Stories of ~x~.S1~.ves: Isiah Jefferies	:19•


We kept ±~ire all day arid a1I~ nicht. We sot by de fire in wiinter and
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popped corn, parched pinders~nd ro~isted corn ears.

	“Marster and Mistress had six chilluns. Her naine was Ellen and her house was three stories high. Dere overseers allus lived vvid dem. Dere was a lot of slaves and dey all loved de white f o~ks. De whole plantation was allus up at sunup. But we did not work very late. I remember de Patter~-rollers, de Ku Klux arid de Yankees. Niggers dreaded all three. Dere wasno jail fer us; de ~atter-.ro11-.
ers kept us straight.	-

	“When I got to be a big boy, my Ma got religion at de Oarap meeting at El—Bethel. She shouted and sungfer three days, going all over de plantation arid de neighboring ones, inviting her friends to come to see her bapt~ized and shouting and p~aying fer dein. She went around to all de people dat she had done wrong and begged dere forgiveness . She sint fer dem. dat had wronged her, and told dein dat shewas born again and a new woman, and dat she would forgive dem. She wanted everybody dat was not saved to go up wid her.

	“De white folks was baptized in de pool first, and den dere darkies. VQ‘hen de darkies timecome, dey sung arid shouted so loud dat de Patter~.rol1ers come fromsomewhar, but Marsterarid Miss-. us made dem go away and let us shout and rejoice to~de fullest. Nissus had all her darkies to wear white calico in de pool dat was a-.gwine in fer baptizing. In de sew1ng~room she had had calico robes made fer everybody. My Ma took me wid her to see her baptized, and I was so happy dat I $urig and àhouted. wid. her • All de niggers j med in sir~ing. De white folks stayed and saw us baptize our folks, and dey 1 ike d our s ing ing • „ ~

SOURCE:	Isiah Jefferies ‚ Gaffney, S. Ö. Ht • 6. (age 86)
.	Interviewer: Caidwell Sims, Union,. S.C. 8/23/37.
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