Untitled Section 001

A Folk HIstory of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRiTERS PROJECT It 1936 1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBiA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WAsHIN(;TON 194t SLAVE NARRATIVES

002

VOLITh~ XVI TEXAS NARRATIVES PART 2 Prepared by the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Texas

003

INFORMAN IS Easter, Willis Edwards, Anderson and. Mine rva Edwards, Ann J. Edwards, Mary Kineheon Elder, Lucinda Ellis, John Ezell, Lorenza Farrow, Betty Finnely, John Ford, Sarah Forward, Millie Fowler, Louis Franklin, Chris Franks, Orelia Alexie Frazier, Hosanna Gibson, Priscilla Gilbert, Gabriel Gilmore, Mattie Goodman, Andrew Grant, Austin Green, Jsmes Green, O. L Green, Rosa Green, William (Rev. Bill) Grice, Pauline Hadnot, Mandy Hamilton, William Harper, Pierce Harrell, Molly Hawthorne Ann Hayes, James Haywood, Felix Henderson, Phoebe Hill, Albert Hoard, Rosina Holland, Tom Holman, Eliza 1 Holt, Larnee Homer, Bill Hooper, Scott Houst n, Alice Howard, Josephine Hughes, Lizzie Hursey, Moses Hurt, Charley 33 Ingran, Wash 35 41 Jackson, Carter J. 4 ? Jackson, James 50 Jackson, Maggie 55 Jackson, Martin 60 Jackson, Nancy 63 Jackson, Richard James, John 66 Johns, Thomas 68 Johns Mrs . Thomas 71 Johnson, Gus 74 Johnson, Harry 81 Johnson, James D. 87 Johnson, Mary 90 Johnson, Mary Ellen 94 .Tohnson, Pauline,and 9 6 Boudreaux Fel i c e 98 Johnson, Spence Jones, harriet Jones, Lewis Jones, Liza Jones, Lizzie Jones, Toby Kelly, Pinkie Kilgore, Sain Kinchlow, Ben Kindred, Mary King, Nancy King, Silvia 151 153 15 ? 159 163 166 169 172 1 ? ? 180 182 185 18 ? 193 195 198 201 205 208 212 216 219 223 225 228 -~ 23 ? 241 246 249 253 255 260 285 288 290 5 10 15 17 21 25 102 106 109 115 118 126 130 135 137 141 144 148

004

ILLUSTRATI ONS Facing page 5 10 15 21 . 25 33 41 50 60 66 74 81 87 90 96 98 102 106 130 135 137 148 153 157 Anderson and Llinerva Edwards An.n J. Edward8 Mary Kincheon Edwards 3ohn Ellis Lorenza Ezell Betty Farrow Sarah Ford Louis Fowler Orelia Alexie Franks Priscilla ~ibson Andrew Goodman Austin Grant James Green o. w. Green and Granddaughter William Green, (Rev. Bill) Pauline Grice Mandy Hadnot William Hamilton Felix Haywood Phoebe Henderson Albert Hill Eliza Hoirnan Bill Homer Scott Hooper

005

Facing page 159 169 172 177 180 182 187 195 198 208 216 223 225 228 2~3l 231 237 246 255 260 285 Alice Houston Moses Hursey Charley Hurt Wash Ingrain Carter 3. ~Tackson 3~ames Jackson Martin Jackson Richard Jackson John James Gus Johnson James D. Johnson Mary Bllen Johnson Pauline Johnson and Felice Boudreaux Spence Jolin8on Harriet Jones Harriet Jones with Daughter and Granddaughter Lewis Jones Lizzie Jones Sain Kilgore Ben Kinchiow Mary Kindred

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 006 001

I M* :~L.sLAT~E ~i~ORI~S P~g~ One ? j (Texas) ~ ~1L:~~Is P~AS~R, a5 was born near Nacogdoches, Texas, He does not know the nane cxf hi~ first master, Yrank Sparks brou~ght ~i1lis to Bosqueville, ~ Texas, when he was two years old. willis believes firmly In flconjure~~ent~ and ghosts, and wears several chari~is ftr protection against the former. . He lives in Waco, Texas. Ifls birthed below Naco~doches, and dey tells me it am on March 19th, In 1852. My mammy had some kindof p~ er what say dat. Bu~t I don t know i~r mast er c ause when I ~ s two he done give inc to Marse Prank Sparks and he brung me to Bosqueville. Dat sizeable place dem days. My manmy come bout a month after, tcause Marse trank, he s~r I s too much trouble without my rnamniy. tlM~fly de bes cook in de county and a master hand at epinninT and weavint She made he r ow~i dye, Walnut and ei in m~kee red dye and. walnut brown o olor, and ehuma~e mnke s black e olor Then you want s yallow color, git cedar moss out de brake, All de~lint was picked by hand on our place. It a slow job to git dat lint out de cotton and s gone to sleep many a night I by de fire, pickint lint, In bad weather us sot by de fire and pick lint and patch harness and shoes, or whittle out something, dishes end bowls and troughs and t rape and spoons . HAll us chilIen weared lowe . white d~ckLn homemake, jest one garment, .It was de long shirt, You. couldn t tell gale from boys on de yard. . ~ O. ~i ~s t~elve when us am freed and for awhile ixs lived. on Marie Bob Worth~~4 piaqe, on Chalk Bluff, on RorseshOs Bend. After de freedom war,

007 002

Ex-~slave Stories ?a~e Two (Texas) 2 dat old Brazos River done changeits course up bove d.c bend, and move to de west. II marries 1~ancy Cl~rk in 1879, but no chilluns. Dere plenty deer arid bears and wild turkeys and antelopes here den. ?Dey s sho1 fine eatin 2r~d wish t couid stick a tooth in one now~ I~s seed fifty antelope at. a waterin hole. Dere plenty Indians, too. De Ran~er~ had de tifle ke~oin dein beck. De~r corne In br~ht of de ~noon and steals and kills ds~ stock, Deie a ferry cross de Br~zos and Capt. Ross ru~n it. Hesho fit dem Indians. Dein days everybody went hossback and de roads was e1 trails and brid~s was poies 1cross ~e creeks. One day us went to a wedd~n~~ Dey sot de dinner table out in de yard u~d.er a bi~ tree and de table was a bi~ slab of a tree on legs. Dey had pewter plates and spoons and chin bowle and ic~oden dishes, Some de knives and forks was maake out of bones Dey bad. beef and pork and turkey ~nd corne antelope. I knows tbout ~hostes. First, I tel1~you a ft~nny 8tory. A old man named Josh, he purty old trnd notionate. Every ~ he squat down under a oak tree, Marse Smith, he slip up and he~r Josh pravin, Oh, ~wd, please take pore old Josh home with you, ~ Next day, Marse Sraith wrop h~~Self in a sheet ~nd ~it in de oak tree. Old Josh conic lone and pray, Oh, Gawd, please c~ae take pore old Josh ho~ae with you. k~arse say frora top de tree, Poor Josh, I s come to take you hoxnc~ with me. Old Josh, he riz up and eeed. dat white shape in de tree, and he yell, Oh, Lawd, not rig~t now, I haan t git forgive for ai . ray sins . ~ Old Josh, he shakintm and he

008 003

~x-.slRve Stories ~ Pace Three , (Texas) S dusts out dere faster den a wink. Bat broke up he pravin under dat tree. t,1 never studied cunjurin1 but I knows dat scorripins ~nd things dey cunjures with ~in powerful medicine. Dey uses hair ~nd fingernails and t~c~cs ~nd dry insects r nd worms and bat wings and sech. Mai~iny allus tie r leather string round de bi~bies~ necks when dey teethin , to make dem hrve easy time. She u.sed a dr~r frog or pi~ce nutmee~, too. Mamiay alius tell rrie to keep from beix~ cunjure, I sing: Keep way from me, hoodoo and witch, L~r~d ray path prom de porehouse gate; I pines for goiRen h~rps ~nd sich, Lawd, 1111 jes set dovin ~nd wait. Old Satan am a lisr and cunjurer, too If ~rou d on ~ t watch out e1 1 1 cun.j ure you 9flern cunjuremen shoe bad. Dcv make you have pneu.r~ony and boils and b~d luck, I carries rae a j~ck all de time. It ~m ~e ch~rin wrop in red flannel. Don t know what ara ~n it. t bossirian, he fix it for rrie, n ~ s1io~ can find. wat~r for de well. I got a li l tree limb wh ~t am like a V. I driv de nail in de end of e~ch branch and in de crotch. I takes hold of each branch and iffen I w~1ks over water in de bround dp.t lirab gwine turn over in my hand. till it points to de ground. Iffen money am bur~ed~ ~rou can find it de same w~r, Iffen you fills a shoe with ~alt ~ burns it, dat c~1l luck to ~rou. I wears a diiie on ~. string round ~e neck and one round de ankle. Dat to keep ~my conjurem~n from sottin de trick on m~. Dat dirne be bright ii fen my friends am tru.e. It SilO1 gwine ~it dark iffen dey does me wrong. For to make a jack dat ai~ sho good, git sna~eroot and sass~fras and 3.,

009 004

Ex~s1~v~ Stories PaE~e Four ~. 4. ( Texas) ~ ~. lili lod stone ~nd brimstone ~.nd asafoetlda and resin and bluestone and gwn qrabic and &~ pod or two red pepper. Put dis in de red flannel beg, at midnight on d.~ dark of de moon, and it sho do de works I knowed a ghost house, I sho did. i~vcrybod.y knowed ~ a red brick house in ~&co on Thirt eenth and ~7ashiri~t on St. Dey calls lt de B~ii house. It sho a fine, bit, house, but folks couldn t use it. Dc white folks w1 ~t owns it, dey gits one nigger and notlier to stay round and look after thln~s. Dc white folks wants inc to stay dere. I does. ~very Friday night dere ~ia ~ rustlin sound, like murmur of tr~etops, all through dat house. Dc shutt~rs rattles oni:, dere ain1t no shutt~,rs on dem windows, Jes plain ~ ~xiythin~, I hears a chair, rockint ~i~~thf . Footsteps soft ~s ~e breath, you could ~car dein plain. But I stays a d hunts and can t find nobody nor ~ none O~ dem Friday nights. 1Den cor~ie d ~ 1~ riday night on ic l~is quarter de moon. Long tbout midnight, so~aething lift Tr~c ou~t de cot. I he~ar~d ~ li i child solDbin , and dat rocker git started, and de shutters dey rattle s~ftlikc, and dat rustlin , mournin sound all through dat hou$e. I takes th~ lantern and out in de hr~.ll I goes. Right by de foot de stairs I seed a wom:~n, hit as life, but she was thin and I ~e&~d right through her, She j~s walk on down dat hail and p~y inc no mind. She make de sound like de b~atin of wings. I ies~ froze, I couldn t ino~re. Dat woin~n jest melted out de window ~t de end of de hail, ~nd I left d~ .t place ~ * *** ~*

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 010 005

Pa~ge 0~e F~L.SLAV~ STORIES (Tex~.e) AI~D~RSON AND MI1~RVA EDWARDS, a Negro Baptist preacher and his wife, were ~1aves on adjoining plantations In Ruisk C0unty, Texas. Anderson was born ~ t~rch 12, 1844, a slave of Major Matt G~ud, ~ nd Minerva w~s born Pebru~.ry 2, 1850, a ~).ave ~f Mzjor 1 lannlgan. As a boyAn&rew Would get a pss~ to visit his f~ther, who belong-.~ cd to ~jor Plz~nni~n, and. there he met Minerva. They worked for their iuasters until three years after the War, than moved to Harrison Oounty, married and reared sixteen children. Aru5rew and )iLinerva live in a 91fl211 but comfortable farmhouse two miles north ofMarshall. Minerva s memory is poor, z~nd. sh~ ~dded little to Anderson s story. 5 My father was Sandy Flannigan and he had. ~in off from his first master in 1~ryl~~~d, on the east ahore, and. coins to Texas, and here a slave buyer picked him up aM sold chances on hi.m If they could find his Marylpnd in~ster he d h~ve to go back to hini and if they couldn t the chances was good. Wash Edwards in Panola C0unty bought the chance on him, but he run. off from hirn, too, and come to Mai or Flannigan e in Ru~k CoUflty. 1 j,y ~j or Flwanigan h~d to pay a good lot to get clear title to him. My mammy was n~zn~d Minerva and her master was ~1aj or G~w1, ~nd I was born there on his plantation in 1866. Yo~ can ~sk that tax man at Marshall bout my ~ge cause he s f lx ri~y xc mpt I on papers since 11m sixty. I had seven brothers and two sisters. There was Yra~k, Joe, S~*dy and Gene, Preston and William and Sarah and Delilah, a*d they all lived to be old folks and the younges s died last year. Poiks was more healthy when I growed. up and I m 93 new and ain t dead; fact Is, I feels right pert moe the time. : ~ ~ a4~ ~ 42( )054

011 006

~x4~1~ve Stories Pace Two 6 (Texas) My missy nam~ d Ma~ y and. ~ and. Massa Matt lived i~ a hewed log house what am still st~rndjn out there near Henderson, Our quarters as 1~rose th~ road. and set all In a rowe Massa Own three fain lles of slaves and lots of hos~c~ and sheep send cows ~ud ~ father herded for hi~ till h~ w~ freed. The government 1 Ufl & b i~ t an yard there on ~1nj or ~k~ud s Pl ace arid one my uncles was shoempker. ~ bout time of w~ar, I was p~ddlin round the tannery and a government in~n say to me, Boy, I~ll g1ve~rou $1,000 for a drink of ~ and he did., but it was federate money that ~ot kilt, so lt done me no good. }~f:;~mmy was a weaver ~nd made all the clothes ~nd massa give us plenty to eat; fact, he treated uskind.a like he own boys. Course he whipped us when we h~d to haire i~ but not like I seed darkies whipped on other . The other niggers c~.lled us Major Gaud s free niggers and we co~ild h~e~.r tern fflO~fl~fl~ and cryii round t1~t, when they w~s puttin lt on ~ HI worked in the field from one year end to t other and when we come In at dusk we h~d to eat and be In b~d by nine~. M2~sa give us mos anything he had~ to eat, cept biscuits. That t~~h cake wasn t sich bad catin and it was cooked by puttin cornmcal batter In shucks and bakin in the ashes. We didn t work in the field Sunday but they have so much stock to tend it kep us busy. Missy was ligious and allus took us to church when she could. When we preyed by ourse ~res we daren t let the white folks know it and we turned. a wash pot down to t-he ~r ind to cotch the voice. We prayed a lot to be free ~nd the Lord. done heered us. We didn t have no song books ~nd the Lord done cive us our songt ~xid when we sing them ~t night it jus whisp ering to nobody hear us. One went like this:

012 007

~9 7 ExQslave Stories Page Two (Texas) UlMy kiee bones am aching, My body s rackin with pain, I lieve I m a chile of God, Aid this aia t my home, ~ Heaven s my aim. ~~nssa G~ud give big corn shuckim~ s and cotton pickin s and the women cook up big dinners and massa give us some whiskey, and lots of times we shucked all night. On Saturday eights wet& sing and dance and we made our owi instri~inents, which was gourd fiddles and quill flutes. Gen rally Christmas was like any other day, but I got Santa Cl~as twict in slavery, cause massa gIve me a s~ck of molasses candy once ~nd some bis~ cuits OI(~ e and that a whole I ot t o me then. The Vinsons ~nd Prys what lived next to massa sold slaves and I seed. ~em sold and chained together and druv off in herds by a white man on a hoes. They d. sell babies way ~ rom the mammy and. the Lord. never did ~teid sich as that. ~ 1157e ii that haut business yet. I seed one when I was a boy, right after m~nmy die. I woke up ~rnd. se ~d it come in the door, and it ha~1 a body aiid lege and t2il and a face like a mai ~nci it wa k~d to the fire~ place and lifted the lid. off a skillet of taters what sot there and c~e to my bed and raised up the cover and crawled in and I hollers so loud it wakes everybody. I tell ~n I seed a ghost and they say I crazy, but I guess I kiows a hast when I sees one. Minerva there can tell you bout that haunted 1i~iise we lived in near Marshall after we~ s married. (Minerva siay~s, ; Dee&, I c an ~ Qnd here is her it ory: ) . ~ ~ : ~ ~ ~ *The nex ye~ afte~ ~4~s~* a*d me marries we moves to a ~ ~la e what had. lozge~ t. white f lks and the inaa was real mean and choked k~ (~ Y!

013 008

i~x slave Stories Pate Three 5 (Texas) his wife to death and he lef the country ~rid. we moved bi. We heered. peculi~ar noises by night ~.nd the rd~ers round there done told us lt w~s hanted but I didn t lieve 1en~, bii.t I do now. One nicht we seed the WOIDRI1 what died. come all round with s~ light in the h~nd and. the neighbors sai.c~ th~.t cand1~ l1~ht the house ~u1l over ~nd it look like it on fire. She corne ev ry night ard we left rx~r crop snd mo~d w~ay fr ~ there and ~ gone h~ck ylt to gather that crop. tFore we moved in thitt place been empty since the woin~n die, ~cause nobody live theri~~ One ni~ht Charlie Williams, what lives in Marsh~l, r~nd runs a store out by the T. & P. H0spitil g t drunk and goes out there to sleep and while he sleep i~ th~.t sa~ne woman come in ~uid nigh choked him to death. Ali t r~obod.y ever live in that house since we is there. 1 Anderson then resumed his story: I tmember when war starts arid massa s boy, G~eorge it was, saddles up ole Bob, his pony, ~nd lef . He stays six months and when he rId up massa say, How s the war, George~ arid massa ~eorge say, It s Hell . Me rand Bob has be en rurtnin Yankees eve r since us ~ Pore war rnass~ didn t nev~r say much 1bout slav cry but when be heered us free he cusses end. sa~r, Gawd never did. tend to free niggers, ~nd h~ cussed till he d.i~d.. Bu~ he didn t tell us wets free till a whole ye~ after we was, but one d~~ r a butch of Thnkee soldiers come rid~in up and massa and miss y hid out. The soldiers wp.lke~into the kitchen pnd maxnmy was churnin md one of them icicks the churn over and say, Git out, you s just g~ free as I j~ t Then they ramsackeci the place and breaks out ai I the window lights ~xid when they leaves it look like a storm d.one hit that house. Massa come back from hidlu ~jia that when he st~,rts on a cUS8ln spree what lasts as long as he lives. (13:) H~ (/7

014 009

P~e Pour ~ 9 Ex-31~v, Stories (Texas) Ibr)ut four year ~ft~r that war peppy took me to Harrison Cou.ntv and I ve lived here ev r since and ~v!in~ ~rva1s p~y moves fron the F1anni~.n plwe to a ~1iin farm bout that time nrid sev ral yeer5 1~ter we w~s rnarri~d. It was at heer house and she h~d a blue serge suJt and I wore a cut~w~y Prince Albert suit an9. they was bout 200 folks at our weddin . Th~ next ~y they give us an infair aM a big di~iner. ~Te raises sixteen chu1I~n to be growed. and six of the boys is still livin and workiict in Marshell. Iti been pr~achin the ospel r~nd f~r~nin since sl~ery time. I ji~d the church most 83 y~r ~o wh n I was ~ajor G~aud s s1~ve and they ba~ti5es inc in the spring branch clost to where I finds the Lord. Whei~ I starts preachin I couldn t rec~d or write and h~d to pre~ch what massa told. me and he S~J tell them nig~ers i~fen they obeys the m~ssa they goes to Heaven bu.t I knowed there s eorrtethin~ better for them, but daren t tell them cept on the sly. That I done lots. I tells ~iii iffen they kepps prayi~ the Lorl will set em free. But since them days Ps done studied some and I preached all over Panol ~. a d Harris OR County and I started the Edwprd ~ Ghnpel over there in M~rshall ~nd p~tored lt till a few year ~o. It s nc~rned for me. III don t preach nxu~ch now, cause I ean t hold out to walk far and I got no other way to ~o. We has a $14.00 pension and lives on th~t a~d whet we can raise on the farm.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 015 010

1 ...)i1 ) I Q fw~J ii~iJ~ ~ EX SLAVE STORIES (Texas) :~ ANN J. ED\VABDS, 81, was born a slave of John Cook, of Arling-. t on Caunty Vi rgin la . He manurnitted his sDwes in 1857. Pour years later Ann was adopted by Richard H, Cain, a colored preach er. He was elected to the 45th Congress in 1876, and remained in Washington, D4 C . unt il his death,, in 1887. Ann ruarried Jas. L ~dwards, graduate of Howard College, a preacher. She now lives with her ~randda~ighter, Mary Foster, at ~3O4 L 4th St., Port Worth, Texas. nI shall gladly relate the story of my life. I was born a slave on January 27th, 1856, and ray master s n~me was John J. Cook, who we-s a resident of Arlin ton County, Virginia. He moved to Washington, D. C., when I was nearly two years old. ~nd immediately gave my parents their freedom. They separated within a year after that, and my mother earned our living, working as a hairdresser until her death in 1861. I was then adopted by Richard H. Cain, a niintster of the Gospel in the African ~ethodist Church. plI remember the beg~nning of the war well. The condit ions made a deep impression on my mind, and the atmosphereof Washington was charged with e~citezaent and expectations. There existed considerable need for assistance to the Negroes who had escaped after the war began, ~nd Rev. Cain took a leading part in rendering aid to thee. They came into the city without clothes or money arid no idea of how to secure employ~nent. A large number were placed on farms, some given employment as domestics and still others mustered into the Pederal ~&rmy.

016 011

Ex~s1ave Stories Page Two (Texas) tIThe city was one procession of men in blue ard the air was full of inarti~1 music. The fife and drum could be kieard almost all the time, so T ou may imagine what emotions a colored person of my age wotid erperience, espec-~ ially as fatherts church was a center for congregating the Negroes and advis~ ing them. That was a difficult task, because a 1ar~e majority were illiterate and ignorant. The year father w~ called to Charleston, South Carolina, to take charge of a church, we became the center of considerable trouble. It was right after the close of the war, In addition to hi~ ministerial duties, father managed a newspaper and became interested in politics. He ~vas elect~d a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of South Carolina in 1368. He was also elected a Republican member of the State Senate and served from 1863 to 1872. Then he became the republican candidate for the United States Representative of the Charleston district, was elected and served in the 4F5th Cngress from March 4, 1877 to March 3, 1879. You can imagine the bitter ~nflict his candidacy brought on. A Negro running for public office against a white person in a Southern state that was strong for slavery does not seem the sensible thing for a man to do, hut he did and was, of course, successful. From the moment he beca~e delegate to the Con stitutional Convention a guard was necessary ni~ht and day to watch our home. He was compelled to have a bodyg~iard wherever he went. I~1e, his family, lived in constant fear at all times. Many times mother pleaded with him to cease his activities, bu.t her pleadings were of no avail. 01n the beginning the resentment was not so pronounced. The white people

017 012

s j ~x-~s1ave Stories Page Three 12 (Texas) were shocked. and dejected over the outcome of the war, but ~raduaI1y recovered. As the r did, determination to establish order and prosperity developed., and they resented the Negro taking part in public affairs. On the other side of the cause was the excess and obstinate actions of some ignorant Negroes, acting under ill advice. ?ather was trying to prevent excesses being done b~r either side. He realized that the slaves were unfit, at that time, to take their place as dependable citizens, for the want of experience and wisdom, and that there wo~ld have to be mental development and wisdom learned by his race, and that sL~Ch would only come by a gradual process. He entered the contest in the interest of his own race, primarily, b~xt as a whole, to do justice to all. No one coUd change hiS course. He often stated, It is by the Divine will that I am in this battle. The climax of the resentment against him took place when he was chosen Republican candidate to the Hoi~se of Representatives. He had to maintain an ax j~ed guard at all . Several t e, despit e these guards at tempts were made to either burn the house or injure some member of the family. If it had not been for the fact that the officials of the city and county were afraid of the federal government, which gave aid. in protecting him, the mob *uld have succeeded in harming him. A day or two before election a mob gathered suddenly in front of the house and we aU thought the end. h~d come . 1~the r sent us all upstairs and said he would, if necessary, give himself up to the mob and. let them sat lefy their vengeance on him, to save the rest of us. While he was talking, mother noticed another body of men in the alley. ~They were certainly sinister looking. Pather told us to prepare for the worst, r &t~ ~ ~ .

018 013

Ex-slave Stories Page Four J~3 ( Texas) saying, ~ hat they plan to do is for those in front to engage the attention of ourselves and the ~zuard~, then those in the rear will fire the place and force i_15 out, ~ He w~s calm thro~hout it all, but mother was greatly ~1tated and I was crying. ttThe chief of the gaard called father for a parley. The mob leader demanded that father carne out for a talk. Then the sheriff and deputies appeared and. he addressed the crowd of men, ~nd told there 1f h cnrne to us the city would be placed u~nc1er martial law. The men then dispersed, after some discus~ sion ainon~ themselves, Father moved to Y1ashin~ton, took the oath of office and erved until March 4th, 1879. He then received the appointment of Bjshop of the African Method.ist Church and served until his death in ;Yashin~ton, ~n Jan. 18th, 1887. I began my schooling in Charleston and continued in Washington, where I entered Howard C011e~e, but did not continue until graduation. I met J~es E. Edwarde another e, who graduated in 1881, and m~r heart overruled my desire for an education. ~Ye married and he entered the ministry and wa~ called to Dallas, Texas. He remained two years, then we were called to Los Angeles. The Negroes there were privileged to enter public eating establishments, but a cafe owner we patronized told us the fo11owin~: ~ a time, I was czipelled to refuse service to Negroes because they abased the privilege. They cerne in in a boisterous manner arid crowded end shoved other patrons. It was due to a lack of wisdom and education. That was true. The white people tried to cive the Negro his rights axi& be abused the pri~i1ege because he was i~iorant, a condition he could not then help. ~ -4...

019 014

~x-.s1aveStor1es Page FIve (Texas) I~~y husband and. I were called to Kansas Cit~r j~ 1896 and from there to Lli~3fl~ other towns. Finally we cane to waco, and he had charge of a church there when he died, in 1927. We had a pleasant married life and I tried to do ray duty as a pastor s wife and help elevate my race; We we~e blessed with three children, and the only one now l1vin~ is inBoston, Massachusetts. II now r4side with my granddaughter, Mary Poster, ~nc1 this shack is the best her husband can afford. In fact, we ~re living in destitu.te circu.m~ stances. It is depressing to me,. after having lived a life in a comfortable home. It is the Lord s will and I must accept ~ hat is provided. There is a purpose for all things. I shall soon ~o to meet my ~aker, with the satis~ faction of having done my duty first, to my race, second, to riiankind. Note: The biography of Richard E. Cain is published in the Biographical Directory of the American Congress~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 020 015

420008 fr ~X.~.SLAVE STORIES Page One -4 - (Texas) 1IvI RY KINCE~ON EDVIABDS seys she was bern ~n July 8, 1810, but she has nothin~ te sub.. staritiate this claim. R.wever, she Is evidently v~ry o1d~. H~r ~eznory Is peer, but she k:nows she w~s reared by the Kinch&ns, in Baton Rouge, V Lsuisiana., and. th~t she spoke French when a child. The Kin-. cheons gave h ~r to Felix Vaughn, who brought her te Texas before the Civil Wer. Mary lives with Beatrice ~atters, ner~r Austin, Tex,s. V I, When I s a ~ 1 g1Vl niy n~rn~ ~aryAnne~~~on rn d I s born on the eighth ~f July, in 1810. 1 live with de Kincheon family ver in L~usipna. Beton P.ou~e ax~ de n~e of dat place. Dem Kincheons have plenty chilien. 0, dey have so m~ny chilien! sI don t member much baut dem days. l s d ~n~ forgot so many things, but I 1members how de stars fell ~nd h~w scared us was. D~m stars g t to ralin ~ r~s out fore dey hits de ground. t dGn t know when dat was, but l s good size dmn. III ~ot give t o Massa ~ ei ix Vau~1m ~ni he brung me tt Texas. Det long fore de war for freedom but I &nt t know de year ~ ~ mGst work I dene for de V~ughns was wet nuss de baby sen, wh2t name )~lljah. ILls ~nai~ny jes didn t hare noi~gh milk f~r him. ttDen I 1~it de seeks and. wash de clothes ~nd sometimes I werk In d.c fields, I h&ped xn~ke &e baskets for de cotton. De m~n git white- ak wood and we lets lt stay in de wate:~ for de night ~nc3 de nex mornin and lt soft and. us split it lxi strips for malcin if de baskets. Every bsdy try see vii. ciuld make de bern basket.

021 016

Ex slave Stsri~s p~g~ Two Page Two ( Texas) Us pick bsut 100 pound cotton in on~ b~sk~t. I didn t mind plelcin cotton, c~ause I nt~ver did have d~ back2che. I pick two ~nd three I~Ltnnert pounds a d2y and one day I picked 400. Sometime de prize give by ~iassa to d~ slave whet pick de m st. Dc prize am a Mg cake or some clothes. Plekin cotton not so b~.d, cause us used to it nnd have de fine time of i. I gits ~ dress on~ da.y ~nd a p~.ir shoes nether d~y for pickin most. I eo f~.st I ti~ke two rows at de time. De women brung oil cloths to de fi~ As, so d~r rn~ik~ sh~d~ plrce for de chilien to sleep, but dein what hi~ no ~.gh has to pick. 3om~tiine dey sing t t O- - ho ~ s gwine home, ~ And cuss de old o1~erseer. Us have 2sh hopper ~nd us. s drip- lye for n~k~ barr~is sot~p ~nd ~ r~oriiiny. De w~y us test de lye ~n drap de egg in it ~nd if de egg float (~C lye ready te put in de grease for nRkin1 d~ soap. Us threwed greasy b~nt~3 1.fl de lye and dat make de bes soap. De lye ~at de bones. Us boil wild sage ~~x d make tea and it smell goed. It good for de fever .~nd chills, Us git slippery elm out de bott,rn and chew it. Some ch~w it fer bad feelin s and some jes to b~ ch~w1n , tSimetitnes us go t~ dances and missy l~t m~ wear ~ me her jewl ry. . . I out dances dein all and folks didn t know dat not my jewl ry. After free- dem I stays with de Vaughns ~nd marries, but I forgit he name. Dat fore freedom. After freedom I marries Osbu~rn Edward.s and. h~s five chilien. Dey al ~ d~ead n,w. I can still git r und with dis old gnarly cane. Jes you git roe good and soared and. see hew fast I can git romid~ ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 022 017

4p ~ ~ ~~! ~ II~ ~~iL ~ * ~ t~4~t*~ ~ I~X-~LAVE STQRU~~ Page One (Texas) LUCINDAELDEB, 86, was born a slave of the Cardwell f~mi1y, near Concord Deport, Virginia.. She cane to Thxas with Will Jon ~s and his wife, Miss Susie, in 1860 and was the jr nu~rse-~ girl until she married Will Elder, in 1875, Lucinda lives at 1007 dwards St ~ Houston, Texas, ~You chilluns all go way now, while I talks to dis gen man. I dares to goodness, chilluns nowadays ain t got no m~nn~rs ~~a~l Tain t like when I was li l, dey larnt you manners and you larnt to mind, too. Nowadays you tell ~ to do somethin and ~rou is jes wastin you breath, lr~SS ~U fl95 ~ stick right handy. Dey is my great grandchilluns, and dey sho is spoilt. Mei.ybe I a.in t got no patience AO more, like I use to have, 1caus~ dey ain t so bad. Well, suh, you all wants me to tell ~TOu bout slave times, and I ll tell you first dat I had mighty good white folks, ~nd I hope dey s gone up t o Heaven. My mama long to Marse John Cardwell what I hear was e riches man and h~d ke bigges plantation round Concord Depot. Dat am in Campbell C0unty, in Virginny. I don t member old missy s name, but ~he mighty good to de sinves, jes like parse John was, M~aa s naine was Isabella and she was de coolc and. born right on de plantation. Papa s name was Gibson, his first naine was Jim, and he t long to Marse Gibson what had a. plantation next to Marse John, ~nd I knows papa cane to se~ mama on ~edne~day and Sat day nights.

023 018

i~xs1ave Stories P~ e Two (Texas) Lemme see, now, deere was six of us chilluns. My mern ry ain t so good no taore b~t Charley was oldes ~ d~n Collie Dolly and Jennie arid Susie and. me md Laura. Law rae, I guess old Dr. Bass, what was doctor for M~rse John, use to be right busy with us bo~it once a year for quite a spe1~1. Dem times dey don t marry by t~o license. Dcv takes a slave man and w~nan from de same plantation and outs 1em together, or sometime a rr~an f orn nother plantation, like my papa and mama. Mamma say Marse John give em a big supper in de big house and. read out de Bible but obe~rin and workin and. den dey axa married. Course, de nigger ~s 9 slave and have to do what de white folks say, so dat way of marr~~in bout good ac any. ~:But Marse John sho was de good marse and we had plenty to eat and v~ear and no one ever ~ot whipped. Uarse John sa~r iffen h~ have a nigger what oughta be whipped, he d g t rid of hir~ quick, cause a bad nigger jes Ii~e a rotten tatei in a sack of good ()fl~5 ~ spoil de others. Back d.ere in Virginny lt 51i0 g t cold in winter, but corne September dc wood gaig g t busy cuttin wood and haulin it to de yard. De~ raakes two piles, one for de bi~ house and de bgges plie for dc slaves. Then dey~ git it al I haul ed I t I o ok li. Ice a bit woodyard . ~hi 1 e dey I s haulin ~ de women make quilts and dcv is wool quilts. Course, dey ain t gnade out of sh~Rrin wool, but jest as good. Mar~e John have lots of sheep and when dey go through de briar patch de woo . cotch on dem briars and in de tall de women folks goes out and picke de wool off de briers jest like you picks cotton. Law m~, I don t know nothint bout malcint quilts out of cotten till ~ comes to Texas. is fjf~~r~e. I saver done no work, tcause Marse John won t work no one till dey

024 019

~x- s1ave Stories Pa~ge Three ( Texae) is fifteen years old. Den dey works three hours a day and dat all. Dey don t work full time t Il dey s eighteen. We was jes ~aziie as free niggers on our place. 11e giVes each slave a pteee of ground to make de crop on and buys de stuff hisseif. ~e crowed sn~ip beans and corn and plant on a light moon, or turnips and onione we pla~it on de dark moon. When I gits old nough Marse J0hn lt~ts me take he daughter, Nancy Lee, to school. It ~n twelve miles and de yard man hitchee up old Be~s to de buggy and we g te in and no one in dat county no prouder dan what I was. Maree John lete us go visit other plantations and. no pass, neither. 1ff en de patterroller stop us, we ice say we long to Marse John and dey don t bother u~s none. Iffen dey comes to o~r cabin from other plantations, dey has to show de pat~ terroller de pasi, and iffen dey slipped off and ain t got none, de patterroller sho give a whippin den. But dey waits till dey off our place, cauee Marse John won t low n o whipp in on our plac e by no one. t~eli, things was jes bout de same all de time till Jes fore freedom. Course, I hears garne talk bout bluebellies, what dey call de Yanks, fightin ou~ . folks but dey waent t it round us. Den one dey mamnia t ~ok sich and she hail hear talk and call me to de bed and say, Lucinda, we all gwine be free soon and. not work less we git paid for it She t was right cause Mars. John calls all us to de cookhouse and. reads de freedom papers to us and tells us we le all free, but iffen we wants to st.y he ll give us land to make a crop and. he ll feed. us. Now I tells ~rou de tx ~th, dey wasn t no one leaves ~ cause we all loves Marse John, ~ ~ jus three weeks after freedom mama dies and dat how come me to leave : ~ Marss John, You see, Marse ~ what Owns papa fore freedom, was a good. mare. ~ ~ :~ . ~ ~ ~ 4-, ~ ~ ~ ~ . . ~ ! 19

025 020

~x-slaVe ~Storiee ~ Four (Texas) and when papa was sot free Marse Gibson gives him some land to farm. Course, papa was gwine have us all wi th him but when mamma dies Marse Gibe on tell him Mr. will Jon~s and Miss Susie, he wife, want a nurse girl ~or de chilluns, so papa hires rae out to ~em and I want to say z ight now, dey Jes as good white folks as ~arse John and. Old Missy, and sho treated me good. Law me, I never won t forgit one day. Mr. Will say, Lucinda, we is gwine dri~e you over to Appomatox and take de chilluns and you can come, too. Course, I was tickl~d mos to pieces but h:~ didn t tell what he gwine for. You know what? To see a nigger hung. I gettin long zaighty old now, bu.t I won t never forgit dat. He had kilt a man, and I never saw so man;~r people fore, what dere to see him hang. I jes shut my eyes. )~n Mr. Will he take me to de big tree what have all de bark strip off it and de branches strip off, and say, Lucinda, dis de tree where Gen. Lee surrendered. I has put dese two hands right on dat tree yes euh, I sho has. Miss Susie say one day, tLucinda, ho~ you like to go with us to Texas? L~w ins, I didn t know where Texas was at, or nothin , but I loved Mr. Will enduites Susie and de chilluns was all wrop up in me, so I say I ll go. A~id dat how come I 1m he re and I am ~ t never b~ en back, and I am t s ce my own si et ers and brothe r and papa since. We come to New Orleans on de train and takes de boat on de ~1f to Galveston and den de train to Hempetead. Mr.Will farm at first and. den he and hiss Susie run de hotel, and I stays with dem till I gets ma ried to Will Elder in 75, and I lives with him till de good Lawd takes him home. I has five chilluns but all dead now, ceptin two,~ done served. de Lawd ~ ~ for 64 years and. soon he s gwine call old Lucinda, but l in ready and I know ~ be better off when I die and go to ~eaven, cause I,m old and no cou~i now. ~~:: ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 026 021

4 ~~()O24 For Ex Slave Volume Page one 21 ~x-~sLA:v~ si~oi~i~s ( P~x~) o ;r ~ 1937 EX SLAVE ~ TUBiOG~~PI-IY JOR1~i ElliS, w8s born June 26, 18~2, a slave o ~ the Ellis tam~i1y in Johnson County near Cleburne, :exas. He remained with his white 1~olks und was paid by the ~ionth for hi~ labor for one year after freedom, v~hen his master died and his mislress returned to Mississippi. H~ worked as a labor er for many years around. Cleburne, coraix g tO San ~igelo, Texas in 1928. He now lives alone and ic very active :for his age. Johii relates: My father and mother, John and j~nnie Ellis, were sold in sprixag ~ield, I:issou~ri, to my raarster, parson Ellis, and taken away from au. their people and brou~ght to Johnson County, Texas. My marster, he was a preacher and ~ good mari. ~one o:e de slaves ever have better white folks ~en we did.

027 022

Pa~ge two 22 Ive h~d good beds and good food and dey teaches us to read and write too. ~e buffalo and de antelope and de deer was mos as thick as de cattle now, and we was sent out after dein, so we would always have plenty of fresh raeat. ~e had hogs and cattle too. ;i~ny of dem what was not marked was just as muchoursa~ iffexi we had raised dem~, cause de raxi~e was all free. TTSome of de fish we would catch out of dut Brazos fliver would be so big dey would pull u.s in but finally we would manage to gits dem out. De rabbits and de possum was plentiful too and wid de bi~ garden what our marster had for us all, we ~ho had good to eat. il s done all kinds oi~ work what it takes to run a fa m. M~ boss he had only fourteen slaves and what was called a small fa rn, compared wid de big plantations. After our days work was done we would ~et up at night and pick de seed out of de cotton so dey could spin it into thread. Den we goes out and gits different kinds of bark and boils it to git dye for de thread fore it was spinned into cloth. ~e chillun jes have lon,c~ shirts and slips niade out of dis home spun ~nd we ~iakes our shoes out of rawhide1 and Lawdy~ Dey was ao hard we would have to warm dem by de fire and grease dein wid tallow to ever wear dein tall. we had good log huts and our boss had a bigger log house We never did work lorig into de nicht and lone fore day like I heer tell some did. ~e didn have none o:~ dem drivers and when we done anythixg very bad old

028 023

Page three marster he whoop us a little bat we never got hurt. It1 didia see no slaves said, tat was done, I hear, but not so m~ioh in Texai~. I never did see no jails nor ohain~ nor nothix. like d~t either, bi.it I hears bout dein, TWe never worked ~at days and de colored went to church wid de whites and jine de church too, but dey never baptized dem so ft~r as I knows. twe had lots to eat and big times on Christmas, inos as big as when de white folks gits married. Uniph, wn~ One of de gi ls got iriarried once and she had such a long tr~iil on dat weddin gown tU nie and ~y sister, we have to walks along behind her and carry dat thing, all of us a-.walkiia on a strip o~ nice cloth i~roin de carriage to ~e churoh. we shot have de cakes and all dem good eats at dein weddiii suD~ers. I nevtr hear tell o ~ many colored weddin s. ~Ie jes ju.m~ps over de broom an de bride she has to jump over it; b~okwards and iffen she cotildn jump it backwards she couldn t git nmrried. ~at was sho ~axii~y, seem dein colored gi l~i ~i trytia to jump dat broom. Our boas,he tells us bout bein free und he say he ~ hire us by ue month and we st:~ys dere ~ year and ~ae dies, den oie miss she go back to Mississippi and we jes scatter round, some a worktn here and some a wori~in yonder, mos times ror our victuals and clothes. I couldn tell much diCference uiysel1~ cause I had good people to Live wid and when it w~s dat way de whites and de colored was better off

029 024

page tour de way I sees it den dey S now, some o1~ uem. I seem jes p~yin away, de doctors ~ on know jes what s wrong wid ~ie but I nebei was u~se to ~oetors aiayway, jes some reu root tea ur sage weed and ~hee~ w~te tea ~~or ~e u~e~sle~ ~m ~ll ~e ~octorin~ v;e ~ts v~hen we was si~ves ~tfldj dut (i flC jes ~ well. TTMY wift she been uead ail oese ~e&r~i ~Ai11 I ~jes lives here a1one~ ~Chillun? ~o mum, I never had no ctiilIu.n Thre I w~ iu.~rried uflt I OX11~J had iweive ~.tfter I wa~ mairied; yes niam, des nine boys arid three ~rls, but I ~re ~ers to live here by mysel~, cause I gits alone alri~ht.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 030 025

4~2C~ ;~i3 :~L~SI~AY~ STOBI~S Page One ~ 25 ( Texas) 1A~K~NZA EZ~LL, Beaumont Texas, Negro was born ta 1850 on the ~ plantation of Nid Lipso*b, i* Spart aaburg Ccnnty, South Caro iina, Lore*za is above th. ~ver ~ age in intelligence and. reas~bsrs 1~aiy incidents of slavery and Re- coastruction days. He case to Brshha~, Texai, i~ 1882, t~n& sev irai y.ars later Moved to B.auaont, wherehe lives in a litti. shack almost hidden by vinss and tr..s. u ~ plantation was es ~ east froM Pac out St at ion on Thickitt:,! Creek, la Spartanburg County, ta South Carolina. Dit near Little and Big Pacoist Bivers o* de route to Ljaestone Springs, and it jes -~~ a ordinary plantati on wi th de ~ai* crops cott on and wheat. ~ I long to de Ltpscombs and ~y aa~ma, Maria E~i1, she long to ~ too. Old Ned. Lipecomb was aoigst dsoLd4etcttizens of dat county. I s bora den on July 29th, in l9~(a*d I be 87 year old dis year. Levi ~1zeU, he my daddy, and. he long to Landr~m ~z.ll, a Baptist pr.ach.r. Dat yottig ~asea and de old sassa, Joha ~zell, was de first Baptist preacher I erer be,rod of. He have three some, Lazdr~ and Judsc~ and 31750*. Brys~i have gif for business and was right e~art of a orator. Dey s fourteen niggere on de Lipscoab place, Dey s seven of us chilies, ay aaaaa, three uacle and thre. amt and one man what wasa t no kin to us. I was oldest of de chilien, and dey called Salit. and Carrie and Alte. ~nd Jabus and Coy and LaFate and Fbffus and Nelson. Old Ned Lipecoab was one 4e best massa in de whole county. Tatt know dem old patterroll.rs dey call us Old. Ned e fr. nigg.rs and aho hate us. D.~ cruel to us, ~cise dey think us have too good. a *usa. On. tia. dey cotch ay uacle and beat hia *ost to death.

031 026

Ex-elay. Stories Page Two ~ 26 (Texas) Us go to work at daylight, but us wasn t bused. Other sassas used to blow de horn or ring de bill, but nasea, he never u~ss de horn or de whip, All de nan folks was lowed raisi a garden patch iiith tobaccy or cotton for to sell in de market. Waan~t ~a4iy sassas what lowed der. niggers hays patches and soas didn t even feed in SR ough. Dat s why dey ha~m~ t o gi t ou~t and. hustle at night t o git food for dem to eat. De old massa, he siste~. us go to church. De 3~ptist church have a shed. b~iilt behind de p~ilpit for cullud folks, with d.c cUrt floor a~d split log seat for de women folks, b~t nost de sen folks stands or kneels on d floor. Dey used to call dat de coop. De white preacher back to us, bu.t iffsa he want to h. turn round and talk to us ~whils. Us n~a up songs, cause us couldn t read or srite. I ae~ber dis one De rough,rocky road what Moses dome travel, t e bound t o carry ~ e oui to de Lawd; ~ a mighty rocky road. but I nos done travel, And l s boun,d to carry my soul to de Lawd. Us sing I Sweet Chariot but us didn t sing it like dese days. Us sing: s Swing low, sweet chariot, Prsely ist me into rest, i: don t want to stay here no loag.r; Swing low, sweet chariot, Wh.n Gabriel sake h. slam I wants to be rollia~ ta Jesus am,, Cause I cio* t wa*t to Stay here no longer. Us . sing *othsr song what de Tanke es ta~ce dat t~ine and make a of it. Sheraan amy sung it, too. We havi it like cite: kI7aA ot~t

032 027

~x..sslaye Stori s Page Three (Tixas) Our bodies bound to z~orter and decay, Our bodies bound to raorter and decay, Our bodies bxind to morter and decay, But us souls go ~archIa home. ~ WBefoI de ~ar I jes big n lgh to drap corn and tote water. When de litti. white chilien go to school bout half aile, I wait till noon and ru.a ail de wny up to de school to run base when dey play at noon. Dey eev ra.l young Lipsconbs, den Smith and Bill and John and. Nathan, and de oldest eon, Eliaa. I~ dem days cullud. people jes 11k. wiles and hoee.s. D.y didn t have no last nase. My ~aan~a call me after my d~ddy~s massa, *zill. Mamma was de good wc~taa and I ats~ber her MOTS dan once rockin de little cradle and cingla to de baby. Dia what she stn~ Milk i~ de dairy nine deys old, Sing song Kitty, ca*tt you ki-ae-o? :?rogs and skeeters gitt in mighty bol ~ Sing-song, Kitty, can t you ki-me..o? (Chorus) Keeno, kino, darro, wharro, With me hi, ne ho; In cogis Sally Bingla Soaetlme penny winkl*, Liigtua nip cat, Siag.so*g,Kitty, cati t y~i ki~e. o? Dire a frog live in a pool, S Siag..song, Kitty, can t you ki-~me-o? Surs he was di biggie fool, Sia~.eoag, Kitty, can t ycm kt-ne o? For h. could daric. and hi could sing Siag..song, Kitty, can t you ki-~me -o? And aaks de woods aroun lila r Ing Sing song, Kitty, can t y~ ki-~me-o?

033 028

~*slavi Stories Page Pour 28 (Texas) Old massa didn t hold with de way sans mean massas tr.at d.y nigg.rs. Dire a pl~iCi on our plantation what us call ~ old meadow. It was conon for ranawey niggers to have place long de way to hide and. rist when dey nia off fron meu massa. Massa ~ieed to givs sa soa,t ta to eat ehen dey hide dire. I saw dat place operated, though it waes~ t knowed by dat den, but long tinis after I finds out dey call it part of de Undergr~xutd railroad. Dey was stops like &at all de way up to de north. ~Pe have went down to Columbia when I bout li year ld and dat where di first gun fired. Us rush back home, but I could eny I heered de first guns of de war shot, at Tort Sumter. IVhea G.n ral Shern~n ~ come cross de Savannah River in South Carolina, sons of he sojers c*ne right cross us plantation. All de neighbors havi brung de~r cotton *nd stack it in de thicket on de Lipacomb place. Shermen men find it and sot it on fire. Dat cotton stack was big as a little court~ houa. and i~ took two months burnin . My old massa run off and stey in de woods a whole week when Sherman men coins through. He dicta t need to worry, ca~ise us took cars of every~ thin Dey a funny s Ong us make up bm~t him runn in off in de woode I know it was make up, ~c&use m~ uncle have a band in it. It went like d12 ~Vhits folks have yoi~ seed. old massa UI, de road, With h. m~istache on? Hi~ pick up he hat and h. leave real sudden AM I hive hs e up and gone. (Chorus) Old massa run &~97 Antt us d.arkies stay at home. It m,is be now dut Kingd~on s canin And d. year of Jubile..

034 029

:Ex~s1av. Stori s Page Five ( T.xas) He 3. ook up de river and he seed dat imoke The re de Lj*coln gunboat s lay. Ke big ~ *uff and. he old. tuff and he ort er know bet t.r, But he go*e and nia aw~. tNow dat overseer wa~it to give trouble And trot ~te round g spell, But we lock him up in cli smokehouse cs lar, With d key done throwed In de well. ~ ~ Right after dat I start to be boy what rua mail froa camp to caap for d. soj rs. On, tiae I capture by a busch of deserters what w~a hidt*1 in de woods long Pacolet River. Day did~n t hurt me, tbou~gh, but dey sos scare ~e to dsath. Dsy parol~. and tun me 1002e. All four my youig aase*s go to de war, all but ~li~s. Re too old, Smith, he kilt at Manaseas J~nctioit. Nath~ he git he finger shot at de first round at Port Suater. B~it when Billy was w~inded at Howard Gap in North Carolina and dey braug hi~ home with he jaw split opea, :i: so aad I could have kilt all de Ta~kees. I say I be h~py iffea I could kill a joB, oze Taikee. I hated ds~ cause d.y hurt my ithite people. Billy was disfigure awful whei be jaw split and he teeth all shine through he cheek After was was ovsr, old aassa call us up and told. u.s is fr.. but he ~is not lea,e d. place till de crop was through. Us all stay. Dsi ~1e islect ~ua hoaes and. ~ovs to it. Us folks move to S Littlejoha d, north of Thick.tty Creek, whsrs us stay two yir. Dia us move beck to Billy Lips- o oab, de yoi.tag ~aesa, sad et~y ~ dire two nor. year I s right saart gooc~ ba*jo pick~r iz c1e~ d4~y. :i kin meaber ois dia songs jest ~ good todq~ as wh.i I pick it. ~t was: ~ tIarly ii d~e iao!*ia . DO* t you hear cli togs grki ? :Bow, wows wowi .~ .

035 030

~x.i1aye Stories Psige Stx (Texas) ( Choru,s) Th.tsh, hush, boys Doi t ~a1ve a noise, ~ faat a~s1eepin . Ibis to de barnyard. Wake up de boys Let s have banj o p ickin ~ariy in de aornlnt Don t you hear de roosters crowin ? Coco .~sdood1e~..do ~ I con~e in contac with de Kitt Klux. Us lef de plantation in .5 or 66 ~nd by 68 us was hav1n~ sich a awfui time wtth de Klu Ziux. First time dey coi~ie to zay mamma s house at midnight and claim dey sojers done come back fron de dead. Dey all dress up in sheets and make u~ like spirit. Dey groan round and say dey been kilt wrongly and come back for justice. One man, he look jus like ordinary m~ but he spring up bou.t eighteen feet high aU of a suddent. Another say he so thirsty he ain t hive no water since he been kilt at U~nassas J~flCt1Ofl. He ask for water and be jes kept p urin it in. Us think he sho aust be a spirit to driuk dat muth water. Course he not drinkint it, he pcYurin it in a bag under he sheet. My ~a~a never did. take up no tru~ck with spirits so she kaowed. it jes a man. Dey tell us what dey gwine do iffen we don t all go back to us massas ~nd us all tgrees and den dey all dis pear. D n us isove to New Prospect on de Pacolet Rivsr,on de Perry Cli~i~ons place. D~t in de upper edge of de county and dat where de second swarm of de Klu Klux coi~e out. Dey claim dey gwlne kill everybody what am epu can . My dad&y charge wi th b, a leader moigat de n igge . He make speech and ~ striiet de n~ggers how t o vote for Grant s first lect ion. D. Klu Klux want to whip him and he have to sleep in a holler log every night.

036 031

Ex~~ ~1~tve Storl es P~g Ssven 31 (Texas) Du s ~ old. mal name Uncle Bart what live bxit half mile froa us De Klu Klux e xne t o u~s house one nicht but my daddy d.one hid Den I he~ dem say dey gwlne go kill old man Bart~ I jump out de window ~nd cut short cut through dem wood ~nd warn him. Re git out de house in tii~e and I save ~ie lifte D ftlflfly thing, I knowed ~ll dem flu flux. Spite dey sheets and. things, I knowed dey voicee aad dey $addle liosses. Dsy One white man nwae Irving Reasey. Us pleq ftddle together lots of time, When de white boys dance dey allus wants me to go to plq for dey party. One day I say to dat boy, I done knowed. yau. last night. Re 8a7 ~ That 3FCt1 mean? I say, You one dem Klu Klux. He wa*t t o know how I kiow. I say, Meaber whei you go under de chest*ut tr~ ~d say, ~Whoa, Sont, 1~1Oa, Sont, to your hose? He say, Tes, and. I laxigh and. say, Will, I ~ right up in dat tres. Dey all kn~wed I knowed dem ds*, but I never told. on des. 4he* dey seed. I ain t gwtaster tell, dey never try whip my daddy or kill Uacle Bart no more. tu ai* t never been to school but I jee picked up rsadta . With some my first mosey I ever earn I l4uy me a old blue back Webster. I carry dat book wherever I goes, When I plows down a row I stop at de end to rest and den I overlook di lesson, I eaber one do very first lessons was, Evil c*sauitications ru~pte good morals, I knowed de words evil arid good and a white mai ~ splala de others. I been done use dat lesson ~ll J&y hf.. After us left de Paool t Rivsr us stay in Atlanta a little while and den I go ort to Loutsiaza. I don. 1sf Spartaaburg completely

037 032

Ex slave Stories p~g~ Eight (Texas) ii ~76 but I did.~t git into Tsxas till 1882. 1 fii lly git to Brsihax~, Texas and marry Rachel Pinchbeck two year after. Us was marry ii church aid hats seye* chtlle~. Din us sp rate, I b ei batching bout 20 year a*d I done lost track moe~ diii chille*. My gal, Lula, live i~ Be~uaont, M~d Will, he in Chicago. liyeryr t ime I tilli dsse iiggers I s from South Carol tua dey all s,y, O, he bound to make a heap. I could be a conjure doctor and iaake plenty mosey, but dat ain t good. In slavery time dey s men like dat garded as beine dangerous. Dsy ma~ce charas and put bad mouth oa y~.t. De old folks wears di rabbit foot or coon foot and. sometime a silver dims o a fishin string to keep off de witches. Som. de~ old. co~jurs p~opl. make lots or money for charm gaiuet ruli or cripplin ~i d y up de blood. :~~t I don t t~.ke u~ ~o truck with things like dat.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 038 033

420()93 F~L.SLjV~ STORI:~S p~ One I ~ ~Texa~) : BETTY ISARROW, 90 now 1 lying with a sOn on a farm in Moser Valley, a Negro settlement ten miles northeast of Fort Worth on Texas Higiaway No~ 15, was born a slave to Mr. Alex Clark, plantat ion owner in Patrick Co., Virginia, Its glad to tell wkiat I knows, but yous have to scuse me, ca~i~e my collection ai~ bad. I just den 1Lember much, but l s bo ri on Masta Alex Clark s plantation in Patrick County, Virginny, on June 28th, l84 ?~ Dat1s w1~at n~y mammy toll ii~~ You see, we cullud folks have no sc~3oolin ~ dem days and I can t read or wr ite I flas to depen on whal; folks tells me, LiMasta Clark has rlgnt smart plantation in oie Virginny and he owns bout twenty other slaves dat wo ked dc big place. He had three girls and four boys and wrien l~s a crille wetune played togedder and wetuns tacxied to each otner E~ll our lives, In mammy s family dere was five boys and four girls~ I don member my pappy. When l s bout ten, l s set to work, peddalin rs~ind di house, b~t three years fore de war marster soi1 his plantation fer to go to Ps:x:ae. I ~members de day we uns started in tXiree covered wagons, all leaded. Twas celebration day for us chillun. We travels rrem daylight to dark, cept to feed. and. ris1 de mules at noon. I don ~ how l.ng we was on de way, but twas long time and twarn t no celebration t iwards de last ~ A~ft er while we comes to Sherm~n in Texas, t. o~ir new ~ - l-.

039 034

~. ~ ~x~-elaves Steries ~ (Texas) Page Tw 5Then we WitS dore t out a year, dire sin heaps st trouble. Dere was a mitghbor, Shields, he s drivin wood. te town and goes ntcress nle ta~ s yard and dey have ~ arg mente. One day we chilien playin and masta ee ttint on de frent porch and. Snield.s come up ci.e read. Masta stipe ~iim w1~en rie starte to crise de yard. and de fuit thing we knows, we nears b&ag1 and d.at Snields moite ~e maei~a ai~a. we sees nia 1~al1. Dey sen s yswig iLex for de doctor and he makes dat mule zu n like ne never ruii fore. De doctor comes in de nouse and iooics &b a.e masta, aud. listens to nis neart and. says, He am dead, ~ I~ere was pewer ui. sorrow in dat home. t, Aft er dat Muta Lie X t aloe s c~iarge and in ~ b ~it one year ne Tletuiis goin to Port Worth. Si we goes, and 1 I rec1lec s rignt, dat ae war started. Arier dat, dere was times dere waan eneu~h to make de cl the., but we~uns allu.. nad plenty te eat, and we gives lots ox rood to de army mans. t ~ don I meaoer be In toi ~ I e zLiS ~e 1ufl8 si; ayed. rignt den on de larm, cause it was as nly noms we knew and no reti ii to go. I stays den tiil I~s twenty se~in years ae, ~en I marries and my husban1 rents land. ~ uns nas ten enillun and s ~aetini e we has to skimp but we gets Sn. Then my imeban dies fifte~i years a~gs, I comes ziere. he ailus ueen t,. busy t ndin te my sponsibilitiss for te git in de debilment, ~ now I , happy, tendin to my great gran chili, says, year

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 040 035

4Y201 47 EX...SLAVE STORt~ES Page One 35 (Texaz ) S JOHN FTh)tELY, 86, was born a slave to ~artin rinn~~1y, tu Jt~ckson Co., Alabama. Du5ring the Civil War ten s1ave~ escaped from th~ Finnely plantation. Their succec~ led. John to escape. ~e joined the Y~dera . Army. John farmed from 1865 untIl 1917, then moved to Fort Worth, Tex., and worked. in packin~g plents until 1930. He now lIvt~ ~t 2812 Cliff St., Yort \~orth, hI~ eole support a $17.00 monthly pension. ~ am de state wh.re I s born ann d~tt 86 year~go, in ~Thckson County, on Massa Martin Finnely s plantation, and h1r~ owns bont 75 other slaves sides mammy and me. My peppy am on dat plantation but I don t know him, cause n~xnmy never taik~ bout him cept to say, He ~ here. ~M~ssa fin de cotton plantation but rais~&s stock and. feed and corn and cane ~nd rations for de humans sich as us. 1t ~irn diff rent when I~s a young im dan now. Den, it 21fl needful for to reise ever~thin~ yous need, ~ dey couldn t pend on factory m~de goods. )ey co~t1d buy shoes an~ clothes and sich, but we uns could m&ce (~ein SO much cheaper. TtThat weI1.lns rn~ke? Low .~ae to collect a~i l. Let s see, we uns m2ke shoes, ~nd leather ~d clothes ~nd cloth apd ~rirxds de meal. .knd. wesuns cures de rne&t preserves de fruit ~nd m~e !l~ssas arid brown sug~r. All de harness for d4 rirules ~rtd de hosses is m~Jce and d~ carts for haulin . Am d~~t all? Oh, yes, rnass~ ranke pe~.ch brandy and him have he own still. Do work ~n 1vldecj. twixt de cullud foLks and us ~1lus have certp~in duties to do. I s ~ti do field hand and befo l s old nou,~h for to do dat, dey has ins help with do chores and errands., Us have de cabins of loge with ne room ~nd one door and one window hole and bunks for sleepin . But no cookin am done dore. It an done in

041 036

Ex-~slave Stories Page Two (Texas) de cookhouse by dc cooks for all us ni~ers and we~uns eats in de eatin shed. De r~tions ein good, plain victuals and dere plenty of it and bait twict a week clerc som~thin for treat, Massa sho ~m tict~1ar ebout fe~din1, specially :~~or de ~oung u-~ in de nursery. You see, dere am de nursery for sich what n~d~ ~re while dere mainmies ~m a-workin . Massa feed plenty ~d him mand plenty work. Det cause h~p of trouble on dat plantation, cause whippin s ~gi~ ~n and h ird ones, too. Lots of times at dc end of de day I s so tired I s couldn t speak for to stop de mule, I jus have to lean back on de lines, Dis nigger never gite whupped cept for dis, befo I s a field. h~nd, Mpssa use me for huntin and us~ m~ for de g~in rest. when hirn h~ve de long shot I bands over wid puts de hands on de ~i~es and cassa puts his ~.in on my back for to g t ct~ good aim, Yih~t hirn kills I runs and ~ otches and. carries de ~me for him. I turns d~ squirrels for him and dat d.is~w~y: de squirrel allus go to udder side from dc hunter ~nd I walks round d~ tree and de squirrel see me and ~o to massa s side de tree and he gits de shot. All dat not so bad, but when he shoots de thick in de water 9nd I has to fotch it out, dat give me de wori~srinent. De fust time he tells me to ~o in de pond I~s skeert, powe ful skeert. I t~ces off de shirt and pants but there I stander, I steps in de water, de~i b~ck ~ end gain. ~assa am gittin mad.. He say, Swim in dere ~nd git dat duck.1 Yes, sar, massa, I says, but I won t go in. dat water till massa hit me some licks. I cou~ldn t never ~it use to bein de water clog for de ducke, De worst wh~~ppin I seed. was give to Clarind.a. She hits massa

042 037

Ex~..s1;~ve Storie$ Paie Three (Texas) with de hoe t~2u~e he try If~r~ with h~r r~nd she try stop him. She am put on de 1o~g ~nd cive 500 1~shes. ~he ~rn over dat log all day ~nd wht~n dey takes her c~ff, she ~ limp i~nd ~ct deailike. For a wetk she ~in In de bunk. flr~t whuppin cause p1~nty troub1~ and dere lots of ar~ ments rn~ng d~ white folks round dere. t ~e h&~s some j o~srment s on de pltntat ion, no p ~rt ies or d.ani but we has de corn huskln1 9fld de n1~g~r fights. For de corn huekin everybody come to one p1~ce and dey cives de prize for findin de red ear. On massa s place de prize am brandy or you ~mi lowed to kiss de ~aI you calls for. While us huskin us sing lots. No, no, Vs not gwine sine any dem songs, cause l s forgit ~nd my voice sound like de bra~r o~ de mule. De nigger fights am more for de white folks joyment but de slaves ~un lowed to see it~ De massas of plantations match dere niggers cording to size and bet on dem. Massa Finnely have one nigger what weighs bau~t 150 pounds and him powerful good. fighter and he like to fight . None lests long with him. Den a new niggers comes to fight him. I Dat f ight am h eid at night by~ ~Ie p inc t orch 1 1 ~ht . A ring ~ made by d.c folks et~ndin round in de circle. Deys tlowed to do anything with dey hands and head. and teeth. Nothin barred cept de knife and dc club. Dem two niggers gtte in de ring and Torn he starts qui~ end dat n~w nigger he starts just ~ qiii~k, Dat sprise Torn ~nd when dey comes togedder lt like two bulls ~ kersmash lt sounds like dat. Den it am bit and kick and bite ~id butt anywhere and. any place for to best de udder. De one on dc bottom bites knees or anything him ct~n do. Dat s de w~y it go for half de hour. 3-.

043 038

Ex~slave Stories . Page Four 38 (Texa5) 1Fin ly dat new nigger gits Tom in de stomach with he knee and a lick side de jaw at de saine time and down go Tom and. de udder nigger jumps on him with both feets den straddle him and hits with right left right, left, right, side Tom s hew1.. Dere Toni lay, makin no ~sistence, Everybody am saysin , Tom have met he match, hirn am done, Both wn bleedin and ~rn awful sight. Well, dat new nigger laxes for to git he wind ~nd den Toni, quick like de flash, flips him ff and jump to he feet and beTh dat new nigger could git to he feet, Tom kicks him in de stomach, gain and. tgain. Dat nigger s body start t o quaver and he massa say, Dat nough. ~ Dat de clostest Tom ever come to gittin whupped. what I s know of. ttl becomes a ranaway nigger short time after dat fight. Pc war am started den for bout a year, or somethin like dat, ~nd de Fed rals am north of us. I hears de niggers talk ~ it, and tbout mnnin way to freedom. I thinks ant thinks tbout gittint freedom, 3nd l s swine ~n off. Den I thinks of de patter rollers and whRt happen if dey cotches inc off de place without de pass. Den I thinks of some joyment sich as de corn huskin and de fights and. de ~ingint ~j I dontt know what to do, I tells you. one s but I can t s Ing t t : t, t De meoni ight a shinin star, De big owl hootin j)~ de tree; o, bye, my baby, ain t you gwineter sleep, A-.rockin on my knee? Bye, my honey baby, Asiuireekin on my knee, Baby done gone te sleep, Owl hu~sh heotin In de tree. t, t She gone to sleep honey baby sleep, . & .rockin on my~, a..rsckin on my knee.

044 039

~L.slave Stories Pa~2 e P~e 39 (Texas) tiNow, back to de freedom, One nicht bout ten niggers ru.n away. De next day we~ufls hears nothin , so I says to myself, Dc patters ~ cotch dein. Den I makes up my mind to go ~d I leaves with de chunk of meat and cornbread and am on my way, half siceert to death. I she has de eyes open and de ears forward, watchin for de patters. I steps off de road in de night) at sight of anything, and. in de day I ta3c~s to de woods. It takes me two days to make dat trip rm,nd jus once de patters pass me by. I afli in de thicket watchin dem and I s sho dey gwine search dat thicket, cause dey stops ~nd am ~ta~n andlookin my way. Dey stands dere for a 1i~l bit and. den one comes my way. Lawd A-mighty! Dat sho look like de end, but dat man stop and den look and look. Den he pick up somethin and goes back. It am a bottle and dey all takes de drink and rides on. l s sho1 in de swee.t and I don ttarry dere long. De Yanks am caniped ziere Beilfound and dere s where I gits to. M~gine my sprise when I finds all de ten runaway niggers am dex e, too. Dat ~ on a Su.nday and on de Monday, de Yanks puts us on de freight train and we goes to Stevenson,in Alabama. Dere, mie pit to work buildin breastworks. Thit after de few days, I gits sent to e headquarters at Nashville, in Tennessee. I s water toter dere for de arn~r and dere am no fightin at first ~ but fore long dey starts de battle. Dat battle ~ ~im a ~ sperience for me. ~ De noise am awft , jus one steady roar of de gans and de cannons. De window ~ glass in Nashville am all shoke out from de shakement of de cannons. Dere anm ~ . dead mens au over de ground and lot s of wounded and s orne cue sin afld some .prayifl . Some ~m moanin and. dis ax~d dat on&~ cry fr de water and,God &..mnighty, - 5..

045 040

Ex~e1aire Stories P~ e Six ~ . 41) (Texas) I dontt w~xit any sich gain. Dere am men carzyln de d~ec~d off de field, but dey can t keep up with de cwinons. I helps bary de dead and den I gits sent to Murphysboro and dere it am jus de same. tYo~t knows when Abe Ljncoln am shot? Well, I~s in N~ehville den and it am near de end of de war and I am standin on Broadway Street talkin with de sergeant when up walk a man and him shakes hands with me and says, t s pr oud. t o n~ cet a brave young fell ow like yr~~i ~ ~ Dat man an Andrew Johnson and him come to be president after Abe s dead. ItT stays in Nashville when de war am over and I ma~rries Tennessee House in 1875 and she died July 10th, 1936. Dat make 61 year dat wetuns am togedder. Her old missy am now livin in Arlington Heights, right here in Port Worth and her name ~m Mallard and she come from Tennessee, too. UI cernes here fr~ Tennessee 51 year ago and at fast I fz?rms and den I works for de packin plante till dey lets me out, cause I~s too old for to do ~ work for dem. I has eight boys and three girls, dat make eleven chilien, and dey makint soatterment all over de c~intry so l s alone in my old age. I has dat $17.00 de month pension what I gits from de State. Dat am~ de end of de road.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 046 041

LI )(~fl ~ EL.SLAVB~ STORIES ~ p~ o~ (Texas) SABAH FORD, whose ~ge is prob .eTnatical, but who says, 111s been here for a long time, lives in a small t~ott~e at 3151 C1~r St., Houston, Texas. Born on the . Kit Patton plantation near West Columbia, Texas, Aunt Sarah was probably about fifteen years old wh~en eiaanicipated, She had eleven ch~1cIren, the first born during the storm of 1875, at East Col~ u&1a, in wMch Sarah s iriother ~ father both perished. Law me, ~ou wants me t. talk bout slave times, and you is cotched i~e fore Ps h ~c1 my coffee dis iQornin , hut when you gits o~d as I is, talk is ~bout all you can do, so tscuse me whilst. I pu~ts de coffee pot on de ftre and tell ~rou whet I can. p ~ ~ Now, what I tel:~ ~ is d~e truth, tcause I onl:7 toli one little lie in my whole: li~ e ~n. i I got cotched in it and got whipped both ways. Oh, Lawd, I sho never won t for~t dat, marna sho was mad. Hama sends ~ne ove ~ to Sally Ann, the cow wom~fl, to get SOIQC milk and onions. I never did like to borrow, so I cornes back with the ~ lk and tell mama Sally Ann say sh ain t ~ot no onions for no ifricans, flat ir~a3ce mai~na taad and she goes tell dat Sally Ann S0inethin . She bru~ng back de onions a~nd ~ You, Sar~.h, I ll lam ~rou not to tell no lie.~ She sho give Inc a hidint1 tV!\TQw I tells you bout d~ plantation what I~s born on, Y~u aU knows where west Columbia is at? ~ ~Vell, dat s right where I ~ s born, on Massa Kit Patton s Plantation, dey calls it de Eogg place now. (Owned by children of Goy, Will Hogg.) Mamma and para belon~:s to Massa Kit and mama born there, too, Folkc~ called h~r Little Jane, ~ she no bigger n nothing. ~l..

047 042

I~x s1av~ Stories Page Two (Texas) 42 UPap~)s n!~:ne was i~ii~ ~a he s a tanner and h~ c~rn~ from Ten:~iess~e and~ sold. to Massa Kit by a ni~~r tr~ider. H~ wasn t ~ 1 black, he was part Indians I hear d him say wh~t tribe, but I can t lect now. V~hen Its growed rn~n~a tells i~i~ lots o~ things. Sh~ say cL~ whi~te folks don t let de sleir~s what works in de field marry none, dey jus puts a rn 3n and bree,din wori~ n tog~th~r lik~ mules. If~en the w~pn don t like the man it don t rna~ce no di~ftrence, sh~ better go or ~y giv~s her a hI din . Massa Kit hp.s two ~o, Massa Cherie~s and M~ssa Matt, what lives at West Coluinbi~.. Massa Kit on one side Thrnev s Creek ~nd Massa Charles on de other side. lLassa Kit have a rfic~n wo~an from Kentucky for he wife, and dat s de truth. I ain t sayin i~fen she a real. wife or not, but all de slaves has to call her Miss Rachel. But j ffen a bi rd fly up in de sky it mus come down s omet ime and Rachel jus, like dat bird, cause ~assa Kit go crazy and die ~nd Massa Charles t~ce over de plantatIon and he t~es Rachel and. puts her to work in de field. B.~t she don1t stay in de field 1on~, cause ~ssa Charles puts her in a house by herself and she dontt work no more. If us gits sick us call }4~mmy Judy. She ~e cook and iffen you puts a suger barrel I long side her and puts a face on dat barrel you shoe ca&t tell it fr~ her, she so round and fat. Iffen us ~it rca . sIck dey calls de doct or, but iffen it a ~nise~r 5~n de st omach or jus de flux, Mexnmy Jucty fix up some lnirr vine tea or horsemint tea. De~r de male burr vine and de female burr vine ~nd does a woman or gal. git de misery, dey ~ gives em de femele tea, and doe s a man or bo r chile git It dey cives

048 043

~x .~s1av~ Stor1~s Page Thr~ (Texas) him de male vin~ tea, Scuse me while I pours me some cof~ , It sho d~o fortify me. You .kmow what us drink for coffee in slave tirnm~? Parched ~neai, 3nd it purty good iffen ~rou know s how. Us don t have much singin on our p1~c~, cepting at church on Sund~r. Law me, de folks what works in de fields feels more 1ik~ cryin at night. Us chi11~n iis~d to sing dis: ?Ih~re you ~ ~n buzzard, ~Vhere you gwlne to go? ~ goiin down to new ground, For to hu.nt Jin~ t~row~1 t, I gue s s ~ass a Charle s what t r~k~n u.s when ~as s a Kit ci I ~ was bout (~.e s~Jne as all white folks what owned ~1~tve~, some go~. and sorrie bad. ~ b~s plenty to eat ~ rnore n I h ~s now .~- ~nd p1~nt~r clothes and shoes. But de overseer was Unci~ Big Jak~, what s b1~,ck 1ik~ de rest of us, but he so ri~n I sp~ct de d~viI done make him overseer down below 1on~ time ego. ~ Bat de b~,d part of Maass Charles, ~cause he lets Uucle J~ce whip de s1 v~s so much dat some I ike my papa what had sp Ir it was all de t im e rtinn i ~ way. And even does your stomach be full, ~tnd does you have plenty e . othes, dat bullwhip on your bare hide make yc u~. forgit de good part and dat s de txi~th. Uncle Big Jake sho work de slaves from early mornizi till night, ~ F when you is in de field you better not la~ none. When it~ fallin weather de hands is put t o work fixt n~ dis and dat. Dc wom~i what has li 1 chilien don t have to work so hard. Dey works round. de sugar hause and come Il o clock dey quit s and. cares for de babies t ill I o clock, and. den works till 3 o ~ clock

049 044

~x~..s1ave Stories Pace Four ( ~ex~s ) an~ quits. L~assa Charles h~v~ a arbor rmd. dat s where we h~ispreachin . One day old Uncle L~w preachln and he say, ~De Lawd rnt~ke everyone to come in unity and. on de level, both whit~ and black. When Mas ~a Charles hears about it he don t like it none and ~e next mornin old Uncle J~ke git Uncle L~!w and put him out in de field with de rest. Massa Charles run dat plantation jus like a factory. Uncle Cip was sugar men, my papa tanner and Uncle John Austin, what h~v~ a wooden lee, ~m shoem~cer and. make d~ shoes with de brass t0e8. Law me, dey heaps of things go on in slave time what WOn t go on no more, cause de bright light came and it ai&t dark no more for u~ black folks, Iffen a nigger mn away ~ dey cotch him, or does h~ come back cause he hon~ry, I seed Uncle Jake stretch him out on c~ ground and tie he h~nds and. feet to posts so h~ can t move none. Den he git de pi. ~ce of iron what he call de slut and what is like a block of wood with little holes in i~, and fill de holes up with tallow and put dat iron in de fire till de grease ~izz1in hot ~xid hold it over de pore nigger s back and let dat hot grease drap on he hide. Den he take de bullwhip and whip up and c1o~m, and a ter all d~t throw de pore nigger in de st ockhoase arid chain hixn up a couple clays with nothin to eat . I~r :pa~pa carry d.c grease scars on he back till he aie. . Massa Charles F~fld Uncle J~ce don t like papa1 cause he ain t so black, and he had. spirit, tcause he part Indian. Do somethin go wrong a~d~ Uncle Big Jake say he gwine to give papa de ~iippin he mris off. One time he gone a whole ye~ and he sho look like a monkey when he gits back, with de hair standin straight on he head ~md he face. Papa was mighty good -4..

050 045

Ex slave Stories Page FIve 45 (Texas) to m~na and me and dat de only reason h~ ever come back from ruimin way, to see us. He knowed he d. git a whippin but he come ~nyw~y~ Dey never could cotch papa when he nui tw~r, tCaUSe he part Indien. Massa Charles even git s old Ntg~ger kelly what lives over to Sandy Point to track ~papa with he dogs, but papa wade in water axtd dey can t track him. ~Dey knows papa is de best tanner round dat part de country, so dey doesn t sell him off de place. I ~l~ct papa sayin dere one place -special where he hide, some German folks, de naine Ebbling, I think. While he hides dere, he tans hides on d.c sly like and iey feeds him, and lots of inornin s when u~ open de cabin door on a shelf just tb~y~ is food for maiiia and. me, and. sometimestore clothes. No one ain t see papa, but dere it is, One time he brung us dresses, and Uncle Big Jake hee ed. bout it and he sho mad cause he can t cotch papa, and. ~ he s~y to mama ~he gwine to whip her less she tell him where papa is. U~ma say~ Fore Gd, Uncle J&~e, i: don t know, cause I ain t seed him since he run w~q~,. and jus den papa ome ~ ro~ind de corner of de house He save mama from de whippin but papa got de hot grease drepped on him itIce I told you Uncle Big Jake did, and got put in de stockhouse with shackles on him, and kep dere three three days and while ~ he in dere mania has de go in down pain s and my stster,Bachel, is born1, . ~ When free&~ come, I didn t know what dat was. I lect Uncle Charley Bunte what dri ye de buggy for MassaCharles come runnin out in de yard and ~ ~ bOiler, I~erybod~r free, everybody free,t and purty soon sojers comes and ~t. c~tain z sads a tmation. And, Law me, dat one time MassaCh&rl~Y cant t ~

051 046

Ex~sIave Stories Page Six (Texas) open he mouth, cause de captain tel ~ hirn to shut up dat h~ d do de talkin . Den de captai~L say, I COIn~ tDtell you de slaves is free ~rtd you. d.on t have to ca .1 nobody master no more. Well, us ju.s mill round like cattle do. Massa Chancy s~y iffen us wants to stay h~ 11 pay us, all cepting my papa. lie say, ~You cazi t stay here, tcause ~TOU is a had fluence. Papa left bit come back with a waGOn and mules what he borrows ai~d iqads mama and~ ~:ny sister and rae in artd us go to East Columbia on de Brazos river and settles down. Dey hires inc out ~nd us h~ve our own patch, too, and dat de fust time I ever e~ed any money. Papa builds a cabin and a corn crib and us sho happy, 1caus~ de bright light done corne ~nd dey no nore whippin s. Il One ni~bt us jus finish eatin supp~,r and. some one hell er ~ ~e1lo. You know who it was holler? Old. Uncle Big J~ke. De black Thlks all hated hi~ so dey wouldn t have no truck with him 9nd he ask my papa could he stay. Papa didntt like him none, tcause he done tr~atpapa so bad, but de old devil jus beg ~ o hardj papa takes hint out to de corn crib and fix a place for him and. he stay most a month till he taken sick and died. II stays with papa an~ m~:UnP till I marries Wes Ford. and I shows you 1i;Ow de Lawd. done give and t ake away. Wes and I has a cabin by ourselve s near . ~apa s and I is jus. bout to have my fir st baby. De wind start blowin and. it git haHer ~d. harder and right when its de worst de baby conies. Dat in 75 and whilst I havin my baby, de wind te ar de cabin where mama ~nd papa I s t o pieces and kilt ~ em. My s Ist er Rachel was with me s o she wasn ~ t kilt . UWell, I ~ complain, cause d.c Lawd sho been good. to me. Wes and. all cept four my chilien is dead now. I ha~ six boys and five g~).s. ~ But de ones what is alive is pOre like dey mammy. But t praises de Lawd. cause de bright light am turned on. ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 052 047

4~OF:~~ EX-SL&V~~ STORL~S P~e One 47 (Texas) 1~~ILLIi~ FOR~W:D, about 95 years old, ~ was born a slave of Jason Forward, in .. .\~ Jasper, Texas . She nas spent her en~ ~ tire life in that vicinity, and fl )W lives in Jasper with her son, Joe McR~y. Millie h~s been totally blind for tif-. teen years and is v~ ry deaf. 1Us used to live bout four eile east of Jasper, on de Newton Hi~hwry. I reckon t s ~ bout 95 ye ar o id and I thank d e Lawd ~ been spared dis long. Some my old friends sa~r 11s lOt), and maybe I is. I feels like it. II ~ t8 born in Alabama and ma~nny have jus got up when de white folks brung us out we st . Pappy s naiue Jim Forward and mammy nnine Mary. Dey lef pappy in .4.labama, tcause he long to nother massa. My massa name Jason Forward and he own a lot of . I work ~s house~irl and wait on de white women. Missus name r~in Sarah Ann Forward. Massa Jason he own de fust dr~.t~store in J~.sper. I have de sister, Susan, and d e br~idder T om . Mas sa and ru i s de y tr eat s us j e s ~ like dey us pappy and mammy. Us have mOrC to eat den dan us do now. Us never was ~iowed to be withoat meat, cause m~.ssa raise plenty p~s. Us h~we fish and. possum and coon and deer and everything. Us have biscuites arid cake, too, but u,s drink bran meal coffee. Massa and missus h~s no chilien and dey cive us feast and have biscuits and cake. Befo Christmas massa go to town and buy ai . kinds ce~dy nnd toys ~nd say, Millie, ~rou go out on de gallery and holler and tell Santy not forait fill your stockin tonir ht.~ I holler 1.oud as I can and. nex no~nin my stockin chock full.

053 048

~c slave Stories PR.ge Two (vexas) ~ 1After freedom cOme, us stays ?.ight on with massa and missus. Massa teach school for us at night. Us learn k B C and how spell cat and dog arid nigger. Den one day he git cross and scold us and us didn t go back to school no more. Us didn t have sense noug~i to know he tryin do us good. Den missus git sick, 1~t she dat good, dat when one cLilud r~an git drown ixide river she sit up in bed and ma~e he shroud and massa feed de whole crowd de two day~ dey findin de body. ~ter him bury, mi~sus g t worse and say, Jason, pull down d.c blind, de licht am so bright it hurt my eyes. Den a big, white crane come light on de chimney and us chilien throw roc~cs at hirn, but he jes shake he head and raffle he feathers and still sit dere. I tells you dat de light of Heaven ~ on missus and iffen ever a woman went dere, she did. She de bes white w~nan I ever see De d~y she die I cry all day. Vllien de sojers go to de war, evex~r ~an take a slave to watt on him and ta~~e care he camp and. cook. After de end of war, when de sojers gwine home, don t know how ~nax~r Yankr~es pass through J~.sper, but it sound like de roar of a storm ~ ~ Every officer have he wife ridin right by he side. Dey wives . c~:ne to go borne with dein. Dey thousands bluecoats, ridin two abreast. Then I young lady, dey have tourn rnents at Adrian Ryall pl/~ce west of Jasper and de one what cot ch de hoss bridle de most t imes git crown queen. I gits to be queen every time. I looks like a queen now, doesntt I? After u.s, git free a long tune, me and Susan and Tom us work h~rd . and buy us de b1~ck land farm. Bat de deed. g t burnt up and us didn t know how to git nother deed, and a young nigger call Mc~ay, he come fo&lin round. nie and. makin love to me. He find out u.s don t have no deed n~ more arid he claim dat fami and take it way from us and leave me with 11,1 baby bo~ what I names ~. . Joe Millie ~ . . : MoRay. B~it never gain. I never marries. -2..

054 049

~x-s1ave Stories Page Three I (Texas) . 49 Us done work in de cotton field and wash many a 1on~ day to pay for dat farm. But dat coy growed to be a good m~n and I live with him ~nd he wife now. And he bo ~r, Bob, am better still. He jes work so hard and he buy fine li l home in Jasper 8M marry de bes ~al, mos white.. Dey have nice fLrtture ana. ~as and lights and everythini~. Dey treat us purty good in slavery days but I d r~.thez: be free, but it purty h~rd to be blind so lone and most deaf, too, but I thank de Lawd I~s not su.fferin , I gits de pension of leven dollars a rn~nth. Ps so old I can t member mu.ch, only sometime, things cones to me I tho.~ht I forgot long t line ago . s h~c1 it purty hard t o pay for de farm and de n have it stoled. from me when t ~ old and. blind, but cie good Lawcl, he 1~iow all bout it ~nd we :~31l got to stand fore de jedgment some d~ soon.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 055 050

4 ~o() si ~X-.SL T~ STORIES Page One (Texas) ~ LOUIS FOWLER, 84, was born a s1av~ to Robert Beaver, in Macon Co., Georgia. Powler did not take his ~ name, but that, of his stepfather, J. Fowler. After he was fr4~ed, Louis farmed for several years, then worked in packing plants in P0rt Worth, Tex. He lives at 2706 Holland St. 1 ort Worth. Dis cuiliid person am 84 ye~rs old and l s born on de planta.-. tian of Massa Robert Beaver, in old. Georgia. H~ owned my mammy and bout 50 slaveB. Now, bout my p~py, I lets you judge. Look a.t my hair. De color am red, ain t it? My beard wn red and my eyes Is brown and ~uy skin am lieht yellow. Now, who does you think my pappy was? You doit t know, of c ours e but I knows cause on dat planta-.. tion am a flan dat am over six feet taU and. his hair as re5 as a brick. }Ly m~iiay am married t o a man naiiied Fowler ~nd he am owned by Mass~ Jack Powler, on 3e place next to ours. Our place ~am middlin bi~ and fixed first class. He has first-.cl~ss quarter for us cullud folks. De cabins RE two and sortie three rooms and dey ax~i built of logs and chink~.cd with a piece of wood a~d dwibed with dirt to fill de cracks. Do way wetuns fix dat dirt am take de cle~v or guzabo which am stickv when t am wet. Dat dirt am soa~ked with water till it stick together and. den hay or strniv ~m mixed with it . . When sich riud am daubed in de cracks it stay ~nd dem cabins ~un sho windproof and warm. 9De treatment an good gnct Massa Beaver have de choice name mong he neighbors for bein good. to he niggers. No work on Sunday, no work on . e ..1-..

056 051

~X~SLAV~ STORIES P~.ge Two (Texas) . Saturday evenin s. Dem times was for de ~allud folks to do br deuiselves. Massa Beaver have it fixed disaway, he low each family a piece of groun and. dey can raise what dey likes. ~ rations ~in measure out ~nd dc massa allus low plenty of meat ~nd we has ~ theat flour, Mas de niggers don t have wheat f1o~xr: but massa r~iees de wheat and we gits it. We kin have l~sses and brown sugar but one thing wetuns has to watch am de w~ste~ ~c~.use massa won t stand for dat. De meat am cur~c1 with de hick ry wood. smoke ~nd if y~x could git jus one tnste dat hem and bacon you . never eat none of this nowathy~ ment. It ShO have a. rent taste. ?(e makes de cloth and de wool and I cou.ld card ~d spin and weave fore I s big nough to work in de field. My mmnmy lamed me to help her. We makes dye from de bark of wa .nu.t and de cherry and red. oak trees, and. some from berries but what dey is I forg it Iffen we ~uus want s c1~y red, we buries de cloth in red clay for a week and. lt tekes on dc cblor. Den we soaks de cloth in cold. salt water and. it stays colore&~ Massa builded. a log church house for wetuns cullud. folks for to go to God. Dat nig~ger named Allen Beaver am de preacherm~i ~nd de leader in all de parties, cause him can play de fiddle. No, Allen am not edumcated but can he preach a pow fui. sermon. O Lawd~ He am inspire from de Lawd and. he preached from his heartfelt. Dere am only one time dat a nigger gits whupped on dat plantation ath dat am not given by massa but by dein patterrollers. Massa don t gin rally 1low dein patterrollers whup on his p1~ce, and all de niggers from round dere allus run from de patterrollers onto massa s land and den dey

057 052

~x-s1ave Stories Page ~h~ee (Texi~s) safe. But in dis ticlar case, massa make de cption. t I Twas nigger Jack what ey chases home and he gite unth~r de cabin and ~ to come out. ~1~ss~ say, In dis case I gwine make ception, cause dat Jack he am too unreas able. He allus ohasin~ after some nigger wench and. not s~,tisfied with de pass I give. Give him 25 lashes but don t draw de blood or leave de marks ~ HWeI1, sar, it wn de great sight to see Jack git dat wbxkppin . Hi~ am siceert, but dey ain t hurtin hirn bad. Massa make him come out and dey tie him to a post and. he starts to bi~w1 a~d belier bef~o a lick ~zn struck. Say~ Hirn beg like a good. fellow. It am, ~ Oh, massa, massa, Oh, ma~aa, have mercy, don t let I ~ whup me. Massa, I won t go off any more. De patter-S rollers gives him a lick and. Jack lets out a yell dat sounds like a mule bray and twice as loud. Dere used to be g patterroller song what sent li e dis: tip ~e hill and down de holler White man cotch nigger by de collar Dat nigger mn and. dat nigger flew, Dat nigger t ore he shirt in ~ II Well while dey e whupp in dat nigger, Jack, he u1dn~ t run and he couldn t tear he shirt In two, but he holler till he teer he mouth in two. Jack say h. never go off without de pass gain and he kept he word, too. De big dom s am On Christmas Day and de massa have present for each cullud pereon. Dey am little. things and I laughs when I thir~ka of then, but de CU11Ud. folks sho joy dem and it show massa s heart am right. For de chilien it an candy ~nd for de wosnen,a pin or sich, and for de men, a knife or sich. On dat day, preachermai Allen sho have de full hears, and~ be preach ath preach. . s,

058 053

:Ex.~.s1ave Stories Pige Four r ~ (Pex~e) J3 %13~t de war starts and it not so }:i~ppy on massa s p1e~ce ~nd~ fore long he two eons goes to dat war. De massa show worrnaent cause dey fightin here aM dere and den come de day when dey fight right nex to d~e massa s place. It am in de field next to we uns and de two boys yatm g Char1e~r and. he brother, Bob, am in de fight. It ~m for ~ days de ai~y am am92 chint to de field ~ d gittin ready for de battle. Dunn dat time, de two boys comes home for a spell every d~y. Early one mornin de shootin starts and it am not much at first but lt am t long t ill it am a steady thuiider and lt keep up all day. De missy am walkin in de yard and. den go in do hc~tise and out gain. She am a-4wlst in her h&nde zind cryin . She keeps s ~yin Dey sho gits kilt, my poor b~bies. De massa talk to her to quiet her. Dat help me, too, 1ca~ise I sho skeert. Nodoby do much work dat dey, but stand round with quiverments and when dey talk, dey voice quiver. V~hy, even de buildin s quivered. ~very once in de while, dere an an extry roar. Dat de cannon and every time I heered. it, I jumps. I ~ s sent to gi.t de eggs and have bout five dozen in de basket, holdin it in front of me with my two hands. All a sudden, one of dem extry shoots comes and down dis nigger kid go and my head hits into de basket~ Dore I t~, eggs oozi& all round me and I so skeert and fussed up I ju3 lays and kicks. I wants to scream but I cam t for de eggs In my mouth. To dis day I thinks of dat battle every time I eat s eggs. De nex d~y aster de battle am over mos us cullud folks goes to de field. Some of ~em buries de dead, and. I hears em tell how in de low places de blood stend like water and de bodies all shoot to pieces.

059 054

Ex. ~s1ave storieg Page Five (Texas) J Massa s sons not kilt and. am de missy g1~d1 She haie a .lus co1ored~ folks caine to de house and. inakeus kneel down and she th~rnk de L~.wd for s~,vin her sons. Dey even go to other places arid. fights, but dey comes home after de war am over. Surrender come and m:~ssa tells us we can stay or go and if we stay he pay us wages or we works on shares Some go and. some stT . M~~ ~Y ~fl~1 me goes to de Fowler place with my stepfather and we share crops for three year. I stays With d~n till I s 18 and den I gits married. flat In 1871 end. my wifedied in 3.928 and we1uris h2ve four chilien. All dat time l s farmed till bout 30 yea~r ago when I works in de packin plant here in Tort Worth. I works dere 20 years and den dey say l s too old and since den I works at de odd jobs till bc~it five years ago. Since I s quit work at de packin plant it am hard for dis cullud person. I soon uses up my savin s and den I s gone hongry plenty tines. My chilien ~m old and dey havin de herd time, too. My friends he1~s nie a little and I gits de pension, but it ~ only ~3.OO a month and, course, dat ain t nout~r~h. After all dese years l s worked and haved, I never thinks I comes t o where I udn t ~i t nough t o eat ~ ~ ~ ~ wishful for de Lewd to e all me to jed~gment.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 060 055

~ 42()307 :E~L.sLAvE STORIES Page One 515 (Texas) t CHRIS ~R~.NKLIN, 82, ;v~s born a slave of Judge Pobert J. ~ Looney, in Bossier Parish, Louisiana. Chris now lives in Bea.unont, Texas, and sup-. ports himself by gardening and yard work, He is thr1~ty and~ owns his own home. yes suh, cils is Chris FrankUn. I signs my n~ie O. C, Franklin, dat for Christopher Columbus Franklin. l s born in Bossier Parish, up in Louisit~na, jest twerity-.five mi1~s c~e other side of Shreveport. Ps born dere in 1855, on Christmas Dey, hut I s raise up in Caddo Parish. Old. massa move over dere when I bout a yenr old, Old massa n~ie Robert J. Looney and he & j dge an~ l~wyer. He have a boy naine R. J., Jr., but I s t~kin1 Ibout d~ old head, de old riginal. Dc missy, her naine Lettie Looney. Re weren t no farmer, jes truck farm to raise de livint for he household and slaves. ITe didn t have over a half dozen growect up slaves, Course, dey rears a lot of young uns. ttMy pappy s name Solomon Lawson. He long to J~ge Lawson, ~&hat live near us, ~hen frct~ ~ ~ he done take de name Sol ~ ranklin, what he saiy ~L1 he pappy s n~uae. Jed~e Looney h ~ve de ord nary Prame ho~ise. Dey bout six, seven rooms in it, all under one roof. ~ dinth room and cook room wasntt built off to deyse .f, like TQOSt big houses, It was a raise bouse, rrise up on high pillars and dey co~4ic~ drive a hoss and buggcr under it. He live on ~e Fairview Road. Us slaves all live in on~ bi~ slave cabin, built out of plank. It built sort-.a like de partinent house, Dey four rooms and each fa~a ly have one room. De;i heve e l~nip and a candle for our comfort. It jes a li l, ord nary brass lamp . Dey ~.sed to make em out of w~x and tallow . Dey raise dere own bees and when dey rob de bee gtims dey strain de honey and melt de waX with ~l-.

061 056

t, ~7~s1ave Stories ?a~e Two 5G (~exas) tallow to make it firmer. Dcv tie one end ~ wick on c~ stick ~cios~ de r~old ~nd pi~i in de raelt ~d wa~ and tallow. s, Dey h~ve a ta~ble~ ~ b~nch~s, too. BLIt a chair de rrire thing in a cabin. :)ey In~)k~ SOL~. with th~ split hick ry or rawhide bottom, Dey h~ve hay mattress. Dc ticidnt ~ rice s~ k~. Us h~ve ~1Ud chirnniy. Dey fix sticks like ~e lpdder a~ mix mud and moss and gr~ss in wh~ t dey call$ c~ ts . ~ey have rock backs, and, nan, us h~ve a shot n ~~h fire in cri. Put ~. st~k lrng as me &nd big as ~ porch post in dat fireol~c , Tn cold wer~th~r det l~st all ci~ and all night. UWhefl de parents workint in de field, somebody look after de chilien. De manimies come in and nuss dem when t~rae come. ~ vhlte folks nev~r put on ~ on de chilien till dey twelve, fourteen years old. Dey all wear de straight rut slip. Dey give de li . gals ~ slip dress ~zrid li l panties. In wintertirn~ dey give de boys de 11 l coat and pants ~ nd shoes, but no dr~wera or unnerwe~ Dey give dem h~rd nisset sho~s in wintertime, Dey have brass toes. Dey plenty dur ble. In surni~iertime us didntt see no shoe. I L~a;sa Looney jes as fine de mnn ~s ever ni~ike tracks. Christmas time corse, he give em a few dollars ~nd scy go to the store and buy what us want. He give all de li . nigger chilien ~if s, jes like he o~. He ~it de jug of whi~skey and plenty e~~s and make d.c big ~g~iog for everybody. He treat us cLilud folks jest like he treat he own fain ly. He never take no liquor cept at Christrn~.s. He give us lots to eat at Christmas, too. Sometime old miss~ corne out ~xid call all de Ii l nig~ers in de house to play with her chilien. When us eat us have de tin plate and cup. Dey give us plenty 11111k axid butter snd taters and sich. Us all set on de floor and make way with dera rations. -.2-.

062 057

Ex-.slave Stories ~ ~ C Texas ). 11)7 ltDey had a li 1 church house for de niggers and preachin ~ in de afternoon, and on o de n ight 1 ot s of t imes . Dey have de c~tl lud p r~ cher He dn t re~. He jes preach from nat ral wit and.what he lam from white folks. De whole outfit profess to be Baptis . De marryin business go through by what massa say. De fellol git de ni~Ssa1s consen . Massa mos ly say yes without waitin , cau~e marr~Tin mean more ni~ers for him com~n on. H~ git de jedge or preacher to marr~r dem. Iffen de man live on one plantation and de gal on nother, he have to git de pass to go see ber, Dat so de patterro .lers not git hirn. ~ Ds slaves used to have balls and. frolics in dey cabins, But iffen dey go to de frolic on nother plantation dey git de pass. Dat so dey c~n cotch runaway niggers. I never heared of stealin niggers, cept dis. a way. Sometime de runaway nigger ~it fifty or hundred miles away and show up d.ere as de stray slave. Dat massa where he show up take care of him so long, den lay claim to him, Dat call harborin de nigger, Dey lots of places where de young massas has heirs by nigger gals. Dey dem jest like other slav.~. Dat purty common. It seem like de white wo~nen t mind. Dey ~ Iject, tc~se dat mean more slaves. Sometimes de white folks bas de big deer drive. Dem and de niggers go .~ . clown in de bottons to drive deers up. Dey rid big, fine ho~ses and ste~t de deers ru.nnin . Dey raise dere own dogs. Massa sho caref~il bout he hounds. ; He train dem good end treat dem good, too. He have somethin cook reg lar for ~ ctt~n. D y hunts foxes ~d wolves and plenty d.m kinds va~ints, II seen sojsrs by d.. thousands. When tmp~cip~tion coins out massa come to ~ ~ bacic door with de paper and say, Tous free. ~ He f n nish dem WI th all dey ~i;

063 058

Sx~s1ave Storiss ~ :rour 58 (Texas) needs and ~tvs dem part d~ crop. He 1vide up cie pig litters and. such ~mongst dem. He cive dem de start, D n after two, three year he c~nmence talcin out for d.ere food. and boots and. clothes ~nd sich. De~ight de pusson die dey has de w&~e and sing and pray all night Dey ai , very ligious in dere profession. Dey.knock off all work so de cati go to de buryiri. . D. white folks low dem to have de frolic with de fidd1~ r banjo or windjammer. Dey dances oitt on de grass, forty or fifty nig~ers, and dem big gals nineteen y~ar old ~pt ~t d~. barefoot ~s de goose. It jes de habit of de times, tcg~ise dey a3. . h~ive shoes. Sometini s dey call de jig dance ~nd some of dem sho dance it, too. De prompter call, ~k11 git ready. Den he houer, All balance, and den he sing out, Swing you pardner, ~fl(~ dey d~s it. D~L h say, First man head off to de right, and lere dey goes. Or Le !_~r, ~~11 promenade, and dey goes in de circle. One thing ~ey calls, Bird in de Cage. Three joins hands round de gal in de middle, and daxice round her, ar4 den she git au.t and her pardner git in de center and. dey dance dat ; way ~.whUs. jft r freedom dey have de log cabin schoolhouse. De first teacher was de cuilud women name Mary Chapman. I near wore out dat old blueblack .. speller tr:iint to lam AB C s. ~ : ~ 1~aves Cacido Parish in 187? for Galveston, and 1~avss dere on de :~ ThILV lfla t schooner for L..sburg and. ~.p de Calcasiea Rivsr. Den I goes to de ;~ Cem.ron Parish and tri 1879 1 comes to Beaumont. I zaarries Mandy Watson in I 1882 and she died. in 1932. Us never hats no chilien but dopts two. Us marry ~ ~ L .04~

064 059

~1x..s1ave Stories (Texes) Paie Five In de hotel dininLroom, tcause l s workin for de hotel man, 3. B. Goodhu.. De Rev. Elder Ven~b1 e what am de old. cullucl pre acher marri e s us I dd t git marry like in slavery time. l s got a great big marriage certif cate h4~ngin on de wall of my house, I lon~s to several lodges, deinights of Labor and. de Knights of Honor and de Pilgrims. I never hold no office. I~s jes de bench member. I s arnember of de Live Lake Missionary Baptist Church. ~I~s got de big house of my own, on de corner of Roberts Avenue and. San Antonio street. After my wife di., I gits de man to ~ and live dere with me. Dat s all I knows,

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 065 060

j~ ~X~SLAV~ STORIES Page One ~ ~ ) ~ (Texas) OB~1tA AL~XtE ~BANXS was born on the plantatio* of Valeri.a Martin, near Opelousas, Louis tans. She does not know her age, but thinks ehe Is near ninety. Her voice has the au~steal accent of the Prench Negro. She has lived in Beaumont Texas, many years. u i s born on Mr George Washingt on e bifthday, the t wenty~sec ~ ~ Pebru.ary b~dtt I don t ~a~tow what year. Uy old massa was Talerian }~iartin and he come from fore ign count ry He come froD Canada and. he Canada French. He wife name Malite Guidry. Old massa a good Catholic and. he taken all the li l slave chilien to be christen. 0h, he s a Christian massa and I used to be a Catholic but now I s a Apostolic, but I~s christen in St. Johns Catholic Church, what am cloas to Lafayette, where 1~i born. lLy pa name Alexis Pranks and he was Aitierican and Creole. My ma name ?anire Martin and l s raise where everybo&7 talk French. I talks American but I talks Frenchgoodest. Old massa ha big cane and cotton farmer and have big plantation and raise everything. and us all well treat. Dey feed us right too. Raise big hawg in de pen and raise lots i beef. All jes foe to feed he cullud folks. Us quarters out behind de big house and old massa come round through de quarters every mornin and see how us niggers is. If us sick he call nuls. She old slavery woman. She corne look at em. If dey bad sick dey send for de doct ~ Us house all log house. Dey all dab with dirt tween de loge. Dey have dirt chimney m ~e out of sticks and dab with mud. Dey lpu,lIpI.

066 061

Ex~.e1&ye Stone. Page Two 61 ( Texas) Lote of time we eat coosh.coosh. Dat malcie out of meal and water. You bile de water and salt it, den put in de cornmeal and stir it and bile lt Den you puts milk or clabber or syrup on it and eat it. . HOld sassa have de graveyard a purpose to bury de cullud fOlks in. Dey have CU11W1 preacher, I~y have funeral in de graveyard. Dat nigger preacher he a Mef~diat. Old aassa on ii..law, he o~erieer. He lew iobody to beat de alavee Us li 1 one s git Bpaflk when we bad . Dey put us ~ cross de knee and spank ue where dey allue spank chilled. Chriet~aa tise dey give big dia.ner, Ley give all de old men whiskey. Everybody have big time. Dey make 1~ti of sugar. After dey finish cookin de sugar dey draw off what left fr~ de pots and give it to us chilien. Us have candi pullia . Dey weave dey own cloth. Us have good clothes. Dey weave de cloth for make mattreis ~nd etuff ~em with moss. Massa ebO believe to serve he nigger. good. i see old. massa when he die. Us see old folks cry eM us cry, too. Dey ha e de priest and burn de candles, Us eho mise old massa. 1 see lots of sojere. Dey so many like hair on your head. They Yankees Dey call ~ ~ biuej acket s . i y a fight up ne az massa1 s house. Us climb in tree for to see. Us hear billets go zo~ thrau~i de air round dat tree but us didn~t know lt was ballets, A man rid i~,p on a hose sad tell massa to git .~s pickaninnies out dat tree or dey git kilt. De Yajikees have dat battle and den sot us nigger. free.

067 062

Ex-.slave Stories Page Three (Texas) Old Massa, he de kind man what let de niggers have dey prsyer~ meetin1. Ee give ~ea a big cabin for dat. Shout? Yes, Lawd~ Sing like dis: t, Mourner, fare you well, G awd Mighty bless you, Till ~e meets again. Us sings ~ song: Sinner blind, Johnnie, can t you ride no more? Sinner blind, Your feets may be slippin Your soul git lost. Johnnie, can t you ride no more? Yea, Lawd~, Day by day you ean~t see, Johnnie, can t you ride no More? Tee, Lawd,tt

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 068 063

1 ~(\~ )1~ ~:fr ~~U JL~i) :~xM,sLAv~~ STOB1~S Pa~eOne (T xae) G3 ROSAPNNA YRAZI&R was born a ilave on the Prazier plantation In Mies . issippi. She does riot re~iieinber her masters given name, nor does eh. know hex age, although frog her memories of various events during theCivtl War, she believes sh is close to ninet7, at Isast. Rosanna is bltnd. and. bedridden, and is cared for by friends in a littli house in Pear Orchard Negro Settlsi&ent, in J.e~usont, Texas. 5My mamisy was a freeborn woman nemed Tiny Frazier and she conie from a free country. She was on her way to school when dey etoled her, ihen she de young gal. De spec lator gang etoled her and brwtg her and sold her in Red River, in Mississippi. Missy Mary, she buy her. Missy Mary married den to one ~an named Pool and she have two boys call Josh and~ll. After dat man die, she marry Marss Frazier. $$ILyr c1~y name Jerry Th.~cI,n and after I s born they brtn~s ~ all t o Texas but my daddy bel ong t O de Neylands so we loses hia. My white folks noves to a big plantation closi to Woodville, in Tyler County, snd Marse Frazier have de store and plenty of stock. Re come first from Georgia. ~ All us little chilien, black and white, play togsd.der and Max se Frazier, he rate, us. His chilien cell Sis and Texana and Robert and. John, Marse Frazier h tre~ us nice and de other white folks calls U?~~ trie nt~gere , and. wouldn~t low us on dire p~acee. Dey fraid den niggere git dissatisfy with dey own treatment. Sho s you born, iften one of us gi t round den plant at ions dey jus1 cut us to pieces with de whip. Saine of dem white folks sho was mean, and day work de niggers a .l dey in de aw~ and oet dein wi th de whip ~ and sho done ~ em up bad. D~ on .1

069 064

~x~s1ave Storis~ Page Two (Tt~xas) other places, not on ours. Marse ?raztir, he didn t work us too hard. and. give Saturcley ~xtd Sunday off. Re s all right and. gt~e good food. Psople sho would ran off from him, cause he too good. He was de Methodiet preacher and f~xrniBh us church. Soms~ t tines he has camp meet Ing and dey cook out doors with de skifltck~. Sometimes he has . corn ehucicing t 1mo and we has hawg meat and meal. bread and whiskey and eggnog and ducken. De bOoks he bruiug us didn t do us no good, cause tts wouldn t lam nothin 0 Us too buey playing end hwittn goouberriss in de wood, de huckleberry arid grape and musoa&ine and chinquapins, Ail di~ time de war was fixin and I seed two, three soldiers round ~pyin . When peace cla~ed missy e two boys c~e back from de war. Je stays with srse Prazier two year and den I goes and. git s marri od. to de man cal). Bakers I done been blind like dis over 40 year. One Sunday I stay all night with a man and he wife and I was work~n as woodchopper on de Santa ~ route ~1p Beaumont to Pyler county. After us git up and I starts way, I am t gone but 15, 16 yard when I hear somethin say, R ose, you done s~ethin you ain t ought. I say, Wo, Lawd, no t~n de voice eay,~So~ethinh gyms happen to you, and di next v~omin 1e blind as d bat and. I ain t hever esed since. Some try tell me snow or sweat or smoke de reas~. Dat ain t de reasofl, I~ey a old, old slewfoot ed sometbin ~ froii Loul si ana and dey s ay he de conjure man, one dem old hood.oo nigger.. H. git maci at me de last plii* ripentit time and he make up powdered rattlesnaks dust and pass dat through my hair and I sho ain t seed no more.

070 065

!x slavs Stori s Pagei!wo (j5 (Texas) Dat not de o~liest thins da old. conjure men do. I~y powder up cis rattle offen de snake and tie it up in de little old rag bag and dey do devilment with it. Dey git old scorpion and make bad medicine. Dey git dirt out d.s graveyard and. dat dirt after dey speak on it, would asics you go crazy. il WIia n dey want s c onjure e~i, dey sneak rc~ind and git de hair c~bin or de finger or toenail, or an~irthing natural bout your body, and. works da hoodoo on it. r~.y J1a~ce de straw ~an or di clay man and. dey pute de pin in h. leg end you leg gwineter git hirt ~r sOre jus where dey puts de pin. Iffen dey pits de pin throagh de heart you gwtneter die and atntt nothin kin save you, Dey mak:e de charm to wear round de neck de ankle and dey make cli love powder, too, out de lore eine, what grow in di woods. D y biles de laaves and. powder. im. Dey eho works, I done try em,

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 071 066

GO ~1LSLAVE STOBI~~S ( ~exas) PRISCILLA GIBSON Is not sure of her aie, but thinks sAie wes born about 1856, In Smith County, Mie . sise Ippi to Mary Puckett ~nd her Indien husband. They be~ longed to Jesse Puckett, who owned a plantation on the Strong River. Priscilla now lives in Jasper, Texas. Priscilla Gibson is my name, and l s bo n in Smith Co~inty, way over In MIs ippi, sometime befot de ~7ar. I figger It was bout 1856 c1?~Use I s ole enough to climb de fence and. watch der~ musterin in de troops when de way began. Dey toi me Vs nine year oie wh ~n de War close, but dey airi Sure of dat even. My ne Ighbor Und e Bud. Adams he 83 and I s cl Ip pin, close at he heels. Mangy s name was Mary Puckett, but I never ee~. my father as I knows of. Den ~know if he was a whole Injun or part white man. sever seed bi~it cme brother and his name was JaIce. ~ey took him to de War with de white boys, to cook and 15m de camp and he took pn~imony and die. Massa s n~,ne was Jesse Puckett, and Missus name MIs Kat ie Dey hab big farn ly and. dey 3. ive in a b ig woode nbeam house with a big up stair . De house was rignt on de higkaway from Raleigh to Brandon, witn. de Strong River jis below us. Dey took i and coinmadated trayelers cause dey warn hotels den. il.. ~ ~ O91

072 067

Ex ~1ave Stories Page Two G? (Texas) Massa have hu,tiner s of acres . You could waLk ~11 c1~r ~ jc3. you never git offen his 1~ia . An h~ hav~e gran tarnitu.re end~ other things in d~e . I kin remember dem cause I us~ ~ t o he p round de house, ru.n errands and fan Mis Katie and. sich. I tmembers chairs with silk coverin s on 1ein and. dere was de gran lights, big 1~znps with de roses on de shades. And eve :~where de floors with rugs and de rugs was pretty, dey wasu like dese thin rues you. sees nowadays. No, ma am, dey has bi~ flowers on ~ p~ de feets sinks in ems I uset e r lie down on one of dein ru gs in M t s ~ Kat ~ s r 00m when she B asleep and I kin stop fannin. Massa Puckett was tol able good to ne slaves. ~e has clothes made of homespun what de nigger women weaved, and de little boys wo lon~-tai1 shirts, with no pants till they s grown. Massa raised sheep an~ dey make us wool clothes for winter, buSt we has no shoes~ De white folks didn lam us read and. write but dey was good to us ~ cep when some nig~~rs try to rim away and den dey whips em hard. 1~Te has plenty to ~at and. has prayer meetin!s with s~ngin and sho~tin1 and we chiliwis played marbles and juzrp de rope. After freedom come all lef but me cause Missus 2~3~ she have me bcmn to her till I git my age. But I s res l~ss one night and my sister, Geor~r Ann, conic see me, t~nd I run off with her, but dey never comes after me. I was scart dey would, cause I membered bout our neighbor, oie Means, axid his slave, Sylvia, and she r~in away and was in le woods and he d git on de hos s take de dogs and. set ~ em on her, end let dem bite her end tear her clothes.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 073 068

g 1L~Z- k~ ~ EL.sLA1rB~ STORI~8 Page One (Texas) A GA13RIi~L G~ILB~EPT was bern in ~ slavery en the p1antati~n ~f ~\;\ BeIiz~re Brsussard, in New : ~ ~ Iberia Parish, L,uisiana. He ~ dees n~t kn~aw his ~e, but ~ appears t~ be about eighty. He h~s lived In Beai~un.ant, Texas, i !! sixteen years. My Id massa was Be1izar~4 Broussard. He was my in ~m~~s rn~ssa. He had a big 1~ house what he live in. De pI~.ces ~twe~n de 1~s was fill with dirt. Dc quarters de slaves live in was make eut ~f dirt. Dey put up pssties in de ~r.und arid bare holes 1n de posts and put in pickets toress from inc p.st t. the other. D~ dey build up de sides with nru.d. De fl..r aad everything was dirt. Dey had ~ sdi. ~ih~use built for de white chilien de same way. Dc cullud chilIen didn~t have n~ schesi. Dem was w~trrn healthy h usee us grew up in. Dey used t~ raise better men den in dem hiuses da~ new. My pa nwae was Joseph G~i1bert, He .ld fl~~5S~ was .Belleau Prince. _ ~ S ~I dtdntt kns~ what a et~re was when I was gr~win up. Us didutt have st re things like niw. Us had w den p~i and sp.sn dem times. I never se~ ne ir n p .sw dem days. ~ was ir.n n de p1gw cept de share. I tel). dese y.Lin~sters,, tY.u in hebben nsw fr m de time I came up.~ When . ~ a ma~ die dem days., dey use de x cart te carry de c rpse. Massa have ~ b ut four hundred acre s and. ..t s f sLqve s . He rai se ~ ~ ca*e0 He have ~ mill an4 mare br wn sugar. Reralse csttn and. cirn, t..~ ~ ~ye~ p)~n~y st.c~ ~ de place. He~. give us plenty te e~t . He was ~ . ..~ ~ ~ ~. ~ ~ ~ b~it:15~, Re treat he slaves like h~sse1f0 I never . ~ ~

074 069

~x !l2ve Stsri~s Page Twe 69 (Texas) member ~ him whip n.b~dy. He dlthi t l w no Ill treatment. All de folks round he place say he nIgg~rs x~int and spoi1ed~, Dc li~l white folks ~ nigger f~lks jus play reund like bru.dder and. sister and us ~ll eat a,t de white table. I slep In de white folks hiuse, tie. My g.dfather and ~edmether was rich white feiks. I still ath lic. sI seed sejers but I t~. li ? t. kxicr ~ beat des. Dey didn t .werry me a-tall. I d1dn~t git dise te de battle. My mammy weave cloth ~ut cetten ~nd w~el. I tmembcr dc lion. It go Ibi,11b..bo~m~..b~a~I.? Dat d~e shuttle gemt cross. My dddy, he dc smart man. I ll never be like him leng as hive In die world. He make shies. He build hiuse. He de aiything. He arid ray mammy neIther inc ever been brutalize!. Dc firet work I dine w~?.s raisin cetton and. sugar cane ~nd sweet and Irish 1tatere. I uced to ceik sugar. I marry in twenty secend. cf February. L~v wife was Medora Labir. She been dead thirty~-five year new. I never marry ne second woman. I l ~we ~n~r wife s, much I never want nabedy else. Us had six chilien. ~ am livin . Gain1 back wh~ I a slave, massa h2ire a stire. When dc priest c~me de7 : held church ixi dat stire. Old massa. have ccv ra . beys. Dey went after some de slave gals. Dey hrve chilien by dem. Dem g~1c have dere cabine and dere ehulen, ihat am half ~~hIte. ~: After while, dem beys marry. Th~t dey alius treat dev chilien by de slave y:w.rn.ens g..d. Dey white wife treat dem gs.d, te., mist like dey dere own chilien. s MOld. macca hive plenty m.ie~ Land am miv tw bits de aare. Same plaice ~ ~tt eut n~tht*g. DeyS d Id hgulia in ex-cart e t man what had. mules h~d sim th Ing ~ztra~0 L~

075 070

:~ i~~.slave Stories (pg~e Three) Texas Pace Three 70 I tJ8 have plenty wild. ~ine, wild. geese anc~ duc1c~, Fishin ~ri mighty ~od~ Dey was gat~rs, to.. I ~ d d~m b1t~ a man ~ crin ff. If a &U~V~ feelin b~d c1E~y wsulthi t in~ke him wirk. ~y uncle and my ma~nifly dey aever werk nithin~ te speak . ~. Dey i~Uus have s~rn~ kind. c~mp1aint. Ai~t rio te1~ ~n what it ~ wine be, but y~u could 1gw ~ernethix~ alunT dei~L $1 ~ I membt~r dey a whi t e man . H~ had ~ ~1f ~ I d,i~Tt care what kind of ~uiima1, a d~g er a hosz, dat man he work ~n it ~nd lt never leave yau ~r you h.use ~ It ~ anyb *dy have t ethache r ear~ che he t~ a brexid new nail what ain t never w rk bef and w.rk de.t r~undy~u t~th r ear, Dat break up de t~othaehe r ear~iche right aw~r. He have i1 l pr~y~r he say. I don t kncw what lt was. tIIt~ seed gh.stie~. ~ I talk with oem, t... S~uietim~ dey like people. S,metimee dey like aiimal, in~ybe white d.c. I ailu5 fe~1 chilly wh n d~y c~zne round me. I talk with my wife gfter she dead. She tell me, Dsn~t y.u fergit . t. pray. She say di~ w.rld. cerrupt and .u git t~ f1~ht it ut.~ ****# ********** ~ ~ ~ ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ :5 ~ ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S S ~ S . ~ L

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 076 071

4 ~2O 250 EL.SLAV~ STORIES Page One (Texas) MATTIE GILkOR~ lives In a ~ little cabin on E2. Pifth Avenue, in Corsicana, Texas, A smile came to her lips, as she recalled ~iays when she was a slave in Mobile, Alabama. She baa no idea how old she is . Her master ~ Thomas Barrow brought his slaves to Athens, Texas, during the Civil War, and ~ Mattie had two children at that time, so she is probably about ninety. ~~I s born in Mobile, Alabama, and I don t have no idea when. My white folks never did tell me how old I was. My own dear mammy died fore I can remember and my stepma didn t take no time to tell me nothin . Her name was Mary Barrow and papa B name was All leon Barrow and. I had sisters, Rachel and. Lou and ar, and a brother Al ~.i ~ My master sold Rachel when she was a . I ~ d Id cry. They put her on a block and sold her off. I heared. they got a thousand dollars for her, but I never seed her no more till after freedom. A man named Dick Burdon, from Xau ~uian County, bought her. After freedom I heared she s sick and brung her home, but she was too far gone. We lived in a log house with dirt floors, warm in winter but aho hot in aw.uner, no screens or nothin1, hu~ homemade doors. We had homemade beds out of plWIk8 they picked up around. Mattresses nothint, we had sI~ck beds. Bute anyway, you. takes it, we was better off den dan now. I worked in the fields till Rachel was sold, den toolcen her place, dom kitchen work and tannin flies off de table with a great long limb. I liked dat. I got plenty to eat and not so hot. We had jus food to make you stand up a~4 wo&. It wasn t none the good foolish things we has

077 072

Ex- slave Stories Page Two 72 ( Texas) flow. We had cornbread and blackeye1 peas and. bear~s and sorghum lasses. Old master give us our rations and i fen dat didn t fill us up, we jus went lank. Sometimes we had possum azid rabbits and fish, Iffen we cotched dem on Sunday. I seed Old. Missy parch coffee in a skittle, and it good coffee, too. We couldn t go to the store and buy things, cause they warn t no stores hard .j. When dey s hoein cotton or corn, everybody has to keep up with de driver not hurry so fast but workint st eady. Some de women what had suckin babies left dem in de shade while dey worked, and one time a big, bald eagle flew do wn by one dem babi es and p icked it up and fi ew away with i De mama couldn t git it and. we never heared of dat baby gain. I meiLber when we come from Mobile to Texas. By time we heared de Yankees was comin dey got !~ll dere gold together and Miss Jane called me and give me a whole sack of pure gold and. silver, and. say bury it in de orch~.rd. I sho was scart, but I done what she said. Dey was more gold. in a bit desk, and de Yanks pulled de top of dat desk and got de gold. Miss Jane had a purty gold ring on her finger and de captain yanked it off. I said, tMiss Jane, is dey gwine give you ring back? All she said. was Shet ~ou mouth, and tht s what I did.. t, :r~t night dey digs up de buried gold and we left oat . We t raveled at n ight mid rested in da~yt 1mo We was scart t o make a fi x s . Dat was awful times. All on~ de ww to de Missiesip we seed dead men layi~ everywhere black and white. Thile weta waitin to go C?OBS de Mississip a white man come up and asks Marse Barrow how many niggers he ha, ani cmnt a us a . .. While we s wait int de g~.tns ~gins to go boom, boos, and you cou~hear all dat noise, it so close.

078 073

~xi..slave Stories Page Three ~ 73 (Texas) ~flxen we gi t s on de boat it fi ope d is way and dat scart me I sho don t want to see no more days like dat oiie, with war and boats. We fixes up a purty good bouse and quarters and gits sett3~ed up round Athens. And it ain~~ so long fore a paper come make us free. Some de slaves laughi n and soins cryin and lt a ftmny place to be. Marse Barrow asks my stepma to stay cook and he d pay her same money for it. ~e stayed four ~r five years. Marse Barrow cive each he slaves somethin when &ey s freed. L ts of master put dem out without a thing. But de trouble with most niggers, dey hever done no managin ~tnd didn t know how. De niggera suffered from de war, iffen dey did git freedom from it. I s already married de 2lave way in Mobile and had three chilien. My kuisband died fore war am over and I marries Las Gilmore and never has no more chIlien. I has no livin kinfolics I knows of. When we come here Las done any work he could git and. bought this li I house but I can t pay taxes on it, but, 5h0 de white folks won t put me out. I done git my leg cut off in a train wreck, so I can t work, and I e too old, noways. I don t has no idea how old I is. g,

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 079 074

~:1 4)~~ ~4) 1 ~ i~x~sLLv:~ STORIES Page One : 74: (Texa8) C NDP~.E~ GOOJ~1AN, 9?, was born ~ sIeve of the Goodman family, near B irw in~h2rn Alab ~ His master moved to Srciith (i~ounty, Texas, when Andrew was three years otcd. Andrew is a frail, kindly old man, WhO lives in . his memories. F~ lives at 2607 Canton St., Dall~, Tex~s. $1 was horn in slavery and I thinlz the~n d~iys was better Thr the ni~ers thafl the days we see n~ w, Qn~ thing wi~s, I never was cold 2fld hon~ry when my old master lived, and I has been plenty ho~igry r nd cold ~. lot of times since he is gone, But sometitnes I think M~rse ~oodmnn was the bestes r~ian G~wd mrde in a long time. My mother, M~rthr Good:ir~n, longed to Marse Bob Gooc1mr~n when she was born, but my p~w come from T~nessee arid Marse Bob heir~d him from some of his kinfoiks wh~,t died ove~r there. The cToodin~ns must h~ ve been fine folks all~a~w~.y round, caute ny p~w said tht~n th~t r~ised him w~s good to they nig~ers, Old L~arse never ~ none of his nigger famili~ sep~3r~t~d. He lo~ved he thought it right and fittin that folks stay to~eth~r, thoii~h I heard tell of some that didn t think so. ~I~y Missus was just as good as Marse Bob. My m;~w was a puny little woman that wa3ntt ~ble to do work in the fields, ~nd she puttered round the house for the 1~issus, dein1 little odd jobs, I pl~yed round with little 1~iss Saille and little Mr. Bob, ~ I ate with them and slert wIth them, I used to sweep off the steps and do things, and. sh&d brag on me and many is the time I d ~it to noddin ~nd ~o to sleep, ana. shetd pick rae u,p and put me In bed with her chillun,

080 075

~x sIave Stories (Texae) Page Two 75 ~1Marse Bob didntt put his little niggers in the fields till they 5 big nough to work, and the rnaxr~nies was give time off from the fields to come back to the nursin home tosu.ck the babies. He didn t never put the niggers out in bad weather. He give us something to do, in out of the weather, like shellin corn and the women could spin ~nd knit. They rn~de us plenty of good clothe5. In summer we wore long shirts, split up the sides, made out of lowerings ~ that~e same as cotton s~cks was made out of. In winter we had good jeans and knitted sweaters ~nd knitted socks. My paw was a shoemalcer t d take a. caifhide ~nd make shoes with the hairy sides turned in, ~and they was warm and kept your feet dry. My maw spent a lot of time car&in and spinnin wool, ~nd I 211us had plenty things. Life was purty fine with Marse Bob. He was a man af plenty. H~ had a lot of land. ~nd he built him p. bIg log house when he come to Texas. He had sev ral hundred. he2d of cattle axid more than that many hawgs. ~Ye raised cotton and grain and. chickens and vegetables, arid most anything anybody could ask for. Some places the masters give out a peck of meal and so m~y pounds of meat to a family for them a week s rations, and if they et it up that was all they got. But Marse Bob allue give out plenty, and said, If you need more you can have it ~ cause am t ~y going to suffer on my place. ~ ~He built ue a c1~.irch, and a: old man Ke rneth Lyons who waS a slave of the Lyon s family nearby, used to git a pa.s every Sunday morntht and come preach to us. .~e was a man of good learnin and the beet preacher I ever ~ard~. 11e bapti.ed tri a little old mudhole down back of our place. Nearly k ~ : ~ . ~ ~

081 076

Ex slave Stories Page Three (Texae) (L) all the bOyB and. gals gits converte~d when they s bout twelve or fifteen year old. Then on Sunday afternoon, Marge Bob larn~~d us to reed. end write. He told us we oughta git all the laarnin we could. t, Once a week the slave a could have any n ight they want for a daxice or frolics Mance MCQ,ueen was a slave longin~~ on the Dewberry place, what could play a fiddle, and. hie mRster give him a pass to cOrne play for us. Uarse Bob give us chickens or kilt a fresh beef or let us m~ke lasses candy. We could choose any night, cept in the f~1l of the yeAr. Then we worked awful hard ~nd d idn t have t he t im. ~Ve~ had a gin rtin by hors epower end after sundown, when we left the fields, we used to gin a bale of cotton every night. Marse allus give us from Christmas Eve through New Year s Day off, to make up for the hard work in the fall. ~Qhrjstmae time everybody ~ot~ a present and Marse Bob give a big hawg to every four families. ~Te had. r~ioney to buy whiskey with. In spare time wetd make cornshuck horse collars and cil kinds of baski~ts, arid Itarse bought them off us ~Vhat he e dn1 t use he sold for us W d. t ~ke p os t oak and split it thin with drawin knives and let it git tough in the sun, and then weave it into cotton baskets rnd fish baskets and little fancy baskets. The men spent they money on whiskey, cause ever~rthing else W83 furnished. ~ raleed our own tobacco thid hung it in the barn to season, and a body could go git it when they wanted it. . ~ ~e allus got Saturday afternoons off to fish and ~nt. We used. to have fish fries and plenty. garae in them deys. Course, we used to hear tbout other places where they had nigger .~ ~ . d~z~ivert an~ beat the slaves, But I never did see or hear tell of one of -3*

082 077

Ex slave Stories (Texas) Page Four 77 naa8ter s slaves gittin a beatin . ~Ye had a overseer, but didn t know wh~t a nigger di~ iver was ~ Marse Bob had s orne nigger dogs 1 ike other plac es ~nd used to train them for fun. He d git sane the boysto ~un for a hour or so and then put the dogs on the trail. d. say, ~ If you he~,r them gittin near, t~Jce to a tree~~ But Marss Bob never h~d no niggers to i ~in off. Old man Briscoll, who had ~. p1~e next to ours, was vicious cruel. He was mean to his own blood, beatin his chilien. His slaves was 1i eared ai . the time and hated him. Old Charlie, a good, old maxi who longed to hirn, run away and st2yed six months in the woods ~ Br~scoii cotched him. The niggers used to help feed him, bat one day a nigger trayed. him, end Briscoc put t he dogs on him and o otched him. He m~d.e to Chari te I ike he wasn ~ t go in to hurt hits none, and got him to caine peaceful. When h~ took him home, he tied. hirn and beat him for a turribl~ long time. Then he took a big, pine torch and let bu~rnin pitch drop in spots all over him. Old Charlie was sick bout four months and then he died. ~Ma2 Se Bob 1~owed me ~ most the slaves, tcause I was round the house more. One day he called all the slaves to the yard. He only he~ sixtcr- six then, omise he had tyided with his son and daughter ~vhen they married. He made a little speech. He said, 12m going to a war, but I don t think 1111 be gone long, and I~m turnin the overseer off and leavin Andrew in charge,~f the place, and I wants everything to go on, ju~st like I was here. Now, you all mind what &nclrew says, cause if you dontt, I~li make it rough ~ . on you when I come back home07 He was i, ~ cauSe he wouldn t k~a~e d~one nothing to theme L

083 078

~x slave Stories P~e ~Fiire (Texas)~ Then he said to me, tAndrew, you is old nough to be a man and look after things. Take care of Missus ~nd see that none the niggers wants, and. try to keep the place go n~,~ ~We didntt know what the war was ~bout, but master was gone-four years. ~ Old. Miesue heard. from him, she d c~al all the slaves and tel). us the news and read us his letteo s, Little parts of it sh~ wouldntt read. ~Te never heard of him gittin hurt none, but if lie had, Old Missus wouldn t tell us, cause the niggers used to cry and pray over hi~ all the time. ~Ye never heard tell what the war was tbout, ~hen Marse Bob come home, he sent for all the slaves He was itt in in a yard chair all tuckered out and. shuck hands all round &nd said he s glad to see us, Then he said, I got sxii~thing to tell you. You is jus as free as I is. You don t long to nobody but you selves. ~ e went to the war ~nd fought b~t th~ Yankee a done whup us and they s ~y the niggers is free, You can go whpre you W2XltS to go, or you cari stay here, jus as you likes. He coul&n t help but cry. ~ NThe niggers cry and don t know much wh~.t Marse Bob me~~ns. They is sorry bout the freedom, cau~ they don t know where to go, and they s allus tpend on Old. Marse to look after them. Three families went to get farms for theyselves, but the rest just stay on for hands on the old place. The Pederals has been comin by, even fore Old Marse corne home. They all come by, carryin they little budgets, and if they was walkin they d look in the stableS for a horse or mule and they jus took wbat they wanted of c omn or livestock, They done the same after Marse Bob come home. He jus said, 5

084 079

~x~e1ave Stories Page 8ix (Texas) ~ t Let them go they way, t c~rns e that ~ s what they re go Ing t o d o anyway. iVe waS scareder of thera than we was of the deb1bt ~ Bat they spoke right kindly to us cullud. folks . They said If you got a good. master and. want t o st~r well, you can do that ~ bu~t now you can go where you want to ~ c~.ise aintt nobody going t o stop you.t The niggers cantt hardly git used to the idea. When they wants to 1e~re the place, th ~ still go up to the big house for a pass* They jus can t under stand bout the freedom. Old Marse of Missue say, You don~t need no pass. All yoa got to do is just take yo~i foot In you. hand and go. t It seem like the war jus plumb broke 0il4 Marss up. It wasn1 ~ long t Ill he .. moved into T~.er and left my paw r~nnin1 the farm on a half~nce With him and. the niggere workers. He didn t live long, but I forgite jus how long. But when Mr. . Bob he fred the old place, he lowed we d jus go long the w~y his paw has .~ made the tr~e with my paw. . ~ TOung Mr. Bob pi~rently done the first rascality I ever heard of a ~ Goodman dom , The first year we worked for him we raised lote of grain and other things and fifty seven bales of cotton. Cotton was fifty-two cents a pound and he shipped it all aww but all he ever gave us was a box of candy and a sack of store tobacco and a sack of sug~ He said the eignm~nt done got lost Paw said to let it go, t cause we had. al lus t ived by what the Goodm~ had said. I got married. and. lived on the old place t il I I was in my lat e fift les. ~: . i~ had seven c~hiflun~ but if I got any livin now, I dOfl tj know where they is now. )iy paw aM maw got to own a little piece of land not far from the old pl~ce, and paw lived to be 102 and maw 106. Ita the last one of any of my folks. L ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ .: ~ . :~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . : ~

085 080

)~x slave Stories (~exae) Page Seven 80 For twenty years u~r health ain t been so good, and I can t work even now, thou~gh my health is better n in the past. I had hemorr~hes. ~&ll my folks died on me, and it s purty rough on a old m~n like rae. My white folks is all dead or I wouldn~t be tlowed. to go hongry and cold like I do, or have to pay rent, L

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 086 081

420060 ~ ~ ~ . . r~x~SL~tv:E STOBIES !ag~ One (Texas) - AUSTIN GRL~T case to Texas from Mississippi with his grandfather, father, i~other and brother. George Haz per owned the fwaily. He raised cotton on Peach Oreek, near Gonzales. Austin was hired out by his master and. after the war his father hired him out, to the Riley Ranch on Seco Creek, above Dthanis. He then bo~ht a faxa in the slave settle~ ment north of Hondo. Re is 89 or 90 year s old, ~ mixed up on my age, Itm tfraid, fr th~ Bible got burned up that the master s wife had our ages in. She told. nie my age, which would mace me 89, but I believe I cotnenearer beint 91, accordin to the way my mother figuxed it ouk~. I belonged to George Harper, he was Judge Harper. The was ay father, mother and two boys, He brought us from Mississippi, but I don member what part they come from. We settled down here at Gonzeles, on Pea h Creek, and he fa~m4d one year there. Then he ~ moved out here to Medina County, right here on Hondo Creek. I dont ~aember how maw acres he b&d, but he had. a big farm. He had. at least e ight whole slave fwnilies. He sold ~em when he want~1 money. My mother s name was Mary Harper and. my father s name was Ike Harper, and they belonged to the Ha.rpers, too. You know, after they was turned loose ~ they h~d to name themse .~es. My father nwned hiaself Grant and bis b~otb~er nwi~ed himself Glower, and my grandfather was Pilinore . They ha~ some kin of law you had to git away from your ~ ~ b sst n~e so they ns~ied themselves. ~

087 082

~x~.sla~e stories . Page Two 82 (Texas) . Our hcmse we had. to live in, I tell y 3. we had a toi~h affair, a picket concern, you might say no house a- tall. The beds was one of yotir own make; if you knowed how to n~ke one, you had. one, but of course the chilien slept on the floor, patched up some way. /7/ We went barefooted in the summer ~nd winter, too. You had. ~:. ~ ~ to prepare that for ~rourself, ~nd if you didn have head. enou&h to pre~. ~I# ~) pare for yourself, you went without. I don see how they done as well ; I as they done, te~se some winters was awful cold, but I always said the ( Lawd was w~.tb ~ em, ~ We dIdXi hs~ve no little ~ard.en, we never had no tlae to work no g den. Ihen you could see to work, ~/ou was workin for him, RoI You d.idn know what money was. Be neyer paid yoti anything, you neyer got to see none. Some of the Germans would give the old. ones a little piece of money, but the chillen, pshawl They neyer got to see nothin.~ He was a pretty good boss. You di&nt hare to work S~inday and. part of Saturday and in the e~entn you h~d that. Re fed us good. Some~ times, if you was crowded, you had~ to work all day Saturday. But usually he g1~e you. that, so you could wash and. weave cloth or such. He had cullud. women there he kep all the time to weave and spin. They kep cloth made. ~: On Saturd~r nights, we jest knocked round theplace. Chrietxuas? : I don know as X was ever home Ohristaas, My boss kep me hired out. The : sl&v~e never had. no Christmas presents I know of. And big dinners, I neyer i was at nary one, They iutd g Ive us nothin I tell you but a grubbin hoe an~t ax and the whip. ~hey had n ehuckin s in thera day. and t n shellin s, too. We~ would shuck so aany days az4 so many days to shell it up. ~We would. shoot airbies when we waa little. It was all the game the 1UU$rs ever knowed~, was ahootin marbles.

088 083

Ex~.slave stories p~g~ Three (Tezas) UAfter work at nights there wasn t much sett in~ round; you d. fall into bed and. go to sleep. On Saturday night they dldn git together, they would je~~ sing at their own houses. Oh, yes m, I tmember ~eza singin t ~.1n nigger, run, ~ but ~ it s too far back for me to tmember those other songs. They would. raise up a song when they was pickin cotton, but I don1 member much about those songs. My old boss, I~m beim to give him praise, he treated. his nig gez s right . Re zaade em work, though, ~nd he whipped em, too But he fed. good, too. We had. rabbits and. posswns once In awhile. Hardly ever any g~e, but you mitt git a deer sometImes. ~ Let tem keteli rou with a gun or a piece of paper with writ int Ort lt ~nd he d. whip you like everything. Some of the si ay~ s 1f they ever did. git a piece of paper, they would keep lt and learn a few words. Bat they didnt wan.t you t o know nothin that s what nothin ~ bat work. You would think they was goin to kill you, he would whip you so if he cwight you with a piece of paper, You couldn ~ havenothin but a pick and axe and grubbint hoe. ~ UWe never got to pla~r none. Our boss hlr~d. us out lots of times. know what he got for us . We farmed, cut wood, grabbed anything. . I sheep and I picked cotton. We got up early, you betcha. Yo~i would be out there by time you quit when tt was dark. They tasked us. They would give us of cotton to bring in and you would git lt and if you better, or you would git it tomorrow, or your back would git lt from soaeone else zaaybe et ea . it from the ir Sacks, I don ~ herded could see and you ~ 200 or 300 pou.nds didn git it, you. git it. Or you d T ~ ~ ~ . .s3- ~. ~ . . ~ ~ . .

089 084

Ex slave stories (Texi~s) Page B our 84 My grandfather he would tell us things to keep the whip off our backs. He woul& say, Chilien, work, work 8nd. work haH. You know how you hate to be whipped, so work hard! And of course we chilien tried., but of course we wo~iid git careless sometimes. t, The mast er had a ~ black snare ~ s orne called lt a Lbuil whip and he knew how to use it He . whipped~, but I don mez~her now whether he brought any blood on me but he cut the blood outt a the grown ones. He didn t le ~ em he always had a whlpp in block or log to m~ice em lay down on~ They called 500 licks a ~ light breslin, 1 ~th right on your naked back, too. They saId. :~our clothes wou.ldn grow but your hide would. From what I heered. saar if you mn away, then was when they give you a ~whippin, prob bly 1500 or 2000 licks. Theytd shore tie you down then, cause you oudnt an it . Then you d have tc work on top c f ~ll that with your shirt st~ckint to ~our back. The overseer woke us up. Sometimes he had~ a kin ~ blow, and~ when you heered that born, you d better git up. He you a good whippin iffen he had. to come and wake you up. He e et one on the place worse n the bos s man. 1The boas man had a nice rock house, and the women didn, work atall. r.. neyer did see any slates auctioned off, but I heered of it. My b.o~a he would take 1 em there and sel I em. They had a church this side of !ew Fountain aM the boss man ~ ~ lowed us to. go on Sunday. If any o~ the slaves did join, they UdXi baptize thea, as I know of~ L of horn to would give was the mean~

090 085

Ex slave Stories Paie flve (Texas) When one of the eLnres would die, they would bury tem on the ind there~ Reg lar little cemetery there, Oh, yes, they would. ha~~ doctors for ~eia. If anybody died, they would teU some of the other slayei to d.ig the gi~ve ath take t~ out there and bury tea. They . j, put tem In a boi, no preachin or nothin. But, of coiu se, if it waB Sunday the slaveB would follow out there and sing. No, if they didn die on Sunct~y, you couldn go; you went to that field. If you wanted to go to ~xiy other p1~~.ntation you had. to git a pass to ~o ov~ r there, and. if you didnt ~ got caught, you got one of the worst whippins . If things happened ~~nd they wanted t~tell tern on other plazitations, they would. slip out at night and. tell ~exn. We never he ered. much about the fightin or how it was go in. ~ When ~ the war finally was over, our old bOss alled us all up ~nd had. us to stand in abreast, and he stood on the gallery and he read the verdict to tes, ~nd s aid t Now, you can j ~ s ~ work on i f ~rnu want t o ~d I 11 tre9t you j ~ ~ . like I always did. t I guee~ when he said, that they knew what be meant. t wasn t bat one family left with im. They et ayed about two years. But the rest waa just like birds they j e ~ fie w. X went with my father and he hired nie out for two years, to a man naiied Riley, over on the Seco. I cUd most everythin worked the field and was house ru~stler, too, But I had a good time there. After I left~ t ja, I came to D Hanis . I worked. on a church house they was bulld.int. Titen I went back to ~y father gnd. worked. for him a long time, . fr ightint ~ ~ . e tt~:~n to Zs~ ?a,es. I used. horses and. aules and hauled. cotton and floii.r au~ ivhis~, ixitt things like that. L~ ~

091 086

Ex-~slaye Stories Page Six (Texas) 9 I met my wife down on Bl~.ck Creek, ~nd I freighted two ye2rs after we was married. We got marriedsolong a~o,but in them days any~ thing would do You see the se clays they ers so proud, but we was glad. to h~?Te ai~ything. I had. a black suit to be itarried in, and a pzetty long shirt, and I wore boots. She wore a white dress, bu~ in them days they d. have black shoes Yes ~ they had a dance, down here on Black Creek. Danced half the night at her house aiid two men pl~red the fiddle. Eat? We had. e~erythln to eat, a barbecued calf. and ~. hog, too, aid ~ll kinds of ca~ces ~nd pies. Drink? ~Thy, the men had whiskey to drink ~nd the women drank coffee. We married about 7 or 8 in the evenint at her house. My wife s naine was Sarah Ann Brackins. 1Did. I ~ee ~ host? Well, over yonder on the creek was a ghost. I t was a moonl ight night 2nd 1 t passe d right by me and it never had no head on it s~t2ll. It almost breshed me. It kep walkin1 right by side of me. I shore saw it arid. I run like a good fellow. Lots of ten could see wonrmrfu . sights then and. I heered lots of noises, but~ th&t~s the only ghost I ever seen. No, I never knowed. nothing ~bout charms. I~ve seen tera have a rabbit heel or coon heel for good luck. I seen a ~aan one birne that was tricked, or whet I d. call poisoned. A place on her let, lt was jes the ~ shape of these little old strip~d lizards. It was somethint they called ttrickin tt,~ and a person that knowed to tric*: you would put ~t there to ~ ~ a&k. you suffer the balance of y~ir da~rs. It would go around y~it~ix leg clear ~ . to the hip ana. be between the skin and the flesh. The7 called it the dSTil1s wODk.W I~h~ **s********

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 092 087

420118 t . EL.sLAv:~ STORL~S .. Page On~ . 87 ( Texas) . r. JA1~ ~S G~REF~1~ is half .Ajmer can Ind1~n and. half Negro. He was born a a1a~e to John Wilhi~zns, of Petersbur:, Va. became a u fre e b oy then was kidnapped and sold In a Vir~1nia slave market to a Texas ranehman. He now lives at 323 N. Olive St., Sian Ant oni. o Texas. II never knowed. my ~e till ~ifter de war, when Ps set free d.e seconi time, and then marster sits out a bi~ hook and it shows I s 25 year old. It shows I s 12 when I is ~bou~ht anti $800 is paH for me. That $800 was stolen money, 1cause I was kidnapped and d.is is how it e orne: 1ky mammy was owned by John Williams in Petersbu.r~, in Vir~ini~, and~ I corne born to her on dat plantation. Den ~iy father set bau.t to ~it me free, cause he ~ fu~11-~bl6ode~ Indian and done some bi~ favor for a bi~ man high up in de cou~rts, ::~nd he ~its me set free, and den Marster Willie~ms laughs and. calls me free boy. I Then one day al on~ c orne a Fr id.ay and thr~t a unlucky star day and I playin round d.e house ~nd garster fthli~rns come up arid say, Delia, will you tlow Jim walk down de str~et with me? My mammy say, All right, Jim, ~rou be a ood boy, arid dat de las time I ever he~red her speak, or ever see her. We w~dks down whar de h~ases crows close together and pretty soon comes to de slave market. I ain t seed it fore, hut when Marster Williams says, Git up on de block, I ~ot a funny feelin , and I knows what has happened. I s sold t o Marster John Pincliback and he had de St. Vitus dance and he likes to make he ni~ers suffer to m~ke up for

093 088

. p ~*- s~1~ve Stories (Page Two) Pace Two 88 his sqUirinin~ end twistin and. he the bi~es debbil on earth. We leaves right away for Te xas and. goes t o inarst er s ranch in umu.. It w~,s owned. by him and a man call Wright ~nd when we ~its there I s put t o wo rk without no thin to eat . Dat nicht I rna~ke s up my raind to run aw~y b~it de nex day dey takes me and de other ni~ers to look at de does and chooses me to train de dogs with. X s told I hadto play I ru.nnin away and. to run five mile in any way and. then climb a tree. One of de ni~ers tells roe kind of nice to climb as hi~h in dat tree as I could. if I didn t want my body tore off my lees So I mns a good five railes and. climbs up in de tree whar de branches is ~ettin small. I sits dere a long time and den sees de d.o:s coming. When dey gits under de tree dey sees me and. start s ~ . After dat I never ~c~t thinkin of nux~nin aw~r. Time does on and de war corne alone, but everyt~ng goes on I Ike it did.. Some niggers dies 1*it more was born ca~ise old Pinch back sees to dat. He breeds nig~ers as quick as he can, cau~se dat money for his. I~o one had no say who he have for wife. Bu.t de nigger husbands wasn t de only ones dat keeps up havin chilien) cause de marsters and. de drivers takes all d.c nigger gals dey wants. Den de chillen was brown an~ I seed. one clear white one, ILIt dey slaves jus de same. 1~ end. of dat war comes and. old. Pinchback says, You niggers all come to de big house in de mornin . He tells us we is free and be opens his book and. gives u~s ail a name and. tells ~ us whar we comes from and. how old. we is, and. says he pay us 40 cents a day to stay with him. I stays bout a year and. ~ s no big c~iange . De same bouses arid some got whipped. but ~ . noboty ~ot nailet to a tree by de ears like dey used. to . Finally old. P inch- ~ ~ -2..

094 089

Ex slave Stories Pace Three (Texas) 89 beck dies and when he buried de lightnin come ~nd split de crave ~xLd~ de coffin wide open. Well, time does ~n some more ~nd den Lizzie ~nd me, we to~ ether and we marries re~ 1ar with a real wedclin . .~e s been a 1on~ time and. we is happy. tel members a old song like dis: It t Old marster eats Theef ~~id sucks on de bone, And give us de gristle-~o make, to iv ce, to make, to rn~dce, To rnpke de n ~er whistle, ~ Dat all de sony; I member from dose old. clays, ceptin one more: t t I goe s t o church in early morn, De bir~1s just a sittin on de tree-- Sometimes my clothes gits very much worn I Cause I wears em out at de knee. t, I ~ ~ ings ~x~d shouts with ~J. 1 ~ ~T night, T0 drive away de cold - AM de bells keep rin~in in gospel lieht, Till 1e story of de L~nb ~xsi told, git s t o~ether

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 095 090

420()64 ~ :~.-SLAYz STORIZS p~. o~. (Tsxas) O. V. Grimn, son of Prank and- if Mary Ann Marks, was born in slavery at Bradly Co., Arkansas, June 26, 1859. His owners, the Mobley faaily, owned a large plantat ton and two or thr.e thousand slaves. Jack Mobley, Green s young aaat r, was killed in the Civil War and Gre.n became one of the orphan chilien ~ ~hsn the Ku Klux Klan becane active, the orphan chillen were taken t, ~ittls Rock, Ark. Later on, Green moved ti D.i Rio Texas whers h. now lives. I i: was bo ~ ned in Arkansas Prank Marks was ~y father and Mary Ann Marks ~y notber. She was n on the plantat ion, I had two brothers. $1 don menbr de quarter., 1~tt dey aas~ of had. plsnty, cwise dey was two, three thmsand slaves on de plantat ion. All ay kin people belonged to Massa ~obl.y. My grandfather was a atlinan and dey had on. de bigges grist ailla in de country. I, ~ir Massa was good and we had. plenty for to sat Den was n, jail for slaves on our pine. b~t not t~ar fron dire was a jail. D. Ku Klux flan nads sv.rything pretty squally, so d.y taken d.s orphan chilien to Little Rock and. kep sa two, three years. Der. was lot s of slaves in dat country round Rob Roy end Ire. ligger Bend~ Old Churchill, who used to bi governor, had a plantation in der.. When I was nine years ol dey had. de Bruce and B.xt er revolu.. tua. Twas nor, runnin dan fightin . Brace was lected for governor but Baxter said he d b. govsrner if he had to run Brook. into de sia. 0My ysung Massa, Jack Mobl.y, was killed in di war, te how I coae to be one of d orphan chilien. -Il..

096 091

~: ~ ~X~S1aVe Autobiographies -~ O. W. Green Page 3 9:1 9fliile us orphan chilien was at Little Rock dere come a terrible soreness of de eyes. I heard tell ?twas caused from de cholera. ~ery little child had. to take turns about sittin by de babies or totin them. I was so blind, my eyes was so sore, I couldn t see,. The doctor s wire was working with us. She was tryin to rigure up a cure for our sore eyes, first usine one remedy and den another. An old herb doctor told her about a herb he had used on de plant tions to cure de slaves sore eyes. Dey boiled de herb and put hit on our ~yes, on a white cloth. De doctor s wife had a little boy about my age. He would play with nie, and thought I was about hit. He would lead. me around, then he would run ofi~ and. leave ~e and see if I could see. One day between leven and twelve o clock ~ I never will fergit hit ~ he taken me down to de mess room. De lady was not q,uite ready to dress my eyes. She told rue to go on and corne back in a little while. then I got outside I tore dat old rag off of my eyes and tlirowed hit down. I told the little boy, O, I can see you~ He grabbed rae byde arm and ran yellin to his mammy, Mama, he can see! Mama, Owen can sees I neya will fo git dat word. Dey were all in so a r~ Joicin , excitable way. I was de first one had. his eyes cured. Dey sent de lady to New York and she made plenty of money from her remedy. j .:~. Things sure was turrible dunn de war. Dey just driv us in front of de soldiers. Dere was lots of cholera. ~ was just bed ~eci togetb~r lak hoes. The Ku Klux Klan come behind ~ ~

097 092

Page4 92 . ~ ~ ~X~&lave Autobiographies ~ op w. Green de soldiers, kuhn and robbin . After two or three years In de canip with de orphans, my kin found me and took me home. My grandfather and uncle was in de fi~htin . My grandfather was a wagon man. De las trip he made, he come home in a load. of dead soldiers to b e bur ied My grandfather told de pe6ple all about de war. He said hit sure~was terrible. 1When de war was over de people jus shouted. for Joy, De men and. women Jus shouted for joy. Twas only because o.f de \prayers of de oullud people, dey was freed,and de Lawd worked ~i through Lincoln. Ms? old. masta was a doctor and a surgeon, He trained niy grandmother; she worked under him thirty seven years as a nurse. When old masta wanted grandxrtother to ~o on ~ special case he would. whip her so she wouldn t tell none of his secrets. ~rand mother used herbs fo medicine ~- black snake root, sasparilla, blackberry briar roots ~ and.nearly all de youn~uns she fooled with she save from d~1arrheao UMY! Old masta was good, but ithen he found you shoutin he burnt your hand. ~iy &andmother said. he burnt her hand several times. Masta wouldn t let de cullud folks have meetint, but &ey would go out in d~e woods in secret to pray and preach and. shout. \ S ~ w : ~jist picked. up enough readin to read my bible and ~ serat h my name. I went to school one xao ning and did.n t git i~i along wi4 d~e teacher so X didn t gono mo . ; *1 m~aber my f Q1k5 had~ big tiniea come Christmas Dey

098 093

93 a ~ ~ a ~x Slave Lutobio~aphiea ~ O. L Green Page 5 never did work on Sundays, jist set around and rest. Dey never worked in bad weather. Dey never did. go to de field till seven o clock. I married in 1919. 1 haveS two step-daughters and one step-P son. My step-~son 1 ~s in san Antonio. I have six step-gran& chilien. I. was a member of de Baptist church befo ~ you was bo n lady. J

Texas stories of ex-slaves. 099 094

Dibble, Fred Beaumont, Jeffer on Co,Diet.#3 Paie 1 ~ 94 T~S sIQ~IjS_~QP ~J~SI~AVES ROSA. GREIN, 85 years old, was born at Ketchi~ Louisiana, but as soon as 8h. waa old. enough became a housegirl on the plantation of Rajor Bob Kollingsworth at Mansfiel&, Lo~4e1aaa. To the beet of h.r knowledge, she was about 13 when the ~ freedom papers wer read. She h~4 had 13 chil&rn b~ her two ~.bands, both deceased, and 1t~ea with her youngest daughter in Beaumont. Their one-room, unpaintet houee te on of a d~ozen unprepoasessing structures bordering a~ alley way 1ead~ing off Pine Streets Rosa, a spry little figure, crowned with short, sno* white pigtails extending in various directtone, spends most of her time tending her small flowerbeds and. vegetable garden. She is talkative and. her memory seems q~dte act ive. w When de w~ ite folks read de freedom paper I was 13 year old. I Je. lean up agin de porch, ~canse I dIdn ~ow der~ what it was all about. I war nt bo~n in Texas, I isa bo n in Ketchi, but I was rau ~ Manfiel . Law, yes, I member de fight at Manfielt. My 01~ marster tuk aU he niggera and let at night. Let un little ones; say de Yankees could git us effen clay wan to, eau.e we no good no way, and t wouldn care if dey did git u.. Dey put um in a sugar hogehead and giv. us a spoon to .cr~e out de sugar. 3out de ol plantation, I work a little w ile in de fiel . I di&n biow den like I see now. Dee. chilien bo0n wid iio~ sense now dan we was den. Dey was tbout ten CU11U& folk. on di place My ol ~ aareter name Bob Hollingsworth, but dey call jm Major, tcause he was a major in de war, not de 1as~ on., but de one way back yonder. 01 miamis work de litti. ones roun1 4e houme and under de houes and e vyt ing clean as y0 hB&, 42039 i

100 095

Dibble, Fred. . Beaumont, Jefferson Co.,Dist,#3 Pa~ 2 95 The ol niarat er I thought was d~e neane man de Lawd ever made Lo oit like he c~xia ev y time he open he iamth. De nei~tbor w tte folks, some good, SOme bad. My work was cleanin up ~ roan de hou.se and nues 1& de chilien. Oi~1y times I went to ch~roh when day tuk us long to m1n d.e chilien. mien de battle of Manfielt ~ ~ ~3j~3j~ gtt o~it m~ich. When . de Ya~tkees was Commt to Gran Cane, ~y wttte folks dig a big pit and put der aient end foui an~ all in it and. cover it over wid dirt and put wagon loads of pine straw over it. It was bout five or six mile to Manfield. end bou.t 49 or 50 mile to Shreveport. My ol mareter tuk all he niggers and wertt off sosweres, dey called it Texas, but I dIdXI know where De ol er Ones farm. Dey rais ev yt ~ ir~g dey could put in de grain iley did. My pa was kirrige(carriage) d.river for my ol misaus. He was boss nigger fo de cul lud men when marster wan t right der.. My father jis stay der.. Ses, dey free our people in July. Dat leave d~ whole crop stanin ders in de fiel . Dey had to stay dere and. take care of de cr~~p. After dat dey co~nmence saktn contrait. end bargins. I was 22 years 1 when I marry de t. t irne Both my buben e dead. I h~& 13 chillsn in all, e De fua ! tine I went to e~nirch, missus tuk me and anoth.r gal to min1 de chilien. I never heared a preacher befo I tmember how de preacher word. de hymn: s Come, ye sinners, p01 end needy, Weak and wounded, sick and soi. SI couldn~ understan it, imt now when I look down on it t sees it x~ow. I bleeve us been here goin on fos year right yen in dii hoae~.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 101 096

420078 N:) ~X..SLAVE STORIES Pace On~ /c~ (Texas) ) WILLIAIvI GR~N, or Reverend. Bill , as he is c~11 by the o the r Ne~roe e wa~ browht to Pexas from Mississippi in 1862. His master was Major John Montgomery. ~flh1i~m is~. 87 years o1d~. He has lived in San Antonio, Texas, for 50 years. ~I i~ Reverend Bill, all right, but I is afraid dat cc~ipliment don t belong to me no more, c~ise I ouit preachin in favor of de voun~ men. HI kin tell you my 8p~riences in s~rin ~ IniS 17 dat was, is peace . dat is . I teli~ ;vou dis ~ spite of bein alone in de world ~rith flO chillun. I is raised a slave and ~ in June, b.~.t I 1memb~rs de old plantation whar I is born. ~assa John Montgomery, he owned me, and he went to de war and ~it kilt. I knowed bout c~e war, though us slaves wasn t sposed. to know nothin bout it. I was livin i~ Texas then, ~ cause Massa John moved over he re from Mis sipp I . In dat place ni~ers was allus wrong, no matter what, but it was better in dis place. We used. to think we w~s lucky to ~it over here to Texas, ~nd we used, to sins a song bout It: ft I Over yonder Is de wild goose nation, ~Yhar old mlssus has sugar pl~itation-~Sugar grows sweet hit de plantat ion s sour, I cause de ni~er jump and. ran every hour. u t ~ has you all to ~iow, you all to know, Dere s li~ht on de shore, ~ Says little Bill to big Bill, There s a lI l ni~gger to w*ite ~nd cipher. t1 ~ d~on t know what de sont meant but we thought d ~it free ~~.1~-

102 097

97 Ex-~s1ave Storlee (~r.xae) Page T~r here in Texas, ant we d. git e~&icatei., axi& dat s de meanin of ~e talk abou,t writirt ~ cipherint. Well, when I is free I lsut free, tcause te boss wants me arid another b~ to st~r~ HIi wets 21 ~rear old, But o1~ Jud~e Lori~-~ worth, he come down d.ere ant tore was pretty near a fight, ~M he tsplalns t, u~s we was free. ~ tb ut fly. year after dat I takes v.p preachin an~ I.preaches~ for a long time, and I works en a farm, half ant half with de o~er. I has a good. life, bat now l s t ~ old. to preach. o-~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ : ~ ~ .

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 103 098

420041 :gx-sLA1r~ STORIES . Pace One (Texas) 98 PAULINE G~EICZ, 8 ., was born a slave of John Blackshier, who owned. her mother, abou~t 150 slaves, 50 slave children, and a large plantation near Atlanta, Georgia. Pauline married Navasota Grice in 1875 and. they moved to Texas in 1917. Since her hu~sband s death in 1928 Pauline has depended on the charity of friend. wi. th whom she 1 ives at 2504 Ross Av~, North Port Worth, Texas. ~ 1937 White man, dis old cu~llud woman ~ not strong. tBout ~ j ~. sub stance am gone now. Dc way you seee me layin on dis bed. am what I has t o do in de t line . My in randum not so go od 1 ike t was. De place I am borned am right near Atlanta, in Georgia, and on dat plantation of Massa John Bl~kshier. A big place, with bout 150 growed. slaves and bcxit 50 pickininnies. I doesn t work till near de surrender, cause I s too small . B~t us don t leave Massa John, us go right on workin for him 1i~e fore. Massa J0hn em de kind. massa and. don t have whuppin s. He tell de overseer If you can t nake dem niggers work without de whup den you not. de man I wants . Mos de niggere have theyselves and when dey don!. t massa put dem in de li 1 . house what he call de jail ~ with nothin to eat till deys ready to do what he say. Onet or twict he sell de nigger what won t do right and. do ~e work. ~. s Us have de cabin what ~ made from logs but us only sleeps dere. All tts cookin done in de big kitchen. Dere axn three women what do dat, and ~i~e us do meals in de long ehet with de long tables. 4

104 099

~x-~slave Stories Pace Two (Texas) ~ J ITO de best of dis nigger s men randurn, de feed am good. Plenty of everything and corn am de mostest us have. Dere ~an cornbread and cornmeal mush and corn horniny and corn grits and parched corn for drink, stead of tea of coffee. lis have milk and lasses and brown 5u~ar, and soi~ie meat. Dat all raise on de place. Stuff for to eat and. wear, dat am made by us cullud. folks and dat place am what dey calls f~s port in . De shoemaker ma~ce all de shoes and fi~de leather, too. tt~fter ~ in de rnornin de niggers am gwine here, dere and everywhere t 1 ike de big fact ory. Every one t o he j ob some. a-~whistl inh, s orne aj-s t . Dey sings . i rent songs and di s am one when deys gwine to work: tHold cotton, old corn, see you eveiy morn, Old cotton, old corn, see you since I s born. Old cotton, old corn, hoe you till dawn, Old cotton, oldcorn, what for you born? . t Yes euh everybody happy on s place t il . war begin . He have two sons and Willie am bout 18 and Dave am bout 17. Dey unes de army and. a ~ter bottt a year, nassa jine too, and, coarse, dat make de missy awful sad. She have to ~ pend on de overseer and it warnt t like mas sa keep things runni . In de old days, if de niggers wants de party, massa ~m de big toad in de p~iddle. And Christmas it am de day for de big time. L tree am fix, and some present for everyone. ~ De white preacher talk bout Christ. Us have in ;8fld j oyment al 1 day. Den at night de big fire builded and ~ . ~. . ~ us so~ ~ ~ i~ I ~re am ~ ~ ~dred hawg bladders save from hawg kiflin . So, on O~istmae night de chilien takes dem and. pute ~em on de stick, 1~5t dey is aU blowed full of air and tie& tight and dry. ~

105 100

~x-sIav~ Stories Page Three I (ir~ (Texas) L en de chilien h olds de bladder in de fire and. purty soon, B k N G., dey goes. Bat ~rn de fireworks. Dat P~11 changed aftt~r massa go to war. ~\.tst de feder~te sojers corae and. takes soie ~iia1es and. hosse~, den some more coime for de corn. After vr;~j1e, de Y~n~ee ~ojers cornes and ta&~s some more. lien d~r ~its throu~h, ~e~r ain t much more tookin to be don~. De ye~r ~4~o~e surrender, us ar~i short o ~ rations ari ~ so~eti;~e us hongry, ~Js s ~es no b~tt1in ~ e cannon barg all day. Once, dey bnn~ tw~ whole d;~rs thout hardl~r stoppin . Dat am when missy ~o t~ch in de head, 1cause massa nnd de bo~rs in dat battle. She jus walk round de yard. and twist de hnnds and say, Dey sho glt kilt. Dey sho dead. ~ Den when extra loud noise come from c1~ cr~inon, she scre~m. Den word. corne ~i1lie ~ kilt. 511e ~its over it, but she am de diff rent woman. For her, it ~in trouble, trouble and more trouble. She can t sell c~~e cotton. Dey done took all de rations a~d us couldn t eat de cotton. One da~v she tell us, De war am ~n us. Dc sojers done took de rations, I can t sell de co~ton, cause f de biockad~. I don t know what am dat bi oc~de but she say it . Now she say All you cullud f ol~s born ~xid raise here a~id us allus been good to you. I can t hoip it cause rations 8111 short end I ll do all I can for ~rou. Will yous be patient with me? All us stay dere and hblp missy all us could. ~ massa come home and say, Thus gwine be free. Far as I cares, ~ou is free now, and can st~r here and touch it through or go where you wants. I thanks yous for all de way yoas done while I s cone, and I ll hoip you all I can. Us all stay and it BhO ~n t o~k~h t imes Us h~.ve niost nothin~ -3..

106 101

Ex-.elave Stories (Texas) Page :g~our 10:1 t o eat and den de Ku Klux come ~ round dere . Mas sa say not mix with dat crowd what lose de head, jus stay to home and work, Some dein niggers on other plantations ain t keep de head and. dey ~its whupped and saine gits kilt b~it us does what massa say and. has no trouble with dem Klux. t, It about two year after freedom mammy gits marry and. us goes and. works on ar. I stays with dem t 111 1875 and den marries Navasota Robert Grice and us live by f armin till he die, nine year since. Bout 20 year since us come here from Georgia and works de tr~ick farm. I has two chilien but dey dead. De way I feels now, twon t be long fore I goes, too. My friends is good t o nie and let s me et ay with dein. ****** **

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 107 102

~ ~2O1O7 : x~.sLAvz STORIES Page One 102 (Texas) MAN~DT HADNOT, BIrI&U and forlorn looking, as she lies In a huge, old-fashioned. wooden bedS, appears very black In contrast to the clean white shests and a thick mop of snowy wool on her head. She does not know her age, but from her appearazice and the cl.tails she rszambers of her years as slave in the Si ade home near Cold Springs~ Texas, sne iiust be very old.. She lives in Woodville, Texas, with her husband, Josh, to whom she has been married 13 years. Ins too small to taeaber iy father, ca~ss he die when I ju.s a baby. Dey was my mucider and me and de oie mistus and marster on de plantation. It wers mo~ jus a farm, but dey raies us all ~ need, to eat and feed de cows and hosses. i e~rl~es~ t~nembranc. I hab is when d. oie marster drive into de town for supplies svery two weeks. Us place was right near Col Springs. H, ~as a good man. He treat dis lii darky jus like be own chile, cause he never hab any chilien of his own. I know d time he comm1 home when he go to town and I wait down by de big gate. Pu.rty soon I see de big ox commt arid see de smoke fron de road duet flyin . Den I know he a ~os home and I hou er and wav my han and h. holler and wave he han right back. He allus brung me sometbin , jus 11k. I he own little gal. Someti~ie he brur~g me a whistle or some candy or doll or something, 00n. Easter he brung me de pu.rties 111 hat I ever did. see. My oie mistus took me to Sunday school with her and I spniee up in dat hat. I..

108 103

Ex-elave Stories Page Two -4 1 (Texas) ~Every Christmas fors ole marster die he fix me up a tree out de woods. Dsy put popco n on it to trim lt and dey gie me sometime a purty dress or shoes and plenty candy and maybe a big, red apple. ~y hab a big ~ pile for me to play i~ri, but I never piay with any other chilien. My mammy, Emily Budle, she cook and. clean up mistus log house cabin. After de oie marster die dey both work in de fiel and raise plenty vegetables to can and eat. My task was to shell peas and watch and stir de big cookin pots on de fireplace. ~$~y mietus hay lots of company. When she shine up de knife and fork and put de polish on I cause I lub to see folks come Us hab chicksn things. De preacher, he was big, jolly man, he Sunday in every month. Sometime dey brung ill Den u.s play Rabbit, rabbit, Jump fni ~ de crack. ~ Kitty, kitty, In de corner, Meow, aeow, Run, kitty, run. De ois marster pick me out a lii gentiE~ hoss named Julie and dat was my very own hoes. It was jus a common iii hoes. I uster sneak sugar out de barrel t o reed JuJ. te . Dey had a b 1g smokehouse on de farm w~ere dey kep all kin s of good things like sugar and sich. Dey had fruits of all kin s put up. Every mornin d.c oie mistus took out d.s ig Bibls and ~iab prayer meetin for jus us thrse. Us never learn read much, tho she try teac~i me C orne in and say, Mandy de pianny, I allus happy, and all kinds of good come to de house bout one white chilien to dinn~r~ and

109 104

f,z-BlavS Storiss Pagemree 1 ~ . (Texas) soin.. Whin I s bou.t nine year ole szie buy rae a purty white dress and took me to jine de church. She was a little, white .-hair woman, what never los her teniper oout no~in~. Sxie use to lei me bump on her pianny end didn say nothint St~e co~ dn play de pianny but sue rinder ~iope mayoe I couid, ou~t I never ctia learn now. li ~ freedom come my mwider ami me pay no ~ ;sn~ I On t o it Us stay rigx t on de place. Purty soon my mudtier die and I jus took up her shoes. One day Its makin a bonfire in de yard and. ketch my dress on fire. De whol ide of my lef leg nos ~i~n off. Mistu.s was so ill she couldn hrt me but the fin ly git me to bed.. Dere I stay for long, long time, and she wait on me han and feet. Sus maIce linseed poultic and kep de bu n grease good. Itos time ana leave all de wo~k str& in de middle of de floor and. read d.c Bible and pray for me t,o git heal up and not suffer. S~e cry rignt long with me wxien I cry, cause I hurt so. When I s 16 ysar oie I want to hab courtin . Mistus low me to hab de boy come right to de big ho~ise to Bee me. He come two mile every Swiday and us go to L~.igOfl. B~tist church. D.n she hay nice Sunday dinner for both us. She let me go to ice crea~ supper, too. Dsy didt hab no freezer den, jus a bi~ pan in some ice. De boys and girls took tuns stirrin de cream. It never git real ha & but stay kinder slushy. Dsy serve cake. Us hay pie supper, too. Whoever git d.c girl s pie eat it with hsr. My oie m tstua skis pay me money right long aft er freedom but I too close to speii any. Din when I dde to marry Bob Thomas, she he p me fix

110 105

Ex-slave Storiss Page 1 oar ( Texas) a hope ches I buys goods for sheet s and~ table kivers and. one nics S~~nc1ey set dishe s. Us ~rry rigrit in de parlor of de mistus house. De w~iite man pree.cher u~arry u.s and. mistus skie give nie 1way. 01e mlstu.s he p me make my weddin dress outta white lawn. I hab purty long, black hair end a veil with a ribbon round de fron . De wedd~in feas wae strawberry ice cream azid yaller cake. 01e mistus giv me i~r bedetsad, one of her purtiest ones, and de set dishes and glass.. us eat de weddin dinner outta. My 1~U8baflt gib me de trabblin dress, but I never use dat dress for Oree weeks, though, cause oie mistus cry so when I halter leave dat I stay for three weeks after I marry. WShe all lone in de big house and I think it break her heart. I am been gone to de sawmill town very long when she sen for me. I go to see her and took a peach p te cause I lub her and I know da s what sb.e like better n anything. She was sick and she say, )~andy, dis de las1 time us gwtheter see each other, cause I alu gwineter git well. You be a good girl and try to git through de won dat way. Den she make me say de Lord. Prayer for her jus like she allus make me s~iy it for a night prayer when I 111 gal. I never see her no no , Me and Bob Thomas and dis husban Jost, what I marry thirteen year ago, hab bout 10 chilIen all togedder. Us been lib here many a year. I don care so much bout leavtri dis yeartbly home, 1caase I knows I gwineter see de oie mistus up dere and. I tell her I allus member what she tell me and t11 lib da~ way all time. ************ ** *******

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 111 106

11)1~b) EL.SLAV~ ~ STORI~ES page One 10G (Texae) WILLIAM RAMILT~ belonged to a slave trader, who left him on the Bu~ford plantation, near Village Creek, Texas. The traler did. not return, so the Baford family raised the child with their slaves, William now lives at 910 E. Weatherford St., Ft. Worth, Texas. tl~ho I is, how old. I is and where I is born, I don t know. ~t Massa Buford told me how dunn de war a slave trader name William Hamilton, c~e to Village Creek, where Massa ~ifoH live. Dat trader was on his way south with my folks and a lot of other slaves, takin tem somewheres, to sell. He camped by Massa Buford s plantation and aski him, Can I leave dis li l nigger here till I comes back? Massa &tford say, Tes and de trader say he li be back in bout three weeks, sOOn as he sells all the slaves. He mus still be sellin tern, 1cause he never comes back so far and there I am and my folks am took on, and I 15 too li l to member em, so I never knows my pappy and mammy. Massa Buford. s~ye de trader comes from Missouri, ~it if I is born dere I don t know. De o nly thing I tmembers b~t all dat, am dere am lots of cryi~ when dey to~1cz me way from my mammy. Dat something I never forgits. III only members after de war, and most de cullud folks stays with Massa Buford. after surrender and works de land. on shares. Dey bave good t mies on dat place and. d t want to leave . Day has dances and. fan till de Ku flux org niz.s and den it am lot.. of trouble. De Klux comes to de &ance and picks oat a nigger and wimps him, jus to keep de niggers scart, and it git so bad dey don t have no more dances or parties. u. ..

112 107

~x~s1ave Stories Paie Two (Texas) 1t~)7 I members seem Ir~ith Baldwin and. Jeb Johnson and Dan Hester gi tti n ~ whupped. by de Klux. Dey wasn ~ s o bad aft e r women . I t am allt&s after dark when dey comes to de houSse and catches de man and whups hiiti for flOthiflt. Dey has d.c power, and lt am done for to show dey has de power. It gits so bad. round dere dat de menfoiks allus eats supper befo dark and takes a blanket and. goes to de woods for to sleep. Llex ~ford don t sleep in de house for one whole summer. u No one knowed when de Klux commt . All a-sadden up dey gal lops on liosses, all covered with hoods, and bust right into de house. Jus latches stead of locks was used dein days. Dey comes sev ral times to Alex nouse but never. cotches him. I~d hear dem commt when dey hit d.c lane and I d holler, De Klux a~ commt. it was my job, after dark, listenin for dem Klux, den I sits under de bed. I Why dey oo~ies so niany t imes round der. em cause de second t i~ne dey comes, Jane Bensom axa dere. Jane am lots of woman, wide as de door and tail and weighs bout three huMer pounds . I calls Here comes dc Klux, and makes for under de be&, There am embers In de fireplace and she fills a pail with deni and when ae Klux busts in (le door she lets dem have de embers in de facs, and den aut de back door she goes. Two of dem ~sa burnt purty bad.. De nex night back dey comes and asks where Jane am. She longs to Massa Jobn Ditto and am so big ~y~e~ybod~ r knows her, but de niggers won t tell on her. She leaves de country fin ly, but dey comes lookin for her every night for two months. Right over on Massa Ditto s place, am a kuhn of a baby by den Klux. De baby . em in de ommy s arms and a bunch of Klux rid in b~r takes

113 108

~x s1ave Stories Page Three j~ (Texas) a shot at de mammy, and it hits de bab~r and killt it. WRight after de baby kilhin aojers with blue coate comes dere and. camps front of Ma$sa Buford e place and pertecte de cullud folks. I goes over to dey camp every da~r and dey gives rae lots of good. eate. De cullud folks has lote of trouble after de war, cause dey aa ir rant niggers and gite foolishment in de head. They gits de Idea de white fo1k~ should give dem land and. mulee and sich. Over In de va11e~r, Massa Moses owns lots of land and fifty nigger famil ies and he gives each family a deed to bout fifty acres. Some dem cullud folks grandchil .en still on dat land, I de Parkers and 1 arrows and 1~eleone and some others. Den ai . de other riiggers thinks dey should git land, too, but dey don t, and it make dem git foolishment and git in trouble. In 1897 I marries ~ffie Coleman and has no chiliens, so I ii alone in de world now. I can t do much and lives on de $10.00 de month pension. De white folks lets me live in dis shack for mowin d.e lawn, but I worries bc~t when I can t do no more work. It ~m de awf~il way to spend you last days.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 114 109

EL.SL.&VE STORIES Page One (Texas) PI~iCE HARP~~R 86 was born on the Su.bbs plantation near Snow Hill, North Carolina. When eight~ years old h~ was sold ~or $1,150 to the Harper family, who lived in Snow Hill. After the Civil 1~ar, Pierce farmed a small place near Snow Hill and saw many raids of the Klu Klux Klan. He c arne to ~alveston,Texas, in 1877. Pierce attended a 1 Te~ro school after he was grown, learned to read and write and is interested in the betterment of his race. ~Then you ask me is I Pierce Harper, you~ kind. of sprised. me. I reckoned everybody know old Pierce Harper. Sister Johnson say to me o~.ttside of services last Sund~r night, Brother Harper, you is d.c beatines man I ever seen. You 1~iow everybody and. everybody know you.~ And I said, Sister Johnson, dat s cause I keep faith with de Lawd. I love de La ~rd and my neighbors ~nd de Lawd. and. my neighbors love ~ Dat s what my old. mother t old rae ~ w~y back in slavery, before I was ever sold. But here I is talking bou~myself when you want to hear inc talk: bou.t slavery. ~ see, now. I was born way back in 1851 in ~Torth Carolina, on Mr. Stthbs plantati On, do st t o Snow Hill which was the county seat . M1y daddy was a fie)4hand and my mother worked in the fields, too, right longside my daddy, so she could keep him lined up. The m~st r said that Calisy, that my mother, was the best fieldhand he had, and Calvin, that icy daddy, was the laziest My mother used. t O say he was chilesoine . . Then when I was eight years old. they sold rae. ~ The market place was in Snow Hill on the public square near the j iou. It was jus a ~:. ~ standbu.ilt cmt In the open with no top on it, that the slaves :~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ J ~ J~

115 110

~x~slave Stories Page Two 110 (Texas) stood on to get sold while the white folks auctioned em off. I was too little to ~e~ on the stand, so theyha& to ho ~. me up and Mr. Harper bought rue for $i,ioo . That ~as cheap for a boy. He lived in a brick house in town arid had. two three slaves sides me. I r~in errands and Icept the yard clean, things a little boy could do. They didn t have no school for slaves and. I never l4~1arned to read and write till after freeth~n. fter I was sold, they let me go visit my mother once a year, on Sunday morning, and took me back at night. 1/ The masters couldn t whip the slavesthere. The law said in black ~ and white no master couldn t whip no slave, no matter what he done~ When a \ slave got bad. they took him to the county seat and h~d him whipped. One day I seen my old daddy get whipped by the county ~~nd state cause he wouldn t work. ~ They had a post In the pubi ic square what they t i ed. ~ em t o ~nd a man what worked for the county whipped tem. L After he was whipped. my daddy run away to the north. Daddy come ;: . by when I was~ cleanin the yard and said, Pierce, go tround side the house, .T:~ where nobody ca&t see us.t I went and he told me good.bye, cause he was ~::~ ~ ~Oifl ~ to fltfl away in a few days. He had to sta~r in the woods and. travel at ~ night and. eat what he could find, berries and. roots and things. They never ~: CaUght him and after he crossed the Mason Dixon line he was safe. ~::: ttThere used to be a man Who raised bloodhounds to ~int slaves with. ~: seen th dogs on the trail a whole day and still not catch tem. Sometimes ~ the slave made friends with the dogs axid they wouldn t let on if they found Three dogs followed one slave the whole way tip north and he sold them ~there. t \

116 111

~x~.s1ave Stories p~ Three jj (Texas) I heered. ezn talk about some slaves what run barefooted in cold weather and you could trail em by blood In the snow and Ice where they hurt their feet. ~ . ~ Most of the time the master gave us castor oil when we~were sick, Some old folks went in the woods for herbs and ni~de medicine, They made tea ottt of lion s tongu.e for the stomach and snake root is good for pains in the stom~.ch, too, Horse mint breaks the fever, They had. a vermifuge weed. I seed a lot of Southern soldiers and they d go to the big house for something t o eat Late in 63 they h~ a fight at a place called Kingst on, only 12 miles from o~ir place, tekin how the jacks go, We could hear the gu~ns go off when they was fightin . The Yankees beat and. settled &own there and. the cullud folks flocked down on them and when they got to the Yankee lines they was safe. They went in droves of 25 or 50 to the Yankees and they put tem to work fightin for freedom. They fit till the war. was over and a lot of em got kilt.. My mother and sister ran awe~y to the Yankees and they ~ paid ~ em big money to wash for ein. ~Then peace come they read. t he mencipat ion 1 ~w to the cullud people ~:: and. they stayed up half the night at Mr. R~rper s, singing and shou~ting. ~ ~iey spent that night singin and shout . They wasn t slaves no more. The aaiter had. to give ~em a half r third of what he made. Our master S parceled. out some land to ein end told em t o work it their selves arid some ~ dotie real well. They got hosses that the soldiers had turned loose to die, ~ and~ fe~ them arui took good care of sein arid the~r got good stock that way. L ik~~ ~ 4-,

117 112

Ex-Slave Stories Paie Four i,12 (Texas) Cotton was twenty and thirty cents a pound then. tuft er us cullud. folk~ was sidered free and turned loose the Klu Klux broke out . Some cullud. p~ople started to farmin like I told you, and gathered the old stock. If they got so they made good money, and had a good. farm, the K .u Klux would corne ~nd murder rem. The gov ment bttilded school houses and the Klu Klux went to work ~d burned ~ei down. They d go to the jails and take the cullud men out and knock their brains out and break their necks and throw ~e~n in the river. There was a cullud man they taken,. his nz~ine was Jim I reeman. They taken him and de st royed hi s stuff and. him cause he was m&cing some money. ~xng him on a tree in his front yard, right In front of his cabin. There was some cullud ycxing men went to the schools they d opened by the gov ment. Some white wom~i said someone had stole something of hers so they put them young zn~n in jail. The Klu Klux went to the jail and took t em out and kill ed. t em. That happened t he s ec ond year aft er t he War . ~ ~ After the flu fluxes got sc strong the cullud men got bogether and made the complaint beforethe law. The Gov nor told the law to give tem the ~ old S~U~1S ifl the com sary~ what the Southern soldiers had. used, so they issued ~.. the ci~1lud men old mu.skets and said protect themselves. They got together E~ ~ : ~ orge~ized the militia ~ ~u id had leaders like reg lai soldiers . They dn t ~ meet cept when they heered. the Kiw ~uxes was coming to get some cullud folks. Then they was ready for em. They d hide in the cab ins and then s when they found ou.t who a, lot of them ~.u Klu.xee was, cause a lot of em w~e kilt. They ~ wore ong sheets and covered the hosees with sheets so you eoul~ c nize eni. ~ ~ : :~ ~ ~ ~ ~: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

118 113

: ~c..s1ave Stories (Texas) Page Five 0.5~ Men you thought was your f iend was flu fluxes and you d deal. with em in stores In the di~ytime and at night they d come out to your house and. kil . ~OUb I never took part In nor~e of the fights, but I heered. the others telk I b out them but not where them ~O.u Klux e c~iild he ~r ~ en. One time they had. 12 men in jail, cuse~3. of robbin white folks. .Lfl was white in j ail biit one ~nd he was cul1uc~ The flu Klwces went to the jailor s ha~ise ~nd got the jail key and ~ot them men out t~nd carried em to the River Bridge, in the middle. Then they knocked their brains out ~nd threw em in the river. We was fraid of them Klu Kiuxes and caine to tov~i, to Snow Hill. ~Ve~ rent ed a little house and. my mother took in washing and ironing. I went to school and learned to read and write, then worked on fanns, a~id fin ly ~ went to Columbia, in South Carolina,~nd worked in the turrntine country. I stayed there a while and got rn~rried, . ~ I corne to T xas in 187? and Galveston was a little pen then, a little mess. I worked for sone white people arid then went to Houston and it t t nothing but a mudhole .. So I me ssed round in South Carolina again a while and then C orne back t O G~a1vest n ~ The Lawd called me then and I answ red and. I answered and was preacher here at the Union Be~tist Church, on 11th and K, bout 25 years. HI knowed Wright Cuney we . . and he held the biggest place a cullud ~ man ever helt in Galveston. He was congressman and the w~iite peaple looked ~ up to him just like he was white . ::~. Thirin the Spanish4merican War I went to Washington, D.C., to see my sister a~d ~ot in the soldier business. The gov nient give me $30.00 a L

119 114

_: j;T ~- ~x~s1aVe Stories (Texas) P&jje Six 1j~ month for drivin a four-.mule wagon for the arn~y. I dr~iv ail through P~nn~ slyvania and Virginia ~md South Carolina for the gov ment. I was a~ ~ what do they call a laborer in the army? When war was over I come back here and now I t~ too old to work and the state gives me a pension and me and iay granddaughter live on that. ~ ~ The yo~xng folks is &c the ir mark now. One thing about em they get educated., but ther& s not much for them t o do when they get fini shed with s~hoo1 bu~t walk the streets now, I been always trying to help my people to rise bove their station aud they are rising all the time, and some day they ll be free. ~. ~\ ~ J

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 120 115

I )( ~4)flQ ~-x~ ~tJ ~...*1(13 ~X..SLATJi~ STORIES Page One 115 (Texas) MOLLY ~ was b orn a slave on the Swanson plan-. tation, near Palestine, Texas. She was a hauee. girl, but must have been too sinnll to do rauch i~or1c, She d.oes not know he.r ~ but thinks she was abotit seven when she was freed, Molly lives at.3218 Ave L, Galveston, Texas, D0n t you tell nobody dat I use to be a slave. I most forgot it myself till you got round me jes den. Course, I ain t bl~.min you f r it, Imt what yOU done say bout all de plantations h~tvin schools was wrong, so I jes had to tell yiu I been a slave myself. It jes slip out. Like I jes sas, I knows what I s talkin bout, ~ I use to be a slave myself and I don t kn r how to read. and write. Dat ~hy I say I can t see so good.. It don t do to let folks lcnow dey s sinRrter1n you, 1cau.se den dey got y.u right where dey wents you. -Now, Will, dat de man I~s marry to, am youn~er n me~ but he don t know it. ?Ihen you git marry, you don t tell de m~n how old ~ou is. ~Ie wouldn t have you if you. did. Course, Will ai~ t so young heseif, but he s born i~.fter de war and. I s born dunn slavery, so dat make me older. Mr. Swanson use to own de big plantation in P ~lestine. i~verybody in dat part de country knowed him. He use to live in a plain, wood house 0x1 de Palestine road. My mother use to cook ~nd wait on tables, John was my father. Dey use to have de little whip dey use on de women. Course de field hands got it worse, but den, dey was men. Mr. Swenson was good and he was

121 116

~x s1ave Stories Page Two (Texas) !U6&fl. He was nice one d~y tuid mean as Hades de next, You never I~iowed what he ~wtne to do But he never punish nobody cept dey done somethirt . My father was a field hand, and Mr. Swanson work de fire ou.t dem. Work, w rlc ~.-.dat all dey kn~)w from time dey ~1t up in de morn~n till dey went to bed at night. Btit he ~ t hard on dem like some rn~.aters was, If dey sick, dey di&ii t habe to work and he give dem de rned cine hisseif, If he cotch dem tryin play off sick, den he lay into dem, or if he cotch dem loafin . Course, I don t blame him for dat, cause dore ain t anythin lazier dan a lezv nigger. Will ~zn bout de laziest one in de bunch. You ~ never find a lazier nigger dan ~i1l. I was purty little den, but I done m~r share. I hoip inv mother dust and clean up de house and. peel tatoes. Dere some old men dat too old to work so dey sot in de sun all d~y and hoip with de l1~ht work. Dey carry grub and water to de field hands. Somebody run way ai . de time and hide in ~1e woods till dere gut pinch dem and den dey have to c~e back and git sornethin to eat1 Course, dey got beat but dat didn t worry dem none, ~mnd lt not long till. dey gone gain. My inether sold into slavery in Georgia, or round dere. Sue tell me funny things bout how dey use to do up dore. A old white man think so much of he old nigger when he die he free dat nigger in he will, ~nd lef him a little money. He open de blacksmith shop ~nd buy so e slaves. Mother allue sey dose free niggers make de hardes masters. One In Palestine marry a nigger sl~ve and i~iy her from her master. T)en he tell everybody he own a slave. everybody talk bout freedom and hope to git free fore dey die I member de first time de Yankees pass by, my mother lift me up in de fence. Dey use - 2-.

122 117

Ex -slave Stories Page Three (Texas) to pass by with bags on de mules and fill de~ with stuff from de houses, Dey go in de barn arid. hoip deyself. Dey go in de stables and turn out de white folks hosses and run off what dey don t take for deyseif. Den one iilght I member jes as well, me t~nd my mother was settin in de cabin gettin ready to go to brad, when us hear somebody c~all my mother. ~e listen and de overseer whisper under de door and told m~r mother dat she fr~e bit not to tell nobody. I don t I~~imw why he thne it. He allus like my mother, so I guess he do lt for her. The master reads us de paper right after dat and s~y us free. Me and my mother lef right ~ff and go to Palestine. Most everybody else go with us. ~Ve all walk down de road singin and shoutin to beat de bRnd. My father come nez day and une us. My sister born dere. Den us go to Houstc~i and Louisiana for a spell snd I hires ~ut to cook. I works till us come to Galveston bout ten year ago.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 123 118

42()316 ~ 118 Dibble, Fred, P.L, l3eehler Rheba, P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. ~3. t_ ~ ~ ~ ~ f ~ L~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ANN IL~WTHORNE~ wa3 clad in a white dress which was protected by a i aded blue checked apron. On her feet she wore men s bedroom slippers much too largefor her, and to prevent their falling off, were tied around the ankle by ra~ strings. She wore silk hose with the heels completely worn out of them. Her figure is generous in proportions, and her hair snow white, fixed in little pig tails and wrapped in black string. Ann related her story in a deep voice and a jovial manner. Although born and raised in Jasper county, she speaks boastfully about having been to Houston. If you s iookth for Ann Hawthorne, dis is me. I was bo n in slavery, and I was a right sizeable gal when freedom come. I was bout 10 or 12 year ol when free~ dom riz up. 1 was bO n up here in Jasper. 01 niarster Woodruff Norsworthy and Miss Ca lina, dey was my ol marster and mistus. Miss Ca lina she naine me. My pa was Len Norsworthy. My nia was name Ca line after o . ruistus . flat how come I member ol ruistus naine so good. I got f~1 brudders livin , but nary a sister. My brudders i~ Newton and Silas and Willie and Frank. say dey s livin . I mean dat de 1a8 tLiie I heerd of em dey was livin .

124 119

Dibble, Fred, P.L, Beehier, Rheba, P.~., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3. . las, I member de house I was raise In. It was ils a one-roorn log house. Dey was a ol Geotgla hoss bed In lt. It was up pretty high arid us chillun had to ~1t on a box to git In dat bed. De mattress was rnek outer straw. Sometime dey mek em in co n sacks and ~ornetime dey put em In a tick what dey weave on de loom. I had a aunt what was de weaver. She weave all de time for ol marster. She uster weave all us do s. My ma she was jis a fiel han but my grarrn ia and my aunt dey hab dem for wuk roun de house. I didn do nuthin but chu n (churfl) and clean de yard, and. sweep roun and go to de spring and tote de water. I l arn how to hoe, too. Dat was a big plantation. Fur as I kin member I t ink dey was bout 25 or 30 slaves on de place. You see I done git ol and childish and I can t member like what I uster couLd. I nieinber though, dat my pa uster drive a team for 01 rnarster. Somet4me he fiel han on de plan~ tation, too. ~ marster he was good to his slaves. I heerd of slaves bein whip but I ain t never se~ any git whip. Dey was a overseer on de place and iffen dey was any whippin to be did, he done it. ~ 119

125 120

Dibble, Fred, P.WS,, Beehier, Rheba, P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. i~3. Me? I never did git no lickin s when I was a Ii I slave. No maui. I alLis did obey jis like I was teached to do and dey dldn hafter whip me. I members dat. We done o r playin roun dat big house, but dat front gate, we dassen go outside dat. We ust~r jump de rope and play ring plays and ~1ch. You know how dey yoke dey han s togedder2 Dat de way us uster do and go roun and roun sThgin our 11 l jumped up songs. Den us jis play roun lots of times anyt in~ what happen to corne up in our ~1j~t2 tt Dey feed us good back in slavery. Give us plenty of meat and bread and greens and t ings. Ye, dey Leed us good and us had plenty. Dey give us plenty~of co nbread. Dat s de reason I s a co nbread eater now. I ain t rw flour-bread eater, I lubs my co rxbread. Us all eat outer one big pan. Dey give each I1 l nigger a big iron spoon and us sho go to it. Dey cive us milk in a sep rate ves~ sel, and dey give eb ryone a sll e of meat in our greens. And dey never dassent tek de other feller s piece of meat. Eb ryt lng better go long sinoove wid us chillun. We better eat and shut our inouf . le dassent rai se no squall. ~ UI tell dese ohullun here dey ain t know nuffin . Dey got dey glass. We had our li l go cIs (gourds) pretty and

126 121

121 Dibble, Fred, P.W., Beehlerq Rheba, P.W., Beaumont, Jeffer$on, List. ~3. clean arid white. I wish I had one of dem ol time go ds now to drink my milk outer. ~ l~~fl good wedder dey feed us under a big tree out in yard. And us better leave eb ryt in~. clean and no lit- t un In de winter time dey fed us in de~ kitchen . ttUs gals wo~ plaIn, lone waisted dress. Dey was cut straight and wid long wai$t at~d dey button down de back. ~t~ey was a cullud man what rnek shoes for de slaves to wear in de winter time. He mek lern outer rough red rus~ set ledder. Dat ledder was hard ai-id lots of times it niek blister on us feet. I uster he~ lad when summer time come sots I could go barefoot Dey had cabins for de slaves to l ive in. j5~s one room and one family to de cabin. Some bi~er dan ot~ers c~nd dey put a big family in a and a 11,1 family in a ll l cabin. ni never see no slaves bought and so . I heerd my ~ranma and. ma say dey ol marster wouldn sell none of his slaves . II heerd bout dem broom-stIck marriages, but I ain t never seed none. Dat was dey law in dem days. ~ Dey didn lcnow nuffin bout preachin and Sunday School in dem times. De fus preachin I heerd was atter de ter Dere was cf ~ was big cabin

127 122

-~ Dibble, Fred, P.W., Beehler, Rheba; P W Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3. dat. I hear a white preacher preach. He u~ter preach to de white folks in de mornln and de cullud folks In de afternoons. But de slaves some of 1eni uster had f am~ Ily prayer ineetin s to deyse1f~.t~ De oI~ marster he didn work he han s on~Sunday and he give em half de da~r off on Sadday, too. But he never ~:ive ein a patch to work for deyseif. Dat half a day off on Sadday was for de s1ave~ to wash and clean up deyselfs4 ~i never git marry till way atter freedom conae. Dat was up in Juper county where I~s bred and bo n. I marry Hyman Hawthorne. Near a~ you kIn guess, dat wa~ bout 50 year ago. Den he die and lef me wid eIght chillun. My baby gal she ain t never see no daddy. ~ hedead I wash and Iron and cook out and raise my chillun. I was raise up In de fiel all my life. When I git disable to wuk in de time of de pressiii~e (depress~~ ion) I git n my wa .kin stick. I wag up town and I didn fail to ax de white folks cause I wo myself out wukkin for em. Dey load up my sack and sometime dey brins me stuff in a car right dere to dat gate . But s had two strokes and I ain t able to ~o to town no mo . I tell you I never hear nuthin bout chu ch till way atter freedom. Sometime den us ~o to chu ch. Dey was I

128 123

I O~ Dibble, Fred, P.L, Beehier, Rheba, P.~., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. *~3. one Mef dis Chu ch and one Baptis Chu ch in Jasper. Dere moughta been a Cabilic (Catholic) Chu ch dere too, but I dunrio bout d.~t. UI don member seem no sojers. I t ink some of ol marster s boys went to de war but de ol m~.n dithi go. I dunno bout wedder dey come back or not cep n I mem~ ber dat Crab Norsworthy he come back. When any of de slaves git sick o? mistus and my grarnma dey doctor em. De ol mistus she a pretty good doctor. When us chillun git sick de~j git ya.rbs or dey give us castor oil and turpentim~. Iffen it git to be a ser ous ailment dey sens for de reg lar doctor. Dey uster ha:ag asafoeti.da roun us neck in a li l bag to keep us from ketch de ~ cough and de measles . Dey was a gin and cotton press on de place. 01 mar~ ster gin and bale? he own cotton. Dat ol press had dem long arms a~-stickin down what dey hitch hosses to and xnek em go rotin and roun and press de bale. Dey raise dey own t bacco on de place. I didn use snuff nor chew till after I growed up and marry. Back in slavery you couldn let ein ketch you wid a chew of t bacco or snuff in your mouf. Iffen you did dey wouldn let you forgit it.

129 124

Dibble, Fred, P.W., 3eehler, Rheba, P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3. 1 uster like to ~o and play troi~j de caifs, ils go up and pet em and rub ein. But we dassent git on em to ride em. Mar~ter uster sit roun arid watch us chillun play. He enjoy dat. He call me his AnnIe cause I ri~irne after my mistus. Sometime he hab a wagon load. of watermillon haul up from de fiel and out ein. Eb ry chile hab a side of watermlllon. And us hab all de sugar cane and sweet taters us want Dey had a big smokehouse. Dey hab big hog kuhn time, and dey dry and salt de meat in a big lon trough. Dey g t oak and ash and hick ry wood and mek a fire under It and smoke it. My granirna toted de key to dat smokehouse and ol mistus she d tell her what to go and git for de white folks and de cuhlud folks. ~ ~ Crlsrnus come roun dey give us big eatin . Us hab chicken and turkey and cake. I don member dat dey gIve us no presents. My ~~ainma and my nia and o . man ~orsworthy dey come from Alabama. I never hear of him breakin up a family. But when dey was hivin In Geo gy, my ma marry a man name Hawthorne In Geo gy. He wouidn sell him to Marse Nors~ 124

130 125

125 Dibble, Fred, POW., Beehier, Rheba, P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3. worthy when he come to Texas. Atter freedom inarster go to Geo gy to git him and bring him to Texas, but he done raisin up anudder family dere and won t cornes Li l befo she die her husban come. when he bout wg out and ready to die, den he come. Some of de ol es chillun member dey daddy and dey crazy for hirn to corne and dey inek up de money for him. When he git here dey tek care of hirn till he die right dere at Olive. Ma tell em to write him he neeriter (need not) come. She say he ain t no service to hr. But he corne and de daughter tek care of her ma and pa bofe. ~ I s got 8 gran chiflun and 5 great-gran chillun. I vides (divide) my time tween my daughter here and de one in Houston. . You wants to tek my picture? Daughter, I dont want dat hat you got dere. i)at one of de chiIlunt hats. Git dat Ii l bonnet. Dat becomes nie better. I can t stan much sun. Dey ~ay I s got high blood pres~ue.1

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 131 126

42()186 EX..SLAV$~ STORIES Page Orte 126 (Texas) J~AMES HATES 101 was born a slave to a plantation owner whose name ~ie does not now re~ call, in Shelby Ce., two miles from Marsnall Texas Mr. John Henderson boaght tk~s place, six slavss and James and. his mother. James known as Und. Jim, seems happy, still stands snot, and is very active for his age. H. lives on a green. slop. ov.r1ookin~ thi Trinity river, in Moser Valley, a Negro settlement tsn miles nort~ east o ~ ~ ort !orth. Dis nigger have lived a long time, yes, suhl I . 101 years ois, caue I,s bo n Dec. 28, 1835. Dat makes me 102 corns ~ Decembir. I cait memoer my tttet marsterts name, cause wizen I~s boitt two y.ars oie, me and my sis, bout five, and. our aemmy was sol to Marster John Henderson, I don member anything bout my pappy, bu1t I member Marster Henderson just like twas las week. l s settin h.ar a thtnktn or dem oie days wtien I s a 11L~ ~iigger a cuttin up on oie marstsr s plantation. How I did play roun with de ehilluns till I s big enough for to wo k. After I s bout 13, I jus peddles roun de house for bout a. year, den twarn t lone till I hoes co n and potatoes. Der. s six slaves on dat place and I coul beat dem all a.hoein , De marster takes good care of U3 and sometimes give us money, ~ 25e, ~d lets us go to town. Dat s when we was happy and celebratea. Wo1uns spent ai . de mone~r on candy and sweet drirLke. Marster never crowded us bou~t de wotk, and neyer give any of us whuppin s. l s sev ral times need.ec1. a wlmppin , but de marster never gives die nigger moretn a good scoldin . De nearest Icomes to gittin whupped., etwas

132 127

)~x~ia~e Stories ~ Page ~wo (Texas) once wkien I stole a plate of biscuits offen de table, I warn t in need. of 1ev, bat de devil in me cansed ins to do it. Marst.er and all de f olics comes in and. sets down, and he asks for de biscuits, and. Its under de house and could hear em talk. De cook says t I s put de b iscuit s on de table. Marster says, If you did., de hount got em,~ Cook says, If a hoUai got em, twa.s a two.legged one, cause de plate am gone, too. I~s made de mistake of talcin de plate. Marster give me de wore scol~in I ever has and dat lamed me a lesson, Not long after dat, )Larster sol my mammy to his brudder who lived in 0 ort Worth. When dey took her away, I s powerful grieved. Bout dat time de War started, De marster and tds boy, Merster Ben, jined. de ari~ . De mars t er was a sergeant . De women foiks was proud. of dore men folks, but dey was powerful grieved. All de t ime de s away, I could tell Missy Liline and her mamma was worried. ~ey allue sen s me for de mail, Sfl when I fotches it, dey run to meet me, an~oue like, to open de letter, and was ekeert to do it. One day I fotchea a letter and. I could feel it in lay bones, dere was trouble in dat letter. Sure ~nough, d.ere was trouble, heaps of it. It tells dat Marster Ben am kilt and dat dey was a shippin him home All de oie folks, cullud and white, was cryin . Missy ~1i, she fainted. When d~ body comes home, dere s a powerful big funeral and after dat dere s powerful weep in s and sadne se on dat place . De women folks d.on tas. k much and no laug~iin like fore. I members once de missy asks me to n~ajce a ~ cake. I says, Vs got no lasses. Missy says, Don say lasses, say molasses. I says, Wby say molasses when I s got no laeees. Dat was de fus time Uisq~ laugh after de funeral. 2e.

133 128

$x~s1ave Stories Page Three (Texas) Dam de War th Ings was bout de same I Ike always ~ some vittles was scarce. But wetun had plenty to eat and u.s slaves ciidn know what de ~ar was bout I gu,ess we was too lgn rant. De white folks didn talk bc,~tt it fore us. When it s over, de Marster comes home and dey hoNs a big celebration. l s workin in de kitchen and. dey toi me to cook heaps of hem, chicken, pies cakes sweet I tat ers and lots of vegetables. Lots of white t~olks comes and dey eats and. drinks wine, dey sings and dances. We uiis cullud folks jined in and was 5jfl~jfll out in de back, Massa e in de G~roun Marster asks us to come In and sine dat for de white folks, so wetuns goes in de house arid sings dat for de white folks and dey jines in de choras. Three days after de celebration, de inarster calls all de slaves in de house and. ay, Yous le all free free as I am. ~ He t ~ us uns cwld go if we~uns wanted to. None of us knows wh~ to do, dere warn t no place to go and. why would we suns wan to go and leave good. felice like de inarster? His place was our nome. So we~Urie asked him 1f we could stay and he says, Yous kin etay as long as yous want to and. I can keep yous. ~ We1uns ail stayed till ne died, bout a year after dat. ~ When he was &.dy in marst er calls me t o his bed. and says My dyln reques is dat yous be taken to your mama. He calls k~is son, Zeke, in and tells him dat I should be fotched. to my mamma. And b~t in a year, Marster Zeke fotches me to my manma, in Johnson Station, south of Arlington. She s wo kin for Jack Ditto and X s pleased to see her. 4-

134 129

~x.s1ave Stories . ~ Four Page Four (Texa.) Ils pleased t see ay ma~ , 1*t after a ~ew d~ays I wants to go ba,c~ to Marshall with Marster Zeke. Dat was ~y home, so I kep pesterin marster to fetch me back, but he s .lpB off and~ leaves me. I has to Btay and. I i been here ever since, I gite ~ fust job with Carter Cannon, on a farm, and. stays seven years. Den I goes to Fort Worth and takes a job coo~in in de Gran Hotel for three years. Den I goee to Dallas and. cooks for private fa~iliee, and wo 1ks for Maret er Jamee lilie on for 30 years, I at ope four years e~o and comes out here to wait tifl de good Lawd calls me home. Bout gittin married, after I quits de Gran Hotel I marries and wetu,ns has two chilien. My wife died three years later. Tou~ knows, I believe. I s mo contented as a slave. l s treated kind. ai . de time and. kiwi no frettin bout how I gwine git on. Since I~s been free, I sometimes have heaps of frettin . ~ouree, I don want to go back into slavery, but I s paid for my freedom. I s never been sick abed, but I~s had. mo misery dis las year dan an. my life. It i my heart. If I hive till Deceniber, I~ll be 102 years old, and di s oie heart have been p~tmpin aM pump in all dem years and have mie sed nary a beat till die las year. I knows twon t be long till de good Lawd. calls di. oie nigger to criss de Ribber Jordan and I~s ready for de Lawd. when he calls.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 135 130

420082 $ ~LSLAVE ~TQRIES p~ One j~,3() (Tsxas) F~~LIX HAThOOD Is a temperamental and whimsical old Negro of San Antonio, Texas, who still sees the Bunny aide of his 92 years, in spite of his total blln&ness. He Wa~ born and brsd. a slave in St. Hedwig, Bexar Co., Texas, the son Sf slave parents bought in Miss1s.~. ippi b~r his master, William Gud1~w.~ Before and during the Civil V~ar he was a sheep herder and cowpu.ncher. His atitobi.graphy is a colorful contribution, showiflg the philos~phica1 attitu~de if the slaves, as well as shedding some light upon the lives of slave owners whose su.pp rt of the Cenfed~eracy was not accompanied by violent hatred. of the Union. ~ sir, I m Felix Hz~ywooc1, end I can answer all those things that yo~i want to know. But, firBt, Ist me ask you this: Is you all a white man, or is you a black man? I1in black, blacker than you are, said the caller. The eyes of the old. blind Negro, - eyes like two irnirkey brown marbles - actually twinkled. Then he laughed: \J*No, you ain t. I knewed you was white man when you comes up the path and speaks. I jus alwa~ya asks that question for fun. It makes white men a little insulted when you dont know they is white and it makes niggers aU conceited up when you think maybe they is white. And there was the key note to the old Negro s character and. t~iperamsnt. He was making a sort of privileged game with a spOErtive twist out of his handicap of blindness. As the interviewer scribbled. down a n te, the door to the little shanty on Arabsila Alley epened and a backless chair was carried out on th porch by a vigerous 4 colored woman. She was Mrs. alla Thompson, 1S~j..

136 131

3~x..s1aYe Stiries Page Two (T.xae) :13:1 Felix yaungest sister, who had known only seven years of slavery. After a ti~iid ~ How..~cto.u.you..d, and a comment on the great heat of the Jane d&y, she went back in the house. Then the ld Negro began $earching hie 92 y ears of remlnlscencss, intermixing his findings with phil sophy, poetry and progneeticatiens, It s a funny thing how folks always want to know about the War. The war weren t s great as folks suppose. Sornet tines you dithi t knowed. lt was goi.n on. It was the endin of it that made the difference. That s when WI all wakes up that sometbin had. happened. Oh,~ we knowed what was goin erl in it all the time, tcause id. man G~ucU.ow went to the post office every day and we knswed.. We had. papers in them days jus like now. ~ But the War d.id.&t change nothint. We saw guns and. we saw s,lcliers, and. one member of mast s family, Co inin GudI.w, was gone gh - som ~ where, But he dl&u t get shot no place but one ~ that was in the big t e. Then tilers was neighbors went off to fight. Some of em didn~t w~ te gs. They was t. k away(oonscription). I~m thinkin lots of em pretended t. want te gs a. se,n as they had to go. Ph. ranch went on jus like it always had. before the war. Church went on. Old. Iliw Jihnson, the preacher, seen t. it cbirch went on~ The kids d.id&t know War was happenin . They played. marbles, see-saw and. rode. ~ I had. ld. Buster, a ix, and he t ok uie about plenty geod. as a horse. Nothin was different ~1. get lay.d.-.nt s( whipped) t line en t tine but gen rally li ie was g d. ~ just as giod. a~ a sweet potato. The onl~r misery I had was when a black spider bit me in the ear. lt swelled up my head ami. eturl cams out. I was p~Leni~y e1c1c and Dr. Brezmen, ~e t~ ok gsod care ii ~. ~I!ue wui~ee always took good. care of p.ople wrien tney was sic~. ~ospiiais COuiaL~L d~S

137 132

Ex~s1avs S~ rtss Page Three ~ ~p (Texas) no bet ter mi y u t ociay. . . . Yes mayb. it was a b.L~cI~ wiaow sp iaer ou& we called lt tne devil oi~er . Sometimes emneone wo~id i~m~ ~ and try t get us ts run up North and be fi e. We used to laugh at that. There wasn t no rea on to ~ up North. All w. had t o do was t s ~ but walk ~aIXtkL. ~Jfl~ we d be free as soon as we crsssed. tne Ris Grande. In Mexico y u could be free. They dian r~ care waa~ celor yOu was, biac~, ~ y~iiow er o.Lue. ~ncirsd.s oi sLaves did go to Me~ic, and go~ On a .! ilgat. We wouJ.a i.i~ear aOOut ~m az~i how triey was ~oin~ to be Mexicans. ~i~ey orougnt up ~iie1r cxii .aren to speai~ only Me~. ic~~i. Me aLtu. fllf ra;r~er ani t~ive ore;ners awl s1s~ers were* t ~ ~o Mt~xics. I went triers aZ;er tne wm for a wr~i1e and then I looked retind ~nd decided t o get back. Ss I oins back to San Anton~ and I got a j ob ttirou~h Colonel Breckenridgs with the waterworks. I was handling pipes. My foremen was Tom Flanigan ~ ho aust have been a full-blooded ?r.nc~inan! UBi.it what :i: wallt to s~y Is, we didn t have no idea of ~nn1n and spit . W. was happy. We go t our 3. ickings but just the same we got our fil . of biscuits every time th w~iite fs~.ks had ~eir~. Nobody knew now it was t. lack food. I tell my chilien we d.IdII ~ t know no more about pant s t~i~i a hawg knows about heaven; but I tslls ~ m that to ma1~e im .aUgti. W. riad all th c1itk~ss wo want.d and if yw wanted shoes bad enough you got ~ ~m shoes with a brass square toe~ And shirtel Mieter, them was snirts that was shirteZ If someone gets caught by his shirt on a limb of a tree, ho had to di. there if he werentt cut down. Them shirts wouldn t rip no m re n b~ickskin.

138 133

E~x.21ave Stiriss Page Four ~ (Tsxas) ~ The end of the war, it corne just like that ~- like you snap your fin g$~ HOW did. you. know the end of the war had cor~e? asked the inter- viewsr~ How did we know it~ Hallelujati broke out Abe Lincoln freed. the nigger With the gu~n and tne trigger; And I ain t gain to get wnipped any more. I got my ticket, Leavin1 trie thicket, And T ira a-Aeadin f~or the Golden ShoreP Soldiers, all or a sudden, was everywkiere -~ canin in bunches, crosein and walkin and ridin . everyone was a singin . We was all walkin on golder~, elsude. iisllejujakil . , Union f rever, Hurrati, b.~, hurrahs Although I may be poor, 1q11 never be a elave ShIuGin the battle cry ef freedom. F~verybody went wild. !e a l felt like heroes and n.bod~j luuI made us that way but ourselves. ~e waa free Just like that we was free. It didntt seeni to make the whites mad, eitner. Tixey went rlgnt On giving us t~,o just ~ same. N.oouy took our flomes away, but right off colored f slks started on the move. They seemed to want to get closer to freedom, so they d know what it was ~- hics it was a place or a city, Me and my fpther stuck, stuck cisse as a lean tick to a sick kitten. The Gucilows started us ut on a ranch. My father, he d round up cattle, unbrandod cattle, for the whites, They was cattle that txiey belinged to, all right; they bad gone to find water 1 ong the S~n Ant on io River and the Guadalupe . Then the whites gave me and my fatrier so~ne cattle fir our own. My fatiaer kiad i~iis wn brand, 7 B ) and 1!O had a herd to start out witk~ of seventy.

139 134

E~x.slave Stories Page Pive 134 (Texas) I, Vie kn wed freedom was on us but we d.dn t know what was to cime with it . We thought we was gemt t. get r ich 1 Ike the white folks. We thought we was gsin to be richer than the white folks, causs we was . stronger and knswed how ts work, and the whites didn t and they didn t have us to work for them a~vmore. But lt didn t t~irn out that way. ~e \ 81011 found u~t that freedom could make folks proud but it didn t make ~em rich. Did you ever stop t. thiiik that thinking dontt do any good when you do it too late? Well, that s how lt was with us. If every mother s son of a black had thro~ sway hie hoe and took i~ agun~~~ for nis ~ . own free&~a along with the Yankees, th. war d been over before it began. But we didn t do it. ~Ye couldn t belp stick to our masters, ~e couldn t no more shoot ~ tt~an we could fly. My fattier and me used to talk bout it. We decided we was t o soft and freedom wasn t goin to be mach to our good even if we had a education. The old Negro was growing very tired, but, at a request, he ins tant .y got up and t apped hi s way out mt o the s c orching sunsh inc t o have his photograph taken. ~vsn as ne did so, he seemed to smile with th se blurred, dead eyes ~f his. Then he chuckled to himself and said: Warmth of. the wind And. heat of the South, And ripe red cherries For a r ipe red mouth. Land sakes, Psiixi came through the window from sister fl .a. H w you carries on! Don t you be a-.aindln him, mistsr. ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 140 135

42009G - i1X sLAv:~ STORt~S Page One (Texas) PH0E~ Hi;Nfl~:RsoN, a 105 year old Negro ~b of Harrison Co., was born a slave of ~ \ the Brad1e~ feally at Macon, Georgia. L~ ~ After the death of her mistress, Phoebe ~ / b.1ox~ged to one of the daughters, Mrs. ~ Wiley Hill, who moved to Panola County, ~ Texas in 1859, where Phoi~be lived until after the Ct~1l War. l or the past 22 ~ years she has lived with Mary Ann Ritler, ~ a daughter, about five miles east of ~ Marshall, in ~nterpriee friendship Oo*.. aunity. She draws a pensiofl of $16.00 : a month. I was bo n a slave of the Bradley family in Macon, Georgia. My father s naine was Anthony Ribbard. and he belonged to the Hubbard e in Georgia. He was a young man when I lef Georgia and I never heard from hi~ since. I member my mother; she had a gang of boys. Marster Hill brought her to Texas with us. My oie miseus name was Bradley and she died in Tennessee. My lii miscue was her dwagbter. After dey brought u. to vexai in 1859 I worked in the field maxiy a day, piowin and hoein but the children didn t do much work cept carry water. When dey git tired., dey d. eq dey was sick and. the overseer let ~i lie down in de sha4e. He was a good and kindly man and when we do wrong and go tell him he forgave us and. he dn t whip the boys cause he was afraid they & run awq. II worked. in de house, too. I spinned seven curts a day and. every night we rtin two looms makin large curts for plow lines. Is made all oar cloths.. We d.idn t wear shoes in Georgia bttt in this place the land was rough and. strong, so w couldn t go barefooted. A black man that worked in the shop measured cm.r feet end. made us two ~liip

141 136

Ex slave Stories Page Two (Texas) pairs a year. ~e had. good h~.tsee and dey was purty good to u.. Some~ times missus give us money and each family had their garden and some chickens. When a couple marry, the master give them a house and ~e had a good time and plenty to wear and to eat. They cared for us when we was sick. Master Wiley Hill had a big plantation and plenty of stock arid. hawge, and a big turnip patch. R. had yellow and red oxen. We neyer went to school any, ixcept Sunday school. We d go fishin often down on the creek and. on Saturday night we~ d haY. par ti.s in the woods and pl.~y ring plays and dance. My th~sband. s name was David Henderson and we lived on the same place and belonged to the same man. No, mih, Master Hill didn t have nothin1 to do with bringin us together. I guess God. done it. W. f. l in lov , and DaYid. asked Master Ejil for me. W had a weddin in the ktouss and was married. by a colored B~tist preacher. I wore a white cott dress and. Mi8i~i Hill give me a pan of flour for a weddin present. He gi~rs us s house of ~zr o~n. My 1n~sband was good to me R. was a carerul man and not rowdy. VXien we d go anywhere ~e & rids ~ioreeback and I d ride behin him. ~1 ~ I ~ scared. to talk bout wnen I ~aa f~e~cI. I member the eoldi rs and that warrin and figt~t1n . To~y, one of the colored. boys, joined th North and. was a mail messenger boy and he had his horse sAot Out frcm under Lila. But I guess its a good thing we was freed, after ail.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 142 137

4Y~3OOO7 F~L.SLAfl STORIES Page One ( Texas) ALB~ HILL, 81, was born a slave of Carter Kill, who owned a plantati on and about 50 slaves, in Walton Co., Georgia. Albert res~ined on the Hill place until he was 21 when he went t o Rob~ ineon Co., Texas. He now live. at 1305 Z. 12th St,jort Worth, Texas, in a well-kept fly e-room house, on a slope above the Trinity River. III was born on Massa Carter Hill s plantation, in Georgia, and ay name a~a Albert Hill . My papa s name was Dill ion c~ise he taken dat name frog he owner, Massa T~ Dillion. Re owned de plan tation next to Massa Hill s, and he owned my m~my and ue 13 chilIen. I don t know how old I is, but I aembers de start of de war, and I was a sizeable chile den. De plantation wasn t so big and wasn t so sash, jus fair sis., but it ~ fixed first class and everything e~ good. We has good quarters sade out of logs and lots of tables and benches, what was eacle of split logs. We has do rations and sassa give plenty of de eorn~eal and bean. and lasses and honey. ~ Sometimes we has tea, and once in a while we gits coffee. And does we have d~e tasty and tender h&wg ~eat& I d like to see some of dat hawg meat now. Massa am good but be don t low de part i.e. )~tt we kin go to Massa Dilhion s place next to us end dey has lots of pa2 ties a~d de dances. we daz~ces near all night Saturda~ night but we has to stay way in de back where de white folk. can t hear us. Soeeti~es we has de fiddle end de banjo and does we cut dat chicken wing and de shuffles We sho does. I-

143 138

Ex.-elaYs Storiu Page Two (T.xas) UI dIlLY de ox, and. drum dat ox am agitation work in de summer time when it am hot, cause dey runs for water e~er~ time. ~t d.e worst trouble I ever has is with one hose . I fotches de di.n~ner to de workers out in de field and I use &at hoes, hitched to de two wheel cart. One day him am halfway and dat hosc stop. He look back at me~ a.rollin de eye, ~nd I knows what dat mean Here I star, nigger. But I heered to tie de ro~pe on de balky hasses tail and rim lt twixt he legs and. tie to de shaft. t done dat and. puts some ouckleburra on de rope, too. Den I tech him with d. whip and h. gives de reey back ards. Dat he best rar. When he d~o dat it pull de rop and de rope pull de tail and de burrs gits busy. Dat hose moves for ard faster and harder den what he ever done fore, ~nd he keep on gyms. You see, he tx7lng git way from he tail. but de tail too fast. Course, it stay right ehi him. Den s in de p icklement . Dat ho s am numin away end. I can t stop him. I~ workers lines up to stop him but de cart give de shove and dat pull he tail and, lawdy ~ioo, dat hoes ump for erd. like de jaakrabbit and go through dat line ~ workers. So I steer. him Into de fence row, end dsre s no mor runnin 1~t an awf\il aix-up with de hose and de cart and de rations. ~t hose so scesrid him have de qua~ere. Massa say, What you doin V I says, 13re~k de balk. He ~ Well, youi got e ~erythimg else broke. We ll see bou,t de balk later. ~ Massa bas da daughtsr, Mary, and she want to marry Bud Jackson, but massa em gainat it. Bud am gvine to de ax~ and dat give dis boy wort, cause i: de messenger bo for him end Missy Maz~7. D17 keeps c~pa~y unbeknownst ami i: carry de motu. I puts de p~er in de hollow etusrp. Once I s .~io X s kotched. Dere em d massa ami h. say, Iber yo~i been, gg I s eh skeert and 2..

144 139

Ex slave Stories Page Three (Texas) ~Lt)~J I says, ~ ~ for de squirrel.. So massa goes way and when I tells you I~. left, it ain t de proper word for to splain, c.u.s I,. flew from here. t tells Missy Mary and si. say, You sho sa de Lawd s chosen nigger. De federate soldiers comes and dey takes de ration., but da massa has du~ de pit in de pasture and buried. lots of cl. rations, so de soldier. don t find so mu1ch. De olostest battle was Atlanta, more dan 25 mile way. When de wer come over.~ Bud Jackson he come home. De massa welcome him, to de spri.. of .verybody, and when Bud sy he want to marry Missy Mary, massa say, I guesses ycm has ear~t her. When freedon &m here, massa call all us together and tells us bout de difference twe~t freedom and hustlin for ourselves and dependin ou someone eus. Most of de slaves stays, and massa pays them fOr de work, end I st~. till I . 21 year old., and X gits $7.00 de month and de clothes and de hauSse and all I kin s~. D massa have died fors dat, and dere ~ powerful sorrow. Missy Mary aM Massa Bud has de plantation den, and dey don t went me to go to Texas. ~it dey goes on de visit end ihile dey gone I takes de train for Robinson C~inty, what am in Texas. N ~ works at de pari work and at de hosti in work end I works on de hosees. Den I worics for de Senta 1~ ratiroad, handlin freight, and I works till ~t thr o year ago, ehen I gits too old for to work no more. ~34it I till. y 1bout de visit back to de old plantation. I been gone near 40 year and I aides to go back, so I reaches de house and der am Missy Mary peslin g ples on de back gallery. She looks at me, and she sa,, ~ I got ~itippin waiting for y~s, cause you run off without tellin us. Dors wasn t nomors pe.lin dat dey, cause we sits and talks bout de\O1d 0.3~I

145 140

Ex-elave Stories Page Your J4~) (Texa.) timeB and de old aassa. Dere sho ~ de tears In dis nigger s eyes. Dn w, talks bout de nigger mess r~ger I was, and we l~ughe a little. All day long we talks a little, and laughe and cries and talks. I etays b~t two weeks and seed lote of de folks t knowed when I was young, de white folks and de nigger., too. I,. too old to make arp~ more visits, but I would like to go back to Old Georgia once more. If Missy Mary was liv., I d tey, but she am dead, so I tries to wait for old Gabriel blow he horn. I~ien he blow he horn, dis nigger .~q, Louder, Gabriel, l~di~ri s* ***** *****

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 146 141

42()3()8 EX~SLiV~ STORIES Pace One C Texas) j ROSINL HOARD does not know just where she was born. The first thing she remembers is that she and her parents were purchased by Col. Pratt Vlashingt.n, who owned a plantation near Garfield, in Travis County, Texas. Rosina, ~vho is a very pleasa~at and sincere per5.~a, says she has had ~ touch life since she was free. She receives a monthly pension of four.teen d~l1ars, for which she ex presses gratitude. Her ~ddrees is 130 . Chestnut St., Austin, Tex, When I s a ~al s R~sina Slaughter, ~ but folks call r~e Zina. Yes,sar It am Zina dat and. Zina dis. I says l s born April 9, 1959, hut I lieve 11s older. It was s mewhere in Wifliai~s,n County, but I th~n t knew the mass a e narue ~ My mammy was Lusanne Slaughter and she was et ~ut buSt in her last d~iys she got to be a 11,1 bit of a woman. She died 0n17 last spring and ehe was a hunerd eleven years old. Papa was a B4tiet pre~cher t. de .ctay of he death, He had asthma all his.daye. I ta~iber how he had de sorrel hoes and would ride off and preach under some arbor bu~ ~ I rid with him on he hoes. ~ irst thing I ~m~nber is us was biught by Massa Col. Pratt Wash~ ~ ingt en ~r rn Massa bank ~iier. ~assa Wa5bin~t en was purty good m~n . He : b.ys,~ .Ge~rge .&nd J,hn Henry, was de ~ly overseers, DU1 beys treu us nice. ~.. ~ . Massa .~J,jue ri~. up on he hssa after di~ner ttme. He hoes was a bay., call : ~ ~ ~ De fi~)4~. was .ii de b.sttszns if de Coisrad. River, De bi~ h.use was ~ ~ de ~4U ~. $. ~ US C~1& see him c ~iL1. ~ . R e weared a tall., beaver h&t allue, . ~ ~ ~ .~ ~ ~ :~ ~ ~ ;~ ~$ ~~ ~k allus wat~b for hia am at he b.y, Ge.rge, try lam U5 ur A ~ C s ii cte ft~ld. De w r~ere watch f.m massa wad when dey seed ~

147 142

~x elaVe St,ries Page T ~. (Texas) him a~-.ridinT dewn de hill dey starts ~ingin eut, 01e hewg reund de bench 01e haw~ rLuid de be~ach.1 Dat de s i~i~l and den everyb.dy s tart s 1 ike dey have s er~htn~ after d~ But I~s tei ~ t, lam much in de field and I can t read teday pnd have t, make de cr~s~ when I signs f~r m~r tia~ne. ~ch chile have he wn weed tray. Dere was aid Aunt Alice and 6he done all de ceekin fer de chilien In de depet. Dat what dey calls de place eli d chilien steys till dere maxnmies c~n~e ~ from de field. Aa~nt Allee ~ve de big pet t. c.ek in, sut in de yard. S me c~cys we had. beans and some day peas. She put great hunks ef sait bacea in de pat, and bake plenty cernbread, and cive us pleuty milks II S~rne big chilien. have te pick cett ~n. Old Junus was ~ de cullud ever seer fer de chilien and he sure mean t~ den. He car~ra stick and use it, tee. . ~ One day d.c blue~bellies cerne te de fields, Dey Yankee s.jers, end tell de slayes dey frees Some stayed and e me left. Papa teak us and meve te de Ciift plantet ian, net far t way and farm dere . I been married three time. First te Peter Ceilinsw.rth. I quit him. Secend. t. Geerge Hsard. We stayed tegedder till he die, and have five chilien. . Den I marries he brether, Jim Heard. I tells y.u de trtxth, Jim iever did. werk mach. He d gi flehin and ehep weed by ~.e days, but net many days. He suffered with de plies. I d.ue de h.usew.rk and u.k after de chilien and den g. out and piek .tw. hunerd pwund cittin a day. I was a eripple since ne ef m~r boy5 birthed. I git de rheumat.is~ and i~y kitees hurt s, muflcb senietime I rub wed sand and mud 0* d~ t. ease de pain. .~ 2

148 143

Ex-.~lave Stsries Page Three ( Texas) t5 S, ~We had a hiuse at Bart .n Springs with twe r. ems ene leg and eue box. I never did like it up dere and I teld Jim I ~ gwine. I did, b~it he cerne aiad get me. . Since freedemn l s been thr.ugh de toughs. I h~d t. de de man s wert,. di.p d wn trees. and pliw de fields ~nd piek Ottsn. I waist te tell y,u hew glad I is t git my peusisn. It is sure nice f de felk~ t~ take c~r f me In my eid ~ age. ~ ~ I get de p~nsi.n I h~d a hard time. Yeu c~n ~ s~r I s been thretigh de t .ughs . . S

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 149 144

.1 ~ ~f ~f ~) ~ ~fl) EX ~SLkVE STORfl~S P~e One .~ (Texas) PL~ HOLLA~1D was born in Walker County, T e. xas and t hi rilcs he I s about 97 years old. His master, Prank Holland, traded Torn to Wil-. haiti Green just before the Civil War. After Torn was freed, he farmed both for hiraseif and for otners in the vicinity of his old home. He now liv~e in }tadi-. s onvill ~ Texas. My owner was Uassa Frank Holland, and Its born on his place in Walker County. I had one sister n~imed Gena and three brothers, named George and. will and Joe, but they s all dead now, Mammy s name was Gena and my father s named Abraham Holland and they s brun, from North Carolina to Texas by Massa Ho 11 and. when they s real young. I chopped. cotton and plowed and. split rails, then was a horse rider. In them days I could ride the wildest horse what ever made tracks in Texas bu.t I ~ s neye r valu ed. very high ~ ca~ se I had a glas s . I don t mefflb er h ow I done got it, but there it am. I d sake a d~llar or fifty cents to ride wild horses in slavery time and massa let rue keep it. I buyed tobacco and candy and if massa cotch inc with tobacco I d git a whippin , but I allus slipped ;~nd bonght chewin tobacco. We allus had plenty to eat, sic~t as it was them days, and it was good, plenty wild meat r~ni. cornbread cooked in ashes, We toasteti the meat on a open fire, and had plenty possum and rabbit and fish. We wore them loyal shirts open all wny down the front, but I never seed shoes till long time after freedom. In ~oid weather m~esa tanned lots of hides and wetd make warm clothes. My wedding clothes was a white loyal shirt, never had no shoes, married barefooted.

150 145

j {k:t~: -~- Ex slave Stories Page Two (Texas) Massa Prank, he one real good whIte r~an. He was awfu~1 good to his Negroes. Missis S~11y, she a plumb angel. Their thre~ chilien stayed with r~e nearly all the time, askin this Negro lots of questions. They didn t have so fine a house, neither, two rooms with a big hail thro ~gh and no windows and de~r skins t~ck~d over the door to keep out rain and. cold. It was cov~red with boards I helped cut after I got big nough. Massa Frank had cotton and corn and ever rthin~ to live on, bout three hundred acres, and. overseed it himself, and seven ~rowed slaves ana five little slaves. He allus waked u~s real early to be in the field when dayli~ht corne :~rid worked us till slap dark, but let us have a hour ~nd a half at noon to ~at ~nd rest up. Somet im~ s when sl~v~s got stubborn he d whip th ~m and make good Negroes out of them, cause he was r~ al good to them. ~i seed slaves sold and auctioned off, tCaUSC I S put up to the highest bidder myself. Massa traded me to 171111am (~reen jus fore the war, for a hundred acres land. at $1.00 a acre. He thought I d never be much 1cou~nt, cause I had the glass eye, but I m still livin and a purty fair Negro to my age. All the hollerin and bawlin took place an~ when he sold ra ~ it took ue most a year to ~it over it, but there I was, longin to nother rn~n. ~l ~f ~ went off without a pase we allus went two at a time. We slipped off when we got a chance to see young folks on some ot~ier place. The patterrollers cotched me one night and, Lawd have mercy me, they stretches t~ie over a log and hits thirty..nine licks with a rawhide loaded with rock, and every time they hit me the blood and. hide done fly. They drove me home to massa and told him and he called a o1d mammy to doctor my back, and I couldn t work for foin days. That never kep ~ne from slippin off gain, but i s more careful the next time.

151 146

~x-s1ave Stories Page Three (Texas) ~e d go and fall right in at th~ door of the quarters at night, so r~assa ~nd the patterr~11ers thinks we s real tired and 1e~ US a1on ~ and not watch us. That very night ie d be plannin to slip o~f sornewht ~r~s to se~e a flegro gai or our wife, or to }J~3\T~ ~. big time, speci~1 ly when the moon shineali night so we could see. It wouldn t do to hpve torch lights. They was bout ~11 the kind of lights we had them days and if we iuade 11~ht, massa come to see what we re dom and it be jus too bad then for the stray Negro! That there war brimg suff~rin to lOtS of people and made a WidoW out of my missis. Massa ~Vi111am, he go and let on~ them Yankees git him in one of them battles and they never brang him home. Mi~s1s, she gits the letter from his captain, bra~1n ~ his bravery, but thnt never helped him after he was kilt in the war. She ~its tnother letter that us Negroes is free and she tells us. We had flO place to ~o, so we starts to cry ~nd asks her what we gwine do. She s~.id. we could stay and far~n with her and work her teams ~nd use her tools and 1a~d and. pay h~r half of what we m~ade, s1d~s our supp1ie~.. That s a happy bunch of Negroes when she told us this. Late in that evenin the Negroes in Hantsvil~ starts hoilerin ~nd shoutin arid~ one gal was ~ loud ~nd a white man corne, ridin on a hoss and leans over arid cut that gal neari~, half in two and a covered wagon couac alon~ and picks her up and we never heared. nothin more. I married Imogene, a homely weddin fore the war. ~e ~ have much t o..do at our weddin . I asks miss ~s if I could have Imogene ~nd sh~ says yes ai~d t hat s al I they was t o our weddin \V had thre e ~boys ~nd three gals and lin og~ne died bout twenty years ago and. I been livin with one child and nother. I gits

152 147

4 ~ 2x slave Stories page ~rour (P~xas ) R 1itt1~ pension froia th~ g~v m~nt and loes small jobs round for tLe white PC op le. III 1i~v~ they xight to have ~ived us somethiri when ~ewas f re~1, bLit they turned us out to graze or starve. Most of the white people turned the i~e~roes slain 1oos~. We stRyed a year with missis and then she married axd her husband h~d hib own wor~cers ~nd told u~s to git out. ~e worked for twenty and thirty cen~ a day then, rind I fin ly got a place with Dr. L.J.Conroe. But after the war the Negro h~d a hard stru~gl~, ~cause he w~s turned loose jus like he caine into the world and no education or sperience. I If the Negro wanted to vote the Klu Kiuxes was right the~ e to ~ hirn froia votin . Negroes was ~ fraid. t ~ ~it out and try to ~ rt the~r freedom. They d. ride up by a Negro ~nd shoot hirn aus like a wild haw~ ~ never ~ word said or done bout it, ~ farmed and InflLkint a livin Is bout all. I come ov r here in Madison Count~r ~ rents from B. I~ Young, clost ot Midway and gits me a few cows. I be&~n right round h~re ever since. I liv~~s rou ~id with my chilien now, cause ~ ~ittin too old to work. Thi. s young bunch of Negroes I s all ri~1it soi~ why s but the~~ won t tell the truth. They isn t ra1s~d like the whIte folks raised us. If we didn t tell the truth our massa d. tear us all to pieces. Of course, they is educated now and can ~et most any kind of work, some of them, what we couldn t.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 153 148

EL.SL VE STORIES Page One (Texas) ~LIZA HOLL~2~, 82, ~ born a slave of the Rev. John Appi ewhite near Clinton, L~ississippi. In 186 . they came to Texas, sett11n~ near Decatur. ~11z~. no~ lives at 2507 ClInton ive., Port Worth, Pex~e, T~1k 1bout de past from de time I ~ till now, slave deys and all? D~t not so hard. I knows what de past rnin, but what to come, dat am different. Dey says, Let de past be de cuide for de future, but if you don t know de future road, hows you ~w1ne guide? 2 sho glad to tell you all I tmembers, but dat ~m a long t~emberance. I know I~e past SO, for ~ and maybe more, 1c~.ise I~s old nough to member befo de war starts, I members when de massa moire to Texas by de ox tewi and d.at am some trip! Dey loads de wagon till dere ain t no more room and den sticks wetuns in, arid we walks some of de time, toot, My massa ~m a pr~acherxn~n and have ju~1 three slaves, me ~nd pappy and iar~nmy. She ~in cook ~nd hoitsekeeper and I helps her. Pappy ~n de field hand arid de coachman ~nd everything else what am needed. ~Ve h~ve a nice, two room log house to live in and it am better den what mos slaves have, with de wood floor and real windows with glass in dem. ~assa pin good but he am strict, He don t have to say much when he wants you to do ~ Dere am no honey words round de house from hirn, but when him am preachin in d.c church, hirn am different He am honey man den. Massa. could tell de right way in de church but it ~n hard for him to act it at home0 He makes us go to church every Sundt~y. .4..

154 149

~x~s1ave Stories Page Two ( Texas) Bu~t 11s ~ you h~r we~uns conie to Tex~.s. De me~1s am cook by de caz~pfire and after breakfast w~ starts and lt ~xn bump, bui~rp, bump all day 1on~. It ~in rocks and holes and mudholes, and it sin strewne and rivers to cross. We u.ns cross on~ river, musts. be~ de I&isslssippl, ~mnd d.r1v~s on a big bridge ~md dey floats dat bridge right cross dat river. ~~9ssa and missu.s argu~es ai . de w~y to Texas. She z~m skeert mos de tir~i~ w~d he allus say de Lawd t~.ke care of us. He say, tDe Lswd am a-guidin us,1 She S8~, It am fools ~uidin and a fool move for to start. Dat de way dey t~1ks all de wz~y. And when we gits in de m~idho1e ttwas a argument gain. Sh~ say, 1Dis ~jn some more of your Lawd s calls. He say, Hush, hush, wornc~n. yoi~ ~itt1nt sactliglous.t So we has to walk two mile for a man to git his yoke of oxen to pull us out dat mudilole, ~nd when we out massa say, ~ ~ de Lawcl. And. mlssu.s say, Thank de mens and de oxen. ~ Den one day we~uns camps under a big tree and when wetuns woke In de mornint d~,re am wornie and worms and worms. Millions of dem come off f dat tree. Man, man, dat ~m a mess. Massa say dey ax~ny worms and missus say, t ~ for dey not in de aii~y den? 1ifter we beezi in Texas boat a yea, missy Mary gits married to John Olb~tin. Missy Mary ~m massa s daughter. After dat I lives with her and Massa John and den hell start poppin for dis nigger. Missy Mary &m good but Mas sa John em de devil, Dat man ~ ~rn cruel he works me to death and whups me for de leas thing. My pappy sey to me, ~T0U should tcome e. runaway nigger. H rune way hiseeif and dat de las time we hears of him.

155 150

Ex~m.elave Stories Page Three ( ~ex~,s) When surrender corne I has to stay on with Massa Olham, ~ I h~s no place to ~o and I s too young to know how to do for m~vself. I stays bout till I s 1 year old and den I hunts some place to work and gits lt in Jacks . boro ~nd stays clerc sev ral years. I quits when I ~its married ~nd dat bout nine year after de war end. I ma~ries Dick Hines at Silver Creek and he am a frtrmer and a con~. trary man. He worked just ~ hard at his contrariness as him did at his famin . Mercy, how dietressin and. worryrnent am life with dat nigger~ I couldn t stand lt no longer dan five year till I tooks my getawt~y. De nex year I marries Sam ~a2ker what worked for cattlement here In Fort Worth and he died bout 20 year ago. Den ttwas bout 13 year ago I ma~ries Jack Holman and he died. in 1930. I s sho try dis marrin business but I ain t gwine try it no more, no, suh. Twlx~ all dem hush~nds and workin for de white folks I gits long, but I~s olc3 and de lr st few years I can t work. Dey pays me $12.00 de month from de State and. th~t s what I lives on, Shucks, I s riot worth nothin no more. I jus sets and sets cand thinks of de old days and. my mammy. All dat make me sad. I ll. tell you one dem songs what ~5presses my feelin s zactly. I ~ am citinbin Jacob s ladder, ladder, I s ein climbin Jacob s ladder, ladder, Soldier of de cross; O-.h~h-h! Rise and shine, Give Gawd de glory, glory, glory, In de year of Jubilee. I wants to climb up Jaeob s ladder, ladder, Jacob s ladder, till I gite in de new Jerusalem. Dat jus how I feels.~~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 156 151

.1~)U~i 1 ~ ~*~~,~.&::tLJ L.SLATB STORIES page One j ~jj (Texas) LARRc:~ aoi~~r, 7g, ~ iear Te~dvi11e, In Tyler County, Texas, a slave St Williaa R.lt. He now lt~e. i.~ Beainent Texas. I~~ jus eaaU~ fry when free1o~ c~ue, tcause I~s born in 1858. Bill Holt was ay i~assa1 s same dat why dey c.l1~ me Lame. II.lt. My massa, he cone from Alabama but ~y aaamy and daddy born in Texas . Many named Hannah and da&iy Elbert Maniay cooked for de white f.lks but dad&y, he de .heiaaker. Dat consider a fine jeb on de plantation, ~attse he make all de shoes . white folks usei fir everyday aat all de eullud pesple eh.... Irery time dey kill de beet dey save d.e hid.. for leather and. dey put it i~ de tr.ugk call de ta* virtt, with de~sk bark and ither things, and leave 1ea doms l.ng time. Dat change de raw hide t. leather. When de chie deRe us black deze with seot, cauee us have t d dat or wear .~ red.. I . de litti. tike what help my daddy put on de . ~t. lassa have de big pisatation and I aeaber de big hg heuie. It have de gallery en both sides and dey . de lsng hail down de ceater. De dogs and eeaetiaes a possum used to run threugh de hal . at night. De hail was big aeugt~ to dance in and I plays de f td~le. My aay have four boys call Eb and Ander and Tobe My big brother Eb he tote so aany buckets of water to de hands ta de field he wire all de hair offen de to~p he hea&

157 152

~~laYe Stsrie s Page Tw .-~ r , l.~g Tirs ( X ~ as) I be s. glad when Christmas come, when 11s lt l. Down in de quarter ~ hang up sticking and u.s have plenty homemake ginger cake and candy make ut of sugar and maybe a apple. One Chriatmass I real small and my mamy b~iy me a suit if clothes in de store. I so proud of it I fraid to sit down in it. Tenais in dem day was strong and last a long time. One time I git de first pair shies from a store. I tht~ight dey s gold. My daddy bought dem for me and dey have a brace in de toe and was nat ral black. Y~hea freedom come us family breaks up. Old missy cantt bear see my mammy g , so us stay. Dey give my daddy a place n credick and he start farm and dey even low him liesses and. mule and ther thim~s he need. Jdy massa good to de niggere. I stays with my mammy till ehe die ~en I ten year old and den my brother Eb he take me and raise me till I sixteea. Den I go off for myself. Dem young year us have good time. I fiddle t~ de dance, play Git ~ j~ de Cool, and Hopus Creek and de Water. U. aho dress up f r de dance. I have black calico pan1~ with red ribbon up de sides and a hickory shirt. De gals ai . wears ribbons round de waist and. one like it round de head. Us hare mire hard time after freedom cme dan in ail de other t 1mo together. U. iivin la trouble time. Bout 15 year ago I isst a leg, a big log fall cross it when I makia ties. I had plenty den ~it it go far de hispital. e.. ...

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 158 153

420120 EL~S1AVE STORLB~S Pa~cre One j~ (Texas) ~j~) BILL HO}4~R, 8?, was born a slave on June 1?, 1850, to Mr. Jack Homer, who owned a large plantation near Shreveport, La. In l~oO ~iJ~l Wa! given to Mr. Hoxner~s daughter, who moved to Calciwell, Texas. Bill now lives at 3215 ~cKinley ve~., Port W3rth, Texas. II is 8 ? rsrs old, cause I is born on JuIe 11th, in 1850, arid tflat s ~ cording to d.c statement my missy give rile. I was born On ~I~&ss~, Jack Horner~s pi~ntation, close to Shreveport. R~ owned ruy mammy awl my p~pp: ani ~ oout lO() ot ~r siave~s. i~im~s piaiL~ation was a hi~ un. I dontt know how many acrez him have, but it was ruiles long. Dere was so many build1rt~s arii siieds on th~t pl~ee it was ~ small town. De TU~SSa S house was a big two-.story t~uilding ~nci d~ere was cie spinnin nouse, d.C sraolcehoiise, d~ bl~.cksmitii sx~op wct ~ nussery ior de culi~d cnil1e~is ana a lot or sned~ and sich. In de nig,g~r u~rte~rs dere was 50 one..room cabins and iey was ten in a row ~md dS tE 1IV S tive rows~ De caoins was bui.Lt of logs and ziad dirt floors and a ho-L wriar a wintiow should be and a stone firepl~ce Tor de cookin ~nd de xae at De re was a C O OkI1OUSC or de big nouse anci ~ll de cookin for d.c white folks was ttendecl to by four cooks. ~1e has lots or foo~1, to& cornme~J. and. vegetables ~nd riilk F~fld lassas 1nd r~eat. For mos de meat dey kotciled. hawgs in de Mis&sippi River bo~tO~is. Once a week, we ti~ve wxaii~e flour biscuit. I Some work was hard and s o~e easy but raas sa ~ lieve in overworkin his slaves. Sat~thty a ternoon t~nd Sund~r, ciere WaS flO work. Some whippin done, but nos rea~onpDle. 1 ~ de nigger stubborn,

159 154

~ sle:ve Stories Page Two ( Texas ) c1e~rs whips nough for to ~hange~ his minct, if de nigg~ r ru.~s oi i d~t calls ae good %~iippin L ir any Oi~ de culiud folks has de misery let! hi.m r~sst in bed. and if de Msery bad d.~ massa c211 cte doctor. LI larm, to L)c~ COaC~U~fl ;Ti drive for m~sa s f~rniiy. But in de year of l8~~O, Mi.s3y Mary gits iiiarried to Bill Johnson ~irid at dat weddin massa i~or~m~ gives rn~ P~LI 49 otiier n1~gers to I~ier for de w~dd1n present. Massa Johnson s f~t~er gives him 50 niggers too. Dey rias ~. grant wethiln . I neips take care of ~ie noss~ an~ dey jus k~p a~- coinin . I Sp~Ct clerc wa~ more n 100 p~opies der~ an~ dey hpv~ lots ot music ~nd danctn and. eats ~nd, I sp~cts, drinks, tcause we uns made peach br~ndy. You s~, de massa h~.d :iis own ~tiI1. ~ ftf~T ~1C ~~ j~jfl~ was over, ~ey gives de cou.ple de int~re. Dere s wh u dis nigger co~nes in. I and de other niggers was lined up, all witn de clean clothes on and d~n de massa es~y, 2 or to give mv lovin da.igtiter de s ~art I gives you c1~se 50 niggers . Mas sa Bill s f.ther done de saine for his son, ana dere we uns Was, 100 ni~~rs with a new massa. Dey loads 15 or 20 wagons and starts ror Texas. :ve trawis from deyligflt to clark, witn moss de niggers walkin . Or course, it was hard, bat we en~1 oys de trip. Dere was on~ n1~ger c~l1ed Monk and him knows a song and l~rned. it to us, like txii~: Il ~ ~dk w~1k, you nigge r walk! De road ax~ dusty, de road am tough, flu t in de eye, dust in de tuft; Dus t in de ~ mouth vous can S ~ ~ alk ~Valk, you niggers, don~~ you balk. I ~ walk, yo~ nigger walk! De road am dusty, de road am rough. Walk tU. we reach dere, walk or b~ist De road. ~m 3. one, we oe dere by and. by.~

160 155

ix slave Stories Page Three 135 (Texas) Now, we uns was a-.ffollerln benin de wagons ~md w&uns ~tngs it to de s~Low steps ot de ox. ~1eturxs don t s1~~g it many times ~ti1 de missy corne :*nd ~tt in de Dack or. 1e wagon, faci n we suns ~y~j ~jj~ begin to teat c~e slow tiit~e ~nct 5ing wici. we~Ufl~i. Dat p1e~se Missy Atary to sing with ~s ~nd skie 1aue~ia ~d 1&ug~i. Aftei ~boirt two weeks we cornes to d~e pipee near CaIthvell, in Texqs, and dere was txdldin s and land c1e~t~d, so wets soon settL~d. Mv~ss~ p1an~ mostly cotton and corn arid c ~ars more land. I lamed to be a cOacnra~fl, but on thi,.t place I de ox driver or usee ae noie. ~4You.s never drive de ox, did :70us? De mule ain~t stuooorn side of ae ox, cie ox ani stu,oborn and den some more. One time I~s ha~1i~ fence rails 8nd de oxen stRrts to turn gee when I wants d~m to go ahead.. I c~11s for haw, but dey pays di~ ni~er no mind a~d keeps a~win~ gee. Den dey starts to r~in and de ov~rsee~r hollers ~nd ~ m~ What vt~u ~w1ne? I hohen bgck, ~ ! t~ flOi~ gwine~ I s b~in~ took. ~ Dem o~e~ t~es ~ ie to le well for de w~t~r, ~ 1f dey ~it~ dry ~nd Is near water, ctey goes in spite ox d.e devil. De t~~atment rrom new massa ~m good, tc~use of Missy Mary. She s~y ~ Massa Bill, Ir you mus1 ~ de nigger, souse youe own. e has music axid partle5 . We playe de quill, ma~kce from willow stick when de sap am up. Youe tai~:es ae stick ~uid pounds c~e bark looee ~nd slips 1i of , den s1i~ ae wood In one end. ~nci down one side, p~us noi~ tn de bark ~nd pu.t lt back on ae stick. D~ quill plays i1~ce de flute. ea1 ne~ver goes out without de pass, so I n~v,r has trot~tb1e with ~e patter rollers. Nigger Monk, xiim kiave de spertence with t~ii1 L~y kotched

161 156

:~-sl~ve Stories P~e Pour (Texae) .. him twice and dey 8ho makes h~ hunp and holler. After c~tt he ~1ts ~2SS or stays to home, Dc 7lar m2ke no cUff r~nce with us, cept de solciers comes ~nd t~kee de rations. 3ut we~uns never goes hungry, cause d~ mass~ puts some ni~g~rs huistiin for wil haw~s. After surrender, missy reacts cte paper sind tells ctat we~u.ns is free, but dat we~uns kin ste~y tu we is justed to de ck:iange. De second year after de ~1ar, de i~assa sells de plnnt~tion ~?nd goes biack to Lowisiana ~xid cten w&une ~ .l lei . I gOtTS to Laredo I or seven year and works on a stock ranch, ~en I goes to farmin ~ . I gits married in 18 ?9 to Mary Robinson and weuns rias 14 cfl~lllu~ns. Four of dem lives nere. II works hard aLl m~ lii~e ~ti1 l9L~5 anci cien I~ too old. My wise 2nd I lives on de pensions we gits.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 162 157

:~L-sLLvx STORLr.8 Page One ~ (Texas) scc~r~ HOCP1~AR, 81 waa born a slave of the Rev. Robert T~irner, a Baptist minister who owned seren slave faai11e~. They lived on a small farm near Tenaha, then called Buckrt, in Shelby County, Texas. Scottts father wa~ owned by Jack Hooper, a neighboring faraer. Scott married Steve Hooper when she was thirteen and they had eight children, whoae whereabouts are now unknown to her. She r~ osives an ~8.OO monthly pension. 1.11, It11 do de best I can to tell yous bout my life. I used to have de good collection, but worry~ent bout ups and downs has fect ed my membance. I knows how old I is, cause mammy have it in de Bible, and s born in de year 1856 right in Shelby County, and near by Buolcanort what am call Tenaha now. Massa !~irner am de bestest man he could be and talcen good care of us, for sho . He treat ne like humans. There ~ no wb~tppin s like some other place. has. Gos1~. What some dem old slaves tell bout de wimp and de ehort rations and lots of hard work am awful, so us am lucky. Massa don t bave de big place, but jus seven families wh~ was fire t o ten in de family. My mai~y had nine oh illen but my p~py d t 3. ive on us place, but on Jack Hooper s farm what ~ four mile off. He comes Iednesd~ and Saturday night to see us. His massa am good, too, ahd lets him work a acre of land and all what he raises he can sell. Peppy plants cotton and. mostest de time he raises better n half de bale to he acre. Data way, he have money sndhe own pony and saddle, and. he brung us chilien candy and toys end coffee and tea for maniny. He done save bout $500 when urrend.sr come but it am all Pederate money and it am t worth nothin . He give it to us chilien to play with.

163 158

Ex..slaveStorie Page Two ( P exas) HMassa Turner am de B~pttst preacherman a~d he have de church at BUc~CSflOIt. He run de et ore, too and folks laughs cause s Ides being a preacherman he sells whiskey In dat store. He makes lt medicine for us, with de cherry bark and de rust from iron nails in it. He call it, Mtters, and. it a good nase. It sho taste bitter as gall. When us feels de misery it am bitter. us gite. Castor oil am candy 3ide dein bitters! M~4y ~randmammy ~i de cook and all us eats in ~e shed. It ~ plenty l ood and meat and lasses and brown sugar and miLc and. b~tter, and even some white flour. Course, peas and. beans i~m allus on dat table. ~~hmn surrender ccme massa calls all us in de yard and makes de talk. He tells us we s free and am awful sorry and show great worrpment. He say he hate to part with us and us been good to him, but it ~ de law. He say us can stay and work de land on shares, but mostest left. eourse, mammy go to Massa Hooper a place t o pappy and he rent s land. from Massa Kooper. and us live there seven years and might yet, 1~it dew flu flax causes so much trouble- meut. AU us niggers fraid to sleep in de house and. goes to de woode at night. P~,py gits fr~id something happen to us and cane to 7ort !orth. Dat in 1872 and he farm. over in de bottom. : ~ I e zaarried to Steve Hooper den, ~ cause us marry when I ~ s thirteen years old. He goes in teamin in Fort worth snd hauls sand and gravel tventy- nine years. He dom sich when he dies in 1900. Den I does laundry work till I~s too old. I tries to buy dis house ~nd does fair till age catches me and now I can t pay for it, All I has is $8.00 de month ~nd I s glad to git dat, but it won t even buy food. On sich mount, there am no ww to stinch myself and pinch off de payment. on de house, ~t am de worryment.

Ex-slave autobiography. 164 159

420021 For ~- Slave Volume i5? Page one \ ~ :~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S ~A:4%55 : ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ L::~:.sT:~s ~ \~ ~ ~x-.sLAv:E s roi~i~s ( Texas) ~cT 2 1937 EX~SLA1fl~ AUTOBIOG~IU2HY ALICE HOUSTON, pioneer nurse and ntidwife 0x1 whom. many San ~x~gelo~ ~ns have relied or years, was born Ootober 2, l&59. She was a slave of Judge ~Ttm Watkths on his small latitation in Ea s County, near san Maroos, Texas and served as house girl to her mistress, Mra. Lilie Watkins i~or n~any years after the C iv il war . At M~S ~ Watkins ~ death she came with her husband, Jini HouatoxL, tO San Angelo, Texas where she has continued her servioes as nu~rae ta white families to the ~rea~ ent time. S ~lioe relatea her slave day experiences as follows: t! was ~ea a little chile when dat Civil ~ar broke o~it and l a had de bes. white folks in de world. M~ ole

165 160

. Page two mistress she train nie for her hotise girl and xnirse maid. Dat s whar l s gits so many good ideas fer nt1X~8ifl . My mother s name was Mariah Watkins an my fgther was named Henry Watkins. He wotild go otit in de woods on sat day ni hts and ketch ~Oss~~~ and bring dem home and bake em wid taters. Dat wSs de best eatint we bad. Course we had good food all de time but we nesT like dat tpossu.m best. ~)~Ty marster, he only have four families and he had a big garden fer all of tis. We had our hu~ts at de back of de farm. Dey was made otit of logs and ue cracks dau~bbed ti wid mud, Dey was clean and comfortable thotzgh, and we had good beds. Whexi, we was jes little kids oie marster he ketch u~8 a stealixx watermelons and he say, ait~ c~itj c~itz And when we ruas and stoops over to crawl throtigh de crack of de fence he sho give t~s a big spank. Den we rtuis off oryin and lookint back like. ~O1e inarster, he had lots of h~s and cows axid chickens and kI jes taste iat olabber milk xiow. Oie ~pan fall mise, 8h1 have a big dish of olabber and she tells de girl to set dat down ou~t in de yard an~d she say, Give all dem ohU1u~n a spoon ~ow &ad let dem eat dat. Whefl we all git round dat pan we shot wou.ld lick dat clabber u~. ~We had s tra ight s~ips i~d e ou~t o f w h ite lowell what iaa wove on dat oie spimiin~ wheel. Den dey make jean~s for de meA a breeches and dye it wid ooppexas atid some of de

166 161

Pace three 4, cloth dey dye wici sumac berries and hit w~s sho ~irty too. 01e miss, she xn~ke sod~ out of a certain kind olb weed and dey rriakes coe tee uut Oil dried sweet taters. YVMY mar~ter he didn have no over-~seer. ~te ~ay his s1~ves had to be treated right. ~ never Tiowed none ~ his slaves to be sold T~~E~y frozn their ~o1ks. I s nev r, nev r seen any slaves ui chains but I ~ hear talk o~ dein ch~.ns. My white ftlks, dey tries to teach us to read and spell ~nd write some ~uid after oie niarster move into town he lets as go to a real school. That s hove corne I can re~d ~o many docto books yo~i see. ~We goes to church wid.eu ~hite ~o1ks at Gem c~rnp meetin s ~nd oh ~awdy~ yes, macn, we all sho did shout. 3ometiznes we jined de church too. TT~ washed our clothes ~n Sat day and cianeed dat night. ~On h.ristnu.is and i~ew year we would havc ~ll de good thixzgs old marster ~xid oie missus had and when aziy o ~ oc white i olks marry or die dey sho carry on big. Weddin s and fliner~ls2 dem was de biggest ~iine~. ~ Whenwe gits bick, ~le ~iarster he h~Te de docto right SLOW. He sho w~s good bout dut. 01e miss she make us wear a piece of lead ro~.uid oar necks fer de inal~ria ~ind to keeps our nose from uleedin and all ot~ a~ wore sonic ~safoetid~ trUand our necks to keep off contagion. When de war close oie marster calls up all ~e slaves ~fld he say, you s ai . free people now, jes seine as I is, and yoti oan ~o or stays and we all wants to stay cause

167 162

Page fotir 2i82 wasn t nothin we knoweci how to do only wh~ut oie rnarster tells uPs. He s~ he .~et u.s work c~e lana ~ cive us ha1~ o ~ what we ~ ~nd we all stayed on several years u~ntU iAe died. ~Je stayed with Miss ~7~tkths, ~nd here I is an oie xiigga, still ~doin good in di~ v~ orId, ~te1Iixi de wbi~te folks how to take care o~ de cbilluns.tr

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 168 163

EX~SLAVE sToRI:~S Page One (Texae) JOS~Hfl~X HOV(.LBD was born in s1avery~ on the Walton planta.. tion near Ttiiscaloosa, Alabama. She does not know h ~r age but when Mr . Walt on moved t o Texas, before the Civil War, she was old enough to work in the fields. Josephine is blind and very feeble. She Ii ves with a daughter at 1520 Arthur St . Houst on Texas. Lawd bave mercy, I been here a thousand year, seems like. Course I ain t been here s~ long, but it seems like it ~vhen I gits to thinkin back. It was long time since I wae born, lone fore de war. Manmiy s name was Leonora and she was cook fcr Marse Tim Walton what had de plantation at Tu.scaloasa. Dat am in Alabamy. Papa s name was Joe Tat~ and. he lived on de place Ijinini ~ Course, papa and mamy wasn t married Like folks now, cause dein tim~.s d.c white folks jes pr slave men and women together like hosses or cattle. Dey afl.us done tell us it am wrong to lie and steal, but why did d~ white folks steal my mammy and her nammy? Dey lives obst to some water, somewheree over in Africy, and de man come in a little boat to de sho ~rnd tell dem he got presents on de big boat. 1~ost de men am out huntin t~rid / my mammy and her m~imy gite took out to dat big boat and dey locks dem in a black hole what maiwny say so black rou can ~ see Dat de sinful1~ st etea:Lin dey is, De captain keep dem locked in dat bla k hole till dat boat gits to Mobile and c3~ey is put on de block and sold. Mammy is battt twelve ~rear. old and dey am sold to Mars. Tim, ~it grandma dies. in a month end dey puts her in ~ slave graveyard.

169 164

Ex. s~1ave Stories ~ ~wo ~ ~ (Texas) * ~ ~ ~ Mammy aiti fluss gal till she git older and den cook, and. d~en old Marse Tim puts her and papa together and she has eight chilien. I reckon Marse Tim ar t no wcx~ser dan other whit e folks. De nigger dri ver ~ whip us, with de r ason and without de reason. You never kt~ov~ed. If dey done took de notion dey jes lays it on yoi.i and you can t do nothin . One mornin we te all herded up and mammy am cryin and say dey gwine to Tex~.e, but can t take papa. He don t long to deti. Dat de laste~ t line we ever seed papa. Us and. de women am put in we~ons but de men slaves am chained t ogether and has to walk. ~ Marse Tim done git a big farm up by Marshall but only live a year dere and. his boys ru~n 1e place. Dey jes like day papa. work us and work us. Lawd have mercy, I hear dat call in de mornin like it jes jesterday, All right, everybody out, and y~x better git out iffen you. don t want to feel dat bullwhip cross you back. My gal I lives *ith don t like me to talk bout dem times. She s~y it ain t no more and it ain t good to think bout it. But when you has live in slave times you ain~t gwine forgit dem, no, stiW l s old and blind and no count, but I s alivs, but in slave times I d. be dead long time ago, cauee white folks didn t have no use for old niggers and git diet of dem one way or t other. . $It ain t till de sojere comes we is frei. Dey wante us to git in de pickin , mo niy folks and saine nor. stays. Dey didn t know no place to go to. : Maamy done took sick and die and I hires out to cook for Missy Roward, and :~ ~ marries her coachman what 81fl Woodeon Howard. We farms and C ornes t o Houst on

170 165

E~x s1ave Stories (Texas) Page Three nigh sixty year ego. Dey has mule cars don. 1~1oodson gits a jo~ dra~rin ~th fore he dies w~ raises three boys and seven gals, but all cept two gals ara de~d now, Dey takes c~ire of me, and dat all I know bout myself. . . S

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 171 166

j e.:)(~,)~4.4L~~ XP!~~ .J~ (j EL1SLAVi~ STOBL~S P~e One 166 ( Texas) LIZZI~E~ H1JGI~E8, blind Ne~ress of Harrison County, Texas, was born on Clix istmas ay, 1848 a si ave of Dr. Newton Fall, near Nrcog doches. Lizzie married when she was eighteen and has lived near Marshall since that time, She is cared for by a married daughter, who live on Lizzies farm. ~ ~k~r ~ p~ Lizzie Fa .)! Hughes. I was borned on Chri9tmas at OI~ rE~no, t~ reen old Nacogdoches to~r~ and S~n A~gu.stine0 Dat eighty.-nine year ago In slavery time. My ycxing master give me fly ~C On a piece of paper when I r~a~rried b~it the rats cut it up. I longed toDr. ~ all and old Miss Nancy, his wife. They come from Georgia. Papa was named ~d ~lilson Fall and mammy was June, Dr. Newton Pa~il had a big place at Chireno and a hundred slaves They lived in 1~ houses round the edge of the field. We had everything we needed. Dr. Newton nui a store and was a. big printer. He had a printin house at Chireno and nother in Calif ornia, The land was red. and they worked them~ big Missouri mules and sho1 raised s orn thint Maste~r had fifty head of cows t oo arid they was plc nty wild a. When mas ter was ~ne he had a overseer, but tel). him not to whip. He didn t ~lieve in nishin his niggers. All tbe white folks at Ohireno was good to they niggers. On Saturday ~ ~ night mast r give all the men a jug of syrup ~nd a sack of flour and a~ h~i or middlint rand th ~ smokehouse was anus full of beef arid pork. We h d a gooa~ime on that place and the nigg~ers~Was happy. I member ~ if ~ ~ the len g out in the mornin singin : t, -1..

172 167

Ex~s1ave ~torie ~ 16 ; (Texas) LUI went to the barn with a shini~n , bright moon, I went to the wood a~huntin a coon. The coon spied me from a sugar maple tree, . Down went Xiv, g~ and up~ the tree went me. Nig~r and co ~n come ~ down, G4ve the hide to m~.ster to take off to town, That coon was full of good old fat, Arid master brung me a new b~,aver hat,t Part of tnother song go like this: s 1Master say, you breath smell o ~ brandy, Nigger say, no, I~s lick 11ass~s candy. t, When old maste~r come to the Ict and hear the men singin 3. ike that, he say, Them boys is lively this mornin , I~s ~wine git a big day s plowint done~ They did, too, 1cause them big Missouri mules sho tore up that red land. S0m~ti~ne they sing: tThis ~itn t Christmas mornin , just a long summer day, Hurry up, yellow boy and don t run sway, Grass in the cotton and weeds in the corn, Get in the field, tcause ~.t soon he morn.1 ~ At night wh~r~ the hands come in they didn t do nothin but eat and cut up round the quarters. They d have a big ball in a big barn there on the place and sixty and seventy on the floor at once, singin : t 1juba this and Juba that, J~ba killed a yaller cat. . Juba this and Juba that, R~ld you partner where you at ~ 0The whites preaokied to the niggers and the niggers preached to they~ selves. Gen man sho could preach good. the~i times; everybody cried, they preached so good. I s a mourner when I git free. I s big 1nough to work round the house when war starts, but not big ~nou~gh to be atudyin bout marryin . I~s sho sorry when wets sot frees

173 168

Ex slave Stories Page Three (Texas) Old. mt~ster didn t tell his niggers they free. He didn~t went them to go. on a day he s cone, two white men corne and. showed us a piece of paoer and say we s free now. One them men was a big mill man and told iiiama hetll give her $12.00 a month ~nd feed her seven li . niggers if she go cook fcr h~ milihands. Papa done die in slaveiy, so ~nzna goes with the man. I mn off and. hid unier th~ house, I wouldn t le,we till I se~ed master. ~Then he corne home he S1~y, Lizzie, why didntt you go? I SPA,~T, ~I dontt want to 1~ave my preserves and light bread. He let me sta~r. Then I gits me a. li,l man. He works for r~ ster in the store ~ind I works round the house. Master give me two dresses and a pair of shoes when I married. We lived with him ~ year or two and then corne to Marsh~J1. My husband worked on public work z~nd I kept house for white folks and we saved our money and buyed this ~ farm. My man s dead fourteen years now ~jid my gal. and. herhusband keeps the farm goin , ~L~e and my nan didn t have nOthiJI~ when we left Naoo~doches, but we works hard and. saves our money and buyod this farm. It 1pear like these young niggers don t try to cumulate nothin .

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 174 169

I 4 )4_~ ) ) ~ ) 1~X SLAVE STORIES Page One . (Texas) MO~ HtJBS~1Y believes he is abo~it ei~hty-tw~ i years old. He wwas b3rn in slavery on 2~ plantation in Louis ~ ? i~a, ~nd was br~u~ht t~ Tex~~s by his parents after they were freed. Mose ( has been a pre~ cher nvsst ~f h~s life, ~nd n~w believes he is appointed by Ged to be Head Prophet of the Wir1d,~ He lives with his. d.au~hter at 1120 Tenth ~ St. Da1l~as Texas. UI was born srnewhere in Louisiana, hut can t rec lect the pl~ee exact, 1eause I w~.s such a little chap when we left there. But I h~arsd my mother and father say they belonged to Marse Morris, a fine ~ ntleru~n, with everything fine. He sold them to M~rse Jim Bolin~, of Red River O,unty, In Texas. So they chances their name from Marris to Bolin~, Liza B 1in~ and Charl e Boling,they was, Marse Boiin~ didn t buy my brother ~ ~ sister, so t1i~.t ~ me the oldt,rest child ~nd the onliest one. The Bolin~s had a tnerm.us bi~ house and a enormous b~ piece of lath. The h u5e WaS the finest I ever seen, white ~nd two-.~story. He had absut sixty 5l2Ve5, ~nd he tho~ht a powerful lot of my folks, cause they was ~o d wsrkers, My mother, speci~1, w~s a powerful l1~ious woman. ~ fe lived right well eois iderin . We had. a I it tie lo~ house like the rest of the ni~ers ~nd I played round the place. Eatin time come, my mother brux~ & pst ef peas or beans and cornbread or side meet. I had nither brother and sister comm1 long then, and we had tin plates and cups and knives an3. sp.,n~, and allus sot to our food. ~ t, We bad ~ asugh if cl s thes s ich as t hey was . I ware shi rtt ail s ~ut of dusktng till I was a big bey. All the little nigg~ers wore shirttails. My 1: mother had. fair t, middili sotton dresses, ~ S ~ ~ ~ ~ ~: ~ ~ . ~ ~ .

175 170

Ex slave Steries Page Twe j~7r~ ( Texas) ~ A1l we&c the nig~~s worked plantii~ end h eint aiid carin fer the 1ivest~k. They raised cotton and corn and ve~ tab1es, and mules 2nd. herses ~nd haw~s and sheep. OnSun~ays they had raeetin , sometimes at eur hause, slrnetirnes ;~t nother house. Right fine meetin s, tea, They d pre2ch ~uid prey and 5ifl~ sheut, tee. I heared therA ~4t up with a powerful force f the spirit, Ilappin they h~nds ~nd w~1kin round the place. They d sheut, I ~at the glory. I ~et that eid tiuze li~ion in my heart. I seen s~rne powerful fi~r~ti~ns of the spirit in ther~i deys. Uflcle Billy preached to us wid. he wa~ right ~ ad at pre~chin! ~iid n~t r21iy ~. ~aed ra~, anyways. ~ 1e d sing: Sister$, W9Zitt ylti help rae bear my eress, Help me hear ray er~ss, I been dene wear my cress. I been dane with all thix&gs here, Cause I reteh aver Zie s Hjll. Sisters, ~n1t ~rau ple~.se help bear my cress, Up over Zien s hill? . NI seed. a smart number if w~~ans ~nd xmiles a ~assi~ 219n~ and sorte camp alen~ the weads by eur pl~ee. I heared they w~s a w2r 2fld feiks was ~oi~ with 1visieiis and livesteek. I wasn t rauch bi~ger n a minute and I was seared clean te my wits, Then they~s a time when paw sabirs we ll be a-.8e2rchiu a place t. stzy and werk en a pa~y ~ They was e. esnsider ble many ni~~rs left the B~li~~s. The day we went away, which was tcaUse ~ the bre~in1 i~ 1f slavery, we went in the w~gsn, sut the e~rriage gate in freut the B.lin~ s plase. As we was leavin ~4~ B.li ~ called ins ar l. give inc a cup sweet esffee~ He theught ~ . sansid ble plent~r cf me. ~ : ~ ~ ~We went. t. a place eaUed Uaztua, er semethin like that. ~ p~w s~s he ll make a mai cf me, and he puti me to breakin grsu3ad and eh,Dpin w sd, i~

176 171

Ex~slave Steries P2g~e ThDee (Texas) Them was b~.d times, Meney was scarce and aur f~edin wa~ pare. My p~w died and ni~w ~nd me and the ehildre~, Nancy and ~ar~ina ~nd Jess e and Ge~r~e, rniv~s. t. ~ little place right outside Sherman. M~v teok in washin ~~id ironin . I went ene week t. seheal anc~. the teacher !cidI le9rned fastest af any bay she ever see. She was a nice, white l~dy. Maw tt~~k rie Sut of sch~ol 1eause she needed ne at herne t. tend the ather children, 5015 she c~uld w~rk. I h d a p.werfu . yearniu t. read and write, and I stu~died aut n my beeks by rayseif and ~y friends helped me with the ciph riii . I did wh~tever wark I ~u1d find te ~o, but my rn~w said I was a different miod t e the ther shiIdrer~ . I was allus f a ligi lus and se ri aus turn if naind. I was b~ptised when I was fifteei~ and. then when I was abaut twenty~4ive I heared a clear call,ts preash the Gispel-.~w.rd. I went te . pre~shin the werd o ~ Gawd. I get ms~rried and raieed a. family of children, and I farmed and preached. t, ~ was just ~. preacher t ill abeut thirty years age and then Gawd started ;aa3ciii ~ prophet sut ef me. Te~y I ~rn Maze Hursey, Ucad Praphet t, the ~Yerld. They is le ser pr.phets, but I is the main ~ne. I become ~ great pr.phet by festin aid prayin . I fast M.ndays and Wedne$days a:itd Frid&75. I kniw Gawd. 15 feedin the peiple threugh me. I see hii~ in visions au~ he epeaks t. me, In 1936 1 saw him at Csmraerce and Jefferscn Streets(Dal1~s) . a*d 1~xe h~d ~ great baaner, ~sayin~ ~ needs a pensie~i. ~ In A~iguet this ; ear ~ . . I had a great vielen if war in the easterr~ cerner if the wend. I seen miles ~ of aea.aa~ shi* a~d big gtin. and trex~chee filled with dead. men. Gewd tells me t. tell the pesple t i be pre~par.d, ea~ise the tides if ww le rellin thl5 way, ~ ~ *a*d~ all the thiueande if ailhiene if d.illare they spend agia it ~* t gela t. L~ atip it. I live t~ tell pe.ple the w.rd~ awd epea~ threugh me~ ~ ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 177 172

4~QO81 EX-SLAVE STORLES Page One (Texas) ~ OHARLEY HIJPT, 85, was born a slave of John Hurt, who owned a large plantation ath over a hundred slave s in Ogieth orpe County, Georgia. Charley stayed with his m~.ster for five years afte after the Civil ~ar. In 1899 ~ Charley nioved to Fort t ~ orth, ~nd now lives at 308 S. Harding St. Yes, euh, I~ra borned. in slavery and not shamed of it cause I can t help how I~in bornf ~d, Dc~re ~zn folks what wont s~y de t borned in slavery. Us plantation ~iz~ near M~. e, over in O~1ethorpe County, in eorgia, and massa am John Hart ~d ~he have near a hunerd slaves. Us live in de 1i l cabin mice from logs chink with mud, and straw and twigs ~ ~ . ~ ani mix with dat mud to make it hold. De big chimley ~m outside ~e cabin mostly, and em logs ~nd mud, too. De cabin ~in bo ~it ten by twenty feet and jus one room. ~Wou1d I like some dem rations we used to git, now? Deed I woild. Dem was good, dat meat and co~nmeal and lasses andplenty milk and some~ tim s butter. D. meat am mostest pork, with some~beef, cause massa raise plenty hawgz and. t enclin meat curin ~m my first work. I put s dat meat in di brine and den smokes de h~s and eh oulde re . Whe n hawg~ki1l in t irne c orne 11m busy watchin de sm ke~iou~se, ~hat am big, ax~d h~tms and sich hung on racks b ut six ~ et high from d.firepl~ce. Den it u~r duty to keep dat fire sm~ 4erin and jus emokin~ ~e more smoke, de better. Den I packs dat meat In hawge heads and put s salt over each li~yer. Oat am some meat t

178 173

Ex-slave Stories Page Two 1 73 ~ L ~ (Texas) ~ . III mus tell i r~~ about dat whiskey and brandy. Massa have he own still and allus have three barrel$ or more whiskey ~thd brandy on h2nd.. Den on Christm~.s Day, him puts a tub of whiskey or brandy in de yard and h~n~s tin cups round de tub. Us helps ourselves. At f rst us start jolcin with each other, den starts to sifl~ ~fl~1 everybody am hapy. M ssa watches us ~nd 1f oneus gittin too much, massa sends him to he cabin and he sleep it off. Anyway, dat one day on mas ~ s place all am happy and forgit s dey am slaves, tDe l~,st Chri stmas fore surrender I git s too much and am sick. Gosh a~rnighty! Dat de sickest I ever be and dat de last time I gits drunk. Yes, euh, dat spot . dis ni~~r s taste for whiskey. . Now, bout whuppin~5, dei~i ~m only one whuppin what ~n give. Jerry gits dat, cause he wont do what massa say. He tie Jerry on de log and . have de rawhide whu,p. ~ Dere ai~ system on dat plantation. Everybody do he own work, sich as field hands, stock hands, de blacksmith and de shoem~aker and de weavers J . t and clothes makers, l in all round worker and goes after de mail, jus t, S~1fl~jfl~ ~rOUfld de p ~ce. When de war start, all massais sons jines de army. He have three. John am de captain and James carxy de flac and I guesses 4ugust am jus S de plain . sojer. Dey all ccm~s home fore de ~ am finish. Augtist git rim . ~ ~ ~ over by do wheel of de . cannon truck 2nd it cripple he l ge so he can t walk good. Jam.s gite stoic with eome kind fever misery ~ad h. am sent home. D*n John as shot in de shoulder and it eta~r soi, and won t heal, One day ~ s -2~

179 174

f . ~ ix slave Stories ~ Pa~eThree 174 (Texas) Jerry say to massa he want to look at dat sore. Hirn see somethin stickin out and he pull lt. It a piece of young in~ssa s coat ~nd de bullet h~tve carry it into de flesh ~nd it am dere a whole year. De sore gits ~l1 right after dat out. t Fore de boys goes to fightin dey trains ne~.r de pi~ce where ~n de big~ field for t o train hunerde of soi er boys . I 1 ikes dat ca~s e de c wns goes ~ t e r~ump t er-uxnp r-uinp, turnp tump and de fi fes goe s ~ ~ e t e ta, te,tat1 and plays Dixie. One day Youni~ massa trainin dein sojers and he ~m walkin backwards and facin dem sojers, and jus as hi~ say, ~ down he ~o, flat on he back. Rl~t away quick, hin say, Bout face, cause him don t want dem sojers to laugh in he face, so he turn dem round. When surrender come, all dciii what not kilt cornes home and dey have a big ception in Maxie. Dey have lots of long tables and de food ~ put on fore de train come in. Dere was two coaches full of de boys ~nd dey doesn t wait for dat train to stop. No, euh, dey crawls out de windows. Well, dere am huggin ~nd kissin of de homefolke, and dey all laughin ~nd cryin at de sane time, cause of de joy dey s feelin . Den dey all sets down to de feast. Massa make de welcome talk. I done hide in de wagon full of h~ns and cakes and pies and dere a canvas ov~r dat stuff, and dat how 1 glts to dat welcome home. ~ : ~ I crawle out fore dey unload.e de ~ wagon and fore bug massa see inc ~dhlm say, ~G0dhi for herniockl Boy, how ccmee ~Q ~ I lets ray face : ~UP~a 1i~I, bcrut h&If a 1au.~. I says, I rides under d~a.t canvas. Dat start him laughin and he t ei le de peopie dat I in a p ot I o nigger . ~&ft er aey all eats ~s niggere gita to eat. l or once, I gite p1ent~ pie and. cake ~ ~ 1~

180 175

Ex slave Stories Page Four (Texas) 15 Us never have iauch joyrnents in slave time. Only when de corn ready for huskin ~i1 de neighbors comes den and a whole big crowd ~n a~huskin ~nd singin . I can t tmomber dem songs, cause I m not much for ~ingin . One go like dis: ~ ~ silpull de husk, break cli ear; Whoa, I ~ ~ot de red ear here. ~Jhen ycrct finds de red ear, dat titles ~rou to de prize, like kissin di gi~1 or de drink of brandyor somethin . Dey not nough red ears to suit us. l in thirteen year when surrendercome. M~issa don t call us to hirn 111cc othor massas done. Rira jus go mongst de folksand say, Wefl, folks, yous am free now ~nd no longer my prop ty, and yous titled to pay for work. I member old J~rry sines, Free, free as de~aybird. free to flew like de jaybird. lVhew! t Some de culli4folks stays and sonie goes. Mostest dem stays and works de land on shares, I st2ys till I~m eighteen year and den I works for a farmer den for a blacksmith den some carpenter work and. some railroaxlln . Dc fact am, I works at anything I could find to dose. I does dat most my l1fe~ I, ~ good for nie to stay with Ma~ssa Hurt after freedom, ~ cause den dey plenty trouble in every place. Dire am fightin twixt white and cullud folke over votin axid sich. Dey try lect my brudder to Congress one t irne, . . but he not hot, cause de wh1t~ m~n what am runnint gainet him gits a : ~ cullud. preacher to ran tgainst dem both. Dat split de cullud vcttes and de :~ white :man am hot ~ I vot ei like de white man say, C ouple times bu~t after ~ :dat~ i~ e to~a votin! . It ain .t rig~t for me to vote lese I knows how and i*y. I lama to rsa4 and den starte vot in gain. :~: ~ . ~ .. ~ . .~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ 4-

181 176

Ex~slave Stories ?a~e Five (Texas) j(Q tifter de war de ~u Klux ~m org nize ~nd dey makes de niggers plenty trouble. Sometimes de niggers h25 it comm1 to em ~nd lots of tiin~s dey am posed on. Dere a old; cullud marL name George and he dont t trouble nobody, but one nicht de ~ whit e caps ~ dat what dey called ~ comes to George ~ p2- ace Now Go orge know of s orne folks what am whupped for no~ cause s o he prepare for dem white caps. Then dey ~its to he house George am in de loft. He tell dem he done nothin wrong ~nd for dem to go tway, or he kiTh dem. Dey say he gwine have a free sample of what he git if he do wrong and one c~em white caps starts up de ladder to git George and George shoot him dead. tNother white cap starts shootin through de ceilin . He can t see G~eorge but t-brough de cracks George can see andhe shoote de second feller. So dey leaves and say dey corne back. Georg. nuis to he old massa and he takes George to de law men. Never nothint ~ done tb~t him kuhn de white caps, t cause dem whit e caps goe s round ~ busing niggers . ft I comes t o T exas ~ ~ out 40 year since and git ~ ~y purty ~o od t ill de depression comes, den it herd for me. My age am gainst r~ie, too, and many de time I s wish for some dat old h~m and bacon on de olc~ plantation. t First I marries Ann Arrant, in 1898 dat was, and us have three chilien but dey all dead. Us git ep rate in 1917 and I marries Mary Du~rh~n in 1921, and us still livint together. Us have no chullen.~ U~mmy haire ten chilien but t ra de only one what am ~ now ~ cwise I ~in de youngest. r

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 182 177

420()88 ~L.SLATE STOBI~S Paie One 17? ( ~ SASH INGRIM, a 93 year old Negro, wa~ born a al ave of Capt . Jim Well, of Btc~mond, Va. Hi~ father, Charley Wall Ingra*, ran away and secured work in a gold mine. Later, hi. mother died end Capt. Wall sold Wash and hi. two brothers to Jim Ingram, of Carthage Texas ~ Wben Wash1~ father learned this, he overtook his eons before they reached Texas sind put himself back in bondage, 0 he could be with his children. Wash served as water carrier for the Confederate soldiers at the battle of Mansfield, La. He now lives with friend. on the ~lysian Yields Road, seven miles southeast of Marshall, Texas. UI don know ju~t how oie I t.. I was bout 18 when de War was over. I wac bo n on Captain WelP ~ place in Richmond, Tir gini . Peppy s n~e was Charl ie and mamm~~ e name was Cat line . I had six sisters and two brothers and all de sistere is dead.. I haven t heard. from my brothers since Muter turn us loose a year aft er de war. Peppy 3E~7 dat he and. mau~xy was sold and traded lot e of times in Tirgini , We always went by de name of whoever we belonged to. I first worked as a roustabout boy dere on Capt. Wall s plane in Tirgini , He was eho a big man, weighed more n 200 pound.. Re owned lote of niggers and worked lots of land. The white folks was good to u,., but Peppy was a fight in man and he run off and got a j ob in a gold aine in Tirgini . TMAfter p~~py mn away, ma~iy died and den one day de overseer hoMed up a big bunch of us nigger. and driv us to Barnua~s Tradin Ya d

183 178

Ix slave Stories p~ ~o (Texas) gt down in Mississippi. Dat s a place where dey sold and traded Niggers jus lait stock. I cried when Capt. lau sold. me, c~se dat was one mnn iat sho was good to his nigger.. But be had too mamy slaves. Cotton w~s a good price den and. dem slave bu~rera had. plenty of money. We was sold to J im Ingram, )f Carthage. He bought a big gang of slaves and refugeed part or 1em to Louisiana and part to Texas, We come to Texas in ox wagons. W~ii1e we was on tae way, camped at Kea~hie, Lou~lsiana, a man come ridin into ~~amp and someone say to me, Wash, dar s your pi~ppy. ~ I cil thi ~ bel ieve it ~ise pappy was workin in a gold. mine In ni. Some of de men told. pappy x~is chilien is in camp and ue come aad un me a~d my orotaer.. ~)sn he jizie Master Ingram s slaves so us can oe W1Ih 1118 cAill5lt. Mast er Ingram had a b 1g plant at I on down near Carthage and 1 ot s of niggers. He also buyed land, cleared. lt and soi it. I plowed with oxen. We had a o~erse er and sev ra . taskmast ers . Dey whip de n iggers for no t workin r ight or for runnin way or p ilferin roun mast er s house We woke up at fou~r o cl Ock arid worked. from sunup t o sundown. Dey give us an hour for dinner. Dem dat work :oun de house et at tables with plates. Dm dat work in de field. was drove in from work and fed jus like ziosses at a blg~ long wood~en trough. Dey had to eat with a wooden spoon. 0e ~rou~n and de food was clean and always plenty oi it, and we stood up to eat. We went to bed soon atter supper dunn de week for dat s baut all we feel like d.oin after woricin twelve hours. We slept in wooten beds what had corded rope mattresses. Wo ~ia~I to learn de bet way we couid~, cause dere was no schools. We riad. churczi out in ci, woods. I didn see no mOfl~y till after de surrender.

184 179

Ix-slaTe Storis. p~ Three (Texai) ~ I Guess we &ida need. a~, ~wise dey gic~e us food and clothes and. tobacco. Ne didn have io oi~y no~i1n . I had. broadcloth cloth.i, a blue jean overcoat and good. ehoes and boots. ~ ttDe nigger. had heap better tises dart now. Now we work all tine and can t git nothin . Sat day nlgnt ~e would ha,e partl s and dance arid play ring plays. We iia& de parttea der. in a big double log house. Dey would. give ~e whiskey aM wine and cherry brandy, but dere wain ~ no ehootin or gamblin . Dey dn I ow it i~ men and. women thi do like dey do no w. If iey tiad such carryin s on as dey do now, de white folks would have Wi~ip ped em good. lx meinoer dat war and. t sees des cannons and hear8 em. I toted water for ae soldiers what fought at de Battle of Mansfield. Maater Ingram had 350 haves w~ien de war was o~er b~tt he d.id& turn us loose till a year after eurrender. Re telled us dat de gov ment goin to give ue 40 acres of land and a pair o1 wiles, but we didn git notnin After Master Ingram turn us loose, p~py bougtit a place at De Berry, Texas, and. I liv. With lilie till after I was grown. Din I marry and move t o Louisiana. I come back to Texas t~, years ago and lived with my friends here ever siix~e. My wife died. 18 years ago and. I had a iiard time ~ cause I don nave no folks, 1~it I s managed to git someone to let me work for soinethin to eat, a few clothes end a place to sleep.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 185 180

4 20()47 ~X SLAVE STORDiS Pate One (Texas) CARrER J. JACKSON, 85, was born in Mont~orn~ry, th~baxaa, a slave of Parson Dick Rogers. In 1863 the Rogers family brought Carter ... to Texas ~d he worked for them as a s1~ire until fou~r years after emanicipation. Carter was with his !nastert s son, Dick, when he was killed at Pittsburg, Pa. Carter married ejid moved to Tatuiti i a 1871. If you s w~rits to know bout slavery time, it was Hell. I~s born in M.ntgornery, over yonde~r in Alabama. My p~ppy n~m~d Charles and COUiC from Floridc and maraix~j naxn,t~d Charlotte end her from Ternies see. They was sold to Parson Rogers and brung to 1ab~m~ by him. I h.~ seven brothers call Fr~k ~d Benjamin and R1ch~~dso~ and Ander~on and Miles, Emanuel and Gill, and three sisters c~1l M11~n&a, Evaline and Salue, but I don t know if any of ~em ~re livin now. Parson Rogers cane to Texts in 63 and brung bout 42 sLves ~nd my first work was to tote water in the field. Parson lived in a good, big frame house, ~ the niggers lived in log houses what h~d dirt floors and. chimiaeys, and our bunks hp.d rope slats and grass mattress. I sho wish I could have cotch myself sleepii on a feather bed them days . I wouldn t woke up t ill Kingdom Come. We et vegetab1~s and meat and ash cake. Y0u could 1~ock you mammy in the head, ~ati~t that a~h cake bre2d. I ain t been fit since. W~ h~.d hominy cooked in the firepi ace in b ig pots th~~t amt t b ~d to talk bout. ~er was thick them days and we sot up sharp stobs iRside the pea field and them young bucks jumps over the fence and stabs them~ selves, That the only way to cotch them, cause they so wild. yo~ couldntt git a fair shot with a fifle.

186 181

Ex- s1av~ ~3tories p.~ ~t w~ (Texas) ttMassa 1~ogers had ~t 300 acre p1aiitat1oi~ and 200 in cultlvatioa a~d he had a overse~ r and Steve O 1~Tea1 was th~ nigger driver. The hors to git up bI~wed bout pour o clock ~ if w~ didn ~ f~11 out right now, the overseer was in after us H~ tied us up every which wa~r and whip us, an~ at nicht he walk th~ qu~rt~r~ to keep us frr~i runnin r~ound. On Sund~r mornin the overseer come round to each nigger cabhi with a big sack of short s ~nd cive u~s nougli to m~ce bre ~d for one dey. UI used. to steal. some chickens, cause we didn t h~?.v~ ~ough to eat, arid I don think I do~ie wrong, cause the place w~s ull of t~ii. ~ffe sho ~~rned what we et. I d. go up to the big house to rn~ke fires ~nd lots of times I seed the m~nt~i board lined with greenbacks, tween m~ntei and wall and I e snitcheI zna~ay z~ $50.00 bill, but it ~ federat e mo~e~. MC 2~rLd four of h~r chi1i~n standin b~r when mpp~yt s sold for $500.00. Cry1~ didn t stop sein from sei11it~ our ~axnmy way from us. LI ~ member the w~r was touch ~nd~ I w~nt 1on~ with young masse Dick when he went to the ~ , to wait on him. s staidin clost by when he was kilt under a big tree in Pittsburg, ~.nd fore he die he ask Wes Tatwn, one the ne1~hbor boys from home, to take care of me and return inc to Massa George. III worked on for Massa Rogers four year after that, jus like ii slavery time, and one day he call us ~d s~y we can go or stay. So I gQes with ray p~~py end. lives with him till 1871. Then I marries and works o the rai1ro&~~d when it s builded. from Longview to Big Ssndy, bout 1872. I works there sev ral years end. I raises seven chilien. After I ciuits the railroad I works wherever I cal, Ofl farms or in town. s s s

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 187 182

/1 ~)r~ro ) :~,~_k/ ~ I EL.SLAT1~S ~ ST~R1T Paie O~ie -~ ~: (vexas) JAKES JACKSON, 87 was born a slave to the Alexander family, in Caddo Parish, La. When he was about two, his master moved to Travis County, Texas A short time later he and. his two brothers were 3tolen and eold to Dr.. Xivall, in Bastrop Co. Texas. He worked around Austin til~., he mexrie&, when he moved to Taylor and then to Kaufman. In 1929 he went to Fort Worth where he has lived ever since. ~1 was bo n at Cacido Parish, th~ts in Louisiana, on de Doc Alexander plantation. My mother says I was bo n on de 18th day of December, in de year of 1850. 1 g~iess dat s right, caase I~s 8? years oie dis comiri December. Jus1 1bout dat time dey started ehippin de larkies to Texas. My mareter moved to Travis County, Texas, and tuk all his slaves wid him. I was too young to member, but my mother, she told me bout it. flit waan long after we was on Marster Alexander s new place in Travis County, till one night a man rod.e up on a hose and. stole me and my two brothers and rode away wid us. He tuk us to Baatrqp Coimty and. sold us to Doc D~wal1. Marster ~wa11 sold. my brother right after he bought us, but me and John, we stayed wid. him till. de slaves was freed, On )Larster 1~tvall e plantation de slaves all lived in log cabina back of de big house. Dey was one room, two rooms and three room cabins, dependin on de size of de family. k~~t had. dirt floors, but some of em had log slab.. We had d.ese oie wooden

188 183

EX-Slave Stories Page Two ~ . (Texas) beds wid a rope stretch across de bottom and. a mattresB of traw or cotton dat d.e niggers got in de fie1 ~ We had. lots to eat, like biscuit, cornbread, meat and sich stuff. Most times dey made coffee outta parch cornmeal. We had gardens and raised most of de stuff to eat, III herds sheep and Is houseboy most of de time. When I was oie enough, I picks cotton. I was jus learnin when de slaves wag freed, Mateter Thivafl had. over 500 acre s in cott on and he kep us in de fiel all de time, ~ cept Saturday afternoon and Su.nday. 4Dey had meetint and dances Saturday nights. I was too young t o ~embe r u what de songs was but dey had a fiddle and. pl~~yed ail night lone. On evert Sunda~ do niggers went to Church In de evenin . Dey had a white preacher in de morning and a c~d1ud preacher in de evenin . Marster !ktvall would whip de niggers who was disobedience and he jus call dem up and ask dem what was de trouble, den he would whip dein wid. a cowhide or a rope whip. We could go criywhere iffen w had a pass, but if we didn de paddlerollers would ketch u~s~ They was kinda like policemen we got today. SIn slavery, dey traded and. sold niggers like dey do hosses and mules. Dey carry dem to de court house and put dem on de block and w~ction ~em off. Some sold. for roun $3,000. It was hard to sell one wid. scars on hie, cause nobody wanted him. I seen tern come by in droves, all chained. together.

189 184

:Ix.-el&ve stories Page Three ~ .~ .~ (Texas) When de slaves was free dey was shoe ~ppy~ ~y all got together and had a kin of cel bration. )Lareter told dein if dey wanted to stay and help ~a1ce de ~t4p, he d. give es 50 cents a day and a place to st~. Smie tuk him up on dat and. etayed, but a lot of dem left d.ere. Me and ay brother, we started walkin to Austin. In Austin we finds ~ir mother, she was working for Judge Pasohal. She hire s us ou.t t o one place and den another. Since freedom I done aost everything anybody could do. I been porter and waiter in hotels and rest rants I been factory hand, and wox~ed for carpenters and. in de roun house. I picked cotton and worked on de faxa. I been aarr~ed 61 years. I gits rnarri~ at hoae, like civilize folks do. I raised a big faaily, 12 ch1llen~ but only five is alive today. I moved here in 1929 and looks like I . here till I die.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 190 185

42()i ~8 1~5 ZX~8LAVE STOB~tES (~exas) MAGGIE JACKSON was born a slav. of the Sam Oliver family, in Cass Co., Texas, near Douglaaville, . S~e is about 80 years old. and her aem ry Is not very good, so her story givse few details. SAIe lives with her daughter near Doug.. lasvill., on highway #8. I ~ am about 80 y8X8 old ~nd was a oMle daring slavery t mie . My papa e name was Pois Spencer Hall and my mama* ~ was Margaret Kall. My brothers arid sisters was Maria and Barbara and Alice and Octavia and Andrew and. Thomas arid HillarY and ~ugenia and Silas and Thomas. We was a big fa~ ly. ~My mi~*a was Sam Oliver s slave, but my p~a lived. a mile away with }Lasta Sam Carlow. We lived in box houses and slep on wood beds and we et co i~.bread arid peae and. grits and lote of rab-s bit. and possums. Mama cooked lt on the fireplace. Masta Sain e house was bi(and iai B1X big rooms with a hail throug~i the middle ax~d the kitchen sot wa~ off in the ya d and hail a big cellar wider it. Masta Sam had. a big orchard and. put epples and. pears in the cellar for the winter. My brothers u to slip u~nder there and steal them and mama d whip em. The big house set ~aong big oa~c trees and the slaves houses was scattered rount the back. Masta S~ had ~ ole cowhorn he use to blow for the nigger. to come outta tt~e fiel , n~os, all us chilien wen fistiin on Saturday and we d fish with pins. One day I slipped. off and caught a whole string of fish. .4-

191 186

183 ~x~..elaveStoriss Page Two (Texas) We learned. to read and write and we wen to cimrch with the white folks. Masta Sam was good to us and gave us plenty fool and clothes. I ~ never was fraid of haint e and I never sei none but I know same seen ~ pli married John Jackson in a white muslin dress and. we was married by Dan Sher~an, a cu .lud preacher from Jefferson. I iaarried John cause I lovsd hia and we dicin f~iss ar~d fight. I has fi~s cnlllen and five gx andchillen.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 192 187

420083 :~L.sLAv~ STORt~S Page One (Texas) MJJ(TIN JACKSON, who calls himself a black Tern , well deserves t.o select a title of more distinction, for it is qu~1.te possible that he is the only living former slave who servBd. in both the Civil War end the world War. He was born in bonde~e in Victoria Co. Texas, in 1847, the property of Alvy Fitz. p trick. This self respecting Negre is totally blind, ~nd when a person touches him on the arm to guide him he becomes bewildered and. asks his helper to give verbal directions, up, down, rigbt or left. It may be he has been on his own so long that he cannot at this late ciste, rea4just himself to the touch of a helping hand.. His mind. is uncommonly clear and he spe~cs with no Negro colloqtiialisms and almost no dialect. Following directions as to where to find Martin Jackson, the most r~iarkable Negro t~ Sen Antonio, a researcher made his way t o an old. frame house at 419 Center St. walked up t ie steps and through the house to an open door of a rear room. There, on an iron bed, lay a long, thin Negro, smoking a cigarette. He was dressed in a woolen undershirt and black trousers and his beard and mustache were trimmed muck3. after tue fashion of white gallants of the Gay Nineties. His head. was remarkably well e~ia~~d, with striking emincnces in fie forenead over hie brows. After a moiiient the intruder spoke and announced his miseion~, The old Negro, who is stone blind, quickly admitted that he was Martin Jackson, but before making any farther comment he carried on an effioient interview himself; he wanted to know who tue caller was, who ~ad directed the visit and just what branch of the Federal service happened to be interested in the days or slavery. These questions

193 188

~x e1ave Stories Page Two ( Texas) satisfactorily aziswered, he went into his adventures and experiences, em-. bellistiing the high1i~hts with uncommon discernment and very little prod-. ding by the researcher. t I have about 85 years of good. memory t o cell on. I m ninety, and 80 I~Tfl not cou.nting my first five years of life. I~l1 try to give you as clear a picture as I can. If you. want to give me a copy of what you are going to write I Il appreciate it . Ma~rbe some o ~ my children would like to have it. t I was here in Texas wxien t~Civ il War was first talked. about. I was here when the War started arid followed my young master into it wtth tne l irst Texas Oava1ry~. I was here during reconstruction, after the War. I was tiere during the ~urepean World War and tne second week after the United States declared war on Germany I enlisted as cook at Camp Leon Springs. This sounds as if I llAced tne war racket. But, as smatter of fact, I never wore a uniform -. grey coat or khaki cost - or carried a gun, unless it happened to be one worth s &ring after some Confederate soldier got sXio~ was oil icial lugger in of men that got wou.nd.ed,and might have been called a Red Cross worker if we had had sucti a corps connected with our cotapauy. My father was head cook for the battalion and. between times I ~ie1ped nun out with tkie ~ese. There was some difterence in the food. served to soldiers in 1861 and. 1917Z t, Just wAat my fe.liu~s was about the War, I have neverbeen able to figure out myself. I knew the Tanks were g ing to win, from the beginning. I wanted. them to win and lic~c ~e S.utflernere, but I naped they was going to 2..

194 189

~x-e1a~e Storle Page Three (Texas) do it without wiping ot~ our company. I~11 come back to that in a minute. As I said, our company was the First Tei~ae Cavalry. CoL~ Buehell was our commander. He was a full-blooded German and as fine a man and. a soHier a y0i ever saw. He was killed at the Battle of Marshall and died In ~y arms. You may also be interested to know that my old. master,,. Llvy Fitz~ patrick, waa the grandfather of Governor Jim Ferguson, SLots of oH slaves closes the door before they tell the truth about their days of slavery. When the door is op , they tell how kind. their masters was and ilOW rosy it all was. You can t blame t~iem for this, because they nad plenty of early discipline, making them cautious about saying anytning uncomplimentary about trieir masters. I, myself, was In a little different position than most slaves ari~, as a consequence, kiave no grudges or resentment . However I can t ell you t ne li te of t h~e average slave was not rosy. T iey were dealt out plenty Of cruel suffering. :Even with my good treatment, I spent most of my time plaxrdng and. thinking of running away. I could nave done it easy, but my old. fatner used. to s~, No use running from bad to worse, hunting be~ter. Lots of colored. boys did. escape and joined the Union army, azid there are plenty of them drawing a pension today. My father was always counseling me~ He said, tZvery man has to serve God under hie own vine and fig 1 He kept pointe Ing out that the War wasn t going to last forever, but that our forever was going t o be spent I lying ~zong ~ the Southeners aft er they got 1 icked. He d cite exa~plee of how the whites would stand flatfooted and fight for the blacks the same as for members of their own family. I knew that all was true, bi~tt still I rebelled, from inside of me. t think I rally was afraid to run away~, 4.,

195 190

j~x~~s1aVe Stories p~ Fou.r ~ ~ (Texas) becau~se I thought my conscience would haunt me. My father knew I felt tnis wa~r and heed ~ my fears in deeper. One of nie reiaarks still rings In ears: A clear conscience opens bowels, and when you have a gullty soul lt ties you up and deatn will not for long desert you. I No, si r, I haven t had any eclucat ion. I should have tiad one, tnough. My old missus was Sorry, after the War, that she didn t teach me. Her name, before she raarried my old. master, was Mrs. Long. S~e lived in ~Tew York City and had three SOnS. when my old master s wife died, ie wrote up to a friend of his in New York, a very pr~inent mercnant naraed C. C. Stewart. He told. this friend he wanted a wife and gave him specifications for one. deli, Mrs. Long, whose husband had. died, fitted the bill and she was sent down to Texas. She became Mrs. Fitzpatrick. She wasn t the grandmother of Governor 7erguson. Old Pjtzpatr~ck had two wives t~tiat preceded Mrs. Long. . One of trie wives had. a daughter named Fanny Fitzpatrick nnd it was ~er that w~s the Texast govern~ s mother. I ~eezn to have the co plicated f~i1y tree of my old xn&ster more clear than I ve got my own, altAough mine cnn be put in a riutshellZ I married onl r once and. was blessed in it with 45 y~ears ot devotion. I riad 13 children and. a big crop of grandchildren. My earliest recollection is the dny niy old boss presented me to his son, Joe, as kiis property. I was about fire years old and my new master was only two. It was in the Battle of Marsria .l, in Louisiana, that Co . Buchell got shot. I was abou.t three miles from the front, where I had pitched up a kind. of first- aid station. I was all alone there. I watched the whole thing. I could hear the shooting and ~ee the firing. I remember standing there and

196 191

ji~x-~siav~ Stories Pace Five (Texas) t thinking the South didn t have a chance. All of a sudden I heard someone call. It was a S oldier, who was half carrying C ol Buchell in. I d.IdXt ~ t do nothing foi~the Colonel. He was too far gone. I juBt kield. nirn comfortable, and that was thc position ne wae In when he stopped breathing. That was tne worst hurt I got when 8flybody died. He waa a friend of iiiine . Be had had a lot of soldier~ Ing before and fought in the Indian Wat well, the Battle of Marehall broke the back of the Texas Cavalry. ~e began straggling back t oward.e New Orlean , and by that t line the War was over. The soldiers began to scatter. They was a sorry~look1n bunch of bet sheep. They didn1t know where to g~, but moet of era ended up pretty close to the towns they started from. They was like homing pigeons, with only the instinct to go home end, yet, most of them bad. no homes to go to. No, sir, I never went into books. I used to handle a big dictlon 827 three times a day, but it was only to put lt on a chair so my young master could s t up higher at the table. I never went to school. I learned to talk pretty good by associating with my masters In their big house. Nie lived on a ranck~ af about l~OOO acres close to the Jackson County line In Victoria County, about 125 miles from San Antonio. Just before the; war end ~ they sold the ranch, slaves and all and the fein ily, not away fighting, moved. to Galvestoh. Of course, my father and me wasn t sold with the other blacks, because we was away at war. My mother was thowned. years before when I was a littie boy. I only remember her after sh~ Was dead. I can t&ceyou to the spot in the river today where she was drowned. She drowned herself. I never knew the reason behind it, but it was said. she started to lose her mind and preferred death to that.

197 192

E~x a1ave Stories ~ Six (Texas) 1j1Lz# At this point in the old Negro s narrative the sound of someone singing was heard. A moment later the door to the house sl~ni~ed shut and in accompaniment to tne tread of feet in the kitchen came thiS song: HI sing because 11rn happy, And I sing because I ia free ~. Ris eyes 18 Ofl the sparrow An~t I know ~e wat ches me ~ The slager glanced In the bedroom and the song ended with both em.~ b~rrassment and anger: Pather! Thy didn t yoti say you had callers? It was not long, however, before the singer, Mrs. ~aggie Jackson, dau.ghter.-in.4aw of old Martin Jackson, joined in the a,nversatlon. The master s naine was usually adopted by a slav after he was set free, This was done more because it was the logical thing to do and the easiest way to be identified than it was through affection for the master. Also, the government seeni&. to be in a almighty hurry to have us get names. We had to register as someone, so we could be citizens. Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves that was going to teke the nane Fitz- patrick. I made up my mind. I d. find me a different one. One of my ra~d~ fathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. After th1~ clear headed Negro had posed for his photograph, the re~ searcher took ni s leave and the old bi md. man bade him a graci otis ~ good~ bye . Re stood as if watching his new friend walking away, and then lighted a cig~ arette. Row long liSWa you been smoking,, Martin? called back the researcher. WI picked up the deadly habit, answered Martin, 11over seventy~-five years ago. *** *************

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 198 193

~1 )(~ Q~ ~krii,U ) EL.SLAVE STORIES Page One (Texas) NANCY JkCKSON, about 105 ye~~rs old., ~7as born in M~.diso~ Co., Tenri~ssee, ~. slave of th~ Griff Lacy family. She W28 married. during slavery ~id w~s the mother of three children when she was freed. In 1835, N~ncy claims she was brought to Tex~ as by her owner, and hR~ lived in Panola Co. ~i1 h~r life. She has no proof of her a~e ~xid, of course, m~y be in the l~te nineties instead of over one hundred, as she thinks. She livee with her d~u~ghter about five miles weet r~f Tatuin,Tex. I,s live in Panoln, C0unty now going on 102 year ~i~d th2t a mighty lon~g tFne for to in~nber b~ck,but I~l1 try to rec lect. Its born in Tennessee and I think it s in 1830 or 1832. I lives with my baby chile what am now 57 year old and she s born when I~s bout bout 33. m~t I rintt sho bout my age, noways. t~Massa Griff fetches us to Texas when I a baby and my bi~dders what ~m Redic ~ Anthony ~nd Ese~x and Allen ~ Brick ~ my sisters what am Ann and~ Mat ty md Charlot t e we ai . come t o Tex~ s . M amxny e orne with us but pappy was sold. off the Lac~r place and stays in Te~nessee, Massa had the bi.gges~ house in them parts rund ~ passel of slaves, Mant iy s rt~me was Letha, and we have a purty good place to live and massa not bad to us. We wn.s treated fair, I guesses, but they allus whipped u~ ni~gers for somethin . But when we ~ot sic ~ they d ~it the doctor, cause losinh a nigg~r like losin a pile of money in them days~ Masse sometimes outliaes the Bible to us and we had. a song what ~ d e ing e omet lines:

199 194

~x-.s1ave Stories ~ Tw~ ~Tex s) Stan~1 your storm Stand your storm, Pill the wind bi~ws over, Stand. irour storm, Stand ~r y~Jr st orm, Its ~ SOj*! Of the Cross, A fo11ow~r of the Lamb. ~. ~We was woke by a bell and c~11ed to eat by a bell and. put to bed. by that bell and if th~ t bell ring ou~tta time you d seethe niggers jumpjfl~ rail feuces and. cotton rows like deers or something, ~ttir~ to that house, cause that mean something bad wrong at massa s house. t I marries right here In Pauola~ County while sl~very st ill here and my brother~-i~.4aw marries me ~ Lewis B .akely, ~nd is bout nineteen. My lmsban 1lon~ed to the Bl~kely s and after the weddin he had to go beck to them arid they lowed him come to s~ me once a week on Saturday and he could stay till Sunday. I works on for the Lacy s rwre n a veer after slavery till Lewis come got m~ and. we moved to our selves. t, I member one big t irne we ~6ne have i~ slavery. M~ss~ gaie ~nd he wasn t gone. He legt the house te~tdi~ go o~ a visit ~.nd missy ~zd ber chulle~ gone and us niggers ive ~. big ball the night they all gone. The leader of that ball had on massa s boots and he sing a song he make up: 101e massa s gone to Philim~i York And won t be b3.ck till July 4th to come; Fac is, I don t know he ll he back ~t all, C~ine on all you n1g~ers and jine this ball. u That aight they done give that b ig ball mess a had. blacked up ~xad Blip back ta bhe house ~nd while they singin n~id claie in he sittin by the fireplace ~li the time. Reotly he spit, ~nd the nigger who h~d on he boots recernizes him and tries climb up the chia*ey.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 200 195

420259 ~ ~x...slave Stories . Page One 195 ~ (Texas) RI CRARD t~~~CKSON, Harrison County farmer, was born in 1859, a slave of Watt Rosborough. RichRrdts family left the Roshoroughs when the Negroes were freed, and moved . t o a farm near Woodlawn. B ich~rd married when he was twent~cr.*five and moved to an adjoining farm, which he now owns, UI was born on the Rosborou.gh plantation in 1859 and longed to old man Watt Rosborough. He brung my mammy out of Nrrth Carolina, bu~t my p~ py died when I was a baby, and mammy married Will Jacks on. Besides me they was six brothers, Jack and Nathan, Josh and Bill and Ben and Mose. I laad three sisters named Matilda and Charity and Anna. fl-I members my mammyt ~ father Jack, but dont t know where he c orne from. I heared him tell of fightin the Indians on the frontier, ~d one ma3nmyts brothers was shot with a Indian arrow11 The plantation jined the Sabine river and old man Watt owned many a slave. Ph. old home is still stand.in cross the road from RosborouL h Springs nine miles south of Marshall . They was a white overseer on th! place, and maum~~s stepdad.dy, ~tit, was niggerdriver and done all the whippin , V cept of ma~y. She was bad tbout fight t, ~j the overseer allus tended to her . One day he e orne to the wu.artsrs to whip ber and. ah. up and throwed a shovel fOElI of liv. coals from the fireplace in his bosom and run out th. door. H. run ii~r ~Ll over the place .tf0~ h ~ cotched ~h,r. I sied. the overseer tie her down and whip h.r, .Th. ntgg.rs waantt whippea rcuch ~cept for fightint 1mongst themselves. ~t~~i:: _ ~ . ~ 44110

201 196

Ex~slave Stories . . Page Two I b (Texas) ~ III ~member~ mRmILly alius sayin the darkies had to prey out in the woods, tcause they ain1t lowed to makt~ no fuss round the house. She say they was fed and clothe~1well no ~gh, but the overseer worked the lights out of the darkies. I wasntt big nou,gh to do field work, but ~m~znber goin to the field to take m~myts pjp~ to her. They wasn t no matches in them days, and. I allus took fire from the house and sot a stui~p afire in the field, so ~iiainmy could licht her pipe. 0None of cuir folks larnt t o read and writ e t ill aft er slavery. My oldes1 brother was lammt to read on the sly, but the overseer found out tbout it and stopped him. He found some letters writ on the wall of the quarter with charcoal and made the carkies tell him who writ it. ~&y brother Jack done it. The overseer dIdn t whip him, but told him he darns t do it again, ifter surrender my folks left the Rosboroughs right straight and moved obst to Woodlawxi. M~j oldes hired out in Shreveport. When they asks him what hets worth, he told them h. didntt know, but he was aJ.lus worth a heap of money when anyone want cd t o buy him fron the Bo s eb orouglis . ~The Ku Kiuxers come to our house in Woodlawn, and I got soart and crawled under the bed~ They told ma~y they wasntt gwine hurt her, but jus S wa~ited*atsr to d~rink. They dldntt call each other by naxaes. When the head m~n spok. to any of thin he d say, Number 1, or Number 2, and like that. ~ . UI thunic I heared ghosts on the Driscoll place once, up in the loft of ~ .~. . ~.. houie. I hear.d them plain a~ day. ~ st~~pa done die there and rnight ~ lits ghost. W. moved away right straight, and old nan Driscoll had to ~

202 197

Story Page Three ( ~rexas burn that house down after that, ~ wouldn t none the darki s live in it. . The only ~ t tine I vot cd w~ts when they put whiskey out . I heared a white man one time in Marsbal~ m~kin~ a speech on the sqi.i~ar.. He said he was gwine tell us darkies why they didn t low us to vote. Re didn t t li us, tcause the law come out and made him git out the wagon and lewve, .This young race is sho livlnt fast., ~ but I guess they s all right. Things is jes different now to when I was a boy. When I was a bQ~Y, folks didn t mind helpin~ one tnother, but now they is in too big a hurry to pay ~rou~ any mind. . : ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ S ~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 203 198

320011) EX SLAVE STORIES ~ One (Texas) j OH1~ J~AMi~S 78 wa~ b ~rn a ~l~ve t3 J4 thn Ch~prn~n, n ~ large plan-S tation in ~ast Batn R~~uge Parish, Louisiana. John teck the name of his father, who Was ewried by J.hn . 3~jnes. John ~d hie mother stayed with Mr. Chapman for six year5 after ~ they were freed, then John went te ~s~ Miss,u~, where he worked fer the qN M. K. & T. Railroad for twenty years. He theit carne t. Texas, and new lives at 315 5. Jennings Ave . in Pert Worth. I doesn t have so much mind f~r slavery deys, 1c~use I s toe ~ung then, but I tmembers ~then surrender come axid same bef~ dat. I members my mammy lef me In de nursery. with all de other cullud babies when she go we~ In defield. De old nurse, J~e, toeks care of us. Dat were de big place what Massa John have and dere bout fifty cullud fajailiee en de place, sa it ~in m re n a hunerd slaves what he own. I~s runnin rouiid, like kids ai allus dein , first neplace, den t ether, watchinr everything. De big bell rind in de msrnint ~nd y.u d see all de cullud f.lks comm from dey cab ins gwineter de kit ehen t o breakfast . Dat allue befo daybreak, and dey have t. eat by de light of de pine torch. It a~1D de pinelcnet torch. De meals ~m all cooked dere and. dey eat at long tables. De y ung une frein ~ix to ten year eats at de second table ~nd I it tie r d~ dat in de nursery. . ~ ~ UI ehe members ~biut dat nursery feedin I never forgits hew dat :~. :. cornmeal mush *zt4 milk am served in de big pans. Dey gives w~ uns de wooden sp..* and wetuns cr wds round de pane like little pige. I cai see it now ~- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 3~ ~ ~ 0. ~ ~- ~ ~ ~ ~& ~

204 199

~ mslave St ries Page Tw, 199 (Pexas) S Us push and shsve and de nurse walk here and dere, tryin t~ make us eat like S humane. She h2ve t~ cuff ~ne ef us suce in a while. If she d. ntt, dem kids be in de pans with b.th feet Theu dey dsne e~t in dey f~ices am all smear with mush ~nd m lkM ~ I Massa allus feed plenty rat isns only after war starts de .ld feiks cay S dey ~m shert ef dia and dat, tcause dem s.~ers d.ne t..k it f.r d.c army. ~&fter breakfast I d. s~ ~ crew ~e here and a crew g. dere. Seine of ein spin and weave and make clethes, and e~rne taun de leather sr di de blacksmith w rk, and ines ~f ~ g. sut in de field t. werk, ~ Dey werke till dark and den c me h.rne and wsrk r.und de quarters, Dem quarters was b.~t ten by fifteen feet, each ne, with a hele f.r de wind.w dat am n.t dere and de fl~cr miii de gr.iind, ~nd de str~w bunks f.r t. sleep i~. In us cabin ~rn mammy and us three chilien and. sur aunt. My p~py d.~e die befs I tm~p,~ber him. Ssm~ kind st math mis ry kilt him, One ~ d~y Massa Chapman call aI . us t. ~1e fr.nt gallery. Us didil t bisw what gwine t. happen, cause it list ~rd nary t. ~it c2115d fr.m de wirk. Him rind de bell arid dat am eh. ~.ugh de liberty bell, cause him read fr m de lsng paper and say, T.u is sl~tvee n, mtre. Yiu is free, jus like I is, 2nd h~ve t. !pend .n y.urs.l~es f r de ltvin . All what wants te stay I ll pay miuey t. wsrk, and a share . .f de cr.p, iffen y u d t want meney. M~stest .f dem ~. ~ e~ys, and e~me wb*t g.es rita mt. tr.ubleiiient, tC33~55 den dere s tr.uble twixt d,e white ~f.1ka ~n~d decullud filke. S me de ni~ere thimks they am bigger d~n d~ q iit e f.l3cs ~ cause dey free and de flu flux, what us call whit e cspe puts darn i2 d~ place d~ ~ k ~ ~ ~$ ~ ~it$ ~a$ed~ ~ 1~y 44m ihite e~s *ce Jus lefs us leave aassa. Dat L~r~ S :~ ~ ~ ~ I~ ~

205 200

Ex slave Stsries Page Three . 2 ) (Pe~e Three) . (Texae) ~im when I e tbeut thirteen year old. I s bout a mile off c~e place without de p~es and it wn de rule them deys ~ll cullud f.lk~ must have de pass te ~h~v where dey linge and where dey ~wine, I has ne ~ruslne~s to be ~ff ~e ~lace wlth~ eut de pase . Twac a gal ~ . She day ara it Us walks devm ~e read bsut a mile and alu eettint hind some buehee, off de plantation. Us ~ee dem white cape cemin down de road on hossb~ck and us aintt much scart, ~~au5e us think dey can~t see ue thlnd dem bushes. But dat leader say, Thea, and dey could look down on us, tcause dey en hessbac~z. Well, ~o~h for mlghty~ Dere u~ ~m and cantt move den us 5? scart. One dem white caps says, What you d,i~ , nigger? Jue~ eattiri here,1 I telt him. Y0u5 better st~t runnin , c~uee us gwine try cotch you, dey e~ys. ~U $ two nlggerz a~ down dat road befo dem werde am eutten he mouth, Dey lete de h ~$ez canter hind wetuns ~u~d u~ try t. run faster. Fin iy us dits home and dat de last time I goes off without de pa$s. . UMammy moves to Baton Rouge soon after dat ~nd wirke as de hou~em~j.d. Us 5t97 dere two ~rear and I gite 5orae little jobe and den I ~.es to work for de railroad in Sedalia, up In ~4ise~turi, and. dare I werke as $ection h~,nd for de Kat r railroad fer twenty ye2r. Den I git~ through and comes to Texas. I werke &t anything till. ~lght year ~gs and d~n I~~e n. coant for work s I e Ilvin on de pen5lsn, what wa $15.00 de month. t ~ never m~rled. I j~ couldn t make de . hitch. Dem what I wante, ~ want me. Dem what want. me, I d~ontt want, e. dere am never n, agreement. ~ N. te ~e~er vet ed t cauie I clone heared. ~ bout de t riubi e dey has aver in Bat *1 ~ige biu~t niggers bet in I j u$ don t I Ike trouble, iind f or de few ~ 7ea1 e w~&t am left, Its gwl~e ~:eep d.e rec~rd of stayin ~ from lt. ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ . . . ~ ~ ~ s.. ~L

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 206 201

EX..~SLAVE STORIES (Texas) THOMAS JOBNS, 508 Knopp St., Oleburne, Texas, was born April 18 1847 Ohaxabers Co., Alabama. He belonged. to Col. Robert Johns, who ~ copie to Ale-~ ba n~. from Virgir~i~., After Johns was freed he stayed. with his old. owner s f~jly until 1874, when he moved to Texas, P~e One 201. My father s n~?me w~s George and i~y mother s n2me was Nellie. My father W&3 born in Africa. Hiii ~nd two of his brothers and one sister was stole and brought to S~annah, Georgia, and sold. Dey was cia chilien of a. chief of de Kiochi tribe. De way dey was stole, dey wa~ asked to a dance on a ship which some white x~an had, and. ray aunt said it was early in de mit when dey un dey was away froxa de land and &~1l dey Could. see was de water all tround. She sgtd they was members of de fileS-tooth tribe of niggers4, My father s teeth was so dat only de front ones met to~ ~ ther when he closed his aoutb. De back ones dId.U set together. W1en his front teeth was together, de back ones was apart, sorta like a V on its side. My mother was born a slate in Virginia. She iiarried. there and had a little girl and they was sold away from the husband and brought to Alau. . . baii&. She said. her Nother was part Indian and. part nigger. Her father was part white and part nigger, but he look about ~s white as a white man. w brother s names was John, J~ke and. Dave. ~y sister s naxaee was Ann Katie Jud.te and ~as ter. I b.elo~ged to Col. Robert Johns. He owned 30 or 35 slaves. We ~ . . was well tre.~ted. and. had. the saae food the white folks di d~, and d~idn none ~ . . . L .01... 42()190 .. ~ . ~ / j.

207 202

~x~1ave StorieB Page Two (Texa!) of ue go hongry. Col. Johns dldn have his nig~ers whipped, neither. ~ Marster s place had. 500 acree in lt. We raised. cotton, corn and ri ce vegetable i and every sort of frul t that would crow the re a lot of it ~rowin Wild. We et mostly hog r~eat, but we had. soi~e beef and mutton, too, When we1d kill a beef, we d send. some to all the ne1~hbors. We done a good. day s work, but didn hare to work after ni~ht less j, t was ne ces s~ry. We was all owed. t o s top at 12 o do ck and have t line fo r rest fore goin back to work. Other slaTe owners rourit our place wasntt as good to dere slaves, would work ~em hard ~nd half starve em. .&nd sorae marsters or overseers would whip dere ntg~ers pretty hard, sometimes whip em to death, Marster Johns dlcmn hare no overseer, He seed to the work and my father ~e foreman, For awhile after old. Marster died, in 1862 or 1863 I force t which now, we had a 0v, John Seweil Re was me ~n. He whipped the chilien and mv mother told Miss Lucy, old marster s oldest girl. ~ We was allus well treated by old marster. We was called, John s free fliggers,~ not dat we ~ free, bu~t ~cause we was well treated. Jesse Todd, hie place joined ours, had 500 slaves, and he treated em mighty bad. Re whipped some of tea to death, A maxi sold him two big niggers which was brothers ~~nd they was so near white you couldxi hardly tell ~ from a white man. Some people tho~ht the m~n what sold 1ea was their daddy. The two niggers worked. good and dey had.n never been whipped ~nd dey wouldn stand for bein whipped. One riornin Todd. come up to 1em and told de oldest to take bis shirt off. Re say, Marster, what you wan me to take my shirt off for? Todd~ s~y, I told you to tRke your shirt off. De nigger say, Mareter, I aizz~ never took my shirt off for no man. Todd run in de house and~ got hi ~un and cc~ie back and ihot de nigger dead. Eis brother fell L~ .4.

208 203

~x~s1 ve Stories Page .~Three 203 q (Te:x:as) down by hix~, where he lay on de grount . Todd. run back to load. hi~ gun a~2iA, it bein a $ingle shot. Todd s wife sand son grabbed lui and dey had all dey cou~1 do to keep lui from comlr out 2nd kuhn de other nigger. U~$e Johns had 12 chilIen. De house dey lived. in wa~ Colonyal. style and had 12 rooi~s. I was bo n in dat house. De s1a~es had. log cab ins We wore some cott on cl other in de sui~mer but in de winter we wore wool cl othes. We ~11us had shoes. A shoemaker would C orne ~ r ourid once a year and s t~y ziaybe 30 days iiakin shoe s for everyb ody on de place ; den in about 6 aonths he would c orne back and liai f-sole and make other repaire to de shoes. ~Ve made all oar clothes on de place. We wove light woo . cloth for suamer and heavy for winter. f I could take raw cotton and card and spin it on a spinnin wheel into thread, fine enough to be sewed with ~ needle. We wount de thread on a broche, xa~ke like ~nd ~ bout de s ize of a ice pI ck. De thread was den woun1 on a re ei. baut de size of a forewheel of a wagon, and de reel would turn 48 tii es and. den t cluck . Dat was for ~em t o be able to tell we was workin . Dere w~s plenty wild g~ae, poseuias, rabbits, turkey and so on. Dere was fish, too) in de creek. I was de leader of de bunch. We would. ketch little fish in de creek, We d. cook a lot of fi sh and de n we ~ put a r~g rug in de yard under a bi~ mulberry tree and pour de fish out on dat and. den eat old iaars~er never beat his slaves and he didn sell tea. But some of de owners did. If a owner had a big woman slave and she had. a little m~n for her hi.tsban and. de oi,ner h.4 a big man slave, dey would make de little kiusb~n leave, and make de woman let de big man be her hu5bent, SO~5 d.ere be big hillen, :~ which de~ could ~ sell well. I f de man and. woman refused dey d get whipped.

209 204

Exisleve Stories Page Pour 204 . (~Poxas) Course whippin ~iade a slave hard to sell, aaybe could.n be sold, t cause when a x&ari went to buy a slave he would make hiN strip naked and. look him over for whip marks and other blealeb, jus like dey would a horse. Btit even if it done ~ to de sale ~o whip him, dey done It, tcause dey figgered, kill a nigger, breed another kill a mule, buy ~nother. I~ll never forget de rice patch. It shore ~ot me some whippin s, tcause my daddy tell me to watch de birds way froa dat rice, ~nd sometimes dey d. get to it. It jus seem like de bl~ckbIrdz jus set round and watched for dat rice to ~:row up where dey cou~ld get It. We would cut a block off a pine tree and build a fire on it and burn it out . i~n we would cut down into it ~nd scrape out all de char, and. den put de rice in dere and be&t a~.d poun it with a pestle till we had all de grain beat out de heads. Den we d pour de rice out on a cloth ~nd de chaff and. trash wo~ild blow away. Otir marster he drilled men for de army. De drill groun was bout a mile our place. He was a dead shot with a rifle ~nd had a rifle with an extry barrel. lt De Tankees t old. us niggers when dey freed us after de war dat dey would give each one of us 40 acre~ of land and a mule. De nearest ITee ever come to dat Is de pension of leven dollars I gets now. But Itse jus as thankful for dat as I can be. In fac I don t see how I could be any more thankful it ttwas a hun erd and tleven d.ollars. A aan told me a nigger i~ mwi t old. hi s wife ~ she would ruther be slave . than free . Well I thin , but . I aight be wrong, anybody which says that I s tel~ : ~ lin a lie. Dere Is sumpin tb~t bein free and dat makes up for all de hardships. I se been both slave and free aud I knows . Course, ihile I was slave I dIdII have ::~ no s:ponsibiltty, &idst 1~L&Te t o worry bottt where um t o eat ~nd wear and a ~ to sleep was coaiut froa~ but dat don t make up for beint free. ~ ~ -~~-

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 210 205

4~~O191 ~L.SLATE STORIES Paie One 205 (Texas) T3~T lEI THOMAS JOITNS 508 Kno:pp St . Cleburne Te~s was born In Btirle.eon Co. Texas, In 1864. She was only two when her mother ~ w~s freed, so kflOWS ~othin~ of \4~~) sI~irery except storie5 her r~other Is . told her or that she heard. her hus.baud, Thomas Johns tell.~ I was two years old. when my m~ua was set free. Her owner was Major Odom. He was good. to h~s niggers, ray m~zaa said. She toi rae tbout s12~very times. She saH other white folks roirn ~ there ca . led Maj or Odoxa s ni~er~ Odo~ ~ daran free niggers ~ cause he was so eas~,r on tea. He was never marri ed but he h~~d a ni~er women Aunt Phyllis she was called, that he had 8orne children by. She was half white, I rexaember her and him ~nd five of their sons. The ones I knowed. w~e nearly all white, bat Aunt Phyllis had one boy that was nigger black. His da3.dy was a nigger rn2fl. When she was drunk or mad she ~ ~&~y ehe thought ~ore of her black chile th~z~ all the others. Major Odor~ treated their children just like he treated the other nig~ers. He never whipped ~ none of h is niggers . Then his ~nd Aunt Phyllis es ~ Sons was grown they went to 1i~e in the quarters, which was what the plaee the niggere lived was called. One of Maj or Odoa s nig~ers was whipped by a man named ~ Stete Owens. He got to goin to see a nigger woman Owens owned, : ~ one night they beat . him up bad ~ Maj or Odom put on. his gun for Owens, and they earned. gitna for each other till they died, b~zt they never did. have a shoot tut. Lk~ ~ ~

211 206

ExsIaye Storie5 Page Two (Page Two) Texas Colonel Sims had. a far~i~ joinin Major Odom~s f%rm, and. his ni~gers was treated mean. He had. a oTerseer, 3. L Mui1in~x, I member him, and. he was bi~ and. tough. He whipped. a nigger man to death. He would come out of a mornin~ ~nd give a 1on~, keen yell, ~nd say, I m J. B. Mullinax, just back from a week in Hell, where~I got two new eyes, one named Snap and Jack, and ttother Take Hold. I m going t o whip two or three ni~ers t o death t oday. He lived a 1on~ t irne, but 1on~ fore he died his eyes turned backward in his head. I seen t em thataway. He wou n cive his nig~ers ma di to eat and he d. make tem work ai . day, and. just give tem boiled peas with just water and. no salt ~nd cornbre ad. t d eat the I r lunch right out in the hot sun and then ~o right back to work. Ma~ said she could hear thei~ nig~ers bein whipped. at nicht and ~el1in Pray, marster prey, be~in hix~ not to beat tem. lt Other niggers would urn awa~r an~ e orne t o Mai or Od om s place and. ask hie niggers for sumpin to eat. M~t rnaz~a would. ~et word to brine em food. a~d d st art out t o where they was hi d in ~nd d. hear the hounds and. the runaway nig~ers would have t o go on without get tin nothin to eat. tMy husban s toi me about sla rery times in Alabama. He said they would make the niggers work hard. all d~y pI ekin cott on and then take it o~ the gin and gin away Into the n ight maybe all . They d give a nigger on Sunday a peck of meal and three pounds of meat and no salt nor i~nthin ei se, and. if you et that up t fore the week was out you done without anything to eat till the end. of the week. 200 .4 .

212 207

207 Ex~slave Stories (Texas) Page Two My husban said a fw~ily naxaed Guflendin was r~ighty hard on their niggers. He said oie Missus Gullendiri, she d take a needle and. stick it throu~i one of the nigger woinents lower lips and pin it to the bOBOER of her dress, and the w~~i would go round all daywith her head drew down thataway and slobberin . There was knots on the nig~er s lip where the needle had. been stuck in it.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 213 208

4~2()() I I EX-.sLAV~ STORIES Page One 208 (Texas) GUS JO~II~SON, 90 years or more, was born a slpve of Mrs. Betty Glover, inMarer~go Coo, A1aban~a~ Most of his memories ~re of his later boyhood In Sunnyside, Texas. H~ l1v~es iii rn unkempt, little le~n~-to house, in the north end of Beaumont, Texas. There is no furnitu~re but a broken-down bed and an equally di1~pid2ted truiik and stove. Gus spends most of his time in the y~trd, working in his veget.~.b1e g~r~ den, Dey bru.ng thirty six of us here in a box car from Alabama. Yes, suh, det s where I come from -- Marengo County, not so far from Mopolis. Us belong to old missy Betty Glover ~x&d my daddy n~xne Augast Glover and my ~mmy Lueinda, Old. miss~r, she sho1 treat us good an~ I never git whip for anythinv cept lyin . Old missy, she do de whippin . Old missy she sho ~ good wom~n ~uid ~11 her white folks, dey used to go to church at Wh1e Chapel at l&~ven in de ~ Us cullud folks goes in de evenin . Us never do no work on Sund2y, ~nd on Saturth~y after twelve otclock us can go ~ or huiitin . ray give de rations on Saturd~ y ~nd dat s bout five pound salt b;~con and ~. peck of meal and some sorghum syrup. Dey make dat syrup ort de plantc.tion. Dey s ten or twelve big clay kettles in a row, sot in de furnace. ~ have lots to eat, and if de rations ruii short we goes ~ or fishin . Some d.c old men. kills ratt1esn~ke and cook ~em like fish and s~y dey fish. I eat dat many a time~ and never knowed. it. ~Twas good, too. Dey used to bave a big house where dey kep de chilien, cause de wolves and~ panthers was bad. Some de mainrnies what suckle de chilien

214 209

Ex..slave Stories Page Two (Texas) 2O~3 t.akes care of all c~e chilien dur in1 come in from de field and take dein. iLl de Ij I niggere weh care for. of herbs and well t~ dr t way. ~Vthen us left A~,ab~ma us come through Meridian to Houston and d~n to Eoclcley ~nd den to 5unnyside, tbout 18 mile w.~st of Houston. D~t a country with lots of woods and us sot in to clean up de ground and clean up 150 acres to farm on. Dere bout forty..seven hands and more cu.mu1at~s. Dey ~o back to Meridian for more ~nd brung ~ in a ox cart. },~, brother, Bonzane Johnson, was one dey bnin~ on d-at trip. I h..d nother brother, Keen, whet die when he 102 year o13.~ Us was aU iong... .ife people, cause I have a gr~n~ uncle what di~ when he 136 year old. He ~nd my grendm~. and grandpn. come from South Carol in~ and dey was all Africa people. I h~ered dein tell how dey brung from Africe. in ~e ship. My daddy he die at 99 ~nd nother brother at 104. Us see lots of sojers when us come through from ~eridi~n and cavaliy. Dey corne ridin up with high hats like beavers on dey head frald of tem, t c~iise dey told us dey swine t ~ce us to Cub2 ~nd sell us dere, de daytime ~nd at night dey own ~mm1es Sometime old nissy she help nuss and Then deyS gits sick dey mak~~e de med cine dey de and us When us first git to Texas it was cold not sort a cold, but I mean cold. I shovel de snow many a dsay. Dey have de bit, cor~on house and de white folks live upstairs end de niggers sleep on de first floor. Dat to tect de white folks at night, but us have our own h~ses for to live In in de daytime, builded otit of 1o~s and daubed with mud. a~d nail

215 210

~x-.~s1ave Stories Page Three g-~ r~ (Texas) rive out boards over dat mud. Dey make de chimney ouSt of eticke and mud, too but us have no windows, and in summer us kind. of live out in de bresh 1 arbor, what was cooL Us have al 1 kind of crops and more ~ n 100 acres in ru, cause dey biiing &~I1 kind. trees ~nd seede fr~ A .ab~xna. Dey w~as undergroun springs and. de eater was sho good to drink, cause in Mobile de water waentt fitten to drink, it taste like lt have de lump of salt melted in lt. Us keep de butter and milk in de sprhig house In den deys, ~csu~e us ain t have no ice in dem time. tsOld massa, he n~ame Aden ~.nd he brother n~~ne John, wid de~ was w~y up yonder tall people. Old massa die soon and us have missy to s~y what we do. All her overseers have to be good. She punish de slavee Iffen day bad, but not whip em. She h~~ve de jail builded. under~ groun like de stormcave and it have a drop door with de weight on it, so dey coul&n t git up from de botton, It sho1 was dark in d~t place. In slavery time us better be in by eight o clock, better be in dat house, better stick to dat rule. I member after freed.~, missy have de bl~ celebration on Juneteenth every year. tI~qhen war come to Texas every plantation was conscrip for de war and my daddy was pinted to selec de ~~ble body men ofFen us place for to be sojers. ~ brother Keen was one of dean. He cane back all right, thou~gh. When freedom come missy giv~e ail de men niggers $500 each, but dat tfederate money and have pictures of hosses on it. Dat de onlies

216 211

I~x slaveStories P~e Four 04 -~ (Texas) money missy have den. Old. missy Betty, she die in Sunnyside, Texas, when she 115 year old~ ?~hen ~ 18 year old I marry a gal by name Lucy Johnson. She lone c~4go. I ~ot fivelivin chilien soin.~where, but I done lost eIn. One of dem boys serve in de last war. I used to hear sonethin bout rabbit foot. De old folks say dat iffen de rabbit hpve time to stop and lick he foot de dog track h ~ no more and I alius wears de rabbit foot for good luck. know if it brung me dat 1ud~, though. II b ~en here 36 year and I work moss de time as house mover, what I work at 26 year. I ll be honnest with you, I dont know how old I is, but it inu~ be plenty, cause I members lots bout de war. I didn t see no fightin but I knowed. what w~s goin on den. t I belong to de ti. B. F. Lodge what I pays mt o in I never can g t s i~k and I ~ t have no ailment up, and I cantt git nothin for that. det~d now track of I, used to can t I don1t case I gits cept my feets sick. But sus swoll

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 217 212

1~.:)U~1 Qc~ :~ ~ .\i~1~ ~ EX..SLAVE STORIES Page One 21 ( Texas) As HABBY JOHNSON, 86, whose real nr~ine was Jim, was born in Mis-. souri where he was stolen b r Harry Pu~ot,when about twelve years old, and taken to Ark~rnsas. He was given the n~rne of Harry and. remained with 1 ugot until near the close of the Civil War, Fagot then sold him to G~raham f cr 1 200 ac res and he was brought to Coryell Co. Texas, and. later to Caidwell Co. He worked in Texas two years be-. fore finding out the slaves were free. He later went to McMullen Co. to work cattle, but eventually spent most of his time rearing ten white children. He now lives in Pearsall where he married at the a~e of 59. 1 ~ come from Missouri t o ~krkinsas and then to Texas 3~nd I was owned by Massa Louis Barker and my name was Jim Johnson. Eut a white man naine Harry F~igot staled inc and run ~ne out to Arkansas and changed~ my name to Harry. He stoled me from Mississippi County in de southern part of Missouri, down close to de Arkansas line, and I was bout 12 year old then. My mama s name w~s Judi~ and her husb~d name Miller. When I wasn t big nough to pack a chip, old Massa Louis Barker wouldntt take s 400 for me, 1cgus he s~y he wants to make a overseer out of me. My dadd~r went off d.urin de wer. He carried off by soj~rs and he never did. come back. Dey about 30, 40 acres in Massa Barker s plaxitation in Missouri. He used. to hire me out from place to place and. de men what hires me puts me to dom what he wartted, I was stole from my mammy when I s bout 10 or 12 and. she never did~ know what become ct~ me.

218 213

ii~x~s1ave Stories . Page Two 213 (Texas) to, lily stars! I s~d liun erds and hanterds of !ojers fore I stole from LUssouri. Dey v~hat us call Yankees. I seed ~em strung out a half.raile long, go~n battle two ~id three deep. Dey never did destroy any homes. Dey took up a little stuff. I had five sacks ~if meal one day and was goin to de mill and de sojers come along and tiken rue, meal ~nd nfl. De maddes wom~ I ever saw was ct~t day. De sojers come and dnw off her cows. She told tem not to, dat her liusban fightin and she have to make de livin off dem cows, but dey druv de cows to camp and kilt bout three of rem. Dey done dat, I knows, tcq~se Its with ~exn, But down in Arkansas I seed de southern eo~ers ~nd I s plowint for a old lady call Williams and soiae s ci ers come and goe s in de house. I heered say dey was G reen s men, arid dey taken everything dat old woman have what ~ey wants and dey robs lots of houses. tilt don t look re2s ~b1e to s~y it, but it s a fac ~ dunn slavery iffen ~rou lived one plate arid. your rn- ~zmny lived cross de street you couldn t f go to see her withotit a pass. De paddlerollers would whip ~rou if you d d, Dere was ont~ woman owns some s1~ves ~x~d one of ~ezq asks her for ~. pass and she give hi~ de piece of p~r sposed to be de pass, but she writes on it: 1tJhs shirt ~m rough and his back am tough, Do, pray, Mr. Padd.leroller, give ~im nough, De paddlerollers beat him nearly to death, tcause that s what s wrote on de paper he give gem. . ~ It ~ t~~ber a whippii one slave got. It were 100 lashes. Dey s a big overseer right here on de San Marcos r~ver, Clem Polk, him and be massa kilt 16 niggers in on~ day. Dat massa could.n t keep a overseer, c~ise de niggere wouldn t let em whip em, ~nd dis Clem, he s~, ~ I ~~ stay clerc

219 214

Ex~sl3ve Stories Page Three (Texas) ~nd he finds he couldn t whip dein niggers either, so he jus kilt rem. One nigger nearly got him ar~d would have kilt him. D~t nigger raise de ~x to come down on Polkas head and de massa stopped him ju.s in time, and. den Polk shoots dat nigger in de bre~st with a shotgun. t Dey had court clays and when court met, dey passed a bill what say, ~ Keep de n1gg~rs at home ~ Some of em could go t o thurch and some of em couldn t. Dey d. let de cullud. people be baptized, but dey didn t many want it, d~y didn t understan it nough. tAfter de war ends, Massa F~agot sells me to Ma~:sa reham for 1,200 acreS of land, and I lives in Caidwell County. He was purty good to he slaves and we live in a li 1. old frame house facin west I sleeps in de ssme house as massa and. missus, to guard em. One nig~it some men carne and wake rreup 2nd tells me to put my clothes on. Missus was in de bed. and she gin cryin and. tell ~em not to take me, b~t dey taken me any~ w~i~v. We called em Guerrillas and dey thieves . De~r white men 2nd one of em I had knowed a long time. I~s with dem thives and hears em talk bout kuhn Yankees. Dey kep inc in de south part of Mjssouri a long time. I did.n t do anything litt sit round de house with deza. ~When ~ sold to Massa Grahwn I didn t have to c ie to Texas, I Caus e I s free but I dn t know dat and I s out here two years fore I knowed I~s free. Down in Caidwell County is where d~ bondage was lifted offen me and. I found out I~s free. I jus stays on and works end. rn~~ Di~SS~ give me he promise Vs git a hoes ~~nd saddle arid $100 In money when I s 21 year old, bat he didn t do it. He give me a 11,1 pony and a saddle what

220 215

Ex slave Stor1~s Pa~je Poux (Texas) I sold. fcr $3,00 ~ind. bout eight or nine dollars in money. He had me blindfolc1ed arid I thought I ~wine git a good hoss ~nd saddle end more money. UI looks back sometimes and thinks times was better for eatin in s1~very dan what d~y Is now. My mwnmy was a reg lar cook and she made inc peach cobb1~rs ~nd ~.pp1e dumplin s. In dein days, we d taJ~e cornmeal and mix it with water and ca .1 ~em corn dodgers ~nd dey awful nice with plenty butter. We had. b ~s . of h~wg mer~t and when dey kilt a beef ~? P1~fl told. ~1i de neighbors to come g t some of de meat. Right after de war, t lines is pretty herd and. I s t ~3~en bew~s a~d parched 1em and got tem right brown, and meal. bran to m~e coffee out of. Times was purty hard, but I aflus could find somethin to work rtt in dem deys, III lived all my life mong white folks and just worked in first one place and then ~ I raised ten white chilien, nine of de Lowe chilien, and dey d minci me quicker c1.an dey own p~y and ra~mnmy. Dat in McMull in Ccr~inty. De d~y Its married I s 59 year old. and my wife is boat 60 year old now, De last 20 years I s jus piddled round and. done no reg l~r wOrks I married right here in de church house. I nussed my wife when she a baby and used to court her m~mrny when she s a girl. We s been real happy together.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 221 216

44)Q().QQ t~ ~L P~ EX.~SLAVE STORIES PageOns ~ (Texas) J11M~S D. JOI~SON, born Oct. ist, 1860, ~t Lexington, Mississippi, was a slave of Judge Drennon. He now lives with his dangliter at 4527 Baltimore St . Dallas Texas. His memory is poor and. his conversation is vagtie and wandering. His daughter says, He ~ at himself these th~vs. ~ ~T mee attended T~ick81oo Univers- :Lty, near Jackson, Mi sal ssippi and uses very little dialect. My first clear recollection is about a day when I was five years old. I was playing in the sand. b~r the side of tne house in Lexington with some other children and some Yankee sOldiers came by. They came on horse f~p back and they drew rein by the side of tne house and I ran under the )xouse .4 (~ and. hid. ~y mother called to me to come ou~t and told me they were Federal e~o1diers and I could tell it ~ their blue uniforms. One of the soldiers reached into his haversack and pulled out a uniform ~nd gave it to me. ~ t Have your mammy mt~ke e. suit out of it he said. Another soldier gave me a uniform and. my mother w~s a seamstress in the home of the Drennons and she made me two suits out of those uniforms. Judge Drennon had married the daughter of C~lOn~l Terry nnd he had. given my parents to his d~ighter when she married the judge. My father an& mother both caine from Virginia. Colonel Terry had bottgrit them at sep &~ate times from a slave trader who brought them frc~n Virginia to Mississippi. . Theyhad. a likeness for each other when they learned both came from Virginia. ;~ . . . Both of them had white fathers, were light conrplected and bad been brought up : ~. ifl tii big hou~se. ~When they told. the Colonel the~r wished to marry he only said, !Ju1~, do you t&ce WilU~m and William, do you t ~ce ~ lia? Then they ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ . ~ ~ ~ ~L

222 217

Ex slave Stories Page Two (Texas) were man and wife. He gave them the name of Johnson, which was the family name 0 my father s mother and. the n~e of his fattier. Then my parents lived with Judge Drennon they had a house in the yard quarters. The Drennon home was the most beautiful house I ever have seen. It was a big, brick man~i on with tall, white pillars reaching up to the second stox7. The yards and. grounds were so beautiful the white folics used to corne from long ways off to see them. Uifter the surrendering we lived with the Drennons four or five years. They paid my parent s for the ir work and I had. an easy t irne of it . I was youngest of eigtit children and. there was ten years or more between me and the next older child. Mv mother wanted to make something special out of me, 1I went to three different schools down in tue woods before I was nine. White people would corne and put up schools for the colored children but the white people in Mississippi said they were not good people and. wo:.id criticize them, Sometimes the schools would get busted up. We studied out o~ the Blue Back spel1er and an arithmetic and. a dictic~tary. I could spell and. give the meaning of most nigh every word in that dictionary. UWhen I was thirteen they held an examination at Lexington for colored children to see who d get a scholarship at Tuckaloo University, eight miles from ~.. Jackson, I was greatly surprised~vhen I won from my county and I went but didn t finish there. Then I went a little while to a small university near Lexington, ~ ~ ~ called Allcom University. I loved to go t. school and was considered.bookish. : ~ ~ But my people died. and I had to earn a living for myself and I couldn t find any :: :~:: ~ ~y. to use so such what I learned out of books as far as making money was con~ ce~rned, So I came to Texas, doing any kind of labor work I could find. Finally ~ I married ana went to farming 35 or 40 years and raised five children. ~ _________

223 218

Page Three Ex slave Stories ( Texas) Ilism t~e only one left now oi my brotn~rs ~ be lon~. until l ut gone, too, but I don t mind t irtie Some of it was liard. and. some of it w~.s good. to live according to my ligxits end that is ~s far ~z I don t feel resentful oi ~iiytxi1ng, ~mvinore. Then there is sun, I just sit in ~ut~ ana. sisters and. it t~iat. We lived a long I tried ail tne tii~e I know now to do.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 224 219

i.)g~ ~~ :) ~t~ ~ ~X~SLAVi~ STORIES P~ige One ( Texas) M&RY JOHNSON does not know her :~ge ~ut Is evidently very old.. Paralytic strokes h~?ve affected mind ~id body. ~ Her though Impaired, is a swift flow of words, often profane. A bitter attitude t,oward. everything is app~rerit4 ~4ary Is k~omeless and owee the necessities of life to the kind aess of 2 t~idd1e aged Negress who takes care of s~ver~1 old wor en in her hor~ie in Pe&r Orch~rd, in Beauin nt, Texas. Now, wait, white folks, I got to scratch my head so s I kin raember. l s been paralyze so I can t git my tongue to s~e~ good. It git (Ill twist up. ~I d~ t know how o . d I is . Py dadd~r he have my ~ge In the big Bible but he done Jnove e round ~o mtxch It git lost long ego. He used to long to them G~uine~ men. Them was re~l sri2fl men and they sho welk fast He w~sn ~ t so tall ~s m~r n~ommer md he n~jne John Allen and he a pore mai, all bone. He sold out from the old. country, that 2~ississippi. My racina n~e Sarah and she cor~ie from Choct~w country, ~ round In G-eorgI~. I have gr~~~din~ Rebecca, a reg lar old Indian woman and she h~ve two long bl2ck braid longer n her waIst ~d. she allus wore a bi; bonnet with splits la it. You know de Indian people totes they chiliens on they bz~ck ~nd my rnommer have inc wrop up in a blanket a~d strop on her back. I s ~ e firstborn chile ~d my mommer have two gal chilien, ~nd H~iinah, ~nd she have seven boy. There I s born was old wild c ountry old Virginny tun down thateway. Everything w~ plenty good to eat I 8eed. strawberries what would push you to git 1 em in your mouth. te Obst to where I s born they s a pii~oe where they brung the Africy people to tame 1em ~nd they have big pens where they puts em #fter they -l-0

225 220

Ex s ~ve Stories ~ ~ 2 ~ (Texas) takes 1eia outta they gu~ ships. They sho was wi1c3~ and they have hair ~11 ove~r just like ~ dog and. big h~xnmer rin~s in they i~oses. They didiOt w re no clothes and sometime they git way ax~d run to them swamps in F1orid~r and g~t all wild and hairy g~i1n. They brung pre~ch~rs to help tame em, but did.r1 t lo~! flO pre2che~r bi them pens b~ hisseif, caase tiey say them pre~ch ~r won t come back, cause some them wild Africy people done kill em and eat 1em. They done worship them snake bit ~s a rpke h9j~c1I~, C~iUSC they ain t knowcd no better. Thefl they gits tern all tar~ they sells era for field ~ but they allus wild ~nd iffen anybody come they duc~k ~nd hide down, My old. missy she n~rn~ fl.orence Walker ~id she reg lar tou+c~h. I helps nuss her chile, Mary, and Mary xn~ke her moinrier be good to me, lis wore li,l brass toe shoes ~nd I call ~iine ~o1d toe shoes. ~hem shoes herd no~i~~h to knock a IaU .C out, After young missy and me git ~ro~ed us run off to dances and old missy beat us behind good. She say us jas chilien y~t and keep us in short, short dress and we pull out the stitchi* in then hems so us dresses drags anc~ she sho wore us out for that. Did us love to dance? Jesus help m~ ~h~in eountr~r niggers s * swine me ~o hard us land in the corner with ~ whixi. ttMy brudder Robert he ~ pow ~l big bo~r arid he wasn t iow~d to have no pants till he 21 year old, but th~.t didn t scour~ge him from courtin the gals. I try tease him bout ~o s~e the gals with dat split shirt. That not aU, that boy iuss he m~iner breast till he 21 year old. ~ have to have that nussli re~1. reg lar. But one time he pesterii mommer and she tryin milk the cow and the cow git nervous ~nd kick over the bucket and mornmer f~ ~l off the 3too . ~nd she s~ mad ehe wea* him right there ~nd thei.

226 221

1~x s1ave Stories P~e Three ( Texas) Old massa he never clean hisseif up or dress up. He look like 2. Vagrant thing ~nd be and missy mean, too. My pore daddy he back ~ .1us done cut up from the whip and bit ~r~r the does. Sometirn~ when ~ w~n~i~ big they m~ke ~. hollow ~ut place for her stom~c~h PDd in~ke h~r 1~~r down cross that hole and whip her behind. They sho tear thatthii~g up. Us chilien git to play r~d us sing old possum in the holler log Sing high d.c loo, Patter than a old green frog, Sing high de loo, Wh2r possum? That church they h7ve a marka~l~ thing. They ~ dee ~ tr~nch what cut all round the bottom ~d clay steps what lefld all the w~v to the top the mountali and when the nig~c~:ers git to shoutia th~t church jes a.~.rollinE and ~ One the songs I member wcs Shoo the devil out th~ corner, Shoo, members, shoo, Shoo the ievil out the corner, Shoo, members, shoo 1Us 1i l gt~ls ~llus wore cottanafte dresses ev ry d~r. Them what us call nine-.stitch dressez. M9mrny make f~sten~ back dresses ~d festen-.back drawers ami knit swe~t~rs and socks for the mens. She git sheep wool ~vhr,t near r~int by cockle burrs and m~ke us chillen set by the hour znd pick out them burrs. ttUs houses like chicken coops hut us sho happy in that 1i l cabin house, Nothin to worry about. Mam~nr cook them grits, that yaller homi y. She meke ash cat co rnbread wrop in e abb age 1 e~f and. put ashes round t. ttTb,e old plantation bout onthe line tween ViTgInIIy a~id Mis sippi

227 222

Ex- s?ave Stories Page Four (Texas) and. us live near t:~e }~adstone~. That ~ bi~ stone, ~i1 smooth and when ~. dog bite you you ~o run round the M~st~ ~ ~.nd wash rourself in th~ hot springs 2fld- the bit~~ don~t ~mrt you. I seed lots of sojers ~nd ~y &~ddy fit ~ :tth the Yankees ~nd they h~e a big ficht clo2e there a~c1 have ~ whi1~ lots of dead bodies I97in~ ro~ind like s., r~ny 1o~:s ~nd they jUS st~ck em up tand sot fire to ~ You s~d ~ b ~.ri~In1 night and th~y. They 1~y d.own ~d shoot and then jurip up ~nd stick cru 2nd sorn~times they drunk the blood. o~tten whe~ e they stick t~ir1, tcaus~ they can t ~:it no water. After freedom us go in ox team to ~ew Or?~ans and ~ac~c~r he raise cc~tton ~rd sell it m~d rnothxn~r sell eggs. }~y d.addy ~ workin ni~n and h~ help build the bi~ custom house in !~T~w Orle2ns and. help pull the rope to pull the boats up the caflaI from the river. Th~~t C~n~I Street now. He put he name on top that custom house end it there t~ this day. You can go there ~nd see it He h~1p build the ho t al too. One time us live close to the b~ ~nd that gran ~ us tarce a stove a3Id cotch catfish and perch and. cook ~ on th~ b~nk ~id us g~ meet oyster bO2tS and d&dd~r git ~iby the tub. UI git marry in Baton Rouge vthen I sixteen ~nd my husb~n he name jrras Shaw and he lots olcler n me ~i nd I co~Ici~i t keep hirt~. He ix~ Port Arthur flow. My 1msban~ and I s~wra111 20 year in Grcaybu.Vg, here in Tex~s, and then us sep rate. I beefl in Bf~2UL!1Oflt 16 year ~nd I s rice farm cook in the camp on the Pauett Bo~d. They tells me I got uuc1~s in Africy. I goes to Sancti f1ed~ church ~nd that all I can do now.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 228 223

4~2OO5 ZX$LAT$~ STORIES Page One 223 (Texas) MARY :~~Li~ JO~TSON, ~ ~f a little restaurant at 130 . Mar- lila St. Dallas, Texas, Is 77 years old. She was born in slavery to the Murth family, about ten miles fro~i sian Marcos, Texas. She neither reads nor writes but talks with little diRlect. I don t know so fur ~ as befo I was born, cept what my mammy told me, and she alluE said little black chilien wasn t sposed to ask so mai~ questions. Her name was Miss~tri ~llison, c~se she belonged to Misa Micelder I~liison arid then when she married with Mr. Murth, her d~&ddy said my mammy was her herjt~ce My first 3leintries are us playin in the backyard with Miss Fannie and Miss Marth& and Mr. Ss~mnie. They was the little garth chilIen. We used to make playhouses out there snd sweep the ~roun~ clean down to the level t,ith brush brooms ~nd dec rate it all up with little broken glassas end crockery. In them cisys we lived in a little, old log cabin in the back.. yard and there was just one roo~n, but it was snug i~nd we h~d ~ plenty of livint. My mw~uny had a nice cotton b~d and she weren t no field nigger, hit my pappy were. Miss Micelder had a fine farm and raised most everything we ate and the 1ood nowadays aintt like what it was then. Miss Mjcel~ier had a wood~ frame house with a big kitchen and they were cookin goin on all the time. They cooked on a wood stove with iron pots and. skillets, and the roastin ears and chicken fried right out of ~-our own yard is tastier than what you git now. rated ttater puddin was icy dish.

229 224

Ex.slaVe Stories ~ Two p (Texas) UWlien I ~m seven years old I hear talk tbout a war and the sepa-. ration but I cbn t pay much ttentlon. It seem far away and I don t bother lay kinky head about lt. But then they tells er~e the war is over and. I~m gain to be raised free end. that I don t long to anybody but G~wd and my pappy and mammy, but it don t make me feel nothin cause ! am t n~v~r know I ain t free, After the war we removed to a house on a hil . where they Is five houses, little log housee all in a row. We had good times, but we had. to work In the cotton ~nd corn and wheat in the daylight tIme, but when the dusk come we used to sing axd dance arid play ir.t~r the moonlight. But one man called Milton, he s past his yearling boy d~~s and he didn t like to see us spend our time in sin, so he d preach to us frog the Gospel, but I had the hard ~st time to g~t ligion of anybody I knowed. Pin ly I got sick when I were fifteen and was in my bed and soinetht& h~ppen~d. Lawd, lt Was the most ~ thing ever happened ~o rie. I was layi& there when sin formed a heavy, white veil dust like a blanket over my bed ~ it just eased down over me t ill it w~s mashing the breath out of inc . I crvs out t o the Lawd to save me and, shot nou~~h, Re hear the cry of a pore mls able sinner. I ran to my mammy and ps py a?1u~shautin . The next year I ~xrles and went on nother farm right near by end. starts havin chilien. I has ten and think I done rightly my part, cause I lived right by the word and. ta.xght my chilien the same. I m lookin to the promise to live in Glory after my days here is done.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 230 225

!r4w1.15 L: ~ILSLAT1~ EOB.tES Page One (Texas) ~\ ~: ~ PATJLDIE J ~NSO~ and J~LI~ ~ ~ B JIVZAtJX, sisters, were once slaves on the plantation of 1~r~at Max ttne near Opelousas, L ~tstana. As their owners were French, they are nore in~ c1ined~ to use a Creole patois than E~gliah. ~Ue was both slaves on de old plantation close to Ope ou as, ~ Pauline began. As the elder of the two sisters she carried. rnoat of the conversation, although often referring to Felice before aeking positive statements. s ~ was 12 year old when freedom come and J~ ice was bout six. Us belonged. to Maeaa Der~at Martin. antt the missy s name Mimi. They raise us both in the house and they love us so tI~y spoil us. I never will Zorget that, T~s little white chilien ~.s yiainger than me, boet Felice s aie. ?he~ sho had. pretty I t I curly bi ack hair. nus didn t have hard. time. lever even Imowed hard time, That old. massa, he what you call a good. man. Nus d.ad.dy was Renee and he work in the field.. T~ old. massa give him a mud. and. log house aM a plot of gro~ind. for lie own. The rais she iever get in that log house, it so tight. The fu.rnit~tre was homemake, but my tta&dy aake it good. and stout. NtIs d.&itdy he wox~ d.e ground. he own on Stmd.ay and. sold the things to buy us shoes to put on us feet ~d. clot~s. The white folks didn t give iLS clothes byt they l.t him have a~. I the money he made in his own plot to get theme l.

231 226

~x-slav Stories ~ ~ (veXaI) ~ ~tTe aeaa nate Marguertte and she a field. haMs too, so us chilien growed up in the white folks house mostly. tlore i,lic, get big enough to leave I stay in the big house and. ti~ke care of her. ~ One day Us papa fall sick in the bed, just fore free&oa, end he kept callin for the priest. Old massa call the priest and. just fore us papa die the priest aarry bia an~t a~ ae~aa. fore dat they just aarried. by the aassa s word~ ? lics and me, us have two brothers what was born an~L die in elav-~ b27, an& One sif~ter Still ltYifl~ iTt BOUTeZ flOW. 111 thXe uncles, Bruno aM Pophrey a~& Z~~rey, they goes to the war, Thea three dies too y~~xng. The Ta~3ceee et ois th~ai end aaks them boys fight foe thea. ~l neyer d~one auch work but wash the dishes. They wasn t poor people anc% they uses good dishes. Th. aieey real particular bout us sM~a& t~a d~ish.s nice, and the silver .pions aM knives, too, ~Thea white people was good Christian people an& t~y christen u. both in the old brick C&tholic church in Opelo~iBas. They done torn it ttoin now. Missy gic. a. pretty dress to get christen in. My godisother~ ebe Mileen Ieaais~, but I cell her Miran . My godfather calle& Paren, ~On Sunday mornin us fi~ OLt! thsss ant hair ath go up to the atssy s 3~ooking. g1ass to see if us pretty enough go to church. Us goss to kas~ every 8~md~y aornin and chtrch holiday, and~ w~n the cullud folks sick massa een& foe the priest amme s for the white fo Jcs. we wears them things on the strings rmmcl t}~ neck for the goo~i of the hsart. They s a~taeg. UThe pla2ttatton was a big, graM place and they have lots of orangs -2..

232 227

x~~slav~ Stortee Page Three (Texas) tress. The slaves pick them orauges and. pack them down on th~ barrel with Is aosse( Spanish moss) to keep thee. They was plenty pecans and fige, too. ~tn slavery tise most everybody round Op.loiisss talk Creole. That aalce the words hard, to oot~e someti.e. Us both talk that better way than Zngltah. ~I~rin~ the war, it were a i~ight . E~very aornin C~t Jen.~~ erette Bank and he men go a hoss~..baok driflin in the pasture and then have drill on foot, A white lady take all us chilien to the d~l gr~in& every ~rnin U. t eke the lunch food in the basket and stay t ill they done drill out. sI can sing for you the soz~g they used. to .ing: so, de Ta~cee come to put de nigger free, Saye I, says I, pas bonne; In e i~htesn~stxty thrs , :~ Yankee get out they g~n and say, Eu.x rah~ Let s put on the baU. ~ war over none the slaves vante leave th~!i plantation. My ~ and us chilien stay. on till old sassa and ~iesy dies, and then goes lt ! on the old. Repridim place for a tiae. ~Both us get aarry in that Catholte church in Opelousas. As for as, it ost too long ego to talk ab~it. His n~ae Alfred Johnson and 13e dead. 12 years. ~ youngest boy, Jobn~ go to the Vorl& War. Two ~y ne~phews die in that war arid one nephew can t walk now from that ~. Npelics zarr~ Joseph Bowtr.aux anti ehen he die she e~e her, to stay with ~e. Thers s sors baH ttae now than in theold day for us, but I hope things get better.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 233 228

20103 ~ ~ ~ EX-SLAVE S~ORI~S PageOne !~: (Texas) ~ SP~NC~ JOHNSON was born free, ~ a member ot the Choctaw Nation, ~ in the Indian Te rritory, ~ in the .~. 1850 s. He does not know hie .~ e xac t age ~ He and hi s in other ~ were stolen arid iald at auction ~ in ShreVepOrt to Riley Surratt, f~ whe I ived near Shreveport en . the Texas - Louisiana line. He ~ has lived In ~t:tce sinee 1874. De nigger stealers clone stole me and. my mammy o~xttn de Choctaw Nation, up in de InOElan Territory, when I was bou.t three years old. Brudder Kn x, Sis Hannah, and my mamy and zier two step~cri111un was ciown on ue river was~in . De nt~ger stealers driv up in a big carri~tge and mammy just thougnt nothin cause tAS i~rd was near ~ere anci peple goin Ou de road. siopped t~ water ci~ xiorses arid rest awhile in de shade, By n by, a man coaxes de tw~ bigges chiliwi to de carriage and g1v~ dein some kind- a candy. Other ch111u~n sees dis and. goes, teo. Two ot~ner men wa~ wa.Lkin round smokin and gettin closer to mammy all de time. Then lie kin, d man in de carriage got de two big step~chi11un in witri him and. me !~nd sis eiwab 1X1 too, to see ~aow come, Den de man h~11er, Git de ole one and let s 4t from here. With dat de two big men crab maa~mY and~ sne fougnt ana. sereec~ied and bit and cry, bu~t dey ialt her on de head. with s nething and drue her in, aM throwed Xier on de floor. De big chulluns begin t. fight for mai~ny, b~it one o c~e men ~ai~ ~em ~ara and if aey irlv, with de horses under ihip. Dis was near a place called B.g~y Depot . Dey went ~iown de Red Ribber, ~ cl. ribber and. on dswn in Loutsian to Shreveport.

234 229

Ex slave Stsriss ~ ( Texas) Down in Lo~1san u.s was put on whet dey cal . de block and so1~ to de hi~hes1 bidder. My maniny ~nd her three chullun brung $3,000 flat. I~ step chillun WB5 S.I to s~nebGdy else, but U8 was bought by Marss Riley Surratt. He was de daddy of Jedge Marst~all Surratt, him who got to be jed~e hers ix~ Wacs. Marse Riley Surratt bad a big pl.antation; ~ knsw how many acres, bu~t dere was a factory and. gifla and big nous~s and lets of nigger quarters. 1~ tiouse was right on de Tex..~L.uisan line. Mammy c ked f.r em When Mars. Riley bought her, she couldn speaic notnin but d~ Ctioctaw worda. I was a ba~ when us 1sf de Cfl~octaw country. My sister looked like a tu . . blosci Choctaw Indian and sue could. pass for a real full blood Ind.i an . W~mmy e f.lks was all Chactaw Indians . Her sisters was Psily Hsg~tn, and Soskey Hogan and. she had a br~idder, Nolat~ Tubby. Dey was ail known in de Territory in de oie days. ~Jear as Marss Riley s beoks can come to it, I mus of been bo n rsund 1859, up in de Territory. Us run de hay press to bale cotton on de plantation and took c tton by ox wagons to Shreveport. Seven or eight w~ons in a train, with three or four yoke of steers to each wagon. Us made lasses and. cloth and. shoes and l ti of thing.. Old Marge Riley had a nigger wko could make shoes and if he ~ad to go te curt in Carthege, he d leave niggsr make shoes for hin. t,1,. qu*rtsre was a quart er mil e 1 ong, all strwig out on de o reek bank, Our cabin wa~ nex de big houss. De white folks give bi~ baLls and had supper gem! all ni~ht. Us had lots to eat and. dey let us have dances and suppers, toi. W. never go anywhere. Mammy always cry and fraid of

235 230

Ex-slave Steriss ( Texas) 230 Pace Three bei& stole again. Ders was a white man live close to us, bu.t over in Loulsan. ~ bad raised him a great big black man wnat brung fancy price on de block. De b1ac~ ~naxi sho love dat white rn~n. Dis white ~nian would. sell oie John ~a s de black man ~ ~ on d.c block to somernan from Georgia 01 ether place fur ot f. Den, after while de wrilte ~an would steal oie J01m back and bring him home and. feed him good, den sell him again. After he had sol oie Jofln some lot of times, 1~e coaxed oie Jo in orf in de swamp one day and oie Jonn Thun dead. sev ral days later. De wnite folks said dat de owner kilt him, cause a ctead nigger ~n~t tell ao baies. uDtLrin$ ~3e B reedew War, I seed. soldiers aLl ever de road. Dey was breald,nt bosses wnat dey stole. Us ekeered and. did.n let soldiers see us if we could he p it. Mammy and I stayed on with Marse Riley after J reedoin and till I was bout sixteen. Den Marse Riley died. and I come to WacO in a wagon with Judge Surratt s brottier, Marse Taylor Surratt. I come to Naco de same year dat Dr. Lovelace did, arid he says that was 18/4. I married and us had. six cnhllun. tI can t read. or write, cause I only went to school one day. De white , .ks tried to lam me, but I s too thickhe~1ed. I *****~* ~*

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 236 231

1 ~v\j ~ . EX-~LAVIi~ STQRL~S Page One 231 (Texas) HABRIET JONES 93 wa~ born a slave of 1~t~rtin :?u.llbright,who owned a large plantation ii~ North Carolina. When h~ di~d his daughter, ~llen, bec~uxae H~rr et s oi~ner, ~.nd was so kind to Harriet thrat sh~ i~)Ok5 back on slave years as the iiap~piest tiiri~ in her life. ~.iy dad~dy and. iQarainy WR.S Henry and. Zilphy Guest ~nd M~rse Mart in Pullbri~ht brung dem frora North Carolina to R~d River County, in Tex~s, long fore freedom, and settled near Olarkeville. I was one of dere eight chilien ~nd born~d in 1844 ~nd ~in 93 ~rears old. M~ folks stayed with Marse Martin and he (laughter, Miss ~ll~n, till dey went to d.~ re-ward where dey dies no ~nore. De plantation raise corn ~nd oats ~nc1. wheat 2~nd cotton and. hawgs ?nd cattle ~nd liosses, ~rnd de nenres pl~ce to ship to markct az~i at Jefferson, Texas, ninety iuiles from Cia: ksvil1~, den up river to Shreveport 2fl.d den to )~ernphie or New Orleans . Dey send cotton by wagon train to Jefferson but mostly by boat up de bayou. ~When Marse Martin di~ he vide us sl~ves to he folks arid I fells to he daughter, Miss 1fllen. Iffen ever dere was a angsl on dis earth she was it. I hopes wherever i~.s, her spirit am in glory. ~When )~(iSs Ellen marry Mars. Johnnie Watson, she h~ve r e fix her up. She h~.ve de white sat In dress and pink sa5h and tight waist and hoop skirt, so eh have to go through de door sideways. De long curls I iiade hang dOWR her shoulders and a bunch of pink roses in de~ hand. She look like a angel.

237 232

~x~slaVe Stories Page Two 232 (Texas) $S~b11 d fine folks in Clarkeville at dat wedcil* and dey dances in de big room after de weddiz~ supper. It wa~ de grand time but it make me cry, cause MiSB ~11~fl done crowed up. When she wa~ a 11 ). g~1. ~he wore de ~weetes1 liii dresses and paatiee with de lacs r~iff1ss what hung down below her skirt, and de jacket button in de back and shoes f om soft leather de sho~ra~n tan jus for her. When she It ). bigger she wear de tucic~d petticoats, twc, thre. at a ti~ne to ta:i~e place of hoops, bLt she still wear de white panties with lace n~f~ fIes what hang below de kirt 1bau.t a foot. %There dey gone now? I ain t seed any forsicha1ongtim~1 . t1Whei de white ladles go to church in dem hoop skirts, dey h~ to pull d.rn up In de b ck to set down. .kftsr freedQm dey wears de ~res~es long with de train and has to hold up de train when dey goes In de church, lessen d~y h~s de liti nigger to go long and hold lt tm for dem. iii us hOuse women 1arn~d to knit c~e socks and heads ~u fIere, and inaiy is d. time I has went to town and trath~d 5OCIC$ for grocerieB. I cooked, too, and hs1psd~ t Thr. old. Marse died. ~ or everyday cookin we ha8 CO1 U pone &fld pntlicker and bacon meat and. mustard and turnip greens, and good, old eorghum .asses. On Sunday we has ehlekcn or turkey or ~ roast p 1g and pies and Cakes and hot sa1t-~ risi~ brsad.. Ih.i ! OlkB visit dim days dey . do it right and stays several days maybe a ~ or twa. ~hei de qua1it~y folks C ~aei for dinner, Missie show mi how to ~ wait oa table. I has to e om in when sli. ring Is bell and hold d.. wal t er f~ f od~ ~jiie right. l or d~ br.akfas W has coffee and hot waffles what m~ II~aI~ aake.

238 233

~x...siaVe Stories Page Three 1)4)1 (Texas) Der. was a old song we used to sing I~ji~~ de hoecake, when vie COOiCi~1 I : ~ ~ ~ou want s t o bake ~ hoecake, Po b~ke it good ~n& done, S1~p it on a nigger s heel, And bo ~ it to de sun. t, I My mararny baked a hoeca~ce, As big as lab~rii a, She throwed it gainet a nigger s head, lt ring jus like a hammer. t, t Dc w~y You bake a hoecake, Dc old Virginny way, Wrap it round a nigger s stora cli, .4Uid ~1i~a~ dere all day. Dat de life we lives with old and young marss ~nd missie, for dey de quality folks of old Texas. BOUt ti%e for de field hands to go to work, it git.tin mighty hot down here, so dey ~o by ciayli~ht when it cQoler. 01d L(arse h~ive a horn and 1on~ bOu~t f0111 o clock it ~3gin to blow, ~ you turn over .~nd try talcs nother nap, den it goes ar~1in1, b 1 0 w, how loud dat old horn do blow, b~it de sweet smell de air and de early breeze blowin through de trees, and de sun peepin over de r~eadow, rn~ke you glad t~ ~1t Up in de early mornin . It s a cool and frosty mornin knd de niggers goes to wor~c, ~ith hoes upon dey shouiclers, tithout a bit of shirt. tWhen dey hears de horn blow for dinner it am de race, ~zic1 dey sings: I E~OeS up on d~ m~tatskins, ~ I corn s down on de pone I hits tie corn pone fifty licks, ~nd makes dat but t er moan .

239 234

~x.~.s1ave Stories Page Four 23 (Texas) ~ ~D i timber RIfl near de river and de bayou ~nd when dey not worki.n de hosses or no other work, we rides down ~nd goes ~.mtin1 with de boys, for wild. turkeys and prairie chickens, b~t dey like bes to hunt for coons and possums. I, ~Po ssu.m up de gum irip, . Paccoon in de hollow Git him down ~nd twist him out, And I~ll give you a dollar, Corae Christm~s, Miss Ellen say, tHarriet, have d.e Christm~s~carr~ in and de holly and evergreens . Den she puts de candies on de tree and hangs de stockin s up for de white chilien and de black chilien. Nex mornin , everybody \1p 1fore day and somethin for us ~1l, arid for de men a keg of cider or wine on de back porch, so dey all have a 11 . ChristmaS spirit. De nex thing ~ de dinner, serve in de bi~ dinin room, and dat dinner! De onlies tirae what I ever h~s sich a good dinner am when I gits married ~nd when Miss ellen marries Mr. Johrinie. After de white folks eats, dey watches de servants have de;~r dinner. Den dey nas guitars and banjoes and fiddles and plays old Christmas tunes, den dat nicht r~iarse and. missie bru~ng de chilien to de quarters, to see de nig~ers have dey dance, Fore de dance dey has Christmas supper, On de lone teble out in de yard in front de cabins and~have wild turkey or chicken and plenty good things to eat. When dey ail. throu.gh eatint, dey has a li l fire front de main cabins where de. dancin gwine he. Dey moves everything out ~e cabin cent a few chairs. Next come de fiddler and benjo~er and when dey starts, d.e caller call, tHeads lead off,~ and de first coupl.e ~its in middle de floor, and. all de couples follow till de cabin full. Next he call.s, Sashay to de right,

240 235

~x..~s1&Ve Stories Page Five (Texas) and do 21-. do. Round to de ri~ght dey ~ den he calls, Swing you partners, and dey swillg dem round twice, and so it ~o tjjj da~r1ight ~rne, den he sing dis sofl~ tIts gittin mighty late when de Guinea hen equall And you better dance now if srou gwine dance a tall If you don t watch out, rouIll sin~. nother tune, For de sun rise and. cotch irou, 1! ynu dontt go soon, For de stars ~ttint p~.ier ~nd de old gray con Is sittint in de grapevine a-watchin de moon. Den de dance break up with de Virginny Reel, and. it de end ~ happy Christmas day. De old ~iiarse lets ~em frolic all night and have nex day to git over it, tcause its Christza~s. II t Fore freedom de soldiers pass by our hc use and. stop ask rn~rnmy t o cook dem something to eat, ~.nd when de Yankees stop us chilIen hides. Once two men stays two, three weeks lookin r~ind, p-~etends dey gwine buy land. But when de white folks ~its spicious, dey leaves right sudden, and it turn out dey s Yankee spies. . UI marries Bill Jones ~e year after freedom. It a bright, moonlight ni~It and all de white folks ~nd niggers corne ~tnd de preacher stand under de big elm tree, and I come in with two li l pickintnnies for flower gals and holdin m~r train. I has on one Miss ~I1en s dresses ;~nd red stock n~ and a pair brand new shoes and a wide brim hat. De preacher say, Bill, does you take dis ~xnan to be you i~wfui wife? and Bill say he will. Den he say, Harriet, will ~ taKe dis nigger to be you l~wf~ . boss and do jes what he sa~r?t D~n we siens de book and de preacher say, I quotes from de scripture: e t Dark and stormy m~y come de weather, ~ I unes dis i~ian and woman together. . Let none but Hin what make de tbunder, ~-~- ~ ~ ~ ~ Put cil s man and woman asunder .

241 236

~x~s1ave Stories Paie Six. o ~ (Texas) D~ri we goes out in de bnck~rd, where de t~.l)?f~ sot for supper, a 1~)n~ table ruade with two planks ~md ~e peg legs. ~is~ Ellen pute on de white table~ clth ~nd soue red berries, ~cause t am November nnd dey is r1p~. Den she puts ~)n some r~d candies, and we ~ barbecue ti~ and ro.~st sweet 1taters ~nd dumplin s rind pies and ~ake. Dey all eats dis grand supc~r till c~ey full ~nd riiatnmy give me de luck charm for de bride. It am a rabbit toe, and she say: t Here take di s 1 j. t I gift, tnd place lt near rou heart; It keep aw~r dat 1i~1 riff what causes folks to part. It ~~)fl17 ~1est a rabbit toe, Bit plenty luck it brin~s, Its worth a rriillion dimes or more, More n all de wethlin rings. ~Den we goes to Marse Watson s saddleshop to dance and dances all nicht, and ie bride and ~ro~i, dat s us, leads de grand march. 1De Yankees never burned de house or nothin so Young L~arse nnd Missie jest kep right on livin in de old henne after freedom, like old Marse done fore freedom. He pay de families by c~e dey for work an~ let dem work land on de hRives and f~Arnish dein teams arid grub and dey does de work. But bye n-~bye times slow commence to c~i~n~e, and first one and nother de old. folks goes on to de Greet Be~on~, one by one dey does, till all I has left airi my great ~rand.child what I lives with now. My sister wa~ living at Greenville six years ago. She was a hundred and four years old den. I don t know if she~s livin nOw or not. How does we live dat long? ~Vay b&ck yonder ~ ~ born was a ~ haiided down from my great great, grandfather. It de blessin of long life, and corne with a blessin of good health from li~j~ de clean, hones life. Then nighttime come, we goes to bed and to ~ ~end dat s ourbiessin

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 242 237

F1J~~SLAVE STORIES Page One 23 (Texas) L.1~WIS JONES, 86, was born a slave to Fred Tate, who owned a large p1~ntatioi on the Oolorado River in Fayette Co., Texas. Lewis father wr~s born a slave to H. Jonce and was sold to Pred Tate, who used him as a breeder te build. up his slave stock. Lewis took hie father s n&~rne after ~m~nicip~. tion, and worked for twenty three years in a cotton gin at La Grpn~e. He came to Fort W!orth in 1896 and worked for Armour & Co. until 1931. Lewis lives. p,t 3304 Loving Ave., !ort Worth, Texas. My birth ~ia in dc year l8~ . on dc plantation of Massa Fred Tate, what am on d.c Colorado River. Yes, euh, d.~.t ~in in dc etpte of Texas. ~y mammy am own~t~d. by Massa Tate ~id so am my patr~r and all my briidders ~nd sisters. How~ many br~xdders and sisters? L~wd A mighty~ Vil tell you tcause yo~ asks and dis nigger gives d.c facts as ~tis. Let s see, I cau1t 1lect dc numbe~r. My pappy haire 12 chilIen by my mainri~y end 12 by anud.der nigger name Mary. You k.ep de count. Den dere ~zn Liza, him have 10 by her, ~nd dere ar Mand~y, hirn have 8 by her, and d.ere ~m Betty, him have six by her. Now, let ~e ~ some more. I can T bring dc names to mind, bit dere am two or three othe ~ whet have jus one or two chullen by my peppy. Dat ~zri right. Close to 50 chilien, cause my mammy dohe told inc. It s disaway, mv pappy ~in de bre~diitt nigger. You sees, whe~~ I meets a nigger on tht plantation. l s most shot it a~m a brucider or sister, so I don t try keep track e ~ em. Massa Tate didn ~t give rations to each family like lots of massas, but him have de ceokhouse and de cooks, ~nd ~11 de rations cooked by dem and. all us ni~gers set down to de long tables. Dere ~m plenty, plenty. I sho wishes I could. hive some good rations like dat .4-

243 238

Stories . Page Two . (Texas) ~w. Mau, . some if dat ham wouj.d go fine . Dat was ~Haxa, what em. 1~WeIuns raise all de f.~d right dere on de place. Hawgs? We uns bpve three, four hundred and massa raise de corn ~nd fet~d dem and eure de meat. Wet.Uns. have de csrmrneal and de whsat flour and. all ds milk and bu.tter we wants, 1cause massa have bout 30 cows. And dere am de good old tlasses, t,.. ~ ~ Massa feed powerfu.l good and.he ~ net onreas bl~. He don t wimp un~ch and am she reaa bl~, bout de pass, and he low de parties and have de church on de place. Old Tom am dc preacherman and. d.c musician and him pl~~y de fiddle and. ba.nj s . Somet ime dey have j 1g c ont est dat when dey puts de glass of water on de head and. see whi can jig le hardes without spiUta de water. Den der. am j yinent in d~ singin . Preacher Tern sot ail us niggers in de circle and sing old sangs. I jus can t sing for you, ceuse I~s lost my teeth and my voice g~i raspin but I 11 word some, sich as T, t In de new Jerasalem . In de year of Jubilee.t II ~Isne forgit de words. Den did you ever hear dis one: t t Oh, do what Sam done do dat again, Ee went to de hainbene bit off de end, Whea Old. ~sm am preacherman, him talks from be heartfelt. a white preacherman come and he ai de Baptist and baptize we~uns. Massa b&ve de fine coach and. de seat for de driver am up high in front I, s de coachman and. he dresses inS nice ~nd d.c h sse~s am fine, white team. I~e sat up high, all dress gsod, heldin a tight line caise de team am of epirit and~ fast ~ We suns goes li okity spI it and I t am a pur ty eight. twarnt aiy.ne bigger dan d~is nigger. 238 Den sometime and Der. tall ~~U n1 ~ :~ ~ ~ S ~ ~

244 239

~x s1aYe Stories Page Three (Texas) 239 t ~has de bad luck jus one time with dat te~m and it gn dis away: massa have jus ch~e de power for de gin from hose to steam and dey wn ginnii cotton and l s with dat team side de house and de hosses am a- prancin and waiti~~ for miss~ to conic ~t. Massa am in (3M coach. Den, de fool niggers blows de ivhistle of dat st e~i ~ engine and de liesses never heered sich befe and. dey starte to ru.n. Dey have de bit in ~.e teeths and I s lucky dat road. ~ni purty straight. I thinks of massa bein inside d.c coach and wants to save him. I says ts myself, Dem hosses skeert and. I don t want to skeer ~em ni mere, I jusi hold de lines steady and keep sayin , Steady, boys, whoa boys. Fin ly dey begins to slow down and den stops and massa gits sut anui de hosses am puffin hard and ~1l foaii. He turns to me and say, Boy, you s made a wonnerftd drive, like a vet ran, Now, does dat make me feel fines It she1 do. I When surrender cone I ~ s been drivia bout a year and s ~ bout U 1clock in de m rnin cause massa have i~e ring de bell and aU de niggers rt~s quick t. de house and massa say dey am free nigger.. It am time for 1a~yi* de crop. by and he say if dey do dat he pay ~ Some stays and some goesoff, but m~xmny and p~p~py~and me stays. Dey never left dat pla~tati6n, and Istays bout 8 years. I g~iese it dat c~achman job ihat helt me. ~WZLfk I quits I g~~s to wo k for Ed Mattson in La Grange and I works u dat e.tt.* gii 18 years. Pii ly I coma s here to 7.rt W~rtb, Dat am 1896. 1 works for Ar~iiirs 20 years but dey 1 et me off six years ags caus e I e too .l& Since d~en I wsrks a~ a~y little old j ob for t. make my licria . ~3*.

245 240

~x s1aVe Stories (Texas) Page F.ur t She s been a~arrted and lt t o Jene Owen in La Gr~tnge, and. we1u115 have three chilien ~nd dey all dead. She di~d in 1931. I, It ~ hard fer dis nigger to git by and sometime I d t for sh~ dat I~ s gwine git anudder me~I, but it RIlus come some w~. suh, &ey ~11us coins sonic way. Some of d.e time dey Is f~r apart, but CoffleB. De L~wd see te dat, I g~aess. IQIOW Yes, dey 240

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 246 241

# 42014E3 EX-SLAVE STORIES Page One 94 (Texas) LIZA JONES, 81, was born n slave .~\ 0 1 Charley Bryant, near Liberty, .~ TP~Las. She lives in Beaumont, ~ and her little homestead ~s reached by a devious path thro~h a cerne~ tery and across a ravine on a plank foot~-bridEe . Li za sat in a back- less chair, smoking a pipe, and her elderly son lay on a blanket n~azby. Both were resting after a hot day s work in the field. ~qithin the o~r~ door could be seen Henry Jones, Liza s husband for si~ty years, a tall, gaunt Negro vTho is helpless. Blind, deaf and almost speechless, he co~ld tell nothing of slavery da~rs, aith ouch he was gr own whe n the war end~ed. . When de Yankees come to see iffen dey h~d done turn us a- Iose, I am a nine year old ni~ er aal. That m~e :~e about 91 ~ow . Dey promenade up to de gate and de drum say ~ dr- urn- m- m- m- m, and de ~an in de blue uni- foriii be ~it down to ipen de date. Old massa he see hera comm1 ~nd he i~nned in de house and grab up de gun. W nen he come hustlin do~ o~ f de gallery, my daddy come runnin1 He seed old nassa too r~iad to know what he a- doin , so quicker d~an a chicken could fly iie grab dat ~.in and wrastle it outten old massa s hands. Den he push old massa in de smokehouse and lock de door. He ain t do dat to be mean, but he want to keep old. ii~assa outten trouble. Old massa Iciow dat, but he beat on de door ~nd yell, bat it ain t git open till dem Yankees done gone. ~ I wiaht old massa been a- livin now, I d git a piece of bread end meat when I want it . Old man Chancy Bry~rnt he de massa, and Fehde Bryant de inissus. Dey both have a good age when freedom cc~ne. I~T daddy he George Price. arid he boss nigger on de i~lace. Dey all COme from Loui5iaxia, somewhere round New Orleans and all dein li i extra :piacee, - 1-

247 242

~x..s1ave Stories Page Two t (Texas) 242 u Li z b~~th she my matria and. dey s just two us chil len, me and my brt~dder John. He lives in Beaumont. Bout all de work I did was tend to de roms ~ni sweep. Nobody ever low us to see nobody bu.sed. I never seed. or heared of nobrdy ~ittin cut to pieces with a ~ip Ulce some. Course, chilien wasn t 1o~ed to go evex~r~ where and see evex~vthing like dey does now. Dey jump in every corner now. t ~iss Flora and Miss U0)-Y ?~m de only ones of my white folks what am alive now and dey done say dey tnke me to San Antonio with dem. Course, I couldn t go now and leave H~nry, noway. Dc old Bryant place am in ~e lawsuit. Dey say de br~dder, Mister Benny, he done sha~ed it l~piq fr~ de others beTh he die, but I lieve the gals will win dat lawsuit. tt~&y daddy am de gold iplot on de old place. Dat TIIe~II anything he done was right and. proper. ~y aft er freedom when my daddy die in Beaumont, Cade Bryant and M1st~.:r Benny both want to see hirn be~o he buried. Dey ride in arid say, Better not yoa bury him befo us see him. Dat s us you.n~ George. Dey allus call daddy dat but he old den. My mama was de spring back C ook and turkey baker. Dey c all her dat, she so neat and cook so nice. l s de expert cook, too. She larnt me. US chilien used. to sing utDontt steal D0n t steal my sugar. Don t steal, Don t steal my c ridy. s e OEnin round de mountain. ~ Dey sho h~.ve better church in dem days dan now. Us git h&ppy and shait . Dey t oo many b . md taggers now. Now dey say dey got de key and dey ain t got nothin UB used to sing like dis: ~ L~

248 243

Ex..slaVe Stories Page Tiaree (Texas) ~ ~dam s fallen ~ace, Good~ Lawd., hang down ray heed an~t cry. ~ Help rae to trust him, Help rue to trust hin, Help inc to trust hirn, Gift of G~awd. Help me to trast him, Help me to tn~st him, Help iae to trust him, Etern~,1 Life. HiHad not been for ~dam s race, I ~ been ~ today, Help rae to trast hin, Gift of Gawd. Dey nother hymn like dis: ~ I, Heavenly land, Heavenl~,r lend, I~s gwineter beg G~awd, ~ ror dat Heave nly I and. I Some cona~ crippiin~, ~ Soia~ come lame, ~ s or~ e c orne walkin , ~ In Jesus name. ~ You iaio~ I s~w vou-.all last night in my sleep? I ain t never seed ~ you befo today, bu.t I seed. you last night. Dey s two of you, a man and. a woman, ~ and ~rou coixie crost dat bridge and up h~re, askin me iffen I trust in de Lawd. ~ And here you is today. ~ H Dey had nice part ies in slavery time and right afterwards . Dey have ~ candy pullin and corn shuckin s arid de like. Old. ~Aassa Day and Massa Bryant, dey used to put dey nig~ers together and have de ~ri.ze dances . Massa D~Y allus lose, cause us allus beat he niggers at dancin . Lawd, when I clean myself up, . I sho could teach demn how to buy a cake~walk in dem davs. I could cut de pigeon wing, jes pull lilY heels up and clack dem together. Den us do de back . Step and de banquet, too.

249 244

Ex..slave Stories (Texas) Page Pour Us allus have de white tarleton Swiss dress for dances ~nd Sunday. De:u purty good clothes, Dem ourty good clothes, too and dey make at hozae. Us Imowed ~iow to sew and one de old man s gal s she t ry t each me read. in ~ and wri t i . I dl dn t have no ~ense, though, and I cry to go ut and. play. Then freedoi~ corne old massa he done broke down and cry, so my daddy stay with him. He stay a good ~n~ny ~ re~r, till both us chilien was growed. Us h~ve de li l io~g house on de olace all dat time. Dey nother old cullud EIPfl ~ stay, ri~ine george 1~hitehouse. ~ h~v~ de Ii . h,us~, too. He st9y till he die. Dey was t ryin to make a go of it after de war, cause times was hard. De white boys, dey go out in de field and work den, and work hard, cause dey don t have de slaves no ~iore. I used to see de purty,young white ladies, all dress up, c~nin1 to de front door. I slips out and tell de white boys, and dey workin in de fie1d~ half~nak~d and dirty, ~nd dey sneak in de back door and clean up t~ spark dem gals. I been marry to dat Henry in dere sixty year, and hr~ was a slave in Little Rock, in Arkansas, for Anderson Jones. Henry 1ciow~d de bad, tejo~s part of de war and. he must ~e ~ b out 96 year old . Now he am in pain al 1 d~ time. Can t see, can t hear and can t talk. Us never has I~.d d~ squabble. At de.wecjdj n de white f olkz bn~n~ cakt~s and. every li l thing. I had a white tarleton dress with de white tarl~ton wig. Dat de hat part what go over de head and drape on de shoulder. Bat de sien ~rOU am t never done no wrong sin and. gwinter keep bein good. ~&fter us marry I move off de old place but nothin mast do but I got to 244.

250 245

~x~slave Stories Page Five ~ (Texas) .q.,4J keep de house for ~ilster Benny. l s cleanin up one time and finds a milk churn of rflOflC~. I ~ ~. Benny, wh~.t for rou ain t Dut dat money in de bank? He s~y he will. De next time I cleanin up I finds a pillow sack full of money. I says, ~(r. Benny, I~s gwinet~r quit. I ain t ~wineter be ~-pons~ ible for dis money, Hets sick aen ~nd I put de money under he pillow ~md git read~r to go. He say, You better stay, or I send Andrew, de sheriff, after ycRL I goes ~md cook s dinn~r and vrhen I gits b~~k dey has four doctors with i~r. Benny. He wife say to me, Liza, you ~ot de sicht. Am Benny gwineter git well? I goes and looks and I knowed he gwine w~y from dere. I knowed he was gone den. Dey leant on rue a heap after dat. It some ye~~s after dat I leaves dem and Henry and rae gits married and us make de livin farmin . Us allu~ stays right round hereabouts and. ~its dis li l house, Now my son and rue, us work de field and ~its nough to ~it through on.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 251 246

320089 ~.L.SLATE STORIBS p~ One ~ . (T.xa,i) LIZZII~ JORES, an 86 year old ex-slave of the R. H. Hargrove family, was born in l~6l, in Harrison County, T xas. She stayed with her owner wit il four years after the doss of the Civil far. Skis now lives with Ta1zad~ge Buchanan, a grandson two mil es sas t of Karnack, on the Lee road, WI was bo n on the oie Henry Kargrove place, My oie missue was named Eligabeth and aanimy called me Lizzie fc~r her. But the Hargrovse called me Mink since I was a ckiile, caus, I was so black and shiny. Massa Hargrove had four girls and four boys and I helped tend. them till I was big enough to cook and keep house. I wagged oh Maisa Dr. Hargrov., dat lives in Marshall round when h. was a baby. I allus lived in de house with the white folks arid ate at the ir table when they was through~ and sl.p on the floor. We never had no school or church in slavery time The niggers couldn even add. None of us knowed how oie we was, but Massa set our ages down in a big book. NI member playin peep-squirrel and marbles and keepin houa. when I was a chile. Massa lowed the boys and girls to co~1 t but they couldn marry fore they was 20 years oie a~d they couldn marty off tu. plantation. Slaves warn t married by no Good Book or the law, neither. ~ j~g1 take up with each other snd go up to tus Big House end ask massa to let them marry. I f they was oie enough, he cl say to the b oy, Take ~er and go on home, ~

252 247

:E:x-~sIav. Storise p~ ~wo (Texas) 247 Mamy 1ivsd~ ~cros~ the field at the quarters and there wa. so many nigger ~ it look like a town. The slaves slep on bunks of homemade boards nailed to de wail with poles for leg. and they cooked 0x1 txii fireplace. I ctidn know what a stove was till after de War. S0mettme they d bake co nbread In the as~ea and s~ery bit of the grub they ate come fron the white folks and. the clothes, too. I fin thee looms man.y a nigtit, weavint cloth. In sunsr we had lots of turnips and greens and garden stuff to eat. Massa allue put up sev ral barr.l. of kraut and a .aok house full of po k for winter. We d.Idn have flour or lard., but huntin was good fore d.c ww and on Sat day de men could go Iztntin and fiejiin anci catcri poasu~ and rabbits and squirrels and. coons. ThSoYersssr was named Wade and ne woke the han s up at four in the ~ornin and kep thai in the field from then till the m~ set. ko. of de w*nen wor~ced in de fields like de men. They d wash clothss at night and dry them by the fire. The overseer kep a long coach whip with hR and if they di&n work good, he d thrash them good. S~etime he ~ pretty hard on them and strip sa otf and wflip e~ till tt~ey tlliflk h. ~ gonna icill ~ ~ No nigger ever TUn otf . as I m.~ber. We never hare no parties till after ~~ancipation, arid ws COU1dII~ go off de place. On Sundays w~ slip or visited sacti other. But thi white folks was good to us. Massa Har~rOYe didn haYe no doctor but there wain ~ sickness and seldom anybody die. t I don RfJ~be;~Ltch ~bout de War. Massa went to it but he come home shortly and say he sick with the staption, but ~e got weil real

253 248

~-elaYe Stories Page Three .1 ~2 (Texas) quick fter surrender. b The white folks dIdXL let the niggers know they was free till tbout a year after the war. Massa Hargro~e took sick sev~ral months after and. for t~e did. he tell the folks not to let the nig~ gere boss t ill they have to. 1~inkLly they foun ~ out and gun to leave. My peppy died fore I was bo r~ and mammy married C&essr Peterson and baut a year after de war d.ey mo ~ed to a farm close to Lee, but I kep on workin for de Hargroves for four years, helpin mis sus cook and keep iiouse.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 254 249

I s ~fl) ~ ~ I~X sLAfl STORIES Page One (Texas) 2~9 TOBY ~o~r~s was born i~ South Carolina, in 1950, a slave of Felix Jones, who owned a large tobacco plantation. Toby has farraed in Madisonville, Texas, since 1869, and still supports hImself, though his age makes it hard for him to wodc. My father s naine was i~li Jones and m~nmy s name was Jessie . They was captured in AfrIca and brought to this c~.intry whilst they was st ill yoking folks, and. my father was purty haH to realize he wa~ a slave, cause lie done what he wanted back in Africa. (Au owner was Massa Felix Jones and. he had lots of tobacco planted. He was real hard on us slaves and whipped us but Mi ss i e Jani e she was a real good woman to ner black folks. I members when their Ii 1 curlyheaded Jante was borned. She jus loved this old, black nigger and. I carried her on my back whole days at a time. She was the sweetes baby ever borned. JLassa, he lived in a big, rock house with four rooms and lots of shade trees, and had b~y~~t fifty slaves. Our livin quarters wasn t bad. They was rock, too and. beds bxilt in the corners, with straw moss to sleep on. We had. plenty to eat, cause the woods was ft~ll of possum and. rabbits and aU the mud. holes full of fish. I sho likes a good, old, fat possum cooked with sweet taters ro~ind him. !e cook.~ d meat in a old-time pot over the fireplac. or on a forked stick. ~Ye grated corn by hand for cornbread and made waterpone in the ashes. NI was borned b~t 1850, so I was plenty old to ia~ber lots bout slav, times. I mwbers the loyal clothes, a long shirt what come down below ~ ;~

255 250

~x~.e1ave Stories Page Two ~ (Texas) our knees, opened all the way down the front. On Sunday we had white loyal shirts, but no shoes and when it was real cold. we d wrap our feet in wool rags so they wouldn t freeze. I married after fr~,edom and had white loyal breeches. I wouidn t . marry fore that cause massa wouldn t let xae have the women I wanted. . .. ~The overseer was a raean white man and one day he starts to whip a nigger what am hoein tobacco ~nd he whipped him so hard that nigger grabs him and made him holler. Missie come out and made them turn loose and massa whipped that nigger and put him in chains for a whole year. Ev~ry night he had. to be in jail and couldn t see his folks for that whole year. t, I seed slaves sold, and they d make them clean up good. and grease their hands and face, so they d look real fat, and sell them off. Of co~rse, most the niggers didn t know their parents or what chilien was theirs. The white folks didn t wa~ them to git tached to each other. Missie read some Bible to us every Sunday inornin and taught us to do right and. tell the truth. But some theza niggers would go off without a pass and the patterrollers wo~ld beat them up scand lo~s. The fun was ort Saturday night when massa lowed us to dance. There was lots of banj o pi t and t in pan beat and danci and everybody would talk bout when they lived in Africa and done what they wax~ted. II worked for massa bout four years after freedom, cause he forced In. to, said he couldn t ford to let me go. His place was near ruint, the fences burnt and the house would have been but it was rock. There was a battle fought near hie place and. I taken nissie to a hideout in the moun tai~~ to where her father as, ~ cause there was bullets flyin everywhere.

256 251

Ex~s1aVe St~r1ee p~.ge Three or~ (Texas> A1~ii~)l When the war was over, massa come home and says, You son of a gun, you s sposed to be free, but ~rou ain t, cause i ain t gwine give you freedom. So, I goes on workin for him till I gits the chance to steal a hoss from him. The wonrnn I wanted to marry, Govie, she cides to come to Texas with me. Me and. Govie, we rides that L~oss most a bwidred miles, then we turned him a loose and give k~im a scare back to his house, and. come on foot the rest the way to Texas. ~L1I we had to ~3at was what we could beg and sometimes we went three days without a bite to eat, S0metimes we d pick a few berries, When we got cold. we d crawl in a breshpile and hug up close together to keep warm. Once in awhile we d corne to a farrahouse and the man let us sleep on cottonseed in bis barn, but they was far and few between, caue they wasn~t many houses in the c~.ntry thetn days like now, t, Then we git s t o T exas we gi t s married but all they wa s t o our wedd t am we Jus grees to live together as man and wife. I settled on some land and. we cut some trees and. split them open and stood them on end with the tops together for our house. ThSfl W~ deadened some trees and the land was ready to fanj. There w~e some wild cattle and hawgs and that s the way we got. our start, ca~ ht soins of them and tamed them, j ~tI don t know as I epected nothin from freedor , but they turned us out like a bunch of stray dogs, no homes, no clothin , no nothin , not nough food to lait us onemea:L. After we settles on that place, I never seed man or woman, s cept Govie for s~ years ce~se it was a 1 ong ways t o anywhere . All we had to f~ with was Sharp sticks. We d stick holes and plant corn and when lt come up we dpunc,~h up the dirt round it. We,didn t plant cotton, cause we couldn t ~ ~ . : ~ ~ ~

257 252

~x... 1ave Stories Page : our 2~~i2 (Pexas) eat tht~t. I in~de bows and arrows to kill wild gazne with and we never went to a store for nothin . We made our clothes out of animal skins. We used rabbit foots for good luck, tied round our n ~cks. We d make medicine out of wood herbs. There is a rabbit foot weed that we mixed with sassafras and made ~~ood cough syrup. Then there is cami weed for chills and fever. s, ~ ~ ever did was to faim and I made a I ivin . I st ill makes one, though Pm purty ~1d now and Its hard for rae to keep the work up. I has some clii ckens and hawgs and a yearl ing or two t o sel . every year.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 258 253

I ~ )~ ~t ~ ~ s IL.SLA,T:g 8T0R13S Page x ni ~ ~- 4 ~) (~.xaa) AI~1T P1~flI ULLY, whose a~. is a matt.r of ~ ajectur. but who Beys 11* w&~1 ~grow.d up when sot free ~N was born on a plantat ion in Bratoria Co., owned by Gr~en-~ will, )IcJ.el, and still lie.. on what wa~ a part of the Meleel plantation, in a little cabin which sh. says is a~ch like the oIl slav. quarter.. e ~ ~ nly place I knows tout s right here hat was Mares G?~an~ille Meleel , plantation, cause 1s born her. and Mar.. Greenville and Mi.sy Imelia, what was his wife, is de only ones I ever belonged. to, After de war, Marss Huntington come down from up north and tock over de plane when Marss Greenville die, but d. big houe. bm ned. i*p and all de papers, too, and I couldn t tell to sate ~ life how old I is, but I . growed up and worked in d~e fields befo I s sot free. My aasi~~ s name was Rarriet Jackson and she wai born on de i~ae plantet ton. My peppy s name ~s Dan, bu~t folk. caUed him Good Cheer. Re dnw oxen and. one day~ they show me him and say he my peppy, and so ~ guess he was, but I can t tell much about him, cause chilien then dida t biov their pa~pye like chilien &~ now. ~)Lo~t I abers bout them tiaes is work cause we ~ s put out in de fields b.~o &a~ and come back after night. Then we has to shell a bushel of corn befo ~ gOes to bed and we was so tiresd s didn t hays time for nothin . Old man Jerry Drirer watches us in de fisid. and iffen we didn t ~ozt hard he whip us and whip ua hard. Then he die and nother

259 254

~x.~ilaYS Stories ~ Two 2T~4 (!~exu) t Mati call &rcher c~e. Re sat, You nig~ers now, you don t work good, I beat yOLt, ~ and we sho worked h~d then, ~Marse Gre.nvill treated us pretty godd t*~t he ne~sr give us nothin S~etiae we d run away and hide in de woode for a ipell, but when they cotch u~s M~r.e Greenville t i. ua down and. whip us co we don ~t do it no more. We dtdn t haye no elothei like we do flOWs ~ ~ c ~ On lowers and iiibber shoes They uaed to feed us peas and c ornbread and hominy, end sometime they threw beef in a pot and bile it, but we neyer had hawg meat. ~Iffen we too~k sick, old. Aunt Beck was de doctor. fh y~ was a building like .hat they calls a hospital and she put us in there and give i~2 calomel or turpentine, dependint on what ailed vs. They alI~e kep the babies there and let de aa~ies case in and wa kle and dry en ~xp. 0 j never heer.& mu.ch bout no wat end )Larse Gre sniills never told ~1B We was free. First I knows was one da7 We gwine to de fields and a man come ridin up and. s~, Jhar you fol3cs gwtn ~e say we gwine to de fields and then hi say to Mars re nvill., Tou can t work tJ~ese people, without n~ P87. ~ t~aUae they s as free ai you s. Law, we ehe shottt yowig follcs and old folks too, B~t we stq there, no place to ~O, 80 we jes ~ but we gits a litt ~e p~. After while I marries. Allen IeIl.y was de first husbaTt what I ever owned and he die Roust on 1~dmond, he the l~a ~ husben I ever owned and. he die, too, Law ae~ they used to be a seyin~ that chilien born on de dark of ~Le moen ain t gwtneter have no luck end I guess I sho was born then~~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 260 255

1 e)I) ) ~ 7 s- ~ ~ & ~ ~X~$LAVE STORIES Page One ) r (~exa ) SAM KILGOB:~, 92, was born a slave of John Peacock,of Williams County, Tennessee, who owned one of the 1arg~ est plantations In th south. When he was eight years old, Sam accompanied bis master to England for a three-~rear st~. Sam was in the Con~-. federat e Army and a . s o se rvea i~ the Spanlsh-.American ~ War He ci~me to Fort Worth in 1889 and learned cement work. In 1917 he started a cement contracting business which he still operates. He lives at 121 . E. Cannon Fort ~Yorth, Texas. You asks tas when I s horn and was I born a slave. Well, ~ s born on July 17, 1845, so I s a slave for twenty years, and. had three massas. l s born in Williamson County, near Memphis, in Tennessee. Massa John Peacock owned de plantation and am lt de big oneZ Dere am a thousand acres and bout a thousand slaves. De slave cabins am iii rows, twenty in de first row and eighteen in de second and sixteen in de third. Den dere a~ house servants quarters near de big house. 3~ cabins am logs and not much in dem but h~nemade tables and benches and bunks side de wal 1. Each fam fly has dere own cabin and. sometimes ilere am ten or more in de family, so it am kind of crowded. But massa am good and let dem have de family life, and once each week de rations am measure out by a old darky what have charge de Corn sary, and dere am alLis plenty to eat. But dem eats ain t like nowadays. It am home-cured meat and mostly cornmeal, but plenty veg tables and lasses and. brown sugar. Massa raised 1 ot s of hawgs what am Berkshires and Raz . Raz orback meat am sidered de best and. sweetest.

261 256

~.s1a~e Stories P~e ~ (Texas) b. work stock em eighty head of mules arid fifty head. of hosses and fifteen yoke of oxen. It took plenty feed for ~ .1 dem and. massa bave d~e big field of corn, far as we could see. De plantation am run on system and everything clean and in order, not ~ like lots of plantat ions with tools scattered round and. dirt piles here and there. De chief overseer am white and. de second overseers am black. Stien was nigger overse~ in de shoemakin and harness, and Aunty I~rkins am Overseer of de spinnin and t, Dat place em s o wel 1 manage dat wbipp in s am n ot nec ry. Uas sa bave he own way of keepin de niggers in line. If dey b~1 he say, I spect dat nigger driver cornin round tomorrow and. l s gwine sell y~. Now, when a nigger git In de hands of de nigger driver it am de big chance he ll git sold to de cruel massa, and dat make de niggers powerful skeert, so dey haves. on de next plantat ion we d hear de niggers pleadint ~ien dey s whipped Massa, have mercy and. sich. Our massa al lus say, Boys you hears dat rais l y and we donit want no sich on dis place snd it am up to y~i. So us all haves ourselyes. when I~s fmr years old ItS took to de big house by young Massa Frank, o:14 massa s son. He have nie for de errand boy and I g~iess for de pla~th.ing. When I gi ta bigger I e hi s valet and he like me and I sho like him. He em kind and smart too and em choosed from nineteen other boys t O ~O to England and study at de mil tary cademy. I s bout ~ igI2t . ~ ~ i~hen we start s for Liverpool. We goes from Memphis to Newport and takes de boat Bessie. It am a sailboat and den do fan startB for sho . It am summer and not much wind and~ sometimes we jus stand still dBy after day in de fog so thick we can t see frc~ one end de boat to de other.

262 257

~x-.slave Stories Page Three ( ~exaa) I Il never forgit dat trip. When we git s far out on de water I s dead we li never git b2ck t o land again . Pi rst I takes de seas ick and dat aan something. If there am anything worser it can t be stood! It ain t possible to eplain it, but I wants to die, and. if dey s anything worser dan dat seasick mia ry, I says de Lawd have mercy on dem. I can t Ileve dere am so much stuff in one person, but plenty conic out of me. I ~mos raised de ocean! When dat am over I gits homesidtand so do Massa Frank. I cries and he tries to sole me and den he ~4ts tears in he eyes. \~e am weeks on d&t water, and good ol d T~aessee am a .lus on our mind. When we gits to England it am all right, but often we goes down to de wharf and looks over de cotton bales for dat Memphis gin mark. Couple times Massa Prank finds some and he say, Here a bale from home, Sam, with he voice full of joy lute a kid what find some candy. ~e stands round dat bale and wonders if it am raised on de plantation. But we has de good. time after we gits quainted and I seed lots and gits to know some West India niggere. But we s read ~ to c~e home and when we gits dere it am plenty war. Massa l1rank unes de Pederate Army and course l s his valet and goes with him, right over to Ca~ Carpenter, at ~obile. He 8* de lieutenant under general Gordon and befo long dey pushes him higher. Pin ly he gits notice he am to be a colonel and dat sep rates us, C&US he has to go t o Fl oridy~. s gwine with you I BRYS for I thinics I i ongs to him and he longs to me and can t nothing part us. ~tt he say, You can t go with me this time. D~7~S ~Wifle 1~iit 7OU~ in de army. D~fl I cries and he cries. I ~ ~ seventeen years old. whe n I put s my hand on de book and am a s oj er. I talks t o my captain bait Massa i?rank and want s t O go to see him. But it wasn t aOre n two we ks after he leaves dat him was kilt. Dat am de awful .13..

263 258

Ex~s1aYe Stories Page Four (Te~ae) shock to me arid. it am a long time befo I gits over it. t ailus reels i~ i ci been with him maybe I could save his life. My company am moved to Berminghi~a and. builds breastworks. Dey say Gen. Lee am comin for a battle but he didn t aver come and when I been back to see dem breastworks, dey never been used. We marches no~t th to Lexington, in Kentuck but am gone befo de battle to Louisville. We comes back to Salem, In Georgia, but I s never in no big battle, only some Bkirmishes now and den. We allus fixes for de battles and builds bridges and. doesn t fight much. NI goes back after de war to Memphis. My mammy am on de Kilgore place and Massa lilgore takes her and. my pappy and t~o hundred other slaves and comes to I~exas. Dat how I gits here. He settles at de place called Ki .gore, and it was named after him, but in 186? he moves to Cleburne. Befo we moved to Texas de Klu. Kiuxers clone burn my maxainy s house and she lost ever~rthing. Dey was bout $100 in greenbacks in dat hOEtie~e and a three hundred pound bawg in de pen, what die from de heat. We done run to Maasa odg s houa. . De riders gits to bad dey come most ~iy t ime arid run de cu~l1ud folks off for no cause, jus to be orn ry and plunder de home. But one ~ay I seed Massa Rodgers take a dozen ~uns out his wagon and he and some white ~aen digs a ditch rouxid de cotton field close to de road. c~ouple nights after dat de riders ~ conie and when dey git s near dat ditch a volley am fired and lots of ~ drapa off dey hosses . Dat ended te Klux trouble in dat section. Aft er I be en in Texas a year I j tue s de 7 rai Aru~r for de Indian war. t B in de t raneportati on clivi s ion and drive s oxen and imxles haulin plies to de forts. We goes to Port Griffin and Dodge Cit7 and Laramie, in .1.4.*

264 259

~x~s1aYe 3~ iee Paie B ive (Texas) Y1yOD1ifl~~. Dere ani a lus two or three hundred sojers with us, to watch for Indian attacks. Dey travels on hosses, head, side and hind de wagon. One day de Sent nel reports Indians am round so we git s 1ii~. in de t roes and bresh. On a high ledge off to de west we sees de Indians travelin north, two abreast. De lieutenant s~y he counted bo~xt seven hundred but dey sho missed us, or maybe I d not be here todn~. III stays In de service for seven years and. den goes back to Johnson County, farmin on de Rodgers place and stays ti . I comes to Fart ;lorth in 1889. Den I gits into nother war, de Spanish ifierican lar. But I e in de com sary work so don t see rauch.fightin . In all dem wars t sees ~nost no fightin cause I allus works with de eupplies. After dat war I goes to work laborin for buildin contractors. I works for sev ra . den gits with Mr. Bardon and lame de cement work with him. He am aw~u1 good man to work for, dat John Bardon. Fin ly I starts my own cement tmsiness and am still runnin lt . My health am good and I B alliis on de job, cause dis hoiue I owns has to be kept up. It cost sev ral th~sand dollars and I can t ford to neglect it. I s married twict. I marries Mattie Norman in 1901 and sep rates in 1904,, She could spend more money den two nl~gers could. shovel lt in. Den I ~arrles Lottie Young in 1909, but den am no chiliens. I s never dat 1UCk7~ lilt, voted ev ry lection and lieves it de duty for ev ry citizen to vote. Now, I s told. you everything from Genesis to Rev lations, and it de truth, as i: members it.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 265 260

420058 ~C-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One BEN KINCHLOW, 91, was the son of Lizaer Moore, a half.-white Elave owned by Sandy Moore, Wharton Co., and Lad Kinohiow, a white man. When Ben was one year old. hie mother was freed and given some moneys She was sent to Matamoras, Mexico and they lived there and at Brownsville, Texas, during the years before and directly fol.. lowing the Civil War. Ben and his wife, Liza, now live in Uvalde, Texas, in a neat little home. Ben has straight hair, a Roman nose, and his speech le like that of the early white settler. He i~ affable and enjoys recounting his experiences. I was birthed in 1846 in Wharton, Wharton County, in slavery times. My mother s name was Lizaer Moore. I think her master s name was Sandy Moore, and she went by his name. My father s name W9B Lad Kinchiow. My mother was a half..breed Negro; ray father was a white man of that same county. I don t know anything about my father. He was a white man, I know that. After I was borned and was one year old, my mother was set free and sent to Mexico to live. When we left Wharton, we wa~ sent away in an ambulance. It was an old~.titne ambulance. It was what they called an ambulance ~ a four...wheeled concern pulled by two mules. That is what they used. to traffic tri. The big rich white folks would get in it and. go to church Or on a long journey. We landed safely into Matamoros, Mexico, just me and my mother arid older brother. She had the

266 261

Ex.~.S1ave Stortee Page Two ~ (Texas) ~ means to live on till ehe got there and got ao~ quainted. We stayed there about twelve yeare. Then we moved back to Brownsville and stayed there until after all Negroes were free. ~he went to washing and she made lote of money at it. She charged by the dozen. Three or Thur handkerchiefs were considered a piece. She made good. because she got *2.50 a dozen for men wash~ Ing and ~5 a dozen for wotnerits clothes. NI was married in February, 1879, to Christiana Temple, married at Matagorda, Matagorda County. I had. six children by my first wife4 Three boys and three girls. Two girls died. The other girl is in (~onzales County. Lawrence is here workin on the Kincaid. Ranch and Andrew is workin for John Monagin s dairy and Henry is seventy miles from Alpine. He s a highway boss. This was my first wife. Now I am married again and have been with this wife forty years. He~name was Eliza Dawson. No children born to this union. The way we lived in those days -~ the country was full of wild game, deer, wild hogs, turkey, duck, rabbits, tpoeeum, lions, quails,

267 262

Ex$lave Stories Page Three 262 (Texas) ( and BO forth. You see, in them days they was ai . thinly settled and. they was all neighbore, Most settlements was all k~esk1ns mostly; o~ course there was a few white peop le. In them days the country was all open and. a man could go in there and settle down wherever he wanted to and wouldn t be molested a~...tall. They wasn t molested till they commenced putting the8e fences and putting up these barbwire fences. You could ride ail day and never open a gate. Maybe ride right up to a tfl~fl~S house and the~ just let down a bar or two. Sometime when we wanted fresh meat we went out and~.1led. We also could kill a alf or goat whenever we cared to because they were plenty and no fence to stop you. We also had plenty milk and butter and home~made cheese. We did not have much coffee. You know the way we made our coffee? We just~ken corn and parched it right brown and. ground it up. Whenever we would. get up furs and hides enough to go into market, a bunch of neighbore would get together and take ten to fifteen deer hides each and take em in to Brownsville

268 263

Ex.~51ave Storiee Page Four O(j3 (Texae) arid eIl ein and get their supplies. They paid twenty five cente a pound for them. That s when we got our coffee, but wetd got BO used to using oorn.~.eofree, we didn t oare whether we had that real coffee so much, because we had. to be carerul with our supplies, anyway. My recolleotion is that lt was fifty cents a pound and it would be green ooftee and you would have to roast lt arid grind it on a mill. We dldn t have any sugar, and very rare thing to have flour. The deer was here by the hundreds. There was blue quail !!l~ goodness.! You could get a bunch of these blue top...knot quail rounded up in a bunch of pear and, if they was any rooks, you could kill every one of 1em. If you could hit one and get ~im to flutterin , the others would bunch around him and. you could kill every one of em with rooks. We lived very neighborly. When any of the neighbors killed fresh meat we always divided with one another. We all had a corn patch, about three or four acres. We did not have plows; we planted with a hoe. We were lucky in raisin corn every year. Most all the neighbors had. a

269 264

Ex Slave Stories Page Five 2 (Texas) little bunch of goats, cows, mares, and hogs. Our nearest market was forty miles, at old Browns~- ville. ~ When I was a boy I wo e what was called shirt...tail. It was a long, loose shirt with no pants. I did not wear pants until I was about ten or twelve. The way we got our supplies, all the neighbors would go in together and send into town in a dump cart drawn by a mule. The main station was at Brownsville. It was thtrty...five miles from where they d change horses. They carried this mail to Edlnburg, and it took four days. Sometimes they d ride a horse or mule. We d get our mail once a week. We got our mail at Brownsville. The country was very thinly settled then and of very few white people; most all Meekins, living on the border. The country~,s open, no fences. Every neighbor had a little place. We didn t have any plows; we planted with a hoe and went along and raked the dirt over with our toes. We had a grist mill too. I bet Ive turned one a million miles. There was no hired work then. When a man was hired he got $10 or e12

270 265

Ex.-Slave Stories Page Six (Texas) per month, and when people wanted to brand or do other work, all the neighbors went together and helped without pay. The most thing that we had. to fear was Indians and cattle rustlers and. wild. animals. f While I was yet on the border, the planta~.. tion owners had. to send their cotton to the border to be shipped. to other parts, so it was transfer~ red. by Negro slaves as drivera. Lots of tinies, when these Negroes got there and. took the cotton from their wagon, they would then be persuaded to go across the border by Meskins, and. then they would never return to their master. That is how lots of Negroes got to be free. The way they used to transfer the cotton ~ these big cotton plantations east of here ~ they d take it to BrownBvulle and. put it on the wharf and ship it from there. I can remember seeing, during the cotton season, fifteen or twenty teams hauling cotton, sometimes five or six, maybe eight bales on a wagon. You see, them steamboats used to run all up and. down that river. I think this cotton went out to market at New Orleans and. went right out into the Gulf.

271 266

Ex-~S1ave Stories Page Seven 26G (Texae) Our house was a log cabinwith a log chimney da bbed with mud. The cabin was covered with grass for a roof. The fireplace was the kind. of stove we had. Mother cooked in Dutch ovens. Our main meal wa~ corn bread and. milk and. grits with milk. That was a little bit coarser than meal. The way we used. to cook it and. the beet flavored is to cook it out-.of.-doors in a Dutch oven. We called ~em corn dodgers. Now ash cakes, you have your dough pretty stiff arid. smooth off a place in the ashes and lay it right on the ashes and cover it up with ashes and when it got done, you could wipe every bit of the ashes off, and get you some butter and put on it. M..m .mJ I tell you, its finel There ta another way of cookin flour bread with-~ out a skillet or a stove, te to make up your dough stiff and roll it out thin and out it in strips and roll it on a green stick and just hold it over the coals, and it aure makes good bread. When one side cooks too fast, you can just turn it over, and. have your stick long enough to keep it from burnin your hands. How come nie to learn this was: One time we were ~ horse stock 0.7*.

272 267

Ex..Slave Stories Page Eight 237 (Texas) and there was an outfit along and the pack mule that was packed with our provisions and skillets and coffee pots and. things ~ we never did carry much sturr, not even no bed.dint ~ the pack turn.ed on the mule and we lost our skillet and none of us knowed. it z~.t the time. All of us was cooks, but that old Meskin that was along was the only one that knew how to cook bread that way. Some.times we would be out six weeks or two months on a general round..up, workin horse stock; the country would just be alive with cattle, and horses too. We used to have lote of fun on those drives. NI tell you, I didn t enjoy that tcourt at night. They ~ got so tough on us you t t spit in camp, couldn t use no cuss words .-- they would sure put the leggin s on you if you didJN Uncle Ben hitched his chair, and with much chuckling, recalled the kangaroo courtN the cowboye used to hold at night in camp. These im.promptu courts were often all the fun the cowboys had. during the long weeks of hunting stock in the else.-

273 268

Ex-.Slave Stories Page Nine (Texas) open range country. Oh, it was all in fun. Just catch somebody so we could hold court2 They would have two or three as a jury. They would uuime as eherirr and appoint a judged, The prisoner was turned overto the judge and whatever he said, it had to be carried out exactly. The penalty? Well, sometimes ~ it was owing to the crime ~ but sometimes they would. put it up to about twenty li ke with the leggin s. If they was any bendin trees, they would lay you across the log. They got tough, all right, but we sure had. fun. We had to salute the bo~~ every mornin , and if we forgot it . . .1 They never forgot it that night; you~d sure get tried in court. We camped on the side of a creek one time, and we hada new man, a sort of green fellow. ThIs new man unsaddled his horse by the side of the creek and h~ lay down there. He had on a big pair of spurs, and I was watohin him and st~id~in upeome kin~~f~ r ank to play on tim. S I went and got me a string and tied one of his spurs to his saddle and then I told the

274 269

Ex..~S1ave StorieE Page Ten (Texas) boss what ltd done and. he had. one of the fellows put ~ sadd1e~on and tie tin cups arid pots on it and then they commenced. shootin and yellin . Thie man with the saddle on went pitohin right toward that fellow, and that man got up, scared to death, and started to run. He run the length of the string and then fell down, but he didn t take time to get up; he went runnin on his all-s fours as fur as he could, till he drug the saddle to where it hung up. He woulda run right into the creeks but the saddle held im back. We didntt hold kangaroo court over that~ Nobody knowed who did it. Of course, they all knowed, but they didn t let on. Bitnobody ever got in a bad humor; it didn t do no good. Itve stood up of many a bad night, dozint. It would be two weeks, sometimes, before we got to lay down on our beds. I have stood up between the wagon wheel and. the bed (of the wagon-) and dozed many a night. Maybe one or two men would corne th andd,oze an~.hour or tw, but if the cattle were restless and. ready to run, we had to be ready right now. Sho! Those stormy night4 thunderin

275 270

Ex..Slave Stories . Page Eleven 27~) (Texas) and. lightnin ! You could ~u~t see the lightrxin all over the steers horns and your horse s ears and. mane too. ~ It would dangle all up and down his mane. It never Interfered with ypu a tall. And you could ee~ it around the steer s horns in the herd, the llghtnln would dangle all over em. I~ the hands (cowboys) or the relier could get to ep~ beThre they got started to runnjn~, they could handle em; but 1f they got started first, they would be pretty hard to handle. WThe firat ranch I worked on after I left MoNelly was on the Banqueta on the ~aDuloe Creek for the Miley boys, putting up a pasture fence. I worked there about two months, diggin post holes. From there to the King Ranch for about four months, breaking horses. I kept travelin east till I got back to Wharton, where my mother was. She died there in Wharton. I didn t stay with her very long. I went down to ~_e! Palacios in Matagorda County. I did pasture work there, and cattle work. I worked for Mr. Moore for twelve years. Then he moved to Stock-. dale and I worked for him there eight years.

276 271

Ex..Slave Stories Page Twelve (Texas) From there, after I got through with Mr. Moore, I went back to ~ Palacios and. I worked there for first one man and. then another. I think we have been here at Uva1~e for about twenty~..three years. I tve been the 1ucki~~\ man in the world to have gone through what I have and not get hurt, I have never had. but two horses to fall with me. I could ride all day right now and never tire. You never hear nie say, ~I~ni tired, I m sleepy, Itm hongry. And out in camp you never see me lay down when 1 come in to camp, or set down to eat, and if I ~ I set down on my foot. I always get my plate In my hand. and. eat standin up, or lean against the wagon, maybe. ~1ien Oap n. McNelly taken sick and. resigned, I traveled east and picked up jobs of work on ranches. The first work after I left the Rio Grande was on the Banqueta, and then I went to work on the King Ranch about fifty miles southeast (?) of Brownsville. It wasn t fixed up in them days like it is now. But the territory is like it was then. They worked all Meskin hands.

277 272

Ex Slave Stories Page Thirteen (Texas) They were working about twenty five or thirty Meskine at the headquarters ranch. And. the main ~po!a~ ! was a Meskin. His wages was top wages arid. he got twelve dollars a month. And the hands, if you was a real good hand, you got seven or eight dollars a month, and they would give you rations. They would furnish you all the meat you wanted and furnish you coi~n, but you would have to grind it yourself for bread. You know, like the Meskins make on a ~netate. You could have all the home~.riade cheese you want, and milk. In them days, the Meskins didn t have sense enough to rri~ake butter. I seen better times them days than I am seem now. We just had. a home livin . Y04 could go out any time and. kill you anything you wanted ~ turke7s, hogs, javalinas, deer, 1ooons, ~possums, quail. I ll tell you about a Meskin ranch I worked on. It was a big lake. It covered, Ix~ckin, fifty acres, and these little Meskin huts just surrounded that big lake. And fish! My goodness, you could just go down there and throw your hook in without a bait and catch a fish. That was what you eaU the ~!a~ufla~~.4k ~ ~ 2M~ That was out from

278 273

Ex-~Z1aVe Stories Page Fcurteen (Texas) BrownsviI1~ about thirty.$ive miles. Th~.t ranch was owned by the old. Meskin named Chacon~, where the lake got its name. It seems funny the way they band1~L rntlk calves you know, the men..folke didnt milk cows, they wouldn t even fool with tem. They would have a great big corral and maybe they would have fifteen or twenty cows an~ tu ~y would be four or five families go there to rnii~. Every calf would have a rawhide strap around ~ts neck about six foot long. Now, instead of tbem makin a calf pen ~ of eVenifl~E~ the girls wou .d. go down there and I used. to go help em they would pull the calf up to the fence and stick the strap through a crack and pull the calf s head, down nearly to the ground where he coudri t s~ic~r. Of course, the old cow would hang around r~ght close to the calf as she could git. When they let the calf 8~0L they d leave im tied down so he couldn t suck in the nIght. They always kep th~ cows up at ntght and. they d leave the calves in the pen with em, but tied down. But build~in just what you call a calf pen, they d set posts t a the ground .~l4..

279 274

Ex.~S1aves Stories Page FIfteen 274 (TexaB) just like these stock pens at the railroai. and. lay the poles between tern. Then again, they would. dig a trench and. set mesquite poles so thick and. deep, why, you couldntt push it down) Now, in dry times, they would have a ___ vp~le~ (ban.~~.bo...la..te ) . Hand. me two of them sticks, ma~na. Now, you see, like here would. be the well and you cut a long stick as long as you could get It, with a fork up here in this here pole, rid have this here stick in the fork of the pole. They d bolt the cross piece down in the fork of the pole that was put in the ground right by the well, and have it so it would. work up and. down. They d be a weight tied on the end. of the other pole and. they could. sure draw water in a hurry. I made one out here on the Anderson Ranch. Just as fast as you could let your bucket down, then jerk it UP, you had the water up. The well had. ~roes pieces of poles laid. around it and cut to fit together. Now, about the other way we had. to draw water. We had. a big well, only it was fenced around. to keep cattle from gettin in there.

280 275

Ex Slave Stories Page Sixteen 273 (Texa3) The rea8on they had to do that, they had a big wheel with footpieoes, like steps, to tread, and you would have the wheel over the well and. they had. about fifteen or twenty rawhide buckets fastened to a rope (that the wheel pulled it w~et around.), arid. when they went down, they would go down in front of you. You had to sit down right behind the wesel, and. you would push with your feet and pull with your hands, and the buckets came up behind you and. as they went up, they would empty arid go back down. They had some way of fixin the rawhide. I think they toasted it, or scorched the hide to keep it hard. so the water wouldn t soak it UP and get it soft. That was on that place, the Chacona Lakes. That old Meskin was a native of the Rio Grand~and run cattle and horses. In them days, you could buy an acre of land for fifty cents, river fr nt, aU the land you wanted. Now that land. in that valley, you couldn t buy it for a hundred dollars an acre. Did Itell you about diggin that pit right in the fence of our corn patch to catch javalines? The way we done, why, we just dug a big pit right

281 276

Page Seventeen Ex...Slave Stories (Texas) on the inside of the field, right against the fence, and whenver they would go through that hole to go in the corn patch, they would drop off In that hole. I think we caught nine, little and. big, at one tr~ppin~ once. it was already an old trompin place where they come in and out, and we had. put the pit there. But after you use it, they won t come in there again. ~You see, I teU you about them brush fences. The deer had certain places to go to that fence to jump it, and after we found the regular jumpint place, we would cut three sticke pretty good. size, about like your wrist, about three foot long and. peel tem and. scorch tern in the fire and sharpen the ends right good and. we would go to set our traps. We would put these three sharp sticks right about where the forefeet of the deer wouUhit. You d just set the sticks about four inches from where his forefeet would hit the ground, and you d set the stIcks leanin towards the brush fence, and they would be one in the center and two on the aide and about two inches apart. When he jumped, you would sure get

282 277

Ex-$lave 8torie~3 Page Eighteen 277 (Texas) im right about the point of the brisket. He d. hardly ever miss em, and you d find. tjm right there. ~ Oh) sometimes he d pull up a stick and. run a piece with It, but he didn t run very far. Ii been listenin to the radio about ap n McNelly and. I tell you it didntt sound right to me. In what way? Why, they never was no cattle on the steamboats down the Rio grande. I just tell you they was no way of shlppin cattle on a steamboat. They couldn t get em down the hatch and they ~ keep tern on deck and. they wasn t no wharf to load. tein, either. I was there and I seen them boats too long and. I 1~now they never shipped no cattle on them steamboats. After they crossed the Rio Grand(~into Mexico, they might have been shipped from some port down there, but all them cattle they crossed. was ~ across. They was big boats, but they Wasn t flO atock boats. They shipped lots of cotton on them steamboats, but they wasntt fixed. to ship no cattle. They was up there for freight and. passengers. The passengers was going on down the Gulf, maybe to

283 278

~x...S1ave Stories Page NIneteen (Texas) New Orleans. They would get on at Brownsville. The steamboats oould~~t go very fur up the river only in high water, but they could come up to Brownsville all the time. I was in the Ranger servioe ~or about a year with Captain MoNeely, or until he d.led. t was his guide. I was living thirty~u .five miles above Brownsville. I was working for a man right there on the place b~V the name o ~ John Cunning-s ham. It was called Bare Stone. You see, hit was a ranch there. loNelly was stationed. there after the goveri ~ment troops moved off. They had tem (the troops) there for a while, but they never did do no good, never did make a raid on nothin. I was twenty or twenty-sone. How come me to get in with MeNelly, they had a big meadow there, a big permudat (Bermuda) grass meadow. Me and another fellow used to go in there, and. John Cun ningham furni shed n MeNelly hay for his horses. That s how oome me to get in with aim. Fln ly, he found out I knew all about that country and. sometimes he would corne over there and get me to map of~ a road, though they waantt but one main .1.19..

284 279

Ex..Slave Stories Page Twenty (Texas) road. ri.ght there. So, one day I was over in the camp with ~ and. I say, Cap n, how would ~ou like togive me a job to work with you? Fie said, Ird like to have you all right, but you ~ come here on state pay, and. under no ~ I ~ told. im that was all right. I knew how I was going to get my money, tcause I gambled. Sometimes I would have a hundred or a hundred, twenty~-five dollars. dunn the month I would win from the soijers dealin monte or p lay in ~ s even up Th ey 1 t no e rap s in them days. We played luok too; we never had no shenanigans, a stealin a man s money. If you had a good streak o luck, you made good; if you didn t, you was out ~t luck. Sometimes, I had up a~ high as twenty..~five or thirty dollars. One thing about the cap n, he d tell his men -. well, we had a sutler s shop right across from our camp, all kinds of good drinks -~ and he would tell hie men he didn t care how much they drank but hedidn t want any of em fighting . . He kep em under good control. You see, they was all d.ependin on me for ~2O

285 280

~Ex-.~1ave Btories Page Twenty one (Texas). guidin . There was no way for them cow rustlere or bandits to get to the cow ranches after they crossed the river (RIo Grande) ~ to cross that r~ 6)5., for there was no other way. for em to get out there. You see, there was where it would be easy for me, pickin up a trail. I would just follow that road on if I had. a certaIn dl.stence to go, and if I didn t find no trail I would come back and report, and if I would find. a trail he would ask me how many they was and where they was goin , and. I would tell tin wbthh way, cause I didn t know exactly where they was gem to round up. He would always give em about two or three days to niake the round~up from the time that trail crossed. And we always went to meet ein, or catch em at the river. We got into two or three real bad combats. The worst one was on Palo Alto Prairie, one of Santa Anna s battle grounds. About twelve or fifteen miles east Of old Brownsville. They was sixteen 0 the bandits and they was

286 281

Ex-Slave Stories Page Twenty two 281 (Texas) fifteen of ~ killed .~ all Meskins excep one white man. One Meskin escaped. The cap~r~ just put tem all up together In a pile and sent a message to Brownsville to the authori~ties and told em where they was at and what shape they was in. They ~nust have had two hundred or two hundred and twenty five head (of cattle) with em. It was open country and they would get anybody s cattle. They just got em off the range. They mostly would cross that road at night, and by me gettin out early next mornin and findln that trail, I could tell pretty much how old it was. I reckon that place ~wasn t over thirteen miles from Brownsville and our camp was thirty-five miles. I guess it must have been twenty~five miles from our camp to where we had that battle. We sure went there to get tein. I trailed them horseo and I knowed. from the direetlon they was takin that they was goin to those big lakes called Santa Lalla. They was between Point Isabel and Brownsville

287 282

~x 51ave Stories Page Twenty three (Texas) arid that mad~e us about a forty.~f1ve r~11e ride to g~t to that crossin , to a place called Bagdad, right on the waters of the Rio Grand~ ~We got our lunch at Brownsville and started out to go to this crossin . I knowed right about where this crossin was and I eaye to the cap n, ~ you reckon I better go arid see 1f they was any sign? We stayed there about three hours and didn t hear a thing. And then t~e cap n said,. Boys, we better eat our lunch . while we was catin , we heard somebody holler, and he said, ~~oy , there they are! And he said to me, Ben, you want to stay with the horses or be in the fun? And I said, I don t care! So he said, You better stay with the horses; you ain t paid to till Meskins~ I went out to where the horses were. The rangers were afoot in the brush. It was about an hour from the time we heard the fellow holler before the cattle got there. When the rangers placed themselves on the side of the road, the Meskins didn t know what they was goin to get intol ~23-

288 283

c~ ~:) ~!) Page Twenty four Ex Slave Sto~1ee (Texas) The Meskins was all singin at the top of their voices and they was comin on in. The cap n waited till they went to crossin the herd, he waited till these rustlers all got~ into the river behind the cattle, and then the cap n opened fire on the bandits. They didn t have no possible show. They was in the water, and he just floated em down the river. They was one man got away. I saw lin later, and he told me ab out i~ t . The way he g o t away h e say s he was a good swimmer and. he just feil off his horse .iri the water and the SWift water took im down and. he just kept his nose out of the water arid got away that way. They was fo teen in the~t bunch, I know. The echo of the shootin turned. the cattle back to the American side. The lead cattle was just gettin r ady to hit the other side of the river when the ehootin taken place and the echo of the shootin turned em and they come back across. Now, in swimmin a bunch of cattle, if you pop your whip, you are just as liable

289 284

Ex-Slave Stories . Page Twenty Five 284 (Texas) to turn em back, or 1f you holler the echo might turn em back. It ll do that nearly every time. After the fight, the cap n says to the boys, Well, boys, the fun ie all over now, I guess we d better start back to camp. And they all mounted their horses and begun singin : o, bury me not on the lone prairie.-e-.e Where the wild coyotes will howl o er me-.e-e, Right where all the Meskins ought to b&.e~-e I~

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 290 285

~X~.SLAVE STORIES . Page One (Texas) MARY KI1~DRED was a slave on the Luke Hadnot plantation in Jasper, Texae. She does not know her age but thuiiks she is about SO. She now lives in Bewimont, Tex8s. ~My mind don t dwell back, The older I gits the lessen I thinks botit the old times, I ain t gittin ld.. I s dorrn got old. I not b~e~n one of theni bad, outlawed fellers, so de good Lawd. done low me live a long time, Some things I knows I heered fron n~ mother ath iay grandma. They so fresh t~ them in that time, though, I aestly sure they s truth. My mother name was Hannah Hadnot and my daddy was Thif fin Hadnot and he used. to carry the m~. 1 fro~ We ise Bluff to Jasper. They waylay him long the road in 1881 and kill him and rob the maU. Luke Eadnot was our old. mas!a. He good to ~ grandma arid give her license for a doctor woman. Old massa must of thought lote of her, cause he give her forty acres of land and~ a home for herself. That house still standin up there in Jasper, yet. Grandma used. to sine a 11,1 song to us, like this: I, One mornin in ~ I spies a beautiful dandy, A-r&ctn ws~y 0 de hay. I asks her te marry, Sh~ say, scornful, No. But befo ~ix ~~onthe roll by Her apron strings wouldn t tie. She wrote me a letter, She marry me then, I say, no, no, my gal, not I.~ Grandma git de bark offen de thorn tree and bile it with tUZ pefltine for de toothache. SilO used herbe for de medicine and. they s g od, ~ ~ - ~

291 286

~1x~s1aYe StOZ i~S ~ ~ Page Two 280 (Texas) ~O1d missy was tall anci. slim, a rawbone sort of womaz. Her name was Matilda Eadn* . Massa have ~s big a st II . e~s ever I ~3ed axid dey used to I!la:Ice everything there, They has it civered with boards they rive out the woods, There w& ~ t no revenuers in dem days. 11Us gits de groceries by steamboat and the wagons~ go down the old Bevilport Road to the steamboat landin . That t~ Ang leen Biter. One the biggest boats was own by Capt . Bryce Hadnot the Old. Gr1~. n f ? member back dunn the waz the people couldn t git no coffee. They used. to take bran and. peaatts an~ okra seed and sich and parch em for coffee. It make right drinkable coffee. They gits sugar from the store or the sugar cane. When they buy it, it s in a big, white lump what they cal is su~r loaf. When they has no sugar they u.eee the syrup to sweet~ the coffee and they call eyntp long sweetenin and sugar, short sweetenin . Je has lots of dances with fiddle and. corjua player. Us 5i131g, t Swing you partner Promenade. iriother li ~ ~~ng start ~t: Dinah got a meat skin lay away, Grease dat wooden leg, Dinah. Grease dtt wooden leg, Dinah. Shalce dat wooden leg, Dinah, Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah. I members this song: Th~wn in Shil,h town, Down in Sbtloh town, De ild grey mars c ~ne Tearin out de wilderness. Down in Shiloh town, o, boys,O, o, boys,O, Down in Shiloh tom.

292 287

Ex..elaye St.riss Three ( Texas) X B seed. 1 t e of blue gu.a niggers and. ~iey say Iffen tiey bite y~i dey pizea you. Pki~ey hands duff rent frein ether niggere. Now, my hand s right SIDaVt white in the inside, but blue gua nigger hand Is more brown. er On the jnsjcIe~ 11 ~ used to have a 0)4 aunt name Harriet t arid iffen~ ehe tell you anythin loll kin jes put it down it gwineter c~e out like she aay. She hare the bi~ mele on the inside her mouth and. when she shake her finder at you it gwine happen to you ~es ~ like she say. That whay they call putt in bad mouth on them ax~d she sho could do it. I s had 12 chilIen. My first husban was Anthony Adams and the last Alfred Kindred, I only got three chilien vi now, though. One ei the sons an the outer door gttard of the 1.d~e here in Beauaont. s....

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 293 288

4203:! t EX..SLAV~ ST~1U)~S Page One 28R (Texas) NANCY KING, 93, was born in Upslmr County, Texas, a slave of Wi U tau Jacks on She and her husband moved to Marshall, Texas, in 1866. Nancy now lives with her daughter, ktcy Staples. WI was borned and raised on William Jackson s place, just twelve miles east of Gilmer. I wa~ growed and had one child at surrender, and my rnother tola me I was a woman of my own whea Old Missie sot us free, jus after sur~ render so you can fi~xrat e my age from that. ~Ly first child was borned the January befo surrender in June, and I members hoeing in the field befo the war come on. Massa William raised lots of cotton and corn and tobacco and most everything we et. I never worked in the field, sept to chase the calves in, till I was most growed. Massa was good to us. Course, I never went to school, but Old Missie sent my brother, Alex, two years after the war, with her own ehillen. ~I was married dunn the ~r and it was at church, with a wh-~te preacher, Old Missie give me the cloth and d~re for my weddin dress and my mother spun and dyed the cloth, andI made it. It W~9 homespun but nothin cheap bout it for them days. After the weddin massa cive us a big dinner and we had a time, Massa done all the bossin his own self. He never whipped ne, but Old Misste had to switch me a llttl for piddlin round, stead of dein1 what she said. ~very Sat day night we had a candy~ pullin and played games, and allus had plenty 0 clothes and. shoes. HI seed. the soldier, comm1 aM gwine to the ware and members when Mas~~ william left to go fight for the South. HIS bOy, Billie, was sixteen, -.1-.

294 289

~x~s1ave Stories Page Two (Texas) and tended the place while massa s away. Massa done say he d let the niggere go withOut fightin . ~e didntt think war was right, 1~t he had. to go. He serts ~nd comes home b~fo the war gits goin gooi ana the soldiers cc~e after him. He run off to uie botto~as, b~it they was on hoeses ax~d overtook him. I was there In the room when they bnrng hirn back. One of them says, Jacks~i, we ain t gwine take you with us n~w, but we ll fix you so you can t run off till we git back. They put red. pepper in hi~ eyes and left Missie cried.. They cone back for hi~ in a day or two and niade my father saddle up Hawk- eye1 massa s best hose. Then they rode away and we never seed. massa gain. One day my brother, Alex, hollers xtt Oh, Mi este, yonder is the hose at the gate and ain t nobody ridin him. Missie throwed up her hands and says, O, Lawdy, a~y h~xsban am dead! She icnowed somehow when he left he waan t c~in back. Old Missie freed ua but said we had a home as long as she did. Me and my h~sban sta~~s bout a year, but my folks stays till she marries gain. My brother-4n..law, Sain Pitman, tells us how he put one by the Ku Kiuzers. Him and some niggers was out one night and the ~liixers chases them on hoeses. They run down a narrow road and tied four strands of ~ra~evine cross the road, bout breast high to a hose. The Kiuxers c~e gallopin down that road and when the hosses hit that grapevine, it throwed them every which wa~r and broke some their aras Sa~ USed t O l&t~h 8fld t Si l how them fluxer. cussed them niggers. ~Me and my husban come to Mar~Il the year aft er surrender, and I is lt,ed~ her. every since. W7 fl works on farms t ill he got on the railroad. I s ben married. four ttmes and raised six chilien. The young people is diff rent frc~i ~at we was, but diff rsnt tiaes calls for diff r.nt ways, I spect. My hi.U.~ allus done the best they could by me.

Ex-slave stories (Texas). 295 290

I ~ ~ ( ~i ~L.SL~&VE STORIES Page One (Texas) SILVIA KI1~Q, French Ne~ress of ~nr11n, Texas, does n~ know heer ate, but says that she was born in Morocco. She was st len frcxa lier laisband and three children, brx~ght to the United States and sold. into slavery. Silvia h~s the appearance of extreme ace, and may be close to a hundred years old, as she thlnks,she is, because of her memories of the chud.ren she never saw again and. of the slave ship. I know I was borned in Morocco, in Africa, and was married and had three chilien befo I was stoled from my husband. I dontt know who it was stole me, but dey took me to France, to a place called Bordeaux, and. dii~s me with some coffee, and when I knows anything bout it, 1s in de bottom of a boat with a whole lot of other niggers. It seem like we was in dat boat forever, but we comes to land, and I s put on de block and sold. I finds out afterwards from my white folks it was in New Orleans where dat bi ock was but I didn t know it den. ~e was all chained and dey stripe all our clothes off and de folks what gwtne buy us comes round and feels us all ove~r. If~n i~ny de nig-~ sers don t want to take dere clothes off, de man gits a lone, black whip and e.tts dem up hard. I s sold to a planter what had a big plantation in Payette County, right here in Texas, don t know no nazni~ cept Marse Jones, . Marie Jones, he am awful good, but de overseer was de meanest man I ever knowed, a white man name Smith, what boasts bO~It how mang flig ers he done kilt. When Marse Jones seed me on de block, he say, Datte a ..llp. ~

296 291

Stories Two 291. ( Te xae) ~bale of a woman.~ ~ scairt and can t say nothin , 1cause I can t speak ~ng1isb. He buys some more slaves and dey chains us together and marches us up near La Grange ~n Texas. LLarse Jones done gone on ahead and de overseer marches us . Dat was a awful t Ime cau se us am all c hai~d up nnd what ever one does us all nas to do. If one drinks out of dc strr am we all drinks, and when one gits tired or sick, de rest has to drag and carry him. When us git to Texas, marbe Jones raise de clebbil with dat white ~n waat had us on de ~riarch. He git de doctor man and tell de cook to feed us and lets ~is rest up. After while, Marss Jones say to me, Silvia, am y~ married? I tells him I got a man and three chilien back in de old country, but he don t under- stand my talk and I has a man give to me. I don t bother with dat nigger s name much, he jes 3ob to me. But I fit him good and plenty till de overseer shakes a blackanake whip over me. Marss Jones and Old Miss finds out bout my cookin and takes me to de big house to cook for dem. De dishes and things was awful queer to me, to what I been bi ung up to use in France. I mostly cooks after dat, but I s de /~i~~L ~ po~erfu~ big w ~ian when I s young and when dey git s in a tight~ I hoips out. 11?ore long Marse Jones tcides to move. He allus say he gwine git where he can t hear he neighbor s e owhorn, and he do, Dere alit t nothin but woods a~nd grass land, no hoases, ~O roads, no bridges, no neighbors, nothin but WoOds and wild animals. But he builds a mighty fine house with a stone chimney six foot square at de bottom. r sill was a foot square and de house am made of loge, but dey splits ~xt twoQinch plank anc~~ puts it cxit~ide de logs, from de grou~~ clean UP to d.e eaves. Dere wasntt flO nails,. but dey whittles out pegs.

297 292

~x..s1ave Stories Pace Three (Page Three) TeXas Dere was a eli out de back and a weil on de beck porch by de kitchen door. It h;~d a wheel and a rope. Dere was nother well by ~e barns ~nd one or two round de ou~erters, tn.~t de~r ~ fixed with a lon~,pole sweep.4 In de kitchen was de bi~ fireplace and de big back 1o~s am hau.l to de house. De oxen pull dein dat far ~nd some men takes poles and rolls dem in de fireplact~. Marss Jones never low dat fire go out from October till May, and in da fall Marss or one he ~ Oris light s de f ire with a fi mt rock and s rne powder. ~ stores was a long way off and de white folk3 loans seed and things to each other. If we has 1e toothache, de blacksmith pulls lt. M~r husband mariages de ox t caine . I e o o~cs and works in Old. Mis s s garden and de orchard. It am big and fine and in fruit ti:r~e all de women works from lit~ht to dark dryin and tservin and de like. old Marss gw~ne feed you ~nd see ~rou quarters am dry and warm or know de reason why. Most ev ry night he goes round de quarters to see 1f dare any sickness or trouble. ~~i7~body work hard. but have plenty to eat. Lonietimes de preacher tell us how to git to habben and see de ring lights dare, 0De smo~ehouse ara full of bacon sides and cure hams and barrels lard. and lasses. ~ffhen a njg~er want to eat, he jas ask and git he passai. Old. ~ allus pend. on nie to spice de ham when it cure. I larnt dat back in de old cou.ntry, in France. WDere was spinnini and weavin cabins, long with a chimney in each en ~. Us won~ei~ spins all de thread and weaves cloth for everybody, de white fQlk~, too, I s de cook, but times I hit de spinnin loom and wheel fairly goo~L~ U~ bleach de cloth and. dYes it with barke~ ~3.m

298 293

#~ ~_I tJ ~x~s1aVe Stories Page Four (Texas) ~ t Dere a ~1us de big woodpile in d.c yard, and de big, caboose kettle ~ for renderin haw~ fat and beef tR.llow candles ~nd makin soap, Marss allus ~i have de niggers take sOiQe apples and make cider, and he make beer, too. Most ~ all us had ~ider and beer when we want it, ~ut nobody gi~ drank, Marse sho ~ cut Up if we do. F Old MISS have de floors sanded, dat where yOu sprinkles fine, white sand ~ over de floor and sweeps it round in all k~ncis purty figgers. Us make a corn ~ shuck broo~i. I~ Marse sho a fool bout he hounds and have a mighty fine pack. De 1: boys hunts wolves and painters(panthers) and wild garne like d. Dere was ~ : iota of wild turke~r and droves of wild prairie chickens. Dere was rabbits IJ and squirrels and Indian pudding, make of corninal. It am real tasty. I cooks ~ goose and pork and mutton and bear meat ~nd beef ~nd deer meat, den makes I; de fritters and pies and dumplin s. Sho wish us had dat food now. ! HQ~ de cold winter night l s sot many a time spinnin with two threads, ~ one in each hand and one my f ~ets on de wheel arid de baby sleepin On my lap. I De boys and old men was allus whittlth and it wasn t jes foolishment. Dey j p~ whittles traps and wooden spoons and needles to make seine nets and checkers J ~ and sleds. ~ie all sits warkin and singing ani smokin pipes. I likes my I~ pipe right now, and. has two clay pipes arid keeps dem under de pillow. I don t ~ . ~ aij~ f~r dem pipes to git otit my sight I be n smokin clost to a hunerd years j ~ flOw and it takes two CSflS tobaccy de week to k~ eP 1115 goin ~ Dere wasn t many doctors dem days, but all-us de closet full of simples . (home remedies) and most all de old women could git med e me out de woods.

299 294

~X..S19Ve Stories . 294 (Texas) Ev ry spring, Old Miss line up all de chilien and give dem a dose of garlic ( and ruin. ~De chilien all played together, blacL and white. De young ones purty handy trappin quail ~md partr1ci~es and. sech. Dey didn t8hoot 1f dey could cotch it some other way, 1cause powder and lead am scarce, iJev cotch de th,er by iaakin de salt lick, and uses a spr1:i~ pole to cotch pigeons and birds. De black folks gits o-~f down in de bottom ~nd shouts ~nd sings and prays. Dc:, dits in de ring dance. It am jes a kind of shuffle, den it ~it faster and. faster and. dey gits warmed up and moans cnd shouts and claps and dances. Souie sits ~hausted and drops out and de ring gits closer. Sometimes dey sings and shouts all night, but coiae break of day, de nigger ~ot to git to he cabin. Old Marse ~ot to tell dem de tasks of de day. l~old black Tom have a li l bottle and have spell roots and water in lt and sulphur. He sho COud find out if a nigger gwine git whipped. He have a string tie rOUfld it and say, By sum Peter, by sum Paul, by de Gawd dat m~Jce us all, Jack don t you tell me no lie, 1f marse gwine whipMary, tell me. Sho s y~Yu born, if dat .ack turn to de laft, de nigger g t de Whippin , but if inarse ain t makeup he mind to whip, dat jack stand and quivers ~ white folks j ce go through de woods and don t know nothin . IEfen yo~ di~ out splinter. from de north side a old pine tree wbat been ~ru~k by 1 ight in and git s deifl hot Ifl a iron s~ill et and ~rns dein to ashes den you puts dem in a brown paper sack. Iffen de officers gi.te you and y~ gwine have it ~fOre de jedge, ~TOU sits de sack and goes outdoors 5 ..

300 295

~x..s1aVe Stories Page Six (Texas) 9t inidni~ht and hold de bag of ashes in you hand and look up at de moon but don t ~rou. open you iixutli. ~ex~ inornin ~it up early and. go to de court~ house ~nd sprinkle dem ~she~ in de doorw~r and. dat law trouble, it gwine git tore up jes like de lightnin done tore up dat tree. UDe z~ioestrin~ root am powerful strong. I~fen ~rou chews on it and spits a ring round ie person what you wants sornethin from, y ou gwine git lt. You can git more money or a job or most anythin dat way. I had a black cat bone, too, bat lt got away from me, Its got a big frame and used. to weigh a hunerd pounds, but dey tells me I onJy weighs a hunerd now. Dis Louis Southern I lives with, he s de youngest son of my grands on who was de a on of my youngest daught er. My marse, he lcaowed Gen. Houston and I seed him mansr a time, I lost what teeth I had. a long time a~o and in 1920 two more new teeth corne throu.gh. Dem teeth sho did worry me and l s glad when dey went, too.