhen the crackling would fizzle, he hollo and say fdon!t put so much fire.1 He came out again and said, fI told you not to out too much fire1, and he threatened to give me a thrashing. I said, *If you do I will throw rocks at you**1 "After that I decided to leave and I told Anna Blue I was going. She say, "Don't do it, you are too young to go out into the world*! I say, I donft care, and I took a couple of sacks and put in a few things and walked to my uncle. He was a farmer at Hew^Creek. He told me he -would get me a job at his brothers farm until they were ready to use me in the tannary* He ga^e me eight dollars a month until the tanner got ready to use me* I went to the tanner and worked for eight dollars a week. Then I came to Steuben- ville* I got work and stayed in Steubenville 18 months. Then I went back and returned to Steubenville in 1884.,f TORD PICTURE OP John William Matheus* Mr. John William Matheus is about 5f 4n and weigh* about 130 pounds* He looks smart in his bank messenger uniform* On his sleeve he wears nine stripes* Ea o ~3 340018 Sarah Probst Reporter Audrey Meighen Author-Editor District Three Meigs County * Folklore-Ex-Slaves 74 Mr. William Nelson Aged 88 "Whar's I bawned? fWay down Belmont Missouri, jes1 cross frum Columbus Kentucky on de Mississippi. Oh, I 'lows 'twuz about IgHg, caise I wuz fo'teen when Marse Ben done brung me up to de North home with him in 1862.'• wMy Pappy, he wuz fKaintuckf, John Nelson an1 my manny wuz Junis Nelson. No suh, I donft know whar dey wuz bawned, first I member 'bout wuz my pappy buildin1 railroad in Belmont* Yes suh, I had five sistahs and bruthahs. Der names - lets see - Oh yes ~ der wuz, John, Jim, George, Suzan and Ida. No, I donft member nothin1 fbout my gran1 parents.11 ttMy mammy had her own cabin for bar and us chilluns. De wuz rails stuck through de cracks in de logs fo1 beds with straw on top fo1 to sleep on.11 "What'd I do, down dar on plantashun? I hoed corn, tatahs, garden onions, and hepped take cair de hosses, mules an oxen. Say - I could hoe onions goin' backwards. Yessuh, I cud.* MDe first money I see wuz what I got frum sum soljers fo' sellin1 dem a bucket of turtl1 eggs, Dat wuz de day I run away to see sum Yankee steamboats filled with soljers.M - 2 - ps HMarse Dick, Marse Beckwith1 s son used to go fishin1 with me. fiance we ketched a fish so big it tuk three men to tote it home. Yes suh, we always had plenty to eat. What'd I like best? ConPpone, ham, bacon, chickens, ducks and possum. My mammy had hur own garden. In de summah men folks weah overalls, and de womins weah cotton and all of us went barefooted. In de winter we wore shoes made on de plantashun. I wuzn't married ftil aftah I come up North to Ohio.11 MDer wuz Marse Beckwith, mighty mean ol1 devel; Miss Lucy, his wife, and de chilluns, Miss Manda, Miss Nan, and Marse Dick, and the other son wuz killed in der war at Bel&ont. Deir fcous1 wuz big and had two stories and porticoes and den Marse Beckwith owned land with cabins on fem whar de slaves lived.11 wNo suh, we didn't hab no driver, ol1 Marse dun his own drivin1. He was a mean ol1 debel and whipped his slaves of fn and hard. He'd make 'em strip to the waist th*n He's lash 'em with his long black- snake whip. 01' Marse hefd whip womin same as men. I member seein' •im whip my mammy wunce. Marse Beckwith used the big smoke hous' for de jail. I neber see no slaves sold but I have seen 'em loaned and traded off.11 MI member one time a slave named Tom and his wife, iay mammy an1 me tried to run away, but we's ketched and brung back. Ol1 Marse whipped Tom and my mammy and den sent Tom off on a boat." H0ne day a white man tol' us der wuz a war and sum day we'd be free.*1 MI neber heard of no'ligion, baptizing1, nor God, nor Heaven, de Bible nor education down on de plantashun, I gues' dey didn't hab 5 - 3 - nun of 'em* When Marse Ben hiring me North to Ohio with him wuz first time I knowed 'bout such things. Marse Ben and Miss L&cy mighty good to me, sent me to school and tole me '"bout Ood and Heaven and took me to Church. No% de white folks down dar. neber hepped me to read or write." "The slaves wus always tiahed when dey got wurk dun in evenins1 so dey usually went to bed early so dey'd be up fo1 clock next morn- in1. On Christmas Day dey always had big dinnaiibut no tree or gifts." "How'd I cum N0rth? Well, one day I run 'way-from flantashun and hunted 'til I filled a bucket full turtl' eggs den I takes dem ovah on river what I hears der's sum Yankee soljers and de soljers buyed my eggs and hepped me on board de boat. Den Marse Ben, he wux Yankee ofser, tol 'em he take cair me and he did. Den Marse Ben got sick and cum home and brung me along and I staid withy em 'til I wuz 'bout fo'ty^when I gets married and moved to Wyllis Hill. My wife, was Mary Williams, but she died long time 'go and so did our little son, since dat time I've lived alone," "Yessuh, I'se read 'bout Booker Washington." "I think Abraham Lincoln wuz a mighty fine man, he is de 'Saint of de colured race'.11 "Good day suh." 840015 CO OS S3 -3 WPA in Ohio Federal Writers1 Project Bishop & Isleman Jefferson County District #2 Topic: Ex-slaves 77 Mrs* Catherine Slim, ex-slave, 87 years, 939 N. 6th St., Steubenville. I wuz born in Rockingham, Virginny; a beautiful place where I cum from. My ,age is en de court house, Harrisonburg, Virginny. I dunno de date of my birth, our massa's wouldn't tell us our age. My mother1s name wuz Sally. She wuz a colored woman and she died when I wuz a little infant. I don't remember her. She had four chillun by my father who wuz a white man. His name wuz Jack Rose. He made caskets for de dead people. My mother had six chillun altogether. De name of de four by my father wuz, Frances de oldest sister, Sarah wuz next, den Mary. I am de baby, all three are dead cept me. I am very last one livin1. I had two half-brudders, dey were slaves too, John and Berwin. Berwin wuz drowned in W. Va. He wuz bound out to Hamsburger and drowned just after he got free. Dey did not sold infant slaves. Den dey bound out by de court. John * got free and went to Liberia and died after he got there. He wuz my oldest brudder. - 2 - I wuz bound out by de court to Marse Barley and Miss Sally. I bed to git up fore daylight and look at de clock wid de candle. I held up de candle to de clock, but couldn't tell de time. Den dey ask me if de little hand wuz on three mark or four mark. Dey wouldn't tell me de time but bye and bye I learned de time myself. I asked de mistress to learn me a book and she sez, "Don't yo know we not allowed to learn you niggers nothin', don't ask me dat no more. I'll kill you if you do." I wuzn't goin' to ask her dat anymore. When I wuz ten years old I wuz doin' women's work. I learned to do a little bit of eberthin'. I worked on de farm and I worked in de house. I learned to do a little bit of eberthin'. On de farm I did eberthin* cept plow. I lived in a nice brick house. En de front wuz de valley " en* pike. It wuz four and three-quarter miles to Harrisburg and A three and three-quarter miles to Mt. Crawford. It wuz a lobley place and a fine farm. I used to sleep in a waggoner's bed. It wuz like a big bed-comfort, stuffed with wool. I laid it on de floor and sleep on it wid a blanket ober me, when I get up I roll up de bed and push it under de mistress1s bed. Si ¦ 78 I earned money, but nebber got it. Dey wiz so mean I run away. I think dey wuz so mean dat dey make me run away and den dey wouldn't heb to pay de money. If I could roll up my sleeve I could show you a mark that cum from a beat inf I had wid a cow-hide whip. Dey whip me for nothin1. After I run away I hed around until the surrender cum. Eberybody cum to life then. It wuz a hot time in de ole place when dey sezs freedom. The colored ones jumped straight up, and down. De feed us plenty. We had pork, corn, rabbit, dey hed eberythin1 nice. Dey made us stanf up to eat. Dey no low us sit down to eat. Der wuz bout twenty or thirty, slaves jon de farm an some ob dem hed der own gardens. Anythin1 dey gib us to eat I liked. Dey had bees and honey. I wore little calico drees in de summer, white, red, and blue. Some hed flowers and some hed strips. We went barefooted until Christmas. Den dey gabe us shows. De shoes were regular ole common shoes; not eben calf skin. Dey weaved liney and made us our clothes. Dey hab sleeves, plain body and little skirt. I hed two of dem for winter. I hab seen lots of slaves chained together, goinf south, some wuz singin1 and some wuz cryinf. Some hed dey chillun and some didn't. Dey took me to church wid dem and dey put me behind de door. Dey tola me to set der till dey com out. And when I see dem cumin1 out to follow behind and get into de carrage. I dursent say nothin1. I wuz like a. petty dog. o 40013 Guernsey County * District #2 i;. g() S? *5 Topic: Ex-slaves £> INTERVIEW OF EX-SLAVE fROM VIRGINIA Jennie Small, Ex-slave, over 80 years of age. (Reported by Rev. Edward Knox) I was horn in Pocahontas Oounty, Virginia in the drab and awful surroundings of slavery. The whipping post and cruelty in general made an indelible impression in my mind. I can see my older bro- thers in their tow-shirts that fell knee-length which was sometimes their only garment, toiling laborously under a cruel lash as the burning sun beamed down upon their backs. Pappy McNeal (we called the master Pappy) was cruel and mean. Nothing was too hard, too sharp, or too heavy to throw at an un- fortunate slave. I was very much afraid of him; I think as much for my brothers1 sakes as for my own. Sometimes in his fits of anger, I was afraid he might kill someone. However, one happy spot in my heart was :for his son-in-law who told us: "Do not call Mr. McNeal the master, no one is your master but God, call Mr. McNeal, mister.,f I have always had a tender spot in my heart for him. There are all types of farm work to do and also some repair work about the barns and carriages. It was one of these carriages my brother was repairing when the Yankees came, but I am getting ahead of my story. - o _ i I was a favorite of my master. I had a much better sleeping quarters than nor brothers* Their cots were made of straw or corn husks. Money was very rare but we were all well-fed and kept. We wore tow-shirts which were knee-length , and no shoes. Of course, some of the master's favorites had some kind of footwear. There were many slaves on our plantation. I never saw any of them auctioned off or put in chains. Our master's way of punishment was the use of the whipping post. When we received cuts from the whip he put soft soap and salt into our wounds to prevent scars. He did not teach us any reading or writing; we had ncr special way of learning; we picked up what little we knew. When we were ill on our plantation, Dr, Wallace, a relative of Master McNeal, took care of us. We were always taught to fear the Yankees. One day I was playing in the yard of our master, with the master's little boy. Some Yankee Soldiers came up and we hid, of course, because we had been taught to fear the soldiers. 0n« Yankee soldier discovered me, however, and took me on his knee and told me that they were our friends and not our enemies; they were here to help us. After that I loved them instead of fearing them. When we received our freedom, our master was very sorry, because we had always done all their work, and hard labor. 81 840027 82 C. R. McLean, Geo. H. Conn, Page 1 District Supervisor Writer District #5 Sunmit County Wilbur C* Ammon, June llt 1937 #240, Folklore Editor ANNA attffi In a little old rocking chair, sits an old colored "mammy* known to her friends as "Grandma* Smith, spending the remaining days with her grandchildren. Small of stature, tipping the scales at about 100 lbs* but alert to the wishes arid cares of her childrenf this old lady keeps posted on current events from those around her. With no stoop or bent back and with a firm step she helps with the housework and preparing of mealsf waiting, when permitted, on others* In odd moments, she like to work at her favorite task of "hooking* rag rugs* Never having worn glasses, her eyesight^ is the envy of the younger generation* She spends most of the time at home, pre« ferring her rocker and pipe (she has bee smoking for more than eighty year) to a back seat in an automobile* When referring to Civil War days, her eyes flash and words flow from her with a fluency equal to that of any youngster* Much of her speech is hard to understand as she reverts to the early idiom and pronunciation of her race* Her head* tongue, arms and hands all move at the same time as she talks* A note of hesitancy about speaking of ]^er past shows at times when she realizes she is talking to one not of her own race, but after eight years in the north, where she has been treated courteously by her white neighbors, that old feeling of inferiority under which she lived during slave days and later on a plantation in Kentucky has About disappeared* 83 C. R* McLean Geo* H* Conn, Page 2 District Supervisor Writer District #5 Summit County Wilbur C* Amnon June 11, 193? #240, Folklore Editor ANNA SMITE Her home is comfortably furnished two story house with a front porch where, in the comfort of an old rocking chair, she smoke her pipe and dreams as the days slip away* Her children and their children are devoted to her* With but a few wants or requests her days a re quitg and peaceful* Kentucky with its past history still retains its hold* She refers to it as ¦?Gods Chosen Land* and would prefer to end her days where about eighty years of her life was spent* On her 101st birthday (1935) she posed for a picture, seated in her favorite chair with her closest friend, her pipe* Abraham Lincoln is as big a man with her today as when he freed her people* With the memories of the Civil War still fresh in her mind and and secret longing to return to her Old Kentucky Home, Mrs* Anna Smith, born in May of 1833 and better known to her friends as "Grandma* Smith, is spending her remaining days with her grandchildren, in a pleasant home at 518 Bishop Street* On a plantation own^pd by Judge Toll, on the banks of the Ohio River at Henderson, Kek Anna (Toll) Smith was born* Erom her own story^and information gathered from other sources the year 1833 is as near correct date as possible to obtain* HVL 84 Co R. McLean, Geo* H* Conn, Page 3 District Supervisor Writer District #5 Summit County Wilbur C* Amoon, June 11, 1937 Folklore, #240 Editor AHKASMHH Anna Smith's parents ire William Clarke and Miranda Toll* Her father was a slave belonging to Judge Toll. It was comaon praetive for slaves to assume the last name of their owners* It was before war was declared between the north and south that she was married9 for she claims her daughter was ngoing on three" when President Lincoln freed the slaves* Mrs* Smith remembers her rather who died at the age of 117 years* Her olde*t brother was 50 when he joined the confederate army* Three other brothers were sent to the front* One was an ambulance attendant, one belonged to the cavalryf one an orderly seargeant and the other joined the infantry* All were killed in action* Anna Smith's husband later joined the war and was reported killed* When she became old enough for service she was taken into the nBig House" of her master, where she served as kitchen helper, cook and later as nursef taking care of her mistress9 second child* She learned her A*B*C*9s by listening to the tutor teaching the children of Judge Toll* "Grandma" Smith's vision is the wonder of her friends* She has never worn glasses and can distinguish objects and people at a distance as readily as at close range* She occupies her time by hooking rag rugs and doing housework and cooking* She is "on the go* moat of the time* but when need for rest overtakes her, she resorts to her easy chair* a pipeful of tobacco and a short nap and she is ready to carry on* HVL 85 C* R. McLean, Geo. H. Conn, Page #4 District Supervisor Writer District #5 Summit County *ilbur C* Amman, June llf 1937 #240f Jtolklore Editor ANNA SMIIB Many instances during those terrible war days are fresh in her mind: men and boys, in pairs and groups passing the "big house" on their way to the recrutting station on the public square, later going back in squads and companies to fight; Yankee soldiers raiding the plantation* taking corn and hay or whatever could be used by the northern army; and continual apprehension for the menfolk at the front. She remembers the baying of blood hounds at night along the Ohio River, trying to follow the scent of escaping negroes and the crack of firearms as white people, employed by the plantation owners attempted to halt the mgroes in their efforts to cross the Ohio River into Ohio or to join the Federal army* Referring to her early life, she recalls no special outstanding events* Her treatment from her master ana mistress was pleasant9 always receiving plenty of food and clothing but never any money* In a grove not far from the plantation home, the slaves from the nearby estates meevt on Sunday for worship* Hart under the spreading branches they gathered for religious worship and to exchange news* When President Lincoln issued his proclamation freeing the slaves, and the news reached the plantation, she want to her master to learn if ahe was free* On learning itwas true she returned to her parents who ware living on another plantation* She has been living with her grandchildren for the past nine years, contented but ready to go whan the "Good Lord calls her** 6-14-37. HVL 340017 80 Sarah Probst District Three Reporter Meigs County Audrey Meighen 240-Folklore Author-Mi tor NAN STEWART ¦ fe Age 87 . ^ f,Ifse bawtied Charlfstun, West Virginia in February 1850." *^3 "My mammy's name? Hur name wuz Kath'run Paine an* she wuz bawned down Jackson County, Virginia. My pappy wuz John James, a coopah an' he wuz bawned at Bock Creek, ".Test Virginia. He cum!d ovah heah with Lightbum's Retreat. Dey all crossed de ribah at Buffington Island. Yes, I had two bruthahs and three sistahs, Deir wuz Jim, Thomas, he refugeed from Charllstun to Pum'roy and it tuk him fo! months, den de wuz sistah Adah, Carrie anT Ella# When I rite young I wurked as housf maid fof numbah quality white folks an' latah on I wuz nurs* foT de chilluns in sum homes, heah abouts." "Oh, de slaves quartans, dey wuz undah de samT ruf with Marse Hunt rs-big hous! but in de back. When Ifse littl1 I sleeped in a trunfl bed. My mammy wuz mighty fticlar anf clean, why she made us chilluns wash ouah f eets ebry night fo* we git into de bed#t! "When Marse Hunt muved up to Charl'stun, my mamny and pappy liv! in log cabin.11 "My gran1 mammy, duz I T member hur? Honey chile, I shure duz. She wuz my pappy1 s mammy. She wuz one hun!erd and fof yeahs olf when she die rite in hur cheer. Dat mawhin1 she eat a big hearty brekfast. - 2 - 8? One day I 'member she sezs to Marse Hunt, 'I hopes you buys hun'erds an' hun'erds ob slaves an' neber sells a one* Hur name wuz Erslie Kizar Chartarn*" "Marse an' missus, mighty kind to us slaves* I lurned to sew, piece quilts, clean de brass an' irons an1 dog irons. Most time I set with de ol! ladies, anT light deir pipes, an' tote 'em watah* in gourds* I us' tu gether de turkey eggs an' guinea eggs an1 sell 'em* I gits ten cents duzen fof de eggs, Marse and Missus wuz Snligh an' de count money like dis - fo' pence, ha1 penny• Whut I do with my money? Chile I saved it to buy myself a nankeen"dress.". "Yes mam we -always had plenty to eat. What'd I like bes! to eat, waffl's, honey and stuffed sausage, but I spise possum and coon. Marse Hunt had great big meat hous' chuck full all kinds of meats* Say, do you all know Marse used to keep stuffed sausage in his smoke hous' fo' yeahs anT it wuz shure powahful good when it wuz cooked. Ouah kitchin wuz big an' had great big fiah place whur we'd bake ouah bread in de ashes. We baked ouah corn pone an' biskets in a big spidah* I still have dat spidah anT uses it." "By the way you knows Squire G-ellison wuz sum fishahman an' shure to goodness ketched lots ob fish* Why he'd ketch so many, he'd clean 'em, cut 'em up, put 'em in half barrels an' pass 'em 'roimd to de people on de farms." "Most de slaves on Marse Hunt's place had dir own garden patches* Sumtimes dey'd have to hoe the gardens by moonlight* Dey sell deir vegetables to Marse Hunt." "In de summah de women weah dresses and apruns made ob linen an' mem weah pants and shurts ob linen* Linsey-woolsey and jean wuz woven -s- 88 on de place fo' wintah clothes, "*e had better clothes to weah on Sun- day and we weahed shoes on Sunday* The1 shoes and hoots wuz made on de plantashun." "My mastah wuz Marse Harley Hunt an' his wife wuz Miss Maria Sanders Hunt.- Marse and Miss Hunt didn't hab no chilluns of der own but a nephew Marse Oscar Martin and niece Miss Mary Hunt frum Missouri lived with 'em. Dey's all kind to us slaves. De Hous' vmz great big white frame with picket fence all 'round de lot. When we lived Charlf~ stun Marse Hunt vmz a magistrate. Miss Hunt's muthah and two aunts lived with 'em.n "No mam, we didn't hab no ovahseeah. Marse Hunt had no use fo' ovahseeahs, fact is he 'spise 'em. De oldah men guided de young ones in deir labors. The poor white neighbahs wurn't 'lowed to live very close to de plantashun as Marse Hunt wanted de culured slave chilluns to be raised in propah mannah.tr "I duzn't know how many acres in de plantashun. Deir wuz only 'bout three or fo' cabins on de place, vfurk started 'bout seben clock 'cept harvest time when ebrybudy wuz up early. De slaves didn't wurk so hard nor bery late at night. Slaves wuz planished by sendin1 Ima off to bed early. .. ,tmt When I'se livin' at Red House I seed slaves auctioned off. 01' H<* Marse Veneable sold ten or lebin slaves, women and chilluns, to niggah tradahs way down farthah south. I well 'members day Aunt Millie an' Uncl' Edmund wuz sold - dir son Harrison wuz bought by Marse Hunt. f'Twuz shure sad an' folks cried when Aunt Millie and Unolf Edmund wuz - 4 - 89 tuk away. Harrison neber see his mammy an* pappy agin* Slaves wuz hired out by de yeah fo! nine hundred dollahs." "Marse Hunt had schools fof de slaves chiluns. I went to school on Lincoln Hill, too." "Culured preachalis use to cum to plantashun an' dey would read de Bible to us. I !member one special passage preachahs read an! I neber understood it 'til I cross de riber at Buffinton Island. It wuz, fBut they shall sit every man under his own vine and under his fig treej and none shall make them afraid; for the mouth of the Lord of Hosts hath spoken it#" Micah 4:4. Den I knows it is de fulfillment ob dat promis; 'I would soon be undah my own vine an' fig tree1 and hab no feah of bein! sold down de riber to a mean Marse• I recalls der wuz Thorton Powell, Ben Sales and Charley Releford among de preachahs. De church wuz quite aways frum de hous'. When der'd be baptizins de sistahs and brethruns would sing 'Freely, freely will you go with me, do%ra. to the riber', 'Freely, freely quench your thirst ZionTs sons and daughtahs'." "How wells I 'member when I wuz converted. I'd thought 'bout 'ligion a lot but neber wunce wuz I muved to repent. One day I went out to cut sum wood anT begin thinkin' agin and all wunce I feeled so relieved anT good an' run home to tell granny an' de uthahs dat I'd cum out at last«,f "No, we didnTt wurk on Saturday aftahnoons. Christmas wuz big time at Marse Hunts hous'. Preparations wuz made fof it two weeks fofiday cum. Der wuz corn sings an* big dances, 'eeptin* at 'ligious homes. Der wuz no weddins' at Marse Hunts, cause dey had no chilluns - 5 - - anf de niece and nephew went back to own homes to git married*11 "We played sich games as marblesj yarn ball; hop, skip, an1 jump; mumble peg an1 pee wee. Wunce I!s asked to speak down to white ehilluns school an* dis is what I speak: !lThe cherries are ripe, The cherries are ripe, Oh give the baby one, The baby is too little to chew, The robin I see up in the tree, Eating his fill and shaking his bill, And down his throat they run*" Another ones 1 Tobacco is an Indian weed, And.from the devil doth proceed It robs the pocket and burns the clothes And makes a chimney of the nose*1 "When de slaves gits sick, deir mammies luked af*er em but de Marse gived de remfdies. Yes, dere wuz dif*runt kinds, salts, pills, Castah orl, herb teas, garlic, 'fedia, sulphah, whiskey, dog wood bark, sahsaparilla an1 apple root* Sometimes charms* wuz used* I fmember very well de day de Yankees cum* De slaves all cum a runnin* anT yellin*s "Yankees is cumin', Yankee soljers is comin1, hurrah" * Bout two or three clock, we herd bugles blowing1 an1 guns on Taylah Ridge* Kids wuz playin1 an' all !cited. Sumoae sed: "Kathrun, sumthin* awful gwine happen"j an1 sumone else sezj "Def is de Yankees"* De Yankee mens camp on ouah farm an1 buyed ouah buttah, milk an! eggs. Marse Hunt, whut you all call fbilionist an1 he wuz skeered of suthera soljers an1 went out to de woods anT. laid behind a log fof seben weeks and seben days, den he 'cided to go back home.* He sez he had a dream an1 prayed, "I had bettah agoae, but I prayed* No use let des debils take you, let God take you*" We tote 90 - 6 - food an1 papahs to Marse while he wuz a hidin1.1' "One ob my prized possessions is Abraham Lincoln1s pictures anf Ifse gwine to gib it to a culured young man whose done bin so kind to me, when Irse gone. Dat!s Bookah T. Washington1 s picture ovah thar." "Ifse married heah in Middeport by Preachah Bill, 1873. My husban* wuz Charles Stewart, son of Johnny Stewart. Deir wuz hous1 full m$ ovm folks, mammy, pappy, sistahs, bruthas, an1 sum white folks who cumed in to hep dress me up fof de weddin1 • We kep de weddin1 a secrut an1 my aunt butted hur horns right off tryin1 to fin1 out when it wuz. My husban1 had to leave right away to go 91 to his job on de "boat. We had great big dinnah, two big cakes an1 ice cream fof desurt. We had fofteem chilluns with only two liTin1 • 1 has five gran* sons an* two great gran1 daughters." "Goodbye - cum back agin." Miriam Logan utww , Dist.2, QO Lebanon 0nlo (drawing of Sutton) July 2, 1937* INTERVIEW WITH SAMUEL 5UTT0N. EX SLAVE,Born in Garrett County Kentucky "Yes'em, I sho were bo'n into slavery, Mah mothah were a cook-(they was none betteah(-an she were sold four times to my knovrnlri'. She were part white, for her fathah were a white man. She live to be seventy-nine yeahs an nine months old," "Ah was bo'n in Garrett County, but were raised by ol' Marster Ballinger in Knox County, an' ah don remember nothin 'bout Garrett County," When ,¥hen Lincoln was elected last time, I were about eight yeahs ol'," "01' Marster own 'bout 400-acres,n' ah don' know how many slaves-maybe 30, He'd get hard up fo money n' sell one or two; then he'd get a lotta work on hands, an maybe buy one or two cheap,-go'long lak dat you see," He were a good man, 01' Mars Ballinger were-a preacher, an he wuk hisse'f too, 01' Mis' she pretty cross sometime, but ol' Mars, he weren't no mean man, an ah ebon' 'member he evah whip us." Yes'em dat ol' houaft is still standin' on the Lexington-Lancaster Pike, and las time I know, Baby Marster he were still livin." "01' Mars, tuk us boys out to learn to wuk ./hen we was both right little me and Baby Mars. Ah wuz to he'p him, an do what he tol' me to-an first thing ah members is a learnin to hoe de clods. Corn aaa ijhaat 01' Mars, raised, an he sets us boys out f6 to learn to wuk. "5e-d& as he lef' us Baby Mars, he'd want to eat; send me ovah to de grocery fo sardines an'oysters, Nevah see no : body lak oyster lak he do.' Ah d) n' lak dem. 01 Mars, scold him-say he not only lazy hese'f, but he make me lazy too." "de Wall? Yes'em ah sees soldiers, Union CaSjg^ry goin' by, dressed fine,; wid gold braid on blue,an big boots. But de Rebels now, I recollect dey had no uniforms fo dey wuz hard up, an dey cum in jes common clothes. 01' Mars,, he were a Rebel, an he always he'p 'em. Yes'em a pitched battle fefcafctpMglat on our place. Didn't, las' long, fo dey wuz a runnin fight on to Perryvllie, whaah de one big battle to take place in de State o' Kentucky, tuk place." ,.,1. :, h- 93 "Most likely story I remembers to tell you'bout were somepin made me mad an I allus remember fo' dat. .Ah had de bigges'fines' watermellon an ah wuz told to set up on de fence wid de watermellon an show'em, and sell 'em fo twenty cents. Along cum a line o' soldiers." "Heigh there boyJ...How much for the mellon?"holler one at me. "Twenty cents sir,'" Ah say jes lak ah ben tol' to say; and he take dat mellon right out o' mah arms an' ride off widout payin1 me.n Ah run after dem, a tryin' to get mah money, but ah couldn't keep up wid dem soldiers on hosses; an all de soldiers jes' laf at me." "Yes'em dat wuz de fines' big mellon ah evah see, Dat wuz right mean in him-fine lookin gemraan he were,"at the head o' de line." 01' Marster Ballinger, he were a Rebel, an he harbors Rebels. Dey wuz two men a hangin1 around dere name o' BneJJ and B»agg. "Buell were a nawtherner; Bragg, he were a Reb." Buell give Bragg a chance to get away, when he should have found out what de Rebs were doin* an a tuk him prisi&narrah heard tell about dat. Dey wuz "a lotta spyin', ridin' around dere fo' one thing and another, but ah don' know what it were all about. I does know ah feels sorry f o dem Rebel soldiers ah seen dat wuz ragged an tired, an all woe out, an Mars. He fell pretty bad about everything sometimes, but ah reckon dey wuz mean Rebs an southerners at had it all cumin' to em; ah allus heard tell dey had it comin' to em." "Some ways I recollect times wuz lots harder after de War, some ways dey was better. But now a culled man ain't so much better off 'bout votln'1 an such some places yet, ah hears dat." 3 94 Miriam Logan 5 WARREN COUNTY Lebanon Ohio. page 2- District 2, 1 July 2,1937. "Yes'em, they come an want hosses once in awhile, an they was a rarin' tarin' time atryin to catch them hosses fo they would run into the woods befo' you could get ahold of 'em. Morgan's men come fo hosses once, an ol Mars, get him's hosses, fo he were a Reb. Yes'em, but ah thinks them hosses got away from the Rebels; seem lak ah heard they did." "Hosses? Ah wishes ah had me a team right now, and ah'd make me my own good livinj No'em, don't want no mule. They is set on havin they own way, an the contrariest crittersj Butaimule is a wuk animal, an iaats little. Lotsa wuk in a mule. Mah boy, he say, 'quit wukln, an give us younguns a chance.' Sho nuf, they ain't the wuk they useto be, an the younguns needs it. Ah got ne:?a* pension, an a fine gaarden;ain't it fine now? "Yes'em, lak ah tells you, the wah were ovah, and the culled folks had a Big Time wid speakin'n everything ovah at Dick Robinson's camp on de 4th. j i Nevah see such rejoicin on de Fourth 'o July since,-no'em, ah ain't. Ah seen two presidents, Grant an Hayes. I voted fo Hayes wen I wuz twenty-two yeans 61% General Grant, he were runnin against Greeley when ah \ heard him speak at Louleville. He tol what all Lincoln had done fo de j culled man. Yes'em, fine lookln man he were, an he wore a fine suit. | i Yes'em ah ain't miss an election since ah were twenty-two an vote fo Hayes. ! Ah ain't gonto miss none, an ah vote lak the wi ite man read outa de Emanicaption Proclamation, ah votes fo one ob Abe Lincoln's men ev<4y time- ah dho do. Run a way slaves? No'em nevah know ed of any. Mars. Bailinger neighbor, old Mars. Tye-he harbor culled folks dat cum ask fo sumpin to eat In winter- a** he get 'em to stay awhile and do a little wuk fo him. Now,he did always have one or two 'roun dere dat way,-dat ah recolleots-dat he didn't own. Maybe dey was runaway,maybe dey wuz .JusJi tramps an didn't belong to noboddy. Nevah hear o' anybody claimin' dem-dey stay awhile an wuk, den move on-dem mo' cum, Page fc-1 tiam Logan ** - ne iebanon Ohio. . Whlle>-tifchejft m0ve oh. Mars. Tye-he get his wuk done dat way, cheap. "No'em, don't believe in anything lak dat much. We useto sprinkle salt in a thin line 'roun Mars. Ballinger's house,clear 'roun, £> to ward off quarellin an arguein' an ol' Miss Ballinger gettin a cross spell,-dat ah members, an then too; - ah don believe in payin out money on a Monday. You is li* le to be a spendin an a l&sin' all week if you do. Den ah cbn' want see de new moon ( nor ol' moon either) through de branches o' trees. Ah know1 a man dat see de moon tru de tree ]]&33&nj3h$0, an he were lookin' tru de bars 'ft jail fo de month were out-an fo sumpin he nevah ob ne either,-jus si o nuf bad luck-seein a moon through bush." "Ah been married twice, an had three chillens. Mali oles' are Madge Hannah, an she sixty yeah ol1 an still a teachln1 at the Indian School where she been fo twenty-two yeahs now. ghe were trained at Berea ihHigh School then Knoxville; then she get mo'leamln in Nashville in some course. Mah wife died way back yonder in 1884. &ien when ah gets married again,mah wife am 32 when ah am 63. No'em, no mo'chillens." Ah lives heah an farms, an takes care ob mah sick girl, an mah boy, he live across the lane thah." "No'em, no church, no meetin hous fo us culled popple in Kentucky befo' de wah. Dey wuz prayin folks, and gets to meetin1 at each othah's houses when dey is sumpin a pushin' fo prayer. No'em no school dem days, fo us." "01 Mars., he were a preacher, he knowed de Bible, an tells out verses fo us-dats all ah members. Yes'em Ah am Baptist now, and ah sho do believe in a havln church." "Ah has wuked on steam boats, an done railroad labor, an done a lotta farmin, an ah likes to farm best. Like to live in Ohio best. Ah can Vote. If ah gits into trouble, de law learn give us a chance fo our property, same as if we were mhite. An we can vote lak wiite,widout no shootin, no fightin' aboutit-dats what ah likes. Nevah know white men to be so mean about anythin as dey si about votin same places-No'em, ah don't.' Ah come heah in 1912, Miriam Logan page^.y*" * 96 Lebanon Ohio, Ah was goin on to see mah daughter Madge Hannah in Oklahoma, den die girl come to me paralized, an ah got me work heah in Lebanon, tendin cows an such at de creamery, an heah ah is evah since, Ses'em an ah don' wanto go no wheres else, "No'em, no huntin1 no mo, Useto hunt rabbit until las yeah, ^hey ain't wuth the price ob a license no mo," No'em, ah ain't evah fished in Ohio," "No'em, nevah wuz no singer, no time. Not on steamboats, nor nowheres, "Don't member any songs, except maybe the holler we useto set up when dey wuz late wid de dinner when we wuked on de steamboat;-Dey sing-so® lak dis:" '01 hen, she flew Ovah de ga-rden gate, Fo' she wuz dat hungrey She jes' couldn't wait,'—but den dat ain't no real song." "Kentucky river is place to fish-big cat fish. Oat fish an greens is good eatin. Ah seen a cat fish cum outa de Kentucky river 'Ion as a man is tall; an them ol' fins slap mah laig vh en ah carries him ovah mah shoulder, an he tails i draggin' on mah feet.-Sho nuf,'" I "No'em, ah jes cain't tell you all no cryin sad story 'bout beatin' an a slave drivin, an ah don' knoF no ghost stories, ner nuthin'- ah is jes dumb dat way-ah's sorry 'bout it, but ah jes—is." Samuel Sutton lives in north lane Lebanonr just back of the French j Creamery, He has one acre of land, a little unpainted., poorly furnished and j poorly kept. His daughter is a huge fleshy colored woman wears a turban on j her head. She has a fixed smile; says not a word, Samuel talks easily; | aiswers questions directly; is quick in his movements. He is stooped and may ! 5'7" or8rf if standing straight. He wears an old fashioned "Walrus" mustache, ! and has a grey wooley fringe of hair about his smooth chololate colored bald head. He is very dark in color, but his son is darker yet. His hearing is | good. His sight very poor. Being a> young when the Civil War was over, he j remembers little or nothing about what the colored poeple thought or expected j from freedom, 4He $ast remembers what a big time there was on that first "Free Fourth of July," 840004 Ruth Thompson, interviewing District 12 i*y Graff, editing Hamilton Co, ° * Cincinnati 240 • Ex-Slave Interview Interview with Hiehard foler, 515 Poplar St., Cincinnati, 0., "Ah never fit in de wah; no suh, ah couldn't. Mah belly1s been broke! But ah sho1 did want to, and ah went up to be examined, but they didnft re- ceive me on account of mah broken stomach. But ah shof tried, 'cause ah wanted to be free. Ah didnft like to be no slave. Dat wasn?t good times** Kichard ^oler, 515 Poplar Street, century old former slave lifted a bony knee with one hnarled hand and crossed his legs, then smoothed his thick white beard. His rocking chair creaked, the flies droned, and through the open, un- screened door came the bawling of a calf from the building of a hide company across the street. A maltese kitten sauntered into the front room, which served as parlor and bedroom, and climbed complacently into his lap. In one corner a wooden bed was piled high with feather ticks, and bedecked with a crazy quilt and an number of small, brightly-colored pillows; a bureau opposite was laden to the edges with a collection of odds and ends - a one-legged alarm clock, a coal oil lamp, faded aritifical flowers in a gaudy vase, a pile of newspapers. A trunk against the wall was littered with several large books (one of which was the family Bible], a stack of dusty lamp shades, a dingy sweater, and several bushel-basket lids* Several packing cases and crates, a lard can full of cracked ice, a small, round oil beating stove, and an assorted lot of chairs completed the furnishings^ The one decorative spot in the room was on the wall over the bed, where hung a large framed picture of Christ in The Temple. The two rooms beyond exhibited various broken-down additions to the heterogeneous collection. "Ah never had no good times till ah was free", the old man continued. "Ah was bofn on Btostah Tolahfs (Henry Toler) plantation down in ole TPginia, near ¦* 98 Lynchburg in Campbell County. Mah pappy was a slave befo* me, and mah mammy, too# His name was Gawge Washinfton Tolah, and herfn was Lucy Tolah* We took ouah name from ouah ownah, and we lived in a cabin way back of the big house, me and mah pappy and mammy and two brothahs* *They nevah mistreated me, neithatw They's a whipping the slaves all the time, but ah run away all the time. And ah jus1 tell them - if they whipped me, ahfd kill fem, and ah nevah did get a whipping If ah thought one was cominf to me, Ahfd hide in the woods; then theyfd send aft ah mefe, and they say, fCome, on back - we wonft whip you1. But they killed some of the niggahs, whipped fem to death* Ah guess they killed three or fof on Tdlahfs place while ah was there* "Ah nevah went to school. Learned to reaa and write mah name after ah was free in night school, but they nevah allowed us to have a book in ouah hand, and we couldn't have no money neither* If we had money we had to tufn it ovah to ouah ownah. Chufch was not allowed in auah paft neithah. Ah go th the Methfdist Uhufch now, everybody ought to go. I think RELIGION MCJST BE FINE, •CAUSE GOD ALMIGHTY'S AT THE HEAD OF IT." Toler took a small piece of ice from the lard can, popped it between his toothless gum, s%cking enjoyment, swished at the swarming flies with a soiled rag handkerchieff and continued. "Ah nevah could unnerstand about ghosfes. Nevah did see one. Lots of fol&s tell about seein1 ghosfes, but ah nevah feared fem. Ah was nevah raised up un- aah such supastitious believin's* "We was nevah allowed no pafties, and when they had goin1 ons at the big house, we had to clear out. Ah had to wofk hard all the time every day in the week. Had to min^ the cows and calves, and when ah got older ah had to hoe in the field. Mastah Tolah had about 500 acres, so they tell me, and he had a lot of cows and hofses a&d oxen a, andhe was a big farmer. Ahfve done about evahthing in mah life, blacksmith and stone mason, ca9penter, evaht&ing but .3. 99 brick-lay inf* Ah was a blacksmith heah fof 36 yea^* Learned it down at Tolah's* nAh stayed on the plantation during the wah, and jesr did what they tolf me. Ah was 21 then. And ah walked 50 mile to vote for Genfl Grant at Vaughn's precinct* Ah voted fo1 him in two sessions, he run twice. And ah was 21 the fust time, cause they come and got me, and say, fCome on now. You can vote now, you is 21. f And theah now - mah age is right theah. fBout as close as you can get it. *Ah was close to the battle front, and I seen all dem famous men. Seen U ,(Ua$ i ten*! Lee, and Grant, and Abe Lincoln. Seen Jo|m Brown, and seen the seven men that was hung with him, but we wasn't allowed to talk to any of femf jesf looked on in the crowd* Jesf spoke, and say fHbw df do*1 *But ah did talk to Lincoln, and ah tolf him ah wanted to be free, and. he was a fine man, fcause he made us all free. And ah got a ole histry, itfs the 0 >s Sanford American History, and was published in 1784* But ah don't know where it is now, ah misplaced it. It is printed in the book, something ah said, not written by hand. And it says, fAh am a &le slave which has suwed fof 21 yeahs, and ah would be quite pleased if you could help us to be free. We thank you very much. Ah trust that some day ah can do you the same privilege that you -> are doing for me. Ah have been a slave for many years*f (Note discrepancy)* *Aftah the wah, ah came to Cincinnati, and ah was married three times* Mah fust wife was Nannie* Then there was Mollie. They both died, and than ah was married Cora heah, and ah had six childfen, one girl and fof boys* INote discrepancy) Theyfs two living yet; James is 70 and he is not married* jyad Bobfs about thutty or fo'ty. Ah done lost al mah remembfance, too ole now. But Mollie died when he was bofnt andpe is crazy. He is out of Longview {Home for Mentally infirm) now fof a while, and he jesf wanders around, and wo'ks a little* HefaAwrt^harmless, he wouldnft hurt nobody. He ain't married -*- 100 neithah. • After the wah, ah bought a fiddle, and ah was a good fiddlah. Used to be a fiddlah fof the white girls to dance. Jesf picked it up, it was a natural gif*? Ah could still play if ah had a fiddle. Ah used to play at our hoe downs, too. Played all those ole time songs - Soldier1 a Joy, Jimmy Long Josey, Arkansas Traveler, and Black iSye Susie. Ah remembah the wofds to that one.* Smiling intardly with pleasure as he again lived the past, the old Negro swayed and recited: Black Eye Susie, you look so fine, Black Sye Susie, ah think youah mine. A wondahful time wefre having now, Oh, Black iiye Susie, ah believe that youah mine. And away down we stomp aroun* the bush, Wefd think that we9d get back to wheah we could push Black %e Susie, ah think youah fine, Black Eye Susie, Ah know youah mine. Then, he resumed his conversational tone: *Befof the wah we nevah had no good times. They took good care of usf though. As paftaculah with slaves as with the stock - that was their money, you know. And if we claimed a beinf sick, they'd give us a dose of castah oil and tu9pentime. i'hat was the principal medicine cullmd folks had to take, and some- times salts. But nevah no whiskey - that was not allowed. And if we was real sick, they had the Doctah fof us. ••We had very bad eat inf. Bread, meat, water. And they fed it ta us in a trough, jes1 like the hogs* And ah went in may shirt tail till I was 16, nevah had no clothes. And the flof in ouah cabin was dirt, and at night wefd jes* take a blanket and lay down on the flof. The dog was supe'ior to us; they would take him in the house. •Some of the people I belonged to was in the Klu Klux Klan. Tolah had fof girls and fof boys. Some of those boys belonged. And i used to see them turn out. They went aroun' whippin1 Aiggahs. I&ey'd get young girls and strip -5. 101 •em stafk naked, and put fem across barrels, and whip fem till the blood run out of fem, and then they would put salt in the raw pahts, And ah seen it, and it was as blooly aroun1 em as if theyfd stuck hogs, "I sho1 is glad 1 ainft no slave no moah. Ah thank God that ah lived to pas the yaahs until the day of 1937• Aii'm happy and satisfied now, and ah hopes ah see a million yeahs to come#n 340026 .,v} 102 Forest H* Lees, June 10f 1937 Medina County District #5 C* R* McLean , Supervisor Page 1 Topic - 240-Folkways Julia Williams, ex-slave Julia Williams, born in Wine park, Chesterfield County near Rich* mondf Virginia. Her age is estimated close to 100 years* A little more or a little less, it is not known for sure* Her memory is becoming faded* She could remember her mothers name was Katharine but her father died when she was vary small and she remembers not his name* Julia had three slaters, Charlotte, Rose and Emaline Mack* The last names of the first two, Charlotte and Rose she could not recall* As her memory is becoming faded, her thoughts wander f rom one thing to another and her speech is not very plain, the following is what I heard and understood during the interview* "All de slaves worfc with neighbors; or like neighbors now-adays* I no work in de fiel, I slave in de house, maid to de mistress** "After Yankees come, one sister came to Ohio with me** "The slaves get a whippin if they run away** "After Yankees come, my ole mother come home and all chillun together* I live with gramma and go home after work each day* Hired out doin maid work. All dis after Yankees come dat I live with gramma*" "Someone yell, "Yankees are cominf, and de mistress tell me, she say 9You mus learn to be good and hones•• I tole her, *I am now9** "No I nevah got no money foh work*" "I allways had good meals and was well taken cere of* De Mrs* she nevah let me be sold*" "Sho we had a cook in de kichen and she was a slave too** "Plaatashun slaves had gahdens but not de house slaves* 1 allus hvl forest H* Lees June 10f 1937 Medina County * n«* District #5 **'*-* C* R* McLean, Supervisor Page 2 Topie-240-Folkwaya Julia Williams 9 ex slave had de bes clothes and bes meals, anyting I want to eat* De Mrs* like me and she like me and she aay effen you want sompin ask foh it, any- time you want sompin or haff to have, get it* I didn suffer for any- thin befoh dim Yankees come*91 * After de Yankees come eren de house people, de white people didn get shoes* But I hab some, I save* I have some othah shoes I didn date go in de house with* Da had wood soles* Oh Lawde how da hurt mah feet* One day I come down stair to fas and slip an fall* Right den I tile de Mrs* I couldn wear dem big heavy shoes and besides da makes myth feet so sore." *Bof de Mrs* and de Master sickly* An their chillun died* Da live in a big manshun house* Sho we had an overseer on de plantashun* De poor white people da live purty good* all dat I seed* It was a big plantashun* I can't remtaber how big but I know dat it was sho big* Da had lots an lots of slaves but I doan no zackly how many* Da scattered around de plantashun in diffren settlements* De horn blew every mohnin to wake up de fiel hana* Da gone to fiel long time foh I get up* De fiel hans work from dqwn till dark, but evabody had good eats on holi- days* No work jus eat and have good time*" "Da whipp dem slaves what run away*19 "One day after de war wras over and I come to 0hio, a man stop at mah house 4 I seem him and I know him too but I pre to like I didn, so I say, fI doan want ter buy no thin today1 and he says fDoan you know me?f Den I laugh an say sho I remember the day you wuz goin to whip ue, you run affwr mo and I run to de Mrs* and she wouldn let you whip me* hvl Forest H* Lees June 10* 1937* Medina County District #5 104 C* R« McLean, Supervisor Page 3 Topie-240-Folklore Now you bettah be careful or I get you*" "Sho I saw slaves sole* Da come from all ovah to buy an sell da slaves, chillun to ole men and women*" "De slaves walk and travel with earts and mules*" "De slaves on aukshun block dey went to highes bidder* One colored woman, all de men want her* She sold to de master who was de highes bidder, and den I saw her comin down de road singin ?I done got a home at las! '« She was half crazy* De maste he sole her and den Mrs. buy her back. Ihey lef her work around de house* I used to makeher work and make her shine things* She say I make her shine too much, but she haff crazy, an run away*" "No dey didn help colored folks read and write* Effn dey saw you wif a book dey knock it down on de floor* Dey wouldn let dem learn*" "De aukshun allus held at Richmond* Plantashun owners come from all states to buy slaves and sell them*" "We had church an had to be dere every single Sunday* We read de Bible* De preacher did the readin* I oanft read or write* We sho had good prayer meetins* Show nuf it was a Baptis church* I like eney spiritual, all of dem** "Dey batize all de young men and women, colored folks* Dey sing nos any spirtual, none in patielar. A bell toll foh a funeral* At de baptizen do de pracher leads dem into de rivah, way in, den each one he stick dem clear under. I waz ^onna be batize and couldn. Eva time sompin happin an I couldn* My ole mothah tole me I gotta be but I never did be baptize when Ise young in de south* De othah people befoh me all batized*" lorest H# Lees June 19,1937 Medina County * f^[~ District #5 10O C* R* McLean, Supervisor Page 4 Topic-240-irolklore *A lot of de slaves came north* Day run away cause dey didn want to be slaves* like I didn like what you do and I get mad* den you get mad an I run away*99 *De pattyroller was a man who watched foh de slaves what try to run away. I see dem sneakin in an out dem bushes* When dey fine im de give im a good whippin** "I nevah seed mush trouble between de whites and blacks when I live dare* Effen dey didn want you to get married, they wouldn let you* Dey had to ask de mastah and if he say no he mean it** "When de Yankees were a comin through dem fiels, dey sho was awful* Dey take everythin and destroy what ever they could not take* De othah house slave bury the valables in de groun so de soldiers couldn fine em** *One of the house slaves was alius havin her man comin to see her, so one day affer he lef, when I was makin fun and lau^hin at her de mistress she say* 'Why you picken on her?1 I say, dat nan comin here all the time hangin round, why doan he marry her** *I was nevah lowed to go out an soshiate with de othah slaves much* I was in de house all time** *I went to prayer meetins every Sunday monin and evenin** "Sometimes dey could have a good time in de evenin and sometimes day couldn** *Chrlamas was a big time for everyone. In the manshun we aLlus had rcvaat pig and a big feed* I could have anythin I want* New Years was the big aukshun day* All day ho Her in on de block* Dey come fromm all ovah to Richmond to buy and sell de slaves** hvl Forest H* Lees June 10, 1937* Ifedina County Bi strict #5 j ()Q C* R. MCLean, Supervisor Page 5 l&pic-24fc-j?olklore "Butchern day sho was a big time. A big long table with de pigs laid out ready to be cut up** nLots of big parties an dances in de manshun* I nevah have time foh play* iars. she keep me busy and I work when I jus little girl and all mah life** wEfien any slaves were sick dey come to de house for splies and medsin* De Mrs. and Master had de doctor if things were very bad.* "1*11 nevah forget de soldiers comin* An old woman tole me de war done broke up, and I was settin on de porch. De Mrs. she say* • Julia you ant stayin eneymore1* She tole me if 1 keep my money and save it she would give me some* An she done gave me a gold breast pin too* She was rich and had lots of money. After the war I wn home to my mother* She mas half sick and she work too hard* On de way 1 met one slave woman who didn know she was even free*n "The Yankees were bad! n "I didn get married right away. I worked out foh diffren famlies** "After de war dare was good schools in de south* De free slaves had land effen dey knowed what to do with* I got aarried in the south to Rich- ar Williams but I didn have no big weddin* I had an old preacher what knowed all bout de Bible, who married me. He was a good preacher* I was de mothah of eight chillun*" "Lincoln? "Well I tell you I doan know. I didn have no thought about him but I seed him. I work in de house all de time ana didn hear much about people outside* tt «I doan believe in ghosts or hants. As foh dancin I enjoy it when I was young** hvl Forest H* Lees June 10t 1937 kedina County District #5 i()7 C* R* McLean, Supervisor Page 6 Toplc~240-Folklore "I cant read and I thought to myself I thought there was a change comin* 1 sense that. I think de Lawd he does everythin right* De Lawd open my way* I thinX all people should be religious and know about de Lawd and his ways** Her husband came to Wactsworth with the first group that came from Doylestown* The men came first then they sent-for their families* Her husoand came first them sent for her and the children* They settled in Wadsworth and built small shacks then later as times got better they bought properties* This year is the 57th Anniversary of the Wadsworth Colored Baptist Church of which Julia Williams was a charter member* She is very close to 100 years old if nox that now and lives at; 160 Kyle Street, Wadsworth, Ohio* 6-14-37 HVL Lees v/l/U/ Ohio Quide _ Special Ex-Slave Stories 108 August 17, 1937 JULIA WILLIAMS (Supplementary Story) "After de War deh had to pick their own livin* an seek homes. "Shuah, deh expected de 40 acres of lanf an mules, but deh had to work foh dem.* "Shuah, deh got paht of de Ian but de shuah had to work foh it. "After de war deh had no place to stay an den deh went to so many dif- frunt places. Some of dem today donft have settled places to live. "Those owners who were good gave their Slaves Ian but de othahs jus turned de slaves loose to wander roun1. Othahs try to fine out where dere people were and went to them. "One day I seed a man who was a doctor down dere, an1 I says, 'You doktah now?* An says fNo, I doan doktah no mow.1 I work foh him once when I was slave, few days durin.de war. I say, fMember that day you gonna lick me but you didn*, you know I big woman an fight back. Now de war ovah and you canft do dat now1. "Slaves didn get money unless deh work for it. Maybe a slave he would work long time before he get any pay." "Lak you hire me an you say you go in to pay me an then you donTt. Lots of them hired slaves aftah de war and worked dem a long time sayin deh gwine pay and then whfen he ask for money, deh drive him away instead of payin him. "Yes, some of de slavef were force to stay on de plantation. I see how sane had to live." "They had homes for awhile but when deh wasen't able to pay dere rent cause deh weren't paid, deh were thrown out of dere houses." Some of dem didn't know when deh were free till long time after de Wah. "When I were free, one mornin I seed the mistress and she ask me would I stay with her a couple years. I say, fNo I gonna find mah people an go dere.f - 2 - 109 11 Anyway, she had a young mister, a son, an he was mean to de slaves." ffI nebfeer lak him. "Once I was sent to mah missys1 brother for a time but I.wouldn* stay dere: he too rough. "No, deh didnt want you to learn out of books. My missy say one day when I was free, 'Now you can get your lessons/1 "I allus lowed to do what I wanted, take what I wanted, and eat what I wanted. Deh had lots of money but what good did it do them? Deh allus was sick. "De poor soldiers had lots to go thru, even after de wah. Deh starvin and beggin and sick. "De slaves had more meetins and gatherins aftah de war. "On de plantation where I work dey had a great big horn blow every mornin to get de slaves up to de field, I allus get up soon after it blew, most allways, but this mornin dey blew de horn a long time an I says, fwhat foh dey blow dat horn so long?1 an den de mastah say, 'You all is free*. Den he says.ter me, fWhat you all ^oin to do now1, and I says, 'I'm goin to fine my mother. "One day a soldier stop me an says, 'Sister, where do you live?1 I tole him, den he says, fIrm hungry.1 So I went an got him sompin to eat. "One time I was to be sold de next day, but de missy tole the man who cried the block not to sell me, but deh sold my mother and I didn't see her j / aftar dat till just befoh de war ovah. "all dat de slaves got after de war was loaned dem and dey had to work \ mighty hard to pay for dem. I saw a lot of poor people cut off from votin* | and dey off right now, I guess. I doan like it dat de woman vote. A wcman I ainft got no right votin, nowhow. .,. . 110 "Most of de slaves get pensions and are taken care of by their Chilian." "Ah doan know about de generation today, just suit yourself bout dat. Julia Williams resides at 150 Kyle St., Wadsworth, Ohio Miriam Logan Lebanon Ohio. 340011 WARREN COUNTY District 2, July 8th* m 111 STORY OF REVEREND WILLIAMS. AGED 76. COLORED METHODIST MINISTER. Born Greeribrlar COUNTY. WEST VIRGINIA* (Bom 1859) "I was born on the estate of Miss Prances Cree, my mother's mistress. She had set my grandmother Delilah free with her sixteen children, so my mother was free when I was born, but my father was not* "My father was butler to General Davis, nephew of Jefferson Davis.' General Davis was wounded in the Civil War and came home to die* father, Allen Williams was not free until the Emancipation*" "Grandmother Delilah belonged to Dr. Cree. Upon his death and the division of his estate, his maiden daughter came into possession of my grandmother, you understand. Miss Frances nor her brother Mr. Cam. ever married* Miss Frances was very religious, a Methodist, and she believed Grandmother Delilah should be free, and that we colored children should have schooling." "Yes ma'm, we colored poeple had a church down there in West Virginia, and grandmother Delilah had a family Bible of her own. She had fourteen boys and two girls. My mother had sixteen children, two boys, fourteen girls. Of them-mother's children, you understand,- there were seven teachers and two ministers; all were educated-thanks to Miss Frances and to Miss Sands of Galllpoli^e.. Mother lived to be ninety-seven ysars old. No, she was not a cook." "In the south, you understand-there is the COLORED M. E. CHURCH, and the AFRICAN M. E. CHURCH, and theSOUTHERN METHODIST, and METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCHES of the white poeple. They say there will be UNION METHODIST of both white and colored poeple, but I don't believe there will be, for there is a great difference in beliefs, even today* SOUTHERN METHODIST do believe, do believe in slavery; while the Methodist to which Miss Frances Cree belonged did not believe in slavery* . \ The Davis family,, (one of the f inest) did believe in slavery and they were good southern Methodist* Mr. Cam*, Miss Frances brother was not so j opposed to slavery as was Miss Frances. Miss Frances willed us to the care of her good Methodist friend Miss Eliza Sands of Ohio." "Culture loosens predijuce. I do not believe in social equality at all myself; it cannot be; but we all must learn to keep to our own road, and bear Christian good will towards each other** "I do not know of any colored poeple who are any more superstlt- ., ious than are white poeple. They have the advantages of education now- e<|ualiy and are about on the same 3evel« Of course illiterate whites and the illiterate colored man are apt to believe in charms* I do not remember of hearing of any particular superstitions a*ong my dauroii poeple that I could tell you about, no ma'm, I do not*" f "in church music I hold that the good old hymns of John and of 1 Charles Wesley are the best to be had* I don* like shouting 'Spirituals" J show-off and carrying on-neyer did encourage it^J Inward Gra*e will come j out in your singing more than anything else you do, and the impression J we e^rry away from your song and from the singer are what I count*** I Read felj.# sing correct^ but first* last, remembe* real inward Grace I is wliai shows foipth y Miriam Logan a4Q Lebanon Ohio. page 2-colored minister's story, July 8th. XX*5 "In New Oreleans where I went to school,-(graduated in 1887 from the Freedman's Aid College)- there were 14 or 15 colored churches (methodist) in my youth. New Oreleans is one third colored in population, you under- stand. Some places in the south the colored outnumber the whites 30 to 1. "I paefcfcred St.Paul's church in Louieville, a church of close to 3,000 members. No'ma'm can't say just how old a church it is." "To live a consecrated liye, you'd better leave off dancing, drinking smoking and the movies. I've never been to a movie in my life." jfwhen I hear some of the programs colored folks put on the radio sometimes 11 feel just like going out tothe woodshed and getting my axe and chopping jup the radio, I doi It'ficnatural and graceful to dance, but it is not [natural or good to mill around in a low-minded smoky dance hall." r- "I don't hold it right to put anybody out of church, no ma'm. No matte: Jwhat they do, I don't believe in putting anybody out of church. " "My mother and her children were sent to Miss Eliza Sands at Galli- polis Ohio after Miss Frances Oree's death, at~Miss Frances^ request. Father did not go, no ma'm. He came later and finished his days with us.1 "We went first to Point Pleasant, then up the river to Gallipolis." "After we got there we went to school. A man got me a place in Cincinnati when I was twelve years old. I blacked boots and ran errands oi the hotel office until I was thirteen; then I went to the FREEDMAN'S AID COLLEGE in N' Oif^ans; remained until I graduate^. Shoemaking and carpentering were given to me for trades, but as young fellow I shipped on a freighter plying between New Oreleans and Liverpool, thinking I would like to be a seaman. I was a mean tempered boy. As cook's helper one day, I got mad at the boatswain,-threw a pan of hot grease on him." The crew wanted me put into irons, but the captain said 'no,-leave him in Liverpool soon as we land-in about a day or two. When I landed there they left me to be deported back to the States according to law." "Yes, I had an aunt live to be 112 years old. She died at Granville (Ohio) some- thirty years ago. We know her age from a paper on Dr. Cree's estate where she was listed as a child of twelve, and that had been one hundred years before." "About the music now,-you see I'm used to thinking of religion as the ]iworking out of life in ^oojLdeeds^ not just a singing-show-off kind." Some^l>fHSe~Bp^rituaii are finep but still I think Wesley hymns are best. I tell my *oJ$ks that the good Lord isn't a deaf old gentleman that has to be shouted up to, or amused. I do think we colored poeple are a little too apt to want to 'show off in our singing sometimes." "I was very small when we went away from Greenbrlar County to Point Pleasant,and from there to Gallipolis by wagon. I do remember Mr. Cam.Cree. I was taring around the front lawn where he dldttSt want me; he was cross. I remember somebody taking me around the house, and thats allf-all that I can remember of the old Virginia home where my folks had belonged for several generations." "I've pastored large churches in Louisville and St.Louis. In Ohio I have been at Glendaie, and at Oxford,-other places. This old place was for sale on the court house steps one day when I happened to be in Lebanon. Five acres, yes ma'm. There's the corner stone with 1822-age of the house. My sight is poor, can't read, so I do not try to preach much anymore, but ilielp in church in any way that I am needed, keep busy and happy altays|" LebanonL8S!o. ReverenaWilliam Story-^§ge 3- July 8th. 113 I am able to garden and enjoy life every day. Certainly my life has been a fortunate one in my mother's belogning to Miss Frances Cree#'tt I have been a minister some forty years* I graduated from Wilberforce @ollege*M This colored minister has a five acre plot of ground and an old brick house located at the corporation line of the village of Lebanon. He is a medium sized man. Talks very fast* A writer could turn in about 40 pages on an interview with him, but he is very much in earnest about his beliefs* He seems to be rather nervous and has very poor sight* His wife is yellow in color, and has a decidedly oriental cast of face. She is as silent, as he is talkative, and from general appearences of her home she is a very neat housekeeper. Neither of them speak in dialect at all* Y/ade Glenn does not speak in dialect, although he is from North Carolina. 840032 Stark County District 5 -f j A 240 - Ex-Slaves X August 13th, 1937 William Williams, Ex-Slave Interview with William Williams, 1227 Rex Ave. S.E. Canton, 0. "I was born a slave in Caswell County, North Carolina, April 14, 1857* My mother1 s name was Sarah Hunt and her master1 s name was Taz Hunt, I did not know who my father was until after the war, Ihen I was about 11 years old I went to work on a farm for Thomas Williams and he told me he was my father. When I was born he was a slave on the plantation next to Huntfs place and was owned by John Jefferson, Jefferson sold my father after I was born but I do not know his last masterfs name, My father and mother were never married. They just had the permission of the two slave owners to live together and I became the property of my father's master, John Jefferson until I was sold. After the war my mother joined ms" father on his little farm and it was then I first learned he was my father, I was sold when I was 3 years old but I donft remember the name of the man that bought me. After the war my ,?ather got 100 acres and a team of mules to faim on shares, the master furnishing the food for the first year and at the end of the second year he had the privilege of buying the land at fl.00 per acre. When I was a boy I played with other slave children and sometimes with the master1 s children and what little education I have I got from them. No, I can't read or write but I can figure flike the devil1. ! The plantation of John Jefferson was one of the biggest in the south, it had 2200 acres and he owned about 2000 slaves. I was too youfcg to remember anything about the slave days although - 2 - 115 I do remember that I neteer saw a pair of shoes until I was old enough to wDrk. My father was a cobbler and I used to have to whittle out shoe pegs for him and I had to walk sometimes- six miles to get pine knots which we lit at night so my mother could see to work. I did not stay with my father and mother long as I was only about 14 when I started north, I worked for farmers every place I could find work and sometimes would work a month or maybe two. The last farmer I worked for I stayed a year and I got ny board and room and five dollars a month which was paid at the end of every six months. I stcyed in Pennsylvania for some years and came to Canton in 1884. I have" always worked at farm work except now and then in a factory. I had two brothers, Dan and Tom, and one sister, Dora, but I never heard from them or saw them after the war. I have been masried twice. My first xvife was Sally Dillis Blaire and we were married in 1889. I got a divorce a few years later and I don't know whatever became of her. My second wife is still living. Ker name was Kattie Belle Reed and I married her in 1907. No, I never had any children. I donft believe I had a bed when I was a slave as I don't remember any. At home, after the war, my mother and father's bed was made of wood with ropes stretched across with a straw tick on top. fUs kids1 slept under this bed on a ftrundleT bed so that at night my mother could just reach down and look after any one of us if we were sick or anything. I was raised on ash cakes, yams and butter milk. These ash cakes were small balls made of dough and my mother would rake the ashes out of the fire place and lay these balls on the hot coals and then cover them over with - 3 - 116 the ashes again. When they were done we would take fem out, clean off the ashes and eat them. We used to cook chicken by first cleaning it, but leaving the feathers on, then cover it with clay and lay it in a hole filled with hot coals. When it was done we would just knock off the clay and the feathers would come off with it. When I was a fkidT I wore nothing but a fthree cornered ragf and my mother made all my clothes as I grew older. No, the slaves never knew what underwear was. We didnft have any clocks to go by; we just went to work when it was light enough and quit when it was too dark to see. When mny slaves took sick they called in a nigger mammy who used roots and herbs, that is, unless they were bad sick, then the overseer would call a regular doctor. When some slave died no one quit work except relatives and they stop- ped just long enough to go to the funeral. The coffins were made on the plantation, these were just rough pine board boxes, and the bodies were buried in the grave yard on the plantation. The overseer on the Jefferson plantation, so my father told me, would not allow the slaved to pray and I never saw a bible until fifter I came north. This overseer was not a religious man and would whip a slave if he found him praying. The slaves were allowed to sing and dance but were not allowed to play games, but we did play marbles and cards on the quiet. If we wandered too far from the plantation we were chased and when they caught us they put us in the stockade. Some of the slaves escaped and as soon as the overseer found this out they would turn the blood hounds loose. If they caught any runaway slaves they woul