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

Interview. Frances Batson. 004 001

410018 ~ ~ . INTERVIEJW . * . FRAI~3ES BATSON 4 . ~L213 Scovel St. . ~ S ~ Nashville, Tennessee III ~ jes how oie I ez. I wUz bawin yer in Nashville, dunn slabery. I must be way pas 90 fer I member de Yankee soldiers well.~ ~ De chilluns called dem de blue mafl3 1 Niah white folks WUZ named Crockett. Dr. Crockett wi~z our marster ~ but I donit member im mahse f. He d ed.w en I wuz small. Mah marster wuz mean ter mah mammy w en her oler chilluns would run Iway. Nah oler br er went ter war wid mah marster. Mali younger br er run way, dey cat~ght im, tuk im home en whup d I.X . He run way en v~uz nebber found. : ~ ~ ~ We wuZn t i0 o~ butinah mammy went way, en ief ~ me en I ~ got up one mawnin went ter ~mah mammy s room, she w z gon . I cried en cried fer her. MahMissis wouldn t let me~ outa de~ house, fer fear I d try ter find her. Atter freeduxn mali br er en ayanke~ soldier ktim in a waggin en g t us. Mah white folks sod, I do~ see why you. ez takin dez chilluns. Mah hrudder said, . We ez free flow. I member one whuplin ~ah misais gib me. Me . .. en her daugh~er slipped; way ter de river ter fish. We kotch a fish en m*h ~iissis had hit cooked fer t~ bub whupid us fer goin ter d river. ~ ~ - ~ ~!Whar de Buena Vista schul ez hit useter be a yank~e soldiers Barrl k. Eber ma~wj~j~ d y hadder music. We cbilluns would go on ~ ~ :(wb~ the bag miIlez r~ow) en iiste~ t r dem. ~ I member a black hoes de so1~iez~s had, dat ef you. called im Jeff Davis he ~ ru~n you, ~

005 002

2 i mernberde olewell on Cedar Street, neah de Capitol, en six mules fell in hit. Dat wuz back w en b1ackbe~-ries wuz growin on de Capitol Hill. E~n Morgan Pai~k w~z called de pleasure gyarden. En hit WUZ full ob Yankee soldiers. Atter de war ders wuz so ma~ German peeple ober yer, dat fun:t Jefferson Street, ter C lay Street, wuz called D~t~h toW~. ~ UI WuZfltt bawn w en de statrs fell. We djdn t git nothin w en we W~Z freQd. Dunno much bout de Klu. Klux Klan. ~j1ah mammy ueeter tell nie how de white folks would hire de slaves out ter mek money fer de mar~ter en she tole me si.un ob de marsters would hide dere slaves ter keep de Yar~kees fum gittin ~ . :i: d0~1 b leeve in white en black ma jages. Mah sistah matied a lite ~ I wouldin marry one ef bit would turn me ter go sI. ~Thinno not.hin - bout~votin ~, allus-tho t dat wuz ferde men. Hi ~Qa~ t think ob any tales er nuthTh bout ghos . Ce~ one bout a rnarster tTin a nigger ter a fence en wuz beatin itu. A yanj~ee k~.un long made im untie de nigger en den de nigger beat de whit man. Dis young peeple s eZ tough. I think~ half ob dem 11 ~ be hurt, de way dey throw rock5 at oie peeples. Dat s wiry l s crippled now, a white boy hit me wid a rocks I b lone ter de Methodist Chue h. 11 Since freedurn I se hired out ~ washed en cooked fer diffi ent peeple . De only song I member: Hark Fum de Grour~. di~ Mournful So~fld.t ~

Interview of Cecelia Chappel. 008 005

4 .iO()05 ~ 5 INTERVIEW CECELIA CHAPPEL 705 AllIson Street Nashville, Tenn. I se bawn In Marshall Coui~ty, Tennessee. I m de olest ob ten chilluns en I se 102 ya re oie. I feels lak I se bin yer longer dan dat. Mah mammy wuz brought ter Nashville ez~ sold ter suiri peeple dat tuck her ter Mississippi ter live. Mah Marster en Missus wuz named Bob en Nancy Lord. Eve: y slave had ter say Mj~~ug e~ Marster en also ter de white babies. I still says hit, en ef I kurn ter yo do r, I r~ebber kums in till youax me. Lots ob mah folks seze ter me~dat I ez too ole fash on en I seze I don keer I wuz raised wid manners en too oie ter change. Our Marster gib us good food eri clothes. 1 wuz l arnt how ter nit, weav, sew en spirh On rainy days w wuz ~ib a certain tmo~flt ob weavin ter do en had ter git hit dox~ . I dunno how terread er rite. De white folks difint low us ter ltarn nuthin . I declar you bettuh rot git kotch wid apapah in you han . Ef I had half a chance lak you ehilluris hab, I d go ter bed wid mah books. ~ Our Marster lowed us ter go ter chuch~ I went bar foot en had a rag tied trom~ inah haid en mah dress .kurn up ter mah r~ees. Dat preacher-man would git up dere en

009 006

Interview, Cecelia Chappel - continued. ~ G tell us Now you mm yo Marster en Missis en don steal fum dexn~ I stayed wid mati IViissis fer a long time atter I got freedum en I cried lak a fool w en I bad ter leave dem. Mah iviissis seze You ez jes as free as I ez, but I alius had good clothes en good food en I di&~ know how ltd git dernatter I lef her. . . . Mah white folks wuz tight on us but, as oie as I ez I offun think dat dey nebber hit a lick dat I didn need. t n dey ha t r a ise d rae r ight I might hab ~got in me an e s s en bin locked up h lf de time, but I ain t nebber bin rest~ I ed, en I se ferd ob de poilcemans. De fiel. slaves wuz whixp d in de fiel s by de oberseer en de ~1arster en Ivlissis did hit at de house. ~ L tell you we ~had a hahd time.. Mah Misais Woiilden let dem sell me. 1 wuz a nuss en house gal. I wuz whup d ~ w id a bull whup, en g ot cut s on mah back ~ mermy a t 1mo ~ ~ e riot shamed ter say I got skyars on mah back now furn Mar ster cut t in hi t w id da t bull whup Mah Mie s is al s o ut d me Wten de Missis got ready ter whup me, she would gib us sum wuk ter do, so she would kind ob git ober her mad spell fore she d us . Sum t ime s she w ould 1 ock u~ up in a dark closet en bring our food ter us. Ihated bein locked up. Atter dey tuk me out . ob de house I wuked in de fie I lak de tu thur s . Long for e day br e ak we wuz~ s t an in de fie1~s leaniri o~i our hoes waitin fer daylite en waitin fer de horn ter blow 30 we would start ter wixk. Ef n we ~~:

010 007

Ir~terv1ew, Cecelia 0happel - coritinued. ~ ~. p,~ wan ed ter go ter any place we had ter hab a pass wid our Marster S xiame on hit en ef you Id ~ hab hit, you got tore ter. pieces en den you Marstei tore you up w en you got home. ROpe story mah daddy useter tell us wuz bout a slave i~amed Ponmipy. He wua &~1UiB prayin fer~de good Lawd ter tek t ira way . One rite he wu~ down on his nees prayin Good. Lawd, Icum en tek po Pommpy out ob bis misery. De Marster ob Pormilpy year d l~n en de iWiarster made a leetle r~ioise en Ponmipy seze, 1~ho ez dat? Er his Marster seze, tthits de .Lawd i~urn..ter tek p0 Fornmpy outob his misery.tt Porunipy crawl under de bed en seze Pornrnpy has bin t two er three days . ~ . tttN~ther story; A partridge en a fox greed ter ktl ... a beef..~ Dey kilt en skinned hit. B~ fo dey divide hit de fox said, ttMah wii~e seze sen her sum beef fer s up, so he tuck a piece ob hit ex~ carried hit down de hill, den kurn. back en said~ mah wife war~ts mo beef fer soup. He kep dis up tu : all de beef wuz gon cept de libber. De fox kuni back en de partridge seze now lets cook dis libber en both ob us ~ .~ eat hit D partri&ge cooked de libber et hits part rite quick, en den fell ovuh lak hit wuz sick; de fox got skeered en said dat beef ez pizen en he ran down de hill en started bringin de beef back en w en he brought hit all back, he lef en de ~partridge ha& all de beef. ~. t t member much now . bout de Klu Klux Klan en nothin bout slave risings at any place. I don member bout desta rs fa1l~n , but I did see de comet, en hit

011 008

Interview Cecella Chappel - con t inued. ~:. .8 lookedlak a sta r wid a 1thx~g tail; atter fz eedum, I nebber yeai~ d ob rio slave gettin land er money e~ I dunno nothin bout de slave mart yer fer I didn git ter kuin ter town. Since freed, I hab missed, cooked en don diff ~unt things. I wuk ed fer one family fifteen ~y~ ars en didn miss a day. I has stayed at dis place fer de las five y ars. I had a strokeen wuz ~n de hospit l a long time. I~ain git out; en roun yer in de house, I has ter walk wid a stick. I am neither voted. One day aura men kum yer ter f teic me ter vote. ~ I tole dem w en I got ready ter be a man, f I would put on overalls ~ ti se a member ob de MisSionary Baptist Ohuch. I - am bin fer a long time kaze I am able ter go. De oie song I membera ez Dixie Land, eri Run Nigger. k~,dO ~ai;~. a~ollers Will Gt Yo . ~ - - Oh LawdyL~I think sum ob is young peeple am no .count w ileswn ob demez .alright. - I think.each color should ma rie his own color. Hit makes me mad ter think bout hit. Ef do good Lawd had wan ted da t he would hab had us all one co~or.tt ~. . . . . Fer -a long -time de relief gib me a quart ob milk a day, but now all I bas ez w at.mah sistah Harriett gibs me. She sin got much wuk en sux~i days we don hab much ter eat. Ef mah Missls wuz l~vin I wouldin go hong~y.

Interview of Wiley Childress. 012 009

9 I~NTERVIEW WILEY CHILDRESS 808 Gay St. Nashville, Tennessee I se 83 Y ars ole en wuz bawn a slave. Mah mammy b longed ter de Bosley s en mah daddy b longed ter de Scales. W en Miss Jane Boxisy ma rled Marster Jerry Scales, me en ~ti~h mammy, br e ~ en slstab wuz gib ter Miss Jane. Dunn de war mab Missis tuk xnah mammy en.-us chilluns wid her ter de mount Ins till de war wuz gon . Did nt see no soldiers. Don t m mber now nuthin bout dem Klu Klux men en don t member de oie songs er bout slaves votin . Dunn bout de young persons, white ex black, dey ez : all so wildnow. - W en we all~wuz freedwe had nuthth en no placeter go, so dat. mah marrirnylived wid. oiirMlssis five y ars longer. ~ De only st rydat I member rnah people t le me boutwuz on Fedd, a slave on de next plantation. He wuz abig man en wuz de strongest man noah dat part ob de kuntry. He wouldin low nobody ter whup in. De ~1arster framed 1m by tellin im ter bring his saddle hoes en w en he kum wid de hose several men peahrd en tole Fedd dat dey wuz gonna whup im. He struek one ob de mans so hahd dey had ter hab de doctuh. De Marster said let im lone he s too strong ter be wh p d. I ll hab ter shoot t\~.rn. One time Fedd run way en de white men whar he stopped know d T f h wi~~ a good fighter en made a ~25O.OO bet dat nobody could lick t im. A nigger fum de iron wuks Thught Fedd en Fedd won. De iron ~*u1cs nigger wuz kiltright der~, ~ ~\ li

013 010

i~b~ . I, ~ fore Freedum de slaves wuz promtised forty acres ob 1a~. w en freed but none eber got hit, en I tyear d ob no one gittin arty money. I dunno~nuthin ob de slave risin s, ghostus er dreams, but I member mah folks talkin Ibout Lahm sta rs en a comet but I don member now wtat dey said. 1 . . I se w~jk d at a lot ob diff ent jobs since mah freedum. I wukid at de Maxwell House 15 years a~ store room porter, en hit wuz de onlywo th- while hotel in Nashville at dat time . I wuktd fuh de. City fWa menny y ars en den I wu~ktd fuh Foster & Creighton ttill dey wore me out. I off n ththk ob deze difflntmen dat I wu~k d fuh but~dey ez all de d. De last job I had w~z buildin fiers en odd jobs fuh a lady up de . street. She.would gib me food en coal. She ez de d now. ~ - . n, ~ not ab le t er ~WUk now e n a 11 I ha ~ ez a sma~ .1 groc e~ order dat de relief gibs me. Dey keep promisin~ ter gib, me de ~ Age~ ~ Pensi n en I wish dey. would hurr~y bit up. - . ~r1 ~

Slave stories. 014 011

. 41oO~ ~ ~: jj !~~N:~Q2 ... . ~ ~ ROEBERT ~ ALLS 608 South ~ oadway Li~xvi11e,~eflfleSSee . Interviewed by . ~ ~ Della Yoe~oreman ~ Federal Writers. project, ~ .~ ~First~Dist r1ct,WPA ~ ~ . RoO~# 215 Old. YMCA Bui1diii~ State and Commerce Streets, ~ ~ ~ ~ I :K~ zvii1etTennesSee - ~ - ~ ~ . . I .

015 012

Page~.~.s ~ 41OO2~ . . . . ~ S. ~ . 12~ ~ Robert Falls was born on December I4,I84O,~n the rambling one-story S S shack that acconiodated the fifteen slaves of his Old Marster,Bea~ie Goforth,on a farm In Claiborne County,North Carolina. His tall frame is sli~ht1y stooped, but he je not subj ec ted to the cust omary infi rrnit le s of the aged o ther than poor vision and hearing. Fairly comfortable he is spethin~ his dec1inln~ years in Contentment, for he is now the first consideration o ~ his daughter,Mrs.Lola Reed, with whom he lives at ~6O8 S.Broadway,Knoxville,Tennessee. Ris cushioned rocking chair is the honor seat of the household.His apo1o~y f~r not offering it to visitors, is that he is ~ not so fast on his feet as he used to be.~ Des~ite Uncle Robert s protest that his mind comes and goes , his niernory5 iskeen,andhis sense of humor unimpaired. His reminiscences of slave days are enriched by hi.s ability to recreate scenes and incidents in few wQras, and by ~ . his. powers of mimicry. If I had my life to live ov r,Hhe declares, . I would ~d1e fighting rather than be a slave again. I want no man s yoke on my shoulders no ~ S S more. ~itin theindays, us niggers didntknow no betters All we lcnowed was work, and h~rd work. We was learned~ to say, Yes Sin and. scrape down and bows, ~ to ~ S d ~justexactly what we was told to do, ~nake no difference if we wanted to or not. . Old ~&arster and Old Mistress would say, UDo this 1 and ~e don l t . ~.nd they say, t Corne hero I and. 1f we cUdnt come to them, they c ozue to us . And they brought the b~unch of switches with thea. S u They didnt half feed us either. They fed the animals better.They cives the iailes, ru.ffage and such, to chaw on all night.Bat they did~t gl~ us S nothing to chaw on. Learned us to steal, that s what they done.~h~ we would take anything we could lay oar hands on,wlien we was hun~y.Then the~r d whip us ~ for lieixig when we say we dont ~ow nothing about it. ~t it was easier to stand, S when the. stomach was ull . ~ ~ . ;~

016 013

Page 2- - ~ ~ :1 3 ~ u Now my father, he was a fighter. He was mean as a bear.He w~s so bad to ficht and s o t rouble so~e he was sold four time s to ~y knowing and maybe a heap mofe times . That s how come ray name Is Falls even if some does call me Robert G~oforth. Ni~gers would cban~e to the name of their n.ew marster,every time they ras sold. ~A~,nd my father had a lot of naines, bat Ice-p the one of his mar ste r when he ~o t a ~o od home . ~hat man was Harry i~al Is .He said he d. been trying to bi~r father for a 1321g time becau~se he was the best w~gonerin all that country abouts. And. the man what sold him to Falls, his name was Collins, he told my father,tI You so mean,I ~ot to sell you. You all time complaining about you dont like your white fol1~s. Tell me now who you wants to live with. Just pick your man and I will ~o see him. ~ Then my father tell s 0~llins I want you to sell me to Marster H~rry Falls.. They made the trade. I ~disremember what t$ money was, but it weS bis. Good workerseold for $1,000 and. 42,000. After that the white: folks di&ntbave. no more trouble with i~iy father.Btit he d. : ~ still fight.Tha.tman would fi~1at a she bear aridlick herevery time.1t 1 ~ ~ fi My mo ther . was so 1 d ~ three times before I was born . The last time - when Old ~oforth sold her, to the slave speculators, you know every tithe they needed money they woi4.d sell a siave,~ and the~r was taking them, drt~ving ~ them, just like a pack of mules, to the market from North C rolina into South Carolina, ehe begu.n to have fits.: YOU see..ti~ieyhad sold her away from her ~ ~ b~r. And just likel tell you she be~wa bavi:r~g fits. They got to the jail house where they was to stay that n~ht, and she took on so, Jim Siad.e and Press Worthy - them was the slave speculators, ~cou1dLnt do nothing with her.Next morn~ ix~g one ~f them took her back to Marse Goforth ~ad told htm~ Look here.We cant do nothin& with thi s woman . You ~o t to take h~r and give us back our monay.~nd. do it now,~ theysays.4nd they mean lt too.8o Old. Marse Goforthtook my mother ~ ~ ~ 3~ ~ th5ifl back their money. Afterthat n~e of us was ever separated.We j... ~ :~ ~~e4ta bz~th,F ~4 two si ters aM m~ ~uiot~r, With the Goforths. ti).I L ~

017 014

Page~3~ ~ . . ~ - ~ II And do you know, she never did get over ht~v1ng fits~ Sije haa them every change of the moon or leastways every other moon change . But she kept on workin~.She w~ ~ hard worker.She had to be.O1dMistre~s see to that.She ~7as meaner than old 1~arster, she was. She would sit ~r the sDin:~~xi~ whee~I and coimt the turns the sla ~ e women made .And they couidnt fool her none neither. My mother worked until ten otciock almost every night becau~e her part was to spend so many cuts a day,~ ~mnd she couldnt get throu~i no sooner. ~hen I was a little shaver, I used to sit on the floor ~it~i tne other little felows while our mothers ~or~ced, E~~d sometimes the white folks ~ir1s woula read ~is a Bible story.)3ut most of the time we slept.~ight tiier on tne floor. Then later,when ~ I w~ bi~er, i & d to work with the men at night shelling corn, to take to ~ town arly iaorniugs.1 ~Marster Gofortn countedhirnself a good old Baptistchristian. The - -one good. deed he did., I will never forget, he made us all ~o to church every Sund~ay. . That v~ the onliest-olace off the farm w ever went. Every time a slave went off the niace ~ he had to have a pass except we didnt for church. Every body in thet coimtry knowed that the Goforth niggers didnt have to have ~ pass to ~o to church. But that di&nt make n~ difference to the Pattyroolers. Theyt ?L hide in the htshes, or wait along side of the road, and when the ni~ers come frorn meeting, the Pattyroolers s say, Whar s your pass ? Us Goforth nig~ers used . tostart running soon a~ we W95 out of church.We never ~ ot cau~ht.That is why I ~ tell you I cant use my lees like I used. to. If you was cai~ht without no pass, :~ the Pattyroolers give you five iicks.They was licksi You take a banch of five to ~ seven Pattyroolers each giving five licks and the blood flows. 1 .~ ~ O1d Marster was too old to go to the war.He bad. one son was a soldier, ~ but he never come home a~gain. I never seen a soldier till the war was over and ~ they begin to come back to the farms. We half~grown ni~~ers had to work the farm, ~ s ~ because ai . the feaners had~ to ~1ve,- I believe it was a tenth~ of their croos to ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -~ ~-~ ~ ~ .~ ~ 1~

018 015

:15 help feed the soldiers. So we d.idxxt know rothing about what was going on, no more than a hog. It was a long time before we lcnowed we was free. Then one night Old. Marster come to our ilouse and. he say he wants to see us all before breakfast tomorrow morni!ig c~M to coue on over to hi~ house.He got something to tell us. Next morning we went over there. I was the monkey, always acting smart.But I believe they liked me better than all of the others. I just spoke sE~sSy like and. say, Qlci ~arster, what you got to tell us ? My mother said, $t~aut your mouth fool.He ll whip youl Ajid Old. Mareter say,~ No I wont thip you.Never ro more . si t down thar all of you and 1 isten to what I go t to tell you. I hates to do it but I n~t~ You all amt n~y ~~ig~ers no more . You. is free. Just as free asI am.Here I have raised you ~1l tc work for me, and. now you are going to 1eav~ me. I am ~n old man, a~d I cant ~et along v~ithout you.I dont 1w1ow:what I amgoing to do. Weilsir, it killed h n.He was deadin lesi~ than ten months1~ ~ ~ V V V~ ~ V V ~ V V V~V V V V V V ~ 1~verybody~ left right now, ~t me and. my brother ~thd another fellow. Old Marster fooled us to believe we was duty~boimd-to stey with h r~ tlU we was V V t V V ~ all twenty one. But my brother, that by was suboorn. Soon he say he amt going to stay there .And he left . 1n about a year maybe 1 ess he e orne back end. he told. meV didnt have to work for Old Goforth, I was free, sure enoub~ free,and IV with him ~nd he got me a job raiirpa~ng,. Bat; Vt~ ~rkVV was too h~ d for V mel coi~lthit V stand it.So I left there and went to my mother. I bad to w~i1k.It was forty five miles. VI ~aade it in a day. 5he got me 1~rk there where she VV Vwor ~dN V V V V V V V ~ V V ~% VI remember so well, how the roads was full of folks walking and V V !~:V p~1VQn~ when the ~ij~gers were freed. Dithit know Vwhe~e they was gC)iV~.JUSt V; V V ~o4~.: t VV8~V a~VO~tV SOmeVtVk~4UgV else somewhere else. Meet a body in the ro~4 and ~Ae1 asIc, ~ ~here you going P . ~ZIt know . ~ . 1~bat you~ going to do ? Dont ~now I ~ ~ ~

019 016

Page-5 And~ then sometimes we would mee t a white man and he would say ti How you I ike to C orne wo rk on my farm ? And we I dont kilo w ~ And. then niayb e he say, 11 If you corne work for me on my farm, when the crops is In I cive you five bushels of corn, five gallons of molasses, some ham meat, and all your clothes and vittals whils you works for mes ~1rightL That~s whet I do. And then some thing begins to work up here,( touching his forehead with his fingers) I begins to think and to know things. A~d 1 knowed then I could i~ke a living for my own self and. I never had to be a slave no rqore . ft N.w, Old.~erster ~oforth, had four sisters what~owned slaves, and they wasnt mean to them like our Old Marster and Mistress.Some of~ the h - . old slaves and teir folks are still living o~i th~1r places right to this day. But they never dispute none with their brother about how rae~ii he -treat his slaves. And. him claiming to be su~ha Christia~i Weh, I reckon he s fouzid out something about slave driving by now. The good Lord has to get hlswork in some time. And he -11 take Care of them low down pat tyroolers and slave specu ~ lators andmeaz4 Marsters and Mistress s/ He s took ~ood~ cafe of nie in the years since I was free d, only now, we needs Hirn again now and then. I just stand up on my two feet, raise my arms to heaven and Lord help mel I ~e never fails me.I asked him this morning,didrit I Lola Asked him to render help.We need. it. And here you come. Lola, just watch that lady write. If you and me had her educa~ti n, we d be fixed now wouldnt we? I never had no learning. Thank you La~i( tucking the coin into his ~pocket wallet,along with hi s ~ tobacc o ~And thank you fo r c onii rg . It do e s me a heap of good to ~ee vis I tors and talk about t~e old t unes . 0orne a~a1n wont you? And next time you corne, I went t~Y talk to you ~about o)~,age pensions. I come here from Marlan,N.C. ... .~ thi~ee years ag , and they tell me I have to live here four, before I gets a pen~ slon. And as I d~o1it left North 0arol .ria, I cant get a pension from them. Bat ~ ma7be you. o an tel 1 me what to do I 1 ike~ this r1~~e .kici I do hopes I get ~ ~ ~ensio~ bet~re ~ ge te to be a ~mdred~. ~ ~ ~l ~ ~ ~ ~ /

Interview. Rachel Gaines. 020 017

. : 410010 ~ INTERVII~W RACH L GAINE~S 1025 10th Ave. N. Nashville Tennessee t) )~awd~ !. t It se d unn o how o le I e z B le ev e s I se t roursi 95 ter 100 ytars. Defust thing I members ez I WUZ tuk in a waggin ter Trenton, Kentucky en sold ter Dr. Bainbridge Dickerson jest lak dey sold cows en hosses. Mah sistah wuz sold in de same way at Bowling Green, Kentucky ter nuti~er lt Marster. t?1 WUZ sold only one time in mah life en dat wuz w en MarsterDickinson bought me. ~tter freedum~*uz ~lared de Marster tole all his slaves dat dey could go wharever y dey pleased but eftn dey couldn t rnekdere own living ter korn ter t im e n ~ he W ou id ht p~ d em ~ ~ ttMjSSUS Dickinson kept me dere kaze I wuz nuss ter dere son Howard who wuz sho a wiki one. I member how he would tote ~ out fried chicken, pig meat en uthuh good stuff ter ug darkjes~ Dey greed ter pay me ~35.OO a yeah (en keep) en hit wuz gib me eve y Christmus mawning. Dey treated me good, gib me all de clothes en uthu.h things I needed ez ef n I wuz one ob de family. Every two weeks de Marster would sen fer Jordan McGowan . who wuz de leade~r ob a strir~g nusic baril . Dey would git dere Friday nite early en de slaves would dance in de grape house dat nite en aU day Saturday up ter midnite. You don t hab now as good dance mus~ enas.much fun a~ de ole time days had0 : We allug had a big barbecue er watermelon feast ~ve y time we

021 018

had a dance. Neber gin t 1). dere be as good times ag we useter hab. In rnah time we neber y ard ob WUkOUSOS er pen but now dey ez aU filled. ~ 9: kin see now in mah mind de oie ice house on de planta~ tion. In de wintir de slaves would fill bi~t wid ice dey got off de erik en hit wUz not used t tu warm wedder cu~ni. ~ nother thing I members ez de pat a-rollers 1 (she refers to the Police patrol of that day) who WOUId kotch en whup runaway slaves en slaves tway furn dere own plantations widout apass wid dere Marsters name signed on hit. II member W en Nashville fust had street cars pulled tlo~ by liosses er mules en I also member de oie dummy cars, rt~in by steam, ter Glendale Parkalso New Town (flow called West N~ishvi11e). ~ . .~ . Wehad sumbad en good luck signs but I sefergettir~ sum,~ b~it I, se members bout a black cat crossin ovuh de path in frunt ob you dat you. sho would hab bad luck. W en dat happened ter me, I WouJiI spit on de groux~d, turn round en back ober de place de cat crossed en de bad lUCkt) wUZ gon f~ me. Eftn you found a ole hoss. shoe dat had bin drapt d by de hoss, hit meant good luck. Sum peeples, wfttte en black, w en dey fj~I a hoss shoe, dey would tack hit up on de frunt door frame wid de toe ter de grou~n . Atter de Marster en Missu,s died, I went ter Nashville en made mali way fur ~ ylars by wasb.jn en ironin fer white peepie btit after I went blind I kum yer ter live wid mali daughter.

Interview. Frankie Goole. 022 019

410004 . : . ~ INTERV ~~~ . ~ ~ . FRANKIE GOOLE ~ 204 5th Aire. So. . Na shvi I le ~ Te nn. Hi WuZ bawn in Smith County on uther sid ob Lebanon. Ah ll be 85 ytars oie Christmas iI~ay. Mah oie M~sis wu~z named Salue, en mah Marster wuz George Waters. Mali mammy s name wuz Lucindia, she wuz sold furn me Wien I wuZ six weeks oie, en mah Missis raised me. I allus slept wid her. Mah Mi~sis W~Z good terme, but (her son) mah Marster whupid me. Du~nno ob a~ ex -slaves votini er holUnt office ob any kin. . I member de KuKiux Klan en Pat~ a roilers, Dey wou3~ kuxn z~o~.u~ ertwhapdeniggers w~d abullwhap. Ef n d~ey.met a niggah on de road de~3td say, Whar ez you gwin dis time ob rnawnintl D0 slaves WOUld say, 1We ez gwine ovu.h t yer ter stay aw~ 11e ~ en den dey would start beatint dem. I se st, d in our doler en ~ de hahcl licks, en screams ob de ones dat wuz bein wh p d, en I d tell ~nah Missis, Listen ter dat~~ She would say, See, dat ez wiat will happen ter you ef n you try ter leave. ~ I member one nite a Ku Klux Klan rode up ter our doler. I tole mali Missis su~n body wuz at de d~~ r wantini ter know whar mah Marster wuZ. She tole im he wuz died en her son had gon way dat mawnin He hunted all thro de hot~se, en up In de l ft, en said whar eZ de riiggera? Mah Missis tole i ni dey wuz down in de lettie house, He went down dere, woke dem up, axed dem bout ~.i e~ Mar s ter :n ~d e n whup cl s li ob d em Rf~ d e~~ had de Ku ~(lux Klan ~ d~ere w~oi~41n be so n~er~ny peoples on de kounty road~n in ~ ~ ~ . : ~ ~ ~ ~ ~. ~ .1V;

023 020

2~ ~. . 20 depen. . ~ I useter drive u.p de cows en mah feet would be so cole en mah toes cracked open en bleedin en I d be cryin tu I got ~- a ~g.1 ter de house den I d wipe mali eyes on de bottom ob mah dress, so de Marster WOU 4lifl know dat I had bin 017m He d say ~ ajn~ t you cryin ? I d say No 8Uh ~ 11Ez you cole? ~ ayes, sir. He would say kum on en warm. w en de niggers .WiiZ freed all ob mah Mi ssis slaves slipped I way t C e pt me O ne ~ she t o le me t er ~g o d own en wake dem up I went down . en knocked no body said mithin I pushed on~de doler - hit kum op n ~ en I fell inde room en hurt ~ah chin. went back ter Missis - en she SOZs, W at ezde matter wid you? I seZs Une le John en all ob dem eZ gon ; I pushed ~ .~ : on de doter en fell in. 3h~ sezs you know-d.ey ez n t gone, go - baokeri gitdem tip. ~I had ter goback, but&eywurtent derea No r dofl t member de stat.rs fallint ~ . .~ ~ - . . . Mah Missis didunt gi:b me mithin, cept maki clothes, en she put dem in a carpet bag ~ Att er freedum mali . mammy kl2m f um Lebanon en got me. Ah Il neber fergit dat day .~ Oh Lawdy~ I kin see her flow. Mah oie Missis daughter- in-law had got a bunch ob switches ter whup me, I wuz standin in de doter ghak1~ all . . ovtth, en de young Missis wuz telfin nie ter git mah clothes off. ~ I seZ~~ I setd a oman kum g thro de gate. ~ia~ Missis ~ezs~ ~ Bat ez Lucinuja en de young Miseis hid de switches. Mah mammy ~ seZs I se kUm ter g t mah chile. Mali Misais tole her ter let n~ ~ spend de nite wjd her, de~ sbei.d send me ter de Couii~t House at I~, ~ otciock next mawnin So I stayed wid de Missis dat nite, en ~ ~ she tole me ter ali&i~z be a good girl, en don t let a man er boy I i~rip me I d~idunt know w at she mean but I a .IUS membered w at I~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

024 021

3 ~ 21. she said I g ue s s I wuz t b out 12 ~ t ar s o le t e n I lt rush Missis en utah mammy brought me ter Nashvi. lie en p~t me ter wuk. i~e ~iawnjnt I ~ft rush MiS8iS, I went ter de Court House en met mali m8~rmiy ; de C ourt room wuz jammed wid peeple . De Jedge tole me ter hold my right hand up, I wuz so skeered I stuck both hands up. Jedge sezs, Frankie ez dat yo mammy ? I sezs t ~ she sezs she ez ~ (W at did I know ob a mammy dat wuz ~tuk~ftzm me at six weeks ole). He sezs, Wuz y ~ Marste~ good ter you? I sezs~ Mah Misais wuz, but mah Marster wann t - b~e whup d me . De ~Iedge said Whar did he whu.p you?~ I tole bi~n on ~ah back. He seZS, Frankie, ez you laughin ? I sezs, No, sir.~ He said ter ~ah mammy, Lucindia.tek dis chilee~ be good ter her fer she has b en mistreated. Sum day she can ruek a livin fer you. (En thank de Lawd I did keep ~ he r in her o le day s en wuz ~ ab le t e r bury . ) At d at t luis money wuz ealled.chin plaster en wien I 1er out ob~de court room diff ent peeple gib me nioney en ~ I had mah hat aituos full.J Dat wuz da only money I had gib ter me. I ~ Miss sadie PopeFaU; she njatrjed Mat Gardner0 I also fltLS Sd Mies $ue Porter Housto~. I denwukid at de. line ~ : Schul. ~ ~ De f~ist pa r ob shoes I eberhad wuz atter I kui~ ter Nashville. Dey had high tops sri wuz oalledbootees. I had sum red striped socks wid. dem. ~ 1~e oie songs I member: De O le T true 11g ion : I m Goin ter Join de Ba~. ~ w ~ d stng deze songs hit ~ouJx1 aj~05t mek you ha r ~ de way ~dem peepl s ~ wc~jld jump en shout t

025 022

~ 4~/ ~ I member wIen sum ob de slaves run tway dunn slavery. I d~nno an~ tales; mah mammywasn t a oman ter talk much. Maybe ef she had bin I Would hab had an easier time. As far. a~ I know de ex-slaves hab had diff ent kinds ob wujc since dere freeduin. No, I amt nebber se d any ghost. jI~ bin in de woods en dark places, but did~~t see nothin en I se not goin ter say I did kaze I might git par lized. I went t~e~ schul one ylar at Fisk in de ylar 1869. De last ~&fl I w~k d fer wuz at de.Link 1~otel. Den I started keepin boarders. Hab fed all deze Na hville police. De police ez de ones dat hepted git deze relief orders fer me. I hab lived on dis street ~fer 60 years. I lived 22 y ars whar de Hermitage Laundry ez. flat ez whar I got de name Mammie. W iles livin dere I raised eighteen chilluns white en black, . . * en sumob dem Iz good ter me now.. ~ .. . - . . . I had sum papah s ~b out mah ag en diff ent ~thing~ but - . w n de back waters got up, dey~got lost. I d1d~ntt hab ter . ~ movebut I kep pray~n en talkln ter de Lawd en I b leeve he Iyeard me fer de water djd~ t git in mah house. I member w en de yellow fever en de choiera wuz yer, in 1870 en 3.873. Dey didntt hab coffins nu~f~ ter put dem in, so dey used boxes en piled de boxes in waggins lak hauling wood. I, se amt worth a dime now wt en bit kUtns ter wukjr~ fer I se amt able ter do nuthin, thoo I can t complain ob mah ~: ~ livint since de relief has bin takin keer ob me. ~ Dis ~young peoples, Oh mali LaWd!. Dey aj~ worth talkin ~ bout. I tries ter shame deze omen, dey drink (I call hit oie ~ . - - ~ ~ r), en d~ s~3c~I:i mean things. I se disgusted at f ter know ter much; en ~ mtithin en

026 023

~ . 5 23 dey dont do nuft wuk. ~ I nebber voted en ~ nothint botit hit. Hab nebber~ had any frens in office . Cain meniber notb.int bout ret gtructon. I hab bin sick en still don feel right. Suintimes I feels krazy. Hab bin tole dat black cat crossin road in frunt ob you wUZ bad luck,. I nebber did b leeve in any signs. Ef I ez ter hab b ad ittok ah 11 hab hi. I b long ter de Baptist Chuch. - De etilored peeples useter hab camp meetint3, en deytd 1a~t fer two weeks Lawd hab mercy did we hab a t:~e at dem meetin s, preachin singin en shoutin En ovuh sum whar neah dey woti ~d be cookin mutt on en diff ent good tb.tng8 ter eat Sum $b de~nwouId shout tu dere throats wo~1d be sore en hit seemed dat su~m ob dem niggahs didnit keer ef dey got home ter wuk ei not. I SUmtime8 Wj8h ferde good oie days. Deze d&ys folks d~~tt hab time fer ~ t Ugion. be dog-gone oie radio en udder thirigs ez : ~ ~ in ~ hi ts plac . ~ ~ ~ ~ Oh Lawdie how dey did bapti Ze d~w~ at de what f~ ~ Baptist peeple wotild gatherat de whaif o~ de fust Sur~1ay in May. ey woti:hl kum furn all de Baptist Chuches. Wou L~ leave de chuch singin en shoutint en keep dat up tu dey got ter de river. Hab seen dem wid new clothes ongit down on de groun en roi . en git covered wid djrt. sum ob dem woijld aimost luze dere clothes, en deyld fall down lak dey wuz dying~ Deze last few y ars dey hab got ter stillsh ter shot~t,

Interview. Precilla Gray. 027 024

INTERVI E~N ~ Precilla Gray 807 EwIng Ave. ~ Nashville, Term. I think I se 1O 7 Y ar~ ol . Wuz~ bawn in Williamson County fore de Civil wah. Guess de reason I hab. libed so long wuz cose I tiik good keer ob rnahself en wore warm clo es en still do,~w ar rnah yarn petty~ coats now, ~ ~Iab had good health ah inah life. Hab tu.k very lettle medicine en de wu st sIckness I eber had wuz small~pox. I se bin a widah bout 70 y ars. ~ Mah mammy dt ed Wt en I wuz young. but mali daddy lihed ~er be 103 y ars oie. I nebber went ter schul a day in mali life, iatied fore freeduin en w en I got free, had ter wuk all de time ter mek a libin fer mah two chilien. 0ne1i~sin California en I lives wid de uther, tergedder wid rnah great, great, grandson, five y ars oie, in Nashville. Mah fust marster en missis. wuz Amos en Sophia Holland en he made a will dat we slaves wuz ll ter be kep among de f~ ly en I wuz heired fuir~ one faxn ly ter noth~r. Wuz owned under de will by Haddas Holland, MISSiS Mary Haddock en den Missis Synthia Ma led Sam Pointer en I 11b cd wid her tu freedum wuz dared. Mali fust mistress had three looms en we had ter mek clothes fer ~ ~~rypne on de plan ashun. I wuz taught ter weav , card, spin en i~J. ~ ter wuk in de fiel s. I wuz feared ob de terbacker ~ at fust but Aunt Frankie went long by me on showed me how ter pull de w urn S~ headoff. Hab housed t~rbacker till 9 o clock at nite. Our ~ niarster whupped us w en we needed hit. I gotmennya whuppin . :~ Marster AflIOS wuz a great hunter en had lots ob dogs en me en ~ mah ~ousln had de job ob cookin dog food en feedin de dogs. One day de marster went buntin en l f three dogs in de pen fer us ter L~4~ ~l ~ ~ - 1 24

028 025

2: 25 feed. One ob de dogs licked out ob de~pan en we got a bunch ob switches en started wearin de dogs out. We thought de marster wuz miles way w en he walked up on us. He finished wearin de bunch ob swltbhes out on us. Dat wuz a whuppin I ll nebber f ergit. W en I wuz heii edter Missis Synthis, I wi.iked in de fiel s tii,2~ she started ter raise chiliens en den I wuz kep In de house ter see atter dem, Missis had a lot ob cradles en dey kep two omen in dat rooxntakin keer ob de babies en lettle chiliens longin ter dere slaves. Soon as dechiliens, wuz seven y ars oie. dey started dem ter nittin . ~ Marster Sam Pointer, husband of Missis Synthis, wus a good man en he wuz good ter us en he fed en clothed us good. We woreyarn hoods, sha ls, en pantletts which wuz nit things dat kwn fum yo shoe tops ter bove yo knees. De marster wuz also a ligious man en he let us go ter~.chuch. He willed land fer a culled chuch at Thompson Station. I longs ter de foot washin Baptist, called de Free Will Baptist. De marster bought mah husband William Gray en I ma ied inidere. W en de Civil wah wuz sta1~tin dere wuz soldiers en tents eve - ~ yWhS2 . I had ter nit socks en he ps mok soldiers coats en dunn de ~ wab,de marster sent 100 ob us down inGeorgia ter keep de Yankees ~ turn gittin us en we camped out dunn de whle three y~ars. I member de Klu Klux. One nite a bunch ob us went out, dey got ~ atterus. We waded a big crik en hid in de. bushes ter keep dem fum~ ~ ~ us. . ~ ~ Habgon ter lots ob camp-meetin s. Dey d hab lots ob good thinC~3 ~eat en fed eberbody. Dey d hab big baptizin s down at de Cumber~ . * and ~ . : ~ :RiAm~~ things. . . . ~ ~i free4.1 :~ ~ 1~r: white folks d~idr~ .~ gib us ~ nPthin ~ We got way - ~ - ~ Id git. Nebber knowed ob any planta~hUUh

029 026

en wuz not oie er nuff ter member de sta rs fallin . Songs we use ter sing wuz, On Jordan s Bank I Stand enCast a Wistful Eye en Lak Drops ob Sweat, Lak Blood Run ~ I Shed mah Tears. I trynot ter think bout de oie times. Hit s bin so long ago so I don member any tales now. I se had a lot ob good times in ~ah day. Our white folks would let us hab bran dances en we d hab a big time. I has nebber voted en I think dat ez a man s wuk. Don t b leeve in signs, I hab allus tho t. whut ez gt~ine t,er be will be, en de only way ter be ez de rite way. Eber since slavery I se cooked ferpeeple. I cooked fer Mr. Lea Dillon fifteen y ars. Wuked at de Union Depot fer/ars. Five y ars J~ C fer Dr. Douglas at his Infirmary en I cooked fer en raised IVIrs Grady s baby. Hab wuked fer diff ent folks ovuh town ter niek mah livin . I ain t bin able ter wuk fer eight y ars. Dunno how rnuchr weigh now, ~ Ihab lost so much.(she weighs now at least 250 pounds). All de ex slaves I know hab wuked at diff ent jobs lak I has.

Interview. Emma Grisham. 031 028

. 410003 : 28 INTERVI~ ~ ~ EMI~A GRI8H~M ~ I 13.18 Jefferson St. . Nashville, Tennessee 1 wUz bawn in Nast~vj1le. I se up in 90 ytars, but I tell dem I se still yo~ing. I lived o~ Gallatin Pike lorig fore de war, en aster se d de so1~iiers ride by. Mah rnarsters name Wu~Z Win. Penn Harding, Mah daddy wl~ sold at Sparta, Tennessee fore I wuz bawri en Marster ~a~:j~g bought im. Mali rnammy~ erready longed ter de. Hard ings. ~ . ~~i~d0~ member much bout slavery I wuz small, but I know I wore a leetle oie slip Wid two er three bottons In : frunt. ~.~ammywoI~j~ wash me en I d-goout fr~mt en play ~ : ~ - . ~ - - ~ - ~ ~ - ~ ~ . - -. ~ - ~. wid de white chi Iluris . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ : W en defightLn got soh avy inah white peeple.~ot ~ ~ ~ sum Irish peeple~ ter live on de plantatior~ en dey went ~ south, leavin tis wjd de Irish peeple, O I ~ wtlZ lee t le e n I gue s s I d Id n! t think mueh bout freedum, lid allus had plenty ter eat en D~inno ob ari~y slaves gittint nuthin at friedurn. :~ our white folks dldntt whup mah peeple~ but de ober- ~ seers whiip d de slaves on uther plantations. ~ UDO yankees had campe on de Capitol bill. En dere W~Z s~)~Uer camps In east Nashville en you had ter ha~ a pass ; t~e2~~ :gtt;thro?0 . - :~:~:. ~ ~ W end pen wuz on 15th en Chttoh, en de ~ .~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ conflc~ts w~~ktd t r~nd de capito I. t~ :-

032 029

29 III went ter schul at Fisk a short time, w en bit wuz neah 12th en Cedar, en a w ile down on Chuch St. Mah teacher a13.t~s bragged on me fer bein clean er~ neat. I d1d~ t git. much schuling, mah daddy wuz lak meat oie folks, he though ef~n you knowd yo a, b, c s en could read a line, dat wuz nuff. En he hired me out. Dunno wiat dey paid me, for hit wuz paid. ter mah daddy. UI w~Z hi;r~d ter a Mrs. Ryne fer ylars, whar de Loveman store ez now. Dere wuz a theatre whar Montgomery Ward store ez, a ~ot ob de theatre peepie roomed en bo ded wid Mrs. Ryne, en d y would gib me passes terde shol en I d slip up in de gailtry en watch de shoe I co~id~ t read a wud but I joyld . goin Mah daddy wuz a driver ter Mr. Ryan. UI nussed fer a Mrs. Mitchell e~ she had a boy in schal. . . One summer ~he went w~. A Mrs. Smith Wid 10 boyswan.ted me ter ataywid heii tilMrs. Mitchell got back.en I staid en laked dem s.o~ well dat I wouli:in go back ter Mrs. Mitchell s. .. t,.1 went ter Memphis en matied George Grisham in I87O~ . He jinned de army, a~ bant leader, went ter San Antonio, Texas en I kuni back ter Mrs. Smith s en stayed til her mammy lost her rninc~. Mah huaband d*.ed in Texas, fum heart tx uble, All h.is th1~ga: WUZ sent back ter me, en eve y month I got a .4~3O.OO pension fer me en maki daughter. W en s~be wuz 16 dey cut ~t dowXie.n:I ~1y git$12.00 now, . . I edj cated fl~ daughter at Fisk; ~ shets bin teachini ~ch~i .siz~c~e 18.93. She buy dis place en we live tergedder. We ~ab good b~alth en both ez happy. I hab a t oman kurn evey ~o~4ay en wash fer ~s. ~

033 030

3 30 De oie songs I member ez: . ~ Harp fwn de Tomb dis Mournful ~ . HAm I a Soldier ob de Cross. 01e signs ez: Dream ob snakes, sign ob detth. Ef a hen crows a 5j~fl ob deith. ~ Sneeze wid food in mou~th means de th. ~ Ef a black cat crosses de road, walk backwards ~tj1 you g t pasl whar hit crossed. Mah parents useter tell lots ob tales buSt I can t think ob dem. Oh honey, I dunno w at dis young peeples ez kuxn n ter. Dey ez so difftent furn. de way I wt~z raised. I d ~ t think much ob di~ white en black mar ages. Hit shou i1~ t be lowed. .ItI 1 long ter de Missionary Baptist. i~ . ~j; i : / ~ ~

Interview. Measy Hudson. 034 031

410(119 ~ ~ INTERVIEW MEASY HUDSON 1209 Jefferson St. Nashville, Tennessee ttWUZ bawn in North Carolina en I se 90 y ars oie in November. W en war broke out we kurn ter Tennessee en hab bin yer eber since. Wuz yer w en old Hood f i rd de cannons. He said he wuz kui~m n yer ter Christmas dirmah, but he didn t do hit. ~ Mah white folks wuz named ilar shaw Mar s ter Aar on Har - shaw d ed en we wuz willed ter his ehilluns en dat w~ wuz not ter be whup d er bused in anyway. We wuz sold, but long fore de war rnah daddy wuz freed en inab manny wuz not freed, but kep a slave. De marster s ~hiiluns wuz small en eber New Dar DaV, we wuz put on a block en hired out ter de high hiddub, en de money spent ter school de niars.terts chill uns. i wuz tole dat sum ob de white peeples wuz so mean ter dere slaves dat de slaves would tek a pot en turn hit down ~in a hollow ter keep dere whites fum yearin dem singint en mi De Ku Klux wuz bad on de ex-slaves at fust . ~ De white folks fore de war had w at dey called Muster en I would go down wid dein. I would dance en de fo3~ks would g ib me mon ey er g lb nie can dy en dur in de war de soldiers wuz de prettiest things. Tt~ot nuthin at freedum en wuz not lookin fuh nuthin . Et mar s ter had I ived he might hab g ib un surnp ~ in He wuz a

035 032

-2 4)4) good man en good ter us. ~ber since niah freedurn, I se wuk d as a laundress. Wuk d fer one fam Iy ob~er 21 ~ ars. Bout t~o ytars ago I lefted a tub, en hui t mahself. I se not able tei wuk now. I hab bin rna ied twice en I se voted three times. I went ter schul at Fisk, a short time, w en hit wuz on 12th Avenue, but I diden git ter go long nuff ter git en ~/ ) ~ edj cation. . Hjj~ fore de Civil ~ar I members de coni~t, Hit wuz lak a big sta r wid along tail. Eve body said hit wuz a sign ob Judgement Day. . Bad luck signs: Ef n a picture falls, hit~s a sign ob de th. - bad luck ter step ovuh a broom - ef a clock stop rurrnint en later hit strike, dat means de th. Sum ~ob de youn.g pe ple terday ez good but sum ob dem don t wan ter be nuthin . De last war ruined mos ob de white en de black. 1 b leeves in de Baptist ligion en longs ter de Bapt1st~ Church, 9th 4\~venue N. en Cedar Street. D white oman I wuk d f1th w~nted me ter ~ de Christian (colored) ehuch. Only song I now members ez On Jordans Banks I Stand. Don t think dis marrin ob whites wid blacks should be lowed en think eve yculor should stay ter hits~sef. ~ i don t member now bout any stories tole back in oie times. Our white folks wuz Christians en tried ter teach us right en dey didan tek up much tinie tellin stories.

Interview. Patsy Hyde. 036 033

410006 ~ ~ ~ 33 . INTERVIEW . PATSY H~CDE. 504 9th Averrn~e N, Nashville Tenne8 see Dunn o how o le I e z I wuz b awn I n s lave ry e n bi longs ter de Brown family. M9.h~ Missis W~Z Missis Jean R. Brown en she wuz kin ter Abraham Lincoln en I useter y ar dein talkiri bout ~ii i livin in a log cabin en w en he dt~ed she had her house draped in black. Marster Brown wuz also good ter his slaves. De Missis promus Marster Brown on his de th bed nebber ter letu$ be whiip d en she kep her wud. Sum ob de oberseer~ on urt aur plantations would tie de slaves~ ter a zt:ak en.gib dem agood whu~ptin fersuinp indey ought n t ter done.r~t ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ AIJ. cul ed peeple wore cotton goods en de younger boys ~ . run round in der shurt tails. Mali Missis nit ail de white CLhiI1U~ stockin en $he made me~uin. I had ter hold de yarn on ~ah hansw eri she wuz nittin . I rneiab rs one time I wuz keepin flies off de table usin a bunch ob peacock feathers en I went ter sleep standin upen she tale me ter go backt~r de kitchen. I went en finish rnah nap. One.day oie Uncle Eii~k woke Marster Brown fum his :. atter-noon napte1li.n ~ ~imdat de prettiest men dat I ever seed Wuz pa s s in by on de z oa4 . He wen t t er de w inder en s a id Go od : ~ ~wd, hitts dem damn Yankees. Mah white folks had a pretty

037 034

-2-. 34 yard en gyarden. Soldiers kum en camped dere. I d slip ter de winder en 1issei~ ter dem. W en dey wuz fightin at Fort Negley de cannons would jar our house. De ~oldier s ban play on Capitol Hill, en play Rally roun de Flag Boys, Rai ly I r oun de Flag . . ~ . De slaves would tek dere ole iron cookin pots en turn dein upside down on de grouri neah dere cabins ter keep dere white folks fum hearin w at dey wuz sayin . Dey claimed dat hit ihowed dat Gawd wuz wid dein. In slavery time peeples b leeved in dreams. I niernbers S OflS nite I dreamed dat a big white thing wuz on de gatepost with- a haid. ~ I tole inah mammy en she said, Gawd wuz warn Ing us De $4 t r ig cer mony in de day s ob s la very wuz by de man en ~ ~ oman jumpin ov~:th a broom handle tergedder. ttl don member much boud de Ku Klux Klan, but I does ~ . . ~ S member seem dem parade one time in Nashville. (She evident ~: ~ ~ ly refersto the Klan s last parade ~n 1869 in Nashvill , immediat ly preceeding the disbandment of the Klan at Foit t &egley.). ~ ~ ~ I members dat de northern soldier s ban would play ~ . lin ion ?erever Rally t roun de Flag en Down Wid de Tra ito~ s en up Wid de StI s enStripes.~ De songs I members ez: I se a Soldier ob de Cross. Follow de Lamb. ~ ~ ~ I Would n ot L ive ll~is . ~ I Axs not ter Stay. N

038 035

~.3a0 :~ ~ 35 ~ . I member w eri de sta~~rs f~e11. Hit wuz so dark en eberbody wuz skeered, en Imernber a comet dat looked lak a big red ball en had sump lri lak a tall on hit. Eber or~e wuz skeered en wuz feard hit would hit degroun en burn de wont up. I xnember~ de fust Street lites in Nashville. W en de lamp mans would kurn round en tite de lamps dey would yell out all ez well en I also members de Southern money goth out en Yankee money ki.~m n in, en also w ewdere wuzn t any coal yer en eve ythin wuz wood en most ob dis town wuz In de WOOdS0 De slaves wuz tole dey would git forty ak rs ob groun en a mule w en dey wuz freed but dey nebber got hit. W en.we wuz free we wuz tuned out widout a thing. Mah grandm ~tmny wuz an 01e mamrnle en de Missis kep her. Atter freedum a. lot ob Yankee iggah gals : kum down yer. en hire out. ~ . ~ ~ W en I wuza yo n,g girl hund eds ob people went ter de wharf~ ~ ~ at de foot ob Broadway on de fust Sunday in May ob eberty year fer ~ ~ ~ ~ de ann~iai baptizin ob new members inter de Baptist~ (culored) churches : i.~ ~ ob de city. Thousands ob white people would crowd both sides ob de Cumberland Riber, Broadwayen de Sp~r1 nan Street Bridge ter witnus de doi& s . On leavin de chuches de pas tor would lead de parade ter de wharf. Dey wo~~i1d sing en chant all de way Thin de chuch ter de : riveT en sum ob de members would be ovuhkuin wid liglous feelin en dey would hop up en down, sin~1nt en shoutin all de time, or may be dey wOuld st~irt ter runnin down de street en de brethern would hab ter run demidown en bring dem back. We useter hay dem ohanip meetin s en dey wuz honeys, en I j enjoy dem too. We wore bandanna handkerchiefs on our haids en long 1~ ~ ~ ovth ou~r shoulders. A1~ dexe meetin s dey had all kinds ob ~ !~ngs ter eat eu drink.

039 036

-4- Atter xnah freeduxn I dwi washirit en Ironin fer white familles. Neber ma rie~. but I neber worries no matter w at happens en dat s may be cause ob mah livin so long. ~ Things ter day ez mighty bad. Not lak de oie days. ~ Won ez gwin ter end soon. . RAtter I got ter feeble ter do washtht en ironin fer mah livin , I went ter de Relief Office tergit dem ter he ps me, . but dey wouldn t do a thing. I had no place ter go er no money ter do wid. Dis culid oman tuk me in en does all she can fer me but now she ez disable ter wuk en I dunno w at ter do. Ef n I could git a small groc~t~ order each week tu I git de oie Age PensiOn ~hit would hetp lots. ~ 36 .. ~ .: ~ ~ ~ :~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~

Interview. Ellis Ken Kannon. 040 037

410011 ~ . 37 ~ INTERVIEW . ELLIS I~EN K~NNON : 328 5th Avenue N. St. Mary s Church . Nashville, Tennessee It1 du~n~o jes how oie I ez. I wu~z bawn in Tennessee a~ a slave. Mah inainhiiy kum frum Virginia. Our i~iarster WuZ Ken Kannofl.tt ..~. ~ Our Mistress .woti1d~tt let us slaves be whup d b~t I member niah daddy tellin bout de Over$eer whuppir~ un en he run way en hid in a log . He tho ~t de blood hound s he heered I bout a half mile way, ort bi~s trail could heer im ~.i ~b athe b~t de ho~~d~ nebber fin ira. Atter dehounds paa ~ . - -~ ~p~~ ~ rnali daddy : ~ fi~ de 1~g hidirit ~ place en~ wien he got ter a blacksmith shop, he se ed a Whjte ~nan wid a nigger who had handcuffs on en w en de white man talc off de han~1cuffs de .: nigger.axed m hdaddy wharhe Wuzgwine er~ he to .e im back ter mah~Mistress en de nigger sezs I ez too. Mah dadcj~ s :i.i pped 1WS~9 ~ furn t im en we nt home ; ~ ~ I*~t en I wiiz a young boy I didn t Wear n thin bu~t a ;;: : .~ ~ ~. :~thi~ ~ lak ai . urthur boys en hit wtiz a 1 ng~thing lak a slip dat kuxn ter our knees. Our Mistres8 had a bi.g flerplace en w en we would ktun In eole she wo~1d say ainit you all cole. (You all was always ~~ed In the plural ~ not singular a~ ~J some writers have It). Wille we wuz w&rmiu she often played E ~ ~~ah fer us ter heer.~ t, . -- ted. Dey let me stay ~ ~) de Marster, wuz ~in

041 038

.2.. 38 bad health at dat tinie, en fore we sta ted ter de graveyard, I put a feather be~ :ln de car age en got a pitcher ob water ready en fore we git dere she got awf~1 sick. . Durint slavery de slaves had~er keep quiet en dey wou d turn a kittle tipside down ter keep de white folks. yearin dere prayers en chants. VV en a slave wanted ter go ter nother plantation he had ter hab a pass. :Ef dey disobeyed dey got a whuppin, en ~f, dey had a pass wido~t de Marsters signature dey . g ot a whuppin . ;~L~ ~ terhab~assesnowdere ~ be no ineaness. I ruemb e r d e K lu K l~x K 1a~ kumi n te r rnah d I s honie axi n ~ ~z__~___ .. ~.. fer water en dey would keep us tobin water ter dem fer fifteen . ter twenty minutes. Dey did~ t whup~~~ hurt any ob us. I also memb r tyearin mah matrjrny~ en daddy tellin us bo t.d sta rs . . - . ~ ~( . - fallin :1 member de com t. Hit wi~jz a big~ball en had long tail~ .. . . . . . . . .. . . .. s ~ ~ UI hab ye.rd .deni tell bout Mr. Robertson. He wuz mean - ter his slaves en de~y ~ Zs dey could see a ball ob fier i~o11in .. . on de fericeen w en dey wou3i~ git ter de spring, a big white thing lak a d ogwould crawlur~er de rock. De slaves WUZ natur ally superstitious enb leeved in dreams, oie sayings en sIgns. I hab mahse fse edthings dat I ain t onderstan Hab a ~ost seen de thir~gs dat (apostle) John seed. . D~.tnno nt~thin bout a~y ob de ex- slaves voting er de Nat Turner tBelliofl.H Atter freeduxn ruos ob de slaves wuk d fer dere livint jes &~ I ez, De men in de fiells, de on~en in d house. I wiiJ~ d at a 1~otel in MeMinnville en one day, I wuz keepir~ de flies off de table wjd a br~tsh made trum fine stri P8 Ob papah e n de str~g ~ ~

042 039

3 O~ 39 broke en hit fell on de table, One man jumped up grabbed a cheer sayint aht U knock you. down wid dis cheer. De slave t pected ter git 40 akers ob land en a mule but nobody eber got hit a~ fur ag I know. We didntt git nuthin. Our white peepie wuzzent able ter gib us anyting. Eve ythint dey had wuz tuk dunn de wah. Dei wuz good ter t~s en stuck wid us en mah peeple stayed wid mali Mistre ss .~ Dis yo x~g gineratshun ob niggers, I c .are dey ez jes !botzt gon . I~ey wontt wuk, alit ~ steaiint eR mabe wt~k long nuff ter g~ta fewciotb.es ter strut rou~ in. I ~ay be wr ong but dat e Z ~nah hone t pi ni on ~ - De songs I member ez:. DeOlesbipobZion. .~ Do You ThinkYou ii be Able ter tek me Home.~ - II has bin yer fifteen ytars en hab waked onder two Priests en flow wukin under de thixd. De~y hab all bin nice ter me. Hab - neber had any trubble wid.wblte peeple en you d be spriz~ how good~d y eZ ter rue. . De7 do~ t treat me laka nigger.~ ~ ~ - ~1~rsince I got mah freedurn en fore I got disch~ch job~ I aun all k1i~s ob odd jobs, waited on tables, pressin clothes e)~ ~flytib~ else dat kurn t long, but sum jobs wuz small pay but hit ke:P me t live ~ ~ a~y slave upriaints. Ourpeeple wuz good ter us~tt ~ : f ~

Interview. Scott Martin. 043 040

410001 . 4() INTERVIEW . SCOTT MARTIN 438 FlfthAVe., No. Itse 90 y ars oie arid wuz bawn in slavery In Sumner County, Tennessee and I b long to Marster Dr. Madison Martjri~. an mah Misses Mary. And I ~J~ d wid de stock an wuz de houseman. t,1 hab neber been In any truble, neber rested en neber bin in jail. I knows how ter behave,~but de your~g peeples ob terday am dun rite en dey dont tmou:nts ter much. Dai am a few dat am all rite. In de ol days dey wer bettuh . ..~ .. dan. df~ ez te~day. De white and black b~her not mairie. I has vQted two times, but I disremembers who I ~. . . voted fer. ~ber hadney frens in office en I n~br met any .~of: de Klu Klux men. 1 didn go.out i~u h en I neber wuz~ kotch d wien I~did git. out.: ~ heered lots tbout nigger . uprisln but dey wuz away off. . .~ . . ~i!.i b loz,g ter de Missionary Baptist chuch an I usetcr preach in mah chuch ouse en udders w en cafled. Once a ~ y ar I wud be at de Cumberlaxid Riber wha f n baptiz culled peeples all ~ We useter hab camp t j~ de oledays en hab good things ter eat en I would preach all day. I went ter schul two sessions enden I w nt to wuk. . ..:~ ..n.~ rneib er de fust street. kai line that run on East : ~ f Ci rb;e~t,landiibex ter East end ob de oie wood bridge dat de any Settlers build. X~e kars wer pulled by hosses ~ I

044 041

~----~- - ~ -~ .-~-- -..-~.~ . .~. ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ ~ ~:$~L~_~ ~ Interview, Scott Martin - continued. . 2~ 41 t mules De whites ~ en blacks mixed tergedder en den d law made de whites rid in frunt en the blacks in de rearuh. I think dat wuz rite, but sum bb mah race wuz mad tbout hit. I wuz on a kar one day and mules run d tway en de ole red mule got loose frum de kar en run d ober a mile fore dey ketched him en dey br ot t im k en de t t on I members de oie L & N Railroad on de East side. W en my folks wud ride de ti~in dey had ter hold me tite or I wuld git way fruni dem en run en hide thind sum logs. ~ I wuz geartet ter ride on de kars. . J~tter freedum de slaves hadtn no truble ter go whar dey t . Menny. t but menny stay wid der oie marsters . I stay wid xny marster tell he d ed. I dexrkum ant lib wld mah daddy on Lebanon~ Road. Atter dat I libed on Gallatin Road an den I kuxn ter Nashville, ant ~ widpict and. shovel ~- on st.reet , wewers an~ udder jobs. I heered dein sez datde slaves wud-git lan , hose, money er sumpin but I neber heerd ob nobody gittin nuthint. Dere wuz not slave rai~iings eroun ~~ar I wuz. ~ ; De fallIn attars wuz fore mah time, but Itse heertd inah daddy t ol e ~ b out hit I s et d de e orne t w id hit shinn t tail an I fust b leevd sumbodyput hit up dere. ~Good luck sign wuz wten a stray cat kuiri ter 3~0t house an ataydere. Bad luck sign wuz a bl~ek kat crossint y~t path infrunt ob yer. Ter ke p frurn havint de bad luck yo! back up pas whar hit crossed yer path en den spit an yer ~ hab no bad luck.~ ~ ~ ~ . .~ ~ I ~ ~

045 042

Interview, cott Martin cor~tinued. 3. 42 Dem air ships luk nice but dey ez spoke boud in de Holy Bible, dat sum day dere wud be flyint ththgs in de t h ant I think dat dese things am i te otOniobeels kiver nuder passagt in de Bible which seze de peeple 11 rid on de streets widout hosses en mules. Mah fav rite songs amitI Gwine to Jin~ de (ftdeon Band, 1 and. !K ~ep Y o Lits ~unnin t Ter oie now ter wuk ant inah haid don se m ter be tergedder an Itse gits hetps frum de Welfare.

Interview. Ann Matthews. 046 043

410()12 INTERVIEW ANN MATTHEWS 719 9th Ave. South Nashville Tennessee i WUZ bawn iii Murfreesboro on Stones River. I ~ how oie I ez en hit meks me tshamed ter tell peeple dat, but mah mammy wo~id hit me in de mouth w en lid ax how oie I wuz. She sayl WUZ jes tryin ter be grc~n. Mah mainn~t s naine wuz Frankie en ~ah daddy wuz Henry Ken Kannon. Don meinb r much bout mah ma~mniy cept\she wuz a sho t fat Indian oman wld a turrible tempah. She d ed, durint de war, wid black measies.t~ Mah daddy wuz part Indianen COU d~ t talk plain. W en he go ter de store he d hab ter put his han on wtat b want ter buy. He d ed eight months fore de ~ Ourmarster en mi~sis wuz Landon en Sweenle Ken Karmon. Dey wuz good t r us, en we hadtn good things ter eat. 1 member de Yankeeen Southern soldiers. One day me en mah young missis, en sum chiliuns Went up ter de road en w~ se?ed 5~yan~kee soldiers ktimin~, I cium ed on de fence, de ~ ~ _ ~____*~_~ urthurs run way en iid. One ob de sokljers sezs ter me, Lettie girl who wuz dat wid. you, en I SeZS, Hit wuz Miss Puss en sum chiliuna. He iaug~ed en sezs, You ez brave ai~t you?t Our missis let us go ter chuch. I I long ter de chuch Qb Christ.n i ~ ob but one slave dat got lani er nothint w en freedum Wt~ I lared. We ~ didni t git nuthin at freedum Mah daddy went back in de woods en built us a saplin house en

047 044

. ~ 2 44 dobbed b~tt wid mud. Atter freedum ~ah daddy went way, en we chilltrns ~t9id in dat house in de woods b~y oursel s. Dere wuz two weeks we didnlt see a bit ob bre d. I went up wiat ez called de nine ruile c~t noah Tullahoma, en axed a t ~flafl ef she would let us hab sum bretd. She.gib me sum meat en bre d, en tole me ~ ter kuxn back. I went ba k home en we et suxnptth, en I went back ter de toma~Is house, she gib tue a sack ob flour en a big piece ob midlint mea-t. We wuz skeered, beint dere lone so I would $et up wjl mali br ers slept de~ ltd sleep :~n de daytime. One nite ~ knocked at de ~gjj~ren hit wuz mah daddy en he had two sacks ob food, en de urthur chulluns got up en we et a big meal. . - - uI~ useter yer de folks talk bout de sta rs fallin but dat-hap-pen fore I !~Z bawn, tti~didr~It go ter schul,niahdaddjwoukUnt let me. Said he needed me in de fiel wors de~ I ne ded schul. - I wuz allus ~ ~ - ~ sassy en st~bbun-. I run way furn inah daddy en kwnter Nashvi 11e ~ 1 ~ stayed at a~~ahul~ort~Franklin Pike, run by Nrs. McGathey0 I. wuz de only ctU ed person dere. Dey wuz good ter me en eve y ~hrismus i ~ git a big box ob clothes en things. - In Manchester de Klu Klux Klan wore big high hats, red bar~1kerohiefs ondere faces en red covers on dere hosses. Dey tu.k two niggers out ob jail en hung dem ter a chestnut tree, One nite Wien I wuz gwine wid ~ jab~ daddy fu:rn de fiel home, . . we met s~rii ob de K.K.K. en dey said, Ain t you out late Henry? En who ez dat gal wid you? Mali daddy said, ~&e ez gwine home turn wuk, en di~ eZ mali daughter. Dey said, ~1har has she bin, we aj~ t nebber seted her.t He told dem, I d bin in Nashville, ~Dey Said de~ ~ be back dat riite but we djd~ t see dem. ~t ~

048 045

- 3 . 45 Wien I wu.z in Manehester I promus de Lawd I wou .dint dance. But one nite I wuz on de ball floor, danein f~ij one end ob de room ter de urthur en sump in seZs go ter de dote; I didn t go right den en gin b1t~ sezs you ez not keepin yo promus. I went tei~ de doter en you could pick a pin off de groun bit WUZ so light. In de ~ky wuz de prettiest thing you ebber seted, so many culors, blue, white, green~ red en yellow. S n Since rx~eedum t se wuked wid diff exit peeple cookint en keepin house. I se de man~ ob three obilluns. Two ob dem ez . tway fuin tyer, en I live yer wjd mali daughter. S ~11 songs, I member ez: ~ . .5 S ~ ~ D . w~z d e Ni t e. . S ~ S ~ ~ ~ Live wid Gawd ii rever Bye en Bye . ~ . ~ ~ Fuiri dis Earth I go Oh Lawd W at Will tkum ob Me . - 55 ~ yer wanit me ter tell yo~ de tru!? ~ I think de young S peep leez notlith . Dey think dey ez sxnaht. Most ob deex- slaves ~ S S ~ ~ ~ se knowed has c5ooked en n~aed done laundry wu1k; wuked in - :. fieltsen diff ent things. - . . ~ 5. 5 5 . -5 - 5 : : ~ ~ Itse~neber voted en hab neber paid a~y ttention ter de niggers gittin ter vote. Don t b ~bany frens in political .~ office. Can t member ar~ tales er signs. S ~ .1 d~~tt b leeve in dese mixed whjte a~d black families en bit shouJilfltt be lowed Dunn s lavery d e . white folks didni t want de niggaha ter sing en pray, but dey would turn a pot down en meet atde pot in de nite en sing en pray en de white folks wou dn t yer dem. S Ef a slave d ed de white folks wouldn t let no body set up widd~body toept de niggers ob dat plantation, but urthur : ~ . -slaves WOUld slip in atter dark, -set up en den slip back ter ~ de~e piantation tfore day.

049 046

1H ~Wten I useter go ter camp meetin dey had big dinnahs en spreadhit on de groun Dey preached, sung, shouted en eve yb dy had a good time. ~ Fu,m de camp meetin s dey wou1~ go ter de wharf en baptize. Dey would tie handkerchiefs troun dere haids. Wien dey wuz dipped under de water sum ob d~n wo~1d kum up shoutin . . . ~TALE ~ one time de preacher w~z inde river fixin ter baptize a man. Evetybody wUz singin oie time ligion. A oman sung, ~i do~ lak dat thing I I4nd yo . Bout dat time de pahson en de udderu~anse d a~ alligator. De parson seZs, No~By-God I bon tEither. Heturned de man looseen dey both run way. : ~ ~ *. ~ ~ ~ L . . ~. . .~. : ::~~: 4 46

Interview. Rev. John Moore. 050 047

~. 4 OOJ~6 ;~. .~ - INTERVl~ V~ REV. JOHN MOOI . . - . 8.097th Avenue So. .~ Nashville, Tennessee i WUz bawn in Georgia (ezact time not known) en mah rna~n~riy wu~z ha ! Indian en ~ah daddy a slave. Both ob dem owned by Will~ain Moore.. Sum time atter dat Marster Moore Sok:L mah daddy en den de Moore 3istuhs looked atter me en wuz allus good ter rue. Lawd~y, dey wuz good white folks, : t?D~rjflt s3.avery tixnes de slaves would hab ter git furn dere marster a past fore dey could visitdere ownpeeple on O ~ de uth~i~ plantations. Ef n you had no. pass you. would git in . - - t1~buble. ef oa~ght wjd. out ~ one whteh allus nient a goc$ whuppin ~ : ~ ~ deyretu ~ned.~ At dat time menny slaves woui~ n.m Way en - - bj.de.iri caves en menny ob dem would go by de onder~roun railrOad ter Canada whar slavery Wuznot recognized. ~ (The underground rai iroad .3onsisted~ f~ hidIng- places throu~bout the states to Canada a~ I;he slaves woi~ld make. the trip under cover from station to statiori.)~ ~ ~ De slaves *uld slip out atnjte ter private nieetin s en turn a pot bottom up on de groun en leave a little hole under ~ ~ hit so de ~ ob dere talkint WOUld go onder de pot en rio one ~ would tyear whut dey wuz talkint bout. ~De ex 8laves ob de better class did vote ende white peeple stack wid de good culled folks. I d~~I member now IboUt de ~at Tur~ier tBellion.U . 3 1

051 048

2 48 Atter freedum de slaves wuz t lowed ter stay on de plantation en t lowed ter farm en gib half dey made. Atter ~s1avery I useter wuk fer fifty cents en g t a peck ob meal, three pounds ob bacon en a quart ob syrup~ which would 1a51 a week. De Ku Klu.x Klants plan wuz ter whup all white er cul ed people dat djdn~t stay at home en support dere families butwould run roun en live a bad life. W e~ de Klan would be pas$inI through de slaves would call dem ghostus. One nite mah br ~r en me wuz sleepin in de dining room. Su~mpin woke us ~n we 800d suxnpin dat kuni through de ~ar~f en got hold ob sum blocks. Dat thing didntt hab .. no haid en dIdn t hab no tale en looked lak hit w~Z backini up on all fot~ legs. Nex mawnin we could fin no tracks ob whuteber hit ~wuz ~ de~ gate wuz also fa3ened . Dis young peeple~ cordin ter de Bible ez on de broad road ter ruin. Dey think dey eZ a~ good a~ dewhite peeple but dey ez classed as niggahs in mali eyes. ttCajnt member any- ob de oie songs now.

Subject - ex-slave stories. 052 049

j . . : ~ 410022 Pa~e~I~ ~ jnttrew Moss # 88 Au,biirn Streets . . Knoxville Tennessee . One tine th~t s all wroxi~ wid dia world today, according to Andrew Moss,aged negro, as he sits throi~h the winter days before an open grate fire *~ in Ms cabin,with his lox~ lean fingers clasped over his crossed ~rnees, ~ is dat dey alu no prayer .~rounds . D ~i in Georgia ~ I was born, ~dat was twev back in 1852, us colored folks had prayer Erou~ ds. M~r ~iarmnyts wa~ a oie twisted thick- rooted muscadine bash. She d go in dar and pray for deliverb.nce of de slaves. S0~~ colored folks cleaned out knee~s2o~s in de cane breaks.Gane you know, grows high and thick, and. colored folks could hide de seves in dar, an no~pdy ~could see an oester em.~1 ~Tou see it was jes like dii. Dunn de war, an befo de war too, white folks make a heap o fun of de co .oredfolks for allti~e prayin. $ornetime,say, you was a. slai~ en. you git down to prey in de field or 1~r de side of de road. White Marster c ~ie !lo~g and see a slave on his knees~He say,~What you pr~in ~ bout?9 An you say, Oh,Marst r I se jes prayin to Je~tis cause I wants to ~o to Heaven when I dies . t ~ Marster say Youse my negro . I git ye to Heaven .Git up of ~ n you.r knees.t De white folks what owned slaves thought t1~at when dey go to Heaven de collored folk s would be dar to wait ~n ein. An e~ n itwas A Tank come io~, he say ~ you nraint bout? You cives de same sponse. ~ n he say, We se gwine save you.We goin to set you free.You wants to be dont t I Te ss ir Bo s s J t . twel 1 den Yank say c orne go ~ I ong d. ~ ~ me . Am no use keep yi please sir ss I I hare to ar sk xny !~as te r Yank L~y, what ~oumean Marster? Youai::t ~ot no MarsterWe s settin yoi~i -~

053 050

Page-2 - A~drewMoss- ex-~Elave ~ . 5() t Sornetimes &y take s a~\ tie a rope round you, and they start s ridi n off but dey d~i~t go toc fac so you walks behind . Sometimes long comes another Yank on ~ horse en he arsk, Boy -ainyou tired~ Yessir ~o~*I *ell den you git iip here behind me and ride some ~ Den he wrop de rope all round de saddle horn.~ roi~s and~rops, but leaves some slack.Bu.t he keer~ ~rou tjed,so s you wont jump &o~n and. run away . An many s de t iiae a ~ negro got took off like dat axid. waflt never seen no more ~ ~ t ~ourse ef n you goes wid em,you member your trainin e~nd fore you ~ leaves de field, you stacks your hoe nice like you was ii de days work. : Dey learned t~ie little une to do da.t,soon s dez ~iegins to work in de fields. Dey had little hoes, handles bout de size of fly arm,for de little fellers. I ve walked ~ E~ ~itle, when I wa~ a little feller,up and down de rows, followin de grown folks, an chopping wid de hoe round de cor~eis whar de earth was soft so de little ~mns coi~ld hoe easy. WhoQpeel Let dat dinner horn - blow, and ei,~r bo~.y staeks dey hoes, iii~ice,neat ~t.acks standin up, and starts to run. Some eats in dey owr~ Cabin&, but dem what eats at debi~ house, sets down at a lon table, ~nd gets good grub too. Evy night, our Marster give ; us evy one a glass o whiskey.Dat s to keep off decease. Mornins we had to ~ all drLziktar water for de saine Duri~ose.Dat want so tasty. ~ ~i My Jlarster s name Wa s George Hopper .Dat maxi paid tazes On more n ~ . : tWOthOtL~4Lfl~ acres of land in two counties. I lived in 4em two eouuties.Was .. born ~ ~ i .~es and~ ra~E~ed in. Li~DQln C~~ounty.G~eorgia. We called it de middle- .s s~ith, My Marsterhe never did marry,Lots of folks clicint, dey jes took u~p wid I. ~e anotb~er. ~rs.ter Ropperhad five children by.my grandmother.~he was his~.~ I. ho~~w9~flau~ d4t~ I~tat he call er. Au when he died he willed her an all dem I.~ chi1lu~sa w~ise,Ls~.e I~ a$alittle m9n y.~e d of left ein aheapmore~ L ~ am; .u4 b~ o~ie ~ ric~~t ~n ~ ~ count ~ y ei t~ de w~.r hac it broke out ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ :~a~v3?e~~ ~i~U b~ ~ed~e~rat e greex~backs .But t wau t nc~ C omit. L~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~. ~ z: ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ :~ :. : ~. ~H ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ -

054 051

Anclre* Moss- ex-~s1ave Page-3-- 51 He done broke den . One day my und e he was tue c olored overseer I~ie went to Danbury six i~i1e s from whar we lived at and he paid $5 for a pound of f coffee. Dat was befo de North whu ped de S~~th, a~id dey had n killed-down de money value for de South.~ ~ u Talk about hard times ! We see d em in dem days d de war and most specially after de ~urrender.~~o1ks dese days dont know what trouble looks like. We w~s g1~d to eet ash~ -cak s and. driak parched corn and rye stead o ~offee.I ve seed my grandmother ~ o to de smoke house, a ~d scraDe u.p de dirt whar de meat had drapped, and take ~t to de house fer sea~onin. You see, both armies fed. off n de white folks, and deycleaned out dey b~rn~ and cellare ai d smoke houses when dey corne. One tirne~when de Yanks ~as or~ de way to Au~ iista,I was pickiu~up chips to make ti~e supper fire,when I see o em comin . I hit it out froia dar and hide behind two little hills down by de big spring. After awhile n~y brother find me and he tell ~ne to co~e on ~backto the house and. see dem white inen dance. De Yanks kep comin and dey~ eat all ~~ight.By daylight t:~cy was through marchin past. ~ ~ - t, A~ den c ze de ~e~ls . When dey c orne we bad five-thousand bushel of corn, one hundred head o hogs, three~-hundred arid fifty galons of sirup en sech. !~xi dey left, they to~ an set fire to evything, to keep it away ~ y from the Tanks, aimin to starve em out o dat coimtry. Dat s wmnat de/done~. ~dem H Some of ~ Rebs wa s mean as the Yanks . And dat Wa s i mean . Some c~led de Yanks ~ I de Hornets C ause ~ dey fig~nt so . Take a Yank an fight acrost a bJ~z saw. and it circlin fifty r~iile a minute.~ t Dat time ~ when the Yanks was goin to Augusta, ~ I went to ~.ack my :: Marster s boot, he d giv~us a twocent~peice, big as a quarter for boot blackin I say, Marster who is dem soldiers? A~ he say to rae ~ s de Yankees, come totry to take you ~ from me. ~n I say,~~Looks like to me Marster, ef n d.ey wants to take us d~y~d arsk you fer iis.t Marster laughed and say, Bo~r1Dem ~ ~ Wid words. Dey does all t4ey tancin wii cannons . ~ f ~ ~ ~ ~

055 052

Andrew Moss- ex-~s1ave. *Page~4~ ~ Did you know tliat a white woman shot de first cannon dat was ever fired in de / state o Georgia? She wa~ e yankee~o1one1 s wife,dey say, namedMiss ~nna,I dunno the rest o her naine. She wants to be de first to fire a cannon she say, befo to set the negroes free . Dat was ~ de war begin. De roar of dat cannon was in folkes ears for more~ri five days an& nights. -- .~ Uncle Andrew gave a little grunt as he lifted himself out of nie chair. His little frame see~ied lost in the broa~bou1dered lumber jacket t~i:i~t he wore. He hcd laid aside the paper sack from which he had been eatin~,when the visitor came, and. removed an old stocking cap from his head. Whenthe visitor s~~ested that he keep lt on, as he might crtch cold he rer~1ied, I dont humor myself none. The sunlight fell upon his head and shoulders as he stood, to steady himself on his feet.Traces of his ancestry of Indien blood,-~one of his grandfathers was a Cherokee indian, were evident in bis features. His skin is jet blaek,but his forehead high arid. his nose straight, with nostrils only slightly full. there was dignity in his bearing and beauty in his face,with its halo of cotton white hair and beard,cut short and neatly parted in the middle of his chin. Walking about the roorn,he called the visitoTs attention to family por traits on th walls.Some were colored cra~ons, and. a few~re n1ar~ed sna~ shots. Proudly he pointed to the photograph of a hi~e sized Negro man,apparently ~ in his thirties, and said, He was our first coinins Reckon he took after his great grandd~c1dy, vtho was eight feet tall and w ighed twe-hundred. ana fifty pounds. That rn n s arms was so long, when dey hung down by his side, his fingers was below his kne s. ~iis grandfather was free-~born.My father,Dave i~os~, he was sold three tithe~4Te bed twenty~five children. But he,had. two wives. As I aforesaid, . folks ~ d~It always marry in dem days,jes took u~ wid one another. ~ ~43P~ mother ~was hIs t~itle~~ wife. ~r her, h jes~had rae thid my two full-~brothers an one sister My mother died two years after ~4e wer ~y father cive y L sister to my gr~andmother.Jes give ~ er to l ~.N

056 053

Andrew Moss ex-~1~ ire page~-5-s ~? r o ~ Jt) u How come I live in Knoxville, I was a young r~n, when I sterted off from Georgia, airnin to go over de mountains to Kentuc1~y whar I heard dey pay good wages. I stopped in Campbell coi.rntry,Tennessee wid another feller, &n~. I see d a pretty gRJ. workjn in de field. An I s~y s,I rn goin to marry dat ~a1. Sh~ nou~h me an her was married in less dan six months. Her Marster build ~ ~1 iO~ house cnd we lived dar till we come to Knoxvilie,Tenne~see. i~ow, all o my boys is dead..by one o em worked for ~r.~eters ( Peters and ~radley ~1our Mills, of K~oxvi1le) - and. dey all died. worin fer him~ ~o Mister illie, he say he gwine let ne live here, in de compax~r house, the rest o my days.U The four room frame house stands near R creek at the dead. end of a~ elley on which both w~riites and ne~ioes live.The huge double bec~ neatly made, stands between two windows from vthich there is an u~obstru~cted view of the highway traversin~ north and south th~ou~h northern Knoxville, several blocks away from Andrew s home. I jes lay down on d~t ~bed nights and watch them autimobiles flyin by. Dey go Blip~ Bliptand Blip! ~n I say to my self,tWptch them fools! t polkes am got de sense dey s born wid.Mn smart like dey used to be.An times aTh Eood li~e dey was. Ef n ~it ~dnt been for some of dem crazy fools, actin up and smarty, me an my wife d be ~ittin r~rbe ~ k~i~tered ~n more dollars ~ month, stead.o the fifteen we ~its ttwe~ .. n us for oie ~e help. They ci ought te let Rosevelt rdone.An its his own folks as is fitin~ im.TTe is a big man even ef he is a Democrat. I m a 1~epub1ican though. Voted my first time for Blaine.H Yes I votes sometimes now, when dey coa~e ~it~me. An befo I ~ot sick, I would ride the stree.t car to to~n.An I goes down to de Court. House, and when . . I see dem cannons in deyard I Cain: keer from cryin~. My wife arsk me what make ~ . me ~o look at dem cannon ef n dey make s me e ry .Xn ~ I t ei i s her I ~ e ~ ~ bout : de good 8nd de bad. times dem c~n~on bringed us.Bu.t no canams or riothin else, seems like going to bring oack de good old times Bit I dont worry bout all d.ese things mtich.Accordin to Lie Good. Book s promise, weepin may endure for ~ L

057 054

Andrew Moss ex slave P~e-6- H 54. den come joy in de mornin. An I knows dat de da s soon corne when I goes to meet my folks ar~d i~ Lord ~ri M8rster in his Heaven, whar dey am no more weepin. : .: ~ : ~ ~ ~ :: ~ : ~

Subject - ex-slave stories. 058 055

4 1 (~r~~) .~ ~ page- I SUBJECTS- EX-SLAVE STORIES ~ ~ J Aunt Mollie Moss # 88- Auburn Street, Knoxville Tennessee There is no street sien or a numbero~ any of the ramshackled frame cottages that seemingly lean with the breezes, first one direction, then an~ other, along the a11~ that wind s through the city s northernmost bo undary and stops its meanderings at the doorstep 0 Uncle Andr~w Moss and. his wife, Aunt Mollie. The City Directory of Knoxville,Tennessee officially lists the Moss residence as ~ 88 Auburn Street. It rests uron its foundations more substan~ tially, and is in better ke~t condition than its neighbors. In lieu of a reg~larli house ~ mmiber, the aged. negro couple have placed a rusty automobile lisence tag of ancient vintage conspicuously over their door. It is their jesture of contempt for their nearest white neighbors who dont seem to care whedder folkees know whar dey lib an maybe don wants e~ii to. As for Aunt 1~ollie, she holds herself superior to all of her neigh bors. She 0Ain got no time for po white trash no~ay.) 1She shoo ed two little tow-headed white girls~from her doorstep with her broom as she stood in her door and watched a visitor ap~.roach. G~ wan way friim here now,cau be bodder wid you chi .lun messin ups my front yerd.Take yo tinge an go on back to yo o~n placel Dat s way dey do she m~m~nled as she lead the vi s i to r ins ide the cottage,through the dinin~g~room andkit~hen into the livin~~x~om and- bedroom. n ~ c~ow what I g*ine . do when e orne si~mtner t tine .Keeps me all t ime lookin out f r dem chiilwis~Dey s dat troublesome. Brings trash in on my flo ~~hat I jes ~ sc ~a ed~, anirnisses roun, maybe tryi~nto*steal ~uxiizin an me watchin em too. k Dey wasut teacheci. ~n~ei~ ~n izvior in o~d~er folkses houses like what1 I ~r N ~ ~

059 056

.. EX-~slave stories Page-2 :~ 5(3 Aunt Mollie Moss, # 88 ~&iiburn St,Knoxville,Tenn When .~imt Mollie learned that it was to hear herstory of how she was trained in manners and behaviorism, that the visitor hacL come, and to hear something of her recollections of slave dais, her belligerent mood vanished. . . . The satisfied manner ~rJ which she drew up chairs before the fire, t~k~ a pinch of snuff anci settli her ~kirts, indicated that was going to be quite a session. She leaned her elbo~ws on her knees, held her bead between the palms of her hands and fumbled in her cloudy meniory to gather a few facts to relate. lanle Andrew,the more intelligent of the two, and. cpi.ick to seize u~on his o~Dortunity,began his reminiscences izi~iediately, saying Honey, wait now,~ when his vcife thought herself well organized to talk, and frecaently broke into his n~.rrative. Wait untell I gits throu~h.Den jou C&n talk. Aunt Mollie would frown and grunt,raunble to herself a~ she ro ked back and. forth in her chair. She pulled the two long braids of brown silky h~r, stre~ked ~th white, ~nd . ~ tied at the ends with cotton strings. 8he spat vigorou.sly into the fire,keot~ iriatterixg ani shuf lir~. her feet,~bich wer~ncaseU in men s shoes. At~ lest it canie ~int Mollie s turn to talk war titaes.Ua~cIe Andrew,well pleased with his recital, rstired to his~corner by the hearth and listened ffi~~rdlytt after first warning the visitor in a gentle undert ne, that ~ wife she am got r~xu~h me&ry a~ sii~ don hear good. Aunt Hollie s rambling reminiscences backed up his statement. She began. t, Reckon I mus be bout eighty~-two,three year old. I dwino exactl~~. E:t I knowed whar to find ein, deys some my white folkes lib in die to~t.Seen like ~I can member dey names. I b lon~ged to Marster Billy Cain, and was raised on ~ . his farm in Campbell c ounty, Tennessee. Oh, ~ bout six seven mile from Jacksboro. .~ Wish I could go back dar some tiiue. Am been dar sence me an Moss married an live e~ght,ten or sone more years in ~ log cabin he btiilt for us ~4e was flz~rried. March 7, &e d.ay atter Cleveland was lected. presi~-d.ent. In 1885 did ~ ~ ~ ~t~1jL ~

060 057

. Aunt Mollie Moss . ~ . . r #88 ~ ~i. hirn ~t Knoxville Wenn.. Page-.3- you say ? Weil, reckon youtre right. I ahi h~d no schoolin an I Can member lots o tines I used~ to know.~ .. . Billy ~ worked me in de fields. A~ his wife MissNancy say she ~wine stop it, cause I was so pretty she fraid somebody come st~l me.~ Aunt Mollie ~zuried her face in her apron and had a good lai.~h. fley aid I was de pretties girl anywhars about.H~d teeth jes like pear1s.Whoops~Look at em now. Am ~ot nuff left to chaw wid. You notices how tight com~lected I is? My own father was a full-blooded eherokeeindian. De Yanks captured him an killed him. S t, I was hoein in de fiel d. dat t ime ~o s s c om long ~ n . see me and say he swine marry me. An,jes like he tell you, we was married in less d~an six months. . We been liirTh togedder evy ince and we dits a,ion~ good.We have had. blessins al1d~ got a lot to be th~kful for. Could. have more to eat sometimes,but we sits alone someways. ~I~am a good cook. i~.1iss NL~flCy ~ teached me ail kInds o cookin, puttin up i~erries,zn~kin pickles andbakin bread and cake ~n evy ting. Her oie man Cain give us good ~ dem days.Monday mornins~ we ~o to d.e 0~ins to.. ~it -S rations for de week. Dey ~ib us three pounds wheat, a peck o meal, a galon o molasses, two pound o lard, two pound o brown sugar, rice an evy ting. I use to h&ve plates an china. white folks ~ib me. White woman corne one de~r,say. she wan boa: em. Took plum ni~L~ all ~ had.Didtn pay ni~e ma h o xxthin either.~~ . 0Yes,Lord.. I does ~mber bout de war. I ve see cI de blue an It+e see cI. J . d~~rey. In 1862 1 sse d de soldiers formin in line.I was a greet bi~ girl. . f Dem. sworde ~lisen like stars. Can meniber whar dey was goin dat time. But I f .a4~u forgit de..timee soldiers come fora~in. Dey got all dey wented, to3,Hep f dey sef s..an ~ont.pay.,for, .it,.never. Soldier see a chicken go i.u~der de house, . . . . ~ piop....,down aud....shoot .. ~ : den call me.. to crawl under ~ house and~. fetch it. .. ~ ~ A.. . . \ ... 55 ~ .~ . - oust, u*t MOllie buried her head. in her apron again &id lau~ed litce a chuck. ~~o~d7 ~OW ~ I was o~ de o~d ~a~4er d.at bli~wed at ine,whilst I wa~ tr~ru~i ~ ~ ~ I~ ~~e* o. cia aoL4iers eomiu

061 058

A.u.~t Mollie Mo ss ex~ sla ye ~ ?age 4-. ~ .. ~ 58 # 88 A~abirn St., Knoxvi11e,~enn. ft mlly Cain, he was briadder- in law to O1d~ To~vnsIee, who lived on a plantation in ~1ab~ma. How come my mother was give to Cain axi co~~e to Tennessee, w~ one zuornin Old Townslee rode his horse out under a tree to blow up de siaves.Blow de horn you k10w,tO eaU em to work. Somebody shot im. ~i~ht off hi$ horse. It was so dark, fore dayli~:ht, an& couldnt see and dey never did find out who shot lUI. Heap o white folks had. enemies dem days. ~o de slaves he owned w~s divided xrrunxt his chilluns . ~y mother was one of nine dat come t o Bj~ Ily L~ain dat way . ~1 timalk bout your shootin jest for devilment. Lerar~ae tell you bout old man John Wynn.H~live down dar bout ten mile froi ithar Moss lived when he w~.s a boy.I ve heard eintell it many a tine. Dey say John ynn had 185 slaves. Eiry time it come George ~ ashin~ ton s birthd~y, Old ynn he had a feast and invite all de slave~!He celebrat r~ he sey. He seta a lon~table wid all kind good t~:i~s to eat. ~ n he count de slaves,so s to be sure dey all ome. 4fl den hetd take an pick out one and shoot huai ~ Den he say,~I-~Iow youse all Can go head an eat.Tbrow d~.t nigg rtsiM an we bury ir~i in mornin .tt And he ~walks off to de big nouse. NoJ He wasnt dru~k .. Jes de clebil in um. Well, he shot ten, twelve, m~iybe thirty dat w~y.An den de ~nite folks hanged mita a tree.Han~ed im t well he was good and. deacl,dey did.~ Now folkes Can ~joy dey victuals wid sech goix. s on. De slaves ~it sois f dey scared to hear &e bell ring. D0~i know what it ~ae~xi.Maybe d.eati ,rna~be fire, maybe nucider sale o some body.Gwine taketeni way. J~it when de bell ring dey bad to ome.Let dat oie bell ring arid de ~woods was full o negroes.Ma~be 500 hundred ( ~ corne froxn all over d~ate county.H ;:. ~ ~~t Mollie Was heginnir~ to ramble arnd babble incoherently, her n~u~ories o~r her own and the experiences of others all coiffu~sed. in her mind. ~fhen she had. a~bcrn.t fii~ shed~ a story about ho~ one of ~he slave women bttst de el .I I of the L~ea~ at ~ ~arster ~ ic~use site was m~s~n a si.c~ baby ~ he tell her sh got ~

062 059

~x S1ave ~ ~ Pa~e 5 ~ 59. ~ ut Mollie Moss, # 88 ~iburu 8treet, . ~xioxvi11e Tennessee to git out In dat field an hoe and the dory details of ~that the shovel d.id to the white inarster s head, it ~vas time for the visitors to close the interview. . Both Uncle Andrew and. Au.nt Mollie fo11ov~ed the vis~tor tc~ the front ~ door, and wished h ~i HAll de 1u~: in de world. An thank you for cozain ~n conie see us a~in,nadder time.~1 ~ . . ~ ~

Interview. Andy Odell. 063 060

; 410020 . ~ ~ Go . :i: NT~RVI~ . A~ OD~LL 3.313 Pearl Street ~ ~ Nashville, Tennessee UI WtLZ bawri east ob Spring Hill, Tennessee. I d~nno In wiat ytar, but I wuz a fu .I grown man w en I wu~z freed. (This will ~nake him about 96 years o ~1,). I wuz an onlies chile en I nebber knowed~ mah daddy. Mah ~arnmy wuz sol:1 tway fu~ri me, She maijed a man named Brown en dey had seven chillun. At fust I t1o~ed ter Marster Jim Caruthers. 1#ten ~ hi s daught er ma j od F oux~ t Od e 11 I wuz WI fled t er he r e n den mah marsters wu~Z Fount enAlbert Odell who wu~ br ers. . - - ~ah white fo~s let ~us go ter ckiuch. I b .eeves In de Baptist : ~ tilgion. I nebber k~ow d any slave dat had~ ter hide ter sing er pray, I members de cornet en hit wuz a sta r wid a long ~ tal . en looked ~ lak hit wuz burnin . i!~e sta r8 fell t fore I .~ wuz bawn. (The stars fell in 1833). : ~ ~ ~ We had ter hab passes en if you didn t b~b one, you ~ got whupped. Mah marster let me go ter chuch wid out a pass. I members de Klo. Klux Klan but dey nebbor bothered me t ho I ~ Ye 8~1 a lot t b out dem D ey C a lied d e~tjse lye s ~ ~thite Caps en said dey WuZ rite furn de grave. W eri a slave got whupped hil; Wu~z cose dey disobey dere white folks en de overseer whu~pped dem. I though mah white fo)ks wuz awful mean ter me sumtime. . ni nebber bi loeved j~ ghost bt~t hab yeard Iota ~ bout dem. :: ~ Lo1~s of pe.~lea did bti.eeve i~ dein back in dem tiir~ s. Us1~er ~ : ~ ~ ~. : . ~ ~ ~ . *~ ~ S

064 061

2 61 sing a lot b~t I ~ name$ ob dem now. I dux~no w at ez gwlne ter ku~n ob djs young orowd. I sl:io do~ t think diff ent culer8 c~ugtiter ma rje. De Lawd didn t mean fer hit ter be ~ Yki~~o ~ ob any slave t risin s in Virginia er any uther place Dont t member r~oW de tales en sayi~t ob de oie times. Member well W er~ de war broke out en how dey had big dinners en marched tround ovuh de fiel s, gittint ready fer de war. I had. a br er kilt in de war en mah mammy got a lettle irioney fum titra. Also member dat wienmah mammy got d~ money she bought me a hat. I d~~ t git nu~thin at freeduxn en I dunno ob any slaves gittin ~ land er mo~2ey. I know dat w en we wuz fr ed Marster Albert called us slaves in en said, You, ail ez a~ free a~ I ez, but ~ ou can stay yeren wuk ferme ef n ~ou want ter.~t I at~ wid im a good w ile atter~ freedum. ~ - Since fre du~rn I hab plowed, hoed, cut wood, en wuk d in. quarries pecking rock. Hab nebber wuk d in town fer I dunno de thingalbout town. I hab voted a most eve y election since .. . freedum tu dese last fewyears. I.~ab had two~frens in office . - butboth ez de d now. I ster think omen shou dn t vote, but I guess hit ez airjtte. . ~

Interview. Millie Simpkins "Black Mamie." 069 066

410007 INTERVIEW 6G MILLIE SIM~KINS ~ 1BLACK MAMIE 1004 10th Avenue, No. Naahville, Tennessee . ~ I claims I s 109 ye ars oie en wuz bawn neah Winchester, I Mah marster ~uz Boyd Sims en mab missis wuz Sarah Ann Ewing Sims. Ma~ mami~y wus named Judy Ewing. en me.h daddy wuz Mos es Stephens en he wus free bawn fle wuz de marster s stable boy en followed d~ races. He run way ~en nebber kum back. Mali Lust missis wuz very ri ch. She had two slave omen ter ~. dress her eve y mawriin eri~I brought her breakfust ter her on a -. ~ silvah waitah. ~ She wuz nia led three times, her second husband wuz Joe Carter en de third wuz Judg Gork.. ~ ~ ~ ; ss~ ~ . ~ ; .~ Jah fust thl,~7is s ld mekaz I~ wuzstubborn. She sent~me ter de slave. yard aat Nashville.. De yard wuz fil oh slaves. I stayed deretwo weeks 1fore mar5ter Simpson boughb me. I wuz~so1d way~ ~ fuiri mali husband erl I - nebber se~ d im gin. I had one chile which I tuk wid me. De slave yard wuz on Cedar Street. A Mr. Chandler would bid de slaves off, but fore dey started biddin you had ter tek all ob ~e Clothes off en roll down de hill so dey could see dat you didn t : hab no bones broken, er sores on yer. ( I wouldin tek mine off). Ef ~ nobody bid on you, you wuz tuk ter de slave mart en sold. I wuz sold . dore. A bunch ob dem wuz sent ter Mississippi en dey had dere ankles fas end tergedder en dey had ter walk wUles de tradahs rid. L.. . .. ~ ~ . . . ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S

070 067

-2- W en I wuz sold termarster Slmpkins, rnah second mistress made me a house slave en I wuked only at de big house en mali wuk wus ter nuss en dress de chilluns en he~ ps mah missis in her dressin . De young slaves WUZ hired out ter nuss de white chilluns. I wuz hired as nuss girl at seven y ars oie en started cookiri at ten. I nebber had a chance ter go ter schul. l in de mammy ob 14 chilluns, seven boys en seven gals. I wuz next ter de olest ob four chillun, Mah missis useter hire me out ter hotels en taverns. Sum marsters fed dore slaves meat en sum wouldint let dem hab a bite. One marster we useter yer bout would grease his slaves mouth on Sunday mawnirt en tell dem ef any body axed ef dey had meat ter say yes, lots ob hittt. Wten dey got ready ter whup dem deytd put dem down on a pit widout ~y clothes, stand back wid a b ll wbikp~en cut deblood out. I member de riiggers would run tway en hide out. De only fun de young folks had wuz w en deole folks had a quiltin . W! i .e de oie folks wuz wukin on de quilt de young ones ~(~d git in tnuther room, dance en hab a good time. Dey d hab a pot turned down at de dot er ter keep de white folks fum tyeariflt dem. De white folks didn t want us ter l arn nothin en et a slave picked up a lettle piece ob papah, dey would yell put dat down you - you wan t ter git in our business. De white folks wouldin let de slaves pray, of dey got ter pray hit wi s w iles walkin hind de plow. ~ Wii~be folks would whup de slaves et dey yeard dem sing er pray. I wuz a big girl w en dey build de Capitol. I played on de hill t fore hit wuz built en I toted blocks fwti dere w en hit wuz

071 068

f ~ ~ 68 bein built. I wuz 1.ivin In Dickson County w en Fort Dorielson Wuz tuk. I seed de fust gun boat dat kum up de Ci~mberland River. I wuz. standin ~ in de DO er w en I se d hit kumin but hit didn t tek me long ter gib back in de back ob de house. I wuz skeered dey would shoot. Mah marster run a fer y en atter de gun boat kuni up de riber, he got skeered en gib rnah oie man de fer y, en w en de soldiers kum ter tek FortNe~1ey he set dein cross de river. ~ A man at Ashland City dat made whisk y would hab Mr.Sirnpkins bring a load ob logs up ter Ashland City en den bring a load ob whiskey down en hide hit so de Yankees: would nt git hit. Mah marster had a fish trap at de mouth ob Harper en w ~ de gun boat passed dey shot thro de trap. ~ ~ I wuz right yer w en de Civil wah wuz gwin on, en de~soldiers wuz dressed up en beatin de dimma. -. ~ O ~ : : ~ ~ ~ . No hc$~ey,we didn .t g t nothin wt en we wuz fre d. 3es druv - w~ widout nothiri . ter do wld. We got in awaggin~endruv ter ~ nuther m&xi s plant shun . Mah ole man made a crap dere. Sum ob ~ de slaves might hab got sump in but 1 dunno nobody dat did. I wuz skeered ter op n ~h ~0t er atter dark on count ob Ku Klu.x Klan, ~: dey wuz red hot. . I mernb r w en de sta rs fell. I wuz small but de oie folks run o~ out en lolted at dem, ki~m back set down en cried, dey th~op hit A m& nt de won wuz kuinin ter an end. De peepie wuz skeered w enidel se d de comet wid de long tall. DeytA1t h~t wuz a sign ob wab. I se cooked eve y since I wu~ freed. I stayed in Henry Calbies kitchen five long y ars, en since I se had dese strokes hit s broke ~ ti:i:i I kin do riothin . I long ter de Methodist Church. I

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think de young peeples ez turrible, endis white en black mar iags not be lOWed. De songs I member ez: t Dar1~ wuz de Night . . t Good 01e Daniel I se nebber ~oted but I se electioneered fer dem. Hab nebber had any i rens iii office. I wuz yer w en Henry Clay en James K. Polk wuz runnin . I wuz hired at de oie City Hotel ovuh on de river. I wuz dfn in room servant dore. Mali marster would hab rue sing a song fer him bout de Dexnp rats. Hooray de kuntryez risin ~ rise up en drown oie Clay em his piz n. I guess oie Clay wuz a right -good . - fellow but he played cards wid de niggers in de cellar. ~ De only thing I ~(~nbe~r bout de t struct~shun -time wtiz sum ob de whites didn~t wan~ denigge~ ter vote. - - - I stays ye ~ wid inah daughter . Dat ez de only support I hab sinoe I ha4 deze strokes en bin unable ter do fer rnahse f. ::;. ~ ~ ~ p ~ ~\ .~ V

Joseph Leonidas Star. 073 070

t ~ 410023 -i--g Page I *~ 70 -Ei~S1ave Stories ~ Subject: Josej~h LeonidasStar,# 133 Q~uebec Place, i~!~n~12e - ~ If: the poetic strain in the Dun bar Negroes of the south is an Inheri tanceandnot just a sift from On }Ti~h~ Knoxville,Tennessee s aged Negro Poet, born Joseph Leonidas Star,-but pro~inent1y knowii in the comnxunity as . ~Leet1S~tar,poet,Pc1itician ai_d Lodge Man,~thinks tnat Georgia s poetic genius Paul Lawrence ~unbar,~maybe took his writin ~e1ls from him. I, My grandfather and Paul Lawrence ~imbar ~ s ~randfa;her was cousins. ~Te were a niu.ch younger man than I am, for I was ei~ghty one years old the twenty sixth of Decernber,1937. S0 ~ reckon I give it dov~ntomy kin man. But - : it seem to x~~e,~that Poets i~ just born tha-taway. Po1try is nothin but Tru.th ~ = - . . ~ ~ ~ ~ anyway, and it s Tru,th~ sets us free~ iid that-makes me a free-born citizen bothways ~and every ways. 1 were born free . I were alw~ s hap:~-nature4 and I pect ~ die th~taway. On o ~ my poems is named1 ~Be Sa-ti~ ed! arid I say in it that 1f a ra~n s got soinethin to eat, and teeth to bite, he ~hou1d be .-~- -~ satisfied. Youc~t.~t~e your ~ood/wit~you~ O1~~an RQckefei1er,wh~n he ~ied . ; . -. - 2 here awhile back, went aw~y from here thout hishat and shoes. That s the way : its goin to be with allus, no matter what our color is. - ~1The people round here calls me Lee 5tar, and. I want to tell you, Lee 8tar is a free born man. ~ Bat ofcourse, things bein as they~were,both my mother ~nd father were slaves.That le for a few years. They lived in . ~ Greenville,Tennessee. Vy mother.,Maria- i~i ss, was free d before the emanoir,ation, - by the good words of her youx~ white mistr ss, who told. ~p all when she was ~T- ~ ~ abo t to die, she wanted em to set Marie free, ~c~ause she didnt want her . ate tO be nobod.ys else s slave.They w s ~1aymates you see.My mother ~ .en years old. ~i~ien she was freed4 -

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Page 2~ ~: 71 ~ ~S~!.$ LeonidasStar . . . ft When she was about fourteen and my father Kenry ~uiibar wanted to marry he had to first buy his freedozn.In them timee a slave couldnt marry a free d. person. So he boi~ht his freedom from his Marster LLoyd Thillen, ~nd ~ good friend of Andrew Johnson,the ~resi- dent. My father ~n him ~v&e friends too. ~o he bought his freedom, for just a little of soinethin I disrem~nber what, t cause they didnt aim to make him buy his freedom high. He made. good money tliough.He was a carpenter, blacksmirih, shoe xnak~r and knowed a lot more trades. His Master w~s broadhearted, and good to his s1i~ves, end he let ~em work at anything they want to, when t~iey was done. their Dart of white folks chore- : work.~ : ~ ~ ~ ~ - .. L, 3oth my father ~nd mother was learned in the shoe makin trade. ~ hen they come to ICmxville to hue, and where I was born, they had~agreat big~ - shoe shop out ~ere close to where Governor Browniow lived. Xnoxville~1ust had three streets,two runxiin east and west and: one ru.n ~.north and south. I well remember when General B~rnside come to Kn xviI1e.~1that was endurin the siege of RnoXville;Beforehe marched his men out to the Battle of fort ~aunders, he stqpped his solider band in front of our ~hoe shop and serenaded my mother and fatber. I was a little boy and I climed lip on the ~rch be~nnisters and sat there and llesent to that music.~ N I rememberanother big man coi~ie here once when I was a boy and I served the transient trade at a little eatin place right where the Aticin Ho~tel is now. Jeff Davis come there to eat, when he stopped over between trains.That ~wa.s in 1869. No, I d.isremeznber what he eat or ho~ ~he bebave.He didnt seem no ~ different from any other man.He was nines lookin wore a long tail coat and. ;~hisbqots was plenty b1acked~..He favoredpictures of Abraham ~ireoln~as about . ~ Le- heightand. had short,dark chin whiskers. I were very busy at the time,an Is ~ ~ ~ ~itement I didnt know it. ~ .:

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Page-3- S 72 L2~.cP ~QS~~: ~1Yes, ~ seen many e. slave in my day. One of my boy playmates was a slave child. His name is Saza Ro an and he lives now at the County Po~ ~ax~n. I make it a point no~ to dwell too much o~i ~1~ve tixx~es.I was learned different. I ve h~d co~isiderabie schoolin ,went to my first scho~l in the old ~c*irst ~ presbyterian church.My teachers was white folks from tue Nor~h. They give us our education and cive us clothes and ttuin~s sent down here froi~i the North. That was just after the surrender. I did see a terr~b~e sight once. A slave ; with chains on him as 1on~as from here to the street.He was in an ~ buggy, - settin between two white men anci tney was pas~n through Knoxville. My mother ana father rouldnt lissen to me tell ernabout it, when I got home. And I hope ~ I forget everythin& I ever knowed or heard about salves, and. slave ti~ues.~ : Joseph Leonidas ~tar, no loi~ger works at tne shoeznakera trade .H~ ~ ~ writes~$~~poetry-and 1ives~ leisurely in a. three room fraxae ~ shanty,i~n a ~ .: ~ row of shab~ierones that face each other disco~so1ate1y on a ty~ical~egro ~ . . . alleyway, that has no shade trees and no pa~Ing . 11Lee s house I s ti~e only - ~ . . . . .- L~1 ~ ne that does not w&bble iizieasily,flush with the-mudd~r . alley. His stands on a small brick foundation,a few feet behind a privet~ ~k~xx hedge in front, with a brick wall along the side in whicn he zias cemented a fe s huge co~cii ~ S shells. L. After fifty-fouryears residence here, a political boss in his ward, and the only Negro member o f the Young ~hi te Men s Republ ican League S tar s influence in his coznm ~mity is attested by the fact that when he destructed~, S t~e knoxville City council to Dlease do somethin about it,Knoxville being ~: ~ too big . a city to keep cal lin street s alleys,the ~1ty . ~ ouncil prcmptly and iiuan1rnoi~l y voted to c hange the naine of ~in~ ~ s ~ ~ J. ey to 4uebec ~ - ~ e ..

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page-4-. 73 ~ Leonidas Star. When the i~iterviewer c~1Ied, Star s door was padlocked..But he appeared soon,having~ receiired. word by the grape~vix~e system that sozme one it ~ to see him - They t old me it wa s the Sherriff he 1atighe~d. He c arne down the long muddy alley at a lively clip. He c1~irneshe is &1e to walk aiout 20 miles each day, just to kee*~ j~ condition. He worek a broad brimmed black11 derby- ha% , a neatly pressed ~ ~e suit in two to ~es, a soiled ~thite pleated shirt and a frazz1ed~-eciged black bow tie. His coat lapels and. vest~front were ador~ied ~ h badges and emb1ems, ne1ud.1n~ his Masonic pins, a Friendship Medal, hi~ ~epub1i Can button and. a silve r crucifix. The Catholic churcb,accordin~ to Le , is the only one in Knoxville which pex~iits the black man to worship imd~r the same roof with-1~1s white brothers. ~ ~ ~ Mai;~ of Star s pqenis 1~ave been pu~Lislied in the local and. state papers. He kee~ a record of deatns of all citizens, anci. has done so for sixty years ~: ~e ca11e~ t1i~ one, which r cords murders end hanging, his D orusday Book0 - ~ and~ ~en oeched~ In it he c~1airn~ is an ac ~ete date record c~f ~11 siic~ events of 1n~porta~ce ir~ his lifetime Ris records are neatly inscribed in a printing form a~dvery leglbLe.Hls conversation is marked by ~rarncnatica ~ inco~ruities, but he does not speak the p~e~ro dialect

Interview. Dan Thomas. 077 074

41001? ~: ~ 74 . - ~ ~ INTE~VI~ DAN THOMAS 941 Jeffer son Street Nashville, Tennessee i 1wuz bawn in slavery In 1847 at Memphis, Tennessee en mah marster wuz Deacon flays, Mahmamrr~ wuZ de cook at de big house~ ~ah mammy d ed soon atter I wuz bawn, C!) de Misais had me raised on a bottle. Marste~ en Missis treatus all dero slaves kindly en plenty ter eat en evety one wuz happy. I dtrnno nuthin bout mah daddy er whar he went. I hab no kin in dis won All I eber yeard wuz dat all ~ah fo1k~ ku~ fum Afric~a. Mah Missis wouk~t tell me dat i mus be good en mine en eberbody will laktyouen ef she d ed, dey wouldtek keer ob me, : at.e.z ~V~St deyhabdon. ~ III wu.ked ~round dehouse t ~j, I WtLZ bout ten y &rs oie en ~ de Marster put me ter Wuk in lus big whiskey house. W en I ~got bout 21.y arsoJ.e, I would go out ter collect bills fum Marster s customers en hit tuk nie bout a week ter git all round. . ~ I ~wuzA t lowed tortek money but had ter git dere cheeks. I also wuk d 18 ~ ars a~ bar tender. Marster en Mistress d ed tbout four liars fore whisl y went out ob de United States, I stay wid. dem . ~ f t u :i dey dt ed ~ . ~ ~ de Marster en Missis d ed de doctor seZsI wouid hab t r Ie~eMernpbis on oo~nt ob ~uy 1~ealth~ I kum ter Nashville en g~1~ ~ atde Upow~er ~ iant urin de Won War, en stayed clere tu htt wuz ovtth, I den getewuk at Foster en C ~eighton in ~ia~b~vi1le : y~ dey to~.e me d at I wt~z too oie ter wuk I ~v~t*t x~Ow bi 1~a~~lin slop su piokin up things dat de

078 075

2 . 75 white folks throw in dere trash pile en sum ob hit I sell ter~~ de papah en junk dealers. De white peeple he p me now also. I g~Id dem sell a lot ob slaves in Mississippi,jes lak hosses en hogs, one time Wt&~ de Marster-~en Mistress made a trip down dere. Lots ob times dey made trips tround de kuntry ~en dey allus tuk me t long. I se d sum cru 1 Mar6ters dat hitched up dere slaves ter plows en made dem plow lak hosses en mules did. Atter de slavea got der~ freedum, dey had ter look atter denjselves~o dey WOUld Wuk on plantations till dey got so dey could rent a place, lak you rent hou~ses e~i farina terday. Sum got places whar dey w~td fer wages. I voted three times in mah life but lawdy dat wUZ a long time ago. Iyoted fer Teddy Roosevelt en WoodrowWilson, en mah~la~t vote wuz tbout two ylars past ~ Hab notales handed d~w~ by mah peeple. W en I wou ~:1 try ter git info mation, atter I got o 1er, all dey would say - wuz You wuz raised on a bottle en hab n~ peeple ob ~ ou~owr~. Oh mah goodness!. Hit jes part lises me ter see how dem young peeple ez doi~ terday. Lawdy hab mercy but dere ez a~ much difftentfum ole times as day en nite en hit looks lak things hab gone astray. Wuz tole lots tb0~t de Ku Klux Klan en how dey Wou L1 catch en wh~p de cuBed peeple, but mah white f~ ks made me stay in en dey neber got me,~ . 1membeJ~ seem Ardrew Jackson, General Grant en Abraham Lincoln, member seeizi GeneralAndrew Jackson gittin ready f ex *ar by mare hit hi. s so Id 1ers erroun ~ I ~ d t im r Id e bis big whi te ho sa up en down ter see: how dey marched ~ : .. ~ ~ sonp~ I lack d best b aliwuz, tMah 01e Mam)~ry ez be d. ~ x~ ~ ~ ~!I~ me.:Sit B~!.ne~ath de~ ~Willow Tree. Don t member ~ ~ :~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I, ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~:. ~ ~ ...~ ~ ~ . . ~ ~ ~ .~ ~y ~ .. ~ ~ ~ . ~ . ~ ..~ .

Interview. Sylvia Watkins. 079 076

1 . . ~ 4 1 O()~I 3 I NTERVI EV~ ~ ~ ~ 76 Sylvia Watkins 411 14th Avenue N. Nashville, Tennesst~e. I se said ter be 91 y ars oie, I wuz young w en de War wuz goin on. I wuz bawn in Bedford County. Mah mammy wuz named Mariah. She had six chiliun by mah daddy en three by. her fust husband~ Mah rnissis ~z named Emily Hatchet en de young missises wuz Mittie en Bettie, dey wuz twins. We had good clothes ter w ar en w en we went ter de table hit wuz loaded wid good food en we could set down en eat our stomachs full. Oh Lawd I wish dein days wuz now so I d hab sum good food. Ob.. ourse, we had ter wuk In de fiel s en xnek w at we et. Von we d finish our day~s wul our missis would. let us go out en play hide en seek, Puss in de corner, en diff ent games. ~. ~- . Mah mammy wuz sold in Virginia w enshe wuz a gun. She sezs ~ ~ thou 60 ab~ em wuz put In de road en. druv down .~yer by a slave trader, ~lai abunch ob cattle. Mab mammy en two ob niah slstahs w uz put ona block, sold en carried ter Alabama. We neber yeard fum dem norno , . . . en dunno whar dey ez. I wuz willed ter mah young missis w en she ma rled. I wuz young en, ob course, she whuped rne,but she wasn t mean ter me. I needed . eve y whupin she eber gib me, cause .1 wuz allus fightin . Mah missis i,~ allus called me her l ttie nig. - ~ Mah daddy could only see maki mammy Wednesday en Saturday nites, ~ :~ en ef n he kum wid out a pass de pat-rollers would wimp titi er run I lin t t I I his t ongue hung o ut On dem ni t e s we would si t up en look I. fer daddy en lots ob times he wuz out ob bref cos e he had run so much. I:. ~ Mahwhite folks had a loom en we wove our own clothes. I wuz nuss L en house g1~l en l arned how ter sew~en nit. Mah young missis wuz ~ h ~ ~ :-~. . ~ -~ :: -~ . -~ : .. ~ ~ -~:- ~ .~- ~ ~ : ~ ~ .~t ~ ~

080 077

blind fore she died. I useter visit her once a Ye r en she~d load me dQwn wid things ter tek home, a linsey petticoat, ham bones, cracklins en diff ent things. She died 18 years ago almos a 100 ye r oie. De white folks wouldn t let de slaves hab a book er pap h fer fear dey d l arn sumpin , en ef dey wan ed ter pray dey d tu ri a kettle down at dere cabin do er. I member/~arin rnah mammy pray tt0~ Father op n ~ up de do ers en sho us lite~ / I d look up ter de ceiling ter see ef he wuz gonna ~ op n up sumpin ; silly,. silly me, thinkin such I ~ longs ter de Missionary Baptist chuch but I don t git ter go very off n. I wuz tole fore freedurri dat de slaves would git a mule, land en a new suit, but our missis didn t gib us a thing. She promis me, rnah br rer, en three sistahs ef n we would stay wid her a ye r, en he p her rnek a crop she would gib us surnp in ter start us a crop on w en we lef her. Mah daddy s marster wus named Bob Rankiri, he gib mali daddy a hog, su~m chickens, let~himhab a cow ber milk en land ter raise a crop on.~ He wan edrnah daddy t~ git us tergedder te!~ie p daddy raise a crop c but since mali missis had promised us so mucI ~, daddy let us stay wid her a ye r. On de nite mah daddy kum fer us, mah missis sezs I ve not got nuthin ter gib you, fer I won t bah mobody ter do nuthin fer me. We went wid our ~ir1dy, We lived dore on Marster Rankin s farm fer ye rs in fact so long we tho t deplace longed ter mahdaddy. We had a house wid big cracks in hit, had a big fier place,a big pot dat hong on de fier en a skillet dat we cooked corn bread in. Had a hill : ob taters under de house, would raise upa plank, rake down in de dirt ~. git taters, put dem in de fier ter roast. We had meat ber eat in de ~ middle ~ ob de day but none at ruawnin er nite.We got one pair ob shoes a ye r, dey had brass on de toes. I ustergit out en shine de toes L~ob minet we called~hit gd on ourshoes. We wuked in de fiel wid Irn.~ daddy, en i...knowhow ter do ebertir~g dore ez ter do in a fiel kcept plow, I wuZ allus ter slender ter hold a plow. We had grease ~ >. 2~

081 078

3~. 78 lamps. A thing iak a goose neck wid platted rag wick inhit. Would put grease In hit. ~ Dunn slavery ~f one marster had a big boy en nuther had a big gal de rnarsters made dem ithe tergedder. Ef n de oman dldn t hab any chilluns she wuz put on de block en sold en t nuther oman bought You see dey raised de chilluns ter mek money ohnj~es lak we raise pigs ter sell. Mah mammy tole me bout de sta rs fallin en den I se ed de second fallin ob sta rs. Dey didn t hit de gratin lak de fust did. I member de comet hit had a long tall. I lef mah daddy en kurn ter Nashville wid mlssls Nellie Rankin, (daddy s young mlssus( In 1882; hab bin yer eber since. I se dun house wuk fer a lot ob peoples. Kep house fer a oman In Belle Meade fer 14 ye rs. Now I se amt able ter do r~otb1n. I se bin ma. rled twice, Ma rled Jirnrn Ferguson, libedwld lin 20 ye ars :~ he d ed. Two ye ars 1a~er I mar ed George Watkins, lived wid him 8 ~i ye . ars ; two ye ars ago he e se rieber had any chilluns I kep ~i wan ln ter dopt a 1ett1e~ga1,de~istbusban wouldn t do hit. Bout ;i 5~ yetars ago de second husban george kuin In wid a tiny baby, sezs .~~. yer ez a boy baby I dopted.. I seza dat ez youvown baby cose hits ~ like yer~ H&denled hit, but ebennow de boy ez e zackly lak George. ~He s six ye rs oie en gw1r~e ter school. I se got mab hands full trylrit ter raise 1m lone. W eri Georgedled he had a small 1nshoranc~ p~bi1cy. paid xnah taxes, I owns dis home, en bought xnahself three hogs. I two en kilt one, Den I ~ot three mor jes a short time ago. kind ob zeeze got among dem en dey all d ed. Y88 I se voted four er f1vet1~nes, but neber hadany frens In T~ce. I don think dis wh1te~b1ack mar ia~g& should be ~ lawed. Dey Lid be whupped ~ *Id a bull whup. . H, ~ f8~ as Iknow de ex-a1av~g 4hab wuked at dlft ent kinsob jobs know ez 1~ de po-.house, sum git In te1ie~ order en urthers ~ h ~1

082 079

4 ez le.k niahse:Lf, hab dere homes en gettin long bee ~ey kin. I needs milk en cod liver oil fer dis lettle boy but can t buy it. I dunno nothiri bout slave uprisin s. De songs I member ez: . All Gawds Chilluns up Yonder, ~ It : want ter Shout Salvation. . ~ Down by de River Side. ~ ~ ~ : ~ : ~~,

Interview. Narcissus Young. 083 080

4 1 O()2t INTERVIEW ~ NARCISSUS YOUNG Rear 532 i~t Street NoS . Nashville Tennessee 80) I se 96 y ars oie. Bawri in slavery en inah marster wUz isham Lamb en mah missis wuz Martha Lamb. Mah mammy d~~d ~ I~w~1z three y ars oie en I WuZ raised in de house tu I ~(uZ big nuff~ ter Wuk ot~t i~ de fiels wid do tithers, Mah inissis ham me ter sew, weav en spin.. I also he .ped ter cook en wuk in do house. .Atter L got blg er I went ter chuch wjdmah whIte folks en had ter set wid urther 8J ~1Tes in dat part ob de chuch whar r~obody but slaves W~li ~ be loW~d~~. Ifl slaVery.Itse g t no maneyferwuk n butI~ don st e al S~ mah white folks sho gib nie on de tither alavea plenty ~od ~tiiings ter~ eat ~ ~ Clothes ~ood I r:iuft fer anybody, ~atd~, en we went ter parties en urther pl~cea, en w at ~ else cot.i ~. I se wa~~~Il . ~. ~ Mah missis ivarned me ter pray, Now I lay me down ter s lee p I pray e Lawd mail sou 1 t er Ice ep b ut I f I shou ~i die t fore I wake I pray de ~ ai~id mah soul ter tek . I jined de Primitive Baptist Obuch w ile young en b en dere ebe y since. . Imember de oie song back dore, Rock a Bye Baby, Yo Daddy s gon a Huntin ter git a Rabbit Skin ter put de Baby in. ~i wu~z whup d by mali mi seis fer things dat I ought ri dun, but dat wuz rlte ~ De habL~est wimp in she eber gib ins wuZ~ bout ~ ~ . L ~ ~ had gathi~u ed de aigs in a bucket en tuk dem ter ~ - L~de big fier in de fier-~place so I tuk out two - ~ ashes ter bake. Mahmissis se d

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de aigs en axed who put dem dere, I tole her I didu~t do b~it, but she kriowed I did. So she tole me she don keer tbotjt de two ai.gs, but dat she WUZ gwine ter whup me fer tellln1 a lie. Dey don t raise chilluns lak dat now, 1 ~II dofl t b leeve in L ggers en Wbites ma rin en I WuZ raised by de quality en I, se bi leeves eber one should maIrie in dere culor. t~I think de young peeples ob tec day ez dogs en sluts, en yer kin guess de rest. 1 One day Ibout 12 o olctck we ~~Id de yankee soldiers past our house. De missus hid her fine things, but dey dor~ kurn on de place. All us Niggers run ter de cellar en hid. We found de sugah barre is en we scracht t round fer sum sugah ter eat . : ~ ttOne time de Ku Klux Klan kum ter ourhouse but dey harm nobody. Guess day wuz looki~I fer sum slave er sum one fu~ nother plantation widout dero marster s pass. t?1 se d a lot ob statrs fall one time but dey neber teched de groun En I members seem a comet wid a long bright shinin tail. Atter freedum all de slaves lef de plantation but I stayed dere a long time. I kum ter Nashville ovah thurty ytars ago en I se w~k d a~ cook en house,wuk r twenty y ars fer one party; eleben ytars fer nother, en meriny y ars fer nother. I know3 you wont t t leeve me but at one time I w~igh ovuh 400 pounds, but now I m notbin but skin en bon . (She weighs at least 200 pounds now). I bekum feeble en cou ~n t wuk out, en eber since den Itse btn kinn up a mountain, but now I git he ps by de Social Security. ~