SLAVE NARRATIVES A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 VOLUME XIV SOUTH CAROLINA NARRATIVES PART 4 Prepared by the Federal Writers1 Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of South Carolina INFORMANTS Raines, Mary Range, Frank Rawls, Sara Renwick, Ellen Rice, Anne Rice, Jessie Rice, Phillip Richardson, Martha Riley, Mamie Riser, Susie Roberts, Isom Robertson, Alexander Robinson, Charlie Rosboro, Al Rosboro, Tom Rosborough, Reuben Rose, William Russell, Benjamin Rutherford, Joe Rutherford, Lila Rutledge, Sabe Ryan, Henry 1 3 5,7 9 10 12 17 19 23 25 26 31 35 38 42 45 48 51 55 57 59,65 71,74 Satterwhite, Emoline Scaife, Alexander Scantling, Eliza Scott, Mary Scott, Nina Scurry, Morgan Simmons, Ransom Sligh, Alfred Smith, Dan Smith, Hector Smith, Jane Smith, Mary Smith, Prince Smith, Silas 75 76 78 81 88 89 91 92 95 100,105 110 112 116 119 Sparrow, Jessie 121 ,125 ,130 136,141 Starke, Rosa 147 Stewart, Josephine 151 Saber,1 Bettie 155 Swindler, Ellen 156 Taylor, Mack Thompson, Delia Toatley, Robert 157 160 163 Veals, Mary 167 ,169 Walker, Manda Walker, Med Waring, Daniel Washington, Nancy Watson, Charley White, Dave White, Tena Williams, Bill Williams, Jesse Williams, Mary Williams, Willis Wilson, Emoline Wilson, Jane Woodberry, Genia Woo db e rry, Julia 237,242 Woods, George Woodward, Aleck Woodward, Mary Worth, Pauline Wright, Daphney 170 174 181 184 188 191 ,194 196 199 202 206 208 213 ,215 216 218 227 ,232 Young, Bill Young, Bob 247 253 257 260 266 270 273 Project #1665 W* W* Dixon Winnsboro, S# C* QQmr*l i OOUOJU ^ MARY RAINES BC-SLAVE 99 YEARS OLD* Mary Raines is the oldest living person, white or "black, in Fair* field County If she survives until next December, she will have attained her century of years She lives with her widowed daughter, Fannie McCollough, fifty-seven years old, and a son, Joe Raines, aged 76 years* They rent a two-room frame house, on lands of Mrs* Sallie Wylie, Chester County, S* C* Joe, the son, is a day laborer on nearby farms* Fannie cooks for Mrs* W* T# Raines* Old Mother Mary* has been receiving a county pension of $5*00 per month for several years* "How old would Marse William Woodward be if he hadn*t died befo* I gwine to die? A hundred and twenty, you say? Well, dat's 'bout de way I figured my age* Him was a nephew of Marse Ed, de fust Marse Ed P* Mobley* Him say dat when him 'come twenty-one, old marster give him a birthday dinner and *vite folks to it Marse Riley McMaster, from Winnsboro, S* C , was dere a flyin1 fround xny young mistress, Miss Eariett* Marse Riley was a young doctor, ridin1 'round wid saddlebags* While they was all settin1 down to dinner, de young doctor have to git up in a hurry to go see ray mammy* Left his plate piled up wid turkey, nice dressin*, rice and gravy, candy 'tatoes, and apple marmalade and cake* De wine f canter was a sett in1 on de *hogany sideboard* All dis him leave to go see mammy, who was a squallin' lak a passle of patarollers (patrollers) was a layin* de lash on her* When de young doctor go and come back, him say as how my mammy done got all right and her have a gal baby* Then him say dat Marse Ed, his uncle, took him to de quarter where mammy was, look me all over and say: Ain't her a good one? Must weigh ten pounds* I*s gwine to name die baby for your mama, William* ' Tell her I name her, Mary* for her, but I 'spects some folks'11 call her Polly1, just lak they call your mama, ' Follyf* W I was a strong gal, went to de field when Ifs twelve years old, hoe my acre of cotton, flong wid de grown ones, and pick my 150 pounds of cotton* As I wasn't scared of de cows, they set me to milkin* and churnin'* Bless Godl Dat took me out of de field. vants, them day6* House servants 'bove de field ser- If you didn't git better rations and things to eat in de house, it was your own fault, I tells you I You just have to help de chillun to take things and while you do in* dat for them, you take things for yourself* I never call it stealin'* I just call it takin' de jams, de jellies, de bis- cuits, de butter and de 'lasses dat I have to reach up and steal for them chillun to hide 'way in deir little stomaches, and me, in my big belly* "When Joe drive de young doctor * Marse Riley, out to see Miss Harriett, while Marse Riley doin' his oourtin' in de parlor, Joe was doin' his courtin1 in de kitchen* Joe was as smart as de nex? one* Us made faster time than them in de parlor; us beat them to de marriage* Marse Riley call it de altar, but Joe always laugh and say it was de halter* Many is de time I have been home wid them sixteen chillun, when him was a gallavantin' 'round, and I wished I had a got a real halter on dat husband of mine* "I b*longs to de Gladden's Grove African Methodist 'Piscojial Church* Too old to shout but de great day is comin', when Jfll shout and sing to de music of dat harp of 10,000 strings up yonder* when dese old ailin' bones gonna rise again* Oh* Won't dat be a joyful day, (Then the old darkey became suf- fused in tears, lapsed into a silence and apathy, from which she couldnft be aroused* Finally she slumbered and snored* tion her further )? It would have been unkind to ques- Project 935 Hattie Mobley Kiehland County FRANK HANOB CIVIL "rAH 3FRVANT and HERO At the age of one hundred and three, Prank Range is a familiar figure on the streets of Greenville, talking freely of pre-Cival and Cival 'Sar days, and the part he played in the war. Prank, the oldest of nine children, was born of slave parents, Lenurd and Elizabeth Herbert, on the plantation of Mr, Jim Boler, Hewberry S uth Carolina. He was sold several times, and is known by the name of one of his owners, John Bang*. During the Cival 'Var his master, Mr. Jim Herbert, carried him to the war as a cook, and when necessary, he *vas pressed into service, throwing up breast-worksj and while he was engaged in this srork, at Richmond Va. a terrific bombardment of their lines was made, and a part of their breast-works was cruahed in, and his master buried beneath it. Frantic with fear for the safety of his master, Prank began to move the dirt away; finally he was able to drag him to safety. Though aftot and shell were falling all around hint, he came out unscathed* Frank Rang* returned to ifewberry at the close of the war, after which he moved to Greenville County in 190I, and into the city In Shen we got sick all the medicine we took was turpentine - dat would cure almost any ailment Some of the niggers used Sampson snake weed or peach leaves boiled and tea drunk* ?t I joined the church when I was 12 years old 'cause the other girls joined* I think everybody ought to join a church to get theiri souls right for heaven; " I married Charley Rice in Spartariburg County, at a colored man!s house, named Henry Fox, by a colored preacher named fBig Eye1 Bill Rice* grand-children. or more* I had four children, and have five I have been living in Newberry about 35 years I worked as awash-woman many years* "Ylhen freedom come, my folks stayed on with Capt* Posey, and I washed and ironed with them later when I was big enough* I done some cooking, too. make homespun dresses. I could card and spin and My ma learned me. !t I donft know much about Abraham Lincoln and Jeff Davis but reckon dey was good men. write. SOURCE: I never learned to read and Booker Washington, I reckon, is a good man*" Anne Rice (75), Newberry, S. C. Interviewer: G* Leland Slimmer, 1707 Lindsey St., Newberry, S. C# 1 project 1885-1 Folklore Spartanburg, Dist.4 Jan. 17, 1937 ^ Edited" by: j[2 Elmer Turna^e STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES "My Deople tells me a lot about when I was a lil' wee boy. I has a clear mind and I allus has had one. My folks did not talk up people.'s age like folks do dese days. Every place dat I be now, 'specially round dese government folks, first thing dat dey wants to know is your name. Well, dat is quite natu'al, "'tut de very next question is how old you is. I don't know, why it is, but dey sho do dat. As my folks never talked age, it never worried me till jes' here of late. So dey says to me dat last week I give one age to de man, and now I gives another. Soon I see'd dat and I had to rest my mind on dat as well as de mind of de government folks. So I settled it at 0 years old. Dat gives me respect from everybody dat I sees. Den it is de truth, too, kaise I come along wid everybody dat is done .-. one and died now. De few white folks what I was contemperment (contemporary) wid, 'lows dat I is 80 and dey is dat, too. "You know dat I does 'member when dat Sherman man went through here wid dem awful mens he had. Dey 'lowed dat dey was gwine to Charlotte to git back to Columbia. I never is heard of sech befo' or since. We lived at old man Jerry Moss's in Yorkville, way back den. Yes sir, everyone said Yorkville, den, but dey ain't never called Gaffney like dat. Stories goes round 'bout Sherman shooting folks. Some say dat he shot a big rock off'n de State House in Col-r umlia. My Ma and my Pa, Henry and Charity Rice, hid me wid dem when Sherman come along. Us never see'd him, Lawd God no, us never wanted to see him. Stories Prom Ex-Slaves 2 _^ 13 "Folks allus crying hard times dese days, ainft no hard times now like it was atter Sherman went through Yorkville. My ma and pa give me ash cake and ?simrnon beer to eat for days atter dat. White folks never had no mof, not till a new crop was grow'd. Dat year de seasons was good and gardens done well. Till den us nearly starved and we never had no easy time sitting garden seed to plant, neither. *Yes sir, if Ifs handy to locust I makes locust beer; den if Ifs handy to 'Simmons, why aen I makes Simmon beer. Now it's jes' for to pass de time dat us does dat. But gwine back to de war; den it v>as for necessity. Dese young funs now donft know what hard times is. Bey all has bread and meat ana coffee, no matter how poor dey is. If dey had to live for days and weeks on ash cake and ' simmon beer, as us did den, and work and wait on a crop wid nothing but dat in deir bellies; den dey could grumble hard times. I allus tells 'em to shut up when dey starts anything like dat around me. "When dat crop come along, we sho did fall in and save all us could for de next year. Every kind of seed and pod dat grow'd *?o saved and dried for next spring or fall planting. Atter folks is once had deir belly aching and growling for victuals, dey ain't never gwine to throw no rations ariu things away no mof. Young folks is powerful wasteful, but if something come along to break up deir good time like it did to us when dat man Sherman held everything up, dey sho will take heed, and dey won?t grumble 'bout it neither, cause dey won't have no time to grumble. tf Things passes over quicker sometimes dan we figures out dat dey will. Everything, no matter how good it be or how hard, passes over* Dey jesf-does like dat. So dem Yankees went on somewhars, I never know'd whar, and everything round Yorkville was powerful relieved. Stories Prom EX-Slaves 3 ** Den de Confederate soldiers started coming across Broad River. Befo* dey got home, word had done got round dat our folks had surrendered; but dem Yankees never fit (fought) us out dey starved us out. If things had been equal us would a-been fighting dem till dis day, dat us sho would. I can still see dem soldiers of ours coming across Broad River, all dirty, filthy and lousy. Dey was most starved, and so poor ana lanky. And deir hosses was in de same fix. Men and hosses had Knovv'd plenty till dat Sherman come along, hut most of dem never know'd plenty no more, De men got over it better dan de hosses. 7omen folks cared for de men. Dey brewed tea from sage leaves, sassafras root and other herb"teas-; Nobody never had no money to fetch no medicine from de towns wid, so dey made liniments and salves from de things dat growfd around about in de woods and gardens. n I told you 'bout how small I was, but my brother, Jim Rice, went to Charleston and helped to make dem breastworks down dar. I has never seefd dem, but dem dat has says dat dey is still standing in good conditions. Cose de Yankees tore up all dat dey could when dey got dar. "Lots of rail fences was made back in dem days. Folks had a f no fence1 law, dat meant dat everybody fenced in deir fields and let de stock run free. Hogs got wild and turkeys was already wild. Sometimes bulls had to be shot to keep dem from tearing up everything. But folks never fenced in no parture den. Dey put a rail fence all around de fields, and in dem days de fields was never bigger dan ten or fifteen acres. Logs was plentiful, and some niggers, called 'rail splitters1, never done nothing else but split rails to make fences. "If I recollects right, Wade Hampton brfcke down fence laws in dis country. I sho heard him talk in Yorkville. Dey writ Stories From Ex-Slaves -- 4 -- _ 15 about him in de Yorkville Inquirer and dey still has dat paper over dar till now. De Red Shirts come along and got Wade Hampton in. He scared de Yankees ana Carpetbaggers ana all sech folks as dem away from our country. Dey went back whar dey come from, I reckon. tf De Ku Klux was de terriblest folks dat ever crossed my path, vvho dey was I ain't never knowd, but dey took Alex Leech to Black's Ford on Bullet Creek and killed him for being a radical. It was three weeks befo1 his folks got hold of his body* "Dr. Bell's calves got out and did not come back for a long time. Mrs. Bell fear'd dat dey was gitting wild, so she sent de milk girl down on de creek to git dem calves. Dat girl had a tine, but she found f em and drove 'em bac& to de lot. De calves give her a big chase and jumped de creek near a big raft of logs dat had done washed up from freshets. All over dem logs she saw possums, musrats and buzzards a-setting around* She took her stick and drove dem all away, wid dem buzzards puking at her. When dey had left, she see'd uncle Alex laying up dar half eTt up by all dem varmints. rt She know'd dat it must be him. When she left, dem buz- zards went back to deir perch. First thing dey done was to lap up deir own puke befo1 dey started on uncle Alex again. Yes sir, datfs de way turkey buzzards does. Dey pukes on folks to keep dem away, and you can't go near kaise it be's so nasty; but dem buzzards don't waste nothing. Little young ouzzards looks like down till dey gits over three days old. You can go to a buzzard roost and see for yourself, but you sfoo better stay out'n de way of de old buzzard's puke. Dey sets around de little ones and keeps everything off by puking* "Pacolet used to be called Buzzard Roost, kaise in de old days dey had a rail outside de bar-room dat de drunks used to hang Stories from Ex-Slaves 5 -- 16 over and puke in a gully. De buzzards would stay in dat gully and lap up dem drunkards ' puke. One night a old man went in a drunkard's sleep in de bar-room. De bar tender shoved him out when he got ready to close, and he rolled up against dis here rail dat I am telling you about. He flowed dat next morning when he woke up, two buzzards was setting on his shirt front eating up his puke. He said, 'You is too soon1, and grabbed one by de leg and wrung his head off. But befo* he could git its head wrung off it had done puked his own puke back on him. He said dat was de nastiest thing he eveif got into, and dat he never drunk no more liquor. Dem days is done past and gone, and it ain't nobody hardly knows Pacolet used to be called Buzzard Boost. tf Lawd have mercy, white folks! Here I is done drapped plumb off'n my subject; but a old man's mind will jes1 run waa'ry at times. Me and Joe, Alex's son, went to see de ofiicer 'bout gitting Joe's pa buried* He 'lowed dat Alex's body was riddled wid bullets; so we took him and put his bones and a little rotten flesh dat dem buzzards had left, in de box we made, and fetched it to de site and buried him. Nobody ever seed Alex but me, Joe, and dat gal dat went atter dem calves. Us took shovels and throw1d his bones in de box. When we got de top nailed on, we was both sick. Now, things like dat don't come to pass. I still thinks of de awful days and creeps runs all over me.yet. "All my brothers, sisters, mother and father is done gone. And I is looking to leave befo a great while. I is trying every da$ to git ready, Lawd. I been making ready for years. Smart mens tries to make you live on, but dey can t git above death. Tain t no use." Source: Jesse Bice (80),-LittieJohn, St., Gaffney, S.C. Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C 1/8/38 ~LMt&i&&.-'>- project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartanburg Dist.4 June 15, 1937 STORIES ^filCA oouj.o*f mom Edited by: Elmer Turnage EX-SLAVES "I m living on Mr. JBuSsel Emmitt's place. I never did nothing but drive cows when I was a little boy growing up. Miss Cum and Miss Lizzie Rice was Marse Alex's sisters. Liarse Alex done died, and dey was my mistress. Dey tuck and sold de planstation a^fo dey died, here *bout twenty years-ago. Dat whar my ma found me and den she died. "My grandparents, Jane and Peter Stevens, brung me up. I was a little farm boy and driv cows fer de overseer, Jim Blalock. Miss Cum was really Miss Ann. Miss Ann had'a hundred niggers, herself, and Miss Lizzie had might nigh dat many, asides dem what Marse Alex done left 'em. De overseer try to act rough out o' Miss Ann's sight, and she find it out and set him down a peg. "Miss Jane have our shirts made on de looms. She let us wear long shirts and go in our shirt tails, and us had to keep 'em clean, too, 'cause Miss Jane never like no dirt around her. Miss Jane have charge of de whole house and everything along wid it. "Us had three hundred hogs to tend to, two hundred yellings and heifers, and Lawdy knows how many sheep and goats. Us fed dem things and kept 'em fat. When butchering time come, us stewed out the mostest lard and we had enough side-meat to supply the plantation the year round. Our wheat land was fertilized wid load after load of cotton seed. De wheat us raised was de talk of de country side. 'Sides dat, dare was rye, oats 4^ -*-' folklore: Stories From Ex-Slaves Page 2 and barley, and I ain't said nothing 'bout de bottom corn dat laid in de cribs from year to year. "Our smokehouse was allus full o' things to eat, not only fer de white folks but fer de darkies as well. And our barns carried feed fer de cattle from harvest to harvest. M De fattest of all de hosses, was Miss Ann*s black saddle hoss called, 'Beauty'. Miss Ann wo' de longest side*saddle dress dat hung way down below her feets. Somebody allus had to help her on and off Beauty, but n'ary one of her brothers could outride Miss Ann.'1 Source: Phillip Rice (75), Kelton, s.C. RFD Interviewed by: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. (5/7/37) 18 Project #1655 Stiles M* Seruggs WMn coita&ia, s. c* 390352 19 THE POT OF GOLD* Martha Richardson, -who tells this story, lives at 924 Senate Street, Columbia, S* C# Her father was an Indian and her mother a mulatto* She was born in Columbia, in 1860 and was five years old, when General W* T* Sherman's Federal troops captured and burned the city s in 1865 "THhen I gits big 'nough to pick up chips for de coolrstove, we was livin' in de rear of Daniel Gardner's hone, on Main Street, and my manray was workin' as one of de cooks at de Columbia Hotel* De hotel was run by Master Lowrance, where de Lorick & Lowrance store is now* *My daddy, like de general run of Indians, love to hunt but de game not bring much cash in* My mammy often give him some change (money) and he not work much but he always good to maanjy and she love him and not fuss at him, much* I soon learn dat if it had not been for mammy, we wouldn't a had much to eat and wear* We go 'long lak dat for a good while and my mammy have friends 'nough dat she seldom had to ask for a job* "De game was so scarce dat ay daddy sometimes make a little money a showin' people how to make Indian medicine, dat was good for many complaints, how to cover deir houses, and how to kill deir hogs, ! cor din1 to de moon* He tell us many times 'bout de great Catawba Indians, who make all deir own medicines and kill bears and dress in deir skins, after feastin1 on deir flesh* He was a good talker* "You know, I sees so much 'skimpin', to make ends meet at home, as we go 'long dis way* dat I has never married* child* % mammy tell mei 'Honey, you a pretty You grow up and marry a fine, lovin1 man lak your daddy, and be happy*' I kinda smile but I thinks a lot* If siy daddy had worked and saved lak my mammy, 2* ' we would be 'way head of what we is, and my brudders say so, too. But we fond of our daddy, he so good lookin* and all. "What de most 'citin' thing I ever see? paign was. Well, I think de Red Shirt cam- You never see so much talkin1, fightin', and fussin1 as dat. You know de Yankees was still here and they not ffraid, and de Hampton folks was not f fraid, so it was a case of knock down and drag out most of de time, it seem to ne Long at de end, dere was two governors; one was in de Wallace House and one in de Capitol. Men went 'bout town wid deir guns. "Mammy keep busy cookin1, nussin', and washin', and us chillun help. You know I had two brudders older than me and a little baby brudder bout a year old, when my mammy rent a small farm from Master Greenfield, down at de end oi Calhoun Street, near de Broad River. We plant cotton. ray brudders was twelve and thirteen. I was then eleven years old and % wamay help us plant it befo' she go to work at de hotel. She was home washin9, one day, when my brudders and me was choppin' cotton. We chop ftil 'bout eleven o'clock dat mornin' and we say: rows to de big oak tree we'll sit down and rest.1 'When we gits out de We chillun lak each other and wo joke and work fast 'til we comes to de end of de rows and in de shade of de big oak. Then we sets down, dat is, my oldest brudder and me, 'cause my young brudder was a little behind us in his choppin' hit soaethin' hard and it ring* As he near de finish, his hoe He rake de dirt 'way and keep diggin', light lak. *What you doinf, brudder?' dis is. It seem to be a pot lid.* I say* He say: 'Tryin' to find out what Then we jump up and go to him and all of us grabble dirfc 'way and sho' 'nough it was a pot lid and it was on a pot* digs it out, thinkin1 it would be a good thing to take home* it take ue all to lift it out* We It was so heavy, 20 3. 21 n It was no sooner out than we takes off de lid and we is shof s1 prised at what we see* Big silver dollars lay all over de top* We takes two of them and drops them together and they ring just lak we hear them ring on de counters Then we grabble in de pot for more* De silver went down fbout two inches deep* Tirenty dollar gold pieces run down fbout four inches or so and de whole bottom was full of big bundles of twenty dollar greenbacks* *We walks up to de house feelin1 pretty big and ray oldest brudder was singin1 * v Hawk and "buzzard went to law, Hawk come back wid a broken jaw#f "Mamay say widout lookin1 at us: f What you all comin1 to dinner so soon for?? Then she looked up and see de pot and say: got?9 Then we puts de big pot down in de middle of de floor and takes off de lid, and mamny say: and to in, f f LetYs see what we hasif Ohl count de SK>ney 'Land sakes, what you all She begin to empty de pot She tell us to watch de door and see dat nobody got cause she not at hornet 19 She say de money fensfe to $5,700, and she swear us not to say nothin1 'bout findin1 lt# She would see what she could find o#t 9bout it# Weeks after dat, she tell us a big white friend tell her he hear a friend of his buried some money and went to war widout tellin1 anybody where it was* Maybe he was killed and dat all we ever hear# *% mamay kept it and we all work on just de same and she buy these two lots on Senate Street She build &6 two-story house here at 924, where you 8ittinf now, and de cottage nexf door ever since back* She always had rent money comin1 in By and by she die, after ay Indian pappy go 9way and never come Then all de chillun die, fceptin9 me* * I am so happy dat I is able to spend my old days in a sort of ease, 22\ after strugglin* most of ay young life and gittin* no learnin1 at school, dat I sometimes sing my maamyf8 old song, runnin1 somethin* laic dis: 1 Possum up de siamon tree Sparrow on de ground f Possum throir de simoons down Sparrow shake them fround1 * <* r> * fS r\r\ * > I / ]^4 **/ V V* V <~ dat#if him didnft quit listenin' to them low-down white trash scalawags and oarpetbagbers, they would come back and whale de devil out of him, and dat de Klan would take notice of him on f lection day* "When I was 'bout seventeen years old, I come to de Boro (Wionsboro) one Saturday evenin' and seen a tall willowy gal, black she was but shiny, putt in1 them foots of herfn down on de pavement in a pretty gamecock pullet kind of way, as if to say: f Roosters look at me*1 I goes over to Mr* Landeoker* s store, de Mr* Landeoker dat marry Miss Mamie Propst, and I begs him to give me a cigar* lights dat cigar and puts out after and feeding the horses* " Money? Yes, sometimes white folks and visitors would give me coppers, 3-cent pieces, and once or twice dimes* u sed them to buy extra clothing for Sundays and fire crackers and candy, at Christmas* fle had good food* In the busy seasons on the farm the mistress 3aw to it that the slaves were properly fed, the food cooked right and served from the big kitchan* we were given plenty of milk and sometimes butter* we ware permitted to have a fowl-house for chickens, separata from the white folks* Wfe wore warm clothes and stout brogan shoes in winter; want barefooted from April until November and wore cotton clothes in summer* The master and aome of the 51 women slaves spun the thready wove the cloth and made the clothes* mother lived in & two~story farm house and Thomas# lly Her children were; William* liattie We never had an overseer on the place* Sometimes she'd whip the colored children, but only when it was needed for correction* *Yes, sir* I went with lay young master, William, to Chester Court House, and saw slaves put on a block aPd auctioned off to the highest bidder* just like land or mules and cattle* and write? Did we learn to read We were taught to read, but it was against the law to teach a slave to write* The Lwgisl&ture passed an act to that effect* A number of cases in which slaves could write, the slave would forge a pass and thereby get away to free territory* They had a time getting them back. On one occasion I run in on my young master, William, teaching my t&cle Reuben how to write* Ihey showed their confusion* *A11 slaves ware compelled to attend church on Sunday* A gallery around the interior of the church, contained the blacks* were permitted to join in the singing* my favorite preacher was Robert Russell* Favorite preacher? They Well, I guess He was allowed sometimes to use the white folks school, which wasn't much in those days* just a little log house to hold forth in winter* In summer he got permission to have a brush arbor of pin tops, where large numbers came* Negro spirituals* Here they sang I remember one was Called: "Steal away to Jesus.' ^Runaway slaves? Yes, we had one woman who wa contrary enough to run awayi Addle* she run off in the woods* out to the McDonald family. Ify mistress hired her She came back and we had to pelt and drive her away* *How did we get news? Iteny plantations were strict about this, but the greater the precaution the alerter became the slaves* the wider they opened their ears and the more eager they became for outside information* he sources weres Girls that waited on the tables, the ladies* maids and the drivers 5 they would pick up everything they heard and pass it on to the other slaves* *' Saturday afternoons? x hese were given to women to do the family washing, ironing* etc*, and the men cut fire wood, or worked in the garden, and special truck crops* Christmas? Christmas was a holiday, but the fourth of July meant very little to the slave people Dancers? "There was lots of dancing* It was the pastime of the slave race* The children played shimmy and other games, imitating the white children, sometimes with the white folks * The master and mistress were very particular about the slave girls* For instance, they would be driving along and pass a girl walking with a boy* When she came to the house she would be sent for and questioned something like this: *Who was that young man? Hew com you with him? Don't you ever let me see you with that ape again if you cannot pick a mate better than that IfU do the picking for you*1 The explanation; The girl must breed good strong serviceable children* * No, I never saw a ghost, but there was a general belief among the race in ghosts, spirits, haunts and conjuration* Sfany believe in them yet* I can never forget the fright of the time my young master,William was going off to the war* The evening before he went, a whippoorwill lighted on the window sill and uttered the plaintive ^whip-poor-will^* All the slaves on the place were frightened e*nd awed and predicted bad luck to Ifester fill* He took sick in war and died, just wasted away. **e was brought back in rags toward the end of the struggle* 54 11 Mistress always gave the slaves a big dinner on New Yearfs Day and talked to us out of the catechism* She impressed on us after dinner that time, that we ware free* Soaie were sorry, some hurt, but a few ware silent and glad* I and may of the others had been wall treated* When we wars? sick she visited us and summoned a doctor the first thing, but the remedies those days were castor oil, quinine, turpentine, mustard plaster and bleeding " Project 1885 -1- 55 District #4 QQfiim Spartanburg, S.C. May 29, 1937 OCJU-LUO FOLK-LORE: EX-SLAVE "I was horn about 1846, 'cause I was in de war and was 19 years old when de war was over. I went to Charleston with my master, Ros Atwood, my mistress's brother My mistress was Mrs* Laura Rutherford and my master at home was Dr. Thomas Rutherford. We was on Morris Island. "My father, was lllen Rutherford and my mother Barbara Rutherford. My daddy had come from ^hili to this country, was a harness maker, and belonged awhile to Nichols. We had a good house or hut to live in, and my work was to drive cows till I was old 'nough to work in de fields, when I was 13. Then I plowed, hoed cotton, and hoed corn ftill last year of war and den went to Charleston^ "Master paid us no money for work* We could hunt and fish, and got lots- of game around the re We had dogs but our master didnft like hounds. "Col. Bsbjyton Rutherford, doct*s son, had me for a "pet" on the place. They had overseers who was sometimes bossy but they wouldnft allow dexa to whip me. One old nigger named 'Isom1, who come from Africa, was whipped mighty bad one day. The padderollers whip me one night when I went off to git a pair of shoes for an old lady and didn't git a pass. I was 16 years old then. "Doctor Rutherford had several farms - I reckon abound 2,000 acres of land* We didn't have church nor 56 - 2 school but sometimes we had to go to de white folks church and We didnft learn to read and write. set in the gallery* The mistress learnt some of de nigger chaps to read and write a little. fl We had Saturday afternoons off to wash up and clean up* When Christmas come the doctor would give us good things to eat* When we was sick he give us medicine, but some of de old folks wnild mkke hot teas from root herbs. "We had old time cornshuckings before and after freedom. We made sure enough corn den and lo^s of it - had four cribs full* When freedom come, the old man had fallen off a block and was hurt, so one of de overseers told us was v/e free and could go if/wanted to. Some of dam stayed on and some got in the big road and never stopped walking* Then we worked for l/3 share of the crops; had our little patch to work, too. I! I was 31 years old when I married first time* Was living in Mollohon. Her name was Leana and she belonged to Madison brooks1 s family, as waiting girl. I was married twice, but had 13 children all by my first wife. I have 14 grandchildren, greatand so many/grandchildren I canft count them* "When de Ku Kluxwas in dat country I lived wid a man who was one of them* The first I knew about it was when I went down to He mill, de mule throwed me and de meal, and down de road I went to running and met a Ku Klux. It was him* 11 1 think Abe Lincoln and Jeff Davis good men, but donft know much about dem* ,f I join de church when I was 68 years old cause God sent me to do it. SOURCE: I believe all ou^ht to join church.11 Joe Rutherford (92), Newberry,S.C.j Interviewers G* Leland Summer, Neufcerry, S*C, Project 1885 -1District #4 , Spartanburg, S. C. June 7, 1937 390121 FOLK-LORE: EX-SLAVE !t I was born about 1849 in the Dutch Fork section of Newberry County, S. C. wife* I was slave of Ivey Suber and his good My daddy was Bill Suber and my mammy was Mary Suber. I was hired by Marse Suber as a nurse in the big house, and I waited on my mistress when she was sick, and was at her bed when she died. I had two sisters and a brother and when we was sold they went to Mr* Suber1 s sister and I stayed with him. fl My master was good to his slaves. He give them plenty to eat, good place to sleep and plenty of clothes. young men would hunt lots, rabbits, possums, and birds. folks had a big garden and we had eats from it. cooks, too, and lived good. The Ivly white They was good We card and spin and weave our own clothes on mistress^ spinning wheels. "Marse Suber had one overseer who was good to us. We went to work at sun-up and worked ftill sun-down, none of us worked at night. We sometimes got a whipping when v/e wouldnft work or do wrong, but it wasnft bad. "We never learned to read and write We had no church and no school on the plantation, but we could go to the white folk's church and sit in the gallery. to go, and had to walk 10 miles. much about walking that far# Some of us was made Of fcourse, we n^ver thought I joined the church because I was converted; I think everybody ought to jdin the church# r^ Of "2" 58 "The patrollers rode fround and ketched slaves who ran away without passes. They never bothered us. T5hen our work was over at night, we stayed home, talked and went to sleep# On Saturday afternoons white folks sometimes give us patches of ground to work, and we could wash up then, too* on the patches' and some vegetables Vie raised corn On Sunday we just rested and went to neighbor !s house or go to church. On Christmas we had big eats. "Corn-shuckings and cotton-pickings always had suppers when work was done* Master made whiskey up at his sisterTs place, and at these suppers he had whiskey to give us. "v?hen we was sick we had a doctor - didn*t believe much in root teas. 11 1 married when I was 15 years old at a white manfs place, Mr. Sam Cannon's. married us. A negro man named Jake Cannon Supper was give us by Mr. Sam Cannon after it was over. "When freedom came, my mother moved away, but I stayed on. ft I think Abraham Lincoln was a good man, and Jeff Davis was a good man. I don't know anything about Booker Washington. SOURCE: Lila Rutherford (86), Newberry, S#C.,xRFD Interviewer: G. ^eland Summer, 1707 Lindsey St., Newberry, S. C. Project #-1655 Mrs Genevieve W. Chandler Murrells Inlet, S, C. Georgetown County FOLKLORE 59 390189 Uncle Sate Rutledge (Testimony given by old man born 1861, The Ark Plantation, Horry County - owned by Mr. John Tillman) "Fust thing I realize to remember, I mster cry to go to the old boss - old Massa - for sugar. Massa say: "'Martha, what Newman (he call me that) crying for?' Ma say, 'Wanter come to you for sugari* "f3ring the boy here, MarthaI1 "He gie me sugar. "Boil salt? Pumpt Pump I Pump itt Had a tank. Run from hill to sea. Had a platform similar to wharf. And pump on platform. Fetch good high. platform. Force pump. after Freedom. er - My Grandmother boil salt way We tote water. Tote in pidgin and keel- make out of cedar and cypress. crove 'em (groove 'em) Give it a lap, Go out there on compass. Wo !ting to Dog-wood and oak rim. (This was his description, with panto- mine, of way pidgin and keelers were made by plantation carpenters) "My Grandmother had two pots going. and all night. Biling.. Cedar paddles stir with. Clay pot? Boil all day Boil till he ticken (thicken) Chillun eat with wooden spoons. Just broken piece. Indian had big camping ground on beach near the Ark. After big blow you can find big piece of pot there. I see Indian. Didn't see Project #-1655 Mrs, Genevieve W-. Chandler Murrells Inlet, S, 0. Georgetown County Page - 2 wild one; see tame one, "indigo? Old man Lashie Tillman nuster plant indigo. Seed lak a flax. Put myrtle seed in with indigo to boil. Gather and boil for the traffic. plant that fore the rice. way with indigo, advancing out. Rice come in circulation, do Nuster (used to) farm indigo just like we work our corn, colored folks All the big folkses - Didn't; have nothing but ox. they came next to the ox And the - Hill keep Reckon you wouldn't blieve it, but I ken cummember (Uncle Sabe stutters a bit) when all that beach been cultivate field. move. Must be nature for sandhill to Time most got too fast now for the people to livd. "Storm? Oh my LordI Plagg Storm? Sea naturally climb right over that hill like it wasn't nothing. come to King Road, Water ^ckon it would a come further if the wind didn*t shift. "Calls this *The Ridge.' here. Oak Ridge, Why? (It is the highest land between the Waccamaw river and the ocean.) "Member the shipwreck. Ark. Stormy time, there now. I first man settle Just name it so, Two men and lady come to the Massa take them to town. Come a blow you kin see it. Old anchor Water rise over ifc high tide. "Ma tell me bout they had the to-do. Inlet* Blockade at Had em out to drill (The Yankees came to shore a* 0(; Project #-1655 Mrs, **enevieve W. Chandler Murrells Inlet, S. C. Georgetown County to drill.) Page - 3 - Old man John Tillman lose all he China-a-wayl (chinaware.) Every bit of his china and paints (panes of glass) out the window. Yankee gun boat sojer (soldier) to Magnolia to drill, cut em off. ^hey tack em (attacked em) to When Rebs tack fem, small boats gone back. She had to brace f em. Shoot dem shell to brace. (Gun boat fired to frighten Rebs who were cutting Yankees off from escape) I hear old man Prank Norris beyond tettrill Deas - the Ark and trap) - I hear hira say lot of - (Ella, Agnes and Johnnie lived right I hear him (nuster come home to ! em bog. J ohnson fadder been there) Bomb shell hit the hill and bury them in the sand. Had to dig out. M Sho treat his people good. Donft see why his folks (slaves) went to blockade 01d man John Tillman my boss. (tried to escape and join Yankee gun-boats). his colored folks good. driver from a boy. Sho treat My Grandfather, Rodrick Rutledge, Time he big nuff to handle it till Freedom. "Couldn't marry widout consent of boss." (Remark f rom %cle Sabe's sister, Mom Jane, who is quite acid. All her information inherited Mom Janej fti UJ - she Freedom child) "Been to devil and come back nowln (Comparing slavery to the lower regions) Project #-1655 Mrs ^enevieve * Chandler Murrells Inlet, S. C. Georgetown County Uncle Sabe - page - 4 continuing: "Have sick house; have chillun house." (All in this section tell great tales of the 'chillun house.' a lot like the nurse houses in Russia to-day. Sounds All the babies were in this day nursery in care of the~older women, too old for field work.) beef, fish - plenty milk." Corn. Meat - pig, (Some cow 'coffee cow' - that is give just enough milk for the coffee.) "Any rice?" Aunt Jane: (interrupting) the rice I Great Godt Uncle Sabei "Pick you teet (teeth) to find Now I can buy my rice I" "Could plant up-land rice to Ark. (This on coast away from fresh water) "Ash cake? greaseI Meal, salt, water. Not a greaseI N ot a See ladder cook it many a hundred day!" Mom Janes "Put it in the stove today, - nothing I -Rather have it any dayl" Sabe s "Wrap it in brown paper, mostly. woods. Alligator tail good. conch (whelk). Bile conch. They eat good. Git it out shell. Little onion. Black pep$Br Cows free in Snail built up just like a Worms like a conch. Grind it sausage grinder. Rather eat conch than any kind of nourishment out of salt water." Mom Janet "Conjurf (Give a crust.) Wouldn't turn a hucks bread for 'em. f r> ** Project #-1655 Mrs. uenevieve '.* Chandler Murrells Inlet, S. C. Georgetown County Sabe: Page .5 "V&iat God got lot out for a man he'll get it/' "Flat boat full up (with slaves trying to escape) gone down Waccamaw. Uncle Andrew Aunt the one got he eye shoot out (by patrollers) took *em to camp on North Island* Never see so much a button and pin in my life I Small-pox in camp. Had to leave *em. "Captain Ben and Captain Tom fadder he diet Looker the bloodi the bloodt Meet flati and chillun go down I COUNTRY, look how Looker the people I His boat call 'The Bull River.* Pee Dee river. - Looker Up and down Bore hole in flat and women Take men off. &e COME TO THIS (Came down from North before Civil War) darnish Yankee very percruel. Them (Peculiar?) n My Great-grandmother Veenia, pirate captured and took all they money in English war. (Revolution) Dem day Ladies wear bodkin fastened to long gold chain on shoulder - needle in 'em and thimble and ting. down from New York to get away from English. grandmother little chillun. Take all they money - Coming My great Pirate come to her Missus. come cut bodkin off her shoulder. Grandmother ma gone on the boat and twiss herself in Missus' skirt. Pirfcte put *em off to Wilmington. on dowi settle to Pitch Landing near Socastee. Come Keep on till they get to Ark. tt My Great-Grandma Veenia didn't have a teet in go Project #-1655 * Mr s * "enevie ve W ' Chandl er Murrells Inlet, S. C. Georgetown County- he r head - page . one hundred ten years old and could eat hard a bread as any we n Uncle Sabe Rutledge Burgess, S. C. - P.O. Horry County Age 76 (Born 1861) Ark Plantation. 6 nj w ^ ftroject 1656 Genevieve W* Chandler Georgetown County, S* C* ; FOLKLORE UNCLE SABB RUTLEDGB (EX-SLAVE STORY) w They call him Rogerick Rutledge for shortness* name Jim* Ity Grandpa SEAL First time I big enough to realect (recollect) him he have on no pants but something built kinder like overall and have a apron* Apron button up here where isy overall buckle and can be let down* All been dye with indigo* Have weave shirt - dye with blue indigo boil with myrtle seed* Ityrtle seed must a-did put the color in* foot* Old beaver hat on he head* Old brogan shoe on he Top of crown wear out and I member he have paste-board cover over with cloth and sew in he hat crown* My Grand- another wear these here gingham cloth call gingham twill* * Now the ohillunl I member I was a big boy grown when I get xqy first pants* All boy chillun wear a shirt ---- long down to knee and lower. belt round the middle - just like you belt to hold em* a shoe! Have Chillun have not Not a shoe for chillun on us plantation to the Old Ark* First shoe I have* ftt get a cow hide and tan it* And a man name Stalvey make my first pair of shoes* I was way near bout grown* thickness of the cow hide* lastl Tes mani Yes maal Make the sole out the Short quarter* No eye -- just make the hole, Yes man J Keep *cm greasel Them shoe never wear outl " We raise all we get to eat* Hominy, cornbread, peas, potatoes, rice* Jforest we plant this here yellow corn* I exy many a day bout that yellow corn! 10883 np^ tJ ^ Project 1656 Genevieve W* Chandler Georgetown County* S* C* FOLKLORE GG Bage 2 UNCLE SABE RUTLEDGE (EX-3LAVB STORY) We say, f ftt, this here yellow corn make hominy look like he got egg cook in femi red corn look like hominy cook in red molasses! "But yellow corn stronger feedl Stronger feedl And Bat, know fem* * Sunday come go to church in that same blue shirtj pole church (gone now) - call f f Little old Dick Green Bay Church1 (Named for a local character.) When we go to church before freedom, Mudder and them have to have the ticket* " Old man John Tilghman at the Ark Plantation have no overseer have Driver* Most folks on W&ccamaw have overseer and Driver*1. Vty Ba been the Ark fDrivar*f * Old man Zachariah Duncan been the preacher* the first!I1*-_ ._Gate1 church'after freedom* Heaven ;. ; river and on the beaoh* That the same man build Es got drift lumber on the Plat fem make a raft and float fem over to the hill and the men haul fem to Heaven Gate* with ox* Yes* Heaven Gate1 built outer pick up lumber* * Before freedom Barson Glennle - he was plscopal he would come give us a service once a month on the plantation so mother said* * Batches of indigo all through the woods* Us have too much ozl You know cow eat indigo* Have to haul rail all the time keep up the old fence* Project 1655 Genevieve W* Chandler Georgetown County, S. C. FOLKLORE Bage K 3 UNCLE SABB RUTLEDGE (EX-SIAVE STORY) Woods full up with cow. Cattle loose free. to hunt for fem like we hunts deer now* Bete, Bill, Jim, David* When you want beef have I member some ox I helped broke* Faby was a brown* David kinder mouse color# We always have the old ox in the lead going to haul rail* steer on behind* neckl Hitch the young Sometimes they *give up1 and the old ox pull fem by the Break ox all the time* Pun for us boys - breaking ox* So much of rail to haul! ( wYou canft tell me bout this pension? Look like to me somebody trying to smother something* Letters come* Cards come* Hr name on outside alright Tell me to put my name on cards and hand 'em out to my friends* twenty-five cents* Next time say *Send thirty-five centsf* then and another man Mr. Bope com in* tell me be still till I hear from him again* Say send He cool off Got two letter from him and he J# . Pope* Last blank 1 got from Mr. Pope he say not to look for more than thirty or thrity*two dollars a month* 91 Say there ain't going to be no two hundred a month*) How come I know all these Buh Rabbit story, Madder spin you know* Have the great oak log^ iron fire dog* Have we chillun to sit by the fire* place put the light *wood under blase up* We four chillun have to pick seed out the cotton* Work till ten o'clock at night and rise early I Mudder ryy Project 1655 Genevieve W# Chandler Georgetown County* S# C FOLKLORE 6 B*6 * UNCLE SABE RUTLEDGB ( EX-SIAVB STORY ) and Father tell you story to keep you eye openj Pick out cotton seed be we job every night in winter tiiae cept Sunday! Mudder niake one card* When we grow bigger, One would spin and then Ifiadder go to knitting* Night time picking these cotton seed out* day time in winter getting wood! n Fall mmmm harvest peanut, peas, ftaterJ " I member all them Buh Rabbit story I and wake upj Mudder tell vem End we laugh They was one bout Buh Rabbit and Buh Patridge* You know Buh ftttridge the onliest one get the best of Buh Rabbit! Buh Rabbit bet Buh Batridge ( Buh Rabbit think he so sharp you know!) He bet Buh I&tridge if he fly off down the road a piece and lit Buh Rabbit can find feau Buh Jfctridge bet him he canft! So Bull ftttridge take off and fly down the road a piece and lit like a ftttridge will do lit and turn up on he back and rake the leaves over him and kiver (cover) his body all cept he two foots sticking up like stickj Now Buh Rabbit come! He hunt and he hunt and he hunt! Couldnft find f em and he get so hot he take off he coat and hang it on Buh ftttridge foots! " He go on hunting and after while he call out, f Well I can't find Buh ftttridge! " And Buh ftttridge sing out# Can't find Buh BatridgeJ OS Project 1655 Genevieve W. Chandler Georgetown County, S* C. FOLKLORE ** . 5 UNCLE SABE RUTLEDGE (EX-SIAVE STORY ) " Well, Bun Rabbit, here I isJ * Buh Rabbit have to pay the betl was). You hang you coat on my feet.' (I don t member what the bet So Buh latridge was the onliest one I ever hear bout could get the best of Buh Rabbitl n Hhen Father and Mudder tell them story we ohillun noddln*. Some cackle oat and all jump up and go baok to picking out cotton seed* tt There is another one bout Buh Bear* They goes out my head* 1*11 think them Buh Rabbit up fore you oone back Missus!' And Uncle Sabe, who was sitting on the LOOK OUT1 at the Floral Beach Fishery, continued to let his eyes play all over the sea like searchlights, ready to wave the blaok flag and inarch down toward the fishery holding It aloft keeping himself in a line with the fish if fish were sighted* Since way before what he called 'the big war* he and his people have eaten mullet and rice for the three fall months* Eis home was visited before Uncle Sabe was located and children and grand-children, wife* sister and neighbors were found seated and standing all over the kitchen floor and piasza floor and steps * each one with a generous tin plate of riee and fresh, brown, hot spot1 a fish not so valuable in sunaer but ohoice in fall and winter. Two hounds and a large cat worked around among the feasters for their well chewed bones* QQ Project 1656 Genevieve W. Chandler Georgetown County, S C. FOLKLORE Pag H*V - UNCLE SAEE RUTL DGE ( EX-SUTO STORY ) SOURCEi Uncle Sabe Rutledge, The Ridge, Burgess, S C, (Horry Coimty) Born first year of the Civil War. (He omts his house and land, - soiae twenty-f ive acres under cultivation* This is located on what appears to be betwew the Waccamaw and the Atlantic* Ridge'.) a 'height of land1 lying Looally it is known as 'The Sand 70 Project 1885 -1District #4 Spartanburg, S.C. May 31, 1937 00(1111 OsSUlXl Edited by: Martha Ritter FOLK-LORE: EX-SLAVES !f I was born in Edgefield county, S.C, about 1854 I was the son of Larkin and Cheny Ryan who was the slaves of Judge Pickens Butler who lived at Edgefield Courthouse* some brothers and sisters, but don't remember them all. in a log house with but one room. and always had plenty to eat. I has We lived We had good-beds to sleep in, Old Judge Butler was a good man. I was 10 years old when he died. Before then I worked in and around the house, end freedom come I stayed with the Butler family two years, then went to Dr. Maxwell's. !t In slavery time we had extra patches of ground to work for ourselves which we sometimes worked on Saturday afternoons as we had dat time off. Judge Butler used to give us a little money,too, before freedom come, for our work. clothes and things we had to have. We bought We had a big plantation garden dat the overseers planted for all on de place to e at out of. "We used to hunt fpossums, rabbits, squirrels, wild turkeys, doves, partridges, and set traps for partridges and set box gums for rabbits. Tfe had good food then, plenty peas, comb read, and wild game. "When winter time come we put on wool clothes and heavy shoes. Old Marse Butler and his mistress was good, de best folks in de country. They lived in a big house, had a girl and a boy, and over 1000 or maybe 2,000 acres of land, on several farms One was on Saluda River. His overseers some was no good, but master wouldn't let them treat slaves cruel, just light dipping. ^ '-* - 2 - 72 tf We used to have to wake up at sun-up and work till sundown* We didn't learn to read and write; but we had a prayer house on de plantation where %ve could go to sometimes, until freedom come, then we went on to it just the same* Bennefield, a nigger preacher,talked to us there Old man I can 'member one of de favorite songs we sung: "Show pity, 0 Lord, forgive, Let efer repentant sinner live; Are not thy mercies large and 3*ree, May not a sinner trust in Thee*11 t*T, "My crimes are great, and can't surpass, "None of Major Pic kens Butler's slaves ever went away from him, but some in de neighborhood did run away, and dey never heard of dem again* "The paderrollers would catch a nigger if he didn't have a pass* Some would pass and re-pass in the road, and maybe get catched and such scuffling would go on I "We worked on Saturday afternoons unless boss give time off to work our own little patches or do some other work we had to do* But some would frolic then and wash up foir Sunday*-or set around talked to neighbors* On Sunday we went to church and On Christmas we celebrated by having a big dinner w&ioh the master give us* or sometimes a week working, f We had three days holiday We had New Year's Day as a special dsy for cause it was a sign if we worked good dat day, -we would work good all de year* The white folks had corn-shuckings and cotton pickings in slavery and after freedom, too* big supper* or t6 school Den would have Some neighbors walk ten miles, like walking to church Didn*t think anything of walking dat far* -3- ?3 "Some of de games played by children were marbles, jump-rope* tt Once an old man had his dog trained to say his prayers* The dog was fed but wouldnft be allowed to eat until he put his paws in front and bow his head on dem; de old man say to him, 1t No, no, you die and go to hell if you donft say your prayers*" "Once another fellow, a nigger, said he was going to his wife's house to see her; but he had to pass his old partner1 s place on de way, who was dead. When he got opposite the partner's place something, maybe a ghost, came to him and wrestled with him and wouldn't let him go on to see his wife, so he come back to his master1 s house and stayed* ""When the slaves got sick they had doctors, and used old herbs* * Jerusalem 'Ore1 was a kind of herb for children, to build them up, and there was field grass roots and herb roots which was boiled and tea drunk for fevers* rhine1 tea 1#iich was drunk, too* And fPrimer- Sometimes they would hang garlic around small boys and girls necks to keep away any kind of sickness* ,f We didnft have schools; started them the second year after freedom* Old General Butler give us old slaves a home each and a small patch to work* "I married when I was 21 years old, the first time in Edgefield County, now called Saluda County* I have six children, nine grand-children, and four great-grand-children* I think Abe Lincoln was good man -and he was Providential arrangement* I think Jeff Davis was good man, same* Booker T# Washington is good man, done lots for young niggers* rather like it now, and not slavery time* I I joined church when I was 18 to turn from evil ways and to live a better life*> k JteT ,I^Ei ..-:CfiS)ji.... y^^gTggJg..: -S^P > by $ ^eland SumerfHe^ Project 1885-1 folklore Spartanburg, Dist.4 Oct.11, 1937 39038G ^^^ Sdited by: Elmer Turnage ryA STORIES FROM SX-SLAVES rt I live in. a rented three-room house with my daughter. I am too old- to do much work, but I work where I can get little jobs that I can do. "The slaves did not expect anything after Freedom, for the South was in such a bad fix. They just got jobs where they could find them. Most of them worked as share-.croppers or wage hands on the farms, and have worked like this since that time, some few have rented farms. When any moved to town they got jobs where they could. M I never thought much about Reconstruction. Some slaves voted at first, but when Wade Hampton was elected they didn't get to vote much. n I think the younger generation has too much freedom and doesn't stay home enough. They_want to have their own way. "Over in old Sdgefield where I was raised we had plenty to eat; plenty peas, corn bread, turnips and other things. We hunted wild game, too. I was a slave of Major Pickens Butler., He was a good man and sometimes gave us a little money for our work. Our master gave us a small patch of land to work for ourselves and plant anything we wanted. "No, I never think anything about voting. I am satisfied just to get along." Source: Henry Ryan (N - 83), Newberry, S.C. Interviewer: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. 8/18/37. Project. 1885-1 JOLKLORB Spartanburg Dist.4 May 25, 1937 STORIES oonnc* oybUoD mom Edited by: ; Elmer Turnage EX~SLAVES "I am bad-sick woman, in bed and can t hardly talk and can't 'member much. I was born near Broad River in de Blair section. I belonged in slavery to de Blair family. My mudder and papa was Grace and Samuel Blair, and dey belonged to Gapt. Blair. When dey was sold, I was put in de house wid a good free nigger woman to raise me and to stay Hill de war was over. Den I come to de Blair house, and helped around de house. My sisters could card, spin and weave, and I helped dem wid it. I didnH have but one dress. When it got dirty, I went down to de creek and washed it and put it against de lims to dry, but I had to put it back on before it got good dry. "When I got old enough, I worked in de field, hoeing and picking cotton.n Source: Emoline Satterwhite (82), Newberry, s.C Interviewer: G.L, Summer, Newberry, S.C. May 19, 1937 ? * Project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartanburg, Dist.4 Sept. 9, 1937 PQriO'S/l OCJUcO f Edited by;. *76 Elmer Turnage STORIES OF-EX SLAVES "Marster Charner Scaife a-laying on his bed of death is 'bout de first thing dat stuck in ray mind. I felt sorry fer everybody den. Miss Mary Rice Scaife, his wife, was mean. She died a year atter. Never felt sad nor glad den; never felt no ways out of de regular way, den. "Overseers I recollects was, Mr. Sam Hughes, Mr. Tom Baldwin, and.Mr. fhitfield Davis. Mr. Baldwin was de best to me. He had a still-house out in a field whar liquor v;ae made. I tote it fer him. We made good corn liquor. Once a week I brung a gallon to de big house to Marster. Once I got happy off'n it, and when- I got dar lots of it was gone. He had me whipped. Dat de last time I ever got happy off'n Karster's jug. "When I was a shaver I carried water to de rooms and polished shoes fer all de white folks in de house. Sat de freshly polished shoes at de door of de bed-room. Get a nickle fer dat and dance fer joy over it. Two big gals cleaned de rooms up and I helped carry outthings and take up ashes and fetch wood and build fires early every day. Marster's house had five bedrooms and a setting room. De kitchen and dining-room was in de back yard. A covered passage kept dem from getting wet when dey went to de dining-room. Marster said he had rather get cold going to eat dan to have de food get cold while it was being fetched to him. So he had de kitchen and dining-room jined^ but most folks had de dining-room in de big house. Stories Of Sx-Slaves --(J&exander Scaife) Page 2 77 "It took a week to take de cotton boat from Chester to Columbia. Six slaves handled de ilat-boat. Dere was six, as I said, de boatman, two oarsmen, two steermen and an extra man. De steermen was just behind de boatman. Dey steered wid long poles on de way up de river and paddled down de river. De two oarsmen was be-' hind dem. Dey used to pole^., too, going up,and paddling going down. Seventy-five or eighty bales was carried at a time. Dey weighed around three hundred pounds apiece. In Columbia, de wharfs was on de Congree banks. Fer de cotton, we gpt all kinds of supplies to carry home. De boat was loaded wid sugar and coffee coming back, on Broad Biver we passed by Woods Perry, Pish Dam Ferry, Hendersons Ferry and Hendersons Island and some others, but dat is all I recollect. We unloaded at our own ferry, called Scaife Ferry. *I split rails fer fences. On Christmas we had coffee, sugar and biscuit fer breakfast." Source: Alexander Scaife (82), Box 104, Pacolet, S.C. Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. X Project #-1655 Phoebe Paucette Han pton County 390400 FOLKLORE ELIZA SCANTLING EX-SLAVE 87 Years "If you wants to know about de slavery times," said old Aunt Eliza, "youfse sure come to de right person; cause I wuz right dere." The statement was easy to believe; for old Aunt Eliza's wrinkled face and stiff, bent form bore testimony to the fact that she had been here for many a year. As she sat one cold afternoon in December before her fire of fat lightwood knots, in her one-room cabin, she quickly went back to her childhood days. Her cabin walls and floor were filled with large cracks through which the wind came blowing in. "I gits along pretty good. My chillun lives all around here, and my granddaughter that's a-standin' at the window dere, takes care of me. Den de government helps me out. It sure is a blessing, too - to have seen a good governmentl Maggie1 good to me. her truck herself. her. She brought me dis woode And 'Miss Brought it in Had a colored man along to handle it for But I so stiff I sometimes kin hardly move from me waist down. And sometimes in de morning when I wake, it is all I kin do to get up an* wash me face. But I got to do it. My grand- daughter bring me my meals. "I is 87 years old. broke out* declare. An* I plowed my January to July de year *fore pace I remember dat. child - not married yet. at dat. I know 'cause I wuz so high when de war I wuz a good big girl; but jes1 a Yes'm I plowed a mule an* a wild un Sometimes me hands get so cold I jes1 cry. But dey 78 Project #-1655 Phoebe Faucette Hampton County Page - 2 : - all say I *wuz a nigger what wuz a niggertf MIn May peace declare. De first president of de country wuz Lincoln. He took his seat in March. people fore dst But I work for de white On a Friday mornin* our Massa, Mr. Richard Davant come an1 told us peace declare. self He come an' told us his- I wuz in de comhouse a-shuckin* corn to go to de mill on Saturday. After freedom all de niggers left cept my Mamma. My father brought us back here to Col. Alex Lawton1s place at Robertville. He used to belong to C0l. Lawton. Many years atter dat Col. Lawton moved to Savannah; but when he died dey brought him back here an1 buried him at Robertville. My young Missus was de daughter of Mr. Sam Maner, my old Massa; so when she marry Mr. Davant I went wid her. bought a place in Screven, Georgia. clare we went to Georgia. Dey had Seven year *fore peace de- On a Monday mornin* a colored man come along an1 tell Miss Anna de Yankees had took Waynesboro. We all went to see it. pick up a pin behind it. De fire had left de place clean. Other than dat I see nothin*. never see no house burn down. Could I X never hear no gun fire. X jest see de uniform, an* see 'em kill de hog an* sling *em cross de saddle. Den when we ome back to Robertville, we see de destruc- tion left behind. "After I git of size, I mind de birds off de corn an1 rice an* sech like. yards. Den I'd take care of de turkeys. An we d sweep de Carry de leaves off to de stable in a wheelbarrow. tyn ' Project # 16 5 Phoebe Paucette Hampton County Pag - 3 "Both my missus wuz good to me* me jes* de same as her own child* De last missus I own treat 1 stayed right dere in de house wid her, an* if I wus sick or anything she'd take care of me same as her own chlllun* I nurse one of -her chlllun* An1 dat child would rather be wid me than wid her own mother IM Source: Uisa Scantling, Scotia. S. G# age 87 years* Cin ' tn cod no* i'Qniftfi Wo Eeduced froaajVords" Hewritten by Project No. 1885- (l) OOUJ.00 Prepared by Mrs. Lucile Young & H. Grady Davis place, Florence, S. C Date, May 25, 19S7 Typed by M. C., 11., Y. A. Page 81 -1 Mary Scott Gourdin, S. C. Ex-Slave, . About 90 years old "Where and when were you born?" tf 0n Gaeton Gamble place, between here and Greeleville. igible is iay age# Don't know xny age. In de Gamble !s Pretty much know hair old, I bout I wuz little girl when freedom come.1* 90. "Give the names-of your father and mother," ^Father, John Davis* Fulton* Mother. Tina Davis. Belonged to last mauascsu Gamble sold mama and three children to Fulton. after freedom* Father belonged to Davis. to Arnold Mouzcn. Darby Belonged to Davis Take first mauseefs name. - Sold Didn't take Mouzon name.* tl 1Shere did your father and mother come from?* "Right where Grandma go, Gamble place.11 "Did you have any brothers and sisters?1* n James and Benj amain. All ded*** - ~ - - "Describe the beds and where you slept.n "Had plenty slaves* I don't knovr exactly how many. In dem times you know, we had to get ticket to go to see dere family,* ft tShat kind of house did you have to live in?lt. ''Better dan dis* Better dan dis. Good house. Sleep on wooden bed. and f^^ n 1ip yo&immib^T anything about your grandparents ar any stories told Straw #2 11 1 ainft know jay grandmother, grandfather either**1 gO "What work did you do in slavery times." "DidnH do no kind of work. Mother milked, tended to de butter*1* "Did you ever earn any money?11 "No money.11 "What did you eat and how was it cooked?11 *Boil meat and put peas or greens9 rice cooked dry, take up in plate and eat. One girl get done and wash dishes and put dem up*" "Did you ever eat any possums?11 "Yes* ray brother catch possum and raccoon." "Fish?" "Fishing in de branch." "Did the slaves have their own gardens?" "Yes., sir, plant big garden, no use plant, go to dere garden and get it." "What clothes did you weaf in cold weather?" "Thick* I could weave it with stripes and put one check one way and nother strip nother way*" "Hot weather?" "In winter warm clothes and shoes* Had Sunday clothes. I had a green worsted dress. "Did the slaves have a church on your plantation?" "Go ta white people church and sit out of doors and wait till dey come out and den we go in and have preaching*" "White or colored preacher?1' "White preacher.n "Was your master a good man?11 "Mr* Gamble like to drink liquor but still good people. about good people*" H5I MIBM All who I talking |t! "What was Mr* *s3name? ' Gamble f 11 _.,, " ff Mr Gamble name Gatron Gamble. ***i Oo Son living in dat big house and grandson living down dere." "How many children did Mr. Davis have?* rt He had some not many* Mr* Gamble had some too." "What kind of1 house did LSr. Gamble live in?" "Medium size house. All had just common house, two-story.H "Vihat about the overseer?11 "Overseer he see dat you work soon. Driver go in de field and stay ftiJ 12 o 'clock." "How many acres in the plantation?41 ""Donft know how many acres." "What time did the overseer wake the slaves up?" "Wake d^T up soon. Blow horn." "Did you have to work hard?" "Work ftil sundown.tt "Did you see any slaves punished?" "Some punished, but I ain't never see none whip. ground and tie hands and feet. I heard stick strike de Paddle on dis side and den paddle on de other side ftil sore." "Did you ever see any slaves sold or auctioned off?" "Ify mother and us sold. Mrs. Gamble died left my mama for a daily gift. I Se wouldnH; allow dem to whip me. I ain't know v/hejb. we be sell* I wuz a baby." A "Did you see slaves in chains?" "IIo chains." "Did the slaves have a church on your plantation?" "YeSj de Gambles make us to go to Sunday school and learn us the Sunday school lessons* I could plow. We went to white church and set down till white people go out and de old man dat tend to de church and open up de church and say come in, can't stay outside;" 4fc "Who preached for you. all?11 QA ' "13y unclej Jefferie Pendergrass, motherfs brother. If colored people want preacher preach fhe go in dere and made de children be xjuite.and preach a nice sermon and have watch night but not in de church*" "Do you know any spirituals?" I use to be good singer but I ainft got no teeth. "I forgets dem things. I ainft been looking fer dis* If you hadn't conietIfd been gone." "Where would you have gone?" 11 Just to walk about. All gone to de field and de children so bad." "Tell about baptizing*" "Baptized by de white people." "Did the slaves run away to the North?" "I ain't know !bout dat*" "What about patroilers?" "No patarollers* Have to get - ticket, jgjjbip dem if dey didn't get it. people do more than white people allow. Caused dem to whip .dem. Colored My sister/ my sister-in-law and girl went and tell dem dey gwine have play in white kitchen. Mr. Sam Fulton boss wouldnft go to war. Ky sister, sister-in-law run up in de loft and tell dem come down and dey come down and jump off de window and land in de mud hole wid dere best dress on. Mr. Pulton let dem have it in de quarters? "Did you hear of any trouble between the master and the slaves?" "lay grandmother went off and wouldn't come back. She write,that she get everyday what she could get fer Sunday*" "Did you work on Saturday evenings?" "Some of de white people made dem work on Saturday evening. when white people come by going to church he hoeing his rice. want him work on Sunday* rice on Sxinday*" I had a uncle Dey didn't Miss Elizabeth Gamble tell dem he gwine to chop his 1FF "What did you do on Sunday?11 Q5 "Go to church*" "Christinas day?11 111 don't remember what dey give on Christmas day* Vfy family got clothes " "Tllfhat did you do at a wedding or funeral among the slaves?11 11 Just say got a wife, ain't married. If anybody ded everything stop.* "What games did you play as a child?11 know ! "I don ywhat all I played." "Do you know any funny stories?11 "No, sir, I used to tell my grands things*" ' "Did you ^ver see any ghosts?" "' "I ainft believe in it, but I see denw Don't know where dey come from* Jest pass by and dey want bother you*" Dey look like people*" "You don't believe in them?" "No,sir, but I know one thing, dey say fox gwine mad* but dat ain't so. Say cat gvrine raad I ain't scared of nothing*" "You are not scared at night?" "When de moon shining* Moon ain't shinr~might fall and cripple* Vftxen we holljf voice way back dere*" "When the slaves became sick who tended to them?" "White people tended to dem* Use medic inet" "Do you make medicine out of herbs?" "No, sir, don't make it*" "Did you ever see anybody wear a ten^cent piece aroundfc* ankle? "I see dem wear it, but I ain't know what fer*M "What do you remember about the war that brought you freedom?" "I know just as good when peace declared* Must be guns* g^ine rain* Gun rolled in dat direction* Cook say roll thunder roll and I say de sun shine it ain't I.TOZ too little to know but ay sister say every man and every woman got to work for damselves." "What did your master say?11 0/r> "I ain*t know vrhat master say, he single man and didnft talk much*11 "Did you stay with him the year after freedom?" "Ho, he didnft treat ny mother right*n " Any schools for Uegroes?" "Pretty good time before schools " tf Did the slaves buy any land?" "No land bought,11 "Do you remember your wedding?" "I member jest as good fbout my wedding* I married on Thursday night* Come white people from Kingstree and different ones come and pile it up and when I get all dem presents some one stick fire and burn it all down*11 ^flnom did you marry?'1 *John Scott*w ~ "Do you have any children?11 "^pie gone in de field and dia one*11 ""What are they doing?" "Working on farms. Jane got killed in de wreck/1 "Iho is Jane?" "My daughter* She wuz coming to see me* Train wreck and kill her coming from Norfolk*" "How long ago was that?" "fBout two years ago** "What do you think of Abraham Lincoln?" "I see picture of dem* Picture in dere of Lincoln*" "Now that slavery time is endedfwhat do you think of it?" *I believe colored people do better in de slavery than ncm.n ^Do you belong to the church?" "Yes, Promise Land Baptist church** li Shy do yom think people ought to go to church?" #7 87 "To have some protection and when you go in a church dat is a place for you to be taken care of* Dey ainft got no religion." t "Was the overseer poor white trash? ,w "I could hear de people talk fbout him* Some like him and some donft* If I got a wife over: yonder, I got to get ticket before I could go to see her* Had to work hard too**1 "Let us see the picture of Lincoln*" "Dis is it." (Granddaughter shows us Aunt Maryfs picture) "Is that the one?11 "Yea, I think so*" "Let me see, dat ainft de one* Here is*" (Aunt Kary showed us a picture which looked to be taken from some Hew York newspaper* star). ""Who told you that ms Lincoln?" "Some preacher or somebody come here and tell me*" It was probably a screen Project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartanburg - Dist.4 May 18, 1937 tafthCA OSUUD*f Edited by: Elmer Turnage Q8 STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES "Aunt" Nina Scot sat on her front porch. She was drinking some liquid from a bottle which she said would help her trouble. Being short of breath, she was not able to talk very much. She said that she was very small at the time she was set free. "My Iviarster and his folks did not treat me like a nigger, " she said, If they treated me like they did other white folks." She said that she and her mother had belonged to Dr. Shipp, who taught at Wofford College, that they had come here fuom Chapel Hill, N.C. and that she was a tarheel negro. She S ,id that white people in slavery days had two nurses, one for the small children and one for the older ones. "Yes sir, those were certainly fine people that lived on the Campus during those days. (Wofford Col. Campus] When the raid came on, people were hiding things all about their places." She referred to the Yankee soldiers who came to Spartanburg after the close of the Civil War. "My mother hid the turkeys and told me where she had hidden themV Dr. Shipp came up to Nina one day and afeked her where the turkeys were hidden. She told him they were hiddea behind a clump of small trees, and pointed them out to him. "Well,,f he said, "tell your mother to g& and hide them somewhere else and not to tell you about it. you would tell the Yankees just where those turkeys were hidden." Aunt Nina recalls that Mr. and Mrs. Dr. Duncan (formerly of Wofford College) had a habit of getting a slice of bread and butter for all the neighboring children (black or white) whenever their nurses brought them to their home. SOURCE: "Aunt* Nina Scott, 60 N. Converse St., Spartanburg, S.C. Interviewer: f.S. Dupre, Spartanburg office, Dist.4 (May 17, 1937) Project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartan burg Diet. 4 May 25, 1937 STORIES 390085 OF Edited by: Elmer Turnage 89 EX-SLAVES "I was born in Newberry County, near the Laurens County line, above Chappells Depot. My father and mother were Tom and STancis Scurry and belonged as slaves to the Drury Scurry family. Dr. Drury Scurry bought them from Col. Cooper of Laurens County. He was a fine man and mighty good to His slaves. I worked around the house as a boy, and in the fields when I got old enough.- Some of the nigger boys hunted 'possums, rabbits and squirrels. Dr. Scurry had 100 acres in woods. They were just full of squirrels and we killed more squirrels thajjt you can count. "The slaves didn't have a garden, but after, the war, we stayed on wid Marse Scurry* When freedom come, he come to us in the yard wbere we had congregated and told us we was free and could go anywhere we wanted, but if any wanted to stay on wid him, he would pay wages. All of us stayed on wid him. He give us a one-acre patch of ground to raise anything we wanted to raise. He had white overseers during slavery, but none ever whipped us 'cause the master wouldn't let them. He had a plantation of about 300 acres and 40 or 50 slaves. They got up at sun-up and worked 'till sun-down each day, but had Saturday afternoons off when dey could do anything dey wanted to. "There wasn't much time for learning to read and write. The white falks sometimes had niggers to go to their church and set in the back or gallery. In our neighborhood, niggers had their own church dat they made of poles and bcush, and called it, 'Brush Harbol?'. They made seats from small logs sawed off o* rough plank, "On Shristmas day, the master would have a big dinner for his slaves and spread it out in the yard%. Corn Chuckings were popular and so were cotton pickings, where big eats were prepared for those folklore: stories Of EX-Slaves Page 2 90 who helped. They had big feasts at marriages, and even the slaves had feasts at their marriages, the master and his family taking part in the ceremonies. I was married in 1887, and at that time I was lining with Mr. Renwick^and my girl with Dr. Tom Brown. Dr. Brown had us to marry in his yard in the grove, and over 200 persons was there to see it. The next day, he give us a big Unfair* with all kinds of good things to eat, presents and dances. We never had any children. After we moved to town, my wife was a nurse or midwife among some of the white families for a long time. "In Ku Klux times, I met five or ten of them in the road one night. They never bothered me. They had long white sheets over them and the horses. Slits were cut for the head, eyes, nose and mouth. w The niggers had an old field song: 'Give me dat good ole time religion* which they sang most of the time. There was another song they sang: Dark midnight is my cry ^ive me Jesus, You may have all this world, but give me Jesus.' "Some old-time cures for the sick was -..- barks of cherry tree, dogwood, and olive bush, made into tea and drunk. M I thought Abe Lincoln was a fine man, done mighty good and saved the country. Jeff Davis was a good man. Booker Washington was a great man. I think slavery was bad; yet our white folks was good to us, but some white masters was mean.. I think everybody should belong to the church and be a christaan." SOURCE: Morgan Scurry (78), Newberry,S.C.; interviewed by: B.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. May 19, 1937. K, S-260-264-N Project # 935 Hattie Mobley Bi chlandpounty South Carolina Uncle Ransom Simmons Richland County, South Carolina, Uncle Ransom is one of the few remaining slaves who still lives and whose mind is still clear and active. He has just passed his onehundred and fourth birthday, was born in Mississippi, and brought to South Carolina by his''master Wade Hampton, the father of the illustrious General Wade Hampton, before the Civil War. Ihen the war broke out and General WaeeeHampton went to war Uncle Ransom cried to be allowed to follow his young master. He went and served as a body guard. Uncle Ransom learned to read the Bible while attending a night school held for slaves before freedom, and it was only in recent years that he was taught to write his name. This old man lives alone in a shack at Taylor, a little village on the outskirts of Columbia. He is furnished with all the milk and ice cream he can eat by the Columbia Dairy. He purchases a little 8tate food with the pension of twenty-five dollars a year .p^ to Hegroee who served the Ccwfejderacy in some military capacity. Uncle Ransom says his master was the kindest man in the world, and that as far as he is concerned, he has never had a worry in his life, and as he said this, his face radiated with a broad and satisfied smile. Reference: Personal interview with Ransom Simmons age 104. Project #1655 Stiles M* Scruggs Columbia, S. C. 39028G : ALFRED SLIGH EX-SLAVE 100 YEARS OLD. Alfred Sligh, who lives in a rented house at 1317 Gregg Street, says he was born in Newberry County, South Carolina, in 1837 hair is -white and he is feeble* His He goes about the city, on fair days, collecting small sums of money from his white friends and sometimes from his own race* In this way he earns most of his -income "My folks was slaves of the &iigh family for many years, befo1 was born. I % mammy and daddy and me bflong to Butler ^ligh, at de time I begin to do chores and take notice of things. I be nearly half grown when my young master, Butler ligh, am just four years old* four or five years ago* well-known white man* 1 guess you fmember, ! He die, cause he was a powerful He was seventy-five years old when he die* ll De young master, he name for my old master* De old master and f most all de white men of de_neighborhood, Tround fbout us, march off to de war in 1861 One day I see tham ridin1 dovm de big road on many hosses and they wavinf deir hats and singin1: f We gwine to hang Abe Lincoln on a sour apple tree*1 and they in fine spirits* % young mas- ter, Butler, who they call Junior at de time, he am tfco young to go with them so we stay home and farm* de slaves what to do* I go with him to de fields and he tell Durin1 de war I see much of de soldiers who say they not quit fightin* ftil all de damn-Yankees am dead* durin* de first two years* Bis was so, After dat T see more and more of de damn- Yankees* as they pass through fflictinf punishment onfmost everybody* tt Shot we hear dat all Negroes am free in 1863, but dat ru#or not affect us* We work on, ftil Sherman come and burn and slash his way through de state in dd spring of 1865* I just reckon I fmember dat 92 freedom to de end of my life ' n We gang up at my grandmother's cabin and she tell us it am so We look scared, lak mules in de midst of a hornet nest, 8~ we stood We didnH wait long, for old Mistress Sligh she come flong and dere. say: 'Sho1 it am so, you am free*1 Many of de slaves, 'cludin* me, tell her we love to stay on and work as usual !til de big white folks come. f She smile and say: All right, maybe we be able to feed and clothe you, and when your old master git back from Virginia, maybe he ; will hire youP "Yftiea I first marry, which was at de start of de war, 1 marry Sarah, a slave gal on de Sligh plantation. We has several chillunj befo1 she die, which was soon after we move to Columbia. De chillun, at least two boys and. two gals, all git grcnm, but they go North a long time ago, and I never hears from them. *fhen I come to Columbia in 1866, I find work on houses, and building was plentiful then. I git !long pretty well, then, 'cause if I did not land a 30b, I could go to dePreedman's Aid Office at Assembly and Gervais streets and git rations and a little cash for my family. de Preedmanfs Aid left town I had no trouble findin1 work. was pretty prosperous. After And soon I I kept that way, so long as I was able to do my share of de work. n It was in 1915, as I was walkin1 my present wife, Sadie. ! long Hampton Street, dat I see She pass by me, and smile and look and I smile end-look* and she slow up a little and say: 1 am so tickled, I say: neat's happen, big boy?1 f l just have to tell yous '^i}i:''\xM>l'-- ^^^S^^^^M^^B^^^^^i^SSiiM & *De De Ho My n She sayj see me sometime * T Pretty good, big boy, pretty good! Come * round and * I sho* will, Peaches and Cream1 * I answer* dat am just what I did* happy, rose am red, Violet*s blue, knife can cut love in two.* And We got married dat same year, and we have been T til I git too old and feeble to work much. She work now to de best of her ability and we somtimes has a'big squeeze to pay de rent. Pat is why I'm hopin* to get de old age pension* made possible by de greatest President of them all* "Does I recall de. Tsassination of de first President dat died, dat way? Yes sir., I sho! do. after de close of de war* theater at Washington. De first" one .was Abraham Lincoln, a little He was slot while sittin1 in a seat in de James" A# Garfield, was de nexT one. in de depot, at, Washington* De nexf one was McKinley. at a show place, in Buffalo.*1" pssss ^ llli^^ He was Shot He was shot while Project #1655 W. W. Dixon, oonocrn 390250 ' fc Winnsboro. S. C DAN SMITH EX-SIAVB 75 YBARS. Dan Smith lives in one room, rent free, of a three-room frame house, the property of his son-in-lawtJim Cason* It is situated on the southeast corner of Garden and Palmer streets in the town of Winnsboro, S* C* He is tall, thin and toothless, with watery eyes and a pained expression of weariness on his face* He is slow and deliberate in movements* He still works, and has just finished a day's work mixing mortar in the construction of a brick store building for Mr* Lauderdale* His boss says: 'The spirit i3 willing but the flesh is weak*1 There is nothing organically wrong with Dan but he appears, in human anatomy, as Doctor Holmesfs One Horse Shay must have looked the day before its final collapse* * You been here once befof and now here you is again You say you wanna git additions? Well, Ifs told you dat I was born in Richland County, a slave of Marse John Lever and on his plantation, January de 11th day, 1862, when de war was gwine on* How I know? Cause my mammy and pappy told me so* They call my pappy Bob and my mammy Mary* Strange as it seem, my mistress name Mary- just de same as my mammy, tho1 marster wasn't name Bob, lak pappy* Him name Mar star John and de young marster, an only child, was name Marse Jim* You better stop right dere Hil I tell you pappy no b'long to de Levers* Him b'long to de Smiths* Him name Bob Smith, after freedom* Datfs how come I be dis day, Dan Smith* You ketch de p'irrt? Well data de way it was* * Befof pappy take a shine to mammy in slavery time, her got mixed Q5 2* 96 up wid one of old Marse Burrell Cookfs niggers and had a boy baby* **e was as black as long-leaf pine tar* Her name him George Washington Cook but all him git called by* was Wash Cook* Ity- full brudders was Jim* Wesloy, and Joe* All of them dead and gone long ago* " Us chillun slept on de floor * summy had some kind of'traption or other, 'ginst de wall of de log house us live in, for her and de baby child to git in at night Us have plenty to eat, sich as: peas, Hatoes, corn bread, f lasses, buttermilk, turnips, collards and fat meat* \ " De only thing I fmember * bout ay mistress is: <)ne day her come doira to de house and see my brudder Joe sucking his thumb* Mammy tell her, her can9t make him quit it* Mistress go back to de big house and come runnin1 back with quinine* Her rub Joe's thumbs wid dat quinine and tell mammy to do dat once or twice a day* You ought to see dat babyfs face de first time and heard him squall 1 It shof stopped him sucking his thumbs I * Clothes? DidnH need no clothds in de summer time but a shirt* In de winter, us just stood 'bout de fire* I*m talk in' f bout us chillun, don9t member bout old folks* Master and Mistress lived in a big white house, two stories high, tall brick chimneys at de gable ends, and wide front and back piazzas de full length of de dwelling* Us chillun had no shoes* Ifamoy had two pair all de time but they had wooden bottoms* ^ere was no white overseers * round, but patarollers (patrollers) ketched my pappy once, in de house, jerk him out and whup him, while mammy and us chillun yell and cry and beg them to stop* * When de Yankees come, mammy hide us chillun under her bed 'trap* tion* They act mighty nice to her, so she say* * What kinda work maxmy dot Her was one of de weavers* ffeard her 97 tell fbout how they make de thread and de cloth* They had spinnin* wheels* Person turn de wheel wld de hand and walk backfards and for,ardsf drawing out de thread* Dis kind of thread, her say, was rough* Later they got a thing de spinners operate wid deir foots, sett inf by de wheel and workin* it wid deir foots, sort a lak a sewing machine is run* Her flow de thread dat come to her in de weave-room from dis kind of spinnin1 was smoother and more finer than de other kind* After de yarn was spin, it was reeled off de spools into hanks and then took to de warper* TSien she woof ad it, warped it, and loomed it into cloth* Her make four yards in a day* * After freedom, pappy aorae and take mammy and all us chillun to a farm on Cedar Creek, in dis county, Fairfield# I works dere f til 1872, I thinks* I gits concerned fbout dis time wid two things, jinin* wid de Lord, and jinin9 wid de woman* Be fust was easy* All I had to do was go to de Methodis* revival, shout a little, and jine up befof de preacher* I just had to be convicted and convinced, but mind you, I was de one to be convinced, de other was not so easy* Be Lord was easy to find and quick to take me, but de gal was hard to find and was slow to take me, 'cause she was de one to be convinced dis time, you see* * I looks all 'round Cedar Creek* De ones I could git, I wouldn't have, and de ones I would have I couldn't git* So dere it was* I mounts old Betsy, dat was pappy*a mule, one Sunday and come to Winnsboro* I spied a gal at church, f bout de color of a ripe pumpkin after de big frosts done fall on it, hair black as a crow and meshed up and crinkled as a cucker burr* Just lookin1 at her made my mouth water* Me and old Betsy raise de duet and keep de road hot from Cedar Creek to Winnsboro dat summer and fall, and when us sell de last bale of cotton, I buys me a suit of clothes, 98 a new hat, a pair of boots, a new shirt, bottle Hoyt's cologne and rigs SQrself out and goes fround and ask her to marry me* Her name Ida Benjamin* Did her fall for me right away? Did her take me on fust profession and confession lak de Lord did? No sir-ree bobl Her say: f I got to go to school some more, Ifs too young* (Jot to see papa and mam fbout it# Wait f til you come nexf time and Ifll tell you*1 I was confused then, I gits up, gives her de cologne bottle, and mounts old Betsy, spurs her in de side, gallops, and cusses all de way back to Cedar GrBek* I confess to mammy* Her laugh and say: f Dan, you knows nothin1 f bout women and gals* Why it's mighty plain she gonna say yes, wex* time** Just lak her say, Ida did, and us got married de end of de nex* school term, in Hay* * Us had ten chillun* Dan, name for me, is at Concord, N* C* Oscar is in Concord, N* C* Lucinda marry a Haltiwanger and is comfortable in Baltimore, lid* Aurelia marry a Williams and is in Baltimore* Henrietta marry a Sawney and is in Charlotte, N* C* Lilly marry Jim Cason and live right in Winnsboro, in de house I have a room in* * I got lots of granfchilds, too many to mention, They take after dare grandma, lak to go to school and read de Bible and go to church and Sunday School* " iShut I have on my mind now is a pension* When a man git seventyfive years old, (I hear folks talk vround me) dat man 3hould not be flowed to work on de Supreme Court, him should be give a pension of #15,000*00 and made to stop work* Him may have chillun dat can support him, all de same, dat jedge gits his pension* Then in de name of goodness, why don*t they make me quit mixing mortar when I is seventy-five years old and give me $240*00 a year? Sauce for de fat goose Supreme Court Jedge, oughta be 5 sauce for de mortar mixer poor gander, I 9low It look lak jestice for de rich jedge and mix more mortar for poor Dano M 99 Code K0 xlo Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, July 82, 1937 Reduced from Rewritten by IIVIUS words iOO -* Page 1. HECTOR SMITH Ex-Slave, 79 Years "I born down here in Wahee Neck. 390130 Easter Avant, dat was my mammy en my father name Hector Smith. Coase 1 ain* never see him oause he die fore I was born, but dat what dey tell me. people den. Dat was a pretty rough time wid de I don* recollect sc much bout de times back dere cause in dat day en time ohillun didn* have de heap of knowledge dey have dis day en time, but I remembers seein de Yankees en de people gwine to de war. Oh, dat was a tough time cause dey use de whip in dem days. Oh, yes'urn, my Massa whip my gran'mammy wid a leather strap. You see she had a knack of gwine off for some cause or another en meetin de boat what run up en down dat big Pee Dee river en bring fertilizer en all kind of goods to de peoples. Massa Randall had told her not to go nowhe1 bout dat boat, but some people is aorta high strung like en dey go off anyhow no matter bout de whip. Oh, yes,um, he sho whip her like he didn1 have no soul to save." "I oouldn1 tell you no thin bout how many slaves Massa Randall Davis had, but X know dat he had a right smart of them. I know it oause he had so many field hands dey didn1 none of em never have to work every day in de field. Oh, dey just knock bout our Massa house en see after de stock Cod Ho. Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, July 22, 1937 Ho. Words Reduced from_ Rewritten by" words 101 Page 2. en suoh things as dat what time dey didn1 have to work in de field.* "You knows when a thing happen so long baok dere, it does vanish from a person's remembrance some of de time en den it'll wander baok to you when you ain1 thinkin bout It. I does recollect dat dere wasn1 nothin much more for de colored peoples in dat day en time den what dey got to eat en de clothes dey had to wear. My Massa give everyone of he colored family a peok of meal en a Quart of syrup en so much of meat every week en flow em all to have a garden of dey own. Oh, dey work dey garden by de moonshine en fore light good in de morain oause dey had to turn dey hand to dey Massa work when daylight come here. I tell in you corn bread was sweet to me in dat day en time as pound oake ever been. Wasn1 never noways piokin an ehoosln bout nothin. Oh, I forget bout all dem possums en rabbits dat eat right smart in dem days. Use to catch em when dey had swells of de water en dey come out de woods to hunt dry land. It just like die, dey oouldn1 conceal demselves in de open fields en dat how-come we catch em so easy. dogs en make em take to de water. Run em down wid de Dat how we catch em. Bat sho was sweet eat in in dem days." "Den we had a log house to stay in what never had but just one room en de furniture we had was worser den de house. Code No. Project, 1886-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Plaoe, Marion, S.O. Bo. lards Reduced from Rewritten by Date, ^ul? 2S, 1937 Page'S. words Us beds was made wid four stumps for de corners dat had boards lay cross em to put de mattress on. Some of de oolored peoples had bag mattress stuff wid hay en de others had homespun mattress what was stuff wid dis here gray moss you see in de woods. Sn I remembers all bout when de peoples had to oook in de fireplaoe oause dere wasn' muoh stores in circulation in dat day en time." "Well, I don1 know so muoh bout dem things peoples sail ghost, but I know dat I has seen things. I knows onoe long time back I was gwine long de road late on a evenin drivin me ox what I had hitch up to de cart en a ghost or somethin or another oause dat oart wheel to go right in de ditch. Well, de ox, he pull en he pull, but wid all me help, he oouldn* never pull dat oart out. I ax some of dem people bout dere what dey reokon dat was en dey say all dey know to oompare it to was a hant or a ghost. Ho'mam, dldn1 see it, just hear it oause it come right to my baok en knocked. It had been rainin en soon as it quit, de moon shine out bright as erer was day en dat when de hant turn de oart loose." "St next thing I see was one time when me en another fellow was sleep in in de swamp. A(\0 - J u<5 I oouldn1 tell whef de moon rise den en when I oome to my senses, dere was one of dem things just a danglin in de air like dese things Oode Jffo. Project, 1885.(1) Prepared by Annie Bath Davis Place, Marion, 8.0, Bate, July SB, 1937 show people have. Ho. Words Reduced from_ Rewritten by" words 103 Page 4. Some people say dat was a ghost." "Oh, de peoples didn* never worry bout no doctor den. Bey dootor was in de field in dat day en time. I gwine tell you just like I know it, all de older peoples use to get de herbs out de old fields for dey remedies. My Massa en my Missus was de ones what doctor mostly in dem times. Use to get old field ringdom, what smell like dis here mint, en boil dat en let it steep. en oold out you. Bat what was good to sweat a fever Ben dere was life everlastin tea dat was good for a bad cold en cherry bark what would make de blood so bitter no feyer never oouldn1 stand it* Bern what had de rheumatism had to take dat lion's tongue or what some peoples calls winter green tea an some of de time, dey take pine top a mix wid de herbs to make a complete cure. Oh, dey make It bad as dey oould so as to weaken de ease. Another thing dat been good for de rheumatism was dat red oak bark dat dey use to bathe de limbs wid. Willow tea was somethin go< d for chill en fever en catnip en sage tea was de thing for babies.* "It 2ike I tell you de colored peoples never get no learnin but what little dey catch from de plantation men in dem night schools. Oh, dey give everyone of us a slate en slate pencil en we study dere in de quarter in de night time by de light ef de fire. Studied dem Blue Back lobsters. we know bout den." Bat was de text Cade Ho* Project, 1885-I1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Sate, July 22, 1937 Ho. lords_ Reduced from Rewritten by" words 104 Page 5, "I tell you de truth 1 live so muoh in darkness den dat 1 think dat time was bout good as dis time* know no better sense den* Mdn1 X tell you just like I been know it, de peoples was ooward like in dem days* Oouldn1 never pluck up no ambition to do a heap of things de people do dis day en time. Source: Dat how-oome I rather live in dis go round." Hector Smith, ex-slave, age 79, Wahee section of Marion Co.,S.C* Personal interview, July 1937, Code Ho. Froject, 188S (1) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place* Marion, 3,C Date, July 14, 1937 fiO* WOTtCS Beduoed from. Rewritten by" Page 1* words 105 " 390144 HEQ3J0R SMITH Ex-Slave, 79 years "I studied en studied what songs would suit* but dem old familiar hymns bout all I know dese days. old familiar hymns what de spirit sings* You see dem It Just like I tell you, I put all dem other kind of songs away when I is ohange to a better way of livin. I does remember first one en den de other of dem frolieksome song dat my grandparents learnt me." H0B0DY BUSIHESS BUT MINE I. Rabbit in de hollow, I ain' got no dog. How oan I oat oh em? I do know.* I do know! 0 Me! 0 Mine! Sorry dat if I leave my home, 1 gwine to my shack Wld de ohioken on my baok, Vobody business but mine. (Continued on next page.) Oode Ho. Project, 1885-(l) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Plaoe, Marlon, S.C. Bate* July 14, 1937 ii* Ho fords Reduoed from_ Henri t ten by" Page 2. Babbit in de hollow, Ain* got no dog, How can he oatoh am? I do know! I do know! 0 Me! 0 Mine! let every nigger have his way, Gwine to his shack Wid he chicken on his back, Nobody business but his. Source: Hector Smith, ex-slave, 79 years., Wahee seotion of Marion Co.,S.C. Personal interview, July 1937. words 106 Oode Ho* Project, 1885.(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Plaoe, Marion, 3.C. Bate, July 14, 1937 So. Reduoed from_ Rewritten by" 107 Page 1. WAY DOWN IN DE LONESOME VALLEY I. words 390145 De mookin birds a singin so sweetly, So sweetly, so sweetly. De mookin birds a singin so sweetly, So sweetly, so sweetly. Way down in de lonesome valley. II. Dey tell you one thing en dey mean another, Mean another, mean another. Dey tell you one thing en dey mean another, Mean another, mean another. Way down in de lonesome valley. III. Some say* what make de young girls so deoeivin? So deoeivin, so deoeivini Some say, what make de young girls so deoeivin? So deoeivin, so deoeivini Way down in de lonesome valley. "Dat go way back dere. De peoples didn1 have nothin more den a mouth organ to make music wid in dem times." Souroe: Hector Smith, age 79, ex-slave., Wahee section of Marion 0o.,S.C. Personal interview, July 1937. Code $o. Projeot,~1886-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S 0. Date, Jttly 14, 1937 ffe fUiilg O Reduced from Rewritten by words 4r\Q l^O Page 1. 390148 HOLD DE DEAL I. 71? Kitty, Kitty died 0-0, Kitty had a man. Rather kiss a monkey, Den to kiss a nigger man. Hold de deal! Hold de deal! - I'm gwine to get drank again* II. Higger on de horseback, Thought he was de king Come along alligator, Bn let de nigger in. Hold de deal! Hold de dealI I'm gwine to get drank again. Source: Hector Smith, age 79, ex-slave, Wahee section of Marion Oo.,S.O. Personal interview, Jaly 1937. ' "W^P Oode Ho. Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O, Bate, Jaly 14, 1937 Eo. WcirttS "7 Reduced from Rewritten by words 1()9 Page 1. Hector Smith ex-Slave, 79 years. 390147 "I use to holler a heap in late years but after I lay it down, all dat leave me." Bulldogs Howl I a barkin, Howl! Bulldogs Howl! barkin, Howl! Bulldogs Howl! a a barkin, Howl! Ah - oodle - oodle - ou, Ah - oodle -' oodle - ou, Ah - ou - ah - ou, Ah - oodle - ou, Ah * ou - ah - ou, Ah noodle - oodle - ou. Source; Hector Smith, 79 years, ex-slave, Wahee section of Marion Co.,S.G. Personal interview, July 1937. 390078 Project 1885-(1) Polk Lore Spartimburg, S*C* District No*"4 May 28, 1937* 110 Edited by: R*V* Vfilliams STORIES OF EJUSIAYBS "Aunt11 Jane Smith, 80 years old, says that she was only eight years old "when the war ended, and that her recollections are very meagre as to conditions during slavery Her mother belonged to John Snoddy, who owned a farm a few miles west of Spartanburg* of a nearby plantation* Her father was owned fcy Dr# Miller She stated that she was old enought to rock the cradle for the white babies during slavery* She stated that she could remember seeing some of the slaves being whipped on their bare backs with a plaited hickory stick, or thong* She never received any whippings* She said that a man once cut at her with his tl$ng, but that she escaped the blcvr by dodging* She said she remembered seeing a small child with a piece of bread in its hand when a hog entered the house and in snatching at the bread* caught the faild's hand near the thumb with its tusks* "When running off, the hog carried the child with it, dragging it along into the field* All the other children and some men ran after the hog and caught it# The other colored children were whipped, but by staying in the house and watching the babies, keeping them safe from other pigs which had also entered the house, she was not whipped* AwrfctJane said that when the Yankee soldiers came to the house, they were just as thick as the "fingers on her hands*" She held up her hands for inspection to illustrate how thick -2 s the soldiers tood in the ranks* 111 She said they did not take anything , hut that they crawled under the house to get the hen eggs* One soldier, she said, came to the house and asked if there were any horses on the farm* A colored woman told him that there were no horses on the place, but just at that time, one of the horses in a nearby stable neighed, and the soldier threatened the womanfs life for lying to him* She says she doesn't remember whether the soldier took the horses but thinks that he did* The soldiers told the colored people that they free, but she said that didn't signify much to her mind* Same time afterwards, she said her father came and carried her and her mother to his masterfs place* Later, she came to Spartaaburg and got a job as a cook and washerwoman* TWhen asked if she knew anything about conjuring, she jstated that she had heard of it but didn't know anything about it* When asked fcf she had ever seen a ghost, she said, "No, but I heard one once*" She said that erne night after her master had killed "hisself11 in the barn with a pistol, she heard the doox being shut, the windows being slammed, and the chairs rocking on the front porch all by themselves* She declared that the -wind was not blowing and that a "ghost was doing all dean things** She stated that she had been married twice; had reared a houseful of children; had adorned some and reared them, but that she didn't have anybody to work for hdr now but ft him,M referring to her husband who was sitting on a trunk* ''Thank the Lord for coming to see me,,f she said, as the writer left* SOaSCIt Jatte Switfef Ce&cord St*, Sparfcanburg* S*C* Interviewer* F*3* Duf*e/ Projeect 1885-1 folklore Spartanburg, Dist.4 Nov. 9, 1937 qqmPR ouuouo Edited by: Elmer Turnage 112 STORIES ?H0M EX-SLAVES * "I liked to went crazy whea my brother, Bob, went to Arkansas. Den Marse George Young wrote our names in a book and ive it to my ma. It was jes' a small memorandum book. We kept it till Miss Addie, dat is Mrs. Billy, give ma de Bible storybook, and den she copied our names in dat one. De little book was about wore out den; so it was burned up when Miss Addie had done finished writing our names in de storybook. Us gwine to keep dat book and hand it down atter we done left dis earth. Ma been dead now over fifty years. "I sho n.u'sed Marse George's chilluns fer him when I was a little gal. Jimmie, Willie, Conquest, Jack, Eatie and Annie was Marse s chilluns. Conquest dead now. Marse George had a great big house. He was a jes'tice of de peace or something or 'nother den. I don't know what year my ma died, but Marse had her buried at New Chapel. Dat same year we raised a big crop of corn, cotton and peanuts, and had plenty hogs. Marse let us have all we wanted. Ke let us hang our meat in his smokehouse dat year. "Befo* ma died and I was a little gal, a terrible thing happened to us. Across de Enoree on another place, de Miller place, fannie Miller run a.way. Dey couldn't find her fer a long time. Dey told my marster to git her. One Sunday my ma got ready to dress me fer Sunday school. She bathed me and when she looked in de drawer she couldn't find my clothes. 411 of her clothes was gone, too. I cried cause I couldn't go to Sunday school. Maude, de woman what lived next to us, went to church. She saw fannie dar wid all ma's clothes on* She told Marse about it and he sont out and had ?annie caught.. Stories From Sx-Slaves (Mary Smith) Page a' ' j[ j[,.Q o She had come to our house and got de clothes on Saturday evening. She had dem hid in a old house on our place. Dey put her in jail, and den her marster come and whupped her and sont de clothes back to ma. She never tried to run off agin. "Jack Gist, a slave of /Gov^\ Gist, run away once and lived in a cave fer five months befo' de white folks found him. He went down on 'de forest' and dug a cave near de road in sight of de Karris Bridge which still spans de Fairforest Creek at dat p'int. De cave wasn't dug on Governor Gist's land, but on a~place know'd den as de old Jackson place. In de mid hours of night Jack come to see his friends and dey give him things to eat. When dey got him he had a hog, two geese, some chickens and two middles of meat. Cose de hog and de middles was stole. "One night he was crossing de Fair*orest Creek on a footlog and he met Anderson Gist, one of de Governor's slaves. Dey talked fer awhile. Next morning, Anderson come wid his marster to de cave whar Jack was. Dey took all his things on to de big house, and he was whupped and put back to work. Governor Gist and our marster was good to deir slaves and dey didn't punish 'em hard like some of 'em did. We had lots more den dan we has had ever since. n l never went to de field till atter freedom come. Dey wasn't hard on us in de fields and I liked to work. We worked mostly from sun-up till it was too dark to work. Marster's youngest girl, Mary Jane Xoung, married Mr. Dave Lane. Dey didn't have a wedding. "My grandpa was a African and he talked real funny. He was low, chunky, fat and real black. He went around a lot befo' he died, He was de father of, my mother, Clora. Granny, his wife, was called 'fender* and she died de first year of freedom, she was sold and . I^i^; tt-.^---hel^TjppiB&.-i?leftiitatIoii# We went to see her every Saturday. fer Stories From Ex-Slave (Mary Smith) page & ild W& would always take us to see her, and if we didn't git to go, she come to see us. We liked to go, and Liarse always give us a pass. De patrollers watch us like a hawk, but we had our passes and we told dem'if dey bothered us our rnarster would handle 'em. He would, too, cause dat was 'de law'. Granny lender was good looking. She wore purty beads, earrings and bracelets, and wrapped her head up in a red cloth. Her eyes and teeth flashed and she was always Jolly. Sometimes we stay all night, but most cTe.time we come back home. When she come to see us she always stay all night, ill de old folks had real religion den, and it kept 'em happy. Polks now are "too fancy fer religion and it ain't real. I has real religion and nothing don't worry me. I feels happy all de time over it. "My rnarster give my mother de spot of ground and de lumber fer our church which was named New Chapel. De second church is on de same spot. De first preaching was had under a oak tree, jp arbor. Uncle Tony Murphy was de first preacher. He was my favorite of all de preachers. Marse read de Bible to us, but sometimes others read it to us, too. His son, Bud, dat was killed in de first battle, used to come to de quarters and read de Bible to us. "Alex Hall was de minister dat immersed us all. We was all Methodists, but out C$| dey baptized everybody in de Fairforest no matter what church dey went to. Dar was fifty people baptized de day dat I was. Hilly Bethane made me a big white robe to be baptized in. When I got out I had a white dress to put on. Dey had a tent fer us to go in to change our clothes. We was baptized in de Fairforest jes* above de Harris Bridge. Everybody sung while we was going under de fatet. 0ome of m shouted, too. It took de earthquake to shake re i$$$;m; ta,;:ia|'.i'hif&feanf. He was Bmanuel Gist, de first one. ^^MmM^M^^^^M^^M^^M^'l^l && ^M^MMk^^B:- Stories Irom Ex-Slaves (Mary Smith) Page'4 .^^ 115 *Dat night, de people was hollering and woke me up. My husband called me. 'What dat?' he 'low. 'I don't know,' I says. He ' got up and run out. Soon he come back home and he was shaking all over. He fell on de bed. When de chimney started to fall, I told him to git up. He said he was too scared to git up. I pulled him up and he was so scared dat he shook all over. I opened de door. He was too scared to stand up. Next ..day he couldn't work; so he went off. I looked let. him till way in de night. When he did come home, he was rejoicing. He was wid religion and he never give it up. Dat was on de night of de earthquake. You could hear people hollering fer miles around." Source: Mary Smith (N,84), Buffalo St., Union, S.C. Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. (9/14/37) ?*ojefil :/ Ebbb Augustus JjdL&aon Chariest on ^t** 390134 rage x No .Words ;EE4 SCPSISiCS OF AN 3C-SLAV2 ON vt&amm ISLAND jaoaaa situs Kina TO Slaves Friuca Sousn,a men i*ho 13 said so b over a hundred years or ag-8,'naa lived on viardmalani island practically ail of taia iiie.His experiences duiing slavery are very interesting and true to iiie.An interview iia nim revealed-the roliowmgJ JL ^as bo*n an* raise4 on ois island and wus only frum here when da Cavil jar had begun *( en *ort liumter mn rired on mos3a carnea seventy of us to Greenville* South Uafiina on account of its momanous sections, ,!)#iich wee believed, would have prevensed the Yankees invasion m regard to their hide-ous/'rie ssayea eon Greenville nearly four years^Durin* dat t ime mossa planted his ia4m an* we mark as it* n/e wus right here* "The Yankees had gunboa s,Mhe continuea,"bui dey dian* help dem atoll fur day couldn* make any a'tack dat dis place is so unsuiied fur water bettles.But forest* batties wus right on Beaufort island and tort Boyai*;Ve een Greenville didn* know enyt'ing 'bout vhut r#us 80m* on except what &us brought co ua coiiud people by dose who wus 3ent (o da towruMosaa didn1 tell ua eny ting.Fur almos* four fears we stayed een Greenfiile a'en sue1 jnxy one uhuesday inomin' bngni an* early,Sheriasn came imto ^eeenviiie OB horse backs an4 order ebery body to 3arrentier#iiOionel3 an* Gen*rals came een de cny liaout de firin* of a gun#ti6 stayed dere 'ill harvestin* sime by de orders of faster Uslend Bel ley 1*0 saw to it dat we wus given money as a share fur our vsurk. f! Mossa*s custom at de end of de week ws *o give a ary peck o" com v^hich you tad to grin* on aat'day ebemn1 w*en his mirk wus dune t)nly on (Jhrls^mus he killed en ?i*a e piece o* meat#ile driber did de distribution o* de ration.All young men mis given i A4f -JLAU S-Sr:6U-fc64-N | project jplBob Augustus LSuSOSi 1 Pfiga i JLX tour quarte o* corn a weak, whale de grevm iaen wus gj,ven six *uBrtstAll of us could piatii is much lan* as we wouijf7 fur our own use* we could raise fovfla#&y master v;us a gentleman, be treat an nis slaves goocuiviy faoaer an* me wus his Cave it 9* 11 boma o* da slaves had to aurk on Sunday so finish der week's *urk*if day didn4 de aribber v ho wus a wegro wuuid give a lashm* varyin1 frum fifteen no twenty five chops.Lniy nigh-ciass masses ha a Negro ari)bber$,de crackers had white overseers, "Like oc&er sieves had to hide frum dera pastas to had meat in' s could h&b oura any night e want to even widout has consent "'er mast a ue fc to town any of hi3 slaves could ax h a to bufy ifanga t'ur clem een uha'ieatonfdhan Jews en peddiera came with clothes an* gungar to saliva as chinun would go to him an1 ax fur money so butf whut we nu M Ha ha;i about tour hunti'ed acra box is nailad an1 een summer is do Winter it is puft in da coldest,afimpeat piace.jue next IA ufc een da hoi sunjeen da Stock^ooci 13 nailed on floor with da person xyin* on his back ^ia hens an1 feet sied wood a heavy weight on d$ cheat ue shird is da Bilbo*#*ou are place on a high scaffold fur 30 many hours en* if you don1 sry 60 keep a level head ,you'ij. iaii en you will surely hurt yourself it your neck isn't broken.aaosfc 0* ate time day ere pus d^re a-- day couid break dare necks*1* 3CURGS Information faam an interview wiin Mr Prince Smith f-*ho is supposed to be over hundred years Oi age,* Ooase X don* know no thin bout it, but dat what I hear dem say*" "My Massa had a big plantation, honey, a big plantation wid heap of oolored people house* I remember dey call up dat way from de house on de hill en all de servants house set up dere. So I hear my mammy say she know bout some white folks dat didn' half feed dey colored people en didn* "half clothe dem in de winter neither, but our white folks always treat us mighty good* Put shoes on all us feet in de winter en give us abundance of ration all de time** "Honey, I hear dem talkin bout dat war, but Z can* tell you nothln bout dat* I recollects Z see dem Yankees when dey oome through my Massa plantation en took his best oarrlage horse* Bad two of dem big black oarrlage horses dat was match horses en dem Yankees carry one of dem away wid dem. I hear dem say de white folks would bury dey silver en money in pots en barrels to hide dem from de Yankees* Oh, dem fiddlin Yankees Oode Ho. Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, liar ion, S,C. Date, September 7, 1937 ax nobody no thin. wanted. No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by Words 1&2 Page 3. Just go in de house en take dat what dey Go right in de house en plunder round en take de peoples best things, lasn1 Wouldn' take no oommon things* right, but dey done it, I hear talk dat a man plowed up a chest or some thin another de other day full of money, so dey tells me, I hear plenty peoples plow up all kind of things dese days in old fields dat ain been broke up or throwed out for years. I hear so, but I know I ain never found none though," "I sho been here when dat shake come here, ohild, I been married ever since I was a grown oman en I was stayin right over yonder in dat house dere. My son Henry was de baby on me lap den en he tell me de other day dat he was bout 50 now. It come like a wind right from dat way. Some people tell me de ground was just a shakin en a mixin up, but I don1 know how de ground was doln cause I never go on it. I hear de lumberation oomin or dat what I calls it en it come long en hit de side of de house so hard dat all de dishes was just a rattlin. start jinglin. Every time de earth commence shakin, dem dish It come bout de early part of de night. I didn know what to think it was till somebody come dere en say it been a earthquake. Say de ground was just a workin up* I tell you I ain* know what it was to be scared of, but dere been de old Ark (boarding house) standin cross de street den en dem people was scared most to death, Dey thought it was de Jedgment oomin Ho. Words. Reduced from Rewritten by Oode So* Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Marion, 8*0. Date, September 7, 1937 on. Words Page 4, 133 Reckon I would been soared worser den I was, but I didn* get on de ground. No, honey, I reokon de house dat was standln up in dat day en time was substantial like en it didn* worry none of dem." "Is you seen Haggle Black any more? but she better now* She been right sick, Tee, she been right puny* Don1 know what ail her*" , "Honey, what can you tell me bout dat white man dat been shoot up bout Uolllns de other day* I hear people talk bout a man been shot by another man, but I ain* know no thin more den dat, Ain* hear none of de details only as dey tell me dey oatch de man dat got away next Dillon tryin to get back home* Z tell you it a bad place up dere in Ifullins darin dis tobaooo time. Dey tell me dere be such a stir up dat people be rob en shoot all bout dere* whe< ain1 nobody to worry me. Dat de reason I stay baok here Some of dem be seekin for you when you sleep en den another time dey get you when you gwine long de road* round me. Z don* like so much fuss en rousln en mix up Dat de reason Z does stay here by myself*" "De people just livin too fast dis day en time, honey. Tou know some of dese people, Z mean my race, dey got a little bit of education en ain1 got no manners* Z tell dem if dey ain* got no manners, dey ain1 got nothln oause manners carries people whe1 a dollar won1 carry you* everybody no good* dey heads* Dis education don1 do It got some of dem standln on de top of Oat what it done to dem* Ooase dey say everybody So* Wbrds. Reduced from. Rewritten by" Oode Ho* Projeot, lgS5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, liar ion, 8*0* Bate, September 7, 1937 .Words 134 J?age 5* ohillun got to go to school die year en dat a good thing cause dere be so many runnin round makin mischief when dey a in' in school* I used to tell my ohillun X buy dey book en satchel en keep plenty meat en bread for dem to eat en dey portion been to go dere en get dey learnin. If dey get whippin at school, X tell dem go back en get more. Oidn* never entice dem to stay home." "All X know bout Abraham Lincoln was dat he Abraham Lincoln en he de one oause freedom* X recollect dey used * to sing song bout him, but X done forget it now* Say dey hung Abraham Lincoln on de sour apple tree or old Jeff Davis or somethin like dat. Honey , dat all X know. Can' recollect nothin more den dat bout it* " "Child, die a pretty bad time de people got dese days, X tell you* Ooase X thankful don1 nobody worry me* me nioe, both white en black, what knows me. All treats X be gwine down de street en folks come out de courthouse en say, *Aixj dat Mom Jessie? Mom Jessie, don* you remember me?* know your favor, but X can1 call your name.1 laugh en let me lone* X say, 'I Dey tell me en It just like dis, child, X puts my trust in de Lord en X lives mighty peaceful like* X ain got a enemy in de world oause everybody speaks appreciatively of me* Dere somebody brlngin me some thin to eat all de time en X don* be studyin bout it neither. First one en den de other bring me a plate en somethin another* Don* want me to do no coo kin* Code No* Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, September 1, 1937 Ho* Words Reduced from. _Word 8 Rewritten by" Say I might fall in de fire. Honey, de lady oome by here 135 Page b. de other day en tell me I gwine get de old oman money pretty soon now dat dere been so muoh talk bout* I be thankful when it get here too, child, cause I wants to get first one thing en de other to do some fizln up bout my house,* "fell, honey, I tired now oause I ain* muoh today nohow* Oan* recollect nothin else dis mo ruin. Don1 know what you want to hear bout all dem things for nohow." Source: Horn Jessie Sparrow, age 83* ex-slave, Bond Street, Marion, 8,0. - Third Repott. Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, Sept,, 1937. Code Ho* Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, December 7 1937 Ho. Reduced from_ Rewritten by" Ho, I ain* cold. 136 Page 1. HOK JESSIE SPARROW Ex-Slave, 83 Years M word 8 39041 I settin in de sun. Miss Ida, she went by here just now en call at me bout de door been open en lettin dat cold wind blow in on my back wid all de fire gone out. I tell her, it ain' botherin me none, I been set tin out in de sun. Well, I don* feel much to speak bout, child, but I knockin round somehow. dis paper to study on. Miss Ida, she bring me She does always be bringin me de Star cause she know dat I love to see de news of Marion. It right sad bout de Presbyterian preacher, but everybody got to die, I say. Right sad though. We hear dat church bell here de other evenin en we never know what it been tollin for. I holler over dere to Maggie house en ax her how-come de church bell tollin, but she couldn1 tell me notnin bout it. some chillun had get hold of it, she say. Reckon I tell her, dat bell never been pull by no chillun cause I been hear death note in it. Yes, honey, de people sho gwine home (grieve) after Dr. Holladay.H MI say, I doin very well myself en I thankful I ain* down in de bed. Mighty thankful I ain' down in de bed en can set up en talk wid de people when dey comes to see me. I ain1 been up dere on your street in a long time. Can' do much welkin dese days cause I ain1 got no strength to speak bout. Ain* befn up town dere in bout two months. Mr. Jervey Code No. Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, December 7, 1937 Ho. Words Reduced from Rewritten by" words 137 Page 2. ax John Evans what de matter dat I ain1 been comin to de store to get my rations en John Evans tell him I been under de weather. Somehow another, dey all likes me up dere en when dey don' see me up town on Saturday, dey be axin bout me, Mr. Jervey, he come here de other day en bring me some tobacco en syrup en cheese en some of dem other things what he know dat I used to buy dere. to see me back up dere again. He telJL me dey all was wantin I say, I can' go up dere cause I give way in my limbs en just comes right down whe* I don1 have nothin to catch to. Got dis old stick here dat I balances myself on when I goes out round bout de house here. Cose I don' venture to steady myself no far ways on it.H "No, child, I ain' been up your way in a long time. I wash for Miss Betty all my best days, but I ain1 been up to de house in many a momin. old. Miss Betty like myself now, she I tell dem up dere to de house, de last time I talk wid dem, don' mind Miss Betty cause her mind ain' no good. I say, just gwine on en do what you got to do en let Miss Betty rest. You see, Miss Betty always would have her way en dis ain' no time to think bout breakin her neither. Cose I don' know nothin bout it, but Miss Betty say we bout one age." I reckon Miss Betty got plenty pecans dis year cause she does rake dem up by de tubfuls bout dis time of de year. I got my share of dem last year, but I ain' got no mind dat I gwine get any dis year less I go up dere. Yes,mam, I got Code No. Project, 1SS5-(D Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, December 7, 1937 No. Words Reduced from. Rewritten by" words 138 Page 3. my share last year cause when I went to carry Miss Betty washiri home, I could pick up all X wanted while X come through under de trees. My Lord, Miss Betty, she had a quantity of dem last year, but I ain' hear what de crop doin dis year. I don' care though cause I wouldn' eat dem nohow widout I beat dem up en I ain1 in no shape to go to all dat trouble. I loves peanuts good as anybody, but I couldn1 never chew dem widout dey was beat up.M "Honey, my child en her daughter comin from de northern states dis Christmas to see me. but dey call her Missie. Her name Evelyn, She write here dat she want to come en I tell my 8ammie to send word dey is welcome, dose dey gwine stay wid my son, Samm.ie, cause dey got more room den I is en dey got a cookin stove, too, but she gwine be in en out here wid her old mammy off en on Yes'um, I wants to see her mighty bad since it be dat she been gone from here so long. When she first went up dere, she worked for a white family dere to Hartford, Connecticut, but it won1 long fore she got in a fidget to marry en she moved dere to Philadelphia. Dat whe' she livin now, so my Sammie tell me#M Den dere another one of my chillun dat I say, I don' never 1 spect to see no more on dis side of de world. get married en go way out west to live. She de one what used to nurse Lala up dere to Miss Owens1 house. she been crazy bout Lala. Evelina, she My God, honey, Don1 care what she been buy on a Prepared by Annie Rath DaviB No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by Place, Marion, S.C. Date, December 7> 1937 Page 4. Oode No. Project, 1SS5-(1) words 139 Saturday evenin, she would save some of it till Monday to carry to dat child. My Evelina, she always would eat en she used to bring Lala here wid her a heap of times to get somethin to eat. She would come in en fetch her dat tin plate up dere full of corn bread en molasses en den she would go to puttin dem ration way. Would put her own mouth full en den she would cram some of it down Lala's mouth in de child's belly. You see, I always would keep a nice kind of syrup in de safe cause I don' like none dese kind of syrup much, but dis here ribbon cane syrup. My Lord, dat child would stand up dere en eat just as long as Evelina poke it down her. Oh, Lala been just a little thing plunderin bout en I tell Evelina dat she ought not to feed dat child dem coarse ration, but she say, 'Lala want some en I gwine give it to her cause I loves her. No, child, Miss Owens never didn' worry her mind bout whe Evelina been carry dat child* You see, she been put trust in Evelina.0 "I don' know what to tell you, honey. Betty now. My 'membrance short dese days. I bout like Miss Oh, I hear talk bout all kind of signs de people used to worry over en some of dem still frets bout dem,too. wash none on de New Years' Day. say. Hear talk dat you mustn't It bad luck, so a heap of dem Den some folks say it a sign of death to hear a owl holler at night. Some people can' bear to hear dem, but don* no owls worry me, I say. Lord, Maggie, dis child ax me how a owl holler when it a sign of death. Well, dey does holler a right good Code No. Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.C. Date, December 7, 1937 space apart. No. Words Reduced from. Rewritten by" words 140 Page 5. Don' holler right regular. I ain' hear one holler now in a long time, but I used to hear dem be hollerin plenty times out dere somewhe' another in dem trees. Say, when some people been hear dem holler on a night, dey would stick a fire iron in de fire en dat would make de owl quit off. I hear talk bout a lot of people would do dat. Den dere another sign de people does have bout de New Years* Day. Reckon dat what dey call it, I don' know. No,mam, I don1 understand nothin bout it, but I does hear people speak bout dey craves to get a cup of peas en a hunk of hog jowl on de first day of de year. Say, dem what put faith in dem kind of victuals on de New Years1 Day, dey won* suffer for nothin no time all de next year. Oose I don' know, but I say dat I eats it cause I loves it.M "fell, child, dat bout all I know to speak bout dis evenin. It gettin so cold, I don' know whe' I can manage here much longer or no. Oose my Sammie, he want me to go stay dere wid him, but I can1 stand no chillun fuse round me no more. I tell him dese people bout here be in en out to aac. bout me right smart en I think bout I better stay here whe1 dere ain1 nobody to mind what I do. You see, honey, old people is troublesome en I don' want to be noways burdensome to nobody. Yes,mam, I gwine be right here waitin, if de Lord say so, de next time I see you makin up dat path." Source: Mom Jessie Sparrow, age S3, colored, Marion, S.C. Personal interview by Annie R. Davis, Dec, 1937. Code No. feojeot, lg 5-(l) Prepared by Annie But a Davis Place, Marion, 8*0. Mte, October 11, 1937 Ho.' Wocdu Reduced from_ Rewritten by" words 141 el* MOM JESSIE SPARROW Sx-Slave, S3 Tears "Good morning, honey, I ain1 much today. Ho, I can' talk no thin bout dem times today. 390335 How you is? Ain1 know no more den I done tell you. I doin very well consider in I can1 get bout like I wants to. Doin very well, honey. mighty nice to me, white en black, Peoples dose I don* venture to get far off de lot, I be so poorly dese days. Ain1 been bout up town dere in a month since Saturday." "Well, my chillun say for me to go live wid dem, but I don* want to go down to dat other far end of de town. I tell dem dey worry me so dat I think I rather be here in dis piece of house. See, I has such good neighbors bout me here en dere be so much a fight in en gwine on in dat other end of town. All de peoples speaks well of me, both white en black, of dem dat knows me. Yes,mam, Miss Ellen tell me fore she die for me to stay right here in dis house long as X live en ain' nobody is gwine worry me neither. Ho, child, Miss Mary Watson don* worry me, no% one speck bout dis house. Miss Ellen got left here. nowhe' yet. Miss Mary de only child dat Ho, honey, I ain* study in bout gwine Oose de house may fall down on me cause dat dere old kitchen over dere was good when I come here, but it rot down. Dat how-come I ain got no stove. oome in on de stove en rust it out. De kitchen rot down en de sain Ho, dey don1 worry me none. I tell dem I ain1 got no thin, but I set tin here just as satisfied Ooee I may get a little pension soon, but don1 know when Oode Ho. Project, lgg5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.0* Date, October 11, 1937 it gwine get here. Ml No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by words __142 Page 2. I ain' hear tell of nobody gettin it yet. I tell lady dat come here if I get it, it be all right en if I don get it, dat be all right too." "Big sale on today, ain* dere, child? I hear talk bout dey gwine sell all de Witcover property en all dat, but I don' know. Dey sho got a pretty day for it. sweater, but it too hot. here thin jacket. I had on my old thick I had to pull it off en put on die Can' go bout too naked, honey.H "Yes'um, I know it was you come here de other night. Cose. I can1 see so good, but I can hear de people voice en tell who dere time I hear dem comin up dat path. You see, I don' light my lamp first night nohow, dere be so much grass round here de mosquitoes comes in en worries me right smart.* "Miss Foxworth en dem fixin to plant dey turnips over dere. Miss Foxworth, I likes her very well to speak. kind en clever. She good-hearted, She comes over en talks wid me often cause us been friends ever since fore de old man been gone* Dey ain1 got no kind of garden yet, but dey fixin to plant a fall garden out dere." *Bo, child, I done put Miss Betty clothes down. Tell her I ain1 able to wash no more en my Lord, Miss Betty sho hate to hear me say dat. Won1 dat Miss Betty clothes was so hard, but it was de to tin dem back en forth en den dere be so little bit of money in dem, didn1 pay to hire nobody to carry dem. Cose she didn* pay me no thin worth much cause she didn* never have Code No* Projeot, lgg5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O* Date, October 11, 1937 So. Words Reduced from_ Rewritten by" words 143 Page 3, nothin much, but a little changin of underclothes en bout one dress. Just had to starch bout one petticoat en one dress, but I can* hardly wash for myself dese days en I wouldn1 never venture to do hers no more* No, honey, my conscience wouldn' allow me to overpower Miss Betty for dem little bit of somethin en dey ain* dirty neither. You see, sinoe Miss Emma been stayin dere, she in charge de house en uses all her tablecloths en such a8 dat. Mis8 Emma, she mighty nice to me. Every time I go up dere en I ain' been doin no thin for her neither, she see can she find a cup of fresh milk or somethin another to hand me." "Reckon I gwine be lonesome right bout die side next week cause all de colored schools gwine be open up Monday. Tou see, dere be be so many school chillun en teacher llvin on dis here street. Dat child over dere say she gwine be home right sharp after she be finish pick in cotton next week. I say X ain1 be obliged to leave dis country cause my white folks wouldn' never venture to come dere to dat other end of town to see me. dese chillun bout here mighty good to me. suffer for no thin. All Don* never let me Dey caution me not to risk to cook no thin over dat- fireplace cause dey say I might tumble over en can1 catch myself. No, dey tell me don* do no oookin, I might fall in *a burn up. No, ohild, I ain1 chance to cook none on dat fireplace since I been sick* dis day en dat day* den oomin. Different ones brings me somethin Don1 suspicion nothin bout it till I see Celeste over dere brings me breakfast en dinner Code No. Project, Igg5-(D No. Words, Reduced from Rewritten by Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, October 11, 1937 words 144 Page 4-* every day en I don1 never bother wid no supper cause I lays down too early* Den dey keeps me in plenty bread en rolls en I keeps a little syrup on hand en eats dat if I gets hungry* Dere Marguerite all de time bringin me somethin, if it ain1 nothin but a pitcher of ice. ain' coBtin her nothin. know she oomin here* You see, dey makes dey ice en it When I see her turn out dat piazza, I I ain1 see her today, but I lookin for her*. Used to wash for dem too* Honey, I done a lot of work bout die town en I don1 suffer for nothin. All de people bout here be good to me." "No,mam, I ain1 gwlne let you take no more pictures* gwlne take no more* Ain1 If Mies Montgomery say she oomin here to take more pictures, tell her I ain1 gwlne take no more* ohild, I ain1 study in bout no pictures. No, I don1 want no more. I got one big one up dere on de wall dat show me en my mammy en my son, 8ammie, settin in a automobile. settin up dere wid de white blouse on* Dat my picture I tell dem I look like some thin den, but I too old en broke up now. My daughter, she want a picture en she kept on after us till we went up dere to whe1 de carnival was* Carnival man had a automobile dat he take your picture in en we get in en set down en he snap de picture. I tell dem dey got one now en dat ought to be sufficient. my mammy settin dere by me* Dat She was sho a fine lookin woman. Lord, Lord, honey, dem chillun love dem pictures, but I ain1 study in bout want in my picture scatter all bout de country. Oode No. Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared hy Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.G. Date, October 11, 1937 No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by words 145 Page 5. "Yes, child, I sleeps all right. fore anybody else round here do. Qo to bed early too Yes,mam, I goes to bed early en don1 never get up none till I see day shine in dem oracles. I was figurin somebody else ax me dat de other day. Believe it was Dr. Dibble. My 8ammie, he a mammy child. He never stop till he send de doctor here to see could he find out de ailment dat seem like was eat in me way. Dr. Dibble come here en set down in dat chair en ax me a heap of questions. Den he test my blood en give me a tonic dat he say would hope me. Yes,mam, dat my Sammie doctor en he goes to see him often, he does have such a misery in his head. Dat de first time Dr. Dibble ever been here, but I likes he manner mighty well. Zack was a good doctor too. ain1 know nothin bout it. Dr. Ooee dat what dey tell me, but I No, child, I been healthy all my days en I ain1 had to worry bout no doctor. I tells dem when I falls down, I won1 last long cause I been hearty all my days." "Your sister still in Dr. Dibble store (office), ain she? Is she got a cook yet? Dat it, I glad she got somebody to de- pend on cause dese young people, can' tell bout dem. Dey be one place today en den dey apt to be another place de next day. I used to cook dere to lady house cross de street, but I never didn1 cook no Sunday dinner dere. Dat lady been take in sewin en she would sew en press right on de big Sunday. I tell her dat a sin en she say she had to get finish somehow dat de folks was pushin her for dey olothes* I say,'Well, dat you, ain* me.1 I go dere on Sunday morain en cook breakfast en clean up en put No. Words Reduced from_ Rewritten by" Oode No. Project, lSg5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, October 11, 1937 wood in de kitchen. words 146 e . Den I would go to ohurch en left dem to Dat de reason I won1 cook for none cook what dinner dey get. dese white folks dis day en time cause when dey pays you dat little bit of money, dey wants every bit your time. I been proud when dat lady move from here cause I was tired walkin de road back en forth, people oome here en beg me to cook for dem, but I tell dem I gwine stay right here en do my bit of washin. Gwine get along somehow wid it." "Bethel, down dere on de other side de jail, de only church I ever been a member of. next year. We got to fix us ohurch twixt now en It need fixin bad. You see, it right on de Main street gwine down en does be right public out to de people. X was fixin to go to church Sunday gone, but my child never come after me. My son, Sammie, never show up, but he come Sunday evenin laughin. Say, *Ma, I know if I come by your house, you would want to go wid me.' No, I ain1 been so I able to go in four Sundays.M wOhild, you ought to had brought your parasol wid you cause you been set tin here so long, you gwine be late gettin whe* you started. Dis here another hot day we got come here." "Well, good-day, child. Speak bout how you is find Maggie Black to me when you pass back long dat street dere." Source: Mom Jessie Sparrow, ex-slave, S3 years, Marion, S.C. Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, October, 1937. Project #1655 W.W. Dixon 390403 Winnsboro, S. C. ' *,vy uww-rw 14r ROSA STARKE EX-SIAVE 83 YEARS OLD. Rosa's grandfather was a slave of Solicitor Starke* Although she has had two husbands since slavery, she has thrown their names into the discard and goes by the name of Rosa Starke* She lives in a three-room frame house with her son, John Harrison, two miles south of Winnsboro, S# C#>on the plantation of Mrs* Rebecca V# Woodwards She still does farm work, hoeing and pick- ing cotton ^Th^y say I was six years old when de war commence poppin1 in Charleston. Mamonqy and pappy say dat I was born on de Graham place, one of de nineteen plantations of u$r old marster, Nick Peay, in 1854# They had b' longed to old Marse Tom Starke befo1 old Marse mammy name Sajina* Nick bought them* % pappy was name Bob and my % brudders was name Bob and John* I had a sister name Carrie. They was all older than me* M lfy marster, Nick Peay, had nineteen places, \wid a overseer and slave quar- ters on every place* Folks dat knows will tell you, dis day, dat them nineteen plantations, in all, was twenty-seven thousand acres* more or less, too many to take a census of* He had a thousand slaves, Befo1 de numerator git 'round, some more would be born or bought, and de nominator had to be sent fround by Marse Nick, so old Miss Martha, our mistress, say* 'twas* Her never could know just how many Folks used to come to see her and ask how many they had and her say it was one of them sums in de frithmetic dat a body never could take a slate and pencil and find out de correct answer to* "Her was a Adamson befo1 her marry old marster, a grand big buckra* a grand manner; no patience wid poor white folks* Had They couldn't come in de front yard| tkay/knowed to pass on by to de lot, hitch up deir hoss, and come knock on 2. 148 de kitchen door and make deir wants and wishes knowed to de butler. "You wants me to tell fbout what kind of house us niggers live in then? Well, it *pend on de nigger and what him was doin* * Dere was just two classes to de white folks, buckra slave owners and poor white folks dat didn!t own no slaves servants* Dere was more classes ,mongst de slaves De fust class was de house Dese was de butler, de maids, de nurses, chambermaids,and de cooks* De nex1 class was de carriage drivers and de gardenera, de carpenters, de barber, and de stable men* ^hen come de nex1 class de wheelwright, wagoners, blacksmiths and slave foremen* De nex1 class I Members was de cow men and de niggers dat have care of de dogs* work hard or git a beat in1 All dese have good houses and never have to Then come de cradlers of de wheat, de threshers,, and de millers of de corn and de wheat 5and de feeders of de cotton gin* est class was de common field niggers* De low- A house nigger man might svroop dorai and mate wid a field hand*s good lookin* daughter, now arid then, for pure love of her, but you never see a house gal lower herself by marryin* and matin1 wid a common field-hand nigger* Dat offend de white folks,*specially de young misses, who liked de business of match makin1 and matin1 of de young slaves* "% young marsters* was Marse Tom, Marse Kick, and Marse Austin* misses was Miss Martha, Miss Mary, and Miss Anne Eliza* marry a Cunningham of Liberty Hill* % young I knows Marse Nick, Jr* Marse Tom marry a Lyles and Marse Austin marry and move to Abbeville, after de war* Old marster die de year befo* de war, I think, 'cause mjr mammy and pappy fell in de division to Marse Kick end us leave de Graham place to go to de home place* And what a place dat was I It was called de Melrose place* f Twas on a hill, overlookin* de place where de Long- town Presbyterian O&urch and cemetery is today* and a fish pond on top of it* Dere was thirty rooms in it A flower yard stretchin* clean ddraa de hill to 5 * 149 de big road, where de big gate, hangin* on big granite pillars, swung open to let de carriages, buggies, and wagons in and up to de house* n Can I tell you some of de things dat was in dat house when de Yankees come? Golly noi Dat I can!t, but I fmembers some things dat would fstonish you as it !stonished them* They had Marseille carpets, linen table cloths, two silver candlesticks in every room, four wine decanters, four nut crackers, and two coffee pots, all of them silver* All de plates was china* spoons* Silver castors for pepper, salt, and vinegar bottles* Ninety-eight silver folks, knives, teaspoons and table- Four silver ladles, six silver sugar tongs, silver goblets, a silver mus- tard pot and two silver fruit stands* marble mantelpieces. All de fireplaces had brass firedogs and Dere was four oil paintin!s in de hall; each cost, so Marse Hick say, one hundred dollars* One was his ma, one was his pa, one was his Uncle Austin and de other was of Colonel Lainar* n De smoke-house had four rooms and a cellar* filled wid brown sugar just shoveled in wid spades* One room, every year, was In winter they would drive up a drove of hogs from each plantation, kill them, scald de hair off them, and pack de meat away in salt, and hang up de hams and shoulders. house* f round and fbout de smoke- Most of de rum and wine was kep! in barrels, in de cellar, but dere was a closet in de house where whiskey and brandy was kepf for quick use* ^11 back on de east side of de mansion was de garden and terraces, acres of sw^et 'taters, water millions (watermelons) and strawberries and two long rows of beehives* n 01d raarster die* De fpraisers of de State come and figure dat his mules, niggers, cows, hogs, and things was worth v200,000#00* f bout* T hey, anyhow, say de property was over a million dollars* of f 1,600#00 on mammy and $1,880*00 on pappy* $400*00* M Land and houses I disremember I f They put a price member they say I was worth Young Marse Hick tell us dat the personal property of de estate was 4. 'praised at $288,168.78. (a) lt De Yankees come set all de cotton and de gin-house afire* Load up all de meat; take some of de sugar and shovel some over de yard; take all de wine, rum, and liquor; gut de house of all de silver and valuables, set it afire, and leave one thousand niggers cold and hongry* and our white folks in a misery they never has got over to de third generation of them white folks in dis State today. Some of them is de poorest I weeps when I sees them so poor, but they is T spectable yet, thank &od# "After de war I stuck to de Peay white folks, 'til I got married to Will Harrison. I can1t say I love him, though he was de father of all my chillun. pappy, you know, was a half white man. Maybe dat explain it. My Anyhow, when he took de fever I sent for Dr. Gibson, *tend him faithful but he die and/felt more like I was free, when I come back from de funeral, than I did when Marse Abe Lincoln set us free. % brudder, Bob, had done gone to Florida. 11 1 nexf marry, in a half-hearted iray, John Pearson, to help take care of me and noy three chillun, John, Bob, and Carrie. Him take pneumonia and die, and I never have a speck of heart to marry a colored man since. I just have a mind to wait for de proper sort>till I git to heaven, but dese adult teachers 'stroy dat hope. They read me dat dere is no marryin1 in heaven. Well, well, dat111 be a great disappointment to some I knows, both white and black, and de ginger-cake women lak me. n Is I got any more to tell you? Just dis: Dere was 365 windows and doors to Iforse Nick Peay1 s house at ^elrose, one for every day in de year, my mistress f low. And dere was a peach tree in de orchard so grafted dat dat peach tree have ripe peaches on it in May, ^le, July, August, September, and October.11 (a) Probate records of Fairfield County. for Fairfield County* See Roll 110 of the Judge of Probate 150 Project #1655 W* W* Dixon Winnsboro, S* C* JOSEPHINE STEWART EX-SLAVE 85 YEARS OLD. Phinie Stewart, as she is known in the community where she lives, is a small, black negress, who shows her age in appearance and movements She lives with Robert Wood, a hundred yards back of the Presbyterian Church manse at Blacks took, S# C* who is now deceased* Robert Wood married Phinie fs niece, Phinie has no property, and depends entirely on the charity of Robert Wood f6r her support * w Does you know where de old liell House is, about a mile de other side of Blacks took, on de Chester road? Yes? Well, dere is where I was borned, in May, 1853 W I doesnft know who my pappy was* You know in them times folks wasn't particular fbout marriage licenses and de preacher tying de knot and all dat kind of thing* Celie* But I does know mammy's name* Her name was Dese eyes of mine is dim but I can see her now, stooping over de wash tub and washing de white folks1 clothes every Monday and Tuesday* w Us belonged to Marster Charlie Bell and his lady, Miss Margie Bell, our mistress in them slavery days* her married Marster Charlie? ^oes I 'member who Miss Maggie was befo* Sure I does* Mistress was e daughter of Miss Anne Jane Neil, who lived to be a hundred and five years old, and its writ on her tombstone in ^oncord Cemetery* I 'spect you has seen it, ain't you? Old Miss Anne Neil was a Irish lady, born in Ireland across de ocean* had a silver snuff boocj I seen it* She She'd take snuff out dat box, rub it up 2 - 152 *De Prince of WTiales (Wales) give me dis box befo1 her nose and say: I come to dis country, and I was presented to his iaa,Queen Victoria#by de Duke of Wellington on my sixteenth birthday*1 Old Miss Jhxae Heil claims she was born over dere de very night of de battle of Waterloo* And she would go on and Tlow dat when de duke took her by de hand and led her up to de queen, him say: f Your Majesty, dis young lady was born on de night of our great victory at Waterloo*T nMy young mistress was named Miss Margaret* Wade Brice* She married ilarse I was give to them when I was fbout five years old and I went along with them to Woodward, S* C. at de same time* ify mammy was give to them, too, Us lived in Marse Wadefs quarter, to de east of de white folks1 house* Dere was a row of log houses, fbout ten I think* Mammy and me lived in one dat had two rooms De chimney was made of sticks and mudf but de floor was a good plank floor* bedstead wid a wheat straw tick* De bed was a wood Dere was no windows to de house, so it was warm in de winter time and blue blazing hot in de summer time* "My white folks was mighty good to us; they fed us well* Us had wooden shoes and no clothes a-tall in de summer, fcept a one-piece slip on* % mistress die 'bout a year after her marry, and then Marster Wade marry Miss Tilda Watson, a perfect angel, if dere ever was one on dis red earth* She take a liking to me right at de jump, on first sight* I nussed all her chillun* Mike, and Wilson* They was Walter, Ida, Dickey, Lunsford, Wade, Then I nussed some of her grandchillun* Mr* Brice Waters in Columbia is one of them grandchillun* ^Marse Wade went off to de war and got shot in de hip, but he jined de calvary (cavalry) soon after and was away when de Yankees come 3.153 Je Yankees burned and stole everything on de place through* They took , off all de sheep, mules, and cows; killed all de hogs; cotch all de chickens, ducks and geesej and shot de turkeys and tied them to deir saddles as they left* De gin-house jaade de biggest blaze I ever has seen* Dere was short rations for all de white folks and niggers after dat day. 11 In 1370 I was still dere wid iSarse Wade and Hiss Tilda, when de devil come along in de shape, form, and fashion of a men* Halleg* He was name Simon I was young then, and a fool, v/hen I married dat no * count nigger* Us had two chillun, a boy, Allen, and a girl, Louise. died befo* she was grown* child are dead* Louise sickened and Allen married and had one child, but him and de IB/ husband run away and left us* n About de time of de great cyclone, Miss Tatt Nicholson, a cousin of Miss Tilda, come down and took me to Chester, to be a maid at de Nicholson Hotel* I liked de work, but I got many a scare while I was dere* days every hotel had a bar where they would mix whiskey and lemons* In them Men could just walk up, put deir foots on de brass rail of de bar counter and order what they want, and pay fifteen cents a drink* play cards all night in de bar* Sometimes they would One night an old gent stopped his wagon* dat had four bales of cotton on it, befo! de hotel* drink, saw a game going on and took a hand* He come in to get a Befo* bed time he had lost all his money and de four bales of cotton outside* tt No, I didnH work in slavery times* Chillun didnft have to work* De only thing I fmembers doing was minding de flies off de table wid a brush made out of peacock tail-feathers* tt All de slaves had to go to church at Concord twice every month and learn de Shorter Catechism* I has one of them books now, dat I used seventy- 4.154 i Ik.. five years ago* Want to see it? (K^ exhibits catechism printed in 1840 for slaves*) !f I left de hotel and come back to Hiss Tilda Brice* Stewart then, and he was a good man* Us had no chillun* I married Jacob He been gone to glory eight years, bless God* *fYes, sir, I fmembers de earthquake* praying dat night* It set a heap of people to Even de cows aid chickens got excited* end of de world had come* I thought de I jined de &ed'Hill Baptist Church myr membership is now at de Cross itoads baptist Church* then, but Brother Wright, de pastor, comes to see me, as Ifm too feeble to gallivant so far to church* tt Dis house b1 longs to Joe Rice* % nephew rents from him and is good enough, though a poor man, to take care of me* tt Please do all you can to get de good President, de Governor, or somebody to hasten up' my old ag^e pension dat I'm praying for**1 Project 1885-1 fOIXLORE oonnr-f OaUUbf Spartanbur* Dist.4 May 24, 1937 Edited by: ~*. 155 Elmer Turnage STORIES fROM EX.SUYES * I was born near old Bush River Baptist Church in Newberry County, S.C. This was the white folks1 church, but the colored folks have a Bush River church in that section now. I was grown when the war started. I was a slave of Bonny floyd. He was a good man who owned several slaves and a big farm. I was the house-girl then, and waited on the table and helped around the house. I was always told to go to the white folks' church and sit in the gallery. M When the 3*atrollers was started there, they never did bother Mr. Bonny's slaves. He never had any trouble with them, for his slaves never run away from him. * The Ku Klux never come to our place, and I don't remember seeing them in that section. rt We took our wheat to Singley's Mill on Bush River to be ground. We made all our flour and grain. We plowed with horses and mules. w I am an old woman, sick in bed and can't talk good; but glad to tell you anything I can.1* Source: Bettie Suber (96), Newberry, S.C. Interviewer: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. (5/18/37). project 1885-1 I0LKL0RE Spartanbure, s.C May 25, 1937 7Qnf)CA vJSUUb^ Edited by: Elmer Turnage ^r-r -*-*i STOBIES FROM.EX-SLAVES rt I was born on the Enoree River in Newberry County. Tom Price was my master. I married Nathan Swindler when I was about grown. My father and mother was Dave and Lucy Coleman. I had a brother and several sisters. We children had to work around the home of our master 'till we was old enough to work in de fields, den we would hoe and pick cotton, and do any kinds of field work. We didn't have much clothes, just one dress and a pair of shoes at a time, and maybe one change. I married in a ole silk striped dress dat I got from my mistress, Miss Sligh. We had no 'big-to-do' at our wedding, just married at home. In cold weather, I had sometimes, heavy homespun or outing dress. When Saturday afternoons come, we got off" from work and do what we want. Some of us washed for de week. 'We had no schools and couldnft read and-write. Sometimes we could play in our yards after work was over or on Saturday afternoons, on Christinas the master give us something good to eat. We didn't have dofetors much, but de ole folks had cures for sickness. Dey made cherry-bark tea for chills and fever, and root-herb teas for fevers, tots of chills and fevers then. To cure a boil or wart, we would take a hair from the tail of a horse and tie it tight around both sides of the sore place. I think Abe Lincoln was a great man, and Jeff Davis was a good man too. I think Booker ,/ashin*ton was a great man for de colored race. I like it better now than de way it was in slavery time." Source: Ellen Swindler (78), Newberry, S.C. Interviewed by: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C, i.iay 20, 1937. Project #1655. W* Vw Dixon, V/innsboro, S. C. 390427 157 MACK TAYLOR SX-SLAVE 97 YEARS. Mack Taylor lives six miles southeast of Ridgeway, S. C*, on his farm of ninety-seven acres* The house,in which he resides/#is a frame house containing six rooms, all on one floor His son, Charley, lives with him* Charley is married and has a small family. " Howdy do sir* I sees you a good deal goinf backwards and forwards to Columbia* I has to set way back in de bus and you sets up to de front* I can't ketch you to speak to you, as you is out and gone befof I can lay hold of you. But, as Brer Fox flowed to Brer Rabbit,when he ketched hin v&d a tar baby at a spring, w f I is got you now** Ifs been wantin' to ask you tbout dis old age pension* Ifs been to Winnsboro to see fbout it* Some nice white ladies took my name and ask me some questions, but dat seem to be de last of it* Reckon I gwine to get anything? w Well, Ifs been here mighty nigh a hundred years, and just f cause I pinched and saved and didn't throw my money away on liquor, or put it into de palms of every Jezabel hussy dat slant her eye at me, ainft no valuable reason why them dat did dat way and f joyed deirselves can get de pension and me can't get de pension* 'Tain't fairl No, sir* If I had a knowed way back yonder, fifty years ago, what I knows now, I might of gallavanted 'round a little more wid de shemales than I did. What you think 'bout it? w You say I's forgittinf dat religion must be thought about? Well,! can read de Bible a little bit* Don't it say? *What you sow you sure to reap?f Yes, sir* Us niggers was fetched here 'ginst our taste* Us fell de forests for corn, wheat, oats, and cotton; drained de swamps for rice; built de dirt 2* roads and de railroads; and us old ones is got a fair right to our part of de pension. " My marster, in slavery times, lived on de Wateree River* He had a large plantation and, I heard them say, four hundred slaves* He was a hard marster and had me whipped as many times as I got fingers and toes* I started workin1 in de field ?4ien I was a boy fifteen years old* De work I done was choppinf de grass out of de cotton and pickinf de cotton. H8hatf8 become of them old army worms dat had horns , dat us chillun was so scared of while pickinf cotton? I n^yw see them dese days but Ifd rather have them than dis boll weevil I*s pestered wid* r * }&y mar8terfB name was Tom Clark* My mistress was a gentle lady, but field niggers neyer got to speak to her* All I can say is dat de house slaves say she was mighty good to them* I saw de chillun of de white folks often and was glad they would play wid us colored chillun* What deir names? Dere was Marse Alley, Marse Ovid, Marse Hilliard, and Miss Lucy* * Old marster got kilt in de last year of de war, and Miss Margaret, dat was our Mistress, run de place wid overseers dat would thrash you for all sorts of things* If they ketch you leanin* on your hoe handle, theyfd beat you; step out of your task a minute Or speak to a girl, theyfd beat you* Oh, it was hell when de overseers was around and de mistress nor none of de young marsters waa dere to protect you. Us was fed good, but not clothed so good in de winter time* * My pappy didnH bflong to de Clarke at de commencement of de war* Old marster done sold him^way from us, to Col. Tom Taylor in Columbia* After de war* he rm a shoe repair shop in Columbia many years befof he died* His name was Douglas Taylor and dat is de reason I took de name, l&ck Taylor, when I give in my name to de Freedman's Bureau, and I*s stuck to it ever since* 158 3 * 159 * I members de Yankees, Not many of them come to Miss Margaret's place. Them dat did, took pity on her and did nothing but eat, feed deir horses, and gallop away. 11 Us was never pestered by de Ku KLux, but I was given a warainf once, to watch my step and vote right* I watched my step and didn't vote a-tall, dat year. H Mr. Franklin J. Moses was runnin' for governor Colored preachers was preachin' dat he was de Moses to lead de Negroes out of de wilderness of corn bread and fat grease into de land of white bread and New Orleans molasses. De preachers sure got up de excitement fmongst de colored women folks. They 'vised them to have nothin' to do wid deir husbands if they didn't go to de 'lection box and vote for Moses* I didn't go, and my wife wouldnft sleep wid me for six months* I had no chillun by her. She died in 1874. After Nancy die, I marry Belle ^awkins. De chillun us had was George, Charley, Maggie and Tommy* Then Belle died, and I married Hannah Cunningham. Us had no chillun. After she died, I marry a widow, Fannie Goings, and us had no chillun. 11 My son, George, is in Washington* % daughter, Maggie, is dead* Tommy was in Ohio de last I heard from him* I is livin' wid my son, Charley, on my farm. My grandson, Mack, is a grown boy a d de main staff I lean on as I climb up to de hundred mile post of age* $* hen/c^V\ (?) w I Vlongs to de Reo-vah Baptist Church. I have laid away four wives in mi ' *** deir graves. I have no notion of marryin1 any more* Goodness and mercy have followed me all de days of my life, and I will soon take up dis old body and dwell in de house of de Lord forevermore* M Project #16t>*> W. W. Dixon * %* &0 390312 Winnsboro, S* C* i DELIA THOMPSON EX-SLOT 88 YEARS OLD* "I's heard tell of you, and sent for you to come to see me* Look lak I can no more git fbout on dese under pins lak I use to Derek de Swing you can set in or chair right by ma, now which you rather? Ifs glad you takes de chair, fcause I can keep steady gaze more better on dat face of your'n* Lordll been here in dis world a long time, so I has* Was born on de Kilgo place near Liberty Hill, donft know'What county ftis, but heard it am over twenty-five miles from dis town* " Ify old marster name Jesse Kilgo, so he was, and Mistress Letha Kilgo, dats his wife, good to him, good to me, good to everybody % young mistress name Catherine, when her marry Marster Watt Wardlaw, I was give to them for a housemaid, f cause I was trim and light complected lak you see I is dis very day a setting right here, and talking wid you* Jfembers how f twas young missie say: *You come go in my room Delia, I wants to see if I can put up wid you1 I goes in dat room, winter time mind you, and Miss Charlotte set down befo* de fire, cook one of them pretty foots on de dog, don*t you ketch dat wrong, dat it was a lap dog which 'twasn't but one of de fire-dogs* Some persons calls them andy irons (andiron) but I sticks to my raisin1 and say fire-dogs* kettle water on de fire1 Well, she allowed to me, *Delis, put So I does in a jiffy* f Her next command was: Would you please be so kind as to sweep and tidy up de room1? Ill time turnin1 dat lovely head of herfn lak a bird a buildin* her nest* so it was* I do all dat, then she say: f You is goin* to make maid, a good onel* give a silvery giggle and say: She f I just had you put on dat water for to see if you was goin1 to make any slop* No, Not You didnft spill a drop, you 8* 161 ain*t goin1 to make no sloppy maid* you just fine*1 her mother in* Then her call f See how pretty Delia1 s made dis room, look at them curtains, draw back just right, observe de piteher, and de towels on de rack of de washstand, my Ifm proud of herl* She give old mistress a hug and a kiss, and thank her for de present, dat present was me* De happiness of dat minute is on me to dis day* " Ify pappy name Isom then, but when freedom come he adds on Hammond* His pappy was a white man, and no poor white trash neither* name Viny* % mammy Us live in a log house close up in de back yard, and most all time I was in de big house waiting on de white folks* "Did us git any fligion told us? Well, it was dis way, mistress talk heap to us *bout de Lord, but marster talk a heap to us ?bout de devil* f Twist and ftween them, ' pect us heard most everything fbout heaven and all fbout de devil* "Yankees dat come to our house was gentleman, they never took a thing, but left provisions for our women folks from their commissary* !f % first husband was Cupid Benjamin* % white folks give me a white dress, and they got de white Baptist preacher* Mr* Collins to do de grand act for us* Cupid turned out to be a preacher* chillun and every night us had family worship at home* Us had three Ifs been no common nigger all my lifef why, when a child I set up and rock my doll just lak white chillun, and course it was a rag doll, but what of dat* Couldn't I name her for de Virgin Mary, and wouldnft dat name cover and glorify de rags? Sure it wouldl Then I fsociate wid white folks all slavery time, marry a man of God and when he die, I marry another, Tom Thompson, a colored Baptist preacher* You see dat house yonder? Dats where my daugh- 3* 162 ter and grandohillun live* They is colored aristocracy of de town, but they has a mighty plain name, its just Smith I grieve over it off and on, a kind of thorn in de flesh, my husband used to say* But both my husbands dead and I sets here twice a widow, and I wonders how 'twill be when I go home up yonder 'bove them white thunder heads us can see right now* Which one them men you reckon I'll see first? Well, if it be dat way, 'spect I'll just want to see Chipid first, 'cause he was de only oae I had chillun by, and them his grandohillun out yonder * Project 7/^1655 yU Vf* Dixon Itfiruisbcro, S C* 163 3902B2 1U3ERT TOATLEY EX-SLAVE 82 YEARS OLD. Robert Toatley lives with his daughter, his son, his son's wife, and their six children, near White Oak, seven miles north of Winnsboro, S# C# Robert owns the four-room frame house and farm containing 235 acres* He has been prosperous up from slavery, until the'boll weevil made its appearance on his farm and the depression came on the country at large, in 1929 He has been compelled to mortgage his home but is now coming forward again, having reduced the mortgage to a negligible balance, which he expects to liquidate with the present 1937 crop of cotton* Robert is one of the full blooded Negroes of pure African descent. His face, in repose, possesses a kind of majesty that one would expect in beholding a chief of an African tribe* 11 1 was born on de 'Lizabeth Mobley place* *Cedar Shades'* Dere was a half mile of cedars on both sides of de road lead- ing to de fine house dat our white folks lived in* 1855* Us always called it % birthday was May 15, % mistress was a daughter of Dr* John Glover* when her was twelve years old* % master married her Her first child, Sam, got to be a doctor, and they sho! did look lak brother and sister* When her oldest child, Sam, come back from college, he fetched a classmate, Jim Carlisle, wid him* marbles wid them* I played Dat boy, Jim, made his mark, got fligion, and went to de top of a college in Spartanburg* Marse Sam study to be a doctor* tice and then he marry Miss Lizzie Rice down in Barnwell* He start to prac- Mistress give me to them and I went wid them and stayed ftil freedom* **% childhood was a happy one, a playin1 and a rompin1 wid de white 16 > A" 'it;-.. chillun* % master was rich* big house homemade Slaves lived in quarters, 300 yards from de A street run through the quarters, homes on each side* Mattresses made of wheat straw* Beds was Bed covers was quilts and counter- panes, all made by slave women* w Jfy mammy!s pappy was a slave brick-mason, Vlongin1 to a white family named Partillo, from Harrington, Virginia* He couldn!t be bought fless you bought his wife and three chillun wid him* "Never had any money; didnft know what it was* Mammy was a house woman, and I got just what de white chillun got to eat, only a little bit later, in de kitchen* Dere was fifty or sixty other little niggers on de place* to know how they was fed? by side, in a big lot? Viell, it was lak dis: Want Youfve seen pig troughs, side After all de grown niggers eat and git out de way, scraps and everything eatable was put in them troughs; sometimes buttermilk poured on de mess and sometimes potlicker* ^hen de cook blowed a cow horn* Quick as lightnin1 a passle of fifty or sixty little niggers run out de plum bushes, from under de sheds and houses, and from everywhere* Bach one take his place, and souse his hands in de mixture and eat just lak you see pigs shovin1 * round slop troughs* I see dat sight many times in my dreams, old as I is, eighty- two years last Saturday* 11 ! ! Tvras not til de year of free to go where us pleased to go* ! got 66 dat we/1 liable infofmation and felt Most of de niggers left but manrny stayed on and cooked for Dr* Sam and de white folks* "Bad white folks corned and got bad niggers started* wrong and de devil took a hand in de mess* Soon things got Out of it come to de top, de carpet 3o ies bag, de scalawags and then de Ku Klux* at your door and say: off in a gallop* 'I* 11 just leave you something for dinner1 * Yftien you open de sack, what you reckon in dere? be one thing, liable to be another left at de door* Night rider come by and drap something three miles long, down here* Liable to One time it was six nigger heads dat was Was it at nxy house door? nigger too active in politics. Then ride Oh, no* It was at de door of a Old Congressman Wallace sent Yankee troops, Lot of white folks was put in ^ail* n I married Emma Greerin 1379; she been dead two years* band and wife 56 years, bless God* Us lived hus- Us raised ten chillunj all is doin* well. One is in Winnsboro, one in Chester, one in Rock Hill, one in Charlotte, one in Chesterfield, one in New York and two wid me on de farm near White Oak, which I own* I has 28 grandehillun* All us Presbyterians* Can read but can't write Our slaves was told if ever they learned to write theyfd lose de hand or arm they wrote wid* **T$hat *bout whuppin!s? Plenty of it. De biggest whuppin1 I ever heard tell of was when they had a trial of several slave men for sellin1 liquor at S&a; spring,durin1 preachin1, on Sunday* a month later* De trial come off at de church fbout They was convicted, and de order of de court was: Edmund to receive 100 lashes} Sam and Andy each 125 lashes and Frank and Abram 75 lashes * All to be given on deir bare backs and rumps, well laid on wid strap* If de courts would sentence like dat dese days dere*d be more *tention to de law* n You ask me !bout Mr* Lincoln. by side wid him* I knowed two men who split rails side They was Mr* McBride Smith and Mr* David Pink* Poor white people * round in slavery time had a hard time, and dese was two of them* % white folks, de Mobleys, made us work on Sunday sometime, wid< ,de fodder, and when de plowin* git behind* 3^^ ^tt^|||l|ll:^V: They mighty neighborly to rich neigh- have moh time for poor buokra* I tell you poor white men have WW^^fW^!^i'W^^'^^^--:^r ;&11 poor chance to rise, make suriip!n and be sumpfn^ befo1 de old war* Some of dese same poor buckra done had a chance since then and they way up in *G! now. They mighty nigh run de county and town of Winnsboro, plum mighty nigh it, I tell you. It makes me sad,on de other side,to see quality folks befo1 de war, a wanderinf * round in rags and tatters and deir chillun beggin1 bread. ^Well, I mnsf be goin*, but befo' I goes I want to tell you I Members your ma, Miss Sallie Woodward* cousin to Dr. Sam. de day one time. Yourgpandpa was de closest neighbor and fust Beir chillun used to visit* Your "ma come down and spenf She was fbout ten dat day and she and de chillun make me rig up some harness for de billy goat and hitch him to a toy wagon. I .can just see dat goat runnin1 away, them little chillun fallin1 out backside de wagon and your ma laughin1 and a cryin1 !bou-U de same time. out de w@Ms and briars #tt $ktjt &^ ki^v^ 8pfl^ r i, I picks her up Project 1885-1 FOLKLORE Spartanburg Dist.4 May 25, 1937 'SQfifiC? ' ggwwo Edited by: Elmer Turnage -ffW A SLAVERY REMINISCENCES M I was born in the town of Newberry, s.C. I do not remem- ber.slavery time, but I have heard my father and mother talk about it. They were Washington and Polly Holloway, and belonged to Judge J.B. O'Neall. They lived about 3 miles west of town, near Bush River. An old colored man lived nearby. His name was Harry O'Neall, and everybody said he was a miser and saved up his money and buried it near the O'Neall spring. Somebody dug around there but never found any money. There were two springs, one was called 'horse spring1, but the one where the money was supposed to be buried had a big tree by it. "I married Sam Veals, in 'gravel, town1 of Newberry. I had a brother, Riley, and some sisters. "We would eat fish, rabbits, 'possums and squirrels which folks caught or killed. We used to travel most by foot, going sometimes ten miles to any place. We walked to school* three or four miles, every day when I was teaching school after the war. I was taught mostly at home, by Miss Sallie O'Neall, a daughter of Judge J.B. 0 Neall. w My father and mother used to go to the white folks' church in slavery time. After the war colored churches started. The first one in our section was Brush Harbor. Simon Miller was a fine colored preacher who preached in Brush Harbor on Vandalusah Spring Hill. Isaac Cook was a good preacher. We used to sing, 'Gimme dat good ole-time religion'; 'I'm going to serve God until I die' and 'I am glad salvation is free'. Folklore: Slavery Reminiscences Page 2 168 Saturday afternoons we had 'off* and could work for ourselves. At marriages, we had frolics and big dinners. Some of the games were: rope Jumping; hide and seek, and, ring around the roses. Of course, there were more games. "Some of the old folks used to see ghosts, but I never did see any. "Cures were made with herbs such as, peach tree leaves, boiled as a tea and drunk for fevers. Rabbit tobacco (life everlasting) was used for colds. Small boys would chew and smoke it, as did some of the old folks. M I have seven children, all grown; fourteen grand-children, and several great-grand-children. "Judge 0*Neall was one of the best men and best masters in the country that I knew of. I think Abraham Lincoln was a good man, according to what I have heard about him. Jeff Davis was the same. Booker Washington was a great man to his country and served the colored race. "i joined the church because I believe the bible is true, and according to what it says, the righteous are the only people God is pleased with. Without holiness no man shall see God." Source: Mary. Teals (72), Newberry, S.C. Interviewed by: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. May 20, 1937. $$s$p$gpgj^ .. ...... S-'-r^JSf^fl*- 1885-1 folkl re Spartahburg, Dist.4 Oct.-21, 1927 'SQfiOfln OaUoOU Edited by: 169 Elmer Turnage STORIES PROM EX-SLAVES n I don't own no house. I live in a rented house. Yes, I work fer my living. I don't 'member much 'bout slavery except what I heard my daddy and mammy say. My pa was fashing Kolloway and rny ma was Polly Holloway. Dey belonged to Judge O'Neall, and lived at bis place 'bout thfcee miles from town, near Bush River. **Judge O'Neall's house was real old, and dey had a store near it called Springfield, a kind of suburb at dat time. "After de war, we didn't have much clothes, 'cause everything was so high. Judge O'Neall died befo' de war was over, and his wife went to Mississippi to live wid her married daughter. After de war, Miss Sallie, who was Judge O'Neall's daughter, learn*t me to read and write, and other things in books. "jay'father and mot tier, went to de white folks' church in slavery time. After de war, de negroes built deir first church and called it a 'brush arbor'. A negro preacher named Simon Miller was a good man and done lots of good when he preached in de brush arbor. Dis was on de old Banduslian springs hill, near de south fork of Scotts Creek." Source; Mary Teals (73), Newberry, S.C. Interviewerj G.L. Summer, Newtoerry, S.C. ^^^^^f^:iy>.:r''p^::^\^Z:M/l; ''''.':'} . - /r^V'^:.-/,^ ;;^4; WS^^^^'^-1^1, " ; : '- ',' > ,. '^^-yd^:: y;y ' y-'-'i^ ' ' ';' . : -V :. . .;: '. ^^^^^^^^ Mllii^lilllilii (9/30/37). Project #1655 W W* Dixon 390402 UW-TSJ*- Winnsboroj S# C* i TT) MMJDA WALKER EX-SLAVE 80 YEARS OLD. Manda Walker lives with her son-in-law, Albert Cooper, in a threeroom frame cottage in Winnsboro, S* C* Albert's first wife was her daughter, Sallie* Five of their children and Albert's second wife, Sadie, occupy the house with Albert and Manda* "Does you know where Horse Crick (Creek) branch is, and where Wateree Crick is? Ever been *long de public road ftween them water courses? Well, on de sunrise side of dat road, up on a hill, was where my slavery time marster live* n I was born in de yard, back of de white folks1 house, in a little log house wid a dirt floor and a stick and mud chimney to one end of de house* % marster was name Marse Tom Rowe and my mistress name Missy Jane Rowe* They de ones dat tell me, long time ago, dat I was born befo1 de war, in 1857* Deir chillun was Miss Mary and Miss Miami n I no work nuch ftil de end of de war* Then I pick cotton and peas and shell corn and peas* Most of de time I play and sometime be maid to my young misses* Both growed into pretty buxom ladies* Miss Miami was a handsome buxom womanj her marry Marse Tom Johnson and live, after de war, near Wateree Church* n Tfy pappy name Jeff and bflong to Marse Joe Woodward* He live on a plan- tation f cross de other side of Wateree Crick* % mammy name Phoebe* Pappy have to git a pass to come to see mammy, befo1 de war* Sometime dat cribk git up over de bank and I, to dis day, fmembers one time pappy come in all wet and drenched wid water* Him had made de mule swim de crick* Him stayed over his leave dat was writ on de pass* P&tarollers (patrollers) come ask for de pass* They say* 171 f De time done out, nigger*f hinu Pappy try to explain but they pay no ! tent ion to Tied him.up, pulled down his breeches, and whupped him right befo1 marany and us chillun. I shudder, to dis day, to think of it# Marse Tom and Miss Jane heard de hollerin1 of us all and come to de place they was whuppin1 him and beg them, in de name of God, to stop, dat de crick was still up and dangerous to cross, and dat they would make it all right wid pappy1 s marster* say of pappy: f Jeff swim fcross, let him git de mule and swim back.1 They They make pappy git on de mule and follow him down to de crick arid watch him swim dat swiff muddly crick to de other side* I often think dat de system of patarollers and bloodhounds did more to bring on de war and de wrath of de Lord than anything else, /why de good white folks put up wid them poor white trash patarollers I never can see or understand* You never see classy white buckra men a paterollin1, It was always some low-down white men, dat never owned a nigger in deir life, do in1 de patarollin* and a strippin1 de clothes off men, lak pappy, right befo1 de wives and chillun and beat in1 de blood out of him. No, sir, good white men never dirty deir hands and souls in sich work of de devil as dat* / "Mammy had nine chillun* All dead fcept Oliver* wid de Duke Power Company people, I think* Him still down dere When I come sixteen years old, lak all gals dat age, I commence to think fbout de boys, and de boys, I fspects, commence to take notice of me* is just puttin* on* You look lak you is surprised I say dat* You Old and solemn as you is, a settin1 dere awritin1, I bets a whole lot of de same foolishness have run through your head lak it run through Jerry's, when he took to goin1 wid me, back in 1873* Now ainft it so? *TJs chillun felt de pivations (privations) of de war* Us went in rags and was often hungry* Pood got scarce wid de white folks, so much had to be given up for de army* De white folks have to give up coffee and tea* De slaves 3. 172 just eat corn-bread, mush, for de army* f taters and buttermilk* Even de peas was commanded Us git meat just once a week, and then a mighty little of dat* I never got a whuppin* and mammy never did git a whuppin1 n Us all went to Wateree Presbyterian Church on Sunday to hear Mr* Douglas preach* sermons* Had two sermons and a picnic dinner on de ground ftween de Dat was a great day for de slaves* "What de white folks lef! on de ground de slaves had a right to, and us sure enjoy de remains and bless de Lord for it*" Main things he preached and prayed for, was a success in de end of de war, so mammy would explain to us when us tsemble fround de fireside befo1 us go to bed* Her sure was a Christian and make us all kneel down and say two prayers befo1 us git in bed* De last one was: f How I lay me down to sleep, I pray de Lord my soul to keep* If I should die befo1 I vrake, I pray de Lord ray soul to take* Bless pappy, bless mammy, Bless marster, bless missie. And bless me* AmenP tt Wheelerfs men was just as hard and wolfish as de Yankees* They say de Yankees was close behind them and they just as well take things as to leave all for de Yankees* f Spect dat was true, for de Yankees come nexf day and took de rest of de hog meat, flour, and cows* for them* Had us to run down and ketch de chickens They search de house for money, watches, rings, and silverware* everything they found, but they didn't set de house afire* Took Dere was just fbout five of them prowlin1 * round 'way from de main army, a foragin1, they say* tl TOien Miss Margaret marry, old marster sold out and leave de county* Us move to Mr* Wade Rawls1 and work for him from 1876 to Jerry's death* Is I 4. 173 told you dat I marry Jerry? Well, I picked out Jerry Walker from a baker's dozen of boys, hot footin1 it 'bout mammyfs door step, and us never had a cross word all our lives Us had nine chillun^ to post, always needy but always happy Us moved 'round from pillar Seem lak us never could save anything on his $7#06 a month and a peck of meal and three pounds of meat a week* "When de chillun come on, us try rentin* a farm and got our supplies on a crop lien, twenty-five percent on de cash price of de supplies and paid in cotton in de fall* After de last bale was spld, every year, him come home wid de same sick smile and de same sad tale: 'Well, Mandy, as usual# I settled up and it was --^Naught is naught and figger is a figger, all for de white man and none for de nigger * ' w De grave and de resurrection will put everything all right, but I have a instinct dat God111 make it all right over and up yonder and dat all our * flictions will* in de long run, turn out to our 'ternal welfare and happiness * j jf Project #1655 W* W* Dixon Winnsboro, S* C* IQfiORA OOU^a^ 174 MED -WALKER EX-SIAVE 83 YEARS OLD* Ned Walker lives in the village of YJhite Oak, near Winnsboro, S* C*>, in a two-room frame house, the dwelling of his son-in-law, Leander Heath, who married his daughter, Nora* Ned is too old to do any work of a remunerative character but looks after the garden and chickens of his daughter and son-inlaw* He is a frequent visitor to Winnsboro, S* C* He brings chickens and garden produce, to sell in the town and the Winnsboro Millfs village* tall, thin, and straight,with kind eyes* He is Being one of the old Gaillard Negroes, transplanted from the Santee section of Berkeley County in the Low Country to the red hills of Fairf ield County^ in the Up Country*, he still retains words and phrases characteristic of the Negro in the lower part of South. Carolina* 11 Yes sir, Ifs tall and slim lak a saplin*; maybe dat a good reason I live so long* Doctor say lean people lives longer than fat people* tf l hear daddy read one time from de Bible fbout a man havin* strength of years in his right hand and honor and riches in his left htod, but whenever I open dat left hand dere is nothin1 in it* f Spect dat promise is comin* thoT, when de old age pension money gits down here from Washington* it is eomin* ? When you !spect De palm of my hand sho* begin to itch for dat greenback money* So you think itTs on de way? good to be true* Well, thank God for dat but it seem fmost too Now I'll quit askinf questions and just set here and smoke and answer, whilst you do de puttinT down on de paper* tt Yes sir, I was born right here in de southeast corner of Winnsboro, on de ^lifton place* De day I was born, it b*long to my master, David Gaillard* Miss Louisa, dats Master David* s wife, flow to me one day, fNed donft you ever 2. 175 call de master, old mastery end don't you ever think of me as old miss1* I promise her dat I keep dat always in mind, and I ain't gonna change, though she done gone on to heaven and is in de choir a singinr and a singin1 them chants dat her could pipe so pretty at, St* Johns, in Winnsboro* You see they was f Piscopalians* Dere was no hard shell Baptist and no soft shell Methodist in deir make up* It was all glory, big glory, glory in de very highest rung of Jacob*s ladder, wid our white folks* "Well, how I is ramblin1 * You*see dere was Master David and Mis- tress Louisa, de king bee and de queen bee* They had a plantation dorm on dc Santee, in de Xow Sountry, somewhere 'bout Monks Corner. David buy a 1,385 acres on Wateree Creek. live in, in Winnsboro* One day Master He also buy de Clifton place, to I canft git my mind back to tell you what I wants for you to put on de paper* f Scuse me, forgit everything, 'til you git my pedigree down* fl I .done name "Master David and Mistress Louisa* Now for de Chilian* us was told to front de boys name wid Marse and de young ladies name wid Miss* How us can go and git somewhere* "Well, dere was Miss Elizabeth; she marry Mr* Dwight* marry another Mr* Dwight* Miss Maria Miss Kate marry Mr* Bob Allison, a sheriff* got imo chillun in Columbia*, Marse David and Marse DuBose Ellison* de boysj they all went to de war* Marse Alley got kilt* Her Then for Marse Eick rise to be a captain and after de war marry Congressman Boyce's daughter, Miss Fannie* Marse Ike marry and live in de low Countryj j|# die 'bout two years ago* Marse Sam marry a Miss BuBose and went wid General Wade Hampton* ^Marse Samfs son cut a canal that divide half and Half de western |&rt of dewiioie world. S^^ife^ ' ,h^^''4t'M^r''Mii^-%:'i ':'(ri ' < ' ins Us niggers was powerful scared, f til Marse David itoy us scared? Ihy us fear dat de ' * 176 center of de backbone of de world down dere, when cut, would tipple over lak de half s of a watermelon and everybody would go under de water in de ocean* How could Marse David prevent it? Us niggers of de Gaillard gene- ration have confidence*in de Gaillard race and us willin* to sink or swim wid them in whatever they do# Young Marse David propped de sides of de world up all right, down dere, and they name a big part of dat canal, Gaillard Cut, so they did* (Gaillard Cut, Panama Canal) w Well, I keep a ramblin1* Will I ever gat to Marse Henry, de one dat looked after and cared for slaves of de family most and best? Henry marry a Miss White in Charleston* of de fightin* 6th Regiment* Marse ^e rise to be captain and adjuitant After de war him fix it so de slaves stay al- together, on dat 1,385 acres and buy de place, as common tenants, on de f stallment plan* He send word for de head of each family to come to Winns- boroj us have to have names and register* Marse Henry command; us obey* Dat ?ras a great day* -Ify daddy already had his name* Tom* of de buggy, de carriage, and one of de wagons, in slavery* wrote him a name on a slip and say: He was de driver Marse Henry T Tom as you have never walked much, I name you Walker * fl It wasn't long befo? daddy, who was de only one dat could read and write, ride down to Columbia and come back wid a fmission in his pocket from de fPublican Governor, to be Justice of de Peace* "Marse Henry ladle out some !golliwhopshusf names dat day* as: Caesar Harrison, Edward Cades and Louis Brevard* give you de name of a judge* Such He say, fLouis, I Dan, I give you a Roman name, Pompey*f Pompey turned out to be a preacher and I see your grandpa, Marse William Woodward, in de graveyard when Uncle |b3^ey pleached de funeral of old Uncle Wash Moore* v :v Tell you *bout dat if I has time* 4 y 177 tf Well, he give Uncle Sam de name of Shadrock* U&ale Aleck, he 'low: When he reach I adds to your name Aleck, two fine names, a f Bout dat time a little runt elbow and butt his way right up to de front and say: I wants a big bulldozin1 name*1 'You little shrimp, take dis then*' paper: 1 f preacher's and a scholar1s, Porter Ramsey*! Henryl i 'Iferse Henry, Marse Marse Henry look at him and say: And Marse Henry write on de slip of Mendoza J* Fernandez, and read it out loud. De little runt laugh mighty pleased and some of them Fernandezes 'round here to dis day* 11 % mammy name Bess, my granddaddy name June, grandmamray, Renalii, but all my brothers deadt % sisters Clerissie and Phibbie am still livin' Us was bom in a two-story frame house, chimney in de middle, four rooms down stairs and four up stairs * Dere was four families livin' in it* was de town domestics of master* Dese Him have another residence on de plantation and a set of domestics, but my daddy was de coachman for both places* n De Gaillard quarters was a little town laid out wid streets wide 'nough for a wagon to pass thru* Houses was on each side of de street* well and church was in de center of de town. A Dere was a gin-house, barns, stables, cowpen and a big bell on top of a high pole at de barn gate* Dere was a big trough at de well, kept full of water day and night, in case of fire and to water de stock* pillows* Us had peg beds, wheat straw mattress and rag Cotton was too valuable* "Master didn't 'low de chillun te be worked* He feed slaves on 'tatoes, rice, corn pone, hominy, fried meat, 'lasses, shorts, turnips, collards, and string beans Us had pumpkin pie on Sunday. Ho butter, no swest milk but us got "blabber and buttermilk. 11 mMi w$$$%$$$*i WMM3t$&$^>&fi i '^MM Oh, then, I 'bout to forgit* Dere was a big hall wid spinnin1 5. 178 wheels in it, where thread was spin* Dat thread was hauled to Winnsboro and brought to de Clifton place in Winnsboro, to de weave house set 'bout where de Winnsboro Mill is now* force and see to de cloth* Mammy was head of de weave house Dere was a dye-room down dere too* earth semetine and sometime walnut stain* Dat house They use red % mammy learn all dis from a white lady, Miss Spurrier, dat Piaster David put in charge dere at de first* How lonr she stay? winter. I dis remembers dat* Us no -want for clothes summer or Had wooden bottom shoes, two pair in a..yea?* "Mr* Sam Johnson was de overseer* Dere was fbout 700 slaves in de Gaill/ard quarter and twenty initown, countin* de chillun* De young white marsters break de law when they teach daddy to read and write* say: Marse Dick f To hell wid de lav/, I &ot to have somebody dat can read and write f mong de servants*f % daddy was his valet* Ke put de boys to bed, put on deir shoes and brush them off, and all dat kind of ftention "Do church was called Springvale* iifter freedom, bf a vote, de mem- bers jines up, out of respect to de family, wid de Aflean ^Methodist TPiscopalian Church, so as to have as much of de form, widout de substance of them chants, of de master's church* ,f No sir, us had no mulattoes on de place* Everybody decent and happy* They give us two days durin1 Christmas for ceikebratin* and dancin1* tf I marry Sylvin Field, a gal on de General Bratton Canaan place* Us / have three chillun* Nora Heath, dat I'm now livin1 wid, at White Oak, Bessie Lew, in Tennessee, and ^usannah, who is dead* "What 1 think of Abe Lincoln? I think of Jeff Davis? folks* (x0 off* m^^^l^ri: "What He all right, fcordinf to his education, just lak my white "What I think of Mr* Roosevelt? tf Dat was a mighty man of de Lord* Ifs blabbed *nough* Oh, jHan* ' Datfs our papa* You 'bliged to hear fbout dat funeral? 179 Will I pester you for 'nother cigarette? No sirI Supposin1 us was settin1 here smokin1 them de same? it laic you smoke it* A Gailliard come up them steps and see us* man1 , turn his back and walk back down* and see us* I ain't gonna amoke He say: 'You d niggerl He say; f Shame on dat white A Woodward come up them steps WhatTs all dis?' Take.ap by de collar, boot me down them steps, and come back and have it out wid you* Dat's fbout de difference of de up and low country buckra* 11 How fbout'Uncle Wash's funeral* Uncle Wash was de blacksmith in de forks of de road 'cross de railroad from Concord Church* He was a powerful mani Kim use de hammer and tongs for all de people miles and miles 'round* Him jine de Springvale Afican Methodist 'Piscopalian Church, but fell from grace Him covet ahog of Marse Walt Brice and was sent to de penitentiary for two years, 'bout dat hog* down dere and come home* rheumatism* His chest was all sunk in and his ribs full of Him soon went to bed and died* hill, in de pines just north of Woodward* White folks was dere* General of Arizona* Him contacted consumption -Him was buried on top of de Uncle Pompey preached de funeral* Marse William was dere, and his hephew, de Attorney Uncle Pompey took his text 'bout Paul and Silas layin1 in jail and dat it was not 'ternally against a church member to go to jail* Him dwell on de life of labor and bravery, in tacklin* kickin1 hosses and mules* How him sharpen de dull plow points and make de corn and cotton grow, to feed and clothe de hungry and naked* tops and say: *I see Jacob1 s ladder* Him is half way up* Ahl I see them gates open* reach de topmost rung in dat ladder* f Brother Wash is climbin' dat ladder Brudders and sisters, pray, while I preach dat he enter in them pearly gates* hyum, He look up thru de pine tree Brother Wash done Let us sing wid a shout, dat blessed Dere is a Fountain Filled Wid Blood1.f Wid de first verse de women 180 ~ot to hollerin* and wid de second1, Uncle Pompey say: I see him dejre to welcome Brother Wash'in paradise* ! De dyih* thief Thank Godi Brother Wash done washed as white as snovr and landed safe forever more.1 "Cat Attorney General turn up his coat in de -Hovembe^ vrind and say; f Ifll be damn* too hard on them* others1 *w Marse V/illiara smile and !lo-v/: f 0h Toml Don't be 'Member He v/ill have mercy on them, dat have mercy on Project #1655 sssisrr 390309 181 ' /' > DANIEL WARING BX-SLAVE 88 YEARS OLD, *I was born in Pairfield County, South Carolina, in 1849, and my parents, Tobias and Becky Waring was slaves of the Waring family, and the Bookters and Warings was kin folks * When I was just a little shaver I was told I b9longed to the family of the late Colonel Bdward Bookter of upper Pairfield County* 11 The Bookter plantation was a big one, with pastures for cattle, hogs and sheep; big field of cotton, corn and wheat, and vbout a dozen joegro families livin1 on it, mostly out of sight from the Bookter!s big Two women and three or four negro chillun work there, preparin9 the ^ house* food and carin1 for the stock* I was one of the chillun* Colonel Bookter1 s household had three boys; one bigger than me and two not quite as big as me* We play together, drive up the cows together, and carry on in friendly fashion all the time* The nigger chillun eat with the two black women in a place fix- ed for them off from the kitchen, after the white folks finish* We generally have same food and drink that the white folks have* "When X was vbout eleven years old my master took me to Columbia one Saturday afternoon, and while Colonel Bookter was fround at a livery stable on Assembly Street, he give me some money and tell me X could stroll Yround I did, end soon find myself with fbout a dozen of Master Hampton1 s a while* boys* As we walk flong Gervais Street, we met a big fine lookin1 man with a fishin1 tackle, goin1 towards the river, and several other white folks was with him* As we turn the corner, the big man kinda grin and say to us: niggers are you?1 ton*1 :>& ;?';* The bigger bq with us say; Whose f We all bflongs to Ifcister Heap- He laugh some more and then reach in his pocket and give each one of us 2. 18a a nickel, sayin1 to the white folks: 'Blest if I know ray own niggers, anymore1 *Yes sir, I was 'bout fourteen years old when President Lincoln set us all free in 1863* The war was still goin1 on and I'm tellin' you right when I say that ray folks and friends round me did not regard freedom as a unmixed blessin1 * We didn't know where to go or what to do, and so we stayed right where we was, and there wasn't much difference to our livin', 'cause we had always had a plenty to eat and wear# I 'member ray mammy tellin' me that food was gittin1 scarce, and any black folks beginnin' to scratch for themselves would suffer, if they take their foot in their hand and ramble 'bout the land lak a wolf, "As a slave on the plantation of Colonel Edward Bookter, I had a pretty good time* I knows I has work to do and I does it, and I always has plenty to eat and wear in winter and summer so we set tight until 1865 If I get sick I has a doctor, After the war we come to Columbia, and mammy made ua a livin' by washin1 for white folks and doin' other jobs in the kitchen, and I worked at odd jobs, too* *We didn't get much money from the Preedmen's outfit, which was 'stablished in Columbia* ?he iriiite men who set it up and administered the Freedmen's funds and rations let some of their pets have much of it, while others got little or nothin' * An existence become incfceasin* harder as nigger got more and more in the saddle n During the war, and it seem to me it would never end, we heard much 'bout President Lincoln* Niggers seem to think he was foolish to get into war, but they generally give him credit for directin' it right as far as he could* &MSKBu President ]?*Vi#was powerful popular at the beginnin1 of the 5, 183 conflict, but his popularity was far less when the war is over and he is in jail* I was most grown at the end of the war, and I was at no time popular with the black leaders and their white friends who rule the roost in Columbia for fxnost thirteen years* I went back to my white friends in Fairf ield County and work for years for Mister T# S Brice, and others on the plantation* "I has been married three times, and am now livin1 with ay third wife work* She and me am makin1 a sort of livin1 $ and is yet able to I can only de lightest work and the sweetest thought I has these A days is the memory of my -white friends when 1 was young and happy ^ Uo Wurdb Code Ho* Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Hath Davis Plaoe, Marion, 3.C. Date, June 2, 1937 Reduced from Rewritten by 184 Page 1. HaNOY WASHINGTON Ex~Slave, 104 years "Gome in child. words 390093 Jes set right dere in dat chair whey I o'n be mindful uv yuh cause I ain' hear but sorta hard lak dese days. I jes come in outer de field whey I been chopping 'round uh little wid me hoe, but eve't'ing is grow so black 'fore me eye dat I t'ink 1 better rest meself uh little. 1 tries to help Sam (her eon) aw I o'n, but I ain1 muoha 'count no more. I 104 year old en I ain' gwinna be heah much longer. Me mark done strak (strike) me right dere dis a'ternoon. Dat been jes de way my ole mammy waz call.** "Does yuh know whey dat place call Ash Pole? wa* raise up when I b'long to Massa Giles Evanson. good ole fellow. Dat whey I He waz uh I ain' know wha' it waz to ge' no bad treat- ment by my white people. Dey tell me some uv de colored peoples lib mighty rough in dat day en time but I ne'er know nuthin 'bout dat. I 'member dey is spank we chillun wid shingle but dey ne'er didn't hit my mudder." "My Massa ne'er hab so mucha colored peoples lak some uv dem udder white folks hab. ohillun. Jes hab my mudder en eight head uv we Hab 'nough to gi'e eve'yone uv he daughter uh servant apiece when dey ge' marry. peoples. Ue'er hab nuthin but women colored My Massa say he ain' wan' no man colored peoples." \ Ho. Words Reduced from_ Rewritten by" Code Ho. Project, 1885-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O. Date* June 8, 1937 words 185 Page 2. "De preaoher Ford, wha1 use'er lib right up dere in town, papa hab uh big ole plantation wha' been jee lak uh little town. He hab hundred colored peoples en dey is hab eve't'ing dere. Hab dey preachin' right dere on de plantation en aw dat." "Ooase my white folks hab uh nioe plantation en dey keep uh nice house aw de time. I wuz de house girl dere en de one wha' dey'ud hab to wait on de Missus. carry me eve'ywhey dey go. Al'ays know how I wuz faring. My Missus wuz big en independent lak aw de time, but she warnt. dere no time. Dey'ud Talk lak she mad She ne'er wear no cotton 'bout Hab her silk on eve'y day en dem long yellow ear bob dat'ud be tetchin right long side she shoulder, I al'ays look a'ter de Missus en she chillun. Wash dey feet en comb dey hair en put de chillun to bed. But child, some white folks is queer 'bout t'ings. Dey watch yuh gwine 'bout man yuh work en den dey'll wan' yuh to do sumptin fa dem. De ole/ take me 'way from helping de Missus en send me out to plow corn en drap peas. I wuz shame too cause I ne'er lak fa he to treat my Missus dat uh way." "De peoples ne'er didn't cook in no stove den neither. Dey nab big ole round dirt ubben (oven) to cook dey ration in. Dey make dey ubben outer white clay en hadder build uh shelter Code Ho* Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Plaoe, Marion, 3.0. Bate, June g, 1937 Ho. Words Reduoed from_ Rewritten by" 186 Page 3. over it cause dey'ud cook outer in de yard. oook but jes twice uh week. Dey ne'er Cook on Wednesday en den ne'er oook no more till Saturday. I 'member de big ole ham dat dey oook en de tatoes en so mucha bread. 'bundance aw de time. time ubben heah now. words Jes hab I got uh piece uv de ole slavery I ge' it outer en show it to yah. Dis is one uv de leads (lids) en dey'ud,put uh chain en hook on dere en hang it up in de fireplace. dey oook dey ration. Dat de way 0 Lawd, ef 1 could ge' back to my ole horat, whey I oould look in en see jes one more time, jes one more time, child." "I WUB jes uh girl when de Yankees come t'rough dere. Dey look jes lak uh big blue oloud oomin' down dat road en we ohillun was soared uv em. Dat land 'round 'bout dere waz full uv dem Yankees marchin' en gwine on. Dey ne'er bother my white folks but in some uv de places dey jes ruint eve't'ing. Burnt up en tore down aw 'bout dere." "Yuh ain' ne'er see nobody weave no oloth nowadays. In de winter dey use'er al'ays put woolen on de little ohillun to keep em from getting burnt up. uh fire in dat time. Peoples waz easy to ootoh Dey hab plenty uv sheep den en dis jes 'bout de time uv de year dat dey shear de sheep. ahear de sheep in de month uv May. Al'ays'ud Dey is make aw kinder aloe cloth den. I o'n charge en spin en make any kinder streak yuh wan'. Coase my mudder use'er weave de jeanes Code Ho. Project, 1885-il) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Marlon, S.C. Bate, Jane 2, 1937 Bo. Words .Reduced from. Rewritten by" words Page 4. oloth en blanketing." "Bey use'er hab some uv dem oornshuoking 'bout dere but I ne'er take no part in none uv dat. A'ter freedom declare, us pull boxes en dip turpentine. Dat wha1 was in de style den." "I won* but 'bout 16 when I marry en I hab uh nioe wedding. Marry right dere in my Massa yard en hab white dress s was a/to wear. I marry uh settled man offen uh rich man plantation en dey ne'er wan1 me to marry, but dey ne'er say nuthin 'gainst it. Bey hab good manners den en manners de t'ing dat oarry peoples t'rough anything, child." Source: fianoy Washington, age 104, colored , Busty Hills, Marion, S.O. (Personal interview, May'1937). 187 Project #1655 W# W* Dixon ^QfnnP Winnsboro, S# C# OOUOUU ^ CHARLEY WATSON EX-SIAVE 87 YB&RS OLD. lf Dis is a mighty hot day I tells you, and after climbing them steps I just got to fan nyself befo! I give answer to your questions You got any fbacco I could chaw and a place to spit? Dis old darkie maybe answer more better if he be allowed to be placed lak dat at de beginnin* of de fsperience* "Where was I born? everybody knowdd dati IShy right dere on de Hog Pork Place , thought It was de home piact> of my old Marster Daniel Hall, one of de Rockefellers of his day and generation, I tells you, he sho was# Jffy pappy had big name, my marster call him Denmore, my mammy went by de name of Mariyer* de war* She was bought out of a drove from Virginny long befo1 They both bflong to old marster and bless God live on de same place in a little log house* Let's sees xry brother Bill is one, he livin1 at de stone quarry at Salisbury, North Carolina* My sister Lugenie marry a Boulware nigger and they tells me dat Y/oman done take dat nigger and make sump in1 out of him* They owns their own automobile and livin1 in Cleveland, Ohio, "Us live in quarters, two string of houses a quarter mile long and just de width of a wagon r oad betwixt theiiw How many slaves marster had? Dere was four hundred in 1850, dat was de year I was born, so allowing for de natural Crease, fspect dere was good many more when freedom come* beds was made of poles and hay or straw* he wasn't? Was my marster rich? Our How come Didn't he have a Florida plantation and a Georgia plantation? Didn't us niggers work hard for our vittles and clothes? de way de niggers talk tbawfr. eight hours a day* de canft system1 * What way dat you ask me? It make me laugh Us worked by de 'can and Well, was dis way; in de mornin* 189 when it git so you can see, you got to go to work and at night iwhen it git so dark you can't see you coasted to work* Tou see -what I mean? Ify marster1s white overseer fdopted de fcan and canft system* of work hours* Ify mammy had to plow same as a man, she did sir# Sometimes they pulled fodder and fooled wid it on Sunday* "You is a pushin1 me a little too fast* Let me gum dis fbacco and spit and I can do and say more hackly iwhat you expect from rae % marster had sheep$ goats, mules, horses, stallion, jackass, cows and hogs, i and then he had a gin, tan yard, spinnin* rooms, weave room, blacksmith shop and shoe shop* Dere was mid turkeys on de place, deer in de ^a^aebrakes and shad in de Catawba Elver* De Indians fetch their pots end jars to sell, and peddlers come to big house wid their humps on their backs and bright yards of calico and sich things de missus lak to feel and sflect from* I see money then, but I never see a nigger wid money in his paws in slavery time, never! *Us was fed good on corn meal, hog meat, milk, butter, flasses, turnips, beans, peas and apples, never hungry* Boss whip me once for fight in1 and I never fought anymore, I tells you. " % mistress name Miss Sarah* Her was a Hicklin befof she marry* Their chillun was s Tom, Billie, Dan and Jason, all dead fcept Marster Jason* De white overseer was Strother Ford* He give de slaves down the country maybe sometimes, so heard them say, but 1 didnH see him* "Did us sing? Yes sir* What us sing? One was -what Iss gwine hist right dis minute and sing wid your lieve* ( Here Charley sang, f6ive me dat old time religion1*) *Qs made Simmon beer sometime and lye soap just fbout in de same way, 190 hopper was frected for dat* was used to make soap* f Simmons was put wid locust} hickory ashes Every Christmas us got ginger cake and sassafras tea* ^Doctor Soott was de doctor for de slaves* Us niggers was mighty sad when his son Willie's gun went off by accident and kill him in 1868* De Doctor W smile again after dat cumbustion of dat gun* f member de time Mr* Till Dixon was drowned? Does you He your uncle? fTwas de fourth of July, I 'member dat day, and a boy Freddie Eabbemick was flrowned in Catawba in 1903* shore, I tells you*,w Dat river take a many soul over dat other .,.. S-260-264-N Project 935 Samuel Addison Richland County 390131 iyi EX-SLAVE 91 YEARS OLD, CONGAREE SOUTH CAROLINA THERE WAS NO GOD BUT MOSSA AN' MISSUS "My pa name was Nat White who tell me dat I was bo'n about 1842, My ma was name Jane White. My pa use to-carry all de votes from McClell/*nville to Charlest6n. He come from Tibbin, South Carolina, He also been all !round de United States, My Ma*s Ma bin name Kate. I had sense to know !em all, I know a heap o' so jus had on nice buttons an1 had plumes in dere hats* Dey wus singin' an' playin1 on v. flute dis song, "I wish I wus in Dixie," an* dey went in de big house an* broke up ebery thing, Dey say to me, "you are as free as a frog," an' dey say to my pa, "all your chillun are free," Dey say "little niggers is free as a frog" an1 we holler much, I aint nebber do no work, but I kin 'member I'use to wear a pant you call chambery. Ma cook a pot o' peas an1 weevils wus always on de top. Ma would den turn mush an* clean a place on de floor, she make a paddle an' we eat off de floor. She use to bake ash cake too, I didn' know 'bout no garden, all I know i eat, Dis what dey put on me i wear ma, I nebber know nothin' 'bout shoes. My master been name Bill Cooper who had a gal an* a son, De gal been name Mary an1 de boy Bill like de daddy. Tar bin wus a big house, but; I aint nebber know de number o' | slaves or 'mount ' Ian' dat went wid urn. Page-2- 192 De slaves had a church name Lazarus an1 some went to de white church, Dey had us bar off frum de whites an1 we use to look through a glass, door. I member when a preacher .say, "honor your missus an' mossa dat your days may be long for dey is your only God." My Ma tell me when dey use to lick dem she use to sing dis song, 'do pray for me' en*ma say w*en de lickin1 got too hot she say'oh God1 en mossa say, 'show me dat damn man' den he say, 'I am your only God. My preacher name wus Sabie Mood, De slaves couldn't git any news, but dey had to work on Sunday if de week bin bad. Wen it rain dey use to shuck co'n. t'W'en Bill Cooper die he holler to me, 'I'm burnin' up' an' ma say missus say, 'iron me too hot, she meat is red like fire.' "We use to sing song like dese; 'Mary bring de news an' Martha win de prize, I mus die an' will die in dat day See dat oars like feathers springing' "I marry Sarah An December 18th. h m de only one I marry an1 we had a big weddin' an1 plenty o: somethin' to eat. We had fourteen chillun, "Pa say mossa use to take de fork an' punch holes in dere body wfen he got mad. People always die frum de pisin, "Dis is all I know I ain't go tell no lie, dat what/ pa say, I moved here atter de yankees come',' ' ' * Reference; Uncle Dave White, 91 years-4ld Congaree, South Carolina, I project lbtt> leu tu L*Middieton 390133 Page I K o Words: 45 194 Uiarieeton,S u UNOL2 DAViS wKlTS An Old Xime Negro uncle i&ve *8fcit,sug ar,etc ,snd such articles as the house v ives would gave him out of sheer sympathy TO every fraendiy greeting he always had the humble response of "Tank G-awdfmy eye is open" He is *eli kno^n throughout the town .Une Sunday night a short time ago, Vihiie the services of a white church were m progress, distinguishable sounds of Amen v*e?e heard at regular intervale coming iron: the outside.On investigating they discovered that it v/ae "uncle Lteve* re vently enjoying i he proceedings*fc4eny tines he has been seen out side tne seme church listening to the services. isnC OqUUOb Bdited by; J13 Elmer Turnage STORIES FROM EX-SLAVES **I was a Garmany before I married Calvin Wilson. My father was Henry Garmany, and my mother Sidney Boozer. My husband was in the Confederate army with his master. Dey was near Charleston on de coast. I wets slave of Lemuel Lane, of de Dutch Fork. He was killed after de war, some say by seme of his young slaves, but we*uns did not know naything about who killed him. We had a good house to live in on Marse Lane's plantation. I used to work around the house and in de fields. My mother was a good seamstress and helped de white folks sew, and she learn't me to sew had help too. We didn't get any money for our work. One time after de war, dey paid me only $5.00 and I quit 'em. My mother hired me out to work for her, and I didn't have any money, still; so I said I better get me a man of my own. Marse Lane was mean to most of us, but good to me. He whipped me once and I deserved it because I wouldn't answer him when he called me. He jes' give me about two licks. He was mean to my mother, but he wouldn't let his white overseer whip us, and wouldn't let de padder-roilers come around. He said he could look-out for his own slaves. *We didn't learn to read and write, but some of de white folks had learned my mother, and she learned me some. "Niggers had to go to church at New Hope, de white folks' church, in slavery time and after de war top. We had Saturday afternoons to do what we*wanted, and we washed clothes then. Folklore: Stories from Ex-Slaves Page 2 214 "On Christmas, Marse would give de slaves some good things to eat and send some to dere families. Niggers had frolics at dere houses sometimes on Saturday nights. When I married, I had a good hot supper. "Children played all de ole games like, play-ball (throwing over the house), marbles and base. "Some saw ghosts, but I never saw any of dem. "Old-time cures was peach tree -leaves boiled and drunk for fever; wild cherry bark was good for most anything if took at night. I have used it for curing some things. The best cure I know, is turpentine and a little oil mixed. Swallow it and it will fix you up. "The Yanks went through our place and took two of the best horses we had. One had a tail that reached the ground. Dey stole lots of victuals. I 'member de Ku Klux wid dere long white sheets, and den de Red Coats wid white breeches. Dey would walk or ride, but dey never harmed us. "I don't know much about Abe Lincoln, but I reckon he was a good man, and Jeff Davis, too. I don t know Booker Washington but heard he was a good man. "I joined de church because de white folks did'. Dey wants to go to heaven and I do too. I think everybody ought to try to do right. I used to think we could make heaven down here, but if we jes1 do right, data all we can do." Source: Bmoline Wilson (.90$, Newberry, S.C. Interviewer: G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. May 21, 1937 Project 1885-1 fOLKLORS oonooo 03U 00 Spartanburg Dist.4 Sept. 22, 1937 Edited by: 2i i ^XO Elmer Turnasje STORIES IROM EX-SLAYES M I was born in Newberry County near Cannon's Creek section in the Dutch 3Pork. I was a slave of Lemuel Lane. He was killed by some slaves just after freedom. They killed hi,, for his money but didn't find any, it was said, when freedom come, my mistress give me some things to eat when we left. " * can't work much any more; I am old and I can't get about. I live with ray son who works when he can find work. lie rent a twofcoom cottage in town. n t never heard anything about slaves getting 40 acres of land and a mule. None in that section got any. ",7e had to go to work for other people. "The Ku Klux Klan never bothered us then, and we never had nothing to do with them, nor with politics. "There was no slaves living in our section who had come from Virginia." Source: Bnoline Wilson (90), Nev.berry, S.C. Interviewer: G.L* Summer, Newberry, S.C. C$ee S XST, Ms.*'3). 8/10/37 Project. 1885-1 FOLKLORE * Spartanburg Dist.4 June 15, 1937 390156 Edited by: Elmer Turnage r>4r ^xt3 STORIES PROM EX-SLAVES "I am daughter of Billy Robertson and Louisa Robertson; was born about 77 years ago in Newberry, on Marse Job Johnstone's place. My father lived with Judge Job Johnstone as his extra man or servant. He lived in the house with him, slept in his room and waited on him when he became old; and, too, was the driver of his carriage. He drove him to other courthouses to hold court. After the war, my father was janitor at Newberry College, and he was liked by professors, students, and everybody who knew him as Uncle Billy'. At commencement, he always made a speech at night on the campus, which the students enjoyed. He told about his travels from Virginia to Newberry before the war. Judge Johnstone never wanted anybody else to be with him when he traveled. *I belonged to the Avelleigh Presbyterian Church in Newberry, and was christened in the church by the preacher, the Rev. Buist. Colored people were allowed to be members and set in the gallery when they went to church. "After the war, a colored man named Amos Baxter was killed by the Ku Klux at the old courthouse* My father was on Judge Johnstone's farm a few miles away. He was sent for and came with another colored man to town, and prayed and preached over the body of Baxter. The Ku Klux eame to kill my father for doing this, but they never caught him. *I had to stay home most of the time and help mama keep house. I never worked In the field but once, and the job was so poor they put me back in''the house. That was the old Nance place. Folklore: Stories $rom Ex-Slaves Page 2 21T "Once I saw a man hung in Newberry. He was a negro named Thompson and killed a white man named Reid. He killed him at a store in Pomaria and burned it over his body. He was hung near the railroad, and a big crowd was there to see it. That was my first time to see a man hung, and I promised God it would be my last. They asked the negro if he had anything to say, and give him five minutes to talk. He was setting on a box smoking; then he got up and said he reckoned his time was over, he was sorry for all the bad things he had done; that he had killed a boy once for 25 cents, and had killed a little girl for 20 cents. He was sorry for his wife and three weeks old baby. His wife saw him hung. "The Ku Klux wanted to kill any white people who was Republicans. They killed some negroes. A white man mamed Murtishaw killed Lee Nance, a store keeper. I was a little girl and saw it. Some little children was standing out in front. Murtishaw came up and said he wanted to but something or pretended he wanted to; then he went up to Nance, pulled his pistol quick and shot him through the throat and head. "Judge Johnstone's kitchen was away from the house, a brick building. They had large ovens and wide fireplaces in which they cooked. "My father's favorite horses, when he drove the family, was 'Knox' and 'Calvin*, which they kept for many years. When they died the mistress cried awfully about it. "My husband died at old Mr. Dan Ward's place, on College Hill, where he was living then." Sourc*: Jane Wilson (77), dewberry, S.C. Interviewer; G.L. Summer, Newberry, S.C. (6/9/37) V Cede Ho. Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Plaoe, Marion, S.O. Date, Jane 11, 1937 Uo* Words' Beduoed from_ Rewritten by" nu'se* 390127 Who dese udder wid yah? Who yah? Xiawd, I glad to see yonnah* ohillun* 218 Page l. ICOU GEfflA WOOEBERBT Ex-Slave, 39 years "Glad to see yunnah. words I nu*se aw Miss Susan fast Be'er nu'se dem las'uns. Sioily been yof mamma Bu'se Massa Ben Gause ohild fast on den I na'se f oar head uv Miss Susan ohillun a'ter- she marry Massa Jim Stevenson* Sleep right dere wid dem ohillun aw de time* Miss Sasan ne'er didn't suckle none uv dem ohillun. I tell yonnah dis muoh, Massa Jim Stevenson was good to aw ov his oolored people en Miss Sasan wuz good to me* I sho' born right down yonner to Maesa Ben Gause plantation* en Mary Gause was my parents* Gade Oaesar Yas'um, I is glad to see dese ohillun oause yah know whey white folks hab feeling fa yah, it sho1 make yah hab feeling fa day ohillun. I ola now en I oan' member eve'yt'ing but I ain* ne'er forge' wha* good times dem was** "My Lawdi Yae, my Lawd, de peoples lib well dere to Massa Jim Stevenson plantation* Be white folks hab big house dere wid eve'yt'ing 'bout it jes lak uh town* I oouldn't tell yonnah how many oolored peoples day hab dere but X know dis* I hear em say dare was more den two hundred uv em dat lib In de quarter. Bay house was In uh field of fen to itself dere on de plantation an was strung aw up an down in two long row lak* Bay was sat up in good lib in1 den** Oede Ho. Project, 1885-(l) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Marion, S*C. Bate, June 11, 1937 Ho. fords Bedueed from Rewritten by _ Page 2. words "Ooa e I ain' lib dare in de quarter wid de udder colored peoples a'ter I go" big 'nough to be nu'se girl, but I know how dey fare dare. My Massa hab uh smoke house fall uv meat en uh barn fall uv corn aw de time en eve'y Friday a'ter no on aw de colored peoples hadder do was to go dere to de big house en ge1 dey share uv meat en 'lasses en corn to las1 em da whole week, hadder worry nuthin 'bout it tall. Ee'er Bey hab dey gristmill right dere whey dey grind dat corn eve'y week. Tan a in1 ne'er see no sech barn an heap uv meat dese days us dey hab den. Bern hog killin' days waz big times fa dem plantation peoples. It Jes lak I tell in' yunnah my Massa gi'a he colored peoples mosT eve't'ing day hab en den he 'low eve'y family to hab uh aora uv land uv dey own to plant. Hadder work dat orop in de night. fat light'ud stomp wha' to see by. dey Sunday olothes wid. Make light wid Bat orop wha* dey buy Ne'er hadder hunt no olothes but dey Sunday clothes cause dey hab seamstress right dere on de plantation to sake aw us udder olothes. Miss Susan larat Ann' Cynthia an Star rah en Senna to out en sew dere to de big house an a'ter dat dey ne'er do nuthin but make de plantation olothes " "Aw de oolored peoples dere to Miss Susan plantation hab dey certain business to go 'bout eve'y day en dey ne'er Pi Q *x Cede No. Project, 1886-(l) Prepared by Annie Rath BaYls Plaoe, Marion, S.G. Date, dune 11, 1937 didn't shirk dat neither. Ho. Worde Reduced from_ Rewritten by" worde Page 3. Miss Susan ain' 'low fa no slack way 'round whey she was. Be re been Yaneyki wha1 hadder jea wait on Miss Susan; Becky, de house girl; Ann' Hannah, de one wha' oook in de big house; Ann' Bieey, wha1 al'aya cleanup de white folks kitehen; en Saneo, de house boy. ohillun. Ben I waz de nu'se dere fa dem Se^er lak it but I ha'e it $o do. right dere to de big house aw de time. Hadder stay Miss Susan ne'er wouldn't 'low me take dem ohillun 'way of fen no whey en eve'ybody hadder be mindful uv wha* dey say 'fore dem ohillun too. I 'member dat big ole joggling board dere on de front piazza dat I use'er go' de ohillun to sleep on eye1 y evenin1. I be dere singin' one xvr dem baby song to de child en it make me hu(t lak in me bosom to be wid my ole mammy back up dere in de quarter. nobody know dat* Goase I ain1 le1 Bere ain' nobody ne'er been no better den Miss Susan was to me. It jes lak dls, I was jes uh child den en yah know It uh ohild happiness to be raise up wid dey mammy." "Den de colored peoples lib mighty peaceful lak dere in de quarter oause dey ne'er hadder worry 'bout how nuthin oome. My Massa see dat dey hab decent libin1 aw de time en 'bundanoe uv eve't'ing dey need. dey premises lean up eve'whey. Hadder keep 'round 'bout I tellin' yuh, child, my 220 Code $o Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annl Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.G. Bate, June 15, 1957 So* Words Reduced from. Rewritten by* words 221 Page 4. white folks wuz 'tioular uv dey colored peoples when dey waz slok* Bey hab big ole me'ioine book dat dey take down when one uv dem ge' siek en see could dey find wha* was good fa dey ailment* Ben Miss Susan*ud send in de woods en ge' wha1 it say mix up fa de remedy en make de me'ioine right dere to de big house. Miss Susan*ud al'ays doctor de plantation peoples en carry em nice basket uv t'ing eve'y time dey waz sick* Effen Miss Susan t'ink dey hab muoha oo'plaint, den deyfud send fa de plantation doctor 'bout dere. Annuder t'ing dey ne'er didn't 'low de colored girls to work none tall 'fore dey waz shape lak uh "oman cause dey 'fraid dat might strain dey ne'ves." "Aw de colored peoples wha1 ne'er hab no work to do 'bout de big house was field hand en dey hadder ge1 up at de fust crow uv de cock in de morning en go up to de big house en see wha' dey wan* em to do dat day* Coase dey eat dey break'ast 'fore dey leab de quarter. Effen de sun look lak it waz gwinna shine, de o'erseer'ud send em in de field to work en dey'ud stay in de .field aw day till sun up in de evenin'* Carry dey basket uv viotual en pot *long wid em en cook right dere in de field* Jes put dey peas en bacon in de pot en build up big fire "bout it close whey dey was workin1 cause eve'y now en den dey hadder push de fire to de pot* Ben some UT de day dey'ud go in de tatoe patoh Code ffo. Project, 188S-(1) Prepared by Annie Bath Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, June 15, 1937 Ho. lords Reduced from Rewritten by worda Page 5. en dig tatoe en roast em in de coals. rainy day, dey ne'er go in de field. Bffen it waz uh Shuok com dat day. Dat waz how dey done." w Aw dem wha* work right dere to de big house al'ays waz fed from Miss Susan table to de kitchen* Dere waz Gran'mudder Phoebe who hadder look a'ter eve't'ing 'bout Miss Susan dairy. De plantation peoples *ud bring dey gourd eve'y morning en leab it dere to de dairy fa Gran'mudder Phoebe to hab fill wid clabber fa em to carry home in de evenin'. Den when Gran'mudder Phoebe was; finish wid aw de churning, she use'er pour wha1 clabber wuz left o'er in uh big ole wooden tray under uh tree dere olose to de dairy en call aw dem little plantation ohillun dere whey she was. She gi'e eve'yone uv em uh iron spoon en le1 em eat jes us muoha dat slabber uz dey c'n hold. A'ter dat she clean up eve'yt'ing 'bout de dairy en den she go to de big house en ge1 her dinner. Gran'mudder Phoebe say she could set down en eat wid a at i* faction den cause she know she waz t* rough wid wha' been her portion uv work dat day.' "Den dere waz Patience wha' work to de loom house. She help do aw de weaving fa de plantation. de winter en aw t* rough de summer* Weave aw t1 rough She make aw kinder uv pretty streak in de oloth outer de yarn dat dey dye right dere on de plantation wid t'ing dat dey ge* outer de woods lak walnut wha' make brown, en oedar en sweet gum wha* make purple. Den dey make de blue oloth outer dat t'ing dat dey QPO ~ Code Ho. Project, 1885*Cl) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.0 Date, Jane 15, 1957 Ho. Words Reduced from. Rewritten by" words 223 Page 6. raise right dere on de plantation oall indigo. Dere some uv dat indigo dat does grow up dere on de Sand Hills dis day en time but ain* nobody ne'er worry 'boat it no more." "Jes ah little way from de loom house waz de shoe house whey Uncle Lon'on hadder make shoe aw de day. dey is make aw de plantation shoe dere* oow hide wha1 dey hadder tan fast. X 'member Make em outer Jes-put de oow hide in uh trough en kiver it aw o'er wid oak en water en le* It soak till de hair oome offen it* Den dey take it outer dat en beat it 'cross uh log hard uz dey o'n till dey go1 it right soft lak. A'ter dat dey out de shoe lak dey wan' it en sew it up wid dem long hair wha' dey ge' outer de hosses neck. Dat jea de way dey make aw we shoe den." "Minus en Chrissus Gause hab job dere to de gin house. Dey'ud jes put de cotton in dat gin en de seed go one way en de lent go de udder way. Minus hadder feed de gin en dem udder helper hadder hand de cotton. Den Bacchus hadder work de screw dat press de bale togedder. Yunnan ohillun ain' ne'er see mi thin lak dat dese days. Dem hosses pull dat t'ing round en round en dat screw ge' tighter en tighter. (Turn out pretty uh bale uv cotton us yunnah e'er hear 'bout in no time tall, tty Bawd, I 'member dey is hab bale uv cotton pile up aw 'bout dat gin house." "En dey is hab dey own blacksmith shop dere on de place down to de place oall de big water. Aw dem peoples from plantation aw 'bout come dere fa Fortune to mend dey plow en t'tag.lftk dat*w Ho. WordB Reduced rom_ Rewritten by" Code Ho* Project, 1885-(l) Prepared by Annie Hath Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, Jane 15, 1937 words 224 Page 7. "Yas'um, plantation peoples hadder go dere to de Ole Neck Gha'ch eve'y Sanday. Ohu'oh. I hear em say dat waz uh Methodist Aw dem well to do folks hab dey own pew tip dere in de front uv de ohm'oh wha dey set on eve'y Sunday. Dey seat waz painted pretty lak uh bedstead en den de poor peoples set in de middle uv de ohu'oh in de yellow kind uv seat. Aw de colored peoples hadder set in de blue seat in de back uv de ohu'oh. Peoples ne'er rank togedder den lak yah see de peoples rank togedder dese days. Miss Susan Stevenson en Miss Harriett Woodberry en Miss Maggie McWhite was de ones wha1 pall togedder den* ohu'oh door* Know dey ohillun time dey hit dat O'n tell em by dey skin* My blessed, ohillun. dere waz seeh uh diffe'enoe.w "Dat Ole Heck 01m* oh de same ohu'oh wha* yunnah see stand two mile up dat road. Dem peoples oughtna hadder move dat ohu'oh neither cause it been dere long time 'fore dey come heah. Ain' been right to do dat. Dem wha' put dat chu'ch dere bury right dere in dat cemetery right "bout whey dey chu'ch waz en dem udder peoples ain' hab no right to take dey ohu'oh 'way a'ter dey been gone." "De peoples ne'er hab no oars lak dese peoples hab 'bout heah now. My white folks hab carriage en two big ole white bosses wha' to ride to se'vioe en whey dey wanna go den. Ooase dey ne'er go aw de time lak dese peoples does dis day en time* Code No. Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Bath Davis Place, Marion, S.G* Pate, 3ane 15, 1937 Bd. Worts. Reduced from Bewritten by" 225 Page 8* Lawd, dem hosses could pull dat carriage too* Selam en Prinoe. words Dey waz name My Massa en Missus hab seat in de back uv de carriage en I hadder set up dere 'tween dem en de driver en 1 TOO. Be dem ohillun* Isaac waz Miss Susan driver en he hab seat aw uv he own on de front whey he could mind de hosses. My Lawd, I 'member how I did use'er lub to set up dere in Mis s Susan carriage." "Dese peoples dese days don* know nuthin "bout dem times den. I 'member how dey use'er sell de colored peoples offen to annuder plantation some uv de time. Man come dere to buy my Gran'mud&er a'ter Massa Ben Gause die en tell her to open she mouth so he c'n 'xamine her teeth. do it." Say she say, "I won* Wanna know effen dey waz sound 'fore he buy her. Dat de way dey do when dey sell hosses*" "I 'member when dem Yankees come 'bout dere too. Hear Massa Jim Stevenson say dey mas' herry en hide dey va'uables cause de Yankees wnz obmin1 t1 rough dere en sweep em out. Dey bury dey silver en dey gold watch in de graveyard up in de Beeoh Field. (De Beeoh Field waz de place whey de Indian use'er oamp long time ago oause de peoples use'er find aw kinder bead en arrow head wha* dey left dere.) Susan put trunk fall uv her nioe t'ing house. Den Miss to de colored peoples Ain' been 'fraid de Yankees bother em dere. Didn't no Yankees oome no whey 'bout dere till a'ter freedom 'olare en den two uv em oome dere en atay right dere to de big house* Dey oome to "vide outer de oorn* Hab pile uv corn sot aw 'bout Code Ho* Project, 1885-d) Prepared lay Annie Hath Davis Place, Marion, S.G. Bate, Jane 15, 1937 Ho. Words_ Reduced from_ Rewritten by" worde 220 Page 9, de born (barn) dere wid name uv de colored peoples stick boat in eve'y pile," "Yas'um, I 'member dat aw right. Marry in March dere left to my pa house* Us ne'er/kassa Jim Stevenson plantation a'ter freedom 'elare. den we nab dere. Ne'er wanna hunt no better libin* My lawd, dere sho' waz big doing 'bout dere when I ge* hitch up to Joe ffoodberry. Pa kill uh shoat en dey bake cake en hab aw kinder ration cook up, I hab pretty dress make outer white Swiss muslin wha1 I marry in en aw dem peoples waz dress up dat evenin". Bat was pretty uh sight uz dere e'er waz when dey ge' to blowing dat oane en knock in' dem stick en dey aw waz uh jiggin' bout." "0 hi Hun, seem lak aw de good time gone from he ah now. Peoples sho* gotta souffle 2a wha1 dey hab dis day en time en den effen dey ge1 it, dere ain1 no sati'faction no whey 'boat it. T'ing ain1 gwinna do nobody no good effen dey gotta worry dey head so muoha 'bout whey da next oomin' r u" "Sood day, honey. Come baek 'g'in, Yunnan white en I black, but I lub yah." Scarce: MOM GEIIA W0OBBEHRY (Eugenia Woodeberry), age 89, colored, Britton's Heck, S.C. interview, June 1937) (Personal Code Ho. Project, l 85-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S*0. Date, Hovember 23, 1937 Ho. fgraJB Reduced from Rewritten by Page 1. JULIA I0ODBERRY Ex-Slave, Age N 0ome in, child. words QO*y _Z 0flft,,r 3Suo20 Die ain* nobody talkin to you from behind dat door, but Julia Woodberry. De door unlatch, just turn de handle en come right in here whe* you can warm yourself by de stove. I tell my daughter for her to take de sick child en walk over dere en make Aun' Liney a visit, while I wipe round bout dis stove a little speck. Cose I ain' able to scour none much, but seems like dis old stove does keep everything so nasty up dat I can1 let things bout it get too worser. Ho, child, I tell dese chillun I done seen most all my scourin days, but I think bout X would do this little job for Alexa dis mornin en let her put her mind to dat child. I say, if I able, I loves to wipe up cause it such a satisfaction. It just like dis, dere ain1 no thin gwine shine dat floor en make it smell like I want it to, but soap en water. I don' like dese old stoves nohow. I ain1 been raise to dem cause when I come up, de olden people didn* think nothin bout puttin no stoves to dey fireplaces. Oh, dey would have dese big old open fireplaces en would have de grandest kind of fires. My Lord, child, dere wouldn* never be no nastiness bout dey fireplace cause de people never didn* bum no coal in dem days. Slavery people been burn dese great Oode No. Project, lg&5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, B.C. Date, November 23, 1937 Ho* Words Reduced from. Rewritten by" words 228 Page 2. big oak legs en dey would make de finest kind of fires, I say. Yes,mam, I been raise up de slavery way en dat how- come I don1 want to be noways departin from it," "Oh, dat was my granddaughter dat had de straw fever. Yes,mam, look like she mendin right smart since she been settin up. De straw fever, dat what I calls it, but I hear people say it de hay fever. De doctor, he just say it de fever, but from de way he give de pills, it point to de straw fever. Oose dat what we termed it, but like I tell you, some calls it de hay fever* I ain* never hear talk of dat kind of fever till dese late years. Yes,mam, she had a little cold en cough some, but not much. You see, when she first took down, she took wid a blindness en a pain in de stomach at de school en couldn* say no thin. doctor say de fever was bout broke on her den. De You see, she had de pain en, I say, dat a sign de misery broke on her. But dat child, she lay dere on dat bed three weeks en she been mighty weak, mighty weak from de fever. No,mam, she ain1 have de fever all de time, but dere would come a slow fever dat would rise on her every night en eat up what strength she had caught durin de day* Oose she ain1 never been hearty cause she been havin dis fever long bout two years. No,mam, she been test for de T.B'e in de school dis Bo Words Reduced from. Rewritten by" Code No* Project, 1SS5-U) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, November 23, 1937 words 229 J^age 3. last year en dey say dat she never had none of dat* Alexa say she gwine let her get dem shots in time next year. de school chillun took dem last year, keep diseases down in school. All Dey tell me dat be to Cose I don1 know no thin bout it cause I been raise de slavery way en dat won1 de talk den. M My mother, she was a freeborn woman.. de sea beach in our own country. She come from off Her people was dese Ohee Indians en she didn* have no ways like dese other people bout here. Now, I talkin out of her. else, but her. Ain* talkin out of nobody She told me she was born on de sea beach en her parents was Ohee Indians. Dat what she told us chillun. Say, when dey stole her en her brother John, dey come dere in dese big old oovered wagons en dey stuffed dem way back up in dere en carried dem off. Oh, she say,she was a big girl when dey run her down en caught her. I talkin out of her. Like I tell you, Her en her brother John was out play in one day. near their sea beach home, en first thing dey know, dere come one of dem big old covered wagons dere. Say, dey never know what to think till dey see dis white man gettin down off de wagon en start makin for dem en dey get scared learn oause dey been/white man won1 no friend, Say, dey broke en run, but de man come right after dem en grabbed dem up wid his hands en stuffed dem way back up in de covered wagon en drove off. She say, she was runnin bard as she could from Code No. Project, lSg5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, November 23, 1937 de man. No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by" words 230 Page 4. I remember, I heard my mother speak bout dat she didn* reckon her mother ever knew whe dey went. dey cried en cried, but dat never do no good. lawyex Phillips stole her. She say, No,mam, de He didn1 buy her cause she told me dey brought dem right on to his home en put dem out dere. Her en her brother John were made house servants in de big house en dey went from one to de other in de Phillips1 family till after freedom come here. Ma, she say dat she fared good en dey didn1 ill treat her no time, but wouldn1 never allow dem to get out de family no more durin slavery days* No,mam, she never didn1 have no hard time comin up* Oose she had to put de white people chillun to bed at night en den she could go to parties cross Catfish much as she wanted to, but she would have to be back in time to cook dat breakfast next morn in. You see, dey was house servants en dey stayed right dere in de lawyer Phillips1 house all de time. Been raise right down dere in dat grove of cedars cross from de jail." "Well, she.didn1 say bout dat. No,mam, she didn1 have no word bout whe' if she liked de white folks livin or no when she first come dere. has to do as Rome do. took it. You know, when you in Rome, you Reckon dat de way de poor creature No, child, she didn1 tell us no thin bout her home no more den dat she was born a Ohee Indian. Yes,mam, my blessed old mother told me dat a thousand times." Oode No. Projeot, lg85-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.0 Date, November 23, 1937 Ho. Words Reduced from_ Rewritten by" words 231 Page 5. "My God, my God, child, I couldn1 never forget my old mother*s face. She bore a round countenance all de time wid dese high cheek bones en straight hair. of her now. right now. (?) I talkin out Yes,mam, can see Ma face dere fore my eyes It de blessed truth, my old mother didn* have no common ways bout her nowhe1. I don1 know whe it true -wo or, but de people used to say I took after my mother. I A recollects, when I would be workin round de white folks, dey would ax me how-come I been have dem kind of way bout me what was different from de other colored people. know, de Indians, dey got curious ways. You My mother, she wouldn1 never take a thing from nobody en she was sharp to pick a fight. Yes,mam, she was quick as dat. he'r hands together.) Been fast get tin insulted. (Slaps Anybody make her mad, she would leave away from dem en dey wouldn1 see her no more in a month or two. Hear boss say dat she wae quick tempered." "Well, child, dat bout all I can know to speak bout di8 mornin. You see, some days I oan get my 'membrance back better den I can on another day. I say, I gwine get my mind fixed up wid a heap to tell you de next time you coma here en if you ain1 come back, I gwine try en get round dere to your house. Source; God bless you, honey." Julia Woodberry, Ex-Slave, Age 70-80, Marion, S.O. Personal interview by Annie R. Davis, Hov., 1937. Code Ho, Project, lgS5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Reduced from words Rewritten by 233 Place, liar ion, 8.0. Date, November 30, 1937 Page 1. JULIA W0ODBERRY Ex-Slave, Age 390328 N 0h, my God a mercy, child, dat been a time when dat shake come here. I tell you, dat been some thin. I sho remember all bout dat cause I been a grown woman de year dat earthquake come here. Yes,mam, I gwine tell it to you just like I experience it. We had all just been get over wid us supper en little things dat night en I had washed Auntie en Mr. Rowell s feet for dem to lie down en dere come such a sketch of clouds from over in dat direction dat I never know what to make of it. Auntie en Mr. Rowell never know what to make of it neither. I remember, I run out to help my sister dat been out to de paddlin block en, honey, you ain1 never live to see no black oloud like dat been. I washed a piece through en den I left off en went back in de house en set down by de fire to dry my feet. I set dere awhile en seems like somethin just speak right out de fire, bout dat time, en tell me to move my feet dat I was in bad shape. En, child, it de truth of mercy, dere come a big clog of dirt out dat ohimney en drap (drop) right down in de spot whe' my foot was. I run to Auntie en Mr. Rowell to see could dey tell what dat was, but dey been in just as much darkness as I been. I look up en seems like de loft had lowered itself No. Words Reduced frorn^ Rewritten by" Code No. Project, lgS5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O. Date, November 30, 1937 words Page 2. en could hear a roarin for miles en miles bout dere en could hear de people holler in every which a way, Yes, mam, could hear dem ho Her in miles en on top of miles bout dere. My God, dem people was scared to lie down dat night en such a pray in en a shout in as everybody do dat night, I ain' never see de like fore den, de like since den neither. Ain' see Next mornln, I go to work for de white folks en dey all go off dat mornin en I tell you, I was scared bout to death in dat big house by myself. I remember, I left out de house en been out in de *tatoe patch grabblin tatoes right along en when I raise up, dat thing was comin down dat 'tatoe row just a whirlin en a makin right for me. Yes,mam, I been so scared. I ain1 see whe I is grow a bit since de shake. it was de Jedgment. I tell you, I thought Den we hear dere was gwine be another earthquake, but de people get on dey knees en dey stay on dey knees en it never come here dat time. Dat one was in another state, so dey tell me. I hear talk dat all de earth en caved in/you could see de people down dere, but couldn' nobody get dem. Some people say dat been de devil do dat, but I tell dem de devil ain' had no such power. bring dat shake here, I say." De Lord been de power dat Code No. Project, 1SS5-U) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, November JO, 1937 No. Word8 Reduced from. Rewritten by" words 234 Page ^. w 0h, Lord, de people sho fared better in dat day en time den dey do dese days. Oose dey didn' have a heap of different kind of trashy things like dey have dese days, but dey had a plenty to eat en a plenty to wear all de time en den everything was better in dem times, too. I know bout. How, I speak bout what De rations eat better en de cloth wear better, too, in dem days den dey do now. You see, mostly, de people would make dey own provisions at home. White folks would raise abundance of hogs en cows to run all dey big plantation from one year to de other. Wouldn1 never dear out of meat no time cause de stock been let loose to run at large in dem days. De most dat dey bought was dey sugar en dey coffee, but dem what was industrious en smart, dey made most dey victuals at home. dere home. it out. Made dey own rice en winnowed it right Oh, dey had one of dese pestle en mortar to beat Yes,mam, de pestle been big at one end an little at de other end. Den dey would raise turkeys en geese en chickens en dere wasn' no end to de birds en squirrels en rabbits en fish in dat day en time. dey had all dem things. Dat is, dem what cared for demselves, Oose dere was some den like dere be now dat been too lazy to work en dey hand was empty all de time. I remember, dem poorbuckras would just go bout from one house to another en catch somethin here, dere en yonder." Oode No. Project, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O. _ Date, November 30, 19^7 No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by sage 4. words Q4*^ ^ M Den de people never wore none of dese kind of clothes like de people wear dese days neither. When a person got a dress den,,dey made it demselves en dey made dey own underskirts den, too. You see, all dese underskirts en bloomers like de people does buy dese days, dey didn* have nothin like dat den. Used to put 10 yard in a dress en 10 yards in a underskirt en would tuck dem olean up to dey waist. Sn, child, when dey would iron dat dress, it would stand up in de floor just like dere been somebody in it. When I say iron, I talkin bout de people would iron den, too. Yes,mam, when I come along, de people been take time to iron dey garments right. Oh, dey clothes would be just as slick as glass. Won* a wrinkle nowhe bout dem. Another thing, dey used to have dese dove colored linen dusters dat dey would wear over dey dress when dey would ride to church. Den when dey went in de church, dey would pull dem off en put dem on again when dey started home. Dey was made sort of like a coat suit, except dey was a little fuller en would come clean down to de tail of de dress. You see, dey was meant to protect de dress while dey was gwine along de road.M "De world sho gwine worser dese days, honey. de people worser. de mother wit. Yes,mam, dey worser, I say. Oh, Lord, Dey ain1 got Dey weaker en dey wiser, I say, but dey ain* got de mother wit. Oan* set down en talk to de people dese days en dey take dat what you got to say in like dey used to. Code No. Project, lgS5-(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date. November 30, 1937 No. Word8 Reduoed from. Rewritten by" words 236 Page 5. En de people don1 take de time to teach de chillun to know good things like dey used to en dat how-come dey have more time to get in so much of devilment dese days. Ye8,mam, de people used to have more chillun en dey raised dem, too. Ohillun know more den grown people do dese days, I say. People used to know how to carry demselves en take care of demselves more den dey do now. Seems like, de people more rattlin en brazen den what dey used to be." Source: Julia Woodberry, colored, Marion, S.C. - Age, 70-80. Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, Nov., 1937. Project, 1S#5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O. Date, November , 1937 Hoi Reduoed from Rewritten by words 237 Page 1. JULIA UOODBBRRY Ex-Slave, Age 390327 "Well, I can speak bout what I used to hear my auntie en my mammy en my grandmammy talk bout what happen in dey day, but I never didn1 live in slavery time. My mammy, she been broke her leg long time fore freedom come here en I remember she tell me often times-, say, Julia, you didn lack much of com in. here a slavery child.' Honey, I mean she been in de family way right sharp fore freedom oome here* j wMy mammy, she was raise right down dere to de other side de jail to de Cedars'. You know dere whe all dem cedars round dat house what bout to fall down* She belong to de lawyer Phillips dere en he wouldn* never allow her to get out de family. She had been a free woman fore he had stole her off de sea beach to be his house woman. Yes, mam, stole my mammy en uncle John,too,off de sea beach, but )(ncle John went back after freedom oome here. My mammy, she been raise from just a child to be de house woman dere to de lawyer Phillips en she never didn* know nothin bout choppin ootton till her last baby been bout knee high. ' "I remember how my mammy used to tell me bout dat de colored people won1 allowed to go from one plantation to another wldout dey had a *mit (permit) from dey Massa. Yes, mam, all de niggers had to have dat strip somewhat bout dem to keep from gettin a beatin. Oouldn1 leave dey home wldout No. Words. Reduced from Rewritten by Code No* Projeot, lSg5-(l) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Uarion, 8.0. Date, November 5, 1937 words 2&8 Page 2. 8 ho win dat *mit from dey Maesa. You see, de nigger men would want to go to see dey wives en dey would have to get a *mit from dey Massa to visit dem. Oose dey wouldn1 live together cause dey wives would be here, dere en yonder. It been like dis, sometimes de white folks would sell de wife of one of dey niggers way from dey husband en den another time, dey would sell de husband way from dey wife. Yes,mam, white folks had dese guard,call patroller, all bout de country to catch en whip dem niggers dat been prowl bout widout dat strip from dey Massa. I remember I hear talk dey say, 'Patroller, Patroller, let nigger pass.' Dey would say dat if de nigger had de strip wid dem en if dey didn1 have it, dey say, 'Patroller, Patroller, cut nigger slash." "Child, I tell you dat been a day to speak bout. When X come along, de women never vote, white nor colored, en it been but I remember years since I see a colored person vote, /dey been gwine to vote in dat day en time just like dey was gwine to a show. Oh, honey, de road would be full of dem. Dey had to vote. Remember, way back dere, everybody would be singin en a dancin when dey had de elections "Hancock ride de big gray horse, Hampton ride de mule, Hancooks got elected, Buckras all turn fool. Buggety, buggety, buggety etc." White en black was all in a row dere dancin all night long* JUn made no exception." No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by Oode No* Project, 18S5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.0. Date, November 5, 1957 words 239 Page 3. "I hear talk dat when freedom come here, de niggers was just turn loose to make dey livln de best way dey could. Say dat some of de white folks give dey niggers some thin to go on en some of dem didn' spare dem nothin. Dey tell me old Sherman didn1 come through dis section of de country, but he sent somebody to divide out de things like so much oorn en so much meat to de colored people, old people say. Now, I talkin^bout dat what I hear de Put everything in Ben Thompson hand to deal out de colored people share to dem. had de chair. Yes,mam, he was de one Talk bout Sherman give Ben Thompson de ohair, sayin what I hear de old people say. I don1 know exactly how it was, it been so long since de old people talk wid me. Dat it, it been so long till God knows, I forgot.* "Well, I used to know a heap of dem songs dat I hear my auntie en my grandmammy sing dere home when I was oomin up* Let me see, child, dey was natural born song too. "I got somethin to tell you, Bow - hoo, oo - hoo, oo - hoo* I got somethin to tell you, Bow - hoo, oo - hoo, oo - hoo. Xn a bow - hoo, oo - oo - hoo. Way cross de ocean, 'Mongst all dem nation, Massa Jesus promise me, He gwlne come by en by, He gwlne come by en by. Oode No. Project, 18g5-(l) Prepared "by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, November 5 1937 Jfo. Words,. Reduced from_ Rewritten by" words 240 Page 4-, Dere many miles round me, De curried be so bold, To think dat her son, Jesus, Oould write widout a pen, Oould write widout a pen, De very next blessin dat Mary had, She had de blessin of*two, To think dat her son, Jesus, Oould bring de crooked to straight, Oould bring de crooked to straight." Dat was my auntie's grandmother Sve piece way back yonder in slavery time. Dat was her piece/^v, "It just like I tellin you, dat been a day to speak bout. I remember when dey used to spin en weave all de cloth right dere home. Yes,mam, I wore many a wove dress to church. Dey would get die here indigo en all kind of old bark out de woods en boil it in de pot wid de yarn en make de prettiest kind of colors. Den dey would take dat oolored yarn en weave all kind of pretty streaks in de cloth. Dey would know just as good how many yards of dat thread it would take to make so much of olothjN M Yes,mam, X know dere been better livin long time ago den dere be now. Know it cause I didn* never have no worryations no time when I was comin up. My God, child, I couldn1 make a Code No. Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O. Date, November 5, 1937 No. Words Reduced from. Rewritten by" words 241 Page . support today if I know my neck had to be hung on de gallows. No,mam, die here a sin cussed world de people livin in dis day en time." Source: Julia Woodberry, colored, Marion, S.C. Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, October November, 1937. Oode No. Pxojeot, 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.0. Date, November 16, 1937 No. tfafgs Reduoed from Rewritten by Page 1. JULIA wOODBEBRY Ex-Slave, Age words 040 Z~T 390328 vwcu "No,mam, I ain* thought bout no thin no more to tell you. Death been in de family en seems like I just been so worried up wid my daughter siok in de house dere wid de straw fever. De doctor, he say it de fever en dat all we know, but it acts like de straw fever, all up en down. I tell dem ohillun dere de other night dat I would have to go back en get my mind fixed up wid somethin to speak bout fore you come here another time. Yes,mam, have to get my mind together somewhe' or another.n WI been born down dere in Britton's Neck, but most my days was lived up to Mr. Jim Brown* s place to Centenary. My father, he was name "Friday Woodberry en my mother, she oome from off de sea beach in slavery time, so she told me. Say dat her old Massa stole her en her brother John, too, from off de sea beach. When freedom oome here, her brother John went back to de sea beach, but my mother say dat she won* in no shape to go back. She went from family to family till after freedom was declared en her white folks wouldn* never have her ill-treated neither en wouldn* never- let nobody else have her no time. When she was let loose from de white people, she went to Brit ton's Neck wid a colored woman* You see, she was a stranger to de country bout dere Code No* Project, 1SS5-U) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Plaoe, Marion, 8*0* Date, November l6, 1937 No* Words. Reduced from. Rewritten by" words Page 2* 43 fore freedom oome en she been know dat Woman en dat how-come she went wid her. I mean she didn1 know de people bout dere cause de white folks didn1 allow dey colored people to go bout much in slavery time* a ticket wid dem* Oouldn1 go nowhe1 widout dey had She stayed dere in Brit ton's Neck till Pa died en den she come back up here to Marion to live, but her white people was scattered all bout deji.w "No,mam, I ain' never marry cause you had to oourt on de sly in dat day en time. I tell you, I oome through de devil day when I come along. I was learned to work by de old, old slavery way en, honey, I say dat I just as soon been oome through slavery day as to come under a tight taskmassa dat was colored. Ye a, mam, if I never did a thing right, my dress was over my head en I was whipped right dere. I was engaged by letter, but dey kept me under dey foot so close till 1 never didn1 slip de hay. I remember, I was stay in dere wid Mary Jane Rowell en she kept me cowed down so worser, Z never couldn1 do nothin. "I tell you, I been a grown girl dere when I leave Mary Jane Rowell a house en go to oookin en a washin for Mies (Mrs.) Louise Brown. Tes, child, I love Miss Louise Brown to dis very day cause she been just like a mother to me. Brown was just as good to me as she oould be* YeB,mam, Miss Mr* Jim Brown, he give me a house dere on his plantation to live in just to Code No. Projeot, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.O. Date, November 16, 1937 No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by words 24'] Page 3. do de house work to de big bouse, but seems like de other colored people on de plantation would be txyin to down me most all de time cause I was workin ahead of dem. I know I would go dere to work many a mornln cry in, from what dem u niggers been mo/thin bout me, en Miss Brown would cry right along wid me. I tell you, Miss Brown was a tender hearted woman, so to speak bout. I tell Miss Brown, 'Carolina say I stole a towel off de line.' En Miss Brown say, 'Julia, if dere a towel gone off dat line, I know whe it gone.* No, child, I ain1 never think bout to lay no shame on dese hands. White folks been used to leave money all bout whe* I bresh (brush) en dust en I ain' never had no mind to touch it no time. Yes,main, I been through a day since 1 come here. Erelong I move out Mary Jane Rowell's house, I been in white people house. If it ain1 one class, it another. De very day dat Dr. Dibble been pronounce me to de hospital, dey oome after me to wait on a woman. state no time. Yes,mam, Julia Woodberry ain1 beat de Oh, I tell you, it de God truth, I has done every kind of work in my life. run a farm just like a man. three girls? Me en my three ohillun dere Why, honey, you ain1 know I had Yes,mam, dem chillun been born en bred right dere in de country to Centenary." "I hear people talkin bout dat thing call oonjuxin, but I don1 know what to say dat is. It some thin I don* believe in. Oode No. Project, 1SS5-U) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 3.0. Date, November 16, 1937 No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by words 245 frage 4. Don1 never take up no time wid dat cause it de devil's work. Dat de olden talk en I don* think nothin bout dat. Don1 want nobody round me dat believes in it neither. believe in it. Don' Don* believe in it cause dat en God spirit don1 go together. I hear talk dat been belong to de devil, but I was so small, I couldn1 realize much what to think cause dat what you hear in dem days, you better been hear passin. No,mam, dey knook chillun down in dat day en time dat dey see standin up lookin in dey eyes to hear. I has heard people say dat dey could see spirits, but I don1 put no mind to dat no time. I believe dat just a imagination cause when God get ready to take you out die wo$ld, you is gone en you gone forever, I say. Don1 believe in no here- after neither cause dey say I been born wid veil over my face en if anybody could see spirits, I ought to could. I know I has stayed in houses dat people say was hanted plenty times en I got to see my first hant yet. de Bible. saved. Yes,mam, I do believe in If I hadn1 believed in de Bible, I wouldn1 been Dere obliged to be a hereafter accordin to de Bible. Dere obliged to be a hereafter, I say. takin what I hear de people say. I can* read, but I Dat a infidel what don* A believe dere a hereafter.w "How-come I know all dat, I was raise up wid de old people, dome along right behind de old race en I would be Code Ho. Project, 1SS5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.C. Date, November 16, 1937 No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by. words 240 Page 5. dere listenin widout no ears en see in widout no eyes* Yes,mam, I took what I hear in,lady, en I ain been just now come here. I been here a time, wid de world. God knows I is done. Dat de reason I done I 1B done. I recollects, way back yonder, Pa would sing: 'Dey ain' had no eyes for to see, Dey ain' had no teeth for to eat, En dey had to let de corncake go, Gwine whe all de good niggers go*' Dat was my father's piece dat he used to sing in slavery time. Dat right oause I can remember back more so den I can forward.M Source: Julia Woodberry, colored, age - about 70 to 75 > Marion, S.C. Personal interview by Annie Ruth Davis, Nov., 1937. Project 1885 -1District ^4 Spartanburg, S#C. June 1, 1937 ^00007 OCJUUcJ / Edited by: 247 E. Fronde Kennedy FOLK-LORE: EX-SLAVES "While looking for an ex-slave in a certain part of Spartariburg this morning* I was directed across the street to !f an old man -who lives there"* no answer. Then I noticed an old man walking around by the side of the house. 2 inches. I knocked at the door but received He was tall and straight, standing about 6 feet He said that his name was George Wood and that he was 78 years of age. He stated that he was born during slavery, and lived on Peter Sepah*s place in York County* Peter Sepah's farm, where he was born, was near the North Carolina line; it consisted of approximately 200 acres. Wood. His parents -were named Dan and Sarah His mother was given to old man Sepah by his father as a wedding present, and his grandfather had been given to an older Sepah by his parent as a wedding present. He said it was the custom in slavery times that a slave be given to the son or daughter by the white people when they got married. He was too young to work, hut about the time the war was over, he was allowed to drive the horses that pulled the thrasher of wheat. His master used to walk a round and around while the wheat was being thrashed, and see that everybody was doing their work all right. His father livdd on another plantation. There was only one family of slaves on the whole plantation* He, his mother, and five children lived in a one-room log cabin about 30 or 40 feet from the w big house11* Their beds consisted - 2 - of straw mattresses * 248 They had plenty to eat, having the same food that the white folks did* They ate ash cakes mostly for bread, but once a week they had biscuits to eat. When the wheat was thrashed, they had biscuits mostly for breakfast; but as the wheat got scarcer they did not have much -wheat to eat* He said that Buffalo Creek flowed pretty close to their place and that the creek emptied into Broad River. ten miles distant. Shelby, K.C., their market, was about He thinks that it was easier then than now to get something to eat. The log cabin where he and his mother lived was kept comfortably warm in the winter time. All they had to do, was to go to the wood-pile and get all the wood they needed for the fire. His mother worked on the farm, washed clothes and helped with the cooking at his masters house. The slaves stopped work every Saturday afternoon about three o'clock; then his mistress would have his mother to patch their clothes, as she did not like to see their clothes needing patching. "We used to have lots of fun," he said, "more than the children do now. As children, we used to play marbles around the house; but no other special game.11 Uncle George said that the patrollers saw that the colored people were in their houses at 8 otclock every night* "They would come to the house and look in; of course, if a man had a pass to another plantation or some place, that was all right; or if he had some business somewhere. the house by 8 o'clock." But everybody had to be in He also stated that if a slave strayed off the plantation and didn*t have a pass, if he could out-run the "pateroller" and get back upon his own place, then he was all right* The only slave he ever saw get a whipping, was one who -3 - 249 had stayed out after hours; then a switch was used on him by a "pateroller11 He said he never saw any slaves in chains or treated badly, for his master was a good man, and so was his "Missus* One day his mother wsnt to a church that was not her own church. On coming back, she saw a !tpateroller" coming behind her* She began to run, and he did too; but as he caught up with her, she stepped over a fence on her master1 s place and dared the pateroller* to do anything to her* He didnft do a thing and would not get over the fence where she was, as he would have been on somebody1 s place besides his own* He said that when the corn-shucking time came, \ both whites and blacks would gather at a certain plantation* Everybody shucked corn, and they all had a good time* \ T$hen the last ear of corn was shucked, the owner of the plantation would begin to run from the place and all would run after hinw When they caught him, he was placed on the shoulders of two men and carried ground and around the house, all singing and laughing and having a good time. Then they would carry the man into his house, pull off his hat and throw it into the fire; place him in a chair; comb his head; cross hi8 knees for him and leave him alone* They would not let him raise a second crop under his old hat - he had to have a new hat for a new, crop* all, colored and white, gather to eat* Then they would The owner of the farm would furnish plenty to eat; sometimes he would have some whiskey to drink, but not often, "as that was a dangerous thing to have"* He said that if man who was chewing or smoking met a woman* he would throw his tobacco away before talking with the woman* "4 - 250 There was plenty of fruit in those days, so brandy was made and put into barrels in the smoke-house; and the same way they had plenty of corn, and would put up a still and put the whiskey they made into barrels People in those days, .be said, had "manners"* The white and colored folks would have their separate sections in the church where they sat# I've seen a white man make another white man get up in church and give his place to a colored man when the church was crowded." He said his father was baptised by Rev* Dixon, father of Tom Dixon, who was a Baptist preacher. His mother was sprinkled by a Methodist white preacher, but he was baptized by a colored preacher. Asked about marriages among the slaves, he said the ceremony was performed by some "jack-legged" colored preacher who pronounced a few words and said they were man and wife. He said the colored people did not know much about Jeff Davis or Abraham Lincoln except what they heard about thenu All that he remembered was a song that his Missus used to sing: "Jeff Davis rides a big gray horse, Lincoln rides a mule; Jeff Davis is a fine old man, And Lincoln is a fool*" Another song was: "I111 lay $10 down and number them one by one, As sure as we do fight fem, The Yankees will run." One day his Missusn came to their house and told his mother they were free and could go anywhere they wanted to, 251 - 5- but she hoped they would stay on that year and help them make a crop* He said his mother just folded her hands and put her head down and "studied11 She decided to stay on that year. The next year, they moved to another plantation, where they stayed for twenty years. "Before they were free, every colored man took the name of his master, but afterwards, I took my father's name." He said that the Yankee soldiers did not come to their place, but they were ready for them if they had come* The silver was buried out in the lot, and stable manure was piled and thrown all about the spot* The two good horses were taken off and hidden, but the old horse his master owned was left* He said that sometimes a Confederate soldier would come by riding an old horse, and would want to trade horses with his master. Sometimes his master would trade, for he thought his horse ?*ould be taken anyway. His master would never get anything "to boot", as the soldier didnft have the "to boot" when the trade was made.. So the soldier would ride off the horse, leaving the poor, broken-down one behind* Sometimes after the war, the Confederate soldiers would come by the house, sick, wounded and almost starved; but his mistress would fix something to e at for them; then they would go on. nt Possum and Haters were plentiful then* Ihen a slave wanted to go hunting, he could go; but we had to work then - nobody works now*" He said that on rainy days, his mother did not have to go to the field, but stayed at home and sewed or carded. He said that after freedom came to the slaves, he worked on a farm for |5*00 a month* After he had been on the farm for many years, he heard that Sparbanburg was on a boom, so he came - 6 - here and worked at railroading for many more years 252 He has quit work now; but still does a little gardening for some white folks* He said that the white people in the South understand the colored people* Vtyien asked if he had ever seen a ghost, he replied that he had never seen one and had never seen a person who had* n I don't believe in those things anyhow," he said* He also stated he had never heard of anybody being "conjured" either* He said that all the nigr;ers in his section were scafed of the niggers from way down in South Caroliiia, for their reputation as conjurers was against them, so they always fought shy of them and didn!t have anything to do with the "niggers from way down in South Carolina"* SOURCE: George vioods, 537 N. View St, Spartanburg, S#C. Interviewer: F*S. Du^re, Spartanburg, S# C# project //-1655 *wOo 7. W. Dixon 390311 Winnsboro, S* C. (B A1 CK WOODWARD f EX-SLAVE n - 83 YEARS, You knows de Simonton place, Mr* Wood? Well, dats just where I was born back yonder befof de war, a slave of old Marster Johnnie Simonton* Five miles sorter south sunset side of Woodward Station where you was born, ain't it so? Ufy pappy was Ike Woodward, but him just call *Ikef time of slavery, and ny mammy was name Dinaho My brother Charlie up north, if he ain't dead, Ike lives in Asheviile, North Carolina* Two sisters; OUie, her marry an Aiken, last counts, and she and her family in Charlotte, North Carolina; sister Mattie marry a Wilson nigger, but I donft know where they is* n Us lived in a four-room log house, 'boirfc sixteen all told* Dere was pappy and mammy (now you count them) granfpappy, Kenry Davis, Granfmammy Kisana, Aunt irnna, and her seven chillun, and me, and my two brothers and two sisters* How many make dat? Seventeen? Well* datfs de number piled in dere at night in de beds and on de floors * They was T scandlous bedsj my God, just think of my grands, old as I is now, tryinf to sleep on them hard beds and other folks piled f scriminately all over de log floors I My 5r an 'pappy Henry was de carpenter, and old marster tell him 'if you make your beds hard, Henry, member you folks got to sleep on thenuf 11 I was just a little black feller, running 'round most of de time in my shirt tail, but I recollect pickinf cotton, and piddling fround da woodpile, fetchin1 in wood for white house and chips and kindling to fresh up de fires* TJs had plenty to eat, 'cause us killed thirty-five hogs 254 at a time, and de sausages and lights us did was a sight* Then de lard us made, and de cracklinf bread, why, I hungers for de sight of them, things right now* Us niggers didn#t get white flour bread, but de cracklinf bread was called on our place, tt f de sweet savor of life** Money? Us had eyes to see and ears to hear, but us just hear f bout it, never even seen money* Hsr marster had a fish pond, signs of it dere yet* " fcfy white folks attended church at Concord Presbyterian Church* Us went dere too, and us set up in de gallery* Yes, they asked us* De preacher asked us to jine in some of de hymns, especially and f De Fountain Filled Wid Blood,f and dat one f De pyinf Thief1 bout Mazing Grace How f Sweet de Sound Dat Save a Wretch lake us*9 *0ur young Marster Charlie went off to de war, got killed at Second Bull Rim* Marster Watt went and got a leg shot off somewheres* Marster Jim went and got killed, Johnnie too, Marster Robert was not old enough to carry a gun* "De young mistresses was Mary and Martha* Marster John, old r mistress end all of them mighty good to us, especially when Christmas come and then at times of sickness* They send for de doctor and set up wid you, such tendin1 to make you love them* When de Yanks come us all plead for Marster John and family, and de house not to be burnt* De house big, had ten rooms, big plantation, run fifteen plows* "you ask f bov*i was dere any poor white folks f round? Not many, but I fmembers old Miss Sallie Carlisle weaved and teached de slaves how it was done** Marster give her .a house to live in, and a garden spot on de place, good woman,. She show me how to spin and make ball thread, little t 255 as ^.was* Marster John had over fifty slaves, and they worked hard, sun up to sun down* Tfc's a wonder but I never got a whipping n Did I ever see a ghost? Mr* Wood, I seen sumpin1 once mighty strange, I was gwine to see a gal Nannie, on de widow Mobley place, and had to pass Hween two graveyards, de white and de colored* She was de daughter of Rev* Richard Cook* TShen I was just f bout de end of de white graveyard, I saw two spirits dressed in white* I run all de way to de galfs house and sob when I got dere* I laid my head in her lap and told her fbout de spirits and how they scared me* I still weepin* wid fear, and she console me, rub ray forehead and soothed me* When I got quiet, I a3ked her some day to be my wife, and datfs de gal dat come to be years after, my wife* Us walk to church hand and hand ever afterwards, and one day Preacher Morris, white man, made us husband and wife* I fmembers de song de nihite folks sung dat day* f Hark from de tomb a doleful sounds Don H you think dafc a wrong song to sing on a weddin* day? Moy to de World,1 was in our heart and dat tune would have been more fpropriate, seems to me* * Marster John give de slaves every other Saturday after dinner in busy seasons, and every Saturday evening all other weeks* Us had two doctors, Doctor Brice at first, and ifaen he git old, us had Doctor Lurkin* 11 Was glad when marster called us up and told us we was free* De Yankees made a camp on de Doctor Brice place, and foraged de country all 'round They made me run after chickens and I had to give up nry onliest blue hen dat I had* My pappy was took off by them to Raleigh, wid dat X 'member, was de saddest day of slavery time* i * Hannie and me, under de providence of de Lord Jehovah, has had three Chilian to live* and they have chillun too* I owns my own home and land enough to live on, though it is hard to make both ends meet some years* *How I got my name, you ask dafc? Well, after freedom us niggers had to come to Wirinsboro and register* Us talk *bout it by de fireside what us would lak* When us come, Marster Henry Cfaillard had a big crowd of Gaillard niggers fbout him beggin* for names* One of them say, f Marster Henry, I don*t want no little name, I wants big soundin* name** llasster Henry write on de paper, then he read: f Your name is Ifendozah J* Fernandez, hope data big enough for you** De little nigger dwarf seem powerful pleased and stepped to de register* De rest of us spoke to Capfcain Gaillerd and he said no better name than Woodward, so us took dat name* Its been a kind of a H action to us at times, and none of our immediate family has ever dragged it in a jail or chaingang, Bless Godl and I hope us never will* * 856 Project #1655 W.W.1WS. Winnsboro, S* 390?q? vOVCOC C C# (K) ^^ MARY TOOIWARD BX-SLA.VE 83 YEARS OLD* 11 1 knows you since you fbout dis high (indicating). it? I see you at your auntiefs house* Vftiere I see you? auntie, Miss Roxie Mobley, other side of Blaokstock* dress dat day, look lak a gal. "When was Dat was your You was in a little Ofal Lordy, dat been a long time* "What us has come thru since dat day and da,days befo* dat, beyond freedom* 11 1 was born a slave of old Marster Jldam Berber, near de Catawba Rivor side de county, in 1854. I's a mighty small gal but I 'members when PaPFy S0* his leg broke at de gin-house dat day, in de Christmas week* Seem lak dat was de best Christmas I ever had. "White folks comin1 and a gwine, loadin1 de bed down wid presents for pappy and mam&y and me* ""What lay pappy name? He was name Joe and mamay go by Millie* Both belong to Marster Adam and Miss Kellie. Bat was her name and a love- ly mistress she be in dat part of de country* Her was sure pretty, walk pretty, and act pretty* 'Bout all I had to do in slavery time was to comb her hair, lace her corset, pull de hem over her hoop and say, is served* mistressif f You Her lak them little words at de last. tt They have no chillun and dat was a grief to her more than to Marster Adam* Shen they 'spute fbout it# fault. thttau to me* Him comfort her many times fbout it and 'low it was his I f Dats all de ruxngpus ever was 'twixt speot$ if they had had ohillun they wouldn't have been so good What you reckon? They give me dolls and laugh at de way X name them, talk to them and dress them up* *Ihe t de Yankees come, X was a settin' in de swing in de front yard* They ride right up and say* 'Iftiere your mistress?' I says 'I 35? 258' don*t know*' find out*1 They say; Another say* 'You is lyin'* Give, her a few lashes and us ll 'No, us come to free niggers, not to whip themt* Then they ask me for to tell them inhere de best things was hid* f I don't know sir*1 I sayt Then they ransack de house, bust open de smoke house, take de meat, hams, shoulders, 'lasses barrel, sugar, and meal, put them in a four-horse wagon, set de house, gin*houae and barn afire and go on toward Rooky Mount* Our neighbors then, was Marster Aaron Powell and Sikes Gladden, on Dutchman Creek* "After freedom I marry Alf Woodward* Us had chillun* Let me seej Eli still alive," don't know where he is though* How many? Rosa dead; Susannah live now on Miss Sara Lord's place, up dere near Metford* De rest of de chillun went off to Arkansas 'bout 1885, and us never heard from them* "I forgot to tell you dat when de Yankees come and find me a settin' in dat swing, I had on a string of beads dat Miss Nellie give to me* Them rascals took my beads off ny neok, and what you reckon they did wid them? Well, if you doesn't know, I does* De scamps, dat is one of them did, took my lovely beads and put them 'round his horse's neck.Und ride off wid them, leavin' me sobbin' icy life out in dat swing* They say you must love your enemies and pray for them dat spitefully use you but I never have pray for dat Yankee scamp to dis day* Although I's Scotch Irish African 'Sociate Reform Presbyterian, de spirit have never moved me to pray for de horse and rider dat went off wid my beads dat my mistress give me* When I tell Marster William Woodward, my hdsband's old marster, 'bout it, him say: skunk, de Lord'11 take vengeance on him*' 'De low dirty Marster William give Alf a half a dollar and tell him to git me another string of beads, though Alf never done so* tt Alf was Marster William's coachman and him and Wade Pichett, dat was a slave of Marster William, took fifteen mules, when de Yankees come, and carried them in de Wateree swamps and stayed dere and saved thenu Every time &lf or Wade see Marster William, as de years oomed and goed, they fetched up de subject of them mules and git sumpin* from hinu One day he laugh and say; 'Look here Alf, I done fbout pay for sixteen mules and dere was but fifteen in de drove ' Alf laugh but he always got way wid it when he see any of de Woodward white folks to go now, though I has you*11 f Joyed bein1 wid you# Well Ifs glad De Lord bless you and keep 359f Ho. wdB Reduced from. .Words Rewritten by" Code Mo. Project, 18S5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.0. Date, September 15, 1937 280 Page 1. PAULINE 1DRTH Ix-Slave, 79 Tears 390279 *Yes,um, I know I been here in slavery time, but wasn1 large enough to do not kin in dat day en time. reach 79 de first day of Hovember. I To be certain dat how old I is, Miee Betty Evans give me-my direct age here de other day. She know who I am cause I was raise near bout in de same yard dat she was raise in. family was my white folks. in dis town. Mr. Telathy Henry Yes'urn, I was raise right here Ain1 never been nowhere else but Marion." "I was small den, but I remembers my old Missus* sho remembers her all right. My old boss, he died* I I can1 remember nothin much bout dem times only I recollects when my old Mi8BUB used to get after me en whip me, I would run under de house. Didn1 want to sweep de yard en dat how-come she get after me wid a switch. I was small den en she was tryin to learn me." Ho, child, I didn1 live on no plantation. no quarter for de slaves dere. Didn1 have My white folks live in town en dey just have my mother en her ohillun en another old man. He stayed in de kltohen en would work de garden en go off on errands for de Missus. My mother en we chillun stayed in a little small one room house in de yard en he stayed in de kltohen. I wasn1 large enough to do nothin much den only as like I tell you, my old Missus tried to learn me to sweep Code No. Project, 1S85-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, 8.0. Date, September 15, 1937 No. Words Reduced from Rewritten by" Words S6i Page 2. de yard.H 111 was small den, child, but I got along all right cause we ate in de white folks kitchen. Oh, no1urn, dey cook in de chimney long bout de time I come up. didn1 see no stoves nowhe1 when I come up. No1 urn, I remembers we had greens like collards en bread en potatoes to eat sometimes, but say remember all what we had to eat, I oouldn1 never think bout to do da t. I just knows dat I remembers old MisBUB provide good livin for us all de time. Wouldn' let nobody suffer for nothin be dat she know bout it. Old Missus used to give us every speck de clothes we had to wear too dat was made out die here homemade homespun cloth. You see my mother wae de cook dere. Old Masea used to keep dry goods store en de first I know bout it, she get de oloth out de store to make us clothes. Den after de old head died, old Missus commence to buy cloth from somebody in de country cause people weave dey cloth right dere on dey own plantation in dat day en time. wheel. Had dese here loom en spinning I remembers old Missus would take out big bolt of cloth en out out us garments wid her own hands. Den she would call us dere en make us try dem on en mine wouldn1 never be nothin troublesome nowhe* bout it. I remembers I used to hear my Missus,when she be readin de paper speak bout Abraham Lincoln en Jefferson Davis, but I was small den en never paid no much attention to it. Only cared bout my new homespun dress wid Code No. Project, 18S5-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, September 15, 1937 No* Words Reduced from Rewritten by Words Page 3, de pockets sbinin right in de front part. " SG2 My Lord, child, I been de proudest like of dem pookets.N NI hear de older people say de Yankees come en say de Yankees was here, but I was small den. bout dere dat I know of. Dey dicta* do no thin X was small en I didn1 know. Didn1 hear de older peoples say nothin bout it neither." B 0h, we went to de white peoples service to dat big Methodist church right up dere in dis town what was tore down long time ago. Walked dere to dat church every Sunday en set up in de gallery. to sit. Dat whe* all de slaves had place De only thing I could remember bout gwine to church dere was what I hear dem say. Dey say, *I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, etc.1 remembers bout gwine to church dere. Dat all I Everything X remembers. Don1 know as I could tell you dat, but I hear my mother repeat it so much when she come home en be teachin us our prayer. Den Missus teach us de same thing till we get large enough to learn de Lord's Prayer. No,mam, white folks didn1 teach us no learnin in dat day en time. dese almanaos . Didn1 hear bout no books only When de white folks throw dem out, dey allow us to pick dem up to play wld. Dat all de books we know bout." "Lord, child, dat was somethin. dat shake come here. Dat was sho a time when X remembers de ground be shakin en all de people was hollerin. Yes*um, X was scared. Soared of dat noise it was makin cause X didn* know but dat it might been Oode Ho. Project, 18g5~(l) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, September 15> 1937 gwine destroy me. Page 4. I was hollerin en everybody round in de neighborhood was hollerin. think it was. Ho. Words Reduced from Words Rewritten by Didn1 nobody know what to Well, X tell you I thought it must a been de Jedgment oomin. Thought it must a been somethin like dat." N I don1 know nothin bout dat. It just like die, I heard people speak bout conjurin, -but nobody never has talked to me nothin ooncernin no conjurin. My mother wouldn1 allow nobody to talk dat kind of speech to us* No, I ain1 never seen none of dem things people say is ghost. No, ain1 seen none dat I remembers. My husband died en I was right in de room wid him en I ain1 see a thing. Never thought bout nothin like dat. when dey gone, dey was gone. Thought When X was able to work, X didn1 have no time to bother wid dem things* have no time to take up wid nothin like dat* Didn1 X de one dat used to cook dere to Miss Iloise Bethea's mamma* Dis here de one dey call Pauline. "I tell you my old Missus was good to us, child, good to us all de time* when we get sick* no medicine. Oome bout en doctor us herself Wouldn1 trust nobody else to give us X remember she give us castor oil en little salts for some ailments* Didn1 give us nothin more den dat only a little sage or oatnip sometimes* good for colds." Dat what was 363 Oode No. Project,1S85-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Plaoe, Marion, 8.0. Date, September 15, 1937 n I don1 know, ohild. days den or deee times. Ho. Words Reduced from Rewritten by" Words Page 5. I oan' tell which de worser I know one thing, dey dances now more den dey used to. I don1 go bout much, but I oan tell you what I hear talk bout. I don' know as de people any worser dese days, but I hear talk bout more dances. Dat bout all. Ooase de peoples used to dance bout, but dey didn1 have dese danoe halls like Didn1 have none of dem kind of rousin dey have now. De peoples didn1 have chanoe to danoe in places den. dat day en time only as dey have a quiltin en oomshuckin on a night. Den dey just dance bout in old Ma sea yard en bout de kitchen. Oh, dey have dem quiltin at night en would play en go on in de kitchen. different little things like dat. Turn plate en I don1 know how dey do it, but I remembers X hear dem talk in some thin bout turnin plate. what dey meant. Wasn1 big enough to explain no thin bout I just knows dey would do dat en try to make some kind of motion like." "Honey, didn1 never hear my parents tell bout no stories. My mother wasn1 de kind to bother wid no stories like dat. She tried to always be a Christian en she never would allow us to tarnish us souls wid nothin like dat. She raise us in de way she want us to turn out to be; All dese people bout here livin too fast to pay attention to raisin dey ohillun dese days. Just livin too fast to do 364 Ho. Words Reduced from Rewritten by Oode Ho. Project, 13S5-U) Prepared by Annie Rath Davis Place, Marion, S.C. Date, September 15, 1937 anything dat be lastin like. Words Page b. Dat how-come dere be so much destruotiveness bout dese days." Source: Pauline Worth, age 79, ex-slave, Manning St , Marion, S.C. Personal interview, Sept."", 1937 by Annie Ruth Davis. 365 > Project #-1655 Phoebe Faucette Hampton bounty Folklore 866 DaPHNEY WRIGHT 106 Year Old Ex-Slave Just, around the bend from the old mill pond on the way to Davis Swimming Pool lives a very old negro woman* is Daphney Wright, though Her name that name has never been heard by those who affectionately know her as "Aunt Affiew. she is 106 years old* She says She comes to the door without a cane and greets her guests with accustomed curtsey. She is neatly dressed and still wears a fresh white cap as she did when she worked for the white folks* Save for her wearing glasses and walking slowly, there are no evidences of illness or infirmities. She has a sturdy frame, and a kindly face shows through the wrinkles. "I been livln1 in Beaufort when de war fust (first) break outn, she begins. 'Mr. Robert Cally was my marsa. in October. Dat wuz D e Southern soldiers come through Bluffton on a Wednesday and tell de white folks must get out de way, de Yankees right behind ,eml D e summer place been at Bluffton. De plantation wuz ten miles away. After we refugee from Bluffton, we spent de fust nigit at Jonesville. we went to Hardeeville. From dere We got here on Saturday evening. You know we had to ride by horses - in wagons an1 buggies. Dere weren't no railroads or cars den. Dat why it take so long. "Mr. Lawrence HcKenzie wuz my Missus1 child. wid him awhile, house. f til he find us a place. w e stayed Got us a little *e stayed four years dere, *til< de war wuz over. 9 7 Project #-1656 Ihoebe Paucette **ampton County Page - 2 Dey sent de young ladles on - on farther up de country, to a safer place. Dey went to Society Hill. She wuss a old lady. My old Missus stay. When de Yankees come she died. right dere wid her when she died. I wua She had been sickly. After de war dey all went back to de old place. I had married up here, so When dey went back I stay on here. W I been right here when de Yankees come through. I been in my house asittin* before de fire, jes' like I is now. "One of fem come up an1 say, 'You know who I is?1 ^1 say, N . H He say, 'Well, I is come to set you free. You kin/stay wid your old owners if you wants to, but dey* 11 pay you wages.' "Bat dey sure did plenty of mischief while dey, wuz here. Didn't burn all de houses. burn. Pick out de big handsome house to Burn down Mr. Bill Law ton' house. had a fine house. brother.) Dey burn dat. Burn Mr. Maner' house. M r. Asbury Lawton (le Marse Tern Lawton'r Some had put a poor white woman In de house to keep de place; but it didn't make no difference. "Da soldiers say, 'Dls rich house don't belong to you. We golnT t burn dls house!' Dey'd go through de house an' take everything' thin' they could find, T ake any- Take from de white, an' take from de colored, too* 'J-'ake everything out de houset Dey take from 26$ Project # <165S Phoebe Paucette Hampton County my house* Page - 3 Take some thin1 to eat* much in my house* But I didn't have anythin* Had a little pork an1 a week's supply of rations* w De white folks would bury de silver* always find it again* But dey couldn't One give her silver to de colored butler to bury but he wuz kill, an' nobody else know where he bury it* It wuz after de war, an' he wuz walkin' down de road, an' Wheeler's Brigade kill him* "Been years an' years 'fore everythin* could come together again. confiscate* You know after de war de Confederate money been You could be walkin' 'long de road anytime an' pick up a ten dollar bill or a five dollar bill, but it wuzn't no good to you* After de greenback come money flourish again* "De plantation wuz down on de river* I live dere 'cept for de four years we refugee* "Bat been a beautiful place dere on de water! %en de stars would come out dere over de water it wuz a beautiful sightt Sometimes some of us girls would get in a little 'paddle' an' paddle out into de river* We'd be scared to go toe far out, but we'd paddle around* Sometimes my father would go out in de night an' catch de fish with a seine. 'most anytime* He'd come back with a bushel of fish Dey were nice big mulletsi 'round 'mongst de colored folks* de vtoite folks for dere breakfast* Mftv He'd divide 'em An' he'd take some up to My white folks been good 868 Project #-1655 Phoebe Faucette Hampton County white people. one of dem. page - 4 I never know no cruel. Dey treat me jes like Dey say dey took me when I wua five years old. An* I stay wid dem 'til freedom. I am 106 years old now. w Dem people on de water don't eat much meat. cent of bacon will last dem a week. Twentyfive Dey cut de meat into little pieces, an* fry dem into cracklings, den put dat into de fish stew. *t surely makes de stew good. When dey kill a hog dey take it to town an1 sell it, den use de money for whatever dey want. it to eat. Dey don't have to cure de pork an' keep Dey jes eat fish. Dey have de mullets, an* de oysters, an' de crabs, an' dese little clams. oyster-stew, Bey have ^ey have roast oysters, den de raw oysterTT. An' dey have dey fried oysterst Dat sure is good. Dey fish from de boat, dey fish from de log, an' dey fish 'long de edge of de water wid a net. When de tide go down you kin walk along an' jes pick up de crab. full in no time. pretty shells. You could get a bucket We'd like to go up an* down an' pick up de I got one here on de mantel now. It ain't sech a big one, but it's a pretty little shell. "I is always glad to talk 'bout de old times an1 de old people. times. *e is livin' in peace now, but still it's hard We ought to be thankful though our country ain't in war.* Sources Daphney Wright, Scotia, S. C. Project 1885-1. Folk Lore District No. 4. May 28, 1937. 270 Edited by: J.J. Murray. STORIES OF EX-SLAVES Seated on the front steps of his house, holding a walking cane and talking to another old colored man from Georgia, who was visiting his children living there, the writer found "Uncle" Bill Young. He readily replied that he had lived in slavery days, that he was 83 years old, and he said that he and Sam were talking about old times. He was owned by Dave Jeter at Santuc, S.C.; though he was just a boy at the the time his mother was a slave. He used to mind his "Missus" more than anybody else, as he stayed around the house more than anywhere else. His job, with the other boys, both white and black, was to round up the milk cows late every afternoon. The milk cows had to be brought up, milked and put up for the night; but the other cows and calves used to stay in the woods all night long. Some times they would be a mile away from the house, but the boys would not mind getting them home, for they played so much together as they slowly drove the cows in. When asked if he got plenty to eat in slavery days, he replied that he had plenty, "a heap more than I get today to eat". As a slave, he said he ate every day that the white folks ate, that he was always treated kindly, and his missus would not let anybody whip him; though he had seen other slaves tied and whipped with a bull-whip. He said he had seen Page . Polk Lore: Stories of Ex-slave a. the blood coxae from some of the slaves as they were whipped across the bare back. He said he had seen the men slaves stand perfectly naked and take a beatihg. He also said that he never had a whipping and that his "Mi as as" wouldn't let his own mother whip him. She would say, "Don't tech that boy, as he is my Nigger." She told him one day that he was free, but he stayed right on there with her and worked for wages. He got $6.00 a month, all his rations, and a place to stay. "Uncle" Bill said there was some humor at times when a slave was to be whipped. His hands and feet tied together, the slave would be laid across a rail fence, feet dangling on one side and head on the other side; then the master would give the slave a push or shove and he would fall heavily on the ground on his head. Hot being able to use his feet or his hands, the slave's efforts to catch himself before he hit the ground was something funny. "That was funny to us Niggers looking at it, but not funny to the Bigger tied up so." He said some Yankeejsoldiers came by the house at times, but they never bothered anybody on the place. "Ofeourse they would take something to eat, but they never bothered anybody." After working for Dave Jeter for many years, he moved up to Jonesville, where he married. He lived in or near Jonesville for about thirty years, then he moved with his son, who was a barber, to Spartanburg, and has been here 271 Folk Lore: Stories of Ex-alaves Page 3. 372 thirteen years. B I never knew anything about rent 'til I got here. I always had a house to live in, raised my own feed and got my wood off the place. So when I got to Spartanburg I learned * what rent was. I just quit work two years ago when I had high blood pressure; and now I ain't able to work. Do you see that Nigger across the street, going to work somebody's garden? Well, if I didn't have high blood pressure, I'd be just as good to work as him." "Yes sir, with my peck of meal, my three pounds of meat each week and my $6.00 a month wages, I had more to eat than I gets now." SOURCE: ' Uncle" Bill Young, 202 Young Street, Spartanburg, S.<% Interviewer: F. S. Dufre, Spartanburg Office, Dist. 4. Project 1885-1 folklore Spartanburg, Dist.4 I"eb. 4, 1938 ^QGG?<1 w>?wu vi Edited by:" Elmer Turnage f Q^ft *"u STORIES fROM EX-SLAVES March 16, 1862 is de date I allus takes when folks axes how old is you. Dat's de best, to follow one date, den no argument don't follow. r, Some see'd it powerful hard in slavery, others never see'd it so bad. Dat 'pends on you a lot, den it 'pends on dera dat you stays wid. It still like dat everywhar dat I is been, but I ain't been no further dan Spartanburg gwine north, and to Lyles's Ford gwine south. "From a wee bitty baby.dey teach me to serve. Befo you serves God you is got to know how to serve man. De Bible speaks of us as servants of de Lawd. Niggers can serve Kim better dan white folksr kaise dat is all dey does if dey stays whar dey belongs. Young folks and chillun being raised up real biggity like dey is now, dey can't serve nothing, kaise if you can't serve your earthly father, how is you gwine to serve your Heavenly father? *De big plantation and house whar Mr. Jimmie Jeter's sons stay is whar I first see*d earthly light. Dat place still look fine, and it look fine den, too. When I was 8 years old I started out in de field, afo' dat I did jes' what all little nigger boys did, nothing but eat and sleep and play and have a big time wid de little white boys. Lots of my playmates, both white and black, done gone on now. Some done gone to de bad place and some done gone to Heaven, jes' ain't no use talking, dat s sho nuff de truth. War was raging all 'round Charleston and Columbia when I tome in dis world so dey says, Yankees camped in half mile of Santuc. Ex-Slaves Bob young -. 2 - 3*74 ^ I is heard dat everybody was scared. Has even heard dat I cried when dem Yankees come, but all I knows is jes' what I heard. Polks hears lots and dey tells it, and dat's jes' what I is doing now jes' telling what dey told me when I got big. If folks didn't never tell nothing no worse, it wouldn't make no difference, but often dey takes devilish notions and tells dat what injures, if anybody believes dem. "Aunt Phyllis Jeter 'low when dem Yankees got to Santuc, she was a weaving jes' as hard as she could for her white folks. She say dat she starter to run, but dem Yankees come in de house and throw'd away her yarn and took her and tied her to a tree. When she hollered, dey whipped her. She say dat dey was drunk, but dey never burn't up nothing in de house. Dey went on singing, and she got me to playing and got up de yarn from de dirt in de yard and cleaned it. De Yankees never bothered us no mo', and dey never stayed in santuc long. ^Once when I was a big boy I got drunk and pa whipped me so hard I never got drunk no mo' till I was married, and den I jumped on my old lady for fun and she hit me wid a bad slat. Dat knocked me sober and I 'cided de best thing for me to do was let liquor go to de devil. When I was young I alias walked to Union, Dat ain't but ten miles down de railroad. Den I used to walk all over Santuc and down to Herbert in Fish Dam. Now I is drapped most all my walking. De chilluns travels fast in automobiles, but I jes' as lieve walk to Union as to ride in dem things. Wrecks kills you off so quick dat you does not have time to repent. ^Walking never has hurt nobody, and I buys leather and tacks it on my own shoes, and in dat way it don't cost me nothing much. folks goes so fast in dem automobiles, and half de time dey ain't in no hurry kaise dey ain't gwlne to nothing no way. I gits on my shoe* in &e *iater and I walks. When I wants to drap in for a chaw at some Ex-Slave: Bob Young 3 3*75 friend's house, I does. I sets dar till I gits rested and warm and I goes on. If dey eats, I does too, and when I gits to Union my chillun is done out and gone. Jes' de same, I reaches home at night befo' dem. "Dey has tales to tell about gitting out of gas, and when I axes whar dey been, dey jes' as apt to say Spartanburg as any whars. As long as dey has a quarter dey is allus gwine to ride and come home broke. If you fools wid automobiles, you is gwine to spend lots of time in jail. I ain't never been in jail and I thinks it is a disgrace. My chillun says dat I is 'old timey' and don't know nothing 'bout living, Jes de same, I likes slow moving, and takes mine out in walking and gits home at dark or soon atter. "Dese fast ways don't bother me. Dey makes sassy chilluns. Sassy chilluns dat can't serve deir pa need not think dat dey can ride to de Promise Land in narry automobile dat dey is ever seed. Gwine round in fast circles and never gitting nowhars seems to satisfy dem, so I don't know what is gwine to become of dem.'* Source: Bob Young (75) Jonesville, S.C Interviewer: Caldwell Sims, Union, S.C. 11/10/37 1