SLAVE NARRATIVES A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Skives 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 A rx & i VOLUME xv TENNESSEE NARRATIVES Prepared by the Federal Writers* Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Tennessee Casey, Julia Ghappel, Cecelia Childress, Wiley 3 Falls, Robert 5 9 43 47 49 55 60 Parker, Laura Ramsey 1 Matthews, Ann Moore, Rev. John Moss, Andrew Moss, Mollie Ode11, Andy Batson, Frances 62 11 Gaines, Rachel Goole, Frankie Gray, Precilla Greer, Jenny Grishara, Emma 17 19 24 27 28 Reece, Naisy 64 Sioipkins, Millie Star, Joseph Xeonidas 66 70 Hudson, Measy Hyde, Patsy 31 33 Thomas, Dan 74 Kannon, Ellis Ken 37 Watkins, Sylvia 76 Martin, Scott 40 Young, Narcissus 80 410018 .,' INTERVIEW PRANCES BATSON 1213 Scovel St. Nashville, Tennessee "I dunno jes how ole I ez, durin' slabery. I wuz baw'n 'yer in Nashville, I must be way pas' 90 fer I member de Yankee soldiers well- , De chilluns called dem de 'blue mans.1 Mah white folks wuz named Crockett. Dr. Crockett wuz our marster but I don't member 'im mah.se'f. He d'ed.w'en I wuz small. Mah marster wuz mean ter mah mammy w'en her oler chilluns would run 'way. Mah oler br'er went ter war wid mah marster. Mah younger br'er run 'way, dey caught ira, tuk im home en whup'd im. He run 'way en wuz nebber found." "We wuzn't so 3d but mah mammy went 'way, en lef' me en I got up one mawnin' went ter mah mammy's room, she wuz gon' I cried en cried fer her.- MahMissis wouldn't let me out a de. house* fer fear I'd try ter find her. Atter freedum mah br'er en a Yanke soldier kum in a waggin en git us. I don1 see why you ez takin' dez chilluns. 'We ez free now.' Mah white folks sed, Mah brudder said, I member one whup'in mah missis gib me. en her daughter slipped 'way ter de river ter fish. Me We koteh a fish en mah missis had hit cooked fer us but whup'd us fer goin1 ter di river ,H fWhar de Buena Vista schul ez hit useter be a Yankee soldiers Barrick. Eber mawnin' dey hadder muaic. We cMlluns would go on i de h$ll, (whar the bag mill ez now) en listen ter dem. I member a b|jft k hoss de SQ^ie^s had, dat ef you called iim Jeff Davis - :;f: ' - v : ,- 4f .' : i$&^ W - '- - -' ' ' ' ' "'.-.. .' ' ' . v--,: ' . ; .;. ; .--' r * < ' % ; ;".. It.2 "I member de ole well on Cedar Street, neah de Capitol, en six mules fell in hit. Dat wuz back w'en blackberries wuz growin' on de Capitol Hill. pleasure gyarden. En Morgan Papk wuz called d En hit wuz full ob Yankee soldiers Atter de war dere wuz so many German peeple ober 'yer, dat fum Jefferson Street, ter Clay Street, wuz called Dutch town." "I wuzn't bawn w'en de sta'rs fell. We didn't git nothln1 w'en we wuz freed. Dunno much 'bout de Klu Klux Klan." "Mah mammy useter tell me how de white folks would hire de slaves out ter mek money fer de marater en she tole me sum ob de marsters would hide dere slaves ter keep de Yankees fum gittin' dem." "I d'on' b'leeve in white en black ma'iages. ma'led a lite man. Mah sistah I wouldin' marry one ef hit would turn me ter Bunno nothin1 'bout votin', allus tho't dat wuz fer de men." gold. "I ea$ t think ob any tales er nuthln 'bout ghos' . 'Cept one 'bout a marster tyin' a nigger ter a fence en wuz beatin1 ' im. A Yankee kum 'long made ' im untie de nigger en den de nigger beat de white man*" "Ms young peeples ez tough, I think half ob dem' 11 fre hung, de way dey throw rocks at ole peeples. Bat's why I's crippled now, a white boy hit me wid a rock, I b'long ter de Methodist Chuch." "Since freedum I'se hired out, washed en cooked fer diff'ent peeple. Sound.1*" De only song I memberj 'Hark Fum de Ground dis Mournful 2 410009 INTERVIEW JULIA CASEY" 811 9th Avenue, So, Nashville, Tennessee I wuz bawn in 'West Tennessee en wuz six y'ars ole Wen war broke out Mah Mis si 3. wuz Miss Jennie McCullough en she ma' ried Eldridge Casey. Mah Missis's mammy wuz a widder en she gib me, mah mammy, man sistah Violet, mah two br'ers Andrew en Alfred ter Miss Jennie fer a wed'un gif . Missis Jennie en Marster EMridge brung us ter Nashville 'fore de war sta'ted. Mah Missis wuz good ter us. I1se bin w'11 tuk keer ob, plenty ter eat en warm clothes ter War. Right now Use got on long underW ar en mah chemise Mah mammy-d|ed fust y'ar ob freedum. Bey tuk her 'way in a two-hoss waggin, 'bout four o'clock one evenin' hurses er caskets den. Missis Jennie. peculiar. Bere wuz no Wen mah mammy d'ed, I still stayed wid She raised me. Dat s why folks 3ay I'se so Be Yankee soldiers tuk mah sistah en two br'ers 'way durin' de war. I ez de mammy ob seven chilluns. All dted now but one. Mah white folks didn't send me ter schul but I'se l'arned a few things ob how ter act. Bey ez pas' me. Don't ax me 'bout der young peeple. No manners 'tall. In slavery days you didn't hab ter worry 'bout yo clothes en rations but dese dajys you hab ter worry 'bout eve'ything. j I i longs ter de Baptist Chuch. Useter go ter camp-meetin's en hab a big time wid good things ter eat. Mdn't go ter de baptizin' much. Dey would leave de chuch singin1 en shoutin1 Dere ez three days in September dat we hab dinnah on de groun* en all Baptist git tergedder. We calls hit de 'sociation. I'se neber voted cose dat ez de man's job. Mah frens hab nebber had political jobs. Don't b'leeve in matrige ob white en black en hit shouldn't be 'lowed. Since freedom mah main job wuz cookin' but I'se done washin' en ironin' . Atter mah health started failing,..I done a lot ob nusin1 I'se aint abul ter wuk fur de las' five y'ars en de white folks hab helped me. De relief gibes me groc'eys, coal en pays mah rent. I hope ter git de ole age pension soon. Mah ole favo*ite song ez "Mazing Grace, How sweet hit Sounds." 410005 INTERVIEW CECELIA CHAPPEL 705 Allison Street Nashville, Tenn. "I1se bawn in Marshall County, Tennessee. olest ob ten chilluns en Use 102 ya!rs ole. Ifse bin ! yer longer dan dat. Ifm de I feels lak Mah mammy wuz brought ter Nashville en sold ter sum peeple dat tuck her ter Mississippi ter live." fl Mah Mars ter en Missus wuz named Bob en Nancy Lard* Eve:*y slave had ter say Missus en Marster en also ter de I still says hit, en ef I kum ter yo dofr, I white babies* nebber kums in Hill you ax me* Lots ob mah folks seze ter me.dat I ez too ole fash1 on en I seze I don1 keer I wuz raised wid manners en too ole ter change/1 n0ur Marster gib us good food en clothes. lfarnt how ter.nit, weav, sew en spin. gib a certain don1. I wuz On rainy days we wuz f mount ob weavin1 ter do en had ter git hit I dunno how ter read er rite. *low us ter l!arn nuthin*. De white folks ditLn1 I declar* you bettuh not git kotch wid a papah in you han*. Ef I had half a chance lak you chilluns hab, Ifd go ter bed wid mah books." "Our Marster f lowed us ter go ter chuch; I went bar'foot en had a rag tied lroun mah haid en mah dress kum up ter mah fnees. Dat preacher-man would git up dere en Interview, Cecelia Chappel - continued. * tell us "Now you m&tj' yo Map step en Missis en don1 steal fum dem;" I stayed wid mah Missis fep a long time atter I got freedum en I cried lak a fool w'en I had ter leave dem. Mah Missis, seze "You ez jes as free as I ez," but I allus had good clothes en good food en I didn' know how I'd git dem atter I lef her." "Mah white folks wuz tight on us but, as ole as I ez, I offun think dat dey nebber hit a lick dat I didn' need. Ef'n dey hadn' raised me right, I might hab -got in meaness en bin locked up half de time, but I ain't nebber bin 'rested, en I'se 'ferd ob de policemans. De fiel' slaves wuz whup'd in de fiel's by de oberseer en de. i,:L arster en Missis did hit at de house." "I tall you we had a hahd time. let dem sell me. Mah Missis wGulden' I wuz a nuss en house gal. I wuz whup'd wid a bull whup, en got cuts on mah back menny a time. I'se not shamed ter say I got skyars on mah back now fum Marster cut tin' hit wid dat bull whup. Mah Missis also whup'd me. Wen de Missis got ready ter whup me, she would gib us sum wuk ter do, so she would kind ob git ober her mad spell 'fore she whup'd us. Sum times she would lock us up in a dark closet en bring our food ter us. I hated bein' locked up. Atter dey tuk me out ob de house, I wuked in de fiel' lak de urthurs. Long 'fore day break, we wuz standin' in de fiel's leanin* on our hoes waitin' fer daylite en waitin' far de horn ter blow so we would start ter wuk. Ef'n we 6 Interview, Cecelia Cbappel - continued/ wanfed ter go ter any place we had ter hab a pass wid our Marster's name on hit en ef you didn1 hab hit, you got tore ter pieces en den you liar star tore you up w!en you got home* * "One story mah daddy useter tell us wuz 'bout a slave He wua illulei pray in1 fer.de good Lawd ter tek named Pommpy. ! im fway. One nite he wua down on his f nees prayin1, "Good Lawd, kum en tek po Pommpy out ob his misery/1 De Mars ter ob Pommpy !yearfd fm en de ^arster made a leetle noise en Pommpy naze, tf fho ez dat?" En his Marster seze, "Hits de \i Lawd kum ter tek po Pommpy out ob his misery." Pommpy crawl ) under de bed en seze, "Pommpy has bin gonf two er three days."* "'Nurther story; A partridge en a fox 'greed ter kil' a beef.. Dey kilt en skinned hit. B'fo dey divide hit de fox said, "Mah wife seze sen' her sura beef fer soup," so he tuek a piece ob hit en carried hit down de hill, den kum back en said mah wife wants mof beef fer soup. all de beef wuz gon* 'cept de libber. He kep dis up 'til De fox kum back en de partridge seze now lets cook dis libber en both ob us eat hit. De partridge cooked de libber, et hits part rite quick, en den fell ovuh lak hit wuz sick; de fox got skeered en said dat beef ez pizen en he ran down de hill en started bringin* de beef back en w'en he brought hit all back, he lef1 en de partridge had all de beef." "Don't member much now 'bout de Klu Klux Klan en npthin* & |250.00 bet dat nobody could lick A nigger fum de iron wuks fought Pedd en Pedd won, nigger wuz kilt fright dere t De iron jfi) "'fore Freedum de slaves wuz promused forty acres ob land w'en freed but none eber got hit, en I 'year'd ob no one gittin1 any money. I dunno nuthin' ob de slave 'risin's, ghostus er dreams, but I member mah folks talkin1 'bout fallin' sta'rs en a comet but I don' member now w'at dey said." "I se wuk'd at a lot ob diff'ent jobs since mah freedum. I wuk*d at de Maxwell House 15 years as store room porter, en hit wuz de only,wo'th-while hotel in Nashville at dat time. I wuk'd fuh de City fuh menny y'ars en den I wuk'd fuh Poster & Creighton 'till dey wore me out. I off'n think ob deze difflnt men dat I wuk'd fuh but dey ez all de'd. De las* job I had wuz buildin' flers en odd jobs fuh a lady up de street. She would gib me food en coal, she ez de d now," w I*se not able ter wuk now en all I has ez a small groo'ey order dat de relief gibs me. Dey keep promisin1 ter . gib me de Old Age Pension en I wish dey would hurry hit up." 410025 m SUBJECT SLAVE SfORIES ROBERT JAILS 608 South Broadway Knexville.iemiessee Interviewed byDelia Yoe foreman Federal Writers.' Project, 'First. District,UFA Room.# 215 Old YMCA Building State and Coiamerce Streets, Xnoxvil le. Tennessee ^illte ^r.^P^:".*"!'^?''?- ^*'''&*M. Wi^^M^:^^:i$i^^ ^^^^^^^^^^SiSftiS^il **\. Page-I- 410025 12 Robert Falls was born on December 14,1840,in the rambling one-story shack that accomodated the fifteen slaves of his Old Marster 9Seattle &oforth,on a farm in Claiborne County,North Carolina. His tall frame is slightly stooped, but he is not subjected to the customary infirmities of the aged, other than poor vision and hearing. Fairly comfortable , he is spending his declining years in contentment, for he is now the first consideration of his daughter,Mrs.Lola Reed, with whom he lives at #608 S.Broadway,Knoxville,Tennessee. His cushioned rocking chair is the honor seat of the household.His apology for not offering it to visitors, is that he is M not so fast on his feet as he used to be.H Despite Uncle Robert's protest that his tt mind comes and goes", his memory is,keen,and his sense of humor unimpaired. His reminiscences of slave days are enriched ly his ability to recreate scenes and incidents in few. words, and by his powers of mimicry. B If I had wy life to live over," he declares,11 I would die fighting rather than be a slave again* I want no man's yoke on my shoulders no more. Bat in them days, us niggers didnt know no better. All we knowed was work, and hard work. We was learned- to say, !Yes SirJf and scrape down and bow, and to do just exactly what we was told to do, make no difference if we wanted to or not. Old Marster and Old Mistress would say,MDo this!11 and we don it. And they say, * Come here I1 and if we didnt come to them, they come to us. And they brought the bunch of switches with them.* Shey didnt half feed us either, fhey fed the animals better.fhey / gives the mules, ruffage and such, to chaw on all night .But they didnt give us n thing to chaw on. Learned us to steal, that*s what they done.%*y we would take anything we could lay our hands on,when we was hungry, fhen they^d whip us fjor lifipng when we say we dont know nothing about it. J3ut it was easier to stand, K \v:''' ?:';-:' ,' '"'.'' : - Pv ' vi! " ' ' ' '.' . ' ' ' v ' ' ' '..''. \ Page~2- 11 ) Now my father, he was a fighter. He was mean as a hear He was so / bad to fight and so troublesome he was sold four times to my knowing and maybe a heap more times. That's how come my name is Falls, even if some does call me Robert Goforth* Niggers would change to the name of their new marster,every time they ras sold* And my father had a lot of names, but kep the .one \ of his marster when he got a good home. That man. was Harry Falls.He said he'd been trying to buy father for a long time, because he was the best wagoner in all that country abouts. And the man what sold him to Jails, his name was Collinst he told my father,11 Tou so mean,I got to sell you. You all time complaining about you dont like your white folks. Tell me now who you wants to live with. Just pick your man and I will go see him.w Then xay father tells ^i&llins, I want you to sell me to Marster Harry I\<:lls. They made the trade. I dlsremember what the money was, but it was big. Good workers sold for $1,000 and $2,000. After that the white; folks didnt have no more trouble with iny father^B&t he*d still fight.That man would fight a she-bear and lick her every time.rt n My mother.was sold'three times before I was born* The last time when Old Goforth sold her, to the slave speculators,-you know every sime they / needed money they would sell a slave,- and they was taking them, driving them, just like a pack of mules, to the maxfcet from North Carolina into South Carolina, she began to have fits. You see they had sold her away from her b&by. And just like I tell you she begun having fits. They got to the jail house where they was to stay that night, and she took on so, Jim Slade and Press Wfrthy^ them was the slave speculators,"coul&nt do nothing with her.Hext morning(^ne. % them |ook her back to Marse Goforth and told himJ*Look here.We cant do nothing with this ^o ^n^ Tou got to take har and give us back our money.And j>:/i ^\J^ f^^ 13 j&sy &*&& ,** too#So Cp.4 itarse &o orth took my mother bac& their money* After that none of us was ever sej^mtea.We |^4a.;|^^Mgr j^sd %*o sisters and wy a&otiaer, with the &$$$&* & #!>$ - _;. 14 Page- 3- M And do you know, she never did get over having fits, ^he had them every change of the moon, or leastways every other moon change. But she kept on working.She was z hard worker She had to be .Old "Mistress see to that.She was meaner than old *%rsterf she was. She would sit ty the spinning wheel/ and connt the turns the slave women made.And they couldnt fool her none neither. My mother worked until ten o'clock almost every night because her part was to spend so many cuts" a day,, and she couldnt get through no sooner, "hen I was a little shaver, I used to sit on the floor with the other little fellows while our mothers worked, a.id sometimes the white folks girls would read us a **ible story.2ut most of the time we slept.Right there on the floor. hen later,when I res bigger, I fed to work with the men at night shelling corn, to take to town early mornings.11 "Marster Goforth counted himself a good old Baptist j^hristian. The -one good deed he did, I will never forget, he made us all go to church every Sunday. That TO<* the oriLiest place off the farm we ever went. Every time a slave went off the place, he had to have a pass, except we didnt, for church. Everybody in thet cotintry knowed that the Goforth niggers didnt have to have ro pass to go to church. But that didnt make no difference to the pattyroolers. 0?hey*fipL hide in the tushes, or wait along side of the road, and when the niggers come from meeting, the Pattyroolers1s say, |Wharls your pass1? Us Goforth niggers used to start running soon as we w^s out of church.We never got caught .That is why I tell you I cant use my legs like I used to. If you was caught without no pass, , the Pattyroolers give you five licks fhey was licks 1 You take a bunch of five to seven Pattyroolers each giving five licks and the blood flows*tf M01d Marster was too old to go to the war.He had one son was a soldier, I but he never come home again. I never seen a soldier till the war was over and I they begin to come back to the farms. We half-grown niggers had to work the farm, because all the famers had to give,-I believe it was a tenth- of their croos to P*ge-4~ . help feed the soldiers. So we didnt know nothing about what was going on, no more than a hog. It was a long time before we knowed we was free. Then one night Old Marster come to our house and he say he wants to see us all before breakfast tomorrow morning and to come on over to his house.He got something to tell us." "Next morning we went over there. I was the monkey, always acting smart.But I believe they liked me better than all of the others. I just spoke sassy-like and say,H01d M arsterf what you got to tell usH? My mother saidf "Shut your mouth fool.He1!! whip youJfl And Old Marster say^No I wont Tiiiip you.Never no more, sit down thar all of you and listen to what I got to tell you.I hates to do it but I must. You all aint my diggers no more. You is free. Just as free as I am.Here 1 have raised you all to work for me, and now you are going to leev* me. I am an old man, a id I cant get along without you.I dont know what I am going to do. Well sir, it killed him.He was dead in less than ten months.M -..-- n Everybody left right now, but me and my brother and another fellow. Old Marster fooled us to believe we was duty-bound-to stay with hin till we was t all twenty-one. But my brother, that b>y was suboorn. Soon he say he aint going to stay there .And he left. In about a year, maybe less, he come back end he told me I didnt have to work for Old Goforth, I was free, sure enouhh freehand I went with him and he got me a job railroading. But the work was too hard for me.I couldnt stand it.So I left there and went to my mother. I had to walk.It was forty-^fiye miles. I made it in a day. s he got me work there where she worked.n n I remember so well, how the roads was full of folks walking and isalfcing along when the jiggers were freed. Didnt know where they was go trig. Just pilftg tosee about something else somewhere else. Meet a body in the road and ;^|g^^ know.*** *%at you going to do*? ont icaow. * -Ifr Page-5- j[6 And then sometimes we would meet a white man and he would say," How you like to come work on my farm1? And we say,11 I dont know.1 n And then maybe he say, If you come work for me on my farm, when the crops is in I give you five "bushels of corn, five gallons of molasses, some ham-meat, and all your clothes and vittals whils you works for me*" Alrighti That's what I do. And then something begins to work up here,( touching his forehead with his fingers) I begins to think and to know things. A^d * knowed then I could mate a living for my own self, and I never had to be a slave no nore.11 n Now, Old Marster Goforth, had four sisters what ovsned slaves, and they wasnt mean to them like our Old Marster and Mistress.Some of the h " . old slaves and teir folks are still living on thfeir places right to this day* But they never dispute none with their brother about how mean he treat his slaves. And him claiming to be such a Christia&l Well, I reckon hefs found out something about slave driving by now. The good Lord has to get his work in some time. And he1!! take care of them low down Pattyroolers and slave speculators and mean* Marsters and Mistresses/ Hefs took good-care of me in the years since I was free*d, only now, we needs Him again now and then. I just stand up on my two feet', raise my arms to heaven, and say, r,Lora,help meJ1 He never fails me.I asked him this morning,didrit I Lola ? Asked i^m to render help.We need it. And here you come. Lola, just watch that lady write. If you ana me had her education, we'd be fixed now wouldnt we? I never had no learning." Nfharik you Laciyfl(. tucking the coin into his pocket wallet,along with his tobacco]|And thank you for comirg. It does me a heap of good to see visitors and talk about the old times.uome again, wont you? And next time you come, I want to talk to you about oi^ age pensions. I come here from Marian,N.C. three years ago, and they tell me I have to live here four, before I gets a pension* i$$^^ A#& as I dorif* left Jtorth carolina, I cant get a pension from them.Bat tell ipoe what to do. I; likes this place.ind I do hopes I get a ^^^^^^0^0^^'^tB to be/a ;l^p^red |, 410010 *\ INTERVIEW . RACHEL GAINES 1025 10th Ave. N. Nashville, Tennessee "LawdyV It se dunno how ole I ez, 95 ter 100 y'ars. B'leeves I'se Ground De fust thing I members ez I wuz tuk in a waggin ter Trenton, Kentucky en sold ter Dr. Bainbridge Bickerson jest lak dey sold cows en hosses. Mah sistah wuz sold in de same way at Bowling Green, Kentucky ter ! nuther Marster." "I wuz sold only one time in mah life en dat wuz w'en Marster .Dickinson bought me. Atter freedum.wuz 'clared de Marster tole all his slaves dat dey could go wharever'y dey pleased but ef n dey couldn't mek dere own livin1 ter kum ter 'im en he would he ps dem." "Missus Dickinson kep me dere kaze I wuz nuss ter dere son Howard who wuz sho a wild one. I member how he would tote out fried chicken, pig meat en uthuh good stuff ter us darkies. Bey igreed ter pay me $35.00 a yeah (en keep) en hit wuz gib me eve'y Christmus mawning. Dey treated me good, gib me all de clothes en uthuh things I needed ez ef'n I wuz one ob de fam'ly." "Eve y two weeks de Marster would sen* fer Jordan McGowan who wuz de leader ob a striiig music ban' Dey would git dere Friday nite early en de slaves would dance in de grape house dat nite en all day Saturday up ter midnite. You don't hab now as good dance music en;as much fun as de ole time days had. We allus had a big barbecue er watermelon feast eve y time we 18 had a dance. useter hab. Neber 'gin '11 dere be as good times as we in mah time we neber y'ard ob wukouses er pen but now dey ez all filled. ,! 1 kin see now in mah mind de ole ice house on de planta- tion. In de wint'r de slaves would fill hit wid ice dey got of f de crik en hit wuz not used 'til warm wedder oum. ' nother thing I members ez de "Pat-a-roHers" (she refers to the Police Patrol of that day) who would kotch en whup runaway slaves en slaves way fum dere own plantations widout a_ pass wid dere Marsters name signed on hit," . "I member w'en Nashville fust had street cars pulled 'long by hosses er mules en I also member de ole dummy cars, run by steam, ter Glendale Park also New Town (now called West Nashville)." "We. had sum bad en good luck signs but I'se fergettin' sum,; but I'se members 'bout a black cat crossin' ovuh de path in frunt ob you dat you sho would hab bad luck. Wen dat happened ter me, I would spit on de ground, turn 'round en back ober de place de cat crossed en de "bad luck" wuz gon fum me. Ef'n you found a ole hoss shoe dat had bin drapt'd by de hoss, hit meant good luck. Sum peeples, white en black, w'en dey fin' a hoss shoe, dey would tack hit up on de frunt door frame wid de toe ter de groun1 w Atter de Marster en Missus d ed, I went ter Nashville en made mah way fur menny y'ars by washin' en ironin' fer white peeple but atter I went blind I kum yer ter live wid mah daughter;** y\ ^ 410004 INTERVIEW PRAHKIE G00LE 204 5th Ave. So Nashville, Tenn. "i wuz bawn in Smith County on uther side ob Lebanon. Ah*11 be 85 y'ars ole Christmas ay, Mah ole Missis wuz named sallie, en mah Marster wuz George Waters. Mah mammy's name wuz Lucindia, she wuz sold fum me wten I wuz six weeks ole, en mah Missis raised me, her, I allus slept wid Mah Missis wuz good ter me, but (her son) mah Marater whup'd me, Bunno ob any ex-slaves votin' er holdin' office ob any kin. I member de Ku Klux Klan en Pat -a -rollers, Dey would, kum *roun en whup de niggers wid a bull whup, Ef'n dey. met a nlggah on de road dey^'d say, "Whar ez you gwin dis time ob mawnin'-?n E>e slaves Would say, "We ez gwine ovuh 'yer ter stay aw'lle," en den dey would start beatin' dem. I'se stoad in our do'er en t$eard de habd licks, en screams ob de ones dat wuz bein' whup'd, en I'd tell mah Missis, "Listen ter datV* She would say, "See, dat ez wiat will happen ter you ef'n you try ter leave," member one nite a Ku Klux Klan rode up ter our do'er, I I tole mah Missis sum body wuz at de do*er wantin' ter know whar mah Marster wuz;. She tole im he wuz d'ed en her son had gon1 'way dat iaawniia* He hunted all thro de house, en up in de loft, en said whar ez de niggers? ;let43be-,,lM>^$e^. Mah Missis tole i'm dey wuz down in de He went down dere, woke dem up, axed dem tbout .lii^J^-i^^viflNtftn-.-irliup'd 11 ob dem. mi!:v---\'.'^liii^ teifc Ef dey/had de Ku^lix Klan mmmy peeples on 3 & unty road in in 2 20 de pen. I useter drive up de cows en mah feet would be so cole en mah toes cracked open en bleedin' , en I'd be cryin' 'til I got almos' ter de house den I'd wipe mah eyes on de bottom ob mah dress, so de Marster wou3din know dat I had bin opyin-1 say, "Frankie ain't you cryin1?" cole?" "Yea, sir." I'd say, "No suh." He'd "Ez you He would say kum on en warm. Wen de niggers wuz freed, all ob mah Missis slaves slipped iway, cept me. One mawnin' she tole me ter ^go down en wake dem up, I went down en knocked, no body said nubbin* I pushed on.de do'er - hit kum op'n - en I fell in de room en hurt mah chin. I went back ter Missis - en she sezs, "Wat ez de matter wid you?" I sezs, "Uncle John en all ob dem ez gon' ; I pushed on de do'er ea fell in." back en git dem up. Sbe sezs you know dey ez not gone, go I had ter go back, but dey wur'ent dere. No, I doQ't member de stairs fallin'. Mah Missis didunt gib me nuthln, cept mah clothes, eri she put dem in a carpet bag. Lebanon en got me. kin see her now. At ter freed urn mah mammy kum fum Ah' 11 neber fergit dat day - oh Lawdyl i Mah ole Missis* daughter-in-law had got a bunch ob s#itches ter whup me, I wuz standin* in de do'er shakin' all o:ruh, en d young Missis wuz tellin* me ter git mah clothes off. I sezs, ^1 se*d a 'tman kum'g thro de gate*" Mah Missis sezs, "Bat ez,IUieIndia"; eh de young Missis hid de switches. sezs l%s# ^a ter git mah chile. Mah Missis tole her ter let si^nd de n||^ wid her> den ihe*d send me ter d . ||;<^^^^ Mah mammy COWRI? HB House at So I stayed wid de Missis 4at nite, en ^;*,fMf/,a;liaz.tb^ $';[j$t^.--;% pfyvbnt don't let a man er boy 'l^m^m^'Ml^m^^^^l^^ -W:l##s^sl^'-'ii^a:K^:yiit I allus menbered' w * at 3 21 she said, I guess I wuz 'bout 12 y*ars ole wt en I lef mah Missis en mah mammy brought me ter Nashville en put me ter wuk. Be mawnin' I lef* mah Missis, I went ter de Court House en met mah mammy; de Court room wuz jammed wid peeple. De Jedge tole me ter hold my right hand up, I wuz so skeered I stuck both hands up. Jedge sezs, "Frankie ez dat yo mammy?" I sezs, "I dunno, she sezs she ez," (Wat did I know ob a mammy dat wuz . ' at 24 feed. One ob de dogs licked out ob derpan en we got a bunch ob switches en started wearin* de dogs out. wf en he walked up on us. on us. We thought de mars ter wuz miles fway He finished wearin* de bunch ob switches out Dat wuz a whuppin1 I!ll nebber fergit. W*en I wuz helred ter Missis Synthis, I wuked in de f iel! s f til^^s^ she started ter raise chillens en den I wuz kep in de house ter see atter dem. Missis had a lot ob cradles en dey kep two !omen in dat room takin1 keer ob de babies en lettle chillens *longin1 ter dere slaves. Soon as de chillens, wuz seven y!ars ole. dey started dem ter inittin*. Mars ter Sam Pointer, husband of Missis Synthis, wus a good man en he wuz good ter us en he fed en clothed us good. We wore yarn hoods, shafls, en pantletts which wuz 'nit things dat kum fum yo shoe tops ter !bove yo knees. De marster wuz also a ligious man en he let us go ter chuch. He willed land fer a culled chuch at Thompson Station. I !longs ter de foot washin' Baptist, called de Free Will Baptist. bought mah husband William Gray en I maf led f De marster im dere. Wf en de Civil wah wuz stafctin1 dere wuz soldiers en tents eve1|t ywhar. I had ter fnit socks en he1 ps mek soldiers coats en durin1 de I wah, de marster sent 100 ob us down in Georgia ter keep de Yankees I fum gittin* us en we camped out durin1 de whole three yfears. I I member de Klu Klux. One nite a bunch ob us went out, dey got I atter us. We waded a big crik en hid in de bushes ter keep dem fulfil St | gittin' us. I Hab gon ter lots ob camp-meetin's. fcfeer'eat' en fed eberbody. ... . . p^ :^ and If.'|$&$. JJibeiftmenn$ . .?" Dey d hab lots ob good tiling Dey d hab big baptizin' s down at de Cumber" things. We got 'way mmmsm ?'S a . en wuz not ole er nuff ter member de stafrs falling sing wuz, 26 Songs we use1 ter n 0n Jordan*s Bank I Stand en Cast a Wistful Eye en Lak Drops ob Sweat, Lak Blood Run Down, I Shed mah Tears.11 I try not ter think fbout de ole times* so I don1 Hitfs bin so long ago member any tales now. Ifse had a lot ob good times in aah day. let us hab "bran dances11 Our white folks would en we'd hab a big time. en I think dat ez a man1s wuk. I has nebber voted Donft bfleeve in signs, I hab allus tho! t whut ez gifine ,ter be will be, en de only way ter be ez de rite w y. Eber since slavery I'se cooked fer peeple. Dillon fifteen yfars. I cooked fer Mr. Lea J Wuked at de Union Depot fer 2Tfars# Five yf ars fer Dr. Douglas at his Infirmary en I cooked fer en raised Mrs Gr dyf s baby. Hab wuked fer difff ent folks ovuh town ter mek mah livin! . ain!t bin able ter wuk fer eight yfars. I Dunno how much r weigh now, I hab lost so much, (she weighs now at least 250 pounds). slaves I know hab wuked at diff!ent jobs lak I has. All de ex- / J\ c , 410014 27 INTERVIEW BX-SIAVES JENNY' GKEER 706 Overton, Street, Nashville, Tennessee "Am 84 y'ars ole en wuz bawn in Florence, Alabama, 'bout seben miles fura town, Wuz bawn on de Collier plant a shun en Marster en Missis wuz James en Jeanette Collier, mammy wuz named Nelson en Jane Collier. ob mah Missis1 daughters. I wuz named atter one Our family wuz neber sold er dividedV "I'se bin raa'ied once, I aint got no chilluns. Mah daddy en Ma'ied Neeley Greer. Thank de Lawd Chilluns ez so bad now I can't stand dem ter save mah life." "Useter go ter de bap isln* s en dey woaM start shoutin1 en singin' wten we lef de chuch. Went ter deze bapiisin's in Alabama, Memphis, en yer in Nashville, we usetsr sing. Lawdy hab mercy, how Only song I members ez 'De Ole Time ' ligion.' I useter go ter camp raeetin's, Eve'rbody had a jolly time, preaehin , shoutin1 en satin' good things," H We didn't git a thing Hen we wuz freed. Wen dey said w wnxz free mah pee pie had ter look out fer demselvesj1 nBbn' member now 'bout K.K.K. er 'structshun days, Mah mammy useter tell us a lot ob stories but I'se fergot dem. I'se neber voted en dunno ob any frens bein in office/ % mam, no mam, don't b*leeve in diff'ent colurs ma ri|n.. I m;e^e|rVon^ o'le sign <* 'bad luck ter empty ashes atter dark,'" l^^^liFSK^S'^: V:i^*::lia'-:whj.te^ folks'house'-since freedum. l|||||| j^^ mah siatah* 410003 INTERVIEW EMMA GRISHAM 1118 Jefferson St. Nashville, Tennessee W I wuz bawn in Nashville, I tell dem I'se still young. I* se up in 90 y*ars, but I lived on Gallatin Pike long 'fore de war, en uster se d de soldiers ride by." "Mah marsters name wuz Wm. Penn Harding. Mah daddy wuz sold at Sparta, Tennessee *fore I wuz bawn en Marster Harding bought ira. Mah mammy erready 'longed ter de Harding s.1' n Idon' member much bout slavery I wuz small, but I know I wore a leetle ole slip wid two er three bottons in frunt* Mammy would wash me en ITd.go out frunt en play ' -.-' '' 'V'" 1 wid de white chilluns. ' "Wen de fight in* got so heavy mah white pee pie got sum Irish peeple-ter live on de plantation, en dey went south, leavin' us wid de Irish peeple." W I wuz leetle en I guess I didn't think much 'bout freedum,-I'd allus had plenty ter eat en wtar.w t%unno b any slaves gittin* nathin at freedum.^ w 0ur white folks didntt whup mah peeplej but de ober- aeisrswhttp^d de slaves on uther plantations." ^De fi-akees had camps on de Gapitol hill. En dere wuz /;Vx.:. *| i$*^^^ ter hab a pass W^^ :J$ih en Chuoh, en de --' - -* 2 29 "I went ter schul at Pisk a short time, wten hit wuz neah 12th en Cedar, en a w ile down on Chuch St. allus bragged on me fer bein clean en neat. Mah teacher I didn't git much sohuling, mah daddy wuz lak mos' ole folks, he though ef'n you knowd yo a, b, c's en could read a line, dat wuz nuff. En he hired me out. Dunno w'at dey paid me, fer hit wuz paid ter mah daddy. I wuz hired ter a Mrs. Ryne fer y'ars, whar de Loveman store ez now. Dere wuz a theatre whar Montgomery Ward store ez, a lot ob de theatre people roomed en bo'ded wid Mrs. Ryne, en dey would gib me passes ter de sho' en I'd slip up in de gall'ry en watch de sho , goin' I couldn't read a wud but I joyid Mah daddy wuz a driver fer Mr. Ryan. !! I nussed fer a Mrs. Mitchell en she had a boy in schul. One summer she went 'way, A Mrs. Smith wid 10 boys wanted me ter stay wid her 'til Mrs. Mitchell got back, en I staid en laked dem so well dat I wouHin go back ter Mrs. Mitchell's. "I went ter Memphis en mat led George Grisham in 1870* He jinned de army, as ban' leader, went ter San Antonio, Texas en I kum back ter Mrs. Smith's en stayed 'til her mammy lost her mind. Mah husband died in Texas, fum heart truble. All his things wuz sent back ter me, en eve'y month I got a $30.00 pension fer me en mah daughter. Wen she wuz 16 dey cut hit down en I only git $12.00 now, I dj'cated mah daughter at Pisk; en she's bin teachin* schul since 1893. She buy dis p3ji.ce en we live tergedder. health en both ez happy. en wash fer us* 11165 ra^Satf^Sl^iliiiiil I hab a 'ornan kum eve'y 3 30 "De ole songs I member ezj "Harp fum de Tomb dis Mournful Sound ,,f "Am I a soMier ob de Cross," "Ole signs ezj Dream ob snakes, sign ob de'th. - Ef a hen crows a sign ob de'th. - Sneeze wid food in mouth means de'th. - Ef a black cat crosses de road, walk backwards 'til you git pas' whar hit crossed, Mah parents useter tell lots ob tales but I can't think ob dem." "Oh honey, I dunno w'at dis young peeples ez kum'n ter. ez so dlff'ent fum de way i wuz raised, dis white en black mar'ages. I don't think much ob Hit shouldn't be 'lowed, "I 'long ter de Missionary Baptist.* Dey 410019 31 INTERVIEW MEASY HUDSON 1209 Jefferson St* Nashville, Tennessee rf Wuz bawn1 in North Carolina en Ifse 90 yfars ole in November* hab bin Wfen war broke out we kum ter Tennessee en f yer eber since. de cannons* Wuz !yer w!en old Hood fifrd He said he wuz kumfn dinnah, but he didn't do hit." f yer ter Christmas , f, Mah white folks wuz named Harshaw. Mars ter Aaron Har- shaw dfed en we wuz willed ter his chilluns en dat we wuz not ter be whupfd er ! bused in anyway. We wuz sold, but long ffore de war mah daddy wuz freed en mah manny wuz not freed, but kep1 a slave.t? lfDe marsterfs -chilluns wuz small en eber New Yfar Day, we wuz put on a block en hired out ter de high bidduh, en de money spent ter school de marster's chillluns.11 WI wuz tole dat sum ob de white peeples wuz so mean ter dere slaves dat de slaves would tek a pot en turn hit down in a hollow ter keep dere whites fum yearin1 dem singin* en prayin*. De Ku Klux wuz bad on de ex-slaves at fust." f, De white folks *fore de war had w!at dey called fl Musterff en I would go down wid dem* I would dance en de folks would gib me money er gib me candy en durin* de war de soldiers wuz de prettiest things." r, Got nuthin1 at freedum en wuz not lookin1 fuh nuthin1. Ef marster had lived he might hab gib us sump1 in. He wuz a - 2 - good man en good ter us. as a laundress. 32 -^ber since mah freedum, *'se wuk'd Wuk'd fer one fam'ly ober 21 ^f'ars. two y'ars ago I lefted a tub, en hurt mahself. ter wuk now. 'Bout I'se not able I hab bin ma'ied twice en I'se voted three times." I "I went ter schul at Pisk, a short time, w'en hit wuz on 12th Avenue, but I diden' git ter go long 'nuff ter git en /' I ^ edj'cation." "jis 'fore de Civil War I members de comet. lak a big sta'r wid a long tail. Hit wuz Eve'body said hit iraz a sign ob Judgement Day." "Bad luck signs: Ef'n a picture falls, hit's a sign ob de'th.- bad luck ter step ovuh a broom - ef a clock stop runnin* en later hit strike, dat means de'th." "Sum ob de young peeple terday ez good but sum ob dem don't wan'ter be nuthin'. De last war ruined mos' ob de white.en de black." "I b'leeves in de Baptist 'ligion en 'longs ter de Baptist Church, 9th Avenue N. en Cedar Street. De white oman I wuk'd fuh wan'ed me ter jo&i de Christian (colored) chuch. Only song I now members ez "On Jordans Banks I Stand." "Don't think dis marrin' ob whites wid blacks should be lowed en think eve'y culor should stay ter hits-sef." "I don't member now 'bout any stories tole back in ole times. Our white folks wuz Christians en tried ter teach us right en dey diden' tek up much time tellin' stories." 410006 33 INTERVIEW PATS* HH>E 504 9th Avenue N. Nashville, Tennessee "Dunno how ole I ez. ter de Brown family. I wuz bawn in slavery en b'longs Mah Missis wuz Missis Jean R. Brown en she wuz kin ter Abraham Lincoln en I useter y ar dem talkin1 'bout lm livin1 in a log cabin en w'en he dted she had her house draped in black, slaves, Marster Brown wuz also good ter his De Missis promus Marster Brown on his de'th bed nebber ter let us be whup'd en she kep her wud. Sura ob de oberseers on urthur plantations would tie de slaves ter a stake en gib dem a good whup'in fer sump1in dey ought not ter done." "All culled people wore cotton goods en de younger boys run round ^n der shurt tails. Mah Missis nit all de white C-killuns stockin' en she made me -sum. on mah bans Wen she wuz nit tin'. I had ter hold deyarn I members one time I wuz keepin1 flies off de table usin' a bunch ob peaco&k feathers ea I went ter sleep standin* up en she tole me ter go back ter de kitchen.n n I wBnt en finish mah nap." n One day ole Uncle ^lick woke Marster Brown fum his atter-noon nap tellin1 'im dat de prettiest men dat I ever seed wuz passin' by on de road. He went ter de winder en said, Gawd, hit's dem damn Yankees.w 8S?SlvQ ^;;;-: ^^^Sl^Sff:. Mah white folks had a pretty "Good - 2 - 34 yard dn gyarden. Soldiers kum en camped dere. de winder en lissen ter dem." I'd slip ter "Wen dey wuz fightin' at Port Negley de cannons would jar our house. De Soldier's ban' play on Capitol Hill, en play "Rally 'roun' de Flag Boys, Rally 'roua de Flag." "De slaves would tek dere ole iron cookin' pots en turn dem upside down on de groun' neah dere cabins ter keep dere white folks fum hearin' w'at dey wuz sayin*. "Dey claim- ed dat hit showed dat Gawd wuz wid dem." "In slavery time peeples b'leeved in dreams. I members one nite I dreamed dat a big white thing wuz on de gatepost wida haid. I tole mah mammy err she said, "Gawd wuz warning us." Be M* rige cer'mony in de days ob slavery wuz by de man en 'oman jumpin* ovuh a broom handle tergedder." "I don1 member much 'boud de Ku Klux Klan, but I does member seein' dem parade one time in Nashville." (She evident- ly refers to the Klan's last parade in 1869 in Nashville, immediately proceeding the disbandment of the Klan at Fort Negley.). W I members dat de northern soldier's ban1 would play Union Ferever, Rally 'roun de Flag, en Down Wid de Traitors em up Wid de S^'s en Stripes.1* "Be soags I members ez: 1*3 a Soldier ob de Cross. Follow de Lamb. *' : ';';':';-^:;%Mi.d nW Live &llias* -3- C 35 M I member w en de stairs fell. Hit wuz so dark en eberbody wuz skeered, en I member a comet dat looked lak a big red ball en had sump'in lak a tail on hit. Eber one wuz skeered en wuz 'feard hit would hit de groun' en burn de worl' up. de fust street lites in Nashville. 'round en lite de lamps I member, Wen de lamp mans would kum dey would yell out "all ez welln en I also members de Southern money goin' out en Yankee money kum'n in, en also w'en-dere wuzn't any coal 'yer en eve'ythin* wuz wood en mos' ob dis town wuz in de woods." t! De slaves wuz tola dey would git forty ak'rs ob groun1 en a .mule w! en dey wuz freed but dey nebber got hit. we wuz tuned out widout a thing* en de Missis kep her* W! en we wuz free Mah grandmarnmy wuz an "Ole rnammie11 Atter freedum a lot ob Yankee niggah gals kum down !yer en hire out* _W'en I wuz a young girl hund! eds ob people went ter de wharf at de foot ob Broadway on de fust Sunday in May ob eber*y year far de annual baptizin1 ob new members inter de Baptist.(culored) churches ob de city* fhousands ob white people would crowd both sides ob de Cumberland Riber, Broadway en de Sparkman Street Bridge ter witnus de doinfs# de wharf* On leavin1 de chuches de pastor would lead de parade ter Dey would sing en chant all de way fum de chuch ter de river en sum ob de members would be ovuhkum wid f ligious f eelin1 en dey would hop up en down, singin* en shoutin1 all de time, or may be dey would start ter runnin1 down de street en de brethern would hab ter run demidown en bring dem back* I i We useter hav* dem champ meetings en dey wuz "honeys,* en I i enjoy dem too* We wore bandanna handkerchiefs on our haids en long fj^^^B ovuh otxr shoulders* i i \ At dexe meetin1 s dey had all kinds ob t 111111 things ter eat en drink* *"'" """""" '"" ' * ~ ' "" " ' " ' " '"' ' ' '' ;"' - '^->"--:;-v-.-\ , -,'. . : '.!. ... -..' .. '. . . ... . :: ' .:irfitj|M?v! 4- 30 "Atter mah freedum I dun washin1 en Ironin' fer white families. Neber ma'ried but I neber worries no matter w'at happens en dat! s may be cause ob mah livin' so long." "Things ter day ez mighty bad. Hot lak de ole days. Worl' ez gwin ter end soon." "Atter I got ter feeble ter do washin' en ironin' fer mah livin', I went ter de Relief Office ter git dem ter he'ps me, but dey wouldn't do a thing. ter do wid. I had no place ter go er no money Dis culid oman tuk me in en does all she can fer me but now she ez disable ter wuk en I dunno w'at ter do. Ef'n I could git a small grocer order each week til I git de ole Age Pension hit would he'p lots." 410011 37 INTERVIEW ELLIS KEN KANNON 328 5th Avenue N. St. Mary's Church Nashville, Tennessee "I dunno jes how ole I ez. a slave. I wuz bawn in Tennessee as Mah -mammy kum frura Virginia. Kannon." ... Our marster wuz Ken "Our Mistress wouldn't let us slaves be whup'd but I member mah daddy teHin' 'bout de Overseer whuppin' ' im en he run 'way en hid in a log. He tho',t de :blood hounds, he heered''bout a half mile 'way,, on his trail could heer 'im breathe but de hounds nebber fin1 'im. Atter de hounds pas' on> mah daddy lef de log hidln' place en w'en he got ter a blacksmith shop, he se'ed a white man wid a nigger who had handcuffs on en w'en de white man tuk off de handcuffs, de nigger axed mah daddy whar he wuz gwine en he tole 'im back ter mah Mistress en de nigger sezs I ez too. Mah daddy slipped 'way fum 'im en went home." "W'en I wuz a young boy, I didn't wear nothin' but a shirt lak all urthur boys en hit wuz a long thing lak a slip dat kum ter our knees. Our Mistress had a big fiea? place en w*en we would kum in cole she would say ain't you all cole. (Yoia all was always used in the plural and not singular ag some writers have it)V W ile we wuz^rmin' she often played : ^;ff^ip^^^:^^^:0k'n0y ^til he^ ed-.:' key let me'" stay 2 .. 38 bad health at dat time, en 'fore we sta'ted ter de graveyard, I put a feather bed in de car'age en got a pitcher ob water ready en 'fore we git dere she got awful sick." "Durin' slavery de slaves had&er keep quiet en dey would turn a kittle upside down ter keep de white folks 'yearin dere prayers en chants. YH en a slave wanted ter go ter 'nother plantation he had ter hab a pass. Ef' dey disobeyed dey got a whuppin, en ef dey had a pass widout de Marsters signature dey got a whuppin. Ef'n dey had ter hab passes now dere wouldin' be no meaness." "l member de Klu Klux Klan kumin ter mah daddyt s home axin -~x"' fer water en dey would keep us totin' water ter dem fer fifteen ter twenty minutes. Dey didn't whup er hurt any ob us. I also member 'yearin mah mammy en daddy tellin' us 'bout de statrs. fallin1 . I member de comet. *>C Hit wuz a big ball en had a long tail." - - - nI hab 'yerd dem tell 'bout Mr. Robertson. ' He wuz mean ter his slaves en dey sezs dey could see a ball ob fier r.ollin' on de fence en w'en dey would git ter de spring, a big white thing lak a dog would crawl under de rock. De slaves wuz natur'ally superstitious enb'leeved in dreams, ole sayings en signs. I hab mahse'f se'ed things dat I ain't onderstan' Hab almost seen de things dat (apostle) John seed,*' ./^ "Dunno nuthin 'bout any ob de ex-slaves voting er de Nat Turner 'Bellion." "Atter freedum mos' ob de slaves wuk'd fer dere livih1 jes aa I ez. De men in de fiel's, de 'omen in de house ^X I wuk'd at a hotel in McMinnvill en one day, i wuz keepin* d flies off de ,t*i$e wid a brush mad fa?um fine strips ob papah en de string 3 39 broke en hit fell on de table. One man jumped up grabbed a cheer sayin' ah'11 knock you down wid dis cheer ." "De slave 'pected ter git 40 akers ob land en a mule but nobody eber got hit as fur as i know. Yie didnft git nut bin. Our white people wuzzent able ter gib us anyting. d y had wuz tuk durin' de wah. Eve ythin' Dey wuz good ter us an stuck wid us en mah peeple stayed wid mail Mistress." "Dis young gineratshun ob niggers, I 'clare dey ez jes *bout gon . Dey won't wuk, allt a stealin1 en mabe wuk long nuff ter git "a few clothes ter strut 'round in. I may be wrong but dat ez mah hones' pinion." "De songs - I member ezj De Ole Ship ob 2ion. ' ' Bo You Think You'll be Able ter tek me Home." "I has bin 'yer fifteen y'ars en hab wuked onder two Priests en now wukin under de third. Dey iiab all bin nice tar me. Hab neber had any trubble wid white peeple en you'd be sprized how good dey ez ter me. Dey don't treat me lak a nigger." tt ITber since I got mah freedum en 'fore I got dis chuch job* I dun all kinds ob odd jobs, waited on tables, pressin* clothes eia anytilag else dat kum 'long, but sum jobs wuz small pay but hit ke|: nie;' live " ?'*D^n't member any slave uprisin* s. uH*'1 * Our peeple wuz good ter 410001 40 INTERVIEW SCOTT MARTIN 438 Fifth Ave., No. "I'se 90 y'ars ole and wuz bawn in slavery in Sumner County, Tennessee and I b'long to Mars ter E>r. Madison Martin^, an' mah Misses Mary. And I wuk'd wid de stock an' wuz de houseman." M I hab neber been in any truble, neber 'rested en neber bin in jail. I knows how ter behave, but de young peeples ob terday ain' dun rite en dey don' 'mounts ter much. In de ole days dey war1 bettuh Dar am a few dat am all rite. dan dey ez terday. De white and black bugher not ma'rie." n I has voted two times, but I disremembers who I voted fer. Neber hadney frens in office en I n&br met any of de Klu Klux men. I didn' go out #uch en I neber wuz kotched w'en I did git out. I heered lots 'bout nigger upri3in' but dey wuz away off." #1 b'long ter de Missionary Baptist chuch an' I usetcr preach in mah ehuch 'ouse en udders w'en called. Once a y'ar I wud be at de Cumberland Riber wha'f en baptize1 culled peeples all da'. We useter hab camp meetin' in do ole days en hab good things ter eat en I would preach all day, I went ter schul two sessions en den I went to wuk." ' *.I member de fust street kar line that run on East ii di of #iaaberland liber ter East end ob de ole wood bridge !^t"d^*ar^y settlers build. ^^^^^^^S^^^^^^^^^^^&^^^^^^^^M ;& De kars wer* pulled by hosses Interview, Scott Hartin - continued. 41 en' mules. De whites en blacks mixed tergedder en den de law made de whites rid1 in frunt en the blacks in de rearuh. I think dat wuz rite, but sum tot> mah race wuz mad 'bout hit. I wuz on a kar one day and mules run'd 'way en de ole red mule got loose frum de kar en run'd ober a mile 'fore dey Ketched him en dey brot 'im ba'k en de kar' pas' on. members de ole L & N Railroad on de East side. I W'en my folks wud ride de train dey had 'ter hold me tite or I wuld git 'way frum dem en run en hide 'hind sum logs." I wuz scar'et ter ride on de kars." "Atter freedum de slaves had'n no truble ter go whar dey wan'. Menny lef but menny stay wid der ole marsters. I stay wid my marster tell he d'ed. mah daddy on Lebanon. Road. I den kua an' lib wid Atter dat I libed on Gallatin Road an1 den I kum ter Nashville, an' wuk wid pic' and shovel on streets, wewers an' udder jobs. I heered dem sez dat de slaves wud git Ian', hoss, money er sumpin'but I neber heerd ob nobody gittin nuthin'. Dere wuz not slave'raisings eroun' whar I wuz.w wDe fallin' st'ars wuz 'fore mah time, but I'se heer'd mah daddy tole 'bout hit. I se'd de comet wid hit shinnin' tail an' I fust b'leevd sumbody put hit up dere." "Good luck sign wuz w'en a stray cat kum ter yo' house an' stay dere. Bad luck sign wuz a black kat crossin' yo' path in frunt ob yer. Ter ke'p frum havin* de bad luck yot back up pas' whar hit crossed yer path en den spit an' yer Mb no bad lmek.w ^^M&M MBM:SM MB Interview, Scott Martin - continued. 3 - lf ! Dem air ships luk nice but dey ez spoke boud in de Holy Bible, dat sum day dere wud be fly in1 things in de air!h an1 I think dat dese things am it, fee otomobeels kiver nuder passag1 in de Bible which seze de people ? 11 rid1 on de streets widout hosses en mules." "Mah fav'rite songs amuI Gwine to Jine de (fideon * Band," andftEeep'Yo" Lits Bunnin .M HTer ole now ter wuk an1 mah ha id don1 sefm ter be tergedder an1 Ifse gits hefps frum de Welfare#n 42 410012 43 INTERVIEW AM MATTHEWS 719 9th Ave. South Nashville, Tennessee 11 1 wuz bawn in Murfreesboro on Stones River, I dunno how ole I ez en hit raeks me 'shamed ter tell people dat, but mah mammy would hit me in de mouth v/t'en Ifd ax how ole I wuz. She say i wuz jes' tryin' ter be grown*11 "Mah mamrnyt s name wuz Prankie en mah daddy wuz Henry Ken Kannon. Don1 member much 'bout mah mammy 'cept\she wuz a sho't fat Indian 'oman wid a turrible tempah. She died, durin* de war, wid black measles." "Mah daddy wuz part Indian en couldn't talk plain. W'en he go ter de store he'd hab ter put his han1 on w*at he want ter buy. He d'ed eight months l fore de Centennial," "Our marster en missis wuz Landon en Sweenie Ken Kannon. Dey wuz good ter us, en we had'n good things ter eat." "I member de Yankee en Southern soldiers. One day me en mah young missis, en sum chilluns went up ter de road en we se'ed sum Yankee soldiers kumin' , I clum!ed on de fence, de urthurs run 'way en hid. One ob de soldiers sezs ter me, 'Lettle girl who wuz dat wid you,1 en I sezs, !Hit wuz Miss Puss en sum chilluns*1 He laughed en sezs, 'You ez brave ain1 you?'" "Our missis let us go ter chuch. I ' long ter de chuch ob Christ #it "I dunno ob but one slave dat got Ian' er nothin' w'en freedum wuz 'clared. We didnft git nuthin at freedum. Mah daddy went back in de woodsmen built us a saplin house en 2 44 dobbed hit wid mud. Atter freedum mah daddy went 'way, en we chilluns staid in dat house in de woods by oursel's. two weeks we didn't see a bit ob bre'd. Dere wuz I went up w'at ez called de nine mile cut neah Tullahoma, en axed a 'oinan ef she would let us hab sura bre'd. ter kum back. She gib me sum meat en bre'd, en tole me ^\ I went back home en we et sump'in, en I went back ter de 'oman's house, she gib me a sack ob flour en a big piece ob midlin' meat. We wuz skeered, bein' dere 'lone so I would set up wile mah br'ers slep , den I'd sleep tn de daytime. One nite sumbody knocked at de doJ_e,r en hit wuz mah daddy en he had -^v two sacks ob food, en de urthur chilluns got up en we et a big meal." "I useter 'yer de folks talk 'bout de sta'rs fallin', but dat happen' 'fore I wuz bawn." "I-didn't go ter schul, mah daddy wouldin' let me. he needed me in de fie.l wbrs den I needed schul. sassy en stubbun. Said I wuz allus I run 'way fum mah daddy en kum ter Nashville. ^X I stayed at a-sahulron p anklin Pike, run by Mrs. McGathey. wuz de only cul'ed person dere. I Dey wuz good ter me en eve'y Chrismus I would git a big box ob clothes en things." "in Manchester de Klu Klux Klan wore big high hats, red handkerchiefs on dere faces en red covers on dere hosses. Dey tuk two niggers out ob jail en hung dem ter a chestnut tree." "One nite w'en I wuz gwine wid mah daddy fum de fiel' home, we met sum ob de K.K.K. en dey said, 'Ain't you out late Henry? In who ez dat gal wid you?' Mah daddy said, 'We ez gwine home fum wuk, en 3^ sJ^k wid de good cul*ed folks, ^^^^^^B^^^^KlllSi^iMfiiiiafe I don* member now bout 47 2 48 "Atter freedum de slaves wuz t lowed ter stay on de plantation en lowed ter farm en gib half dey made# Atter /slavery I useter wuk fer fifty cents en git a peck ob meal, three pounds ob bacon en a quart ob syrupj which would las1 a week.11 wDe Ku Klux Klan*s plan wuz ter whup all white er cul* ed peeple dat didnft stay at home en support dere families but would run ! roun en live a bad life. Wen de Klan would be passin1 through de slaves would call dem ghost us." u One nite mah br*er en me wuz sleepin1 in de dining Sumpin woke us en we seed sumpin1 dat kura through room. de yard en got hold ob sum blocks. Dat thing didn't hab no haid en &idn*t hab no tale en looked lak hit wuz backin1 up on all four legs. Nex mawnin* we could fin1 no tracks ob whuteber hit wuz en de gate wuz also fasened.11 nDis young peeples ' cordin1 ter de Bible ez on de broad road ter ruin. Dey think dey ez as good as de white peeple but dey ez classed as niggahs in mah eyes." ft Caint member any ob de ole songs now#u MSBJlPg- BX-SLAV1 STORIES 410022 Page-I T Andrew Moss f 88 Auburn Streets Knoxville,Tennessee "One ting datfs all wrong wid did world today,11 according to Andrew Moss,aged negro, as he sits through the winter days h&fore an cnen grate fire in his cabin,with his long ,lean fingers clasped over his crossed knees, "is dat dey ain no *prayer .grounds'. Down in Georgia what I was born, -dat was *wey hack in 1852, us colored folks had prayer grounds. Vj Mamay*s was a ole twisted thick-rooted muscadine bash. She'd go in dar and pray for deliverance of de slaves. S0me colored folks cleaned out knee-spots in de cane breaks.Cane you know, grows high and thick, and colored folks coald hide defseves in dar, an noljrdy could see an pester em*tt ttTou see it was jes like did* Durin1 de war, an hefo de war too, white folks make a heap o fun of de colored folks for alltine prayin. Some time, say, you was a sla/ve en you git down to pray in de field or ty de side of de road* White Marster come 'long and see e slave on his knees.He say,*What you pr&in1 'bout?* An you say, f0h,Marster Ifse jes prayin1 to Jesus cause I ramts to go to Heaven when I dies.1 An Marster say,1 louse my negro.I git ye to Heaven.Git up off *h your knees. De white folks what owned slaves thought that when dey go to Heaven de collored folkfs would "be dar to wait on em. An ef fn it was A Tank come tlopg, he say too,*'%at you nrain1 'hout?1 You gives de same sponse % he say, We'se gwine save you.We goin to set you free.You wants to W r#e,d0fct you?1 Yessir,Boss! . *well den,Yank say, come go 'long wid, m&. . Ain no use keep sayin1 * please sir Boes,!!1!! have to arsk my Master* * T^SaScV ii6^?;.*iiflb^ft?V;:^oii' mectn ,Marster? You aint got no Marster.Wei's settin* you 49 Fage~2~ Andrew Moss-ex-slave M off 50 Sometimes di^y takes d\ tie a rope * round you, and they starts ridin1 but dey doirfc go too fas1 so you walks "behind. Sometimes 'long comes another Yank on a horse en he arsk, !Boy ain you tired?' 'Tessir ^osi! 'fell git up here behind me and ride some.* Den he wrop de rope all fround den you de saddle horn.Wrops andftrops, bat leaves some slack.Bat he keeps? you tiedjso's you wont jump down and run away. An many1 s de time a prayin1 negro got took off like datt and want never seen no more." ,l|0 ourse ef fn you goes wid em,you * member your trainin1 and 'fore you leaves de field, you stacks your hoe nice, like you was quittin1 de days work. Dey learned the littlefuns to do dat,soonfs dey begins to work in de fields. Dey had little hoes, handles 'bout de size of say arm,for de little fellers. I've walked many a mile, when I was a little feller,up and dovm de rows, following de grown folks, an chopping wid de hoe * round de corners whar de earth was soft so de little uns coitld hoe easy. TShoopeei Let dat dinner horn blow, and evy body stacks dey hoes, ninee,neat stacks standin up, and starts to ran. Some eats in dey own cabins, but dem what eats at de big nouse, sets down at a long table, and gets gpod grub too*1 Evy night, our Marster give us evy one a glass o whiskey.^atfs to keep off decease. Mornins1 we had to all dri^^ tar water for de same purpose.^at want so tasty.M ' ,,.,-.., /* ft M|L3WaTster^s nape was &eorge Hopper .Dat man paid taxes on morefn tff^^f|i|^|-a^^ef of land in two co-unties, I liyed in t^em two couaties.%s bf^nf in.;*llja ,6 jp^ fe called it de middle- fe^^ of folks didnt, dey jes took op wid 0ne anot^^ grandmother. he was his^J .iip^ '*XzM;.^$;;lfjP. died.>e..:willed, her .an all..dem ^|s||^^ war hadnt broke out* *- >K atr ?ME V Andrew Moss-ex-slave. Page-3- He done "broke den. One day my uncle, he was the colored overseer, he went to 51 ^-7 Danbury, six miles from whar we lived at, and he paid $5 for a pound of / coffee. Dat was befo de North whuoped de South, and dey had'n killed-down de money value for de ^outh*" "Talk about hard times! We see1 d em in dem days, durin1 de war and most specially after de urrendery^olks dese days dont know what trouble looks C like. We was glad to eat ashp-cakes and drink parched corn and rye 'stead o u offee.I've seed my grandmother do to de smoke house, and scrape up de dirt whar de meat had drapped, and take Jt to de house fer seasonin. You see, both armies fed off'n de white folks, and dey cleaned out dey barns and cellars and smoke houses when dey come. One time,when de Yanks vas on de way to Augusta,I was picking up chips to make the supper fire,when I see to em comin1. I hit it out from dar and hide behind two little hills down by de oig spring. After awhile my brother fi#d me and he tell me to co.ue on back to the house and see dem white mens". dance. De Yanks kep' comin1 and dey. eat all night.Ey daylight they was through marc hi n past.11 11 An den come de ^ela&ls. When dey come we had five-thousand bushel of corn, one-hundred head o hogs, three-hundred and fifty galons of syrup 'en sech. Whan dey left, they took an set fire to evything, to keep it away y i from the Yanks, aimin to starve em out o dat country. Dat's what de/done. dem * $ome of fif4$ Eebs was mean as the Yanks. And dat was bein1 mean. $ome celled de Tanks, 'de Hornets1, 'cause ixsy dey fight so. Take a Yank an he'd fight acrost a buzz saw and it circlin' fifty mile a minute." 11 Pat time when the Yanks was go in1 to AugU?ta, an I went to black my Marster's boot,-he!d give us a two-cent: peice, big as a quarter- for boot blackin,I sayt'Iiarstfer who is dem soldiers?1 An he say to. xne,'^ey's de Yankees, come to try tot$keypu;$wy from me;1 n I say,wLooks like to me Marster, ef'n ;4@y w^ts to tsJ^ us dey1 d arsk you fer us.f Marster laughed and say, *:Boy!Dem ||i|^ illiiii&iS^^ {Key talkin1 wi& cannons.' ; ;y- .-, -i}.^-: J.:L,; -.. :- ' - -.:.:. ' - .:';- ;- : / >'i&in Andrew Moss-ex-slave. Did you know that a white woman shot de first cannon dat was ever fired in de state o Georgia? She was : *Page~4- ^o / a Yankee Colonel fs wife,dey say, named Miss ^nna,! dunno the rest o her name* She wants to "be de first to fire a cannon she say, befo to set the negroes free* Dat was tH$x de war* "begin* De roar of dat cannon was in folkes ears for morefn five days an! nights. n Uncle Andrew gave a liscle grunt as he lifted himself out of his chair* His little frame seemed lost in the broa^bhouldered lumber jacket that he wore. He had laid aside the p$per sack from which he had been eating,when the visitor came, and removed an old stocking cap from his head* ^hen the visitor suggested that he keep it on, as he might catch cold he replied, I dont humor myself none." The sunlight fell upon his head and shoulders as he his feet.Traces of his ancestry a Cherokee stood, to steady himself on of Indian blood,-one of his grandfathers was ndian,- were evident in his features. His skin is jet-black, but his forehead high and his nose straight, with nostrils only slightly full. There was dignity in his bearing and beauty in his face, with its halo of cot ton-white hair and beard,cut short and neatly parted in the middle of his chin* Walking about the room,he called the visitors attention to family portraits on the walls.Some were colored crayons, and a few, fere enlarged snar*shots, proudly he pointed to the photograph of a huge-sized Negro man,apparently in his thirties, and said,nHe was our first comins* .Reckon he took after his great granddaddy, who was eight feet tall and weighed twe-hundred and fifty pounds. That man^ arms was so long, when dey hung down by his side, his fingers was below his knees. $3M.s grandfather was free-born.My father,Dave Moss, he was sold three times. We had twenty-five children. But he,had two wives* As I aforesaid, folks didnt always marry in dem days,jes took uy wid one another. My mother was his title-wife. 3y her, he Jes had me and my two full-brothers an one Bi^ie^ M^m^her died two years after *3|e war. W father give my sister :* in^ g3^^ give * er to 'sri*'' Andrew Moss,ex-slsve 11 page-5- .. fro How come I live in Knoxville, I was a young man, when I started off from Georgia, ainiin to go over de mountains to Kentucky whar I heard dey pay good wages. I stopped in Camp "bell country, Tennessee wid another feller, sni I see'd a pretty gal workin1 in de field. An I say's,Ifm goin' to marry dgt gal* Sho 'nough me an her was married in less dan six months. Her liarster buil j uc a log house and we lived dar 'till we come to Knoxville,Tennessee. Uow, all o my boys is dead.^vy one o em worked for Mr .peters ( Peters and Bradley Flour Mills, of Knoxville)- &n< dey all died worin' fer him. o Mister M illie, he say he gwine let rae live here, in de Compaq house, the rest o my days." The four room frame house stands near a creek at the dead end of a"b\ alley on which "both whites and negroes live.The huge double "bed ,neatly made, stands between two windows from which there is an unobstructed view of the highway traversing north and south thiough northern Knoxville, several blocks away from Andrew's home. ,f I jes lay down on det "bed nights and watch them autimo "tales flyin "by. Bey go Blipi Blip land Blip! them foolsl f A n I say to my self, f*stch Polkes ain got de sense dey's born wid.Ain smart like dey used to be.An times ain'good liice dey was. Ef fn it hadnt been for some of dem crasy fools, actin up and smarty, me an my wife'd be git tin m^ybe a hun'ered anr more dollars a month, 'stead o the fifteen we gits 'tween us for ole1 age help. They'd ought t* let Rosevelt rdone.An its his own folks as is fitin1 im.ffe is a big man even ef he is a democrat. I'm a Republican though. Voted my first time for Blaine.w HYes I votes sometimes now, when dey come gits..me. An befo I got sick, I would ride the street car to town.^n I goes down to de Court House, and when I see dem cannons in deyard I cain keep from cryin'. My wife arsk me what make me go look at dem cannon ef'n dey mskes me cry .An I tells her I fyff cry'bout de good and de bad times dem cannon bringed us.But no canaons or nothin1 else, seems like going to bring back de good old times-Bat I dont worry 'bout all dese things much.Accordin* to de Good Book1 s promise, weepin1 may endure for a night, Pa ge~6~ Andrew Moss, ex-slave den come i joy in de mornin. An I knows dat de day's soon come when I goes to meet my folks and my Lord an Msrster in his Heaven, whar dey ain no more weepin.f ### ^^^^^i^0^^^ ^^^0^0.,. fi t> ^ 410024 page-I; SUBJECT- EX-SLAVE STORIES 5 Aunt Mollie Moss # 88- Auburn Street, Knoxville,Tennessee There is no street sign or a number.oat any of the ramshackled frame cottages that seemingly lean with the breezes, first one direction, then another, along the alley that wind's through the city's northernmost boundary and stops its meanderings at the doorstep of "Uncle Andrew Moss" and his vdfe, "Aunt Mollie The City Directory of Knoxville,Tennessee officially lists the Moss residence as f 88 Auburn Street. It rests upon its foundations more substantially, and is in better kept condition than its neighbors. In lieu of a *reg81ar" house number, the aged negro couple have placed a rusty automobile lisence tag of ancient vintage conspicuously over their door. It is their jesture of contempt for their nearest white neighbors who " dont seem to care whedder folkses know whar dey lib an maybe don wants em to." As for Aunt Mollie, she holds herself superior to aL i of her neighbors. She "Ain got no time for po white trash noway." 4She shoo'ed two little tow-headed white girls from her doorstep with her broom as she stood in her door and watched a visitor approach."&'wan way frum here now,can be bodder wid you chillun messin ups my front yard.Take yo tings an go on back to yo own place!" tt Bats way dey do," she tauuaailed as she lead the visitor inside the cottage,through the dining-room and kitchen into the living-room and bedroom* "Bon .know what I gftine do when come summer time .Keeps me all time lookin out for dem chilluns.Dey's dat troublesome. Brings trash in on my flo what I jes scoured, an masses froun, maybe try in to steal sua^in an me watchin em too. Msfii t^achedji^Q^rB ah fi^to^ in o&er folkses houses like what7! war-11 2x-slave stories Page-2- ;.-' FtjC\ Aunt Mollie Moss, # 88 Auburn St,Knoxville,2?enn When Aunt Mollie learned that it was to hear her story of how she was trained in manners and behaviorism, that the visitor had come, and to hear something of her recollections of slave days, her belligerent mood vanished. The satisfied manner in which she drew up chairs before the fire, t%k^ a pinch j of snuff and settle'her skirts, indicated that was going to be quite a session. She leaned her elbows on her knees, held her head between the palms of her hands and fumbled in her cloudy memory to gather a few facts to relate. Hruxle Andrew,the more intelligent of the two, and quick to seize upon his opportunity,began his reminiscences immediately, saying "Honey, wait now," when his wife thought herself well organized to talk, end frequently broke into his narrative."Wait untell I gits through.Den you can talk." Aunt Mollie would frown and grunt,mumble to herself as she rocked back and forth in her chair. She pulled the two long braids of brown silky hqir, streaked with white-, and tied at the ends with cotton strings. She spat vigorously into ~he fire,kept, nrutteri xg and shufflir^ her f'eet.v.hieh wer "encased in men's shoes. At last it came Aant Mollie*s turn to talk war-times.Uncle Andrew,well pleased with his recital, retired to his-corner by the hearth and listened ftaaaardly" - after first warning the visitor in a gentle undertone, th&tM?.$r wife she ain got much mem'ry an she don heer good." Aunt Mollie1 s rambling reminiscences n backed up his statement. She began. Beckon I mus be *bout eighty-two,three year old. I dunno exactly. If I knowed whar to find em, deys some my white folkes lib in dis town.Seem like I can 'member dey names. I b1 longed to Marster Billy Gain, and was raised on Ms farm in Campbell county, Tennessee. Oh,fbout six,seven mile from Jacks bo ro. fish I could go back dar some time* Ain been dar sence me an Moss married an live eight,ten or some more years in a log cabin he built for us. We-was :#g*riecl, Marph 7, d$ day atter Cleveland was * lee ted presi-dent* In 1885 did Aunt Mollie Moss#88 \turn bt, Enoxville, 1'enn.. 57 Page73- you say ? Well, reckon you're right. I ain h^d no schoolin an I can 'member lots o tings I used to know.", w Billy Cain WOrked me in de fields. An his wife Miss Nancy say she a gwine stop it,*cause I was so pretty she fraid somebody come st^l me- Aunt Mollie buried her face in her apron and had a good laugh* Bey Aaid I 'was > i de pretties girl anywhars shout .Had teeth jes like pearls.Whoops.Look at em now. Ain got 'nuff left to chaw wid. You notices how iright-conrplected I is? My own father was a full-blooded G herokee j.ndian. De Yanks captured him an killed him." n I was hoein in de field dat time Moss com 'long and see me and say he gwine marry me. An,jes like he tell you, we was married in less dan six months* We "been liyin togedder evy eince and we gits along good.We have had blessins1 and got a lot to be thankful for. Could have more to eat sometimes,but we gits along someways. I am a good cook. Miss Fancy she teached me all kinds o cookin, puttin up berries,makin pickles and bakin bread and cake an evy'ting. Her ole man Cain give us good grub dem days .Monday morninsS( we go to de ^ins to git rations for de week. Dey gib us three pounds wheat, a peck o meel, a galon o molasses, two pound o lard, two pound o brown sugar, rice an evy1 ting. I use to h&ve plates an china white folks gib me. *hite woman come one day,say. s&e ^B-71 "boy 'em. Took plum niglijfc all * had.^idfn pay me much o nothin* either. ^Yes^ord. I does l member fbout de war. Ifve seefd de blue an Itte see'd I degrey* In 1862 I see*d de soldiers formin1 in line.I was a great big girl. Bern swords glisen1 like stars. Csn'member whar dey was goin dat time. But I ain forgit de times soldiers come foragin* Dey got aLl dey wanted, too,Hep1 dey sef '$ an dont pay for it, never. Soldier see a chicken go under de house, >l ;^<^v>..^wi and shoot , and den call me to crawl under de house and fetch it ;-^,Wii^|;S* ;^it^^i?.I?Jil#i^^ -vV^P^Sl- -IW-1* ;^&d,;;inv:.h&r &P*< again and laughed like a child*' i^|s*^^^rjil! v:^ I was tryikl I t , Amt Collie Moss-ex-slave m # 88 nxbarn St*, Knoxville,xenn. 11 fage-4- )g Billy Gain, he was brudder~in-law to Old Toraslee, who lived on a plantation in Alabama. How come my mother was give to Cain an come- to Tennessee, w^s one mornin1 Old Townslee rode his horse out under a tree to blow up de slaves.Blow de horn you know,to call fem to work. Somebody shot ' im. 1 ight off his horse- It was so dark, ffore daylight, an& couldnt see and dey never did find out who shot fim. Heap o white folks had enemies dem days, ^o de slaves he owned was divided mnruct his chilluns. % mother was one of nine dat come to %lly ain dat way." M !2?alk 'bout your shootin jest for devilment. Leiame tell you 'bout old man John %nn.H4live down dar 'bout ten mile fro:^ whar Moss lived when lie wgs a boy.I've heard em tell it many a time. Dey sey John Wynn had 185 slaves. xiV -" ^ *w ^w *^ eorge ashing ton1 s birthday, Old invite all de slave*lHe celebrat&nj he sey. kind good tings to e&t. ijn1 ynn he had a feast and He seta a long.taHe wid all n he count de slaves,so1s to be sure dey all den hefd take an pick out one and shoot himl come. Ben he say,tt Mow youse all can go'head an eat.Throw dat niggerfsidd an we bury ira in mornin1.11 %id he walks off to de big house. HoJ He wasnt drunk .. Jes de debil in im. Well, he shot ten, twelve, maybe thirty dat way .An den de white folks hanged im-to a tree.Hanged im tfwell he was good and dead,dey did.11 "Now folkes can 'joy dey victuals wid sech goin's on. De slaves git so's dey scared to hear de bell ring. maybe nudder sale o some / ^on1 know what it. mean.Maybe death,ma^/be fire, | body.G-wine take1 em way. But when de bell ring dey had to come.^et dat ole bell ring and de woods was full o negroes.Mat.be 500 hundred come from all over date county.tt Aunt Mollie was beginning to ramble amd babble incoherently, her memories yOo^.,.^r-0^;'aiid the experienefs of others all confused in her mind. When she had. ^i^ ii%C'^^f^^"-B> story about how one of the slave women,"bust de skull11 of the ^im^^Tf^.-^sxiw she was assist a sick baby si1 he tell her sh6 got j / Ex-Slave Page-6- Axnt Mollie Moss, # 88 Azburn Street, B&o&ville, Tennessee to git out in dat field an hoe" and the gory details of ishat the shovel did to the shite marster's head, it T?as time for the visitors to close the interview. Both Uncle Andrew and **unt Mollie followed the visitor to the front door, and wished her M J&1 de luck in de world. come see us agin,nudder time#M ### An thank you for comin1 An 59 410020 60 INTERVIEW kWK ODiiJLL 1313 Pearl Street Nashville, Tennessee "I wuz bawn east oh Spring Hill, Tennessee. I dunno in w at y ar, but I wuz a full grown man w en I wuz freed, (This will make him about 96 years old.). f / w uz an onlies1 * chile en I nebber knowed mah daddy. fum me. I - Mah mammy wuz sold 'way She mat led a man named Brown en day had seven chlllun." "At fust I 'longed ter Marster Jim Caruthers. W en his daughter matied Fount Odell, I wuz willed ter her en den mah marsters wuz Fount en Albert Odell who wuz br'ers. Mah white folks let us go ter chuch. I b*leeves in de Baptist ligion. I nebber knowed any slave dat had ter hide ter sing er pray. I members de comet en hit wuz a sta r wid a long tail en looked lak hit wuz burnin* . wuz bawn.11 Be sta'rs fell 'fore I (The stars fell in 1833). "We had ter hab passes en if you didn't hab one, you got whupped. pass* Mah marster let me go ter chuch widt out a I members de Klu Klux Klan but dey nebber bothered me, tho I yea^d a lot bout dem. w Dey called demselves White Caps" en said dey wuz rite fum de grave. W en a slave got whmpped hit wuz cose dey disobey dere white folks en de overseer whupped dem. I though mah white folks wuz awful mean ter me s^time,M .,,/v-::;: f%-,. ebberb*leeved la ghos1 but hab yeard lots 'bout dem* ^^fe^lR&Srt^^WiiSi!^^^^^^*'^- ^^^'P^***?*^.--^"*^ !'fiMi*!|*-"".""i*^l^"*c- in dem time's* Uster M *!& 2 61 sing a lot but I dunno names ob dem now. ter 'kum ob dis young crowd. oughter matrie. I dunno wtat ez gwine I sho don't think difftent culers De ILawd didn't mean fer hit ter be dun. Bunno ob any slave 'risin's in Virginia er any uther place. Bon't member now de tales en sayin* ob de ole times." "Member well wt n de war broke out en how dey had big dinners en marched round ovuh de fiel's, gittin' ready fer de war. I had a br'er kilt in de war en mah mammy got a lettle money fum ' im. Also member dat w enjnah mammy got de money she bought me a hat." "l don't git nuthin at freedum en I dunno ob any slaves gittin' any land er money. I know dat w* en we wuz freed Marster Albert called us slaves in en said, "You all ez as free as I ez, but you can stay Iyer en wuk fer me ef'n you want ter." I stajd wid im a good w ile atter freedum." "Since freedum I hab plowed, hoed, cut wood, en wuk'd in quarries pecking rock. Hab nebber wuk'd in town fer I dunno de things 'bout town. I hab voted almost eve'y election since freedum 'tildese last few years. but both ez de'd now. guess hit ez alritte. I hab had two frens in office I uster think romen shouldn't vote, but I 410015 62 INTERVIEW LAURA RAMSEY PARKER 715 Gay St. Na&kville, Tennessee M I'se 87 y'ars ole. w'en de slavery stopped. Wuz bawn in slavery. Mack Ramsey wuz mah marster en he wuz sho good ter his slaves. bein's. Wuz freed He treated dem as human Wen he turned his slaves 'loosehe gife dem no money, but gib dem lands, clothin' en food 'til dey could brang in dere fust crop. Ha& daddy rented a strip ob land 'til he wuz able ter buy de place. He lived on de same fer menny y'ars." "Wen I wuz ole er'nuff I wuz taught ter spin en weav. I bucum de nuss ter de marster's onlies' chile. Soon atter I wuz freed, I went ter Wisconsin, but only wuz dere fer a y'ar, den I kum back ter Tennessee en Nashville. I settled in dis house en I'se bin livin' in hit fer ovuh fifty y'ars. Dere wuz no uther houses 'round 'yer at de time. place. Hab wuk'd all mah life seem ter me. I own de At one time I wuz a chambermaid at de Nicholson House now de Tulane en later 'kum a sick nuss, a seamstress, dressmaker but now I pieces en sells bed quilts* I does mah own housekeepin' en washin *.* n I don't member now, very much 'bout de Ku Klux Klan. do member dat one nite dey passed our home en I grab'ed a shotgun en said dat I wuz gwine ter shoot dem ef dey kum on de place. I member* de Battle b Murfreesboro, but I!se I 2 " 63 got no membrances ob any slave uprisin1.1* l? I think very lettle ob de younger ginerashon. Derefs many things ter day dat should be changed., but Ifse fyer en canft do nuthin1 ter change hit. business. Ifs min'in mah own I puts mah faith en trust in Gawdfs hanfs; en treats mah nabers right; en lives honest. I * longs ter de Christian Chuch, but don*t wan!ter be called a "Campbellite." fl De songs I members ez: Am I a Soldier ob de Cross. Am I Bawn ter Die? 'Tis fLigion Dat Can Gib." 410008 64 INTERVIEW NAIST REECE 710 Overtoil St. Nashville, Tennessee "I wuz bawn in slavery, in Williamson County, guess I*se *bout $0,y*ars ole. Think I wuz fou w'en de wah started." "Mah mammy en daddy wuz Mary en Ennock Brown." "Mah missis en marster wuz Polly en Randall Brown." "Dunno oh any ob our fam'ly bein' sold. wuz declare we wuz tu'n loose wld nothin'. W'en freedum Mah daddy tuk us down in de kuntry, raised crops en made us wuk in de fiel1. "I'se cooked a leetle fer urther peeple, but mos' ob mah wuk has bin laundry. I didn't go ter schul much. I dunno w'at ter say 'bout de younger gineratshunj dere ez sich a diff'unce now ter w'at hit wuz w'en I wuz a girl. Dunno any tales dat I useter 'year." "Didn't see any Klu Klux Klan, but I alluz got skeered en hid w'en we'd 'year dey wuz kumin'. CJhurch. I 'long ter de Baptist I neber want ter menny camp-meetin's. but went ter alot ob baptizins." "Mammy tole us how de sta'rs fell en how skaered eberygot. I saw de long tail comet." ; *'.;>jliiiii-" * o d luck ter git up 'fore day-lite ef'n youer ^ ;^0^r;$^:pla.&& er start aura wuk." "Bad luck ter sweep flo' * Interview, Nai$r Reece - continued, atter dark en sweep de dirt out." Songs: "I Couldn't Hear Anybody Pray." "Ole Time 'Ligion." "Cross De Ribei? Jordan." lf I'se neber voted, en liab neber had any frens in office. Neber knowed nothin' 'bout de slave mart er de 'structshun days." llyifcTt^'^V^^^ ."''.-Vv:-' *' * '' ''%!> V/'AVri' ""'' :C'':'.'- ',' '. '"'. ' :-"; '''"''"' :. '. '. ' ' V' '' /.'"' ' ' ' 2 OK 410007 INTERVIEW 6G MILLIE SIMPKINS "BLACK MAMIE" 1004 10th Avenue, No. Nashville, Tennessee I claims I's 109 ye' ars ole en wuz bawn neah Winchester, Tennessee. Mah marster wuz Boyd Sims en mah missis wuz Sarah Ann Ewing Sims. Mafc mammy wus named Judy Ewing en mah daddy wuz Moses Stephens en he wus "free bawn." stable boy en followed da races. He wuz de marster's He run 'way en nebber kum back. Mah fust missis wuz very rich. She had two slave 'omen ter dress her eve'y mawnin' en. I brought her breakfust ter her on a silvah waitah. She wuz ma'led three times, her second husband wuz Joe Carter en de third wuz Judge Gork. Mah fust mijufis sold me kaze I wuz stubborn. de "slave yard"aat Nashville, She sent me ter De yard wuz full ob slaves. dere two weeks 1fore marster Simpson bought me. fum mah husband en I nebber se{d ' im 'gin. I stayed I wuz sold fway-'f I had one chile which I tuk wid me. De slave yard wuz on Cedar Street. A Mr. Chandler would bid de slaves off, but 'fore dey started biddin' you had ter tek all ob 5^e Clothes off en roll.down de hill so dey could see dat you didn't hab no bones broken, er sores on yer. ( I wouldin' tek mine off). nobody bid on you* you wua tuk ter de slave mart en sold. d^e. Ef I wuz sold A bunch pb dera wuz sent ter Mississippi en dey had dere ankles f^f end | rggdder en ; 4f|r hacl ter wj&k w' lies de tradahs rid. -2- 6? Wen I wuz sold ter marster Sirapkins, mah second mistress made me a house slave en I wuked only at de big house en mah wuk wua ter nuss en dress de chilluns en he'ps mah missis in her dressin'. De young slaves wuz hired out ter nuss de white chilluns. I wuz hired as nuss girl at seven y'ars ole en started cookin1 at ten. I nebber had a chance ter go ter schul. I'm de mammy ob 14 chilluns, seven boys en seven gals. next ter de olest ob four chillun. I wuz Mah missis useter hire me out ter hotels en taverns. Sum marsters fed dere slaves meat en sum wouldin1 let dem hab a bite. One marster we useter 'yer 'bout would grease his slaves mouth on Sunday mawnin', en tell dem ef any body axed ef dey had meat ter say "yes, lots ob hit". Wen dey got ready ter whup dem dey'd put dem down on a pit widout any clothes, stand back wid a bull whliip en cut de blood out. I member de niggers would run 'way en hide out. De only fun de young folks had wuz W en de ole folks had a quiltin'. Wile de ole folks wuz wukin' on de quilt de young ones -*oi;\a git in 'nuther room-, dance en hab a good time. Dey'd hab a pot turned down at de do'er ter keep de white folks fum 'yearin' dem. De white folks didn't want us ter l'arn nothin' en ef a slave picked up a lettle piece ob papah, dey would yell "put dat down you - you wan't ter git in our business." De white folks wouldin' let de slaves pray, ef dey got ter pray hit wua w'iles walkin' 'hind de plow. Wfei^be folks would whup de slaves ef dey 'yeard dem sing er psay. I wuz a big girl w'en dey build de Capitol. hill ' fore hit wuz built I played on de en I toted blocks fum dere w' en hit wuz ; bein' built. Wuz tuk. 68 I wuz livin' in Dickson County w'en Fort Donelson I seed de fust gun boat dat kum up de Cumberland River. I wuz standin' in de Do'er w'en I se'd hit kumin', but hit didn't tek me long ter git back in de back ob de house. I wuz skeered dey would shoot. Mah marster run a fer'y en atter de gun boat kum up de riber, he got skeered en gib mah ole man de fer'y, en w'en de soldiers kum ter tek Port Negley he set dem 'cross de river. A man at Ashland City dat made whisk'y would hab Mr.Simpkins bring a load ob logs up ter Ashland City en den bring a load ob whiskey down en hide hit so de Yankee* would'nt git hit. Mah marster had a fish trap at de mouth ob Harper en w'en de gun boat passed dey shot thro' de trap. I wuz right 'yer w'en de Civil wah wuz gwin on, en de soldiers wuz dressed up n beatin' de drums. No homey we didn't git nothin' w'en we wuz freed. ws$r widout nothin' ter do wid. nuther man's plantashun. Jes druv We got in a waggln en druv ter Mah ole man made a crap dera. slaves might hab got sump'in but I dunno nobody dat did. Sum ob de I wuz skeered ter op'n mah do'er atter dark on 'count ob Ku Klux Klan, dey wuz red hot. 1 member w'en de sta'rs fell. 1 wuz small but de ole folks run out en loked at dem, kum back set down en cried, dey th^op hit A, A me'nt de worl' wuz kumin' ter an end. De peeple wuz skeered w'en dey se'd de comet wid de long tail. Dey th^oit hit wuz a sign ob wah. I*se cooked eve*y since I wuz, freed. I stayed in Henry Galbles kitchen five long y'ars, en since t se had deae strokes hit's broke 1 ^titt^kin ^ do nothin * 1. 'long ter de Methodist Church. I 6<^ think de young peeples 625 turrible, en dis white en black mar'iags not be 'lowed. De songs I member ez: " Dark wuz de Night". " Good Ole Daniel". I'se nebber Isoted but I'se electioneered fer dem. Hab nebber had any frens in office. I wuz 'yer w'en Henry Clay en James K. Polk wuz runnin'. I wuz hired at de ole City Hotel ovuh on de river. room servant dere. I wuz din'in Mah marster would hab me sing a song fer him 'bout de Democrats. "Hooray de kuntry ez risin'; rise up en drown ole Clay en his pizen." I guess ole Clay wuz a right good fellow but he played cards wid de niggers in de cellar. De only thing I ( ^nber 'bout de 'structshun -time wuz sum ob de whites didn't wan'' de niggers ter vote. I stays 'yer wid mah daughter. Dat_ez de only support I hab since I had deze strokes en bin unable ter do fer mahse'f. K^^^^^^^ffii&iiiiSSSiSiiSa 410023 Page-I- ^ JQ Ex^Slave Stories . Subject: Joseph Leonidas star,# 133 Quebec place, Knoxville,Tennessee If the poetic strain in the Dunbar Negroes of the south is an inheritance and not n just e gift from On High" Knoxville,Tennesseets aged Negro Poet,-born Joseph Leonidas Star,-but prominently known in the community as LeeM Star,Poet,Politician and lodge Man , >-thinks that Georgians poetic genius Paul Lawrence ^unbar,Mmaybe took his writin1 spells1* from him. n My grandfather end Paul Lawrence Axnbar1* grandfather was cousins. He were a much younger man than I am, for I was eighty-one years old the twenty-sixth of December, 1937. $o j reckon I give it down to my kin-man. Bat it seem to rae,that poets is just born thataway. po try is no thin1 but Truth anyway, and itfs Truth ^a^ sets us free. And that makes me a free-born citizen bothways and every ways. I were born free. I were always happy-natured and I expect to die thataway. One of my poems is named, *$Be Satisfied!* and I say in it that if a man's got somethin* to eat, and teeth to bitef he should be s s&tisfied. You cant take your good/with you. Old man Rockefeller ,Khen he died .< here awhile back, went awry from here Hhout his hat and shoes. That's the way its goin1 to be with all us, no matter what our color is.tt **The people round here calls me ^Lee*1 Star* and I want to tell you, Lee **tar is a free-born man. But of course, things bein* as they *were,both my mother and father were slaves.That is for a few years. They lived in Greenville,Tennessee. My mother^Maria Guess, was free!d before the emancipation, by the good words of her young white mistress, who told ! &e all when she was about to die, she waxtt'ed* em to set Maria free, * cause she did^t want her little playmate to be nobodys else1s slave VThey was pl^ytmtes ycta. see .My mother - ?f, w V eleven years oll^'whetf;&bi' vi&M fTm&** Page 2~ 71 Joseph Leonidas Start B When she was about fourteen and my father &enry ^unbar wanted to marry he had to first buy his freedom.In them times a slave couldnt marry a free'd person. So he bought his freedom from his liarster LLoyd Bullen, end a good friend of Andrew Johnson, the presi-dent. My father an1 him was friends too. ^o he bought his freedom, for just a little of somethin1 what,1 cause they didnt aim to make him I disremamber buy his freedom high* He made, good money though.He was a carpenter, blacksmith, shoe maker and knowed a lot more trades. His Master was broadhearted, and good to his slaves, and he let *em work at anything they want to, when tney was done their part of white folks chore** work.** 11 Both my father and mother was learned in the shoe makin1 trade, ''hen they come to Knoxville to live, and where I was born, they had a great big' shoe shop out there close to where Governor Brownlow lived, Knoxville _#ust had three streets,two runnin*east and west and one run north and south. I well remember when General Bamside come to Knbxville.3!hat was endurin1 the siege of &3aO ville. Before he marched his men out to the Battle of Fort aunders, he stopped his soli&er band in front of our shoe shop and serenaded my mother and father. I was a little boy and I climed up on the porch bannisters and sat there and lissen* to that music." 11 I remember another big man come here once when I was a boy and I vfervefd the, transient trade at a little eatin1 place right where the ^bkin Ho~tel Is ,aow JeffJ^aris come there to eat, when he stopped over between trains.That ~ ,wa.% ia 1869. So, I disremember what he eat or how^he behave .He didnt seem no ^^ was nince lookin1 wore a long tail coat and ^^^#wjb^j|^,. pt^-; ^^Eiife^: ^iapk^^p:^ favored pic u;re*5 of Abraham ^i^oln^^s about ggyj^e^^ chin-whiskers. I were very "busy at the time,an' Page-S- : Joseph Leonadis ^tar. . "Yes, I've seen many a slave in my day. One of njy boy playmates was a slave child. His name is Sam Sogan and he lives now at the County Pope ^ara. I make it a point now to dwell too much on slave times.I was learned different. I've had considerable schoclin',went to my first schoil in the old ^irst Presbyterian church .My teachers was white folks from the North. They give us our education and give us clothes and things sent down here from the North. That was just after the surrender. I did see a terrllnie sight once. A slave with chains on him as long as from here to the street .He was in an ole1 buggy, set tin1 between two white men and they was pas^n' through Knoxville. My mother and father wouldnt lissen1 to me tell1 em about it wiien I got home* -&nd I hope I forget everything I ever knowed or heard about salves, and slave times." Joseph Leonidas tar, no longer works at the shoemakers trade .He writes 3^/$/ poetry and lives leisurely in a three room frame shanty,in a row of shabbier ones that face each other disconsolately on a typical ^egro alleyway, that has no shade trees and no paving. "Lee's11 house is the only one that does not wabble uneasily, flush with theimiddy alley* His stands on a small brick foundations few feet behind a privet^ stasbcx hedge in front, with a brick wall aloijg the side in which he has cemented a few huge conch shells. After fifty-four years residence here, a political boss in his ward, and the only Negro member of the Toung white Men's Republican League, Star's influence in his commtinity is attested by the fact that when he MdestructedM, w tie Kiioxville City gouncil to "please do somethin1 about it.Knoxville being too big a city to keep callin' streets alleys,the c ity ^ouncil promptly and j maaiiaott&y voted to change the name of King's fyfj -%.ley to Quebec fffflf ^?r> page-4~ 73 Joseph Leonidas Star. When the interviewer called, Starfs door was padlocked.But he appeared soon,having^ received word by the grape-vine system that see him" ,-n They told me it was the Sherriff" he laughed. some one w was to He came down the long muddy alley at a lively clip. He claimes he is able to walk about 20 miles each day, just to keep in condition. He worefc a broad-brimmed black11 derby-hat*1', a neatly pressed ^etrge suit in two tones, a soiled white pleated shirt and a frazzled-edged black bow tie- His coat lapels and vestrfront were adorned njth badges and emblems,including his Masonic pins, a Friendship Medal, his Republican button and a silve r crucifix. The Catholic church,according to Lee* is the only one in Knoxville which pennits the black man to worship under the same roof with-his white brothers. Maqy of Starfs poems have been published in the local and state papers* He 1c0&$* a record of deaths of all citizens, and has done so for sixty years. . He calls^ the one, which records murders end hanging, his "Doomsday Book8, and" ^eiicoachedH in it he claims is an accrate date record of all such events of A importance in his lifetime. His records are neatly inscribed in a printing form add very legibLe^His conversation is mariced oy grammatical incongruities, but he does not speak the negro dialect. n-u -* * " s y^M>k--l^~-.",-.-.'- . 'B8WIM 2 white folks throw in dere trash pile en sum ob hit I sell ter1' de papah en junk dealers. 75 De white peeple he'p me now also." "I se'd dem sell a lot ob slaves in Mississippi, jes' lak hosses en hogs, one time w'en de Marster-en Mistress made a trip down dere. Lots ob times dey made trips !round de kuntry en dey allus tuk me 'long. I se'd sum cru'1 Marsters dat hitched up dere slaves ter plows en made dem plow lak hosses en mules did." "Atter de slaves got dere freedura, dey had ter look atter demselves ,so dey would wuk on plantations till dey got so dey could rent a place, lak you rent houses en farms terday. Sum got places whar dey wuk'd fer wages." "I voted three times in mah life but lawdy dat wuz a long time ago. I .voted fer Teddy Roosevelt en Woodrow Wilson, en mah.last vote wuz bout two y'ars pas' ." n Hab no tales handed down by mah peeple. Wen I would try ter git information, atter I got o'ler, all dey would say wuz, "Tou wuz raised on a bottle en hab no peeple ob youown." n0h mah goodnessl Hit jes par'lises me ter see how dem young peeple ez doin' terday, Lawdy hab mercy but dere ez as much diff'ent fum ole times as day en nite en hit looks lak things hab gone astray. Wuz tole lots 'bout de Ku Klux Klan en how dey would catcli en whup de cul'ed peeple, but mah white f lks made me stay in en dey neber got me." 01 member seein' Andrew Jackson, General Grant en Abraham Lincoln, member seein' General Andrew Jackson git in ready fer war by marchin' his soldiers erroun'. I se'd im ride his big white hosa up en down ter see how dey marched." foa song I lack'd best 6b all wuz, *M&h Ole Mammy ez De'd :$m.. mW> $ *, M.e- H&M&9* te- de-'Wi How Tree.' Bon11 member '^^^^j^^^^^^^^^B^&kk^^^^i^^^^^^^^^^^'^"; 410013 INTERVIEW ~ . ' Sylvia Watkins 411 14th Avenue N. Nashville, Tennessee. I'se said ter be 91 y ars ole. on. I wuz bawn in Bedford County. I wuz young w'en de War wuz goin' Mah mammy wuz named Mariah. She had six chillun by mah daddy en three by. her fust husbanS. Mah missis wuz named Emily Hatchet en de young missises wuz Mittie en Bettie, dey wuz twins. We had good clothes ter w'ar en w1en we went ter de table hit wuz loaded wid good food en we could set down en eat our stomachs full. food. Oh Lawd I wish dem days wuz now so I'd hab sum good Ob course, we had ter wuk in de fiel's en mek w'at we et, W'en we'd finish our days wuk our missis would let us go out en play hide en seek, Puss in de corner, en diff'ent games. Mah mammy wuz sold in Virginia w'en she wuz a gurl. She sezs 'bou 60 ob" em wuz put in de road en druv down 'yer by a slave trader, lak a bunch ob cattle. Mah mammy en two ob mah sistahs wuz put on a block, sold en carried ter Alabama. We neber 'yeard fum dem nomo', en dunno whar dey ez. I wuz willed ter mah young missis w'en she ma'ried. ; I wuz young en, ob course, she whuped me, but she wasn't mean ter me. I; eve'y whupin' she eber gib me, cause I wuz allus fightin'. I needed Mah missis l~allus called me her lettle nig. H Mah daddy could only see mah mammy Wednesday en Saturday nites, f enef'n he kum wid'out a pass de pat-rollers would whup ' im er run 'ip 'til his tongue hung out. Oh dem nites we* would sit up en look en lots ob times he wuz out ob bref cose he had run so much. |:;;:;ll'>l|lfcefo]48 had a loom en w wove our own clothes, ;j|||^^^ I wuz nuss Man young missis *wuz 2 blind 'fore she died, 77 I useter visit her once a Ye'r en she'd load me down wid things ter tek home, a linsey petticoat, ham bones, cracklins en diff'ent things. She died 18 years ago almos' a 100 ye'r ole. De white folks wouldn't let de slaves hab a book er papah fer fear dey'd 1'arn sumpin', en ef dey wan'ed ter pray dey'd tu'n a kettle down at dere cabin do'er. I member /earin' mah mammy pray M0h Father op'n f up de do'ers en sho us lite."/ I'd look up ter de ceiling ter see ef he wuz gonna op'n up sumpin'; silly, silly me, thinkin' such. I's 'longs ter de Missionary Baptist chuch but I don't git ter go very off'n. I wuz tole 'fore freedura dat de slaves would git a mule, land en a new suit, but our missis didn't gib us a thing. She promis' me, mah br'rer, en three sistahs ef'n we would stay wid her a ye'r, en he'p her mek a crop she would gib us sump'in ter start us a crop on w'en we lef her. Mah daddy's marster wus named Bob Rankin, he gib mah daddy a hog, sum chickens, let him hab a cow ter milk en land ter raise a crop on. He wan*ed mah daddy te# git us tergedder teifiefp daddy raise a crop , A but since mah missis had promised us so much, daddy let us stay wid her a ye*r# On de nite mah daddy kum fer us, mah missis sezs I!ve not got nuthin ter gib you, fer I won!t hab mobody ter do nuthin fer me. We went wid our uJddy. We lived dere on Marster Rankin1s farm fer ye!rs in fact so long we thort de place 'longed ter mah daddy We had a house wid big cracks in hit, had a big fier place, a big pot dat hong on de fier en a skillet dat we cooked corn bread in. Had a hill ob taters under de house, would raise up a plank, rake down in de dirt git taters, put dem in de fier ter roast. We had meat feer eat in de middle ob de day but none at mawnin1 er nite. \ a yefrf dey had brass on de toes. I uster git out en shine de toes lob mifce* we called hit golf on our shoes. fmah dgdcly, en I know how We got one pair ob shoes We wuked in de fielf wid ter do ebertiEig dere ez ter do in a fiel1 Eitpg, I .'.W$t allws ter slend | ter'hold a plow. We had grease J/^K 3 lamps. A thing lak a goose neck wid platted rag wick in hit. Would put grease in hit. Durin' slavery *f one marster had a big boy en 'nuther had a big gal de marsters made dem libe tergedder. Ef'n de 'oman didn't hab any chilluns, she wuz put on de block en sold en 'nuther 'oman bought. You see dey raised de chilluns ter mek money ohnjes lak we raise pigs ter sell. Mah mammy tole me 'bout de sta'rs fallin' en den I se'ed de second fallin' ob sta'rs1.' Dey didn't hit de groun' lak defust did. de comet hit had a long tail. I member I lef mah daddy en kum ter Nashville wid missis Nellie Rankin, (daddy's young missus( in 1882; hab bin 'yer eber since, I'se dun house wuk fer a lot ob peeples. a 'oman in Belle Meade fer 14 ye'rs. I'se bin ma'ried twice. he d!ed. Kep house fer Now I'se aint able ter do nothin. la'ried Jimm Ferguson, libed wid ' im 20 ye'ars Two ye1 ars later I mar! ed George Wattkins, lived wid him 8 ye* ars; two yelars ago he died,I!se neber had any chilluns. I kep wan*in ter *dopt a lettle gal, de fust husban1 wouldn11 do hit* f Bout 5 ye1 ars ago de second husban1 eorge kum in wid a tiny baby, sezs } yer ez a boy baby I Adopted. ; jes like yer. I sezs dat ez you w>wn baby cose hits He* denied hit, but 3b m now de boy ez efzackly lak George* ;iHefs six yefrs ole en gwine ter school, 'M ?fter raise fim flone. % ,v " ' I'se got mah hands full tryln1 . Wf en George died he had a small inshorance policy* .. . -. ' |I paid mah taxes, I owns dis home, en bought mahself three hogs. Msold two en kilt one. I Den I got three mor' jes' a short time ago. ||Si3m kind ob zeeze got among dem en dey all d'ed. Yaa I'se voted four er five times, but neber had any frens in )ffice. I don' think dis white-black mar'iag should be 'lowed. Dey jkould be whupped wid a bull whup. :;|| li|;|5 t know de; ex-sla^s! )ial) wuked at diff'ent kins ob jobs |p ^^^&i^M^|r ez in de po-house, sum git' in *elie order en urthers wj 79 ez lak mahself, hab dere homes en gettin' 'long bea' aey kin, I needs milk en cod liver oil fer dis lettle boy but can't buy it, I dunno nothin' 'bout slave uprisin's. "All Gawds Chilluns up Yonder," "I want ter Shout Salvation." "Down by de River Side," De songs I member ez: 80 410021 INTERVIEW NARCISSUS YOUNG Rear 532 1st Street No. Nashville, Tennessee "I'se 96 y'ars ole. Bawn in slavery en mah marster wuz Xsham Lamb en man missis wuz Martha Lamb. Mah mammy d'ed Wen l-wuz three y'ars ole en I wuz raised in de house 'til I wuz big 'nuf f. ter wuk out in de fiels wid de others. Mah missis 1* arn me ter sew, weav en spin. he'lped ter cook en wuk in de house. I also Atter I- got big* er I went ter chuch. wid mah white folks en had ter set wid urther slaves in dat part ob de chuch whar nobody but slaves would be 'lowed, in slavery I'se git no money fer wuk*n but I don' steal as mah white folks sho gib me en d uther slaves plenty good -things ter eat. Clothes good 'nuff fer anybody, ccaaiy, en we went ter parties en urther places, en w at else could I'se wantf'V "Mah misais l'arned me ter pray, "Now I lay me down ter sleep. I pray d Lawd mah soul ter keep, but if I should di 'fore I wake, I pray de l>m& mah soul t r t k." I jined d primitive Baptist Ghuch will young en b'en dere be*y since.n WI member d ole song back dere, "Rock a By Baby, Yo Baddy's goa a Huntin' ter git a Rabbit Skin t r put d Baby in*w "I wuz wliup'd by mah missis fer things dat I ought' n dun, wuz rit . _. aig#. B hahdest whup*in sh eber gib m wuz *bout I had gathured d aigs in a bucket en tuk dem ter qpU-.#&;X ;# *d d big fier in d fl r-plac so I tuk out two -h'--:::- ;-vv!..'":f' '::-:-i^0:;.::: /"' . ililil^^ .. ..: . v-.;\:.v: .. . ' ".>-.-..-- ',. '" 2 81 de aigs en axed who put dern dere. but she knowed I did. I tole her I didunt do hit, So she tole me she don' keer 'bout de two aigs, but dafc she wuz gwine ter whup me fer tellin1 a lie. Dey don't raise chilluns lak dat now," "I don't b'leeve in diggers en whites ma'rin' en I wuz raised by de "quality" en I'se b'leeves eber one should ma'rie in dere culor." "i think de young peeples ob ter day ez dogs en sluts, en yer kin guess de rest." "One day tbout 12 o'clock we se'd de Yankee soldiers pas' our house. de place. De missus hid her fine things, but dey don1 kum on All us Niggers run ter de cellar en hid. We found de .sugah barrels en we scracht 'round fer sum sugah ter eat." "-One time de Ku Klux Klan kum ter our house but dey harm nobody. Guess day wuz lookin' fer sum slave er sum one fum 'nother plantation widout dere marster's pass." "I se'd a lot ob sta'rs fall one time but dey neber teched de groun' En I members seein' a comet wid a long bright shinin1 tail." "Atter freedum all de slaves lef de plantation but I stayed dere a long time. I kum ter Nashville ovah thurty y'ars ago en I'se wuk'd as cook en house, wuk'r twenty y'ars fer one party; eleben y'ars fer 'nother, en menny y'ars fer 'nother. I knows you won't b'leeve me but at one time I weigh ovuh 400 pounds, but now I'm nothin* but skin en bon' least 200 pounds now). (She weighs at I bekum feeble en couldn't wuk out, en eber since den I'se bin kum' up a mountain, but now I git he'ps by de Social security.