SLAVE NARRATIVES A Folk History of Slavery in the United States From Interviews with Former Slaves TYPEWRITTEN RECORDS PREPARED BY THE FEDERAL WRITERS' PROJECT " 1936-1938 ASSEMBLED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS PROJECT WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION FOR THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SPONSORED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Illustrated with Photographs WASHINGTON 1941 VOLUME XVI TEXAS NARRATIVES PART 2 Prepared by the Federal Writers1 Project of the Works Progress Administration for the State of Texas INFORMANTS Easter, Willis Edwards, Anderson and Minerva Edwards, Ann J. Edwards, Mary Kincheon Elder, Lucinda Ellis, John Ezell, Lorenza 1 5 10 15 17 21 25 Farrow, Betty Finnely, John Ford, Sarah Forward, Millie Fowler, Louis Franklin, Chris Franks, Orelia Alexie Frazier, Rosanna 33 35 41 47 50 55 60 63 Gibson, Priscilla 66 Gilbert, Gabriel 68 Gilmore, Mattie 71 Goodman, Andrew 74 Grant, Austin 81 Green, James 87 Green, 0. W. 90 Green, Rosa 94 Green, VJilliam (Rev. Bill) 96 Grice, Pauline 98 Hadnot, Mandy Hamilton, William Harper, Pierce Harrell, Molly Hawthorne, Ann Hayes, James Haywood, Felix Henderson, Phoebe Hill, Albert Hoard, Rosina Holland, Tom Holman, Eliza 102 106 109 115 118 126 130 135 137 141 144 148 Holt, Larnce Homer, Bill Hooper, Scott Houston, Alice Howard, Josephine Hughes, Lizzie Hursey, Moses Hurt, Charley 151 153 157 159 163 166 169 172 Ingrain, Wash 177 Jackson, Carter J, Jackson, James Jackson, Maggie Jackson, Martin Jackson, Nancy Jackson, Richard Janes, John Johns, Thomas Johns, Mrs. Thomas Johnson, Gus Johnson, Harry Johnson, James D. Johnson, Mary Johnson, Mary Ellen Johnson, Pauline,and Boudreaux, Felice Johnson, Spence Jones, Harriet Jones, Lewis Jones, Liza Jones, Lizzie Jones, Toby 180 182 185 187 193 195 198 201 205 208 212 216 219 223 225 228 231 237 241 246 249 Kelly, Pinkie Kilgore, Sam Kinchlow, Ben Kindred, Mary King, Nancy King, Silvia 253 255 260 285 288 290 ILLUSTRATIONS Facing page Anderson and Minerva Edwards 5 Ann J. Edwards 10 Mary Kincheon Edwards 15 John Ellis 21 Lorenza Ezell ,. 25 Betty Farrow 33 Sarah Ford 41 Louis Fowler 50 Orelia Alexie Franks 60 Priscilla Gibson 66 Andrew Goodman 74 Austin Grant 81 James Green 87 0. W Green and Granddaughter 90 William Green, (Rev. Bill) 96 Pauline Grice 98 Mandy Hadnot 102 William Hamilton 106 Felix Haywood 130 Phoebe Henderson 135 Albert Hill 137 Eliza Holman 148 Bill Homer 153 Scott Hooper 157 Facing page Alice Houston 159 Moses Hursey 169 Charley Hurt 172 Wash Ingram 177 Carter J. Jackson 180 James Jackson 182 Martin Jackson 187 Richard Jackson 195 John James 198 Gus Johnson 208 James D. Johnson 216 Mary Ellen Johnson 223 Pauline Johnson and Felice Boudreaux 225 Spence Johnson 228 Harriet Jones 251 Harriet Jones with Daughter and Granddaughter 231 Lewis Jones 237 Lizzie Jones 246 Sam Kilgore 255 Ben Kinchlow 260 Mary Kindred 285 420*385 Si-SUlVE ST0SI2S (fexas) Page One > flLUS EASTER, 35, was bora near Nacog&oches, Texas, He does not know the name of his first master, Frank Sparks brou^it Willis to Bosqueville, Texas, when he was two years old. Willis believes firmly in Hconjure^ient, and ghosts, and wears several charms for protection against the former. He lives in Waco, Texas, "1*8 birthed below Nacogdoches, and dey tells me it am on March 19th, in 1852. My mammy had some kind of pgper what say dat. But I donft know my master, Marse Frank Sparks f cause when I*s two he done give me to and he brung me to Bosqueville, Dat sizeable place My maamy come fbout a month after, 'cause Marse Prank, he s y dem days. I1 s too much trouble without my mammy. tt Mammy de bes1 cook in de county and a master hand at spinninr and weaving She made her own dye* Walnut and elm makes red dye and walnut brown color, and shumake makes black color. When you wants yallow color, git cedar moss out de brake* W A11 de lint was picked by hand on our place. It a slow job to git dat lint out de cotton and Ifs gone to sleep many a night, settin1 by de fire, pickin* lint. In bad weather us sot by de fire and pick lint and patch harness and shoes, or whittle out something, dishes and bowls and troughs and traps and spoons. A11 us chillen weared lowel white duckin1, homemake, jes1 one garment* It was de long shirt * Tou couldn*t tell gals from boys on de yard. *1H twelve when us am freed and for awhile us lived on Marse Bob Wortham's place, on ChaBc Bluff, on Horseshoe Bend* After de freedom wart Ex-slave Stories (Texas) page Two m & dat old Brazos River done changeits course up !bove de bend, and move to de west, 11 1 marries Nancy Clsrk in 1879, but no chilluns. Dere plenty deer Deyfs sho1 fine eati nf and bears and wild turkeys and antelopes here den, and wish I could stick a tooth in one now. I*s seed fifty antelope at a waterin1 hole. H Dere plenty Indians, too. De Rangers had de time keepin1 dem back, Dey come in bright of de moon and steals and kills df stock. Dere a ferry He sho1 fit dem Indians. cross vie Brezos and Capt. Ross run it. i M Dera days everybody went hossback and de roads was jes1 trails and bridges was poles 1 cross ;e creeks. One day us went to a weddin1. Dey sot de dinner table out in de yard urder a big tree and de table was a big slab of a tree on legs, Dey hod pewter plates and spoons and chiny bowls and wooden dishes. Some de knives and forks was make out of bone. Dey had beef and pork and turkey and come antelope, "I knows !bout ghostes. First, I tells you a funny story. A old man named Josh, he purty old nnd notionate. Every evenin1 he squat down under a oak tree* Marse Smith, he slip up and hear Josh prayin, 'Oh, G-awd, please take pore old Josh home with you,1 Next day, Marse Smith' wrop heself in a sheet and git in de oak tree. Old Josh come 'long and pray, f 0h, Gawd, please come take pore old Josh home with you.1 Marse say from, top de tree, f Poor Josh, Ifs come to take you home with me,1 seed dat white shape in de tree, and he yell, I hasn't git forgive for all my sins.* Old Josh, he riz up and f 0h, Lawd, not rigat now, Old Josh, he jes' shakin1 and he -2- ^ 2 Six-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three dusts out dere faster den a wink. ** Dat broke up he prayin1 under dat tree. "I never studied cunjurinr, but I knows dat scorripins and things dey cunjures with *m powerful medicine. Dey uses hair and fingernails and tacks nna dry insects and worms and bat wings and sech. Mammy allus tie 2. leather string round de babies' necks when dey teethin19. to make dera have easy tinie. She used a dry frog or pi>-ce nutmeg, too. "Mammy allus tell me to keep from be in1 cunjure, I sing: 11 'Keep 'way from raef hoodoo and witch, lead my path from de porehouse gate; I pines for golden harps and sich, Lawd, I1!! jes1 set down and wait. Old Satan am a liar and conjurer, too If vom donft watch out, he'll cunjure you.1 HDem cunjuremen sho1 b?d luck, Dey make you have pneuraony and boils and "bad I carries me a jpck ail de time. It m oe charm wrop in red flannel. Don1t know what m in it. 11 k bossroan, he fix it for me. I sho1 can find water for de well. I got a li'l tree limb wh*t am like a V. I driv de nail in de end of each branch and in de crotch. I t^kes hold of each branch and if fen I walks over water in de bround, dat limb gwine turn over in my h?nd till it points to de ground. Iffen money am buried, you can find it de same way. "Iffen you fills a shoe with rait and burns it, dat call luck to you. I wears a dine on a string round de neck and one round de ankle. Dat to keep any conjureman from sottin' de trick on me. Dat dime be bright iffen my friends am true. It siio1 gwine git dark iffen dey does me wrong. "For to male a jack dat am sho1 good, git snakeroot and sassafras and > ^ Ex~slave Stories (Texas) Page Four j *''" a lifl lodestone and brimstone and asafoetida and resin and bluestone and gum arable and a pod or two red pepperm Put dis in de red flannel bag, at midnight on de dark of de moon, and it sho1 do de work. M I kno^ed a ghost house. I sho1 did. Everybody knowed it0 a red brick house in tfaco, on Thirteenth and Washington St. Dey calls it de Bell house. It sho1 a fine, big house, bat folks couldnH use it. De white folks what o*vns it, dey gits one nigger and 'nother to stay round and look after things, white folks wants me to stay dere. I goes. De ^very Friday night dere am a rustlin1 sound, like murmur of treetops, all through dat house. De shutters rattles - only dere ainft no shutters on dem windows, Jes1 plain as anything, I hears a chair, rockin1, rockin1. Footsteps, soft as de breath, you could hear dem plain. But I stays a1 id hunts and can't ^ind nobody nor nothin1 none of dem Friday nights. if Den come de Friday night on de las1 quarter de moon. Lonf; *bout midnight, something lift me out de cot. I heared a li'l child sobbin1, and dat rocker git started, and de shutters dey rattle softlike, and dat rustlin1, mournin' sound all through dat house. I takes de lantern ind out in de hall I goes. Right by de foot de stairs I seed a woman, bit as life, but she was thin and I seed right through her. She jes1 walk on down dat hall and pay me no mind. She make de sound like de beat in1 of wings, I jes1 froze. I couldn't move. "Dat woman jes1 melted out de window at de end of de hallt pnd I left dat place! ****** 420054 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One ANDERSON AND MIKERVA EDWAKDS, a Negro Baptist preacher a#d his wife, were slaves on adjoining plantations in Rusk County, Texas Anderson was born March 12, 1844, a slave of Major Matt Gaud, and Minerva was horn Petruary 2, 1850f a Blave of Major Flanmigaa. As a hoy.Andrew would get a pass to visit his father, who belonged to Major Jlennig^n, and there he met Minerva. They worked for their masters until three years after the warf than moved to Harrison County, married and reared sixteen children. Andrew and Minerva live in a snail but comfortable farmhouse two miles north of Marshall. Minerva's memory is poor, and she added little to Anderson's -story. M My father was Sandy Plannigaa and he had rua off from his first master in Maryland, on the east'shore, and come to Texas, and here a slave buyer picked him up and sold chances on him* If they could find his Maryl^d master hefd have to go back to him and if they couldjs^t the chances was good. Wash Edwards in Panola County bought the chance on him, but he ran. off from him, too, and come to Major Jlaanigaa's in Husk County. Fia'ly Major HaBnigan had to pay a good lot to get clear title to him. "My mammy was nam^d Minerva and her master was Major Grand, and I was born there on his plantation in 1866. You can ask that tax man at Marshall '"bout my age, 'cause h 's fix ray 'xenption papers since I ra sixty. I had seven brothers and tiro sisters. There was Frank, Joe, Sandy gad Gene, Preston said William and Sarah and Delilah, and they all lived to he old folks and the younges1 jus' died last year. Folks was more healthy when I growed up and ! 93 new and ain't dead; fact is, I feels right pert mos' the time. sfc^-^ ^ 5 Esfttelave Stories (Texas) Page Two M My missy nam*d Ma~y and she and Massa Matt lived in a hewed log house what am still standin1 out there ne&r Henderson, road and set all in a row. Our quarters was fcross the Massa own three fam'lies of slaves and lots of hosscs and sheep pjad cows end my father herded for him till he was freed. The government run a "big tpja yard there on Major Gaud's place and one my uncles was shoemaker. Jus1 'bout time of war, I was piddlin1 'round the tannery i and a government man say to me, f Boy, I'll givejrou $lt000 for a drink of water,1 and he did, hut it was ffederate money that got kiltf so it done me no good, "Mammy was a weaver and made all the clothes snd m*?ssa. give us plenty to eat; fact, he treated us'kimd-a like he own boys. Course he whipped us when we had to have it, but not like I seed darkies whipped on other place. The other niggers called us Major fraud's free niggers and we could hear 'em moanin' and cryin' round 'bout, when they was puttin1 it on 'era. 11 1 worked in the field from one year end to t'other and when we come in at dusk we hpd to eat and be in bed by nine. he had to eat, 'cept biscuits. M*&sa give us mosf anything That ash cake wasnft sich bad eatin1 and it was cooked by puttin1 cornmeal batter in shucks and "bakin1 in the ashes. M We didn't work in the field Sunday but they have so much stock to tend it kepf us busy. could. Missy was 'ligious and allus took us to church when she When we prayed by oursefves we daren't let the white folks know it and we turned a wash pot down to the ground to cotch the voice. lot t be free and the Lord done heered us. We prayed a We didn't have no song books and the Lord done give us our songs end when we sing them at night it jus1 whispering to nobody hear us. One went like this: -2- G Enslave Stories (Texas) Page Two 11 $ 'My knee bones am aching, My body's rackin' with pain, I 'lieve Ifm a chile of God, And this aimft my home, 1 Cause Heavenfs my aim.* M Massa Gaud give big corn shuckin s and cotton pickinfs and the women cook up big dinners and massa give us some whiskey, and lots of times we shucked all night. On Saturday nights wefd sing and dance and we made our orcn instruments, which was gourd fiddles and quill flutes. Gen'rally Christmas was like tsc&y other day, but I got Santa Claus twict in slavery, 'cause massa give me a ssck of molasses candy once and some biscuits once and that a whole lot to me then. "The Yinsons and JYys what lived next to massa sold slaves and I seed 'em sold and chained together and druv off in herds by a white They'd sell babies fway ^rora the mammy and the Lord nerer man on a hoss. did 'tend sich as that. W I 'lieve in that hant business yet, I seed one when I was a boy, right after mamny die. I woke up and seed it come in the door, and it had a body and legs and tail and a face like a man and it walked to the fireplace and lifted the lid off a skillet of 'taters what sot there and came to my bed and raised up the cover and crawled in and I hollers so loud it wakes everybody. I tell fea I seed a ghost and they say I crazy, but I guess I knows a hant when I sees one. Minerva there can tell you 'bout that haunted house we lived in near Marshall jus' after we's married. " (Minerva says, Deed, I can,1 and here is her story: ) ^The nex1 year after ' J^dfcrsoa *& * marries we moves to a w AC. *kat had 'loaded iioifeit. folks and the tsfca was real mean aad choked > ! Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three his wife to death and he lef1 the country :>nd we moved in. f peculivar noises by night p.n& the niggers We heered round there done told us it w~s hasted hut I didnft 'lieve 'em, bit I do now. One night we seed the woman what died come all 'round with p. light in the hand and the neighbors said that candle light the house all over and it look like it on fire. She come ev'ry night and we left our crop and moved fway from there and ain't gone b*ck yit to gather that crop, '?ore we moved in that place "been empty since the woman die, 'cause nobody live ther<% One night Charlie Williams, what lives in Marshall, r-nd runs a store out by the T. & ? Hospital git drunk and goes out there to sleep and while he sleepin' that same woman come in-and nigh choked him to death. Ain't nobody ever live in that house since we is there.11 Anderson then resumed his story: Ji I 'member when war starts and massa's "hoy, George it was, saddles up ole Bob, his pony, snd lef. He stays six months and when he rid up massa say, 'How's the wax, George?1 and massa Seorge say, 'It's Hell. ever since us lef'.' Me and Bob has been runnin' Yankees 'Pore war massa didn't never say much 'bout slav- ery but when he heered us free he cusses end say, 'Gawd ne^er did 'tend to free niggers,' and he cussed till he died. Bub he didn't tell us we's free till a whole year after we was, but one day a bunch of Yankee soldiers come ridin' up aiid massa and miss y hid out. The soldiers walked into the kitchen and mammy was churnin' nnd one of them kicks the churn over and say, 'Oit out, you's jus1 as free as I is.' Then they ramsacked the place and breaks out s3 1 the window lights and when they leaves it look like a storm done hit that house. Massa come back from faidia1 and that when he starts on a cussim1 spree what lasts as long as he lives. -3- ^ u n Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Four 11 'bout four year after thr>t war pappy took me to Harrison County and I've lived here ev r since and Minerva's p$>py moves from the Planni^.n pl.*ce to a jinin' farm tout that time mid sevfral yeprs later we was married. It was at her house and she had a blue serge suit and I wore a cutaway Prince Albert suit and they was fbout 200 folks at our weddin1. The nexf day they give us an infair and a big dinner. V/e raises sixteen chillen to be growed and six of the boys is still livin1 and workin' in Marshall, r, I been preachin1 the Gtospel nnd fnrmin' since slavery time. I jin^d the church mos' 83 ye&r ago wh*n I was Major Gaud's slave and they baptises me in the spring branch clost to where I finds the Lord. When I starts preachin' I couldn't repjl or write and had to preach what mass a told me and he s$r tell them niggers i^fen they obeys the nmssa they goes to Heaven but I knowed there's something better for them, but daren't tell them !cept on the sly. That I done lots. I tells they kepps prayia' the Lord will set 'em free. f em iffen But since them days I's done studied some and I preached all over Panol?, and Harrison County and I started the Edward's Chnpel over there in Marshall said pastored it till a few year ago. It's named for me. "I don't preach much now, 'cause I can't hold out to walk far and I got no other waj to go. We has and what we caja raise on the farm. ******* a $14.00 peasion a d lives on thfct ) 4 0219 EX-SLAVE STORIES %; (Texas) 10 ANN J. EDffABDS, 81, was horn a slave of John Cook, of Arlington County, Virginia. He manumitted his slaves in 1857. Four years later Ann was adopted "by Richard H. Gain, a colored preacher. He was elected to the 45th Congress in 1876, and remained in Washington, D* C.f until his death, in 1887. Ann married Jas. E. Edwards, graduate of Howard College, a preacher. She now lives with her granddaughter, Mary Foster, at 804 E. 4th St., Fort Worth, Texas, 11 1 shall gladly relate the story of my life. I was "born a slave on January 27thf 1856, and ray master1 s n^me was John J. Cook, who was a resident of Arlington County, Virginia. He moved to Washington, D. C, when I was nearly two years old and immediately gave my parents their freedom. They separated within a year after that, and my mother earned our living, working as a hairdresser until her death in 1861. I was then adopted by Richard H. Cain, a minister of the Oospel in the African Methodist Church. M I remember the beginning of the war well. The conditions made a deep impression on my mind, and fahe atmosphereof Washington was charged with excitement and expectations. There existed considerable need for assistance to the Negroes who had escaped after the war began, and Rev. Cain took a leading part in rendering aid to them. They came into the city without clothes or money and no idea of how to secure employment, A large number were placed on farms, some given employment as domestics and still others mustered into the Federal Army. -1- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two / "The city was one procession of men in blue and the air was full of martial music. The fife and drum could be heard almost all the time, so you may imagine what emotions a colored person of my age would experience, especially as fatherfs church was a center for congregating the Negroes and advising them. That was a difficult task, because a larr;e majority were illiterate and ignorant, "The year father was called to Charleston, South Carolina, to take charge of a church, we became the center of considerable trouble. after the close of the war. It was right In addition to hi& ministerial duties, father managed a newspaper and became interested in politics. He was elected a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of South Carolina in 1968, He was also elected a Republican member of the State Senate and served from 1868 to 1872. Then he became the republican candidate for the United States Hep re sen tat ive of the Charleston district, was elected and served in the 45th Congress from March 4, 1877 to March 3, 1879. M You can imagine the bitter conflict his candidacy brought on. A Negro running for public office against a white person in a Southern state that was strong for slavery does not seem the sensible thing for a man to do, but he did and wast of course, successful. From the moment he becane delegate to the Con- stitutional Convention a guard was necessary ni^ht and day to watch our home. He was compelled to have a bodyguard wherever he went. in constant fear at all times. We, his family, lived Many times mother pleaded with him to cease his activities, but her pleadings were of no avail. M In the beginning the resentment was not so pronounced. -2~ The white people -f 4 *-* Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three were shocked and dejected over the outcome of the war, but gradually recovered. Is they did, determination to establish order and prosperity developed, and they resented the Negro taking part in public affairs. On the other side of the cause was the excess and obstinate actions of some ignorant Negroes, acting under ill advice. side. Father was trying to prevent excesses being' done by either He realized that the slaves were unfit, at that time, to take their place as dependable citizens, for the want of experience and wisdomf and that there wo. Id have to be mental development and wisdom learned by his race, and that such would only come by a gradual process. w He entered the contest in the interest of his own race, primarily, but as a whole, to do justice to all. often stated, No one could change his course. He f It is by the Divine will that I am in this battle.1 "The climax of the resentment against him took place when he was chosen Republican candidate to the House of Representatives. armed guard at all times. He had to maintain an Several times, despite these guards, attempts were made to either burn the house or injure some member of the family. If it had not been for the fact that the officials of the city and county were afraid of the federal government, which gave aid in protecting him, the mob would have succeeded in harming him, M A day or two before election a mob gathered suddenly in front of the house, and we all thought the end had come, father sent us all upstairs, and said he would, if necessary, give himself up to the mob and let them satisfy their vengeance on him, to save the rest of us. "While he was talking, mother noticed another body of men in the alley. Ihey were certainly sinister looking. ~3~ Father told us to prepare for the worst, J[jg 4 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page four saying, 'What they plan to do is for those in front to engage the attention of ourselves and the ^uard, then those in the rear will fire the place a.nd force us out,1 He was calm throughout it allf but mother was greatly agitated and I was crying. "The chief of the guard called father for a parley. The mob leader demanded that father come out for a talk. Then the sheriff and deputies appeared and he addressed the crowd of iaenf PTIA told them if hfttni came to us the city would he placed under martial law. The men then dispersed, after some discus- sion among themselves. "Father moved to Washington, took the oath of office and served until March 4thf 1879. He then received the appointment of Bishop of the African Methodist Church and served until his death in Washington, on Jan. 18th, 1837. ,f I began my schooling in Charleston and continued in Washington, where I entered Howard College* "but did not continue until graduation. I met James E# Edwards, another student, who graduated in 1881, and my heart overruled my desire for an education. to Dallas, Texas. We married and he entered the ministry and was called He remained two years, then we were called to Los Angeles. The Negroes there were privileged to enter public eating establishments, hut a cafe owner we patronized told us the following: ,,f After a time, I was compelled to refuse service to Negroes because they abused the privilege. They came in in a boisterous manner and crowded and shoved other patrons. It was due to a lack of wisdom and education, "That was true. The white people tried to give the Negro his rights and he abused the privilege because he was ignorantf a condition he could not then help. 4 *Z Sx-slaveStories (Texas) Page Five "My husband and I were called to Kansas City in 1896 and from there to many other towns. Finally we cajne to 7/aco, and he had charge of a church there when he died, in 1927. We had a pleasant married life and I tried to do my duty as a pastor1 s wife and help elevate my race. We we^e blessed with three children, and the only one now living is in Boston, Massachusetts. W I now reside with my granddaughter, Mary Foster, and this shack is the best her husband can afford. stances. home. In fact, we are living in destitute circum- It is depressing to me, after having lived a life in a comfortable It is the Lordfs will and I must accept -vhat is provided, purpose for all things. There is a I shall soon c~co to meet my Maker, with the satis- faction of having done my duty - first, to my race, second, to manlcind. ******* Hote: The biography of Richard H. Cain is published in the Biographical Directory of the American Congress* J4 ^ A 420008"' EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One / MAHT KIWCHEON EDWARDS ssys she was barn on July 8, 1810, but she has nothing ta substantiate this claim. However, she is evidently very old. Her memory is peer, bit she knows she was reared by the Kincheons, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and thpt she spoke French when a child. The Kincheons gave her to Felix Vaughn, who brought her to Texas before the Civil War. Mary lives with Beatrice Watters, near Austin, Texas. "When Ifs a lifl gal my nome\Mary Anne Kincheon^wd I*s born on the eighth of July, in 1810. in Lousipna. Baton Bouge am de name of dat place, plenty chillen. Dem Kincheons have 0, dey h* ve so many chill en! 11 1 denft things, but I I lives .with de Kincheon family oirer f member much 'bout dem days, Ifs d^ne forgot so many f members how de stars fell and how scared us was. stars got to fallin1 and vas out !fore dey hits de ground. Dem I don't know when dat was, but Ifs good size den. W I g t give to Massa Felix Vaughn and he brung me to Texas. Dat long 'fore de war for freedom% but I don't know de year. De most work I done for de Vaughns was wet nuss de baby son, what name 311 jah. His mammy jes1 didn't have fnough milk for him. "Den I knit de socks said wash de clothes and sometimes I work in de fields. I he'ped make de baskets for de cotton. De man git white- oak wood and we lets it stay in de waiter for de night and de nex1 mornin1 and it soft and us split it in strips for makin1 of de baskets* Everybody try see who could make de "bes1 basket. -1- * ~ 1& Ex-slave Stories Page Two (Texas) p&g<* Two l? Us pick fbeut 100 pound cotton in one basket* pickin' cotton, ! cause I never did h ve de backache. three hunnert pounds a day and one day I picked 400. give by massa to de slave what pick de most. or some clothes. * / lt> I didnH mind I pick two ond Sometime de prize De prize am a big cake Pickin1 cotton not so bad, cause us used to it and have de fine time of i .# I gits p. dress one day and a pair shoes *nother day for pickin1 most* I oo fast I take two rows at de time. H De women brung oil cloths to de fields, so dev make shady pl^ce for de chillen to sleept but dera wh t big nou.gh has to pick. Sometime dey sing 11 f 0 ho, Ifs gwine home, And cuss de old overseer.1 ,fUs have ash-hopper and us*s drip-lye for make barrels soap and nominy. Be way us test de lye pja drap de egg in it ?nd if de egg float de lye ready to put in de grease for makin1 de soap. bones in de lye and dat make de bes* soap. Us throwed greasy De lye eat de bones. "Us boil wild sage a/id make tea and it smell good. de fever and chills. It good for Us git slippery elm out de bottom and chew it. Some ch-w it for bad feelinfs and some jes! to be chewin*, "Sometimes us go to dances and missy let me wear seme her jewl'ry. I out dances dem all and folks didnft know dat not ray jewlhry. After free- dom I stays with de Vaughns and marries, but I forgit he name. Dat 'fore freedom. After freedom I marries Osburn Edwards and has five chillen. Dey all dead now. I can still git 'round with dis old gnarly cane. git me good and scared and see how fr>st I can git round! ~3~ M Jes1 you 4?20.'iGG S3U3LAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One ;' LUCINDA ELDEB, 86, was born a slave of the Cardwell family, near Concord Deport, Virginia. She came to Texas with Will Jorv*s and his wife, Miss Susie, in I860, and was their nursegirl until she married Will Elder, in 13?5 Lucinda lives at 1007 Sdwards St., Houston, Texas. "You chilluns all go 'way now, while I talks to dis gen'man. I fclares to goodness, chilluns nowadays ain't got no manners 'tall. 'Tain't like when I was li'l, dey larnt you manners and you larnt to mind, too. Nowadays you tell fem to do somethin' and you is jes' wast in1 you "breath, 'l^ss you has a stick right handy. great grandchilluns, and dey sho1 is spoilt. Dey is my Maybe I ain't got no patience no more, like I use to have, 'ca\ise dey ain't so bad, "Well, suh, you all wants me to tell you 'bout slave times, and Ifll tell you first dat, I had mighty good white folks, and I hope dey is gone up to Heaven, hear was Depot. My mama 'lon^ to Marse John Gardwell, what I e riches' man and had de bigges' plantation round Concord Dat am in Campbell County, in Virginny. I don't 'member old missy's name, but she mighty good to de slaves, jes! like Marse John was, "Mama's name was Isabella and she was de cook and born right on de plantation. Papa's name was Gibson, his first name was Jim, and he long to Marse Gibson what had a plantation next to Marse John, *nd I knows papa come to see mama on Wednesday and Sat'day nights. 1- 'ffi Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two M Lemme see, now, dere was six of us chilluns. r ^O ^ My mem'ry ain't so good no more, bat Charley was oldes', den coioe Dolly and Jennie and Susie and me fmd Laura. Law me, I guess old Dr. Bass, what was doctor for M^rse John, use to be right busy with us 'bout once a year for quite a spell. "Dem times dey don't many by ho license. Dev takes a slave man and woman from de same plantation and outs fem together, or sometime a man from nother plantation, like my papa and mama. Marnna say Marse John give 'em a big supper in de big house and read out de Bible 'bout obevin' and workin1 and den dey sm married. Course, de nigger jes' a slave and have to do what de white folks say, so dat way of marryin' f bout good as any. "But Marse John sho' was de good marse and we had plenty to eat and wear and no one ever got whipped. Marse John say iffen he have a nigger what oughta be whipped, he'd git rid of him quick, 'cause a bad. nigger jes* liKe a rotten f tater in a sack of good ones it spoil de others. H Back dere in Virginny it sho1 git cold in winter, but come September de wood gang git busy cut tin1 wood and haul in1 it to de yard. Dev makes two piles, one for de big house and de bigges' pile for de slaves. When dey git it all hauled it look like a bit woodyard. quilts and dey is wool quilts. but jes' as good. While dey is haulin1, de women make Course, dey ain't made out of shearin1 wool, Marse John have lots of sheep and when dey go through de briar patch de wool cotch on dern briars and in de fall de women folks goes out and picks de wool off de briers jes' like you picks cotton. know nothin1 'bout makin1 quilts out of cotten till is fif{Jfi#Hrse * Baver done no work, -2- f l Law me, I don't comes to Texas, cause Marse John wonft work no one till dey Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three j[Q is fifteen years old. Den dey works three hours a day and dat all. Dey don't work full time t 11 dey's eighteen. We was jes1 ^ame as free niggers on our place. He gives each slave a pieee of ground to make de crop on and buys de stuff hisself. We growed snap beans and corn and plant on a light moon, or turnips and onions we plant on de dark moon. "When I gits old 'nough Marse John lets me take he daughter, Nancy Lee, to school. It am twelve miles and de yard man hitches up old Bess to de buggy and we gits in and no one in dat county no prouder dan what I was. "Marse John lets us go visit other plantations and no pass, neither. Iffen de patterroller stop us, we jes1 say we 'long to Marse John and dey don't bother us none. Iffen dey comes to our cabin from other plantations, dey has to show de pat- terroller de pass, and iffen dey slipped off and ain't got none, de patterroller sho' give a whippin1 den. But dey waits till dey off our place, 'cause Marse John won't 'low no whippin1 on our place by no one, "Well, things was jes' 'bout de same all de time till jes' 'fore freedom. Course, I hears some talk fbout bluebellies, what dey call de Yanks, fight in' out folks, but dey wasn't fightin' round us. Den one dey mamma took sich and she had hear talk and call me to de bed and say, 'Lucinda, we all gwine be free soon and not work 'less we git paid for it.1 She sho1 was right, 'cause Marse John calls all us to de cookhouse and reads de freedom papers to us and tells us we is all freef but iffen we wants to stsy he'll give us land to make a crop and he'll feed us. Now I tells you de truth, dey wasn't no one leaves, 'cause we all loves Marse John. "$enf jus1 three weeks after freedom mama dies and dat how come me to leave Marse John. Tou see, Marse Sibsan what owns papa 'fore freedom, was a good marse 3- ibc-slave -fStories (Texas) Page Pour and when papa was sot free Marse Gi"bson gives him sorae land to farm. On ~U 'Course, papa was gwine have us all with him, hut when mamma dies, Marse Gibson tell him Mr, Will Jon^s and Miss Susie, he wife, want a nurse girl for de chilluns, so papa hires me out to 'em and I want to say right now, dey esf as good white folks as Marse John and Old Missy, and sho8 treated me good. "Law me, I never won't forgit one day. Mr. Will say, fLucinda, we is gwine drige you over to Appomatox and take de chilluns and you can come, too.1 I was tickled mos1 to pieces hut h* didnft tell what he gwine for. To see a nigger hung. Course, You Know what? I gettin1 long mighty old now, bat I wonft never forgit dat. He had kilt a man, and I never saw so many people !fore, what dere to see him hang. I jes' shut my eyes. M Den Mr. Will he take me to de big tree what have all de hark strip off it and de branches strip off, and say, 'Lucinda, dis de tree where Gen. Lee surrendered. I has put dese two hands right on dat tree, yes, suh, I sho1 has M Miss Susie say one day, 'Lucinda, how you like to go with us to Texas?1 Law me, I didnft know where Texas was at, or nothin1, but I loved Mr. Will anoMiss Susie and de chilluns was all wrop up in me, so I say I'll go. And dat how come Ifm here, and I ain't never boen back, and I ainft see my own sisters and brother and papa since. n life come to New Orleans on de train and takes de boat on de Gulf to Galveston and den de train to Hsiapstead. Mr. Will farm at first and den he and Miss Susie run de hotel, and I stays with dem till I gets ma-ried to Will Elder in ?5, and I lives with him till de good Lawd takes him home. W I has five chilluns but all dead now, 'ceptin* two. 3) done served de Lawd now for 64 years and soon he's gwine call old Lucinda, but I'm ready and I know Vll be better off when I die and go to Heaven, 'cause ltm old and no 'count now. For Ex-Slave volume page one 21 3X-SLAVS STORIES (Texp.s) Qf>T ^1987 EX-SIAVE AUTOBIOGIUPEY JOHH BIIIS, was born June 26, 1852, a slave of the Ellis family in Johnson County near cleburne, cexas, lie remained with his v/hite folks and ^ was paid by the month for his labor for one year after freedom, when his master died and his mistress returned to iiississippi. lie worked as a laborer for many years around Cleburne, coming to San ijagelo, Texas in 1928, He now lives alone and is very active for his age* John relates: "My father and mother, John and Efcnnie Sllis, were sold in Springfield, Missouri, to my marster, parson Ellis, and taken away from all their people and brought to Johnson County, Texas* "lly marster, he was a preacher and a good man* of de slaves ever have better white folks den we did* irone page two "We had good beds and good food and dey teaches us to read and write too. De buffalo and de antelope and de deer was mos' as thick as de cattle now, and we was sent out after dem, so we would always have plenty of fresh meat* we had hogs and cattle too. Any of dem what was not marked was just as much ours as if fen we had raised dem., * cause de range was all free* "Some of de fish we would catch out of dat Brazos River would be so big dey would pull us in but finally we would manage to gits dem out. De rabbits and de 'possum was plentiful too and wid de big garden what our marster had for us all, we sho' had good to eat* w f I s done all kinds of work what it takes to run a fa'm* uy boss he had only fourteen slaves and what was oalled a small fa'm, compared wid de big plantations* After our days work was done we would set up at night and piok de seed out of de cotton so dey could spin it into thread* Den we goes out and gits different kinds of bark and boils it to git dye for de thread 'fore it was spinned into cloth* DQ ohillun jes* have long shirts and slips made out of dis home spun and v/e makes our shoes out of rawhide, and lawdyl Dey was so hard we would have to warm dem by de fire and grease dern wid -tallow to ever wear dem 'tall* "We had good log huts and our boss had a bigger log house* We never did work long- into de night and long 'fore day like I hear tell some did* we didn* have none of dem drivers and when we done anything very bad old 20 page three marster he whoop us a little but we never got hurt. "T didn see no slaves said. but not so muoh in Texas. Dat was done, I hear, I never did see no jails nor chains nor nothin' like dat either, but I hears 'bout denu "We never worked yat'days and de colored went to church wid de whites and jine de church too, but dey never baptized dem so far as I knows. "Yfe had lots to eat and big times on Christmas, mos f as big as when de white folks gits married, umph, umj One of de gi'ls got married once and she had such a long train on dat weddin' gown 'til me and uiy sister, we have to walks along behind her and carry dat thing, all of us a-walkinf on a strip of nice cloth from de carriage to ae church. We sho' have de cakes and all dem good eats at dem weddin' suppers. "I nev'r hear tell of many colored weddin's. \je jes' jumps over de broom an' de bride she has to jump over it baokwards and iffen she couldn1 jump it backwards she oouldn't git married. Dat was sho' funny, seein' dem colored gi'ls a tryin' to jump dat broom. "Our boss,he tells us 'bout bein' free uad he say he hire us by ae month and we stays dere a year and ne dies, den ole miss she go back to Mississippi and we jes' scatter 'round, some a workin' here and some a workin' yonder, mos* times for our victuals and clothes. I couldn' tell muoh difference myself 'oause I had good people to live wid and when it was dat way de whites and de colored was better off o > page four de way I sees it den dey AS now, some of aem. "I seem JesT pusyin1 away, de doctors uon1 know Jes' what's wrong wid me but I neber was use to ooctors anyway, jes' some red root tea or sage weed and sheep waste tea for ue measles am all ce ooctoring we gits when we was slaves and dat done jes' as well. "Hy wife she been uead ail dese years an' I Jes' lives here alone. "Chilian? Ho mam, I never had no chillun 'fore I was married an' I only had* twelve after I was marriedj yes mam, jesf nine boys and three girls, but I prefers to live here by myself,'cause I gits along alright." 24 420045 BX-SUTO STOBIBS (Texas) Page One v 25 LOHENZA EZELL, Beauaont, Texas, Negro, was bora ia 1350 oa the plaatatloa of Ned Lipscomh, ia Spartaaburg County, South Carolina* Loreasa is ah ore the aver-* age in intelligence and reaeahers aaay iacidaats of slavery and Becoastructloa days. He caae to Brehhaa, Texas, ia 1882, and sev~ eral years later acred to Beauaont, where, he lives ia a little shack almost hidden by vines and trees* "Us plantation was jes* east froa Pacolet Station on Thicket ty Creekt ia Spartaaburg County, la South Carolina* Dat near Little and Big Pacolet Hirers oa de route to Liaestone Springs, and it jes1 a ordinary plantation with de main crops cotton and wheat* "I flong to de Llpseoahs and ay aaaaa, Maria E^ll, she 'long to fea, too. county. year. Old Ned Lipscoab was faoagst de oldest citizens of dat I*s bora dere on July 29th, ia 19^50 and I be 87 year old dis Levi Izell, he ay daddy, and he 'long to laadrua Szell, a Baptist preacher. Bat young aassa and de old aassa, John Ezell, was de first Baptist preacher I ever beared of. sos aad Bryson. He have three sons, Landrua and Jud- Bryson have gif for business and was right saart of a orator. "Deyfs fourteen niggers oa da lipscoab places Dey's seven of us chill en f ay aaaaa, three uncle and three orat aad one aaa what waea't no kin to us* I was oldest of de chillen, and dey called Sal lie and Carrie and Alice and Jabus aad Coy aad LaFate and Hufus and Nelson. "Old Ned Lipscoab was one de best massa ia de whole county. You kaow dent old pat t err oilers, dey call us 'Old Ned's free niggers,' and 3ho1 hate us. Bay cruel to us, *cttise dey think us have too good a aassa. One tlae dey cotch ay uacle aad beat hia aost to death. ~:u ; Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two "Us go to work at daylight, but us wasn't 'bused. ^ Other masses used to blow de horn or ring de bell, but massa, he never use de horn or de whip. All de man folks was f lowed raise a garden patch with tobaccy or cotton for to sell in de market. Wasn't aaafiy massas what 'lowed dere niggers hare patches and some didn't even feed fem enough. Dat's why dey havs to git out and hustle at night to git food for dem to eat. H De old massa, he ?siste& us go to church. De Baptist church have a shed built behind de pulpit for cullud folks, with de dirt floor and split log seat for de women folks, but most de men folks stands or kneels on de floor. Dey used to call dat de coop. De white preacher back to us, but iff en he want to he turn 'round and talk to us awhile. Us md s up songs, 'cause us couldn't read or write* I 'meaber dis ones 'De rough,rocky road what Moses done travel, Ifs bound to carry my soul to de lawd; It's a mighty rocky road but I aos' done travelf Jind I's bound to carry my soul to de Lawd*' "Us sing 'Sweet Chariot,' but us didnft sing it like dese days. Us sing: 'Swing low, sweet chariot, Jlreely let me into rest, I donft want to stay here no longer; Swing low, sweet chariot, When Gabriel make he las' alarm I wants to be roll in' in Jesus an,, Cause I don't want to stay here no longer.' Us sing f not her song what de Yankees take dat tune and make a hymn out of it, Sherman army sung it, too* We have it like dis: -2~ J30 Ex-slave Stories (Cwcas) Our Our Our But Page Three O MM ^ bodies hound to aorter and decay, bodies bound to raorter and decay, bodies bound to aorter and decay, us souls go siaxchin' home.1 HBefof de war I jes* big !nough to drap corn and tote water. When de little white chillen go to school fbout half mile, I wait till noon and run all de way up to de school to run base when dey play at noon* Dey seTfral young lipscoabs, dere Smith and Bill and John and Nathan, and de oldest son, Ellas. w Ia dea days cullud people jes* like nules and hosses. didnft have no last name. Dey My aaaraa call me after ay daddy1 s aassa, $s*llf Maama was de good woman and I *aeaber her more dan once rockin* de little cradle and singin* to de baby. Dis what she sing: "Milk In de dairy nine days old, Slag-song Kitty, canft you ki-ae-o? Frogs and skeeters gittin1 mighty bol! Sing-song, Kitty, can*t you ki-ae-o? (Chorus) Keeao, kiao, darro, wharro, With me hi, ae ho; In coae Sally singin* Sometime penny winklfc* Lingtua nip cat. Sing-song,Kittyf caaft you ki-ae-o? Dere a frog live in a pool, Sing-song, Kitty, canH you ki-ae-o? Sure he was de bigges* fool, Sing-song, Kitty, canft you ki-ae-o? J*or he could dance and he could sing Sing-song, Kitty, can't you ki-me~o? And aake de woods aroun1 him ring Siag-eongt Kitty, canft you ki-ae-o?f -3~ Enslave Stories (Texas) Page Four >$ "Old massa dida9t hold with de way some mean mass as treat dey aiggers, Dere a place oa our plantation what us call 'Be old meadow*' It was coamon for runaway niggers to hare place floag de way to hide and res1 when dey rum Massa used to give 'em somethtn9 to eat when dey hide off fron mean massa* dere* I saw dat place operated, though it wasn't kaowed try dat denf but long time after I finds out d^y call it part of de 'Umderground railroad* Dey was stops like dat all de way up to de north* M We hare went down to Columbia when I 'bout 11 year did and dat where de first gun fired* Us rush back home, but I could say I heered de first guns of de war shot, at Fort Sumter* "When Oem'ral Sherman come 'cross de Savannah River in South Carolina, some of he sojers cone right cross us plantation* All de neighbors hare brung dey cotton and stack it in de thicket on de iipscomb place* men find it and sot it on fire* Sherman Dat cotton stack was big as a little court- house and it took two months1 burnim'* M My old aassa run off and stay in de woods a whole week nhei* Sherman men come through* thing He didmft need to worry, * cause us took care of every- Dey a funny song us make up fbout him martin' off in de woods* know it was make up, f cause my uncle have a hand in it* ? ;7hite folks, have you seed old massa Up de road, with he mustache on? B* pick up he hat and he leave real sudden And I *lleve hefs up and gone* (Chorus) Old aassa run away And us darkies stay at home. It aus1 be now dat Kingdom's conin1 And de year of Jubilee. 9 *4 I It went like dis: 2x-alave Stories (Texas) Page **ve /3*3 *He look up de river and he seed dat smoke Where de Lincoln gunboats lay. He hie fmuff and he old fnuff and he orter know better, But he gone and run away* Now dat overseer want to give trouble And trot us fround a spell. But we lock him up in de smokehouse cellar. With de key done throwed in de well.* "Right after dat I start to be boy what run mail from canp to camp for de sojers# One time I capture by a bunch of deserters what was hidia* in de woods 'long Pacolet Bivar. day aos' scare me to death*. Dey didn't hurt me, though, but Dey parol^ae and turn me loose. "All four my young aassas go to de war9 all but Ellas. too old# Smith, he kilt at Hanassas Junction. shot at da first round at J*ort Su ter# Re Nathan, he git he finger But when Billy was wounded at Howard Gap in North Carolina and dey brung him home with he jaw split open, I so mad I could have kilt all de Yankees. kill me jes' one Yankee. I hated den f I say I be happy Iffen I could cause dey hurt ay white people. Billy was disfigure awful when he jaw split and he teeth all shine through he cheek. * After was was over, old massa call us up and told us we TTB^ but he 'vise not leave de place till de crop was through. us select us homes and move to it. Den us move back to Billy Lips- comb, de young massa. and stay dere two more year. when I pick it. Den Us folks move to Sn littlajoha'a, north of Thicketty Creek, where us stay two year. banjo picker in dam day. Us all stay. I's right smart good I kin 'member one den songs jes1 as good todqr as Dat was: 'Early In de mormin1 Don't you hear de dogs arbarkin'? Bow* wowt wow! -5- Ex* slave Stories p^e six (Texas) *\(\ ol ' (Chorus) 'Bush, hush9 hoys Do&vt make a noise, Massa's fast a-sleepinf. Hun to de barnyard Wake up de hoys Let's have banjo pickin', 'Early in de mornin' Don't you hear dem roosters crowia1? C ockp -doodle-do M I come in cont&c' with de KLu ELux. Us leff de plantation in '65 or '66 and by 68 us was havin1 sich a awful time with de Klu ELux. First time dey come to my mamma1 s house at midnight and claim dey sojers done come back from de dead* spirit. Dey all dress up in sheets and make up like Dey groan 'round and say dey been kilt wrongly and come back One man, he look jus1 like ordinary aa, but he spring up for justice. f bout eighteen feet high all of a suddent. Another say he so thirsty he ain't have no water since he been kilt at MPnassas Junction. for water and he jes1 kept pourin' it in. spirit to drink dat much water. in a bag under he sheet. He ask Us think he sho1 must be a Course he not drinkin1 it, he pourin1 it My mamma never did take up no truck with spirits so she knowed it jes1 a man. Dey tell us what dey gwine do if fen we don't all go back to us mass as snd us all 'grees and den dey all dis'pear. H Den us move to New Prospect on de Pacolet River,on de Perry Clemmons1 place. Dat in de upper edge of de county and dat where de second swarm of de Eu ELux come out. Repub'can. Dey claim dey gwine kill everybody what am My daddy charge with bein1 a leader 'mongst de niggers, Ee make speech a d 'struct de niggers how to vote for Grant's first 'lection* De ELu ELux want to whip him and he have to sleep in a holler log every night. V: I tells you one 38 BX-slave Stories (Texas) pP^e Fire "Now, "back to de freedom. away, 3 ^ One night fbout ten niggers ran De next day wefuns hears nothin1, so I says t myself, 'Da patters donft cotch dem.1 Den I makes up my mind to go and I leaves with de chunk of meat and corhbread and am on ray way, half skeert to death. eyes open and de ears forward, watchin1 for de patters. I sho1 has de I steps off de road in de night, at sight of anything, and in de day I takes to de woods. It takes me two days to make dat trip and jus1 once de patters pass me by, I am in de thicket watchin1 dem and I's sho' dey gwine search dat thicket, 'cause dey stops and am a.-taMn1 and lookin1 my way. and den one comes my way. L&wd A-mighty! man stop and den look and look. Dey stands dere for a li*l hit Dat sho1 look like de end, but dat Den he pick up somethin1 and goes bade. am a bottle and dey all takes de drink BXI^L rides on, It Ifs sho1 in de sweat and I donft tarry dere long, "De Yanks am camped nere Bellfound and derefs where I gits to. my 'sprise when I finds all de ten runaway niggers am dere, too. f Magine Dat am on a Sunday and on de Monday, de Yanks puts us on de freight train and we goes to Stevensontin ilabama, de few Dere, us put to work buildin1 breastworks. But after days, I gits sent to de headquarters at Nashville, in Tennessee. "IPs water toter dere for de army and dere am no fightin1 at first but ffore long dey starts de battle. Dat battle-am a fsperience for me. De noise am awful, jus1 one steady roar of de guns and de cannons. glass in Hashville am all shoke out from de shakement of de cannons. De window Dere am dead mans all over de ground and lots of wounded and some cuss in1 and some prayin1. Some am moanim1 and dis and dat one cry for de water and,God i-mighty, -5- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) I donft want any sich 'gain. Page Six Dere am men carry in1 de dead off de field, hut dey canft keep up with de cannons. I helps bury de dead and den I gits sent to Murphyshoro and dere it am jus1 de same. "You knows when Abe Lincoln am shot? Well, I's in Nashville den and it am near de end of de war and I am standin* on Broadway Street talkin1 with de sergeant when up walk a man and him shakes hands with me and says, f Ifs proud to meet a brave, young fellow like you.1 Bat man am Andrew Johnson and him come to be president after Abefs dead, ,f I stays in Nashville when de war am over and I marries Tennessee House in 1875 and she died July 10tht 1936 am togedder. Dat make 61 year dat wefuns Her old missy am now livin! in Arlington Heights, right here in Fort Worth and her name am Mallard and she come from Tennessee, too, "I comes here fro Tennessee 51 year ago and at fust I farms and den I works for de packin1 plants till dey lets me out, cause I's too old for to do *nough work for deau "I has eight boys and three girls, dat make eleven chillen, and dey makim* seatterment all over de country so I*s alone in my old age, dat $17.00 de month pension what I gits ,from de State. "Dat am de end of de road. ) ******* I has 40 420031 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One 41 SABiH FCfiD, whose age is problematical, but who says, "I's been here for a long time," lives in a small cottage at 3151 Clay St., Houston, Texas. Born on the Kit Patton plantation near West Columbia, Texas, Aunt Sarah was probably about fifteen years old when eiaanicipated. She had eleven children, the first born during the storm of 1875, at East Columbia, in which Sarah1s mother end father both perished. "Law me, ~rou wants me to talk fbout slave times, and you is cotched me 'fore I's h^d my coffee dis laornin', but when you gits o3& as I is, talk is 'bout all you cpji do, so *scuse me whilst I pu^ts de ff coffee pot on de fire and tell ^ou what I can. " $?/> "Now, what I teli you is de truth, 'cause I only told one little lie in my whole, life ond I got cotched in it and got whipped both ways. Oh, Lawd, I sho' never won't forget dat, mama sho1 was rnad# me ove Mama sends to Sally Ann, the cow wompn, to get some milk and onions. I never did like to borrow, so I comes "back with the milk and tell mama Sally Ann say sh* ain't ~ot no onions for no Africans, mad and she goes tell dat Sally Ann S0methinf. Dat make mamma She brung back de onions and say, 'You, Sarah, I'll lam you not to tell no lie,1 She sho' give me a hidin1. "Now, I tells you fbout de plantation what Irs born on. knows where West Columbia is at? You all fell, datfs right where I's born, on Massa Kit Patton1 s Plantation, dey calls it de Eogg place now."(Owned by children of (for. Will Hogg.) "Mamma and papa "belongs to Massa Kit and mama born there, too. Folk** called her 'little Jane,1 tcause she no bigger*n nothing. "" I** 3x~slave Stories (Texas) Page Two ^ 42 "Papa's nr me was Mike and he's a tanner and he com^ fron Tennessee and sold to Massa Kit by a nigger trader. was part Indian. Re wasn't all black, he I beared him. say wh*t tribe, but I can't When Ifs growed mama tells me lots of things. f lect now. She say de white folks donft let de slaves what works in de field marry none, dey jus1 puts a man and breedin1 woman together like mules, Iffen the woman don't like the man it don't make no di~f'rence, she better go or tfey gives her a hidin'. "Massa Kit has two brothers, Massa Charles and M^ssa Matt, what lives at West Columbia. Massa Kit on one side Varney's Creek and Massa Charles on de other side. Massa Kit have a JLrfican woman from Kentucky for he wife, and datfs de tiuth. I ainft sayin* iffen she a real wife or not, but all de slaves has to call her 'Miss 3acbel.' But iffen a bird fly up in de sky it mus* come down sometime, and Rachel jus1 like dat bird, ' cause Massa Kit go crazy and die and Massa Charles take over de plantation and he takes Rachel and puts her to work in de field. But she don't stay in de field long, * cause Massa Charles puts her in a house by herself and she donU work no movG. 11 If us gits sick us call M*mmy Judy. She fle cook and iffen you puts a sugar barrel 'long side her and puts a face on dat barrel, you sho1 can't tell it from her, she so round and fat. Iffen us git real sick dey calls de doctor, but iffen it a misery in de stomach or jus1 de flux, Mammy Judy fix up some burr vine tea or horseaint tea* Dey de male burr vine and de female burr vine and does a woman or gal git de misery, dey gives 'em de female tea, and does aman.or boy chile git it, dey gives -2~ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) T Page Three ' him de male vine tea, "Scuse me while I pours me some coffee. It sho1 do fortify me. You know what us drink for coffee in slave tim*s? Parched meal, and it purty good if fen you know's how. M Us don't have much slngin' on our place, 'cepting at church on Sunday. Law me, de folks what works in de fields feels more like cryin* at night. Us Chilian used to sing dis: 11 '7/here you goin', buzzard, Where you gwine to go? I*s goiin1 down to new ground, For to hunt Jim Crow.' "I guess Massa Charles, what t^ken us when Massa Kit die, was 'bout de same as all white folks what owned slaves, some good and some bad, plenty to eat more'n I h*?s now and plenty clothes and shoes. 7e h*s But de overseer was Uncle Sig Jak<*, what's blp.ck like de rest of us, but he so mean I 'speefc de devil done make him overseer down below long time ago, Dat de bad part of Massa Charles, *cause he lets Uncle Jake whip de slaves so much dat some like my papa what had spirit was all de time runnin' 'way. And even does your stomach be full, and does you have plenty eLothes, dat bullwhip on your bare hide make you forgit de good part, and dat's de truth. "Uncle Big Jake sho' work de slaves from early mornin' till night. When you is in de field you better not lag none. de hands is put to work fiadn' dis and dat. don't have to work so hard. r When its fallin' weather De women what has li'l chillen Dey works fround de sugar house and come 11 o*clock dey quits and cares for de babies till 1 o'clock, and den works till 3 o'clock 4f ^ 2x-slave Stories (Texas) Page Four 44 and quits, "Massa Charles have a arbor rmd dat's where we has preachin*. day old Uncle J>w preachin1 and he say, One ! De Lawd mske everyone to come in unity and on de level, both white and black*1 Y/hen Massa Charles hears "bout it, he don't like it none, and de next mornin' old Uncle Jake git Uncle Lew and put him out in de field with de rest. w Massa Charles run dat plantation jus1 like a factory. Uncle Cip was sugar man, my papa tanner and Uncle John Austin, what hav* a wooden leg, am shoemaker and make de shoes with de brass toes. things go on in slave time what won't go on no more, come and it ainH dark no more for us black folks. Law me, r\ y heaps of f cause de bright light Iffen a nigger run away and dey cotch him, or does he come back 'cause he hongry, I seed Uncle Jake stretch him out on de ground and tie he hands and feet to posts so he can't move none. Den he git de pi*ee of iron what he call de 'slut' and what is like a block of wood with little holes in it, and fill de holes up with tallow and put dat iron in de fire till de grease ssizzlin' hot and hold it over de pore nigger's back and let dat hot grease drap on he hide. Den he take de bullwhip and whip up and down, and after all d?t throw de pore nigger in de stockhouse and chain him up a couple days with nothin1 to eat. My papa carry de grease scsxs on he back till he die. "Massa Charles and Uncle Jske don't like papa, 'cause he ain't so black, and he had spirit, * cause he part Indian. Do somethin' go wrong and Uncle Big Jake say he gwine to give papa de whippin' , he runs off. One time he gone a whole ye*r and he sho' look like a monkey when he gits back, with de hair stanclin1 straight on he head and he face. Papa was mighty good Ex~slaye Stories (Texas) &n ^^ Page Pive to mama and me and dat deorily reason he ever come back from runnin1 'way, to see us. He knowed he!d git a whippin' hut he come anyway* could cotch papa when he run 'way, f cause he part Indian, Dey never ilassa Charles even gits old Nigger Kelly what lives over to Sandy Point to track ps^a with he dogs, hut papa wade in water and dey can't track him. "Dey knows papa is de best tanner 'round dat part de country, so dey doesn't sell him off de place. I flect papa sayin1 dere one place special where he hide, some German folks, de name Ebbling, I think. While he hides dare, he tans hides on de sly like and dey feeds him, and lots of mornin's when us open de cabin door on a shelf jus1 'bove is food for mama and me, and sometime.store clothes. it is# No one ain't see papa, but dere One time he brung us dresses, and Uncle Big Jake heered 'bout it and he she' mad 'cause he canft cotch papa, and he say to mama he gwine to whip her 'less she tell him where papa is. Mama say, 'fore Ood, Uncle Jake, I don't knowf fcause I ain't seed him since he run 'way,* and jus' den papa come 'round de comer of de house. Ha save mama from de whippin' but papa got de hot grease drapped on him like I told you Uncle Big Jake did, and got put in de stockhouse with shackles on him, and kep' dere three three days, and while he in dera mama has de goin' down pains and my sister,Bachel, is bora. "When freedom come, I didn't know what dat was. I 'lect Uncle Charley Burns what drive da buggy for MassaCharles, come runnin' out in de yard and hollar, f Sveryboay free, everybody free, * and purty soon sojers comes and de csptain reads a *aation. Ind, I*aw me, dat one time ItassaCharlqr can't Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Six \ tf. > *** ^ "Us used to live 'bout four mile east of Jasper, on de Newton Highway, I reckon I!s 'bout 95 year old and I thank de Lawd I's been spared dis long. Some my old friends say I's 100, and maybe I is. I feels like it, "I's born in Alabama and mammy have jus1 got up when de white folks lining us out west. Pappy1 s name Jim Forward and mammy name Mary. Dey lef1 pappy in Alabama, 'cause he 'lon^ to 'nother raassa. "Hy raassa name Jason Forward and he own a lot of slaves. as housegirl and wait on de white women. Missus name am Sarah Ann Forward. Massa Jason he own de fust drugstore in Jasper, and de brudder, Tom. P3Ppy I work I have de sister, Susan, Massa and missus, dey treats us jes1 like dey us a ar demselves. Massa Beaver have it fixed disaway, he flow each family a piece of groun* and dey can raise what dey likes. "De rations am measure out and de massa allus !low plenty of meat and we has *rheat flour. Mosf de niggers donft have wheat flour, hut massa raises de wheat and we gits it. We kin have flasses and "brown sugar hut one thing wefuns has to watch am de waste, f csaise massa wonft stand for dat, "Da meat am cured with de hickfry wood smoke and if you could git jus' one t^ste dat ham and hacon you'd never eat none of this nowadays me;* . It sho1 have a dif'rent taste. w We makes de cloth and de wool and I could card and spin and weave fore I*s "big 'nough to work in de field. My mammy lamed me to help her. We makes dye from de hark of walnut and de cherry and red oak trees, and some from harries hut *hat dey is I forgit. Iffen wefuns wants clay red, we huries de cloth in red clay for a week and it takes on de clilor. Den we soaks de cloth in cold salt water and it stays colored. M Massa "builded a log church house for wefuns cullud folks for to go to God. Dat nigger named Allen Beaver am de preachermai and de leader in all de parties, fcause him can play de fiddle. cated, hut can he preach a powfful sermon. 0, Lawdi No, Allen am not edumHe am inspire from de lawd and he preached from his heartfelt. w Dere am only one time dat a nigger gits whupped on dat planta- tion and dat am not given hy massa hut hy dem pat t err oilers. Massa donft gin*rally flow dem patterrollers whup on his place, and all da niggers from round dera allus run from da patterrollers onto massa9 s land and den day t\4 01 Sx-slave Storias (Eexas) safe. Page T?hree ^o && But in dis Hiclar case, massa make da fcaption* H, Twas nigger Jack what day chasas home and ha gits under da cabin and ffused to come out. 1 Massa sayf f In dis case I gwine make fcaption, causa dat Jack he am too unreas'able. He allus chasin1 pfter some nigger wench and not satisfied with de pass I give* Give him 25 lashes but donft draw de blood or leave de marks.1 "Well, sax, it am de great sight to see Jack git dat whdppin1. am skeert, but day ainft hurtin1 him bad. Him Massa make him come out and day tie him to a post and ha starts to bawl and bailer befo1 a lick am struck. Say. Him bag like a good fallow. marcyf do H let ,ara whup ma. It am, f0h, massa, massa, Oh, massa, have Massa, I won't go off ony more.1 Da patter- rollers gives him a lick and Jack lets out a yell dat sounds like a mule bray and twice as loud# "Dare used to be a patterroller song what sent li:s de goose. of de times, f cause dey all have shoes* some of dem sho* dance it, too. It jes1 de habit Sometimes dey call de jig dance and De prompter callt fAll git ready.1 Den he holler, fAll balance,1 and den he sing out, fSwing you pardner,1 and dey does it. Dm he say, 'First man head off to de right,! and dere dey goes. Or he say, !A11 promenade,1 and dey goes in de circle. in de Cage.1 One thing ^ey calls, !Bird Three joins hands round de gal in de middle, and dance round her, and den she git out and her pardner git in de center and dey dance dat way awhile. "After freedom dey have de log cabin schoolhouse. was de cullud women name Mary Chapman. De first teacher I near wore out dat old blue black speller tryin1 to larn AB Cfs. M I leaves Caddo Parish in 1877 for Galveston, and leaves dere on de I four mast schooner for Leesburg and up de Calcasiea Hiver. fc Cemeron Parish and in 1879 I comes to Beaumont. Den I goes to de I marries Manodhue. De Rev. Elder Venable, what am de old cullud preacher, marries us. git marry like in slavery time* I didn*t I*s got a great big marriage certiffcate hangin1 on de wall of my house. M I flongsl,to several lodges, de Ihights of Labor and de Knights of Honor and de Pilgrims. I never hold no office. Ifs jesf de bench member. Ifs a member of de Live Lake Missionary Baptist Church. w f I s got de big house of my own, on de corner of Roberts Avenue and San Antonio street. After my wife die, I gits de man to come and live dere with me. Dat's all I knows* **** iv tjQ 1:20002 B3USLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One * OBELIA ALSXIE FRANKS was born on the plantation of Valerian Martin9 near Opelousas, Louls~ iana. She does not know her age, but thinks she is near ninety. Her voice has the musical accent of the French Negro. She has lived in Beaumontf Texas, any years. "I1* born on Mr. Qeorge Washington's bithday, the twenty-second Febinary but I donft know what year. and he come from foreign countly. French. My old massa was Valerian Martin He come from Canada and he Canada He wife name Halite Quidry. Old massa a good Catholic and he taken all the lifl slave Chilian to be christen. Oh, hefs a Christian massa and I used to "be a Catholic but now Ifs a Apostolic, but I*s christen in St. Johns Catholic Church, what am cloas to Lafayette, where I*s born. M Uy pa name Alexis Franks and he was American and Creole. name Fanire Martin and Ifs raise where everybody talk French. My ma I talks American but I talks French goodest. "Old massa he big cane and cotton farmer and have big plantation and raise everything, and us all well treat. Dey feed us right, too. Raise big hawg in de pen and raise lots of beef. All jes1 for to feed he cullud folks. M Us quarters out behind de big house and old massa come round through de quarters every aonxin1 and see how us niggers is. muss. She old slavery woman. send for de doctor. de logs* She come look at fea. Us house all log house. If us sick he call If dey bad sick dey Dey all dab with dirt 'tween Dey have dirt chimney wake out of sticks and dab with mud. Dey QQ Ex-clave Stories (Texas) Page Two "Lots of time we eat coosh-coosh. ujl Dat make out of meal and water. You bile de water and salt itf den put in de corcmeal and stir it and bile it. Den you puts milk or clabber or syrup on it and eat it, "Old massa have de graveyard a purpose to bury de cullud folks in. Dey have cullud preacher. Dey have ftmeral in de graveyard. Dat nigger preacher he a Mef diet* "Old massa son-in-law, he overseer. He flew nobody to beat de Us li1! ones git spank when we bad. slaves. Dey put us cross de knee and spank us where dey allus spank chillen. "Christmas time dey give big dinner. whiskey. Day give all de old mem Jiverybody have big time. *D0y make lots of sugar. After dey finish cookln1 de sugar dey draw off what left fr am de pots and give it to us chill en. Us have candy pull in . "Dqy weave dey own cloth. Us have good clothes. cloth for make mattress and stuff em with moss. serve he niggers good. cry and us cryf too. Dey weave de Massa sho1 believe to X see old massa when he die. Us see old folks Dey have de priest and burn de candles. Us sho1 miss old massa* M I see lots of sojers. Yankees. Dey so many like hair on your head. Dey Dey call fem bluejackets. Dey a fight up near massa's house. Us climb in tree for to see. Us hear bullets go 'zoom1 throu^bi de air round dat tree but us didnft know it was bullets. A man rid up on a hoss and tell massa to git us pickaninnies out dat tree or dey git kilt. De Yankees have dat battle and den sot us niggers free. Ex-slave Stories (lexas) Page Three M 01d massa, he de kind man what let de niggers have dey prayer- meetin'. He give feja a big cabin for dat. Shout? like dis: H 'Mourner, fare you well, &awd 'Mighty bless you, Till we meets again.1 MUs sings ' nother song: "'Sinner blind, Johnnie, can't you ride no more? Sinner blind, Your feets, may be slippin1 Your soul git lost, Johnnie, can't you ride no more? Yes, Lawd, Day by day you eanVt see, Johnnie, can't you ride no more? Yes, land.*" *********** Yesf Lawdi Sing ^%0 U*w 20130 X3USIA7X STORMS (Texas) PageOne 03 ROSAHNA PRAZIKR was bom a slave on the Prazier plantation in Mississippi # She does not remember her masters given name, nor does she know her age9 although from her memories of various events during theClvil War, she believes she is close to ninetyt at least* Rosanna is blind and bedridden, and is cared for by friends in a little house in Pear Orchard Negro Settlement, in Beaumont, Texas# *My mammy was a freeborn woman named Viny Prazier and she come fro a free country. when she de young gal. She was on her way to school when dey stoled her, De spectator gang stoled her and brung her and sold her in Bed River, in Mississippi. Missy Mary, she buy her. Missy Mary married den to one man named Pool and she have two boys call Josh and pill. After dat man die, she marry Marse Prazier, "My daddy name Jerry Ifcirden and after I's born they brings us all to Texas, but my daddy belong to de Neylands9 so we loses him. My white folks moves to a big plantation close to Woodville, in Tyler County, and Marse Prazier have de store and plenty of stock. He come first from Georgia* * 111 us little chillen, black and white, play togedder and Marse Prazier, he raise us. and John, His chillen call Sis and Tezana and Robert Marse Prazier he treat us nice and de other white folks calls Uft ffree niggers', and wouldnH flow us on dere places. niggers git dissatisfy with dey own treatment. Dey ffraid dere She's you born, iffen one of us git round dm plantations, dey jus1 cut us to pieces with de whip* Some of dem white folks sho1 was mean, and dey work de niggers all day in de mm and cut dem with de whip? and shof done fem up bad. -1- Bst on Bxdslave Stories (fexas) Page Two c*/t ^^ other places, not on ours* "Marse Jrazier, he didn't work us too hard and give Saturday and Sunday off, 1 Hefs all right and give good food. cause he too good. People shof would rare off from him, He was de Methodist preacher and furnish us church. times he has camp meeting and dey cook out doors with de skillicksu Some- Sometimes he has corn shucking time and we has hawg meat and meal bread and whiskey and eggnog and chicken, M De bboks he brung us didn't do us no goodt 'cause us wouldnH lam Us too busy playin' and hunt in1 goca berries in de wood, de huckleberry nothing and grape and muscadine and chinquapins. seed two, three soldiers round spyia'. come back from de war. All dis time de war was fixin' and I When peace 'dared missy's two boys We stays with Marge Jrazier two year and den I goes and gits married to de man call Baker* 11 1 done been blind like dis over 40 year. One Sunday I stay all night with a man and he wife and I was workin1 as woodchopper on de Santa I* route up Beaumont to Tyler County, After us git up and I starts 'way, I ain't gone but 15f 16 yard when I hear somethin' say, ain't ought.' I say, 'Ho, Lawdf no.' S osef you done somethin' you Den de voice say,'Somethin' gwine happen to you,1 and de next mornin' Ifs blind as de bat and I ain't haver seed since. H Some try tell me snow or sweat or smoke de reason, reason, Dat ain't de Dey a old, old, slewfooted somethin1 from Louisiana and dey say he de conjure man, one dem old hoodoo niggers. He git mad at me de last plum- ripenin' time and he make up powdered rattlesnake dust and pass dat threw.gh my hair and I sho' ain't seed no more. ~2 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) PageJFwo * Dat not da osliest thing dam old conjure men do. Dey powder up da rattle of fen de snake and tie it up in de little old rag bag and day do devilment with it* Day git old scorpion and make bad medicine. Day git dirt out da graveyard and dat dirtf after dey speak on it, would make you go crazy* "Whan dey wants conjure you, dey sneak round and git de hair combin1 or de finger or toenail, or anything natural 'bout your body, and works ds hoodoo on it. "Day make de straw man or de clay man and dey puts de pin in he leg and you leg gwineter git hurt or sore jus1 where dey puts de pin. Iffen dey puts da pin through da heart you gwineter die and ainH nothin1 kin save you* "Day make de charm to wear round de neck or de ankle and day make de love powder, too, out da love vine, what grow in da woods. biles da leaves and powders 'am. Day sho' works, I dona try fea*> ***$********* Day Q5 1*000* . 66 EI-SLAVS STORIES (Texas) PRISCIILA GIBSON is not sure of her age, "but thinks she was born about 1856, in Smith County, Mississippi, to Mary Puckett and her Indian husband. They belonged to Jesse Puckett, who owned a plantation on the Strong Elver. Prise ill a now lives in Jasper, Texas, # % & f, Priscilla Gibson is my name, and I's bo'n in Smith County, way over in Misfippif sometime befo* de War. I figger it was fbout 1856, 'cause Ifs ole enough to climb de fence and watch dera muster in1 in de troops when de war began* Dey tol1 me Ifs nine year ole wh*n do War close, but dey ain1 sure of dat, even* My neighbor, Uncle Bud Adams, he 83, and Ifs clip- pin1 close at he heels* "Mammy1 s name was Mary Puckett, but I never se^d my father as I knows of. part white men. Jake, Don1 know if he was a whole Injun or Never seed but one brother and his name was Dey took him to de War with de white boys, to cook and iain1 de camp and he took pneumony and die. H Massa!s naxae was Jesse Puckett, and Missus1 name Mis1 Katie. Dey hab big faift'ly and dey live in a big woode i^beecn house with a big up-stair1. De house was rignt on de highway from Haleigh to Brandon, witn de Strong River jis1 below us. in and fcommadated travelers fcause dey warn1 hotels den. -1~ Dey took Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two "Massa have hunner1 s of acres. you never git off en his Ian'. things in de house. fV? U ' You could walk all dsy and An* he have gran' furniture sn^ other I kin remember dem, 'cause I use' to hefp 'round de house, run errands and fan Mis' Katie and sich, I 'members chairs with silk coverin's on 'em and dare was de gran' lights, big lamps with de roses on de shades* And eve'ywhere de floors with rugs and de rugs was pretty, day wasn' like desa thin rugs you sees nowadays. No, ma'am, day has hig flowers on em and de feets sinks in 'em* I useter lie down on one of dem rugs in Mis' Katie's room when she's asleep and I kin stop fannin.f "Massa Puekett was tol'able good to ne slaves. We has clothes made of homespun what de nigger women weaved, and de little boys wo1 long-tail shirts, with no pants till they's grown, Massa raised sheep and dey malce us wool clothes for winter, hut we has no shoes# "Da white folks didn' larn us read and write hut dey was good to us 'cap' when some niggers try to run away and den dey whips 'em hard. We has plenty to eat and has prayer meetin!s with singin1 and o shout in1, and we chilluns played marbles and jump de rope, "After freedom corae all lef but me'cause Missus say she have me boun1 to her till I git my age# But I's res less one night and my sister, Georgy Annt come see me, and I run off with her, but (Lery never comes after me. I was scart dey would, 'cause I 'membered 'bout our neighbor, ola Means, and his slave, Sylvia, and she run away and was in da woods, and he'd git on da hoss, take de dogs and sat fem on her, and let dem bite har end tear her clothes* ********* 420303 KJ- ENSLAVE STORIES (Texas) * ^<^y Page One 68 GABRIEL GILBEKP was b*rn in slavery en the plantation ef Belizare Breussard, in New Iberia Parish, Louisiana. He dees net knew his age, hut appears t be abeut eighty. He has lived in Beaumont, Texas, fer sixteen years. x v H My eld mass a was Belizare Breussard. He had a big lag heuse what he live in, fill with dirt. He was my mnm^s raassa. De places 'tween de legs was De quarters de slaves live in was make eut ef dirt. Dey put up pesties in de greund and bere heles in de posts and put in pickets * ress from ene pest te the other. De fleer and everything was dirt. chillea de same way. Dm dey build up de sides with mud. Dey had a scheolheuse built fer de white De cullud chillen didn't have no scheel. M Dem was warm healthy heuses us grew up in. Dey used t raise better men den in dem heuses dan new. My pa name was Jeseph Gilbert He eld massa was BeLleau Prince. M I didnft knew what a store was when I was grewin1 up. have stere things like new* see ne iren plew dem days. I tell dese yeun^sters, Us didnH Us had weedea p&n and speen dera times* Nethin1 I never was iren en de plew fcept de share. f Yeu in hebben new frem de time I ceme up.1 When a maji die dem days, dey use de ex cart te carry de eerpse, "Massa have fbeut feur hundred aures and lets ef slaves. He raise sugar cane* He have a mill and make brewn sugar. t#** He ;^ a &f^ *uu pla#e M& mmH bmfcish* He raise cetttn and cern, He give us plenty te edfc. He treat he slaves like hisself, *M\ WwJfffB& He was I never Bx~sl*ye Stories (Texas) ^Q * *** Page Tm 'member see him whip nobody. He didn't 'low n^ ill treatment. All de folks rsund he place say he niggers mint and spoiled* "De liTl white folks and nigger ftllks jus1 play round like "brudder and sister and us all eat at de white table. I slep1 in de white folks house, to . My godfather and godmother was rich white folks. I still Cath'lie. W I seed sojers "but I too lifl to knar/ n*thi& me a-tall, 'bout de . I didn't git close to de "battle. H My maxaqy weave cloth out cotton and wool, boom~boom->bfra .f I 'member de loom. It go Dat de shuttle &oimf cross. ' My daddy, he de smart man* 1*11 never he like him long as I live in dis world. house. Dey didn't worry He do s&ything. He make shoes. He build He and my mammy neither one ever been brutalize?. M De first work I done was raisin' c tt n and sugar cane and sweet and Irish Haters. I used to cook sugar. W I marry on twenty-second of February. My wife was Medora Labor. "been dead thirty-five year mow. I never marry no second woman. so much I never want nobody else* Us had six ehillen. "(Join1 back whaa I a slavet massa have a store. hold church in dat store. de slave gals. Old mass a have sev'ral boys. Dey hrve ehillen by dem. She I Ifcve nxy wife Tw* am livin'. When de priest c^me dey Dey went after some Dem gels have dere cabins and dere chillemf what am half white. "After while dem boys marry. mmmn good. But dey allus treat dey ehillen by de slave Dey white wife treat dem good, toof most like dey dere own ehillen. w 01d massa have plenty raomey. | t cost aothlmg. Land am only two bits de acre. Some places Bey did haalia1 in ox-carts. A man what had mules had something Enslave Stories (Fa e Three) Texas pafie Three M Us have plenty wild game, wild geese and ducks, gwd# Dey was 'gatars, t $* Fishim* an mighty I seed dera Mte a man's arm rff. "If a slave feelin' b^d dey wouldn't make him w*rk. mammy dey never w*rk ntthins t* speak ef. My uacle and my Dey allus have same kind csmplaint, Aiaft no tellia' what it gwine be, but ytu could 'lew something ailin1 deml "I 'member dey a white man. He had a giff. I danTt care what kind f animal* a d*g *r a hess, dat mam he w rk an it and it never leave y u r ymi h use* If anybody have tttthaehe #r earache he take a brpnd new nail what aimft never wsrk bef*1 amd w&rk dat raumd you t t th #r ear, de t$ thaehe r earache right away* Dat break up He have lifl prayer he sa^. I don't kn@w what it wa** M f I s seed gh*sties. I talk with demf t*e# Sometimes dey like people. Sometimes dey like animal, msybe white d*g, I aLlus feel chilly when dey came She tell me, *D*aft ytu fergit raund me. I talk with my wife after she dead. t0 pray,* She say dis warld cerrupt and veu gat t# fight it aut.H *************** :W%$i'& T$';*. &-& p tyt\ iXJf 4201350 EX-SLAVE STOHIES (Texas) Page One rf\ #x MATTIE GILMOEE lives in a little cabin on E. Fifth Avenue, in Corsicana, Texas. A smile came to her lips, as she recalled days when she was a slave in Mobile, Alabama. She has no idea how old she is. Her master, Thomas Barrow, brought his slaves to Athens, Texas, during the Civil War, and Mat tie had two children at that time, so she is probably about ninety* w f I s born in Mobile, Alabama, and I don't have no idea when. white folks never did tell me how old I was. My My own dear mammy died ffore I can remember and my stepma didn't take no time to tell me nothin'. Her name was Mary Barrow and papa's name was Allison Barrow, and I had sisters, Rachel and Lou and Charity, and a brother, Allison. w My master sold Rachel when she was jus1 a girl. put her on a block and sold her off. I heared they got a thousand dollars for her, but I never seed her no more till after freedom. from Kauftaan County, bought her. I sho1 did cry. They A man named Dick Bard on, After freedom I heared she's sick and brung her home, but she was too far gone. *We lived in a log house with dirt floors, warn in winter but sho1 hot in suiamer, no screens or nothin1, hus* homemade doors. out of planks they picked up around. We had homemade beds Mattresses nothin1, vie had shuck beds. But* anyway, you takes it, we was better off den dan now. "I worked in the fields till Hachel was sold, den tooken her place, doin1 kitchen work and fannin1 flies off de table with a great, long limb. .. I liked dat. I got plenty to eat and not so hot. make you stand up a^d work. We had jus1 food to It wasn't none the good foolish things we has -1- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) now. We had co^^read Page Two and ^p *& blackeyed peas and beans and sorghum flasses. Old master give us our rations and iffen dat didnft fill us up, we jus1 went lank. Sometimes we had possum and rabbits and fish, iffen we cotched dem on Sunday. I seed Old Missy parch coffee in a skittle, and it good coffee, too. We couldnft go to the store and buy things, cause they warnft no stores hardly. H When deyfs hoein1 cotton or corn, everybody has to keep up with de driver, not hurry so fast, but workin* steady. Some de women what had suckin1 babies left dem in de shade while dey worked, and one time a big, bald eagle flew down tqr one dem babies and picked it up and flew away with it. De mama couldn't git it and we never heared of dat baby fgain. W I 'member when we cooe from Mobile to Texas* By time we heared de Yankees was comin' dey got all dere gold together and Miss Jane called me and give me a whole sack of pure gold and silver, and say bury it in de orchard. scart, but I done what she said. I sho' was Dey was more gold in a bit desk, and de Yanks pulled de top of dat desk and got de gold. her finger and de captain yanked it off. Miss Jane had a purty gold ring on I said, fMlss Jane, is dey gwine give you ring back?1 All she said was, fShet you mouth,1 and d;*fs what I did. f, Dat night dey digs up de buried gold and we left out. We jus1 traveled at night and rested in daytime. We was scart to make a fire# Dat was awful times. All on de mey to de Mississlp', we seed dead men l&yin* everywhere, black and white. "While wefs waltin1 to go cross de Misslssip1 a white man come up and asks Marse Barrow how many niggers he has, and counts us all. While we's wait in* de guns fgins to go boom, boon, and you could hear all dat noise, it so close. -2- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three . *Jft When we gits on de boat it flops dis way and dat scart me. I sho' don't want to see no more days like dat one, with war and boats. H fe fixes up a purty good house and quarters and gits settled up round Mhens. And it ain't so long 'fore a paper come make us free. Some de slaves laughin' and some cryin' and it a funny place to be. Marse Barrow asks ray stepma to stay cook and he'd pay her some money for it. five years. We stayed four or Marse Barrow give each he slaves soraethin' when dey's freed. Lots of master put dem out without a thing. But de trouble with most niggers, dey hever done no xaanagin' ^nd didn't know how. De niggers suffered from de war, iffen dey did git freedom from it. "I's already married de slave way in Mobile and had three chillen. My husband died 'fore war am over and I marries Las Crilmore and never has no more chillen. I has no livin' kinfolks I knows of. When we come here Las done any work he could git and bought this li'l house, but I can't pay taxes on it, but, sho'f de white folks won't put me out. I done git my leg cut off in a train wreck, so I can't work, and I'a too old, noways. I don't has no idea how old I is. * JUKI* 420:345 E3USLAVS STORIES (Texas) 74 Page One JUJDBEtf G0QH1AN, 97, was born a slave of the Goodman family, near Birmingham, Alabama, His master moved to Smith County* Texas, when Andrew was three years oM. Andrew is a frail, kindly old man, who lives in his memories* Fe lives at 2607 Canton St., Dallas, Texas. M I was bom in slavery arid I think them days was better for the niggers than the days we see now. One thing was, I never was cold and hongry when my old master lived, and I has been plenty hongry nnd cold a lot of times since he is gone. 3ut sometimes I think M. rse Goodman was the bestes1 man Gr^wd rande in a long time. w My mother, Marth,? Goodman, 'longed to Marse Bob Goodman when she was bom, but my ppw come from Tmnessee and Marse Bob heired him from some of his kinfolks what died over there. The Goodmans must hr>ve been fine folks all-a-way round, 'cause my p?w said then that raised him was good to they niggers* "Old Marse never 'lowed none of his nigger families separated. He f lo?/ed he thought it right and fittin1 that folks stay together, though I heard tell of some that didn't think so. "My Missus was just as good as Marse Bob, My rar>w was a puny little woman that wasn't ^ble to do work in the fields, and she puttered round the house for the Missus, doin1 little odd jobs. I played round with little Miss Sallie and little Mr. Bob, and I ate with them and slert with them, I used to sweep off the steps and do things, and shefd brag-on me and many is the time I!d git to noddin1 *nd go to sleep, and she'd pick me up and put me in bed with her chillun. -1- Es>*slave Stories (Texas) Page Two ^R fy ** We had a overseer, "but didn't know wh t Marse Boh had some nigger dogs like other places, and used to train them for fun. He'd git same the "boys to run for a hour or so and then put the dogs on the trail. neBTf take to a tree** Hefd say, 'If you hear them gittin1 But Marse Boh never had no niggers to run off. "Old man Briscoll, who had a place nex^ to ours, was vicious cruel. He was mean to his own blood, beatin1 his chillen. the time and hated him. His slaves was /afeared all Old Charlie, a good, old man who longed to himf run away and stayed six months in the woods 'fore Briscoll cotched him. The niggers used to help feed him, hut one day a nigger 'trayed him, and Briscoe put the dogs on him and cotched him. He made to Charlie like he wasn't goin' to hurt him none, and got him to come peaceful. When he took him home, he tied him and heat him for a turribla long time. Then he took a big, pine torch and let burnin' pitch drop in spots all over him. Old Charlie was sick 'bout four months and then he died. "Marse Bob knowed me better1 n most the slaves, house more. six then, f l cause I was round the One day he called all the slaves to the yard. He only had sixty- caoo.se he had fvided with his son and daughter when they married. He made a little speech. He said, fI*m going to a war, but I don't think 1*11 be gone long, and I*m turnin' the overseer off and leavin1 Andrew in charge^f the place, and I wants everything to go on, just like I was here. Now, you all mind what Andrew says, 'cause if you don*t, I'll make it rough on you when I come back home*1 He was jokin1, though, * cause he wouldn't have done nothing to them. Ex-slave Stories Page 'Five *yr> (Texas)* "Then he said to me, look after things* ! Andrew, you is old *nough to "be a man and Take care of Missus and see that none the niggers wants, and try to keep the place goin^/1 MWe dldnft know what the war was fbout hut master was gone-four years. t Wh Old Missus heard from him, she'd call all the slaves and tell us the news and read us his letters# little parts of it she wouldnft read. We never heard of him gittin1 hurt none, hut if he had, Old Missus wouldn!t tell us, 1 cause the niggers used to cry and pray over him all the time. We never heard tell what the war was 'bout. H fhen Marse Bob come home, he sent for all the slaves. He was sittin1 in a. yard chair, all tuckered out, and shuck hands all round, and said he's glad to see us. free as I is* Then he said, f I got something to tell you. Tou donft flong to nobody but you1 selves. You is jus1 as We went to the war #nd fought, but the Yankees done whup us, and they spy the niggers is free. You can go where you wants to go, or you can stay here, jus1 as you likes. ! He couldn't help but cry. "The niggers cry and donft know much what Marse Bob means. They is sorry fbout the freedom, 'cause they don't know where to go, and theyfs allus 'pend on Old Marse to look after them. Three families went to get farms for theyselves, but the rest just stay on for hands on the old place. "The Federals has been comin1 by, even 'fore Old Marse come home. They all come by, carryin1 they little budgets, and if they was walkin' they'd look in the stables for a horse or mule, and they jus1 took what they wanted of corn or livestock* They done the same after Marse Bob come home. He jus* said, Ex~slave Storias (Texas) f Page Six Lat them go thay way, f ecus a thatfs what they're going to do, anyway.' scaradar of tham than wa was of tha debbil. ^0 *V Wa was Bat thay spoka right kindly to us cullud folks. Thay said, fIf you got a good master and want to stsy, wall, you can do that, "but now you can go whara you want to, * causa ainft nobody going to stop you.1 "Tha niggers canH hardly git usad to tha idaa. tha place, the$r still go up to tha big house for a pass, stand fbout tha freedom. When thay wants to leave fhay jus1 canft under- Old Maxse of Missus say, fYou donH need no pass. All you got to do is jus1 take you foot in you hand and go.1 MIt seem like tha war jus? plumb broke GSLd Mars a up. It wasn!t long till ha moved into f^Ler and left my paw runnin1 niggers workers. tha farm on a halfanca with him and tha Ha didn*t live longf but I forgits jus1 how long. But whan Mr. Bob haired tha old place, ha flowad wefd jus1 go *long the way his paw has made tha trade with my paw, w Young Mr. Bob fparently done the first rascality I aver heard of a Goodman do in1. Tha first year wa workad for him wa raised lots of grain and other things and fifty-seven bales of cotton. Cotton was fifty-two cants a pound and he shipped it all aw^f but all ha ever gave us was a box of candy and a sack of store tobacco and a sack of sugar. Ha said tha fsignment dona got lost. Paw said to let it got * cause wa had allus lived V what the Goodman had said. "I got married and lived on tha old place till I was in my late fifties. I had seven chillun, but if I got any livin1 now# I donft know where they is now. paw and maw got to own a little piece of land not far from the old place, and l^.'lAead to b# 102 and is^w 106. Vm the last one of any of my folks. Ex-*slave Stories (2*exas) Page Seven w For twenty years my health ain't "been so good, and I can't work even nowf though nnr health is "better1 n in the past. I had hemorraghes. my folks died on mef and itfs purty rough on a old msn like me All Wy white folks is all dead or I wouldn't be 'lowed to go hongry and cold like I dot or have to pay rent. ***** 420060 SJUSIulVE STORIES (Texas) PageQne iXTSTIN QBUfl? came to Texas from Mississippi with his grandfather, father, mother &nd brother, George Harper owned the family. He raised cotton on Peach Creek, near Gonzales* Austin T ras hired out by his master and after the war his father hired hia out to the Riley Banch on Seco Creek, above D'hanis. He then "bought a farm in the slave settlement north of Hondo. He is 89 or 90 years old. M f I a mixed up on my age, I'm ffraid, far the Bible got burned up that the master's wife had our ages in. She told me my age, which would make me 89, but I believe I comenearer bein1 91, ac cor din1 to the way my mother figured it ou1f\ 11 1 belonged to George Harper, he was Judge Harper. was ay father, mother and two boys. The1 He brought us from Mississippi, but I don1 'member what part they come from. We settled down here at Gonzeles, on JPeach Creek, and he farmed one year there. Then he moved out here to Medina County, right here on Hondo Creek. I dont *member how maqy acres he hadf but he had a big farm. least eight whole slave families. He had at He sold 'em when he wanted money. tt My mother's name was Mary Harper and my father's name was Ike Harp r> and they belonged to the Harpers, too. Tou know, after they was turned loose they had to name themselves. My father named himself Grant and his brother named himself Glover, and my grandfather was filmore. They had some kin' of law you had to git away from your boss1 name so they named themselves. Qj[ Ex~slave stories (Texas) page Two QO 0<5 "Our house we had to live in, I tell you we had a tough affair, a picket concern, you might say no house a~tall. one of your ovm make; The beds was if you knowed how to make one, you had one, but of course the chillen slept on the floor, patched up some way. /y "We went "barefooted in the summer and winter, too. You had to prepare that for yourself, and if you didn1 have head enough to pret y ) pare for yourself, you went without. I don1 see how they done as well j as they done, * cause some winters was awful cold, hut I always said the / / Lawd was with fem. \ "We didn1 have no little garden, we never had no time to work v When you could see to work, you was workin1 for hinu Hoi no garden. You didn1 know what money was. to see none* He never paid you anything, you never got Some of the Germans would give the old ones a little piece of money, "but the chillen, pshaw! They never got to see nothin.f "He was a pretty good hoes. You didn1 have to work Sunday and part of Saturday and in the even in1, you had that. He fed us good. Some- times, if you was crowded, you had to work all day Saturday. But usually he give you that, so you could wash and weave cloth or such. He had cullud women there he kep1 all the time to weave and spin. They kep1 cloth made. "On Saturday nigihts, we jes1 knocked fround theplace. I don* know as I was ever home Christmas. My boss kep1 me hired out. The slavfis never had no Christmas presents I know of. was at nary one. And big dinners, I never They didn1 give us nothin, I tell you, but a grubbin1 hoe and axe and the whip. too. Christmas? They had cofn shucking in them days and co*n shellinfs, We would shuck so many days and so many days to shell it up. o&igg^^ "We would shoot marbles when we was little. taswed, *w ahootin1 marbles* It was all the game the Ix~slave stories (Texas) Page Three 11 After work at nights there wasnH much sett in1 fall into bed and go to sleep. Q3 u% f rouna; you'd On Saturday night they didn1 git together, they would jes* sing at their own houses. Oh, yes'm, I fmember esm singin1 'Bun, nigger, run,1 but it's too far back for me to Member those other songs. They would raise up a song when they was pickin1 cotton, but I don1 'member much about those songs. w My old boss, Ifm boun' to give him praise, he treated his nig- gers right. He made 'em work, though, end he whipped fem, too. fed good, too. We had rabbits and possums once in awhile. But he Hardly ever any game, but you might git a deer sometimes. "let fem ketch you with a gun or a piece of paper with writ in1 on it and he'd whip you like everything. Some of the slaves, if- they ever did git a piece of paper, they would keep it and learn a few words. But they didn1 want you to know nothin', that's what, nothin' but work. You would think they was goin1 to kill you, he would whip you so if he caught you with a piece of paper* You couldn' havenothin' but a pick and axe and grubbin1 hoe* rt We never got to play none. I don' know what he got for us. Our boss hired us out lots of times. We farmed, cut wood, grubbed, anything. I herded sheep and I picked cotton. "We got up early, you betcha. could see and you quit when it was dark. You would be out there by time you They tasked us. They would give us 200 or 300 pounds of cotton to bring in and you would git it, and if you didba1 git it, you better, or you would git it tomorrow, or your back would git it* Or you1 d git It from someone else, maybe steal it from their Sacks, M3** Ex-slave stories (Texas) Page Pour Oj * tf My grandfather, he would tell us things, to keep the whip off our backs. He would sayf fChillen, work, work and work hard. know how ;rou hate to he whipped, so work hard!1 You And of course we chillen tried, hut of course we would git careless sometimes, fl The master had a *black snake1 - some called it a tbull whip,1 and he knew how to use it. He whipped, but I don1 Member now whether he brought snj blood on me, but he cut the blood outta the grown ones. He didn1 tie *em, he always had a whippin1 block or log to make *em lay down on. They called 500 licks a f light breshin,* and right on your naked They said your clothes wouldn1 grow but your hide would. back* too. Prom what I heered say, if you run awayt then was when they give you a whippin,f proVbly 1500 or 2000 licks. Theyfd shore tie you down then, couldn1 stan1 it. f cause you Then you'd have tc work on top of all that, with your shirt stSckin* to your back. rl The overseer woke us up. Sometimes he had a kin1 of horn to blow, and when you heered that horn, you*d better git up. He would give you a good whippin1 iff en he had to come and wake you up. He was the mean- est one on the place, worsefn the boss man. ffce boss man had a nice rock house, and the women didn1 work at all* W I,never did see any slares auctioned off, but I heered of it. My bos# he would take *em there and sell 8em. f, Ihey had a church this side of New fountain ahd the boss man 'lowed us to go on Sunder. ba$ti * tlw^ as I know ofm If any of the slaves did join, they didn1 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Five "When one of the slaves would die, thsy would bury *em on the land there. DR Regflar little cemetery there. have doctors for *em. Oh, yes, they would If anybody died, they would tell some of the other slaves to dig the grave and take *em out there and "bury feia. They jes1 put fem in a box, no preachin1 or nothing But, of course, if it was Sunday the slaves would follow out there and sing. No, if they didn* die on Sunday, you couldn1 go; you went to that field. r, If you wanted to go to any other plantation you had to git a pass to go over there, and if you didn1 and got caught, you got one of the worst whippins1. If things happened and they wanted to tell fem on other plantations, they would slip out at night m& tell ea. M We never heered much about the fightin1 or how it was goin.f When the war finstlly was over, our old "boss called us all up snd had us to stand in abreast, and he stood on the gallery and he read the verdict to fea, and said, fKow, you can jes* work on if you want to, &nd Ifll treat you jes* like I always did.1 I guess when he said that they knew what he meant* The1 wasnH hut one family left with 'im. They stayed about two years. But the rest was just like birds, they jes1 flew, ^I went with ay father and he hired me out for two years* to a man named Riley, over on the Seco# and was house rustler, too. im, I came to D'Hanis. I did most everythin1, worked the field But I had a good time there* ifter I left I worked on a church house they was buildin'. Tien I went back to my father and worked for him a long time, freight in1 cotton to Xagfe Pass, I used horses and mules and hauled cotton and flour end whiskey, and things like that. Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Six * M I met my wife down on Black Creek, and I freighted two ye$rs after we was married. thing would do. We got married so long ago, but in them days any- You see, these days they are so proud, but we was glad to h^ve anything. I had a black suit to be married in, and a ptftty long shirt, and I wore boots. didn' hare black shoes. She wore a white dress, hut in them days they Yes'm, they had a dance, down here on Black Creek. Danced half the night at her house and two men played the fiddle. We had everythin1 to eat, a barbecued calf, and of cakes and pies. women drank coffee. Drink? a Sat? hog, too, and all kinds Why, the men had whiskey to drink pnd the We married about 7 or 8 in the evenin* at her house. My wife's name was Sarah Ann Brackins. "Did I &ee a ghost? Well, over yonder on the creek was a ghost. It was a moonlight night and it passed right by me and it never had no head on it ar-tall. of me. It kep' walkin1 right by side It almost breshed me. I shore saw it and I run like a good fellow. Lots of fem could see wonnurful sights then and I heered lots of noises, but that*s the only ghost I ever seen. "Ho, I never knowed nothing 'bout charms. rabbit heel or coon heel for good luck. tricked, or what I'd call poisoned. I've seen 'em have a I seen a woman one time that was A place on her let, it was jes' the shagpe of these little old striped lizards. It was somethin1 they called Hrickin it,f and a person that knowed to triok you would put it there to make you suffer the "balance of your days. It would go 'round your leg clear to the kip and he between the skin and the flesh. d vi!*s * xk * They called it the Ui\ ^^ 420118 IL EX-SLATE STORIES (Texas) Page One JAMSS GSSSES is half American Indian and half Ne^ro. He was born a slave to John Williams, of Petersburg, Va., became a "free boy" t then was kidnapped and sold in a Virginia slave market to a Texas ranchman. He now lives at 323 N# Olive St. Sfan Antonio, Texas. M ,: f I never knowed my age till after de war, when Ifs set free de second time, and then marster gits out a big book and it shows I!s 25 year old. It shows I*s 12 when I is bought and $800 is paid for me. That $800 was stolen money, cause I was kidnapped and dis is how it come: "My mammy was owned by John Williams in Petersburg, in Virginia, ajid I come born to her on dat plantation. git me free, Den my father set bout to f cause he a full-blQoded Indian and done some big favor for a big man high up in de courts, and he gits me set free, and den Marster Williams laughs and calls me *free boy.1 "Then, one day along come a Friday and that a unlucky star day and I playin1 round de house and Marster Williams come up and say, fDelia, will you 'low Jim walk down de street with me?1 My mammy say, , A11 right, Jim, you be a good boy,1 and dat de las1 time I ever heared her speak, or ever see her. We walks down whar de houses grows close together and pretty soon comes to de slave market. I ain't seed it ffore, but when Marster Williams says, 'Git up on de block,1 I got a funny feel in1, and I knows what has happened, Ifs sold to Marster John Pinchback and he had de St. Vitus dance and he likes to make he niggers suffer to make up for -1- ffiV Ex-sftave Stories (Page Two) Page Two oo ' C his squirmin' and twist in1 and he the bigges1 debbil on earth. "We leaves right away for Texas and goes to marster's ranch in Columbus. It was owned by him and a man call Wright, and when we gits there I's put to work without nothin' to eat. Dat night I makes up my mind to run away but de nex' day dey takes me and de other niggers to look at de dogs and chooses me to train de dogs with. I's told I had to play I runnin1 away and to run five mile in any way and then climb a tree. One of de niggers tells me kind of nice to climb as high in dat tree as I could if I didn't want my body tore off my legs . So I runs a good five miles and climbs up in de tree whar de branches is gettin1 small. "I sits dere a long time and den sees de dogs comin'. dey gits under de tree dey sees me and starts barkin*. When After dat I never got thinkin' of rurclnin' away. "Time goes on and de war come along, but everything goes on like it did. Some niggers dies, but more was born, 'cause old Pinchback sees to dat. He breeds niggers as quick as he can, 'cause dat money for him. No one had no say who he have for wife. But de nigger husbands wasn't de only ones dat keeps up havin' chillen, 'cause de marsters and de drivers takes all de nigger gals dey wants. Den de chillen was brown and I seed one clear white one, bat dey slaves jus1 de same. "De end of dat war comes and old Pinchback says, 'You niggers all come to de big house in de mornin'. He tells us we is free and he opens his book and gives us all a name and tells us whar we comes from and how Id we is, and says he pay us 40 cents a day to stay with him* a year and dere's no big change. I stays 'bout De same houses and some got whipped but nobody got nailed to a tree by de ears, like dey used to. -2~ Finally old Pinch- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) page Three beck dies and when he "buried de lightnin1 corae and split de grave and de coffin wide open. "Well, tirae goes on some more and den Lizzie and me, we gits together and we marries reg!lar with a real weddin1. Ye's been together a long time and we is happy. 11 1 0 Oy f members a old song like dis: 111 Old marster eats beef and sucks on de bone, And give us de gristle To make, to make, to make, to make, To mrice de nigger whistle,! "Dat all de song I fmember from dose old days, ceptin1 one more: 111 1 goes to church in early morn, De birds just a-sittin1 on de tree Sometimes my clothes gits very much worn 'Cause I wears fem out at de knee. WI I sings and shouts with all my might, To drive away de cold And de bells keep ringin1 in gospel light, Till de story of de Lamb am told.1" ************ 420064 BX-SLAYE STORIIS (lexas) Page Qno Q() 0. I. Green, son of frank and of Mary inn Marksf was horn In slavery at Bradly Co.f Arkansas, June 26f 1859. His owners, the Mobley family, owned a large plantation and two or throo thousand slaves* Jack Motley, Green's young master, was killed in the Civil War, and Green became one of the worphan Chilian*11 When the Eu Klux Elan became active, the worphan chillen11 were taken to Little Rook, irk. Later on, Green moved to Del Rio. Texas, where he now lives* "X was bofned in Arkansas, Mary Ann Marks my mother* Frank Marks was my father and She was bo*n on the plantation, I had two brothers. "X don9 member de quarters, but dey mus1 of had plentyt 1 cause dey was two, three thousand slaves on de plantation. my kin people belonged to Massa Mobley. All My grandfather was a mill- man and dey had one de bigges' grist mills in de country. "Our Massa was good and we had plenty for to eat* Dero was no jail for slaves on our place but not far from dare was a Jail* H De Ku Elux Elan made everything pretty squally9 so dey taken de orphan chillen to Little Rock and kep9 f em two. three years* Dere was lots of slaves in dat country fround Rob Roy and Free Kigger Bend* Old Churchill, who used to be governor9 had a plantation in dere* "When I was nine years ! dey had de Bruce and Baxter revocation. *Twas more runnin1 dan fight in1. Bruce was lected for governor but Baxter said hefd bo governor if he had to run Brooks into de sea* "My young Massa* Jack Mohley, was killed in de war, is how I come to be one of de orphan chillen. -1- ' Kx-Slave Autobiographies 0. . Green Page 3 "While us orphan chillen was at Little Rock dere come a terrible soreness of de eyes. de cholera. I heard tell *twas caused from Every little child had to take turns about sittin* by de babies or totin* them. sore, I couldn*t see,. I was so blind, my eyes was so 'The doctor s wife was working with us. She was tryin* to figure up a cure for our sore eyes, first using one remedy and den another. An old herb doctor told her about a herb he had used on de plantations to cure de slaves* sore eyes. white cloth. Dey boiled de herb and put hit on our eyes, on a De doctor*s wife had a little boy about ray age. He would play with me, and thought I was about hit. He would lead me around, then he would run off and leave me and see if I could see. One day between fleven and twelve o'clock I never will fergit hit he taken me down to de mess room. lady was not quite ready to dress my eyes. on and come back in a little while. She told me to go Ihen I got outside I tore dat old rag off of my eyes and throwed hit down. little boy, *0, I can see you! seel* Mama, he can see! I neva will fo'git dat word. joicin*, exeitable way. I told the He grabbed me by.de arm and f ran yellin* to his mammy, De Mama, Owen can Dey were all in so a re- I was de first one had his eyes cured. Dey sent de lady to New York and she made plenty of money from her remedy. :. "Things sure was turrible durin' de war. us in front of de soldiers. Dey just driv Dere was lots of cholera, just bedded together lak hogs. we was The Ku Klux Klan come behind g-j .' BX Slave Autobiographies 0, W. Green Page 4 * de soldiers, killin' and robbing "After two or three years in de camp with de orphans, my kin found me and took me home. n My grandfather and unole was in de fightin'. father was a wagon man. My grand- De las' trip he made, he oome home bringin' a load of dead soldiers to be buried. told de people all about de war. My grandfather He said hit sure-was terrible* "Ihen de war was over de people Jus* shouted for joy. men and women jus* shouted for joy. De 'Twas only because of de prayers of de cullud people, dey was freed,and de Lawd worked s 1 through Lincoln. "My old masta was a doctor and a surgeon* He trained my grandmother; she worked under him thirty-seven years as a nurse. Iftien old masta wanted grandmother to go on a special case he would whip her so she wouldn't tell none of his secrets, tirand- mother used herbs fo medicine black snake root, sasparilla, blackberry briar roots and. nearly all de young'uns she fooled with she save from diarrhea* w My old masta was good, but when he found you shout in* he burnt your hand* times. My grandmother said he burnt her hand several Masta wouldn't let de cullud folks have meetin*, but dey would go out in de woods in secret to pray and preach and shout. ff I jist picked up enough readin* to read my bible and sarateh my name, I went to school one mo'ning and didn't git along wid de teacher so 1 didn't go no mo'. I 'member my folks fcaC big times come ehristmas. Dey 9*3 ' Es>Slave Autobiographies 0 W. Green Page 5 never did work on Sundays, Jist set around and rest. worked in bad weather. Dey never Dey never did go to de field till seven o'clock. W I married in 1919. son. I have two step-daughters and one step- My step-son lives in San Antonio. chillen# I have six step-grand-* I was a member of de Baptist church befo*~ you was bo n lady. J - 30 - Q3 Dibble, Jred Beaumont, JefferBOn Co.Diet.#3 Page 1 TEXAS STOSIBS OF EX-SLAVBS 42033M EOSA GHEES. 85 years old, was bom at Ketchi. Louisiana, bat as soon as she was old enough be cams a house girl on the plantation of Bajor "Bob" Hollingsworth at Mansfieldt Louisiana* To the bast of her knowledgef she was about 13 when the * freedom papers11 were read. She had had 13 children by her two husbands, both deceased, and lires with her youngest daughter In Beaumont. Their one-room, unpainted house is one of a dozen unprepossessing structures bordering an alleyway leading off Pine Street. Rosa, a spry little figure, crowned with short, snowwhite pigtails extending in various directions, spends most of her tine tending her small flowerbeds and vegetable garden. She is talkative and her memory seems quite active. "When da w'lte folks read do freedom paper I was 13 year old. I jes* lean up agin do porch, cause I dldn* know den what it was all about. I war'nt bo'n in Texas, I was bo'n in letchi, but I was rais' in Manfiel*. Law, yes, I 'member de fight at Manfiel*. My ol' marster tuk all he niggers and lef at night. Lef us little ones; say de Yankees could git us effen day wan* to, cause we no good no way* and I wouldn* care if dey did git ua. Dey put us in a sugar hogshead and giro us a spoon to scrape out de sugar. wUle in de fiel*. 'Bout de ol1 plantation, I work a little I dldn1 know den like I see now. Dese chillen bo'n wid no* sense now dan we was den. Dey was bout ten cullud folks on de place. My ol* aarster name Boh Hollingsworth, hut dey call 'im Major, (cause he was a major in de war, not de las' one, but de one way back yonder. 01 missus work de little ones roun* de house and under de house and kep' er'yt'lng clean as yo* haa'. 94 Pibtt.e f yred Beaumont, Jefferson Co.,Dist.#3 Page 2 The ol1 marster I thought was de meanes* man de Lawd ever made. like he cuss ev9y time he open he mouth. good, some "bad. Q/- Look De nei^ibor w9ite folks, some My work was cleanin1 up froun de hoase and miss in1 de Chilian. Only times I went to church when day tuk us long to min* de Chilian. When de battle of Manfiel* was, we didn9 git oat much. When de Yankees was coain1 to ftran9 Cane, my w*ite folks dig a big pit and put der meat and flour and all in it and cover it over wid dirt and put wagon loads of pine straw over it. It was bout five or six mile to Maafleld and 9bout 49 or 50 mile to Shreveport. My ol1 marster tuk all he niggers and went off somweres, dey called it Texas, but I didn1 know where. De olfer ones farm. de groun9, dey did. Dey rais9 ev'ytUag dey could put in My pa was kirrige(carriage) driver for my ol1 missus. He was boss nigger fo1 de cullud men when marster wanft right dere. father jis1 stay dere. See, dey free oar people in July. whole crop stanin1 dere in de fiel1. of de crop. Vfy Dat leave de Dey had to stay dere and take care After dat dey commence makin9 contraks and bargins. 22 years ol9 when I marry de fusf time. Both my husbaafs dead. I was I had 13 Chilian in all, "De fus? time I went to church, missus tuk me and another gal to minf de chillen. I never beared a preacher befo*. I member how de preacher word de hymn: 9 Come, ye sinners, po* and needy, Weak and wounded, sick and so9.9 * I couldn9 understan9 it, but now when I look down on it I sees it BOW. I bleeve us been here go in9 on fo9 year9 right yere in dis house. U2~ 420078 JV 'jf EX-SLAVIC STOEIES (Texas) Page One ^ WILLIAM GEM, or "Reverend Bill", as he is call by the other Negroes, was brought to Texas from Mississippi in 1862, His master wasjiajor John Montgomery. William is. 37 years old. He has lived in San Antonio, Texas, for 50 years. U L is Reverend Bill, all right, but I is 'fraid dat compli- ment donft belong to me no more, f cause I quit preachin1 in favor of de voung men. 11 1 kin tell you my 'speriences in sayin' - rais'ry dat was, is peace dat is. I tells you dis f spite of be in1 alone in de world with no chillun. W I is raised a slave and 'mancipated in June, b >t I 'members de old plantation whar I is born. Massa John Montgomery, he owned me, and he went to de war and git kilt. I knowed fbout de war, though us slaves wasnft sposed to know nothin1 'bout it. I was livin1 in Texas then, 'cause Massa John moved over here from Mis'sippi. In dat place niggers was allus wrong, no matter what, but it was better in dis place. We used to think we was lucky to git over here to Texas, and we used to sing a song fbout it: Hl 0ver yonder is de wild-goose nation, Whar old missus has sugar plantation Sugar grows sweet bat de plantation's sour, 1 cause de nigger jump and ran every hour. *"I has you all to know, you all to know, Dere's light on de shore, Says little Bill to big Bill, There's a li'l nigger to wiite and cipher.1 "I don't know what de song meant but we thought we'd git free -1- Qf ^ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) paffe jw0 here in Texas, and we'd fit eddicated, and dat's de me an in1 of de talk about writin1 and ciphering ^Well, when I is free I isnft free, fcause de boss wants me and another b<$> to st*y till wefs 21 year old. worth, he come down dere But old Judge long- and dere was pretty near a fifht, and he *splains to ms we was free, nt t>out five year after dat I takes up preachin1 and I preaches for a long time, and I works en a farm, half and half with de owner. I has a good life, hat now I's too old to preach. ************ Q1^ 430041 3X-SLAVE STORIES Page One (Texas) OQ y PAULINE GRICE, 81, was born a slave of John Blackshier, who owned her mother, about 150 slaves, 50 slave children, and a large plantation near Atlanta, Georgia. Pauline married Navasota G-rice in 1875 and they moved to Texas in 1917. Since her husband's death in 1928 Pauline has depended on the charity of friends, with whom she lives at 2504 Ross Av'e., North Fort Worth, Texas. "White ma.n, dis old cullud woman am not strong. 'Bout all my sub- stance am gone now. De way ?^ou sees me layin1 on dis bed am what I has to do mos1 de time. My mem'randum not so good like 'twas. "Be place I am borned am right near Atlanta, in Georgia, and on dat plantation of Massa John KLackshier. A big place, with 4bout 150 growed slaves and 'boat 50 pickininnies. I doesn't work till near de surrender, 'cause I's too small. Bat us don't leave Massa John, us go right on workin1 for him like 'fore* "Massa John am de kind massa and don't have whuppin's. He tell de overseer, 'If you can't &&lce dem niggers work without de whup, den you not de man I wants.' Mos' de niggers 'have theyselves and when dey don't massa put dem in de li'l house what he call de jailP with nothin' to eat till deys ready to do what he say. Onct or twict he sell de ni^er what won't do right and do de work. "Us have de cabin what am made from logs but us only sleeps dere. All us cookin' done in da big kitchen. Dere am three women what do dat, and giye us de meals in de long shed with de long tables. -1*. \ j Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two QQ ***> "To de bes' of dis nigger's mem'randum, de feed am good. of everything and corn am de mostest us have. Plenty Dere am cornbread and cornmeal mush and corn hominy and corn grits and parched corn for drink, stead of tea of coffee. some meat. Us have milk and 'lasses and brom sugar, and Dat all raise on de place. Stuff for to eat and wear, dat am made by us cullud folks and dat place am what dey calls sef f-s'portin'. De shoemaker make all de shoes and fi^ke leather, top. "After breakfas1 in de mornin1 de niggers am gwine here, dere and everywhere, jus1 like de big factory. Every one to he job, some a-whistlin', some a-singin'. Dey sings difffrent songs and dis am one when deys gwine to work: w 'Old Old Old Old cotton, cotton, cotton, cotton, old old old old corn, corn, corn, corn, see you every morn, see you since I's born. hoe you till dawn, what for you born?1 "Yes, suh, everybody happy on massa's place till war begin. have two sons and Willie am fbout 18 and Dave am 'bout 17. He Dey jines de army and after 'bout a year, massa jine too, and, course, dat make de missy awful sad. She have to 'pend on de overseer and it wam't ii&e massa keep things runnin1. "In de old days, if de niggers wants de party, massa am de big toad in de puddle. And Christmas, it am de day for de big time. and some present for everyone. A tree m fix, De white preacher talk fbaut Christ. have simgin1 and ^oyment all day. Us Den at night, de fcig fire builded and all us sot 'round it. Dere am 'bout hundred hawg bladders save from hawg kUlteV-Se, on Cfc^istaa* night* <*e ^hillen takes dem and puts dem on de *%t<*f ' ~. ^ ' . '*''': -"'iy '" '' is all blowed full of air and tied tight and dry. ' IS^^M*^^^./- .-.'. ' : .-.:,; . .-. . . , .,.' . '. ' * .. ' '$ .-.' .?:* V .' '<. . Sx-slave Stories (iexas/ Page Three 100 L-en de chillen holds de bladder in de fire and purty soon, 'B A. W G,f dey goes. Dat am de fireworks. "Dat all changed after massa. go to war. TiUst de ffederate sojers come and takes sone mules and hosses, den some more cone for de corn. vriile, de Yankee nojers cones and takes some more. dey ain't much more tookin' to he done. of rations and sometime us hongry. day. After .Then dey gits through, De year 'fore surrender, us an short Us sees no battlin1 b,. t -Te cannon bargaJLl Once, tfey bang two whole days 'thout hardly stoppin'. Dat am when missy go tech in de head, 'cause massa and de boys in dat battle. walk 'round de yard and twist de hands and say, 'Dey sho' git kilt. dead.1 Den when extra loud noise come from de cannon, she scream. come Willie am kilt. She jus1 Dey sho' Den word She gits over it, but she am de diff rent woman, Por her, it am trouble, trouble and more trouble. "She can't sell cle cotton. Dey done took all de rations a^d us couldn't eat de cotton. de rations. One day she tell us, 'De war am on as. I can't se De sojers done took ll de coton, 'cause :>f de blockade,' what am dat blockade, but she say it. I don't know 'Now,' she say, 'All you cullud folks born and raise here aid us allus been good to you. I can't holp it 'cause rations am short and I'll do all I can for you. me?1 Will yous be patient with All us stay dere and h&bp missy all us could. "Den massa come home and say, 'Yous gwine be free. Far as I cares, vou is free now, and can stay here and tough it through or go where you wants. I thanks yous for all de way yous done while I!s gone, and I'll holp you all I can.1 Us all stay and it sho1 am tough times. -3- Us have most no-thin1 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Four to eat and den de Ku Klux come 'round dere. 10J Massa say not mix with dat crowd what lose de head, jus1 stay to home and work. Some dem niggers on other plantations ain't keep de head and dey gits whupped and some gits kilt, but us does what massa'say and he.s no trouble with dem Klux. "It 'bout two year after freedom mammy gits marry and us goes and works on shares. I stays with dem till 1875 and den marries Navasota Robert Gkrice and us live by farmin1 till he die, nine year since. year since us come here from Georgia and works de truck farm. 'Bout 20 I has two chillen but dey dead. De way I feels now, 'twon't be long ffore I goes, too. My friends is good to me and lets me stay with dem. ******** 420107 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One HANDY HADBFOT, small and forlorn looking, as she lies in a huge, old-fashioned wooden bed, appears rery black In contrast to the clean white sheets and a thick mop of snowy wool on her head. She does not know her age9 but from her appearance and the details she remembers of her years as slave in the Slade home, near Cold Springs, Texas, she must be very old* She lives in Woodville, Texas, with her husband, Josh, to whom she has been married 13 years. # "I's too small to fmember ay father, 'cause he die when I Jus1 a baby, Dey was my mudder and me and de ole mlstus and mar star on de plantation* It were mo1 jus9 a farm, but dey raise us all we need to eat and feed de cows and hosses* "De earlles1 f membrance I hab is when de ole marster drive into de town for supplies every two weeks. Col1 Springs* he own chilet He v^as a good man. f Us place was right near He treat die 1111 darky jus1 like cause he never hab any chillen of his own, I know 'bout de time he com ine home when he go to town and I wait down by de big gate. Purty soon I see de big ox comin1 and see de smoke from de road dust flyin1. Den I know he almos1 home and I holler and wave my han1 and he holler and wave he han1 right back. jus' like I he own little gal. He allus bmng me something Sometime he brung me a whistle or some candy or doll or some thin1, "One Easter he brung me de purties' lil9 hat I ever did see, }fy ole mlstus took me to Sunday school with her and I spruce up in dat hat, 1- 102 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two Every Christmas ffore ole marster die he fix me up a tree out de woods. Dey put popco'n on it to trim it and dey gite me sometime a purty dress or shoes and plenty candy and maybe a big, red apple. Dey hab a big san1 pile for me to play la, but I never play with any other chillen. cabin. My mamay, Emily Budle, she cook and clean up mistus log house After de ole marster die dey both work in de fiel* and raise plenty vegetables to can and eat* My task was to shell peas and watch and stir de big cookin1 pots on de fireplace. M My mistus hav lots of company. When she come in and say, Sanely,' shine up de knife and fork and put de polish on de pianny, I allus happy, 1 cause I lub to see folks come. things. Us hab chicken and all kinds of good De preacher, he was big, jolly man, he come to de house *bout one Sunday in er%ry month. ASM* lUti Sometime dey brung lil1 white chillen to dinner,, Den us play Rabbit, rabbit. Jump fru1 de crack.1 and Kitty, kitty, In de corner, Meov, meow, Bon, kitty, run. De ole marster pick me out a lil1, gentle hoss named Julie and dat was my very own hoss. It was jus1 a common lil* hoss. sugar out de barrel to feed JiUie. I uster sneak Dey had a big smokehouse on de farm where dey kep1 all kin's of good things like sugar and sich. Dey had fruits of all kin's put up. Every morn in4 de ole mistus took out de big Bible and hab prayer meetin1 for jus1 us three. Us never learn read muchl tho1 she try teach me 2~ gz-olare Storits (Texas) PageThree When I1* boat nine year ole sne buy me a purty white dress and took me some* to jlne de church. She was a little, white -hair1 woman, what never los1 her temper foout nosnin1* She use1 to lex, me dump on her pianny and didn1 say Sne couldn1 play de pianny but siie kinder nope mayoe I could, out I nothing never cLia learn now* "When freedom come my muader ana me pay no Mention to it. right on de place. Purty soon my madder die and I jus1 took up her shoes0 One day Ifs makin1 a bonfire in de yard and ketch my dress on fire. side of my lef* leg mos1 bu'n off. but the finely git me to bed. on me han1 and feet. Us stay De whol Mistus was so lil1 she couldn1 lif me Dere I stay for long, long time, and she wait She make linseed poultice and kep9 de "bu'n grease good. Mos1 time sne leave all de wofk stan1 in de middle of de floor and read de Bible and pray for me to git heal up and not suffer. She cry right long with me when I cry, 'cause I hurt so. w TBhen Ifs 16 year ole I want to hab court in1. hat de boy come right to de big house to see me. Sundggr and us go to Lugene Baptist church. for both us. He come two mile every Don she hav nice Sunday dinner Sue let me go to ice croam supper, too. Dey didn1 hab no freezer den, jusf a bi& pan in some ice. stirrin1 de cream. servo cake. Mistus flow me to De boys and girls took tu:ns It never git real ha'd but stay kinder slushy. Us hav pie supper, too. Dey Whoever git de girl's pie eat it with her* w My ole mistus she pay me money right 'long after freedom but I too close to spenf any* Don when I fcide to marry Bob Thomas, she he'p me fix 3** 4/** 104 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) a hope ches*. Page Four &0G I buys goods for sheets and table kivers and one nice Sunday set dishes. "Us marry rignt in de parlor of de mistus house. preacher marry us and mistus she give me *way. my weddin1 dress outta white lawn. Ole mistus hefp me make I hab purty long, black hair and a veil with a ribbon fround de fron1. ice cream and yaller cake. De white man De weddin' feas1 was strawberxy Ole mistus giv me ay bedstead, one of her purtiest ones, and de set dishes and glasses us eat de weddin1 dinner outta. My husban1 gib me de trabblin1 dressf but I never use dat dress for three weeks, though, cause ole mistus cry so when I hafter leave dat I at ay for three weeks after I marry* *She all 'lone in de big house and I think it break her heart. I ain* been gone to de sawmill town very long when she sen1 for me. go to see her and took a peach pie, what she like better!n anything. I f cause I lub her and I know datfs She was sick and she say, f Mandyf dis de las1 time us gwineter see each other, cause I ain1 gwineter git well. You be a good girl and try to git through de worl dat way.f Den she make me say de lord Prayer for her Jus1 like she allus make me say it for a night prayer when I lil1 gal. I never see her no mo . "Me and Bob Thomas and dis husban1 f Josh, what I marry thirteen year ago, hab *bout 10 chillen all togedder. Us been lib here many a year. I don1 care so much 'bout leavin* dis yearthly home, f cause I knows I gwineter see de ole mistus up dere and I tell her I allus member what she tell me and try lib da way all time. ********************* 420237 EX-SLAVB STORIES (Texas) Page One J WILLIAM HAMILTON belonged to a slave trader, who left him on the Buford plantation, near Village Creek, Texas. The trader did not return, so the Buford family raised the child with their slaves. William now lives at 910 E. Weatherford St., Ft. Worth, Texas. "Who I is, how old I is and where I is born, I donft know. But Massa Buford told me how durin1 de war a slave trader name William Hamilton, come to Village Creek, where Massa Buford live. Dat trader was on his way south with my folks and a lot of other slaves, takin' f em somewheres, to sell. asks him, He camped by Massa Buford1 s plantation and f Buford say, Can I leave dis lifl nigger here till I comes back?1 Massa ! Tes,f and de trader say he'll be back in fbout three weekst soon as he sells all the slaves. He mus1 still be sellin' 9 em, f cause he never comes back so far and there I am and my folks am took on, and I is too li'l to 'member fem, so I never knows my pappy and mammy. Massa Buford says de trader comes from Missouri, but if I is born dere I donft know. w De oriLy thing I * members f bout all dat, am dere am lots of cryinf when dey tooks me 'way from my mammy. Dat something I never forgits. "I only 'members after de war, and most de cullud folks stays with Massa Buford after surrender and works de land on shares. Dey have good times on dat place, and don't neat to leave. Day has dances and fun till de Ku KLux org'nizes and den it am lots of trouble. De Klux comes to de dance and picks out a nigger and whups him, jus1 to keep de niggers scart, and it git so bad dey don't have no more dances or parties* -1- i QB Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two 107 "I members seein1 B&ith Baldwin and Jeb Johnson and Dan Hester gittin1 whupped by de Klux. Dey wasnft so bad after women. It am alias after dark when dey ccanes to de house and catches de man and whups hia for nothing Dey has de power, and it am done for to show dey has de power. It gits so bad round dere, dat de menfolks allus eats supper befo1 dark and takes a blanket and goes to de woods for to sleep. Alex Buford don't sleep in de house for one whole summer. "No one knowed when de Klux comin1. All a-sudden up dey gallops on hosses, all covered with hoods, and bust right into de house. stead of locks was used dem days. but never cotches him. holler, Jus' latches Dey comes sev'ral times to Alex1 house I*d hear dem comin1 when dey hit de lane and I'd f De Klux am comin1.1 It was my job, after dark, listenin' for dem Klux, den I gits under de bed. "Why dey coaes so many times round dere, am fcause de second time dey comes, Jane 3ensom am dere. Jane am lots of woman, wide as de door and tall, and weighs 'bout three hunder pounds. and makes for under de bed,, I calls, 'Here comes do Klux,1 There am embers in de fireplace and she fills a pail with dem and when de ELux busts in de door she lets dem have de embers in de face, and den out de back door she goes. bad. Two of dem am burnt purty De nex' night back dey comes and asks where Jane am. She 'longs to Massa John Ditto and am so big everybody knows her, but de niggers won't tell on her. She leaves de country fin'ly, but dey comes lookin' for her every night for two months* "Right over on Massa Ditto's place, am a killin' of a baby by dem Klux. De babb am In de mammy's arms and a bunch of ELux ridin' ty takes -2- 3x-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three a shot at de mammy, and it hits de "baby and kills it. w Right after de baby killing sojers with blue coats comes dere and camps front of Massa Buford's place and pertects de cullud folks. I goes over to day camp every day and day gives me lots of good eats. w De cullud folks has lots of trouble after de war, 'cause day am irfrant niggers and gits foolishment in de head. folks should give dem land and mules and sich. They gits da idea de white Over in da valley, Massa Moses owns lots of land and fifty nigger families, and he gives each family a deed to 'bout fifty acres. Some dem cullud folks grandchillen still on dat land, too, de Parkers and Farrows and Nelsons and some others. Den all de other niggers thinks day should git land, too, but dey don't, and it make dem git foolishment and git in trouble. "In 1897 I marries Bffie Goleman and has no chillens, so I is alone in da world now. I can't do much and lives on de $10.00 de month pension. De white folks lets me live in dis shack for mowin1 da lawn, but I worries f bout when I can!t &<* no more work. days. It am de awful way to spend you last 108 42'0!69 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One PIERCE HAKPER, 86, was born on the Subbs plantation near Snow Hill, North Carolina. When eighty years old he was sold for $1,150 / to the Harper family, who lived in Snow Hill, After the Civil War, Pierce farmed a small place near Snow Hill and saw many raids of the Klu Klux Klan. He came to Gal vest on,'Texas, in 1877* Pierce attended a Negro school after he was groum, learned to read and write, and is interested in the bettenaent of his race. < s> > 'c^ . J ^ "When you ask me is I Pierce Harper, you kind of fsprised me. I reckoned everybody know old Pierce Harper. Sister Johnson say to me outside of services last Sunday night, !Brother Harper, you is de beatines1 man I ever seen. You know everybody and everybody know you.f And I said, Sister Johnson, datfs fcause I keep faith with de Lawd. I love de Lawd and my neighbors and de lawd and my neighbors love me.' Datfs what my old mother told me *way back in slavery, before I was ever sold. But here I is talking !bou$ myself when you want to hear me talk fbout slavery. Letfs see, now. H I was born way back in 1851 in North Carolina, on Mr. Subbs1 plantation, clost to Snow Hill, which was the county seat. My daddy was a field hand and my mother worked in the fields, too, right 'longside my daddy, so she could keep him lined up. The mast r said that Calisy, that ay mother, was the "best fieldhand he had, and Calvin, that my daddy, was the laziest. My aother used to say he was chilesome. ' "Then when I was eight years old they sold me. > The market place was in Snow Hill on the public square near the jailhouse. It was jus1 a little stand built out in the open with no top on it, that the slaves p^> 4 HQ XU ^ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two stood on to get sold while the white folks auctioned 'em off. iif) I was too little to get on the stand, so they had to hold me up and Mr, Harper "bought me for $1,100. That was cheap for a hoy. f, He lived ixi a "brick house in town and had two-three slaves me. f sides I run errands and kept the yard clean, things a little hoy could do. They didn't have no school for slaves and I nerer learned to read and write till after freedom. After I was sold, they let me go visit my mother once a year, on Sunday morning, and took me hack at night. "The masters couldnft whip the slaves, there. The law said in black and white no master couldn't whip no slave, no matter what he done. When a slave got bad they took him to the county seat and had him whipped. One day I seen my old daddy get whipped by the county ruad state fcause he wouldn't work. They had a post in the public square what they tied 'em to ^nd a man what worked for the county whipped fem. "After he was whipped my daddy run away to the north. Daddy come by when I was cleanin' the yard and said, 'Pierce, go 'round side the house, where nobody can't see us.' I went and he told me goodbye, 'cause he was goin' to run away in a few days. He had to stay in the woods and travel at night and eat what he could find, berries and roots and things. They n^er e&ught him and after he crossed the'Mason-Dixon line he was safe. "fhere used to be a man who raised bloodhounds to hunt slaves with. I seen the dogs on the trail a whole day and still not catch ea. Sometimes the slave made friends with the dogs and they wouldn't let on if they found him* fhree dogs followed one slave the whole way up north and he sold them |i|;':;there, Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three -fl -fl -f XAI WI heered em talk about some slaves what run barefooted in cold weather and you could trail em by blood in the snow and ice where they hurt their feet. f1 Most of the time the master gave us castor oil when we^were sick. Some old folks went in the woods for herbs and msde medicine. tea out of They made f lion's tongue1 for the stomach and snake root is good for pains in the stomach, too. Horse mint breaks the fever. They had a vermifuge weed, 11 1 seed a lot of Southern soldiers and they'd go to the big house for something to eat. Late in '63 they had a fight at a place called Kingston, only 12 miles from our place, takin1 how the jacks go, guns'go off when they was fight in1. We could hear the The Yankees beat and settled down there and the cullud folks flocked down on them and when they got to the Yankee lines they was safe. They went in droves of 25 or 50 to the Yankees and they put em to work fight in1 for freedom. lot of 'em got kilt,, They fit till the war was over and a My mother and sister run away to the Yankees and they paid fem big money to wash for f em. "When peace came they read the 'mancipation law to the cullud people U and they stayed up half the night at Mr, Harper's, singing and shouting, t&ey spent that night singin' and shout in1. They wasnft slaves no more* t The maiter had to give *em a half or third of what he made, Our master I parceled out some land to 'em and told 'em to work it their selves and some 1 done real well, ||;;^ mv&^&t&mBk&it'; They got bosses that the soldiers had turned loose to die, and took good care of 'em and they got good stock that way. j Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) Page Pour Cotton was twenty and thirty cents a pound then, "After us cullud folks was fsidered free and turned loose, the Klu Klux "broke out. Some cullud people started to fattain1, like I told vou, and gathered the old stock. If they got so they ma,de good money, and had a good farm, the Klu Klux would come and murder fem. The gov'ment builded school houses and the Klu Klux went to work and burned f i down. They'd go to the jails and take the cullud men out and knock their brains out and break their necks and throw 'em in the river. "There was a cullud man they taken, his name was Jim Freeman* They taken him and destroyed his stuff and him, cause he was making some money. Bang him on a tree in his front yard, right in front of his cabin. 9 "There was some cullud young men went to the schools theyfd opened by the gov'ment. Some white woman said someone had stole something of hers so they put them young men in jail. 'em out and killed fem. The Klu Klux went to the jail and took That happened the second year after the War. v HAfter the Klu Kluxes got so strong the cullud men got together and made the complaint before the law* The Oov'nor told the law to give fem the old guns in the com'sary, what the Southern soldiers had used, so they issued the cullud men old muskets and said protect themselves. They got together and organized the militia arid had leaders like reg'lar soldiers. They didn't meet fcept when they heered the Ktu Kluxes was coming to get some cullud folks. Then they was ready for 'emu They'd hide in the cabins and then's when they found out who a lot of them JOLu Kluxes was, 'cause a lot of *em w#s kilt. They wore long theets and coverfdithe hosses with sheets so you coul Dibble, Fred, P,l., Beehler, Rheba, P W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3. one Mef'dis? Chu'ch and one Baptis! Chu'ch in Jasper* Dere moughta been a Cabilic (Catholic) Chu!ch dere too, but I dunno fbout dat." "I don1 'member seein1 no sojers. I t!ink some of ol! marster's boys went to de war but de olf man didn1 go. I dunno 'bout wedder dey come back or not !cepfn! I 'member dat Crab Norsworthy he come back." "When any of de slaves git sick olf mistus and my gramma dey doctor 'em. doctor. De olf mistus she a pretty good When us chillun git sick dey git yarbs or dey * give us castor oil and turpentime. Iffen it git to be a ser'ous ailment dey sen' for de reg!lar doctor. Dey uster hang asafoetida !roun' us neck in a li'l bag to keep us from ketch1 de whoopin' cough and de measles." "Dey was a gin and cotton press on de place. ster gin' and bale' he own cotton. 01f mar- Dat ol' press had dem long arms a-stickin' down what dey hitch hosses to and mek f em go !roun' and 'roun1 and press de bale." "Dey raise dey own t'baeco on de place. I didn1 use snuff nor chew 'till after I growed up and marry. Back in slavery you couldn' let 'em ketch you wid a chew of t'baeco or snuff in your mouf. let you forgit it." Iff en you did dey wouldn' Dibble, Fred, P.W., Beehler, Rheba, P.1S., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist. #3. "I uster like to go and play !rounf de calfs, jisf go up and pet f f em and rub !em. But we dassent git on em to ride fem.w "Marster uster sit 'roun* and watch us chillun play. He enjoy dat. my mistus. He call me his Annie fcause I name1 after Sometime he hab a wagon load of watermilion haul1 up from de fiel! and cut fem# side of watermilion. Eb!ry chile hab a And us hab all de sugar cane and sweet 'taters us want." !l Dey had a big smokehouse. Dey hab big hog killinf time, and dey dry and salt de meat in a big long trough. Dey git oak and ash and hickfry wood and mek a fire under it and smoke it. My gramma toted de key to dat smokehouse and olr mistus shefd tell her what to go and git for de white folks and de cullud folks.tf "When Crismus come froun' dey give us big eatin1. hab chicken and turkey and cake. Us I donf 'member dat dey give us no presents.!l !lMy gramma and my ma and ol1 man Morsworthy dey come from Alabama. I never hear of him breakin1 up a family. But when dey was livin1 in Geo'gy, my ma marry a man name1 Hawthorne in Geo!gy. He wouldn' sell him to Marse Nors- Dibble, Fred, P#W#, Beehler, Rheba, P.W., Beaumont, Jefferson, Dist* #3* worthy when he come to Texas, Atter freedom marster go to Geo*gy to git him and bring him to Texas, but he done raisin1 up anudder family dere and won't come* fo! she die her husban1 come. ready to die, den he come. When he Li!l be- f bout wo1 out and Some of de olfesf chillun f member dey daddy and dey crazy for him to come and dey mek up de money for him. When he git here dey tek care of him 'till he die right dere at Olive* write him he neenter (need not) come. no service to her. Ma tell fem to She say he ainft But he come and de daughter tek care of her ma and pa bofe.rf HI?s got 8 gran fchillun and 5 great-granfchillun. I f vides (divide) my time 'tween my daughter here and de one in Houston.n "You wants to tek my picture? dat hat you got dere. dat li!l bonnet. much sun. Daughter, I don1 want Dat one of de chillun' hats* Git Dat becomes me better. I canft stan' Dey say Ifs got high blood pressue.11 420180 EX-SLAYE STORIES (Texas) Page One JAMES HA3ES, 101, was born a slave to a plantation owner whose name he does not now recall, in Shelby Co., two miles ** Marsiiall, Texas. Mr. John Henderson "bought the place, six slaves and James and his mother. James, known as Uncle Jimt seems happy, still stands erect, and is very active for his age. He lives on a gr^en slope overlookin *s the Trinity river, in Moser Valley, a Hegro settlement ten miles northeast of Fort forth* JV, ^ :> A<\/ Ifs 101 "Dia nigger have lived a long time, yas, suhl years ole, f cause I's bo9n Dec. 23, 1835. nex9 December. I can1 Dat makes me 102 come 9 memoer my rust marster9s name, 9 cause waen I*s 'bout two years ole, me and my sis, "bout five, and our mammy was sol1 to Marster John Sanderson. I don1 'memoer anything 'bout my pappyf but I member Marster Henderson jus9 like 'twas las9 week. I9s set tin1 hear a thinkin* or dem ole days when 1*3 a ill4 nigger a cuttin9 up on oie marster1 s plantation* How I did play roun9 with de chilluns till I's big enough for to wo9k. After I9s 9bout 13, I jus1 peddles roun1 de house for 9bout a year, den 'twarn't long till I hoes cofn and potatoes* Dere's six slaves on dat place and I coul1 beat dem all a-hoein1. "De marster takes good care of us and sometimes give us money, 9 bout 25^, and lets us go to town. brates. Dat9s *hen we was happy and cele- We9uns spent all de money on candy and sweet drinks. Marster never crowded us '"bout de wofk, and never give any of us whuppiafs. Ifs sev9ral times needed a whuppin9, but de aarster never gives dis nigger more9n a good scoldin9. De nearest I comes to git tin whupped, -1- 9 twas 2Q Bx-slave Stories Page Two once wiaen I stote a plate of biscuits offen de table. of em, but de devil in me caused me to do it. * Q^ I warn't in need Marster and all de folks comes in and sets down, and he asks for de biscuits, and I's under de house and could hear fem talk. table,1 De cook saysf fIfs put de biscuits on de Marster says, fIf you did, de houn1 got fea. a houn1 got fem, Cook says, fIf f twas a two-legged one, * cause de plate am gone, too.1 I*s made de mistake of takin1 de plate. Marster give me de wors1 scoldin1 I ever has and dat lamed me a lesson. w Not long after dat, Marster sol1 my mammy to his brudder who lived in Tort Worth* When dey took her away, Ifs powerful grieved. dat time de War started. army* 'Bout De marster and nis boy, Marster Ben, jined de De marster was a sergeant. De women folks was proud of dere men folks, but &ey was powerful grieved. All de time de men's away* I could tell Missy Elline and her mamma was worried, ^ey allue sen's me for de mail, asd when I fotches it, dey run to meet me, anxious like, to open de letter, and was skeert to do it. One day I fotches a letter and I could feel it in my bo lies, dere was trouble in dat letter, heaps of it. him home. Sure 'nough, dere was trouble, It tells dat Marster Ben am kilt and dat dey was a shippin1 All de ole folks, cullud and mhite, was cryin1. she fainted. Missy Elline, When de body comes home, derefs a powerful big funeral and after dat, derefs powerful weepln's and sadness on dat place. folks don1 ta .k much and no laughin1 like 'fore. asks me to make a ^lasses cake. I says, Don1 say 'lasses, say molasses.1 no lasses. f De women I fmembers once de missy I's got no lasses.1 I says, 'Why say molasses when IU got Dat was de fus' time Missy laugh after de funeral. -3- Missy says, Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three "Darin1 de War, things was fbout de same, like always, fcept some vittles was scarce. But wefuns had. plenty to eat and us slaves didn1 know what de War was fbout. I guess we was too ignorant. De white folks didn1 talk *bout it 'fore us. comes home and dey holds a Mg celebration. When it's overf de Marster Ifs workin1 in de kitchen and dey tol* me to cook heaps of ham, chicken, pies, cakes, sweet * taters and lots of vegetables. Lots of white folks comes and dey eats and drinks wine, dey sings and dances. We!uns cullud folks jined in and was singin1 out in de back, 'Massa's in de Col', Harf Groun1. Marster asks us to come in and sing dat for de white folks, so wefuns goes in de house and sings dafc for de white folks and dey jines in de chorus. "Three days after de celebration, de marster calls all de slaves in de house and says, 'Yous is all free, free as I am,1 uns could go if we*uns wanted to. He tol1 us we1 Noae of us knows what to do, dere warnft no place to go and why would we'uns wan1 to go and leave good folks like de marster? His place was our home. So we'uns asked him if we could stay and he says, 'Yous kin stay as long as yous want to and I can keep yous.1 We'uns all stayed till ne died, fbout a year after dat. "When he was ardyin1, marster calls me to his bed and says, fMy dyin1 reques1 is dat yous be taken to your mama.f He calls his son, Zeke, in and tells him dat I should be fotched to my mamma. And 'bout in a year, Marster Zeke fetches me to my mamma, in Johnson Station, south of Arlington. She's wo'kin'for Jack Ditto and I's pleased to see her. -3- .28 Ex-slave Stories Page Four (Texas) VM Page Pour pleased to see my manoy, but after a few days I wants to go bade to Marshall with Marster Zeke. Dat was my home, so I kep1 pesterin1 marster to fetch me back, but he slips off and leaves me. I has to stay and I s been here ever since* "I gits my fust job with Carter Cannon, on a farm, and stays seven years. Den I goes to Port Worth and takes a job cookin1 in de Gran1 Hotel for three years* Den I goes to Dallas and cooks for private families, and wofks for Marster James Ellison for 30 years. I stops four years ago and comes out here to wait till de good Lawd calls me home. "Bout git tin1 married, after I quits de Gran1 Hotel I marries and we'uns has two chillen. My wife died three years later, "You knows, I believes I's mo* contented as a slave. kind all de time and had no frettin1 f I's treated bout how I gwine git on. been free, I sometimes have heaps of frettin1. Since Ifs (Bourse, I don9 want to go back into slaveryf but Ifs paid for my freedom* "VB never been sick abed, but Ifs had mo' misery dis las1 year dan all ay life. It's my heart. If I live till December, 1*11 be 102 years old, and diB ole heart have been pumpin1 and pump in1 all dem years and have missed nary a beat till dis las1 year. I knows ftwon't be long till de good Lawd calls dis ole nigger to cross de Ribber Jordan and I!s ready for de Lawd when he calls. **$**+***+**? 129 420082 FX.SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One FELIX HATWOOD is a temperamental and whimsical old Negro of San Antonio, Texas, who still sees the sunny side of his 92 years, in spite of his total blindness. He was born and bred a slave in St* Hedwig, Bexar Co. f Texas, the son ef slave parents bought in Missisippi by his master, William Gudlow.^ Before and during the Civil War he was a sheep herder and cowpuncher. His autobiography is a colorful contribution, showing the philosophical attitude of the slaves, as well as shedding some light upon the lives of slave owners whose support of the Confederacy was not accompanied by violent hatred of the Union. /^ ^ QU. ^ <&> *Yesf sir, Ifm Felix Hsywood, and I can answer all those things that you want to know. But, first, let me ask you this: Is you all a white man, or is you a black iaan?w wIfm black, blacker than you are w said the caller. t The eyes of the old blind Negro, - eyes like two murkey brown marbles - actually twinkled. \MNo, you ain't. the path and speaks. Then he laughed: I knowed you was white man when you comes up I jus1 always asks that question for fun. It makes white men a little insulted when you dont know they is white, and it makes niggers all conceited up when you think maybe they is white." And there was the key note to the old Negro1 s character and tttperament. He was making a sort of privileged game with a sportive twist out of his handicap of blindness. As the interviewer scribbled down a note, the door to the little shanty en Arabella Alley opened and a backless chair was carried out on the perch by a vigorous eld colored woman. -1- She was Mrs. Ella Thompson, 130 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two Felix1 youngest sister, who had known only seven years of slavery. a timid How-do-you-do M ^,0. -lol After and a comment on the great heat of the ^une day, she went "back in the house. Then the old Negro began searching his 92 years of reminiscences, intermixing his findings with philosophy, poetry and prognostications. "Itfs a funny thing how folks always want to know about the War. The war werenft so great as folks suppose. it was goin1 on. Sometimes you didnft knowed It was the endin* of it that made the difference. when we all wakes up that somethin1 had happened. goin1 en in it all the time, ^very day and we knowed. Thatfs Oh* we knowed what was f cause eld man Gudlow went to the post office We had papers in them days jus1 like now. w But the War didnH change nothin1. We saw guns and we saw soldiers, and one member of master's family, Colmin G-udlew, was gone fightin1 - somewhere. But he didnft get shot no place but one Then there was neighbors went off to fight* They was took away( conscript ion). - that was in the big toe. Some of fem didnU wafc to go. Ifm thinkin1 lots of 'em pretended to want to go as soon as they had to go. "The ranch went on jus1 like it always had before the war. Church went on. Old Mow Johnson, the preacher, seen to it church went on. kids didn't know War was happening The They played marbles, see-saw and rode. I had eld Buster, a ex, and he took me about plenty good as a horse. Nothin1 was different. We get layed-ente(whipped) time on time, but gen1 rally life was good just as good as a sweet potato. a black spider bit me en the ear. The only misery I had was when It swelled up my head ana stuff came out. I was plenty side and Dr. Brennen, ne took good care 01 iae. always took good care of people wnen tney was SICK. -a- 1'xie waives Hospitals couiouU do Ex-slave Series (Texas) Page Three no better for yeu toaay.... Yes* maybe it was a black wiaow spiaer, ou& we called it tne devil oiter1, "Sometimes someone would come 4l<*ii and try to get us to run up North and be free. We used to laugh at that. North. Tnere wasnU no reason to run up All we had to do was to walk, but walk South, axaa we d be free as soon as we crossed tne Rio Grande. In Mexico you could be free, care wnat color you was, biacic, w^:uef yellow or oiue. did go to Mexico and got on all rignt. was goin* to be Mexicans, Tney didn't Hundreds 01 slaves We wouia near aoout ^m ana how tney i'uey orougnt up uaeir cnilaren to spea only Mex- ican. M Me aau my fatner ana five Dresners ana sisters were&'t gein1 vo Mexico. I went tnere after tne war for a wnile and tnen I looked round and decided to get "back. So I comeback to San Antonio and I got a job through Colonel Breckenridge with the waterworks. I was handling pipes. My foreman was Tom Flanigan he oust have "been a full-blooded FrenchraanJ w But what I waAt to say isf we didn't have no idea of runnin1 and escapin1. We was happy. We got our lickings, but just the same we got our fill of biscuits every time the white folks bad 'em. to lack food. Nobody knew now it was I tell my chillen we didn't know no more about pants than a hawg knows about heaven; but I tells fem that to make !em laugh. We had all the clothes we wanted and if you wanted shoes bad enough you got fem shoes with a "brass square toe. was shirtsj And shirt si Mister, them was shirts that If someone gets caught by his shirt on a limb of a tree, he had to di# there if he weren't cut down. buckskin* 3 Them shirts wouldn't rip no mere'n A 043 XO<3 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Four -*or* loJ "The end of the war, it come jus* like that like you znsp your fingers." "How did you know the end of the war had come?" asked the interviewer. "How did we know it? Hallelujah broke out "fAbe Lincoln freed the nigger With the gun and the trigger; And I ainft goin1 to get wnipped any more. I got my ticket, leavin4 tne thicket, And I'm a-neadin1 for the Golden Shore!1 wSoldiers, all or a sudden was everywhere comin1 in bunches, f crossin1 and walkin1 and ridin1. walkin1 on gelder^clouds* Everyone was a-singin1. We was all Hellejujahl " Union forever, Hurrah, boys, hurrah! Although I may be poor, I111 never be a slave Shoucin* the battle cry of freedom.1 "Everybody went wild. us that way but ourselves. We all felt like heroes and nobody had made Wo was free. Just like that, we was free. didnft seem to make the whites mad, eitner. rood justi tiiO same. started on the move* Tney went rignt on giving us JNooeay took our homes away, but right off colored folks They seemed to want to get closer to freedom, so they'd know what it was like it was a place or a city* stuck close as a lean tick to a sick kitten. a ranch. It Me and my father stuck, Tne Qudlows started us out on My father, he*d round up cattle, unbranded cattle, for the whites. They was cattle that tney belonged to, all right; they had. gone to find water flong the San Antonio River and the Guadalupe* me and my fatner some cattle for our own. Then the whites gave My father had his own brand, 7 B ), and we had a herd to start out with of seventy. Ex-slave Stories (Texas) 11 page g nve We knowed freedom was on usf but we didn't know what was to come with it. We thought we was go in1 to get rich like the white folks. We thought we was gain1 to be richer than the white folks,'cause we was stronger and knowed how to work, and the whites didnft and they didnft have us to work for them anymore. But it didn't turn out that way, yf one of tne colored boysf joined the North and was a mail messenger boy and he had his horse snot out from under him. But I guess Its a good thing we was freed, after all* ********++ 4:20007 E3USLAVE STOEISS (Texas) Page One ALBERT HILL, 81 f was horn a slave of Carter Hill, who owned a plantation and about 50 slaves, in Walton Co*, Georgia* Albert remained on the Hill place until he was 21, when he went to Robinson Co., Texas. He now lives at 1305 E. 12th St,f?ort Worth, Texas, in a well-kept five-room house, on a slope above the Trinity Eiver, M I was born on Mass a Carter Hillfs plantation, in Georgia, and ay name am Albert Hill. My papa's name was Dill ion, 'cause he taken dat name from he owner, Mass a Ton Dill ion. He owned de plan- tation next to Massa Hill's, and he owned my mammy and us 13 chillen* I don't know how old I is, but I 'members de start of de war, and I was a sizeable chile den. "De plantation wasn't so big and wasn't so small, jus9 fair size, but it am fixed first class and everything am good. We has good quarters made out of logs and lots of tables and benches, what was made of split logs. We has de rations and massa give plenty of de cornmeal and beans and 'lasses and honey. once in a while we gits coffee. hang meatl Sometimes we has tea, and And does we have de tasty and tender I9& like to see some of dat hawg meat now, "Massa am good but he don't 'low de parties. But we kin go to Massa Dill ion's place next to us and dey has lots of parties and de dances. We dances near all night Saturday night, hut we has to stay way in de back where de white folks can't hear us. Sometimes we has de fiddle and de banjo and does we cut dat chicken wing and de shuffle! -1- We she1 does. 137 Bx-slave Stories (fexas) Page Ewo A * oJ MI dniT de ox and drivin1 dat ox an agitation wo A in de stumer t time when it am hot, 'cause dey runs for water every tine. trouble I ever has is with one hose. Bat de worst I fotches de dinner to de workers out in de field and I use dat hoes, hitched to de two-wheel carte am halfway and dat hoss stop. One day hia He look back at ne, arroilin' de eyet and I knows what dat mean - 'Here I stayst nigger.* But I heered to tie de rope on de balky hosses tail and run it twixt he legs and tie to de shaft. dat and puts some cuckleburrs on de rope, too. Den I tech hia with de whip and he gives de rear backwards. Bat he best rear. When he do dat It pull de rope and de rope pull de tall and de burrs gits busy, Dat hoss moves for 'ard faster and harder den what he ever done 'fore, and he keep on gwine. he m trying git 'way from he tail* but de tall am too fast. right behin' him. Ben Ifs in de picklenent. I done Tou see. Course, it stay Bat hoss am runnin9 away and I can't etop hiss. Be workers lines up to stop hia but de cart give de shove and dat pull he tail and, lawdy whoo. dat hoss tfump for1 ard like de jackrabbit and go through dat line of workers. So I steers him into de fence row, and dare's no more runnin9, but an awful nix-up with de hoss and de cart and de rations. Bat hoss so sceered him have de quavers, 1 says, 'Break de balk.1 Massa say, 'What you doin'?9 Be say, 'Well, yous got everything else broke. We'll see 'bout de balk later.' Massa has de daughter, Maxy. and she want to marry Bud Jackson, but nassa am 'gainst it. Bud an gwine to de amy and dat give dis boy work, cause I de nassenger boy for hin and Missy Maay. I carry de notes. Day keeps conpany unbeknownst and I puts de paper in de hollow stump. Once I's she9 I's kotched. Dere an de nassa and he say, 9Where you been, niggerT9 e 3* I's sho' skeert and Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three I says, 'I's lookin' for de squirrels,' So mass a goes 'way and when I tells you I*s left, it ain't de proper word for to 'splain,'cause I's flew froa here.' I tells Missy Mary and she say, 'You sho' aa de Lawd's chosen nigger.' "Be 'federate soldiers coaes and dey takes de rations, but de massa has dug de pit in de pasture and buried lots of de rations, so de soldiers don't find so much. De olostest battle was Atlanta, more dan 35 aile 'way. "When de war cane over, Bud Jackson he come home. De aassa welcome hia, to de sprise of everybody, and when Bad say he want to aarry Missy Mary, aassa say, 'X guesses you has earnt her.' "When freedoa aa here, aassa call all us together and tells us 'bout de difference 'tween freedoa and hustlin' for ourselves and dependin* on someone else. Most of de slaves stays, and aassa pays then for de work, and I stays till I's 21 year old, and I gits $7.00 de month and de clothes and de house and all I kin eat. powerful sorrow. De aassa have died1 fore dat, and dere am Missy Mary and Massa Bud has de plantation den, and dey don't want me to go to Texas. But dey goes on de visit and while dey gone I takes de train for Robinson County, what aa in Texas. "I works at de pavin' work and at de hostlin' work and I works on de bosses. Den I works for de Santa Jto railroad, hand!in' freight, and I works till 'bout three year ago, when I gits too old for to work no aore. "But I tells you 'bout de visit back to de old plantation. I been gone near 40 year and I 'eides to go back, so I reaches de house and dere aa Missy Mary peel in' apples on de back gallery. She looks at me, and she say, 'I got whippin' waiting for yens, 'cause you tun off without tell in' us.' Dere wasn't no more peelin' dat day, 'cause we sits and talks 'bout dejold I ! -3- A <>0 ^^ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) time* and de old massa Page lour Dere shov an de tears in dis nigger's eyes. we talks 'bout de nigger messenger I was, and we laughs a little* long we talks a little, and laughs and cries and talks. J40 Den All day I stays 9bout two weeks and seed lots of de folks I knowed when I was youngt de white folks and de niggers, too* H f I s too old to make aqr more visits, but I would like to go back to Old Georgia once more. If Missy Mary was 'live, I'd teyf but she am dead, so I tries to wait for old Gabriel blow he horn. horn, dis nigger say. 'Louder, Gabriel, loudari9 +0*++++**++++ When he blow he 420308 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Pa-e One H&l. J RQSINA HOARD does net know just where she was born, The first thing she remembers is that she and her parents were purchased by C$1. Pratt Washington, who owned a plantation near Garfield, in Travis County, Texas. Hasina, T&L% is a very pleasant and sincere person, says she has had a tough life since she was "free. She receives a monthly pension of fourteen dollars, f$r which she expresses gratitude. Her address is 1301 Chestnut St,, Austin, Text M When Ifs a gal, I's R$sina Slaughter, "but folks call me 2ina Yesfsar It am Zina dat and Zina dis, I flieve I*s older* I says I!s born ipril 9, 1959, "but It was somewhere im Williamson County, "but I donft knew the masses name* My mammy was Lusanne Slaughter and she was stout "but in her last days she got to he a li'l hit of a woman. She died oalY last spring and she was a fauaerd eleven years old. w Papa was a Bqatist preacher to de day of he death* all his days. I He had asthma f meraber how he had de sorrel hoss and would ride off and preaeh under seme arbor buaku 1 rid with him on he hoss. H First thing I *member is us was bought by Massa Ool* Pratt Wash- ington from Massa Lank Miner. Massa Washington was purty good man. He boys, &eo> rge and Joba Henry, was de only overseers. Massa allus rid up on he hoss after dinner time. S^k Dem boys tresfc us nice. He hoss was a bay, all De fields was in de bottoms of de Colorado River* Be big house was m do hill j^d us e^iild see him eomia1. He weared a tall, beaver hat allus* ...^^.ft^^^ allus watoh for hia am dat he boy, George, try larn us mr A3 0fs im do fi$ld .}J:'J'r:- ' ' '^.,':-y'. "': De workers watoh for massa and when dey seed **1**-,\ Ex-slave Sttries (Texas) p^e tSm him a-ridia* dtwn de hill dey starts sinsin* tut, Ole hawg 'rtund de bench Ola hawg frtund de "bench.1 HDat de signal and den everybody starts werkin1 like dey have samfcftiag after den But I*s ttt ytang tt larn much in de field and I caaft read ttday pnd have tt make de crsss wh I signs ftr my name* "Each chile have he twn wttd tray. Dare was tld Aunt Alice and she done all de ctekin1 for de Chilian in de depat. Dat what dey calls de pla^e all de chillen stays till dere mammies e^me htme frtm de field. big pet tt ettk in, tut in de yard. Aant Alice have de S^me days we hod "beans and some day peas. She put great hunks tf salt baeea in de pttf and hake plenty ctrnbread, and give us plenty milk* "Same big chillen have tt pick cttt ttt. seer ftr de chillen and he sure mean tt dam. 11 Old Junus was de cullud averHe cary a stick and use itt ttt. One day de blue-bellies ccme tt de fields, tell de slaves dey free, S^me stayed and stme left. Dey Yankee sejers, and Papa tcck us and mtve tt de Crftft plaatatiaa, ntt far fway, and farm dere. H I been married three time. First tt Peter Ctllinswtrth. I quit him. See tad tt Geerge Heard. We stayed ttgedder till he die, and have five chillen. Den I marries he brtther, Jim Heard. Biueh# I tells ytu de truth, Jim aever did wtrk He'd gt fishia* and chtp wttd by de days, hut ntt many days. He suffered with de piles. I dene de htusewtrk and Ittk after de chillea and dea gt tut and pick twt huaerd ptund ctttta a day. I was a cripple since tne tf my beys birthed* m&3&'zQ I git de rheumatis* and my knees hurt st mu^ch stmetime I rub wed sand and mud an dam tt ease de pain* &'2 ^^ Ex-slave Stories (Eexas) t*> Page Three 'i &*% ^ JL "We had a house at Barton Springs with two rooms, one log and one box. I never did like it up dere and I told Jim I's gwine, I did, but he come and got me. M Simee freedom Ifs been through de toughs, I hpd to do de raanfs woik, chop down trees and plow de fields and pick eotton. I is to git say pension* old age. It is sure nice of de folks to take care of me in my Befo' I got de pension I had a hard time. through de toughs. ********* ^;1^'^ tt^li?itsiissiJI ^ I want to tell you how glad You can sho* ssjr I's been "i'Clj'^oi) EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One 144 T04A HOLLAED was "born in Walker County, Texas, and thinks he is about 97 years old. His master, Frank Holland, traded Tom to William Green just before the Civil War. After Tom was freed, he farmed both for himself and for otners in the vicinity of his old home. He now lives in Madisonville, Texas. "ivfy owner was Massa Frank Holland, and Ifs born on his place in Walker County. I had one sister named Gena and three brothers, named George and Will and Joe, but they's all dead now. Mammy1 s name was Gena and my father's named Abraham Holland and they's brun^ from North Carolina to Texas by Massa Holland when they's real young. 11 1 chopped cotton and plowed and split rails, then was a horse rider. In them days I could ride the wildest horse what ever made tracks in Texas, but I's never valued very high f cause I had a glass eye. done got it, but there it am. I donft 'member how I I'd make a dfcllar or fifty cents to ride wild horses in slavery time and massa let me keep it. I buyed tobacco and candy and if mas3a cotch me with tobacco I'd git a whippin1, but I allus slipped and bought chewin' tobacco. tt We allus had plenty to eat, sicn as it was them days, and it was good, plenty wild meat &nd. cornbread cooked in ashes. We toasted the meat on a open firef and had plenty possum and rabbit and fish* w We wore them loyal shirts open all way down the front, but I never seed shoes till long time after freedom. and wefd make warm clothes. In cold weather massa tanned lots of hides My weddin1 clothes was a white loyal shirt, never had no shoest married barefooted. ~1- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two lL<3A ~* "Uassa Frank, he one real good white nan. He was awful good to his Negroes. Missis Sally, she a plumb angel. Their three chillen stayed with rae nearly all the time, askin1 this Negro lots of questions. They didnft have so fine a house, neither, two rooms with a big hall thro ,gh and no windows and de-r skins tacked over the door to keep out rain and cold. It was covered with "boards I helped cut after I got big 'nough. H Massa Prank had cotton and corn and everything to live on, 'bout three hundred acres, and overseed it himself, and seven growed slaves and five little slaves. He allus waked us real early to be in the field when daylight come snd worked us till slap dark, but let us have a hour and a half at noon to eat and rest up. Sometimes when slaves got stubborn he'd whip them and make good Negroes out of them, 'cause he was real good to them. H I seed slaves sold and auctioned off, f cause I's put up to the highest bidder myself. Massa traded me to William Green jus' 'fore the war, for a hundred acres land at $1.00 a acre. He thought I'd never be much 'count, 'cause I had the glass eye, but I'm still livin1 and a purty fair Negro to my age. All the hollerin1 and bawlin' took place and when he sold ra ^ it took me most a year to git over it, but there I was, 'longin1 to 'nother man. 41 If we went off without a pass we allus went two at a time. when we got a chance to see young folks on some other place. We slipped off The patterrollers cotched me one night and, Lawd have mercy rae, they stretches me over a log and hits thirty-nine licks with a rawhide loaded with rock, and every time they hit me the blood and hide done fly. They drove me home to massa and told him and he called a old mammy to doctor my back, and I couldn't work for four days. That never kep1 me from slippin' off 'gain, but I's more careful the next time. ~2- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three .* ** * ^'^ ,f Wefd go and fall right in at the door of the quarters at night, so massa and the patterrSllers thinks we's real tired and let us alone and not watch us. That very night we'd "be plannin' to slip off somewher^s to see a Negro gal or our wife, or to have a "big time, special ly when the moon shine all night so we could see. It wouldn't do to have torch lights. They was 'bout all the kind of lights we had them days and if we made light, massa come to see what we're doin' , and it be jus1 too bad then for the stray Negro! "That there war brung sufferin' to lots of people and raarte a widow out of my missis, Massa William, he go and let one them Yankees git him in one of them battles and they never brung him home. Mi-sis, she gits the letter from his captain, braggin' on his bravery, but that never helped him after he was kilt in the war. She gits 'nother letter that us Negroes is free and she tells us. We had no place to go, so we starts to cry and asks her what we gwine do. we could stay and farm with her She said and work her teams and use her tools and land and pay her half of what we made, 'sides our supplie .. That's a happy bunch of Negroes when she told us this. "Late in that even in1 the Negroes in Huntsvill* starts hollerin' ftnd shoutin' and one gal was hollerin' loud and a white man coma ridin1 on a hoss and leans over and cut that gal nearly half in two and a covered wagon come along and picks her up and we never heared nothin1 more, W T married Imogene, a homely weddin1 'fore the war. to-do at our weddin'. We didn't have much I asks missis if I could have Imogene and she says yes aid that's all they was to our weddin'. iVe had three boys and three gals, and Imogene died 'bout twenty years ago and I been livin' with one child and 'nother, -3- I gits Ex-slave Stories (Texas ) Page Four & little pension from the gov'm^nt and does sranll jobs round for the white people. u l 'li^ve they ought to have gived us some thin1 when we* was freed, out thev turned us out to graze or starve. Negroes slam loose. Most of the white people turned the We stayed a year with missis and then she married and her husband h*d his own workers pnd told us to git out. We worked for twenty nnd thirty ceiius a day then, and I finfly got a place with Dr. L.J.Conroe. But after the war the Negro had a hard struggle, 'cause he was turned loose jus' like he caiae into the world and no education or 'sperience. 11 If the Negro wanted to vote the Klu Kluxes was right there to keep him from votin'. Negroes was 'fraid to git out and try to 'xert they freedom. They'd ride up by a Negro pnd shoot him jus* like a wild hnwg and never a word said or done 'bout it, M Ifs farmed and makin' a livin1 is 'bout all. I come over here in Madison County and rents from 3. :?. Young, clost ot Midway and gits me a few cows. I been right round h^re ever since. I li^^s round with my chillen now, 'cause I's git tin1 too old to work. "This youngs bunch of Negroes is all right some w.'-ys, but the^ won't tell the truth. They isn't raised like the white folks raised us. tell the truth our massa'd tear us all to pieces. If we didn't Of course, they is educated now and can get 'most any kind of workf some of them, what we couldn't. ******* JL-ST 42(H) :J2 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One ELIZA HOLMAN, 82, w^s horn a slave of the Rev. John Applewhite, near Clinton, Mississippi. In 1861 they came to Texas, settling near Decatur. Elizo now lives at 2507 Clinton Ave. t Fort Worth, Texas, H T&lk fbout de past from de time I members till now, slave days and all? Dat not so hard. em different. I knows what de past am, hut what to come, dat Dey says, 'Let de past be de guide for de future,f but if you donft know de future road, hows you gwine guide? Ifs sho1 glsd to tell you all I * members, but dat am a long fmemberance. 11 1 know I*s past 80, for sho1, and maybe more, cause I*s old *nough to fmember befo* de war starts. I 'members when de mass move to Texas by de ox team and dat am some trip! Dey loads de wagon till dere ain*t no more room and den sticks wefuns in, and we walks some of de time, too* M My massa am a preacherman and have jus1 three slaves, me and pappy and mammy. She am cook and housekeeper and I helps her. hand and de coachman, and everything else what am needed. Pappy am de field We have a nice, two- room log house to live in and it am better den what mosf slaves have, with de wood floor and real windows with glass in dem. "Massa am good but he am strict. wants you to do somethin1. He don11 have to say much when he Dere am no honey words round de house from him, but when him am preachin1 in de church, him am different. den. He am honey man Massa could tell de right way in de church but it am hard for him to act it at home. He makes us go to church every Sunday. ~1- A48 storleB Two S r ^ w But Ifs tell in1 you hour we'uns come to Texs.s. 149 De me&Ls am cook hy de campfire and after breakfast we starts and it am hump, humpt bump all day long. It am rocks and holes and mudholes, and it am streams and rivers to cross. We'uns cross one river, musta "been de Mississippi, end drives on a hig bridge and day floats dat bridge right 'cross dat river. M Massa and missus argues all de way to Texas. skeert mos' de time arid he allus say de Lawd take care of us. Lawd am a-guidin' us*! to start.1 He say, 'De She say, 'It am fools guidin1 and a fool move for Dat de way dey talks all de way. 'twas a argument 'gain. She am And when we gits in de mudhole She say, 'Dis am some more of your Lawd's calls.1 He say, fHushf hush, woman. Yous gittin1 sacfligious. So we has to walk two mile for a man to git his yoke of oxen to pull us out dat mudhole, and when we out, massa say, 'Thank de lawd.' And missus say, 'Thank de mens and de oxen.* "Den one day wefuns camps under a big tree and when we'uns woke in de mornin' dere am worms and worms and worms. dat tree. Man, man, dat sm a mess. Millions of dem come off Massa say dey army worms mid missus say, Way for dey not in de anay den?' "After we been in Texas 'hout a year, missy Mary gits married to John Olham. Missy Mary am massa1 s daughter. After dat I lives with her and Massa John and den hell start pqppin' for dis nigger. Missy Mary am good but Massa Joha am de devil. Dat man sho' am cruel, he works me to death and whups me for de leas' thing* My pappy say to me, 'You should 'come a runaway nigger.f He ru&s 'way hisself and dat de las' time we hears of him. ~3~ Ex~slave Stories (Texas) Page Three "When surrender come I has to stay on with Massa 01hamt fcause I has no place to ro and Ifs too young to know how to do for myself, I stays fbout till Ifs 16 year old and den I hunts some place to work snd gits it in Jacksboro and stays dere sev'ral years, I quits when I gits married and dat "bout nine year after de war end, "I marries Dick Hines at Silver Creek and he am a farmer and a conHe worked jus1 ^s hard at his contrariness as him did at his faxmin1. trary man. Mercy, how distressin1 and worryment am life with dat nigger 1 stand it no longer dan five year till I tooks my getaway, marries Sam Walker what worked for cattlement "bout 20 year ago* he died in 1930. I couldn't De nex1 year I here in Fort Worth and he died Den ftwas '"bout 13 year ago I marries Jack Holman and I's she1 try dis marrin1 "business hut I ain*t gwine try it no moref no, suh. Ht Twixt all dem husbands and workin1 for de white folks I gits 'long, "but Ifs old and de last few years I canft work, from de State and dat's what I lives on. more, Dey pays me $12*00 de month Shucks, Ifs not worth nothin' no I jus1 sets and sets and thinks of de old days and my mammy. make me sad, All dat 1*11 tell you one dem songs what 'spresses my feelin's 'zactly. w f I s am climb in1 Jacob's ladder, ladder, I1 s am climbin' Jacob1 s ladder, ladder, Soldier of de cros*; 0-h-h-h! Rise an& shine, Give Gawd de glory, gloiy, glory, In de year of Jubilee. I wants to climb up Jacob's ladder, ladder, Jacob's ladder, till I gits in de new Jerusalem. M Dat jus1 how I feels/ ****** A KS\ 420113 E3USLATE STORIES (Texas) Page One ! ^v1 1 JL IABNGB HOLT, 79, was barn near Weodville, ia Tyler County, Texas* a elaYe af William Halt. He new lives ia Beaunont, Texas* "I's jus9 small fry when freedom come, ' cause I's barn in 1858. Bill Holt was ay m&ssa's name, dat why dey calls me Larnce Halt. My maasa, he come from Alabama but my mammy and daddy born in Texas. Mammy named Hannah and daddy Elbert. de white folks but daddy9 he da shoemaker, Manny cooked for Dat consider1 a fine jab an de plantation, cause he make all de shoes de white falks uaaa far everyday and all da cullud people shoes. Every time day kill da beef day aawe de hide far leather and day put it ia da treugfc call de tan vat, with de^ak bark and ether thingst and leave 'em dera leng time. Sat change de raw hide ta leather. When de shoe dane us black dam with soot9 cause us hare ta do dat or wear , am red. I'm de little tike what help my daddy put an de soot. "Mass* have de big plantation and I 'member de big log house. It have da gallery an both sides and day* a de long hall down de center. De dogs and sometimes a possum used to run through de hall at night. De hall was big 'nought to dance in and I plays de fiddle. "My mammy have four boys, call 3b and Ander and Tobe. My big brother 2b he tote so many buckets of water to de hands in de field ha ware all de hair affen de tap he head. -1- 3ix sl rs Stories Pago Two A ^Q JLU Page Two ^ (T^as) tf I be so glad when Christmas come, when X*s lifl. Down in de quarter aa ^iang up stocking and us hare plenty homemake ginger cake and candy make eut of sugar and maybe a apple. One Christmass I real small and my mammy buy me a suit of clothes in de store* in it. I so proud of it I ffraid to sit down , Terial8 in dem day was strong and last a long time. git de first pair shoes from a store. I thought dejrfs gold. One time I My daddy bought dem for me and dey have a brace in de toe and was natfral black, *$hem freedom come us family breaks up. see my mammy ge9 so us stay. Old missy can11 bear Dey give my daddy a place on credlck and he start farm and dey even 'low him hosses and mule and other things he need. My aassa good to do niggers. I stays with my mammy till she die when I ten year old and den my brother Xb he take me and raise mo till I sixteen. Den I go off for myself. "Dem young year us have good time. I fiddle to de dancef play Git p im de Cool.1 and 'Hepus Creek and de Water.9 do dance. I have black calico panto with red ribbon up de sides and a hickory shirt. 1 Us sho1 dress up for Do gals all wears ribbons fround de waist and one like it round de head. "Us have more hard time after freedom come dan in all de other time together. Us livin1 in trouble time. log fall 'cross it when I a akin1 ties. hospital* f Bout 15 year ago I lost a leg, a big I had plenty den but it go far de A. C^ 4120120 " *~ * EJUSLJLVE STORIES (Texas) Page One BILL HOfcbiR, 87, was born a slave on June 17, 1850, to Mr. Jack Homer, who owned a large plantatioa aear Shreveport, Da* In l&oO .axil was given to Mr. Homer1 s daughter, who moved to Caldwell, Texas. Bill now lives at 3215 McKinley Ave.f Fort Worth, Texas. M I is 87 years old, 'cause I is born on Ju&e 1/th, in 1850t and tnat*s 'cording to de statement my missy give me. on Mass a Jack Homer4 s plantation, close to Shreveport. mammy ana my pappy and l oout 100 otner slaves, I was "born Ei?n owned my him^s plantation was I don!t know how many acres him have, "but it was miles long. a big un. Dere was so many buildings and sneds on dat plajce it was r small town. De massa's house was a big two-story building and dere was ae spinnm' nouse, de smoicehause, de blacksmitu snop and a nursery ior de cullud cnilleus ana a lot oi sneds and sich. In de aigger quarters dere was 50 one-room cabins and dey was ten in a row mid dettS WAS five rows* 11 De caoins was built of logs and nad dirt floors and a hoi. wnar a window should be and a stone fireplace ior de cookin1 and de neat* Dere was a cooknouse for de big nouse and all de cookin' for de white folks was 'tended to by four cooks. */a has lots of food, too - cornmeal &n' F 9 1937 EX-SLAVS AUTOBIOGRAPHY ALICE HOUSTON, pioneer nurse and midwife on whom many San Angeloana have relied for years, was born October 2a, 1859 She was a slave of judge 2Fim Watxins on his small plantation in Hays county, near san Marcos, Texas and served as house girl to her mistress, Mrs* lillie watxins for many years after the Civil war. At Mr a. Watxins* death she came with her husband, Jim Houston, to San Angelo, Texas where she has continued her servioes as nurse to white families to the present time* Alice relatea her slave day experiences as follows: I waa Jaa a little chile when dat civil war broke oat and I's had de bes* white folks in de world* My ola Page two mistress she train me for her house girl and nurse maid. Dat's whar l*s gits so many good ideas fer nursin'* "My mother's name was !,:ariah watkins anT my father was named Henry watkins. He would go out in de woods on sat'day nights and ketch 'possums and bring dem home and hake *em wid taters. we had* Dat was de best eatin1 course we had good food all de time but we jes1 like dat 'possum best* "My marster, he only have four families and he had a big garden fer all of us. We had our huts at de back of de farm* Dey was made out of logs and de cracks daubbed up wid mud. Dey was clean and comfortable though, and we had good beds* "When we was 3es' little kids ole marster he ketch us a stealin' watermelons and he say, 'Git. aitI Gitl And when we runs and stoops over to orawl through de crack of de fenoe he sho' give us a big spank. Den. we runs off cryin' and lookin' back like* 01e marster, he had lots of hogs and cows and ohiokens and I can jes' taste dat clabber milk now. Ole t>an fall miss, she have a big dish/of olabber and she tells de girl to set dat down out in de yard and she say, 'Give all dem ohillun a spoon now and let dem eat dat*' when we all git 'round dat pan we sho would liok dat olabber up. "We had straight slips made out of white lowell what was wove en dat ole spinnin' wheel* Den dey make 3eans for da men's breeches and dye it wid copperas and some of de page three - '1M lol cloth dey dye wid sumao berries and hit was sho' party too* n 0le miss, she make soda out of a certain kind of v/eed and dey makes coffee out of dried sweet taters. "My marster he didn1 have no over-seer. slaves had to be treated right. He say his lie never 'lowed none of his slaves to be sold 'way from their folks. i s nev'r, nev'r seen any slaves in chains but, i s hear talk of dem chains. "My white folks, dey tries to teach us to read and spell and write some and after ole marster move into town he lets as go to a real school. That s how come I can read so many docto' books you see. R We goes to church wid.our white folks at dem camp meet in* s and oh Lawdyl Yes, mam, we all sho' did shout. Sometimes we ^ined de church too. "We washed our clothes on Sat'day and canoed dat night. ""On Christmas and i~ew Year we would have all de good things old marster and ole missus had and when any of de white folks marry or die dey sho' carry on big. v/eddin's and funerals, dem was de biggest times. "When we gits sick, ole marster he have de docto' right now* He sho'Was good 'bout dat. Ole miss she make us v/ear a piece of lead 'round oar necks fer de malaria and to keeps our nose from bleedin1 and all of us wore some asafoetlda 'round our necks to keep off contagion. "When de war close ole marster calls up all ue slaves and he say, You's all free people now, ^es same as I is, and you oan go or stay,* and we all wants to stay 'cause page four wasn't nottiin' we knowed how to do only what ole marster tells us. He say he ^et us work oe land and give us half of what we wake, and we all stayed on several years until ue died. We stayed with Hiss VJatkins, and here I is an ole nigga, still adoin' good in die world, a-tellin' de white folks how to take care of de Chilians \1fip 420.'>?1 22USLAVE STOEISS (Texas) Page One JOSEPHINE HOffABD was born in slaveiy on the Walton plantation near Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She does not know her agef but when Mr. Walton moved to Texas, before the Civil War, she was old enough to work in the fields. Josephine is blind and very feeble. She lives with a daughter at 1520 Arthur St., Houston, Texas. "Lawd have mercy, I been here a thousand year, seems like. 'Course I ain't been here so long, but it seems like it when I gits to thinkin1 back. It was long time since I was born, long ffore de war. Mammy1 s name was Leonora and she was cook for Marse Tim Walton what had de plantation at Tuscaloasa. Dat am in Alabamy. Papafs name was Joe Tatum Course, papa and mamy wasnft and he lived on de place 'jinin' ourn# married like folks now, 'cause dem times de white folks jesf pr slave men and women together like hosses or cattle. *Dey allus done tell us it am wrong to lie and steal, but why did de white folks steal my mammy and her mammy? Dey lives clost to some water, somewheres over in Afficy, and de man come in a little boat to de sho' and tell dem he got presents on de big boat. Most de men aa out huntin1 and my mammy and her manmy gits took out to dat big boat and dey locks dem in a black hole what maniay say so black you can't see nothin'. Dat de sinfulles1 stealin1 dey is. M De captain keep dem locked in dat black hole till dat boat gits to Mobile and dey is put on de block and sold. Mammy is *bout twelve year old and dey am sold to Marse Tim, but grandma dies, in a month and dey puts her in de slave graveyard* ~**1~ Ex~slave Stories (Texas) Page Two ' *TftA AQ * "Mammy am nuss gal till she git older and den cook, and den old Marse Tim puts her and papa together and she has eight chillen. Marse Tim warnft no worser dan other white folks. whip us, with de reason and without de reason. I reckon De nigger driver shof You never tax owed. If dey done took de notion dey jes! lays it on you and you can't do nothin'. "One mornin1 we is all herded up and mammy am cryin' and say dey gwine to Texas, but can't take papa. time we ever seed papa. He don't 'long to den. Dat de lastec' Us and de women am put in wagons but de men slaves am chained together and has to walk. "Marse Tim done git a big farm up by Marshall but only live a year dere and his boys run de place, Dey jes' like day papa, ^work us and work us. Lawd have mercy, I hear dat call in de raornin' like it jes' jesterday, f All right, everybody out, and you better git out if fen you don't want to feel dat bullwhip 'cross you back,f "My gal I lives with don't like me to talk 'bout dem times. She say it ain't no more and it ain!t good to think 'bout it. But when you has live in slave times you ain't gwine forgit dem, no, suh! I's old and blind and no 'count, but I's alive, but in slave times I'd be dead long time ago, 'cause white folks didn't have no use for old niggers and git shet of dem one way or t'other. "It ain't till de sojers comes we is free. pickin', so ay folks and some more stays. Dey wants us to git in de Dey didn't know no place to go to. Mammy done took sick and die and I hires out to cook for Missy Howard, and marries her coachman, what am Woodson Howard, We farms and comes to Houston Ex-slave Stories (Texas) nigh sixty year ngo. 1 Page Three Dey has mule cars den, 'foodson gits a jo| dra^in1 and fore he dies we raises three hoys and seven gals, hut all de d now, f cept two gals am Dey takes care of me, and dat all I know fhout myself. ****** , . , 16S JBX^SLATS ST0RI3S (Texas) Page One LIZZIE HUGHES, blind Negress of Harrison County, Texas, was born on Christmas Day, 1848, a slave of Dr. Newton Fall, near Nr.cog~ doches. Lizzie married when she was eighteen and has lived near Marshall since that time. She is cared for by a married daughter, who live on Lizzie*s fsxm. n Uy name sr.:i Lizzie Fall Hughes. I was borned on Christmas at Chireno, 'twen old Nacogdoches town and Sgn Augustine eighty-nine year ago in slavery time. Dat My young master give me my age on a piece of paper when I married but the rats cut it up. "I flonged to Dr. Fall and old Miss Nancy, his wife* They come from Georgia. June, Papa was named Bd Wilson Fall and mammy was Dr* Newton Fall had a big place at Chireno and a hundred slaves. They lived in lifl houses round the edge of the field. We had everything we needed. printer. Dr. Newton run a store and was a big He had a printin1 house at Chireno and fnother in Calif- ornia, *The land was red and they worked them big Missouri mules and sho1 raised something they was plenty wild game* but tell him not to whip. Master had fifty head of cows, too, and When master wa$" bne he had a overseer, He didnU *lieve in rushin1 his niggers. All the white folks at Chireno was good to they niggers. On Saturday night master give all the men a jug of syrup *md a sack of flour and auhan or aiddlin1 and the smokehouse was allus full of beef and pork* We had a gooCT;ime on that place and the niggers^was happy* I Member the men gd out in the Biomin1, singin1 s / 1^8 Page Two Ex-slave S*ori * (Texas) M *I went to the barn with a shininff bright moon, I went to the wood a-huntin! a coon. The coon spied me from a sugar maple tree, Down went mr gun and up the tree went me. Nigger and co^n come turablin* down, Give the hide to master to take off to town, That coon was full of good old fat, And master brung me a new beaver hat,1 "Part of fnother song go like this: H 'Master say, you breath smell of brandy, Nigger say, no, Ils lick 'lasses candy*1 HWhen old master come to the let and hear the men singin* like that, he say, f Them boys is lively this mornin1, I's gwine git a big day's plowin1 done. They did, too, 'cause them big Missouri mules sho1 tore up that red land. Sometime they sing: " This ain't Christmas mornin1 , just a long summer day, Hurry upt yellow boy and don't run fwayf Grass in the cotton and weeds in the cornt Set in the field, f cause it soon be morn.1 "At night when the hands come in they didn't do nothin' but eat and cut up round the quarters. They'd have a big bail in a big barn there on the place and sixty and seventy on the floor at once, singin*: t,f Juba Juba Juba Hold this and Juba that, killed a yaller cat. this and Juba that, you partner where you at.' tt The whites preached to the niggers and the niggers preached to they- selves. Genfiaan sho! could preach good them times; everybody cried, they preached so good. I1s a mourner when I git free. M I's big *nough to work round the house when war starts, but not big 'nough to be study in' 'bout aarryin'. -3i& I*s sho' sorry when we's sot free. 167 Ex-slave Stories ((Texas) Page Three Old master didnH tell his niggers they free. He didn't want them to go. On a day he1 s gone, two white men come and showed us a pi*ce of paoer and say we's free now. One them men was a big mill man and told mama he*ll give her $12.00 a month f>nd feed her seven ll1! niggers if she go cook far his millhands. Papa done die in slavesy,. so mama goes with the man. I xun off and hid under the house. I wouldnH leave till I seed master. When he come home he sayf 'Lizzief why didnU you go?1 I say, 'I donft want to l*ave my preserves and light bread.1 H He let me stay. Then I gits me a lifl man. I works round the house. when I married. He works for master in the store and Master give me two dresses and a pair of shoes We lived with him n year or two and then come to Marshall. My husband worked on public work and I kept house for white folks and we saved our money and buyed this li!l farm. My man's dead fourteen years now and my gal and her husband keeps the farm goin1. "Me and my man didnft have nothin* when we left Nacogdoches, but we works hard and saves our money and bayed this farm. young niggers don1t try to 'cumulate nothin'. ******* It 1psar like these -ff^C " X 420226 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One A lo9 MQSE HDESEY believes he is about eighty-tw$ years aid. He wwas born in slavery an a plantation in Louisiana, and was brought tn Texas by his parents after they were freed. M< se has been a preacher niost sf his life, and now believes he is appointed by G$d to be "Head Prophet of the World." He lives with his daughter at 1120 Tenth St., Dallas, Texas. "I was born somewhere in Louisiana, but can't rec'lect the plp.ee exact, * cause I was such a little chap when we left there. But I beared my mother and father say they bel onged to Marse Morris, a fine gentleraon, with everything fine. County, in Texas. He sold them t M^rse Jim B lin , *f Red River So they changes their name from liorris ts Baling, Liza Baling and Charlie Baling,they was. Marse Baling didn't buy ray brother and sister, so that ras de me the olderest rl '*' page Two JL "All week the niggers worked plant in1 and hoein' and carin1 for the livestiek. They raised cotton and corn and veg1tables, and mules and horses and hawgs ond sheep. On Sundays they had iaeetin1, sometimes at our house, sometimes at 'nother house. and sing shout, too. Right fine raeetin's, too. They'd preach and pray I heared them git up with a. powerful force of the spirit, olappin' they hpnds and walkin1 round the pl^ce. gat the glory. 1 I gat that old time 'ligicn in my heart.1 figurations f the spirit in them days. They'd shout, f I I seen some powerful Uncle Billy preached to us and he was right good at pre^chim* and nat1 rally a. good maja, anyways, Vfe'd sing: "'Sisters, won't you help me hear my cross, Help me bear ray cross, I been done wear my cross. I been done with all things here, 'Cause I reach over Ziom's Hill. Sisters, on't you please help bear ny cross, Up over Zion's hill? f * I seed a smart number of wagons and mules a~"passin' along and serae camp along the woods by our place. with Visions and livestock. I heared they was a war and folks was goin! I wasn't much biggerfn a raimute and I was seared clean to my wits. "Then they's a time when paw says we'll be a-searehim' a place to stsy and work on a p^r wsy* They was a consider1 ble many niggers left the B^liags. The day we went away, which was 'cause 'twas the breafcin1 up of slavery, we went in the wagon, out the carriage gate in front the Boling's plate. was leavin', Mr. Baling called me ard give me a cup sweet coffee. As we He thought corns id* ble pleaty of me. ^We went to a plate called Maatua, or somethin' like that. My paw says he'll make a niaa of ae, amd he puts me to breakin' ground and choppim' wood. ... **3**- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Them was bad times Ps#e Thsee ^ J-Tlt Money was searce and mir f^edim1 was pore. "My paw died and mow and me and the children, Nanoy and Margina ^nd Jessie and George, moves to & little place right outside Sherman. in washin1 and iranin1. Maw t^ok I went one week to sehool end the teacher said I learned fastest of snj boy she ever see. She was a niee, white lady. Maw took me out of sah$ l !cause she needed me at home to tend the sther ehildren, so's she o^uld work, I h?d a powerful yearnin1 to read and. write, and I studied out'n my books by myself and my friends helped me with the ciphering M I did whatever work I oould find to do, but my ra#w said I was a different mood to the "other ohildrea. turn of mind. I was allus of a'ligious and serious I was baptised when I was fifteen and then when I was about twenty-five I heared a elear aLl to preaeh the Gospel-word, preaohin1 the word of Gawd. I went to I got married and raised a family of children, and I farmed md pre ashed, H I was just a preaeher till about thirty years ago, and then Gawd started matin1 a prophet out of me. to the World. They is lesser prophets, but I is the main one. great prophet by fa^tia' and pr&vin'. Fridays. Tec* ay I am Mose Hursey, Head Prophet I fast Mondays and Wednesdays and I know Gawd is feedim1 the people through me. and he speaks to me. I become a I see him in visions la 1936 I saw him at Commerce and Jefferson Streets(Dallas) and he had a great banner, saying *J11 needs a pension.* In August this year I had a great vision of war in the eastern oorner of the world. I seen miles of aea marohia1 and big guns and trenches filled with dead men. Gawd tells me to tell the people to be prepared* 'tease th$ tides of war is rollin1 this way, mamd all the thousands of ail lions of dollars they spend agin it i&a't goia1 to lllfe^ M^^^MM^M4d he tells de people dat I'm a pat'otic nigger. dey all eats u* niggers gits to eat. Dat After ?or once, I gits plenty pie and cake. Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Four "Us never have much joyments in slave time. . Xf5 Only when de corn ready for buskin1 all de neighbors comes dere and a whole big crowd am a-huskin1 and singin' . I can't tmember dem songs, 'cause I'm not much for singin1. One go like dis: " fFull de husk, "break de ear; Whoa, I's got de red ear here.' "When you finds de red ear, dat 'titles you to de prize, like kissin1 de gal or de drink of "brandy'or somethin'. Dey not 'nough red ears to suit us. "I'm thirteen year when surrender come. othor massas done. Msssa don't call us to him like Him jus' go 'mongst de folks and say, 'Well, folks, yous am free now and no longer my prop'ty, and yous 'titled to pay for work. I 'member old Jerry sings, 'free, free as de:jaybird, free to flew like de jaybird. Whew! ' "Some de culludfolks stays and some goes. de land on shares. Mostest dem stays and works I stays till 1% eighteen year and den I works for a farmer den for a blacksmith den some carpenter work and some railroadin'. fact am, I works at anything I could find to does. De I does dat most my life, "It good for me to stay with Massa Hurt after freedom, 'cause den dey plenty trouble in every place. folks over votin' and sich. Dere am fight in' 'twixt white and cullud Dey try 'lect my brudder to Congress one time, but he not 'lect, 'cause de white man what am runnin' 'gainst him gits a cullud preacher to run f gainst dem both. Dat split de cullud vdfctes and de white.man am 'lect. I votes like de white man say, couple times, but tat I steps votim1. It ain't right for me to vote 'less I knows how and why. I larns to read and den starts votin 'gain. after Ex-slave Stories (Texas) 11 Page Five jx <**<(?> i-^O After de war de Ku Klux pra org'nize and dey makes de niggers plenty trouble. Sometimes de niggers has it comin' to !em and lots of times dey am 'posed on. Dere a old; cullud man name Greorge and he don't trouble nobody, but one night de'white caps - dat what dey called - comes to George's place. Now, Greorge know of some folks what aia whupped for no-cause, so he prepare for dem white caps. ?/hen dey gits to he house George am in de loft. He tell dem he done nothin' wrong and for dem to go 'way, or he kill) dem. Dey say he gwine have a free sample of what he git if he do wrong and one dem white caps starts up de ladder to git (Jeorge and George shoot him dead. 'Nother white cap starts shootin' through de ceilin1. He can't see George but through de cracks George can see and he shoots de second feller. leaves and say dey come back. George to de law men. So dey George runs to he old massa and he takes Never nothin1 am done 'bout him killin' de white caps, 'cause dem white caps goes 'round 'busing niggers M I comes to Texas 'bout 40 year since and gits >y purty good till de depression comes, den it hard for me. My age am 'gainst me, too, and many de time I's wish for some dat old ham aoid bacon on de old plantation. "First I marries Ann Arrant, in 1898 dat was, and us have three chillen but dey all dead. Us git sep'rate in 1917 and I marries Mary Durh^B in 1921, and us still livin1 together. Us have no chillen^ Mammy have ten chillen but I'm de only one what am livin1 now, 'cause Ifm de youngest. mm* p?.;&'' 420088 EX-SLAVS STOBIBS (Texas) Page One 177 WASH IH&BAM* a 93 year old Negro, was born a slave of Capt. Jin Wall, of Eichmond, Va* His fatherf Charley Wall Ingrain, ran away and secured work in a gold mine. Later, his mother died and Capt, Wall sold Wash and his two brothers to Jim Ingram, of Carthage. Texas* When Wash*s father learned this, he overtook his sons before they reached Texas and put himself back in bondage, so he could be with his children. Wash served as water carrier for the Confederate soldiers at the battle of Mansfield. La* He now lives with friends on the Elysian Yields Road, seven miles southeast of Marshall, Texas. :xj $a w I don1 know Just how ole I is. War was over. gin!'. I was 'bout 18 when de I was bo'n on Captain Wall's place in Mchmond. Vir- Puppy's name was Charlie and mammy's name was Cafline. six sisters and two brothers and all de sisters is dead. I had I haven't heard from my brothers since Master turn us loose, a year after de war. M Pappy say dat he and mamy was sold and traded lots of times in Tirginl1. to* We always went by de name of whoever we belonged I first worked as a roustabout boy dere on Capt* Wall's place in Tirgini1* He was sho' a big mam. weighed more'n 200 pounds* lots of niggers and worked lots of land. He owned The white folks was good to us9 but Pappy was a fight in1 man and he run off sad got a job in a gold mine in Virgin!'* "After pappy run away, masaay died and den one day de overseer headed up a big bunch of us niggers and driv us to Barnum's Tradin' Ta'd -1~ Page ^0 *x-elave Stories down in Mississippi. laic stock* j^y Dat's a place where dey sold and traded Higgers jus1 I cried when Capt* Wall sold me, cause dat was one man dat sho' was good to his niggers. But he had too many slaves* "Cotton was a good price den and dem slave buyers had plenty of money. We was sold to Jim Ingrasu of Carthage* He bought a big gang of slaves and refugeed part or fem to Louisiana and part to Texas* in ox wagons. We come to Texas Wuiie we was on tne way, camped at Xeachie. Louisiana, a man come ridin* in*o camp and someone say to me, fWashf dar's your pqppy.f I didn* believe it cao.se pappy was workin in a gold mine in Virgin! ** Some of de men told pappy nis chillen is in camp and ue come and lin* me and my Den he jine Master Ingram4s slaves so ue can oe witn His cnillen. orotoers. "Master Ingram had a big plantation down near Carthage and lots of niggers. He also buyed land, cleared it and sol1 ite We had a overseer and sev'ral taskmasters. I plowed with oxen. Dey wnip de niggers for not workin1 right, or for runnin1 fway or pilferin1 roun1 master's house. woke up at four o1 clock and worked from sunup to sundown. hour for dinner. We Dey give us an Dem dat work j*oun* de nouse et at tables with plates. Dem dat work in de field was drove in from work and fed jus8 like nosses at a big, long wooden trough. Dey had to eat with a wooden spoon* De srougn and de food was clean and always plenty 01 it, and we stood up to eat. We went to bed soon after supper durin* de week for datfs fbout all we feel like doin1 after workin1 twelve hours. We slep1 in wooden bede what had corded rope mattresses* M fo uad to learn de best way we could. fcause dere was no schools. ffe nad churcn out in de woods. I didn1 see no money till after de surrender. -2- x-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three Guess we didn1 need any, f i*yL'\ cause dey give us food and clothes and tobacco. We didn1 have zo ouy notnin9 I had broadcloth clothes* a "blue jean over- coat and good shoes and boots. H De niggers had heap better tines dan now. and can't git no thin1. play ring plays. How we work all time Sat'day nignt we would have parties and dance ^id We Had de parties dere in a big double log housem Dey would give us whiskey and wine and cherry brandyt but dere wasn9 no shootin1 or gambling Dey didn1 'low it* De nen and women didn1 do like dey do now. If dey Had such carryin's on as dey do now, de white folks would have snipped fem good. I 'memoer dat war and I sees dem cannons and hears fem. water for ae soldiers what fought at de Battle of Mansfield. I toted Master Ingram had 350 slaves wfcen de war was over but he didn1 turn us loose till a year after surrender. He tolled us dat de gov'ment goin1 to give us 40 acres of land and a pair of mules, but we didn1 git notnin1. After Master Ingram turn us loose, pappy bougnt a place at De Berxy, Texas, and I live with him till after I was grown. Den I marry and move to Louisiana* I come back to Texas two years ago and lived with my friends here ever since. My wife died 18 years ago and I had a nard time fcause I don1 Have no folks, tut Ifs managed to git someone to let me work for somethin, to eat, a few clothes and a place to sleep. ******** 42004* BJUSLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One CABT3R J. JACKSON, 85, was born in Montgomery, Alabama, a slave of Parson Dick Rogers, In 1863 the Rogers family brought Carter to Texas and he worked for them as a slave until four years after emancipation. Carter was with his master's son, Dick, when he was killed at Pittsburg, Pa. Carter married and moved to Tatum in 1871. "If youfs wants to know 'bout slavery time, it was Hell. born in Montgomery, over yonder in Alabama. Ifs My pappy named Charles and come from Florida and mammy nam^d Charlotte and her from Tennessee. They was sold to Parson Rogers and brung to Alabama by him. I had seven brothers call Frank *wd Benjamin and Richardson and Anderson and Miles, Emanuel and Gill, and three sisters call Milanda, Svaline and Sallie, but I don't know if any of 'em pre livin' now. "Parson Rogers come to Texas in *63 and brung !bout 42 slaves and my first work was to tote water in the field. Parson lived in a good, big frame house, and the niggers lived in log houses what had dirt floors and chimneys, and our bunks had rope slats and grass I sho' wish I could have cotch iqyself sleepim1 on a feather mattress, bed them days. I wouldn't woke up till Kingdom Come. "We et vegetables and meat and ash cake. You could knock you mammy in the head, eat in1 that a&h cake bread. I ain't been fit since. We had hominy cooked in the fireplace in big pots that ain't bad to talk 'bout. Deer was thick them days and we sot up sharp stobs inside the pea field and them young bucks jumps over the fence and stabs themselves. That the only way to cotch them, 'cause they so wild you couldn't git a fair shot with a fifle. -1- 180 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two if 41 JLOX "Massa Kogers iiad a 300 acre plantation and 200 in cultivation &ad he had a overseer and Steve O'Neal was the nigger driver. The horn to git up blowed fbout four o'clock *nd if we didnft fall out right now, the overseer was in after us. He tied us up every which way and whip us, and at night he walk the quarters to keep us from runnin1 'round. On Sunday inornin' the overseer come f round to each nigger cabin with a big sack of shorts and give us 'aough to make bread for one day. H I used to steal some chickens, 'cause we didn't h .ve '&ough to eat, and I don1 think I done wrong, 'cause the place w^s full of 'em. We sho' earned what we et. I1 d go up to the big house to mpke fires and lots of times I seed the mantel board lined with greenbacks, 'tween mantel and wall and Ifs snitched many a $50,00 bill, but it 'federate money. "Me and four of h*r chillen standin1 by when mammy's sold for $500.00. Cryin' didn't stop fem from sellin' our mammy 'way from us. 11 1 fmember the war was tough ^nd I went 'long with young massa Dick when he went to the wpr, to wait on him. I's standin' clost by when he was kilt under a big tree in Pittsburg, and 'fore he die he ask Wes Tatum, one the neighbor boys from home, to take care of me and return me to Massa George. "I worked on for Massa Rogers four year after that, jus' like in slavery time, and one day he call us and say we can go or stay. goes with my psppy and lives with him till 1871, So I Then I marries and works on the railroad when itfs builded from Longview to Big Sandy, I works there sevfral years and I raises seven chillen* railroad I works wherever I can, on farms or in town. f bout 1872* JLfter I quits the 420092 EX-SLAVES'STGKIIS Pafie One (Texas) J1MES JACKSON, 87, was born a slave to the Alexander family,, in Caddo Parish, La* When he was about two, his master mored to Travis County, Texas. A short time later he and his two brothers were stolen and sold to Dr. Duvall, in Bastrop Co.,Texas, He worked around Austin till he A Jy married, when he moved to Taylor and then to Kaufman* In 1929 he went to Fort Worth where he has lived ever since. * *X was bo9n at Caddo Parish, dats in Louisiana, on de Doc Alexander plantation. My mother says I was bo9n on de 18th day of December, in de year of 1850. I guess datfs right, 'cause Ifs 87 years ole dis coeain9 December. "Jus1 to Texas* 9 bout dat time dey started shippin9 de darkies My marster moved to Travis County, Texas, and tuk all his slaves wid him. I was too young to 9aember, but my mother, she told me 'bout it. 11 It wasn9 long after we was on Marster Alexander's new place in Travis County, till one night a man rode up on a hoss and stole me and my two brothers and rode away wid us. Bastrcp County and sold us to Doc Duvall. He tuk us to Marster Ifcvall sold my brother right after he bought us, but me and John, we stayed wid him till de slaves was freed. M 0n Marster Duvall1s plantation de slaves all lived in log cabins back of de big house. Dey was one room, two rooms and three room cabins, dependln9 on de size of de family* dirt floors, but some of 9em had log slabs. -1- Most had Wb had dese ole wooden 9C JL Er-Slave $tcriee (Texas) Page Two beds wid a rope stretch * cross de bottom and a mattress of straw or cotton dat de niggers got in de fiel # biscuit, cornbread, meat and sich stuff. outte parch cornmeal. We had lots to eat, like Most times dey made coffee We had gardens and raised most of de stuff to eat# 11 1 herds sheep and is houseboy most of de time. was ole enough, I picks cotton. When I I was jus1 learnin1 when de slaves Ma*ster Duvall had over 500 acres in cotton and he kep1 was freed. us in de flel1 all de time, 'cept Saturday afternoon and Sunday. "Dey had meet in9 and dances Saturday nights. I was too young to member jus1 what de songs was, but dey had a fiddle and played all night long. in de evenin1. On ever1 Sunday de niggers went to Church Dey had a white preacher in de mornin1 and a cullud preacher in de evenin1. "Marster Duvall would whip de niggers who was disobedience and he jus1 call dam up and ask dem what was de trouble, den he would whip dem wid a cowhide or a rope whip. We could go oaywhere if fen we had a pass, but if we didn* de paddleroilers would ketch us They was klnda like policemen we got today. 11 In slavery, dey traded and sold niggers like dey do bosses and mules. Dey carry dem to de court house and put dem on de block and auction *em off. Some sold for roun1 $3,000. to sell one wid scars on him, 'cause nobody wanted him. come by in droves, all chained together. It was hard I seen fem l j^ s Ex-el are stories (Texas) Page Three xbr "When de slaves was free dey was she1 happy. together and had a kin1 of coloration. Dey all got Marster told dem if dey wanted to stay and help make de drop, hefd give fem 50 cents a day and a place to stay* of dea left dere. Some tuk him up on dat and stayed, but a lot Me and my "brother, we started walk In* to Austin* In Austin we finds our mother, she was working for Judge Paschal. She hires us out to one place and den another. "Since freedom I done most everything anybody could do# I been porter and waiter in hotels and rest1 rants. I been factory hand, and worked for carpenters and in de roun' house. I picked cotton and worked on de farm* "I been married 61 years. I gits married at home9 like civilise folks do. is alive today. -ziA-1 I raised a big family, 12 chillen, but only five I moved here in 1929 and looks like Vm here till I die. ********* 420188 185 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) .^ MAGGIE JACKSON was born a slav. of the Sam Oliver fanily, in Cass Co., Texas, near Douglasville. Sue is about 80 years old and her Memory is not very good, so her story gives few details. She lives with her daughter near Douglas vi lie, on highway #8. ^ ^ % "I am about 80 years old and was a chile during slavery times. My papa's name was Tom Spencer Hall and my was Margaret Hall, mama's name My brothers and sisters was Maria and Barbara and Alice and Octayia and Andrew and Thomas and Hillary and Ihigenia and Silas and Thomas. We was a big fam'ly. "My mama was Sam Oliverfs slave, but my papa lived a mile away with Masta Sam Cartow. We lived in box houses and slep9 on wood beds and we et co'nbread and peas and grits and lots of rabbits and 'possums. Mama cooked it on the fireplace. "Masta Sam's house was bi^ and had six big rooms with a c hall through the middle and the kitchen sot wajr off in the ya'd and had a big cellar under it. Masta Sam had a big orchard and put apples and pears in the cellar for the winter. My brothers use' to slip under there and steal them and mama'd whip 'em. w The big house set fmong big oak trees and the slaves houses was scattered roun9 tne back. Masta Sam had a ole cowhorn he use' to blow for the niggers to come outta the fiel'. n Mosf all us chillen wen1 fishin' on Saturday and we'd fish with pins. One day I slipped off and caught a whole string of fish. -1- Ex-slaveStories (Texas) Page Two n We learned to read and write and we wen1 to cixorch with the white folks. Masta Sam was good to us and gave us plenty food and clothes, H I never was ffraid of haints and I never see none, hut I know ssme seen 'em, "I married John Jackson in a white muslin dress and we was married "by Ban Sheraan, a cullud preacher from Jefferson, John cause I loved him and we dldn1 fuss and fight. and five grandchillen. ****** I married I has firs cnillen JLQ6 420083 EX-SLAVE STOfilES (Texas) Page One MAETIN JACKSON, who calls himself a Mblack Texan*, well deserves to select a title of more distinction, for it is quite possible that he is the only living former slave who served in both the Civil War end the fforld War, He was born in bondege in Victoria Co*, Texas, in 1847, the property of Alvy FitsPatrick. This self-respecting Negro is totally blind, and when a person touches him on the arm to guide him he becomes bewildered and asks his helper to give verbal directions, up, down, right or left, It may be he has been on his own so long that he cannot, at this late date, readjust himself to the touch of a helping hand. His mind is uncommonly clear and he speaks with no Negro colloquialisms and almost no dialect* rC. ^J X v o V~ X Following directions as to where to find Martin Jackson, N the most remarkable Negro i^ San Antonio,,f a researcher made his way to an old frame house at 419 Center St., walked up the steps and through the house to an open door of a rear room. There, on an iron bed, lay a long, thin Negro, smoking a cigarette. He was dressed in a woolen undershirt and black trousers and his beard and mustache were trimmed much after tne fashion of white gallants of the Gray Nineties. His head was remarkably well-shaped, with striking emi- nences in his forenead over his brows* After a moment the intruder spoke and announced his mission, The old Negro, who is stone blind, quickly admitted that he was Martin Jackson, but before making any ftirtfaer comment he carried on an efficient interview himself; he wanted to know who the caller was, who had directed the visit, and just what branch of the Federal service happened to be interested in the days of slavery. -1- These questions f Q7 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two A OO ItiO satisfactorily answered, he went into his adventures and experiences, embellishing the highlights with uncommon discernment and very little prodding by the researcher. "I have about 85 years of good memory to call on. so Ifm not counting my first five years of life. clear a picture as I can. Ifm ninety, and 1*11 try to give you as If you want to give me a copy of what you are going to write, 1*11 appreciate it. Maybe some of my children would like to have it# W I was here in Texas wnen tneCivil War was first talked about. I was here when the War started and followed my young master into it with tne First Texas Cavalry. I was here during reconstruction, aft*r the War* I was nere during the European World War and tne second week after the United States declared wax on Germany I enlisted as cook at Camp Leon Springs. "This sounds as if I liked tne war racket. But, as a matter of fact, I never wore a uniform grey coat or khaki coat or carried a gun, unless it happened to be one worth saving after some Confederate soldier got snot. I was onicial lugger-in of men that got wounded,and might have been called a Red Cross worker if we had had sucn a corps connected with our company. My father was head cook for the battalion and between times I nelped aim out with the mess* There was some difierence in the food served to soldiers in 1861 and 1917J * Just what my feelings was about the War, I have neverbeen able to A figure out myself. I knew the Tanks were going to win, from the beginning. I wanted them to win and lick us Southerners, but I noped they was going to ~3~ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three do it without wiping out our company. I'll come back to that in a minute. As I said, our company was the First Texas Cavalry. commander. He was a full-blooded German and as fine a man and a soldier as you ever saw. arms. Coir Buchell was our He was killed at the Battle of Marshall and died in my You may also he interested to know that my old master,. Alvy Fitz- patrick* was the grandfather of Governor Jim Ferguson* Lots of old slaves closes the door before they tell tne truth about their days of slavery. When the door is op nf they tell how kind their masters was and now rosy it all was. You can't blame tnem for this, because tney nad plenty of early discipline, making tnem cautious about saying anytaing uncomplimentary about tneir masters, I, myself, was in a little different position than most slaves and, as a consequence, Have no grudges or resentment. slave was not rosy. However, I can tell you tne lite of the average They were dealt out plenty of cruel suffering. w Even with my good treatment, I spent most of my time planning and thinking of running away. I could nave done it easy, but my old fatner used to say, fN use running from bad to worse, hunting better,1 Lots of colored boys did escape and joined the Union army, and there are plenty of them drawing a pension today. y fatner was always counseling me. f Every man has to serve God under his own vine and fig tree.1 He said, He kept point- ing out that the War wasnH going to last forever, but that our forever was going to be spent living among the Southeners, after they got licked. He'd cite examples of how the ihites would stand flatf ooted and fight for the blacks the same as for members of their own family. still I rebelledf from inside of me. -3- I knew that all was true, but I think I really was afraid to run away* JL39 &x~slave Stories (Texas) Page Pour JL*J because I thought my conscience would haunt me. way and he'd rub my fears in deeper. ears: *** .r\ My father knew I felt tnis One of nis remarks still rings in i&y 'A clear conscience opens bowels, and when you have a guilty soul it ties you up and deatn will not for long desert you.1 ,fNo f tnough. sir, I haven't had any education. I should have had one, My old missus was sorry, after the War, that she didn't teach me. Her name, before she married my old master, was Mrs. Long. Sne lived in New York City and had three sons. When my old master's wife died, he wrote up to a friend of his in New York, a very prominent merchant naxaed C. C. Stewart. He told this friend he wanted a wife and gave him specifications for one. Well, Mrs. Long, whose husband had died, fitted the bill and she was sent down to Texas. She became Mrs. Fitzpatrick. Governor Ferguson. She wasn't the grandmother of Old Fitzpatrick had two wives that preceded Mrs. Long. One of tne wives had a daughter named Fanny Fit zpat rick pud it was her that was the Texas' governoa's mother. I seem to have the complicated fmily tree of my old master more clear than I've got my own, although mine can be put in a nutshell; I married only once and was blessed in it with 45 years of devotion. I had 13 children and a big crop of grandchildren. "My earliest recollection is the day my old boss presented me to his son, Joe, as his property. I was about five years old and my new master was only two. "It was in the Battle of Marsnall, in Louisiana, that Col. Buchell got shot. I was about three miles from the front, where I had pitched up a kind of first-aid station. I was all alone there. I watched the whole thing. I could hear the shooting and see the firing. I remember standing there and ilx-slave Stories (Teras) Page Fire thinking the South didn't have a chance. All of a sudden I heard someone call. It was a soldier, who was half carrying Col. Buchell in. for^the Colonel. He was too far gone, I didn't do nothing I just held him comfortable, and that was the position he was in when he stopped breathing. I got when anybody died* * qi - JL%3J He was a friend of mine. That was tne worst hurt He had had a lot of soldier- ing before and fought in the Indian War. "Well, the Battle of Marshall broke the back of the Texas Cavalry. We began straggling back towards New Orleansf and by that time the War was over. The soldiers began to scatter. They was a sorry-lookin1 bunch of lost sheep. They didnH know where to go, but most of *em ended up pretty close to the towns they started from. They was like homing pigeonst with only the instinct to go home and, yet, most of them had no homes to go to. M Not sir, I never went into books. I used to handle a big diction- I ary three times a day, but it was only to put it on a chair so my young master could sit up higher at the table. I never went to school. I learned to talk pretty good by associating with my masters in their big house. "We lived on a ranch of about 1,000 acres close to the Jackson County line in Victoria County, about 125 miles from San Antonio. Just before thejc war ends* they sold the ranch, slaves and all, and the fmily, not away fighting, moved to Oalvestoh. Of course, my father and me wasnft sold with the other blacks, because we was away at war. tie boy. My mother was drowned years before when I was a lit- I only remember her after she was dead. the river today where she was drowned. I can takeyou to the spot in She drowned herself. I never knew the reason behind it, "but it was said she started to lose her mind and preferred death to that* N -5- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Six ^Q0 AJta At this point in the old Negro1 s narrative the sound of someone singing was heard. A moment later the door to the house slamned shut and in accompaniment to the tread of feet in the kitchen came tnis song: "I sing because Vm happy, And I sing because Ifm free His eyes is on the sparrow And I know tie watches me.w The singer glanced in the bedroom and the song ended with both embarrassment and angers "Bather! Why didnft you say you had callers?* It was not long, however, before the singer, Mrs. Maggie Jackson, daughter-in-law of old Martin Jackson, joined in the conversation, "The master1 s name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. This was done more because it was the logical thing to do and the easiest way to be identified than it was through affection for the master. Also, the government seeaal to be in a almi^ity huriy to have us get names. We had to register as someone, so we could be citizens. Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves that was going to take the name Fitzpatrick. I made up my mind Ifd find me a different one. One of my grand- fathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson.11 After this clear-headed BTegro had posed for his photograph, the researcher took his leave and the old blind man bade him a gracious wgood-bye." He stood as if watching his new friend walking away, and then lighted a cigarette 0 l1 How long have you been smoking,, Martin?11 called back the researcher. M I picked up the deadly habit," answered Martin, "ever seventy-five years ago." **************** 4 ()I37 EX-SLAVE STOBIES (Texas) Page One NANCY J4CKS0N, about 105 years old, was horn in liadison Co., Tennessee, a slave of the Griff Lacy family. She was married during slavery and was the mother of three children when she was freed. In 1835f Nancy claims , she was brought to Texas by her owner, and has lived in Panola Co. rll her life. She has no proof of her age and, of course, may be in the late nineties instead of over one hundred, as she thinks. She lives with her daughter about five miles west of Tatum,Tex. f, f I s live in Panola County now going on 102 year and that a mighty long time for to 'member back, but I'll try to rec'lact. bom in Tennessee and I think it's in 1830 or 1832. I's I lives with my baby chile what am now 57 year old and she's born when Ifs 'bout bout 33. But I ain't sho' 'bout my age, noways. H Massa Griff fotches us to Texas when I a baby and my brudders what #a Redic and Anthony and Essex and Allen and Brick and my sisters what am Ann and Matty and Charlotte, we all come to Texas. Ma*nmy come with us but pappy was sold off the Lacy place and stays in Temessee. "Massa had the bigges1 house in them parts and a passel of slaves. Mammy's name was Letha, and we have a purty good place to live and raassa not bad to us. We was treated fair, I guesses, but they allus whipped us niggers for somethin'. But when we got sic'-c they'd git the doctor,'cause losin' a nigger like losin' a pile of money in them days. "Massa sometimes outlines the Bible to us and we had a song what we'd sing sometimes: ~1~ 198 ftz-slave Stories {Texas) p&ge Two 11 'Stand your storm Stand your storm, Till the wind blows over, Stand your storm,Stand your storm, I*s a sojer of the Cross, A follower of the Lamb.1 MWe was woke by a bell and called to eat by a bell and put to bed by that bell and if th t bell ring outta time you'd see the niggers jumpin' rail fences and cotton rows like deers or something, gettin1 to that house, 'cause that mean something bad wrong at massa s house* M I marries right here in Panola County while slavery still here and my brother-in-law marries me an1 Lewis Blakelyf and Ifs fbout nineteen. My husb&n' 'longed to the I&akely's and after the weddin1 he had to go back to them and they 'lowed him come to see rne once a week on Saturday and he could stsy till Sunday, I works on for the Lacyfs more'n a yesr after slavery till Lewis come got m* and we moved to ourselves, i f, I member one big time we one have in slavery. he wasn't gone. llassa gone and He le^t the house 'tendin' go on a visit pj*d missy and her chillen gone and us niggers give a big ball the night they all gone. The leader of that ball had on massa's boots and he sing a song he make up: 11 f Ole massa's gone to Philiman York And won't be back till July 4th to come; Fac1 is, I donft know he'll be back ?t all, Come on all you niggers and jine this ball,1 "That night they dome give that big ball, mass a had blacked up and slip back in ttie house and while they singim' rind dancin^he sittin1 by the fireplace all the time. f Rectly he spit, and the nigger who had on he boots receraizes him and tries climb up the chimey." ***** JL1M- 420259 Ex~slave Stories (Texas) Page One 195 EICHABD JACKSON, Harrison County farmer, was "born in 1859, a slave of Watt Rosborough. Eichardfs family left the Eosboroughs when the Negroes were freed, and moved to a farm near Woodlawn, Bichard married when he was twenty-five and moved to an adjoining farm, which he now owns. "I was born on the Rosborough plantation in 1859 and flonged to old man Watt Rosborough. He brung my mammy out of North Carolina, but W P >Py died when I was a babyf and mammy married Will Jackson. Besides me they was six brothers, Jack and Nathan, Josh and Bill and Ben and Mose. I had three sisters named Matilda and Charity and Anna. W I ^members my mammy1 s father, Jack, but donH know where he come from. I beared him tell of fightin1 the Indians on the frontier, and one mammy *s brothers was shot with a Indian arrow* w !Ehe plantation jined the Sabine river and old man Watt owned many a slave. The old home is still stondin' cross the road from Rosborough Springs, nine miles south of Marshall. flfhey was a white overseer on thf place, and mamicy's stepdaddy, Kit, was niggerdriver and done all the whippin1. *cept of mammy. *bout fight in1 and the overseer allus tended to her. She was bad One day he come to the wuarters to whip her and she up and throwed a shovel full of live coals from the fireplace in his boso and run out the door. He run her all over the plac* *tor* hecotehed -her* I seed the overseer tie her down and whip hir* ffae l^^rs wa^nH whipped Jauch *cept for fightin* ^^^^^S^i^MS^ f mongst themselves. Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two *fl Q * X^O M I ^members mammy allus sayin1 the darkies had to pray out in the woods, * cause they ain't !lowed to maki* no fuss round the house. She say they was fed and clothed well fnongh, hut the overseer worked the lights out of the darkies. I wasn*t "big !nough to do field work, hut %emher goinr to the field to take mammy *s pipe to her* They wasnft no matches in them days, and I allus took fire from the house and sot a stump afire in the field, so mammy could light her pipe, w None of our folks larnt to read and write till after slavery. My oldes1 brother was lamin* to read on the sly, but the overseer found out f bout it and stopped him. He found some letters writ on the wall of the quarter with charcoal and made the carkies tell him who writ it. Jack done it. My brother The overseer didnft whip him, but told him he darns11 do it gain. w j|fter surrender my folks left the Rosboroughs right straight and moved clost to Woodlawn. My oldes1 hired out in Shreveport. When they asks him what hefs worth, he told them he didn!t know, but he was allus worth a heap of money when anyone wanted to buy him from the Boseboroughs. w The Ku Kluxers come to our house in Woodlawn, and I got scart and crawled under the bed. They told mammy they wasnft gwine hurt her, but jus1 wanted water to drink. They didnft call each other by names, then the head man spoke to any of them he'd say, Number 1, or Number 2, and like that. KI thunk I heared ghosts on the Driscoll place once, up in the loft of iht house. I heared them plain as day. My step-pa done die there and might l^rl^^his ghost, ft moved away right straight, and old man Driscoll had to Bx~slav* Story (Texas Page Three iQ*7 -Li7 r burn that house down after that, fcause wouldn!t none the darkies live in it. "The only time I voted was when they put whiskey out. I heared a white man one time in Marshal^ rnakin* a speech on the square* He said he was gwine tell us darkies why they didn*t low us to vote# He didn't * !! us t !cause the law come out and made him git out the wagon and leave, ".This young race is shof livin* fast, "but I guess they1 s all right* Things is jes1 different now to when I was a "boy, When I was a boy, folks didn't mind helpin* one *nothert but now thoy is in too big a hurry to pay vou any mind. ***** *- V* 420016 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Pa^fi One 198 JOHN JAMES, 78, was barn a slave to Jehn Chapman, on a large plantation in Bast Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana* Jehn teek the name *f his father, wh* was #wned by Jehn James. Jehn and his mether stayed with Mr. Chapman far six year* after they were freed, then Jehn went t* MisseurjL, where he werked far the M K. & T9 Railread fer twenty years. He them came te Texas, and new lives at 315 S. Jennings Ave,f in Pert Werth. W I deesn!t have se much mind for slavery days, * cause Ifs tee yeung then, but I f members when surrender came and same bef^1 dat. -~ I * 'members my mammy lef1 me in de nursery, with all de ether cullud babies when she ge wexk in de field. De eld nurse, Jane, teeks care ef us. w Dat were de big place what Mass a Jehn have and dere *beut fifty cullud families en de place, so it am merefn a hunerd slaves what he ewn. I*s runnin1 reund, like kids an allus deinff first e e place, den t1 ether, watchin1 everything. De big bell ring in de mernin1 and y ufd see all de cullud felks cemin1 frera day cabins, gwineter de kitchen te breakfast. Dat allus befe* daybreak, and day have t* eat by de light ef de pine terch. It um de pineknet terch. tables. De meals am all ceeked dere and dey eat at leng De yeungfuns frem six to ten year eats at da secend table and littie1r dan dat, in de nursery. "I she1 Members f beut dat nursery feedin1. eernmeal wish and milk am served in de big pans. I never fergits hew dat Dety gives we uns de weeden speen aad wefuas erewde reuad de pans like little pigs. WM~-v^Wfc $ ';;". ./* $>. p- tw *1#!# . . $M%M^M SV $ -& '.s/i I can see it new. Enslave Steries (Texas) Page Twe -1IQQ JU7i7 Us push and shave and de nurse walk here and dere, tryin1 ta mate us eat like humans. She have ta cuff ane ef us ance in a while. be in de pans with bath feet. If she diiU, dem kids When dey dane eat in1, dey faces am all smear with mush and milk* 11 Mass a allus feed plenty ratians, anly after war starts de aid falks say dey am shart ef dis and dat, * cause dera sejers dane teak it far de army. M ifter breakfast Ifd sti a crew ge here and a crew ge dere. Same af fem spin and weave and make clethes, and same tann de leather er da de blacksmith werk, and mas1 ef 'em ge aut in de field ta wark. came hame and wark raund de Dey warks till dark and den quarters, "Bern quarters was fb*at ten by fifteen feet, each enet with a hale far de windew dat am nat dere and de flaer $m de greund, and de strpw bunks far ta sleep an* In us cabin am mammy and us three chillen and aur aunt. My psppy dans die befe* I fmember him. Same kind stemach mis'ry kilt him. w One day Massa Chapman call all us ta de frant gallery. Us didnft knew what gwine ta happen, fcause it nat ard!nary ta git celled frem de werk# de bell and dat am she1 psaper and say, Him ring f naugh de liberty bell, fcause him read frem de lang f Teu is slaves na mare. ta fpend en yaurselves far de livia1. Yeu is free, jus1 like I is, and have Ill what wants ta stay Ifll pay maney ta wark, and a share ef de erapf iffen yau denft want maney.1 Mastest af dem stays, and same wliat gees gits inta treublement, * cause den dere s treuble ftwixt . de white falks and de eullud falks. g Same de niggers thinks they am bigger dan |f.^|erfal|:sf p^ge One Qni THOMAS JOHNS, 508 Knopp St., Clehurne, Texas, was horn ipril IS, 1847, in Chambers Co.f Alabama. He belonged to Col. Robert Johns, who hrd come to Aleb&ma from Yirginip* After Johns was freed he stayed with his old owner's f spily until 1874, when he moved to Texas. |Vs> <^> ^/ * *My father's name was Gteorge and my mother1 s name was Nellie* My father was born in Africa. Him and two of his brothers and one sister was stole and brought to Savannah, Georgia, and sold. of a chief of de Kiochi tribe. Bey was de chillen De way dey was stole, dey was asked to a dance on a ship which some white man hsd, and ay aunt said it was early in de mornin1 when dey foun1 dey was away from de land, and all dey could see was de water all fround. tribe of niggers,, She said they was members of de file-tooth My father's teeth was so dat only de front ones met to- gether when he closed his mouth. De back ones didn* set together. fen his front teeth was together, de back ones was apart, sorta like a V on its side. *My mother *as born a slave in Virginia. She married there end had a little girl, and they was sold away from the husband and brought to Alahama. She said her mother was part Indian and part nigger. Her father was part white and part nigger, but he look about as white as a white man. "Hy brother's names was John, Jake and Dave. My sister's names was Ann, Katie, Judie and laster. "I belonged to Col, Bobert Johns. He owned 30 or 35 slaves. We waa well treated and had the same food the white folks did, and didn1 none -1- 3x~slave Stories Page Two QAQ (Texas) Col. Johns didn1 have his niggers whipped, neither. of us go hongry. M Marster*s place had 500 acres in it. We raised cotton, corn and rice, vegetables and every sort of fruit that would grow there, a lot of it growin1 wild. We et mostly hog meat, but we had some beef and mutton, When we d kill a beef, wefd send some to all the neighbors. too. "We done a good day's work, but didn1 have to work after ni^ht it was necessary. rest ! less We was allowed to stop at 12 ofclock and have time for f fore goin1 back: to work. Other slave owners roun1 our place wasnH as good to dere slaves, would work fem hard and half starve f em. And some marsters or overseers would whip dere niggers pretty hard, sometimes whip *em to death. Marster Johns didn1 have no overseer. and my father was foreman. He seed to the work For awhile after old Marster died, in 1862 or 1863, I forget which now, we had a overseer, John Sewell. He was mean. He whipped the chillen and my mother told Miss Lucy, old marster's oldest girl. fl fe was allus well treated by old marster. free niggers,1 not dat we was free, bat We was called, f John's f cause we was well treated. Jesse Todd, his place joined ours, had 500 slaves, and he treated *em mighty bad. He whipped some of 'em to death, k man sold him two big niggers which was brothers and they was so near white you conldn1 hardly tell man. f em from a white Some people thought the mm what sold *em was their daddy. The two niggers worked good and dey hadn* never been whipped gnd dey wouldn1 stand for bein1 whipped. One mornin1 Todd come up to fem and told de oldest to take his shirt off. He say, 'Marster, what you wan1 me to take my shirt off fort1 f Todd say, I told you to take your shirt off.1 De nigger sayt Marster, I aim1 never took my shirt off for no man.f Todd run in de house and got his gun and come back and shot de nigger dead. His brother fell %fr*A Ex-slave Stories yTexas / Page J?hree 120*3 down by him where he lay on de groun1. Todd run back to load his gun again, it be in1 a single shot. Toddfs wife and son grabbed him and dey had all dey coul1 do to keep him from comix* out and killin1 de other nigger. M M rse Johns had 12 chillen. De house dey lived in was Colonyal style and bad 12 rooms. I was bofn in dat house. "De slaves had log cabins. We wore some cotton clother in de summer but in de winter we wore wool clothes. We allus had shoes. JL shoemaker would come fround once a year and stay maybe 30 days, makin* shoes for everybody on de place; den in about 6 months he would come back and half-sole and make other repairs to de shoes. We made all our clothes on de place. We wore light wool cloth for summer and heavy for winter. n I could take raw cotton and card and spin it on a spinnin1 wheel into thread, fine enough to be sewed with a needle. make like and fbout de size of a ice pick. We woun1 de thread on a broche, De thread was den woun1 on a reel f bout de size of a forewheel of a wagon, and de reel would turn 48 times and den fcluck1 Dat was for iem to be able to tell we was workin1. ^Dere was plenty wild game, possums, rabbits, turkey and so on. was fish, too, in de creek. fish in de creek. Dere I was de leader of de bunch. We would ketch little Wefd cook a lot of fish and den we*d put a rag rug in de yard under a big mulberry tree and pour de fish out on dat and den eat fem. n Old marsfcer never beat his slaves and he didn1 sell *em. But some of de owners did. If a owner had a big womaja slave and she had a little man for her taxsban1 and de owner had a big man slave, dey would make de little busban1 leave, and make de woman let de big man be her husban1, sofs dere be big chillen, which dey could sell well* IJo.; ' ' :. If de man and woman refused, dey'd get whipped. , Ex-slare Stories (#exas) Page Pear J204 **u** "Coarse whippin1 aside a slare hard to sell, maybe couldn1 be sold, 1 cause when a man went to boy a slave he would make him strip naked and look him orer for whip marks and other blemish, jus1 like dey would a horse. even if it done damage to de sale to whip him, dey done it, But f cause dey figgered, " kill a nigger, breed another - kill a mule, buy smother. w f I ll nerer forget de rice patch. It shore got me some whippin1 st 'cause my daddy tell me to watch de birds 'way from dat rice, and sometimes dey'd get to it. It jus1 seem like de blackbirds jus1 set fround and watched for dat rice to i row up where dey could get it. a fire on it and burn it out. We would cut a block off a pine tree and build Den we would cut down into it and scrape out all de char, and den put de rice in dere and beat and poun1 it with a pestle till we had all de grain beat out de heads. Den wefd pour de rice out on a cloth and de chaff and trash would blow away. "Oar marster he drilled men for de army. from our place. De drill groun' was fbout a mile He was a dead shot with a rifle and had a rifle with un extry long barrel* M De Yankees told us niggers when dey freed us after de war dat dey would gire each one of us 40 acres of land and a mule, De nearest Ifse erer come to dat is de pension of fleven dollars I gets now. But Ifse jus1 as thankful for dat as I can be. In fac1, I don't see how I could be any more thankful it 'twas a hun'erd and fleren dollars. * A man told me a nigger woman told his wife she would ruther be slare than free. Well, I thinfc, but I might be wrong, anybody which says that is tel- lin a lie, Dere is sumpin1 'bout bein' free and dat makes up for all de hardships. I'ae been both slare and free and I knows. Coursef i&ile I was slare I didn1 hare Hi]m ti^oasibility> didn1 hare to worry 'bout where sumpin1 to eat and wear and a lace to sleep was coain* from, but dat doaH make up for bein1 free. 420191 SUBJftB STORIES (Texas) Pgge One AUNTIE THOMAS JOHNS, 508 Knopp St., Cleburne, Texas, was "born in Borlason Co,, Texas, in 1864. She was only two when her mother was freed, so knows nothing of slavery except stories her mother * ld her, or that she heard her husband, Thomas Johns, tell. jr gSKT AJ^ $T "I was two years old when my mama was set free. owner was Major Odom. said. Her He was good to his niggers, my mama She tol1 me !bout slavery times. She said other white folks roan1 there called Major Qdomfs niggers, !0domfs damn free niggers,1 fcause he was so easy on fem. "He was never married, hut he had a nisger woman, Aunt Phyllis she was called, that he had some children by. half white. She was I remember her and him and five of their sons. The ones I knowed was nearly all white, hat Aunt Phyllis had one boy that was nigger black. His daddy was a nigger man. When she was drunk or mad shefd say she thought more of her black chile than all the others. Major Odom treated their children jus1 like he treated the other niggers. whipped none of his niggers. He never When his and Aunt Phyllisfes sons was grown they went to live in the quarters, which was what the place the niggers lived was called. n 0ae of Major Odom1 s niggers was whipped by a man named Steve Owens. He got to goin* to see a nigger woman Owens owned, and one night they beat him up bad. Major Odom put on his gan for Owens, and they carried guns for each other till they died, but i&sy never did have a shoot in* 'S^&iMa&lls^^ ^ii.V.WiH.tfYiiiiM^^ 2()5 Ex-slave Stories (Page Two) Texas Page Two 2Q& "Colonel Sims had a farm joinin' Major Odom's farm, and his niggers was treated mean. He had a overseer, J. B. Mullinax, I 'member him, and he was big and tough. He whipped a nigger man to death. He would come out of a raornin1 and give a long, keen yell, and say, i I'm J, B# Mullinax, just hack from a week in Hell, where~I got two new eyes, one named Snap and Jack, and t'other Take Hold. I'm goinf to whip two or three niggers to death today.1 He lived a long time, bat long ffore he died his eyes turned backward in his head. f em thataway. I seen He wouldn' give his niggers much to eat and he'd make *em work all day, and just give 'em boiled peas with just water and no salt and cornbread. They'd eat their lunch right out in the hot sun and then go right back to work. Mam5 said she could hear them niggers bein' whipped at night and yell in', 'Pray, marster, pray,' beggin' him not to beat fem. "Other niggers would run away and come to Major Odom's place and ask his niggers for sumpin' to eat. V$ mama would get word to bring fem food and she'd start out to where they was hidin' and she'd hear the hounds, and the runaway niggers would have to go on without get tin1 nothin' to eat. "l$y husban's tol' me about slavery times in Alabama. He said they would make the niggers work hard all day pickin' cotton and then take it to the gin and gin away into the night, maybe all night. They'd give a nigger on Sunday a peck of meal and three pounds of meat and no salt nor nathin' else, and if you et that up 'fore the week was out, you jus' done without anything to eat till the end of the weekf Enslave Stories (Texas) Page Two H My hushan1 said a family named Gullendin was mighty hard on their niggers. He said ole Missus Gullendin, shefd take a needle and stick it through one of the nigger women's lower lips and pin it to the "bosom of her dress, and the wcaaan would go drew down thataway and slohherin1. round all day with her head There was knots on the nigger's lip where the needle had "been stuck in it. ********* MM f 20^ 4-20011 E3USLAYE STORIES (Texas) Page One GUS JOHNSON, 90 years or more, was "born a slp.ve of Mrs. Batty Glover, in Marango Co., Alabama* Most of his memories are of his later "boyhood in Sunnyside, Texas. He lives in an unkempt, little lean-to house, in the north end of Beaumont, Texas. There is no furniture hut a broken-down bed and an equally dilapidated trunk and stove. Gus spends most of his time in the yard, working in his vegetable garden. "Dey brung thirty-six of us here in a box car from Alabama. Yes, suh, dat's where I come from Marengo County, not so far from 'Mopolis. Us belong to old missy Betty Glover and my daddy ntane August Glover and my mammy Lucinda. Old missy, she sho1 treat us ?ood and I never git whip for anything fcept lyin1. Old missy, she do de whippin'. "Old missy she sho1 a good woman and all her white folks, dey used to go to church at Whi*e Chapel at fleven in de mornin' folks goes in de evenin1. Us cullud Us never do no work on Sunday, ond on Saturday after twelve o'clock us can go fishin* or huntin1. "Dey give de rations on Saturday and datfs fbout five pound salt bacon and a peck of meal and some sorghum syrup, de plantation. Dey make dat syrup on Dey*s tan or twelve big clay kettles in a row, sot in de furnace. "We have lots to eat, and if de rations run short we goes hunt inf or fishin*. say day fish. Some de old men kills rattlesnake and cook *em like fish and I eat dat many a time and never knowed it. M *Twas good, too. Dey used to have a big house where dey kep1 de chillen, de wolves and panthers was bad. f cause Some de memmias what suckle de Chilian 1- >0S Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two takes care of all de chillen durin* de daytime and at night dey own mammies come in from de field and take dem. all de lifl niggers well care for. Sometime old missy she help nuss and When dey gits sick dey makes de med'cine of herbs and well 'em d**t way. M ?/hen us left J^Labama us come through Meridian to Houston and den to Hockley and den to Sunnyside, '"bout 18 mile west of Houston, Dat a country with lots of woods and us sot in to clean up de ground and clean up 150 acres to farm on, Dere fbout forty-seven hands and more f cumulates. Dey go back to Meridian for more * nd brung fem in a ox cart. "My brother, Bonzane Johnsonf was one dey brung on dat trip, I had fnother brothert Keen, whrt die when he 102 year old. long-life people, Us was all f cause I have a gran1 uncle what die when he 136 year old. He and my grandma and grandpa come from South Carolina and dey was all Africa people. I heered dem tell how dey brung from Africa in de ship* My daddy he die at 99 and 'nother brother at 104. "Us see lots of sojers when us come through from Meridian and dey de cavalry. Dey come ridin1 up with high hats like beavers on dey head and us ffraid of fem, f cause dey told us dey gwine take us to Cubp and sell us dere. "When us first git to Texas it was cold - not sort a coldf but I mean cold. I shovel de snow many a day. Dey have de big, common house and de white folks live upstairs and de niggers sleep on de first floor. Dat to ftect de white folks at night, but us have our own houses for to live in in de daytime, builded out of logs and daubed with mud and nail a/V'l ^'*> Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three rive out hoards over dat mud, Dey make de chimney out of sticks and mudf too hut us have no windows, and in summer us kind of live out in de hresh arbor* what was cool* H Us have all kind of crops and morefn 100 acres^ in fruit,1 cause dey "brung all kind trees and seeds from Alabama. springs and de water was sho1 good to drink, wasnft fitten to drink. it. f Dey was undergroun1 cause in Mobile de water It taste like it have de lump of salt melted in Us keep de butter and milk in de spring house in dem days, 'cause us ain*t have no ice in dem time. "Old massa, he name Aden and he brother name John, and dey was way up yonder tall people. to say what we do. Old massa die soon and us have missy All her overseers have to be good. slaves if fen day bad, hut not whip em. She punish de She have de jail huilded under- groun1 like de storacave and it have a drop door with de weight on it, so dey couldnH git up from de bottom. It sho1 was dark in dat place. u In slavery time us better be in hy eight ofclock, better be in dat house, "better stick to dat rule. I Member after freedom, missy have de big celebration on Juneteenth every year. / ' M \lhen war come to Texas every plantation was conscrip1 for de war and my daddy was fpinted to selec1 de able body men of en vis place for to be sojers. My brother Keen was one of dem. He come back all right, though. "When freedom come missy give all de men niggers $500 each, but dat federate money and have pictures of bosses on it. Dat de onlies1 Q.A ^ /wAw Ex-slaveStories (Texas) Page Four money missy have den* Old missy Betty, she die in Sunayside, Texas, when she 115 year old, "When I's 18 year old I marry a gal by nane Lucy Johnson. dend now long ago. track of 'ecu She I got five livin' chillen somewhere, but I done lost One of dean boys serve in de last war. "I used to hear somethin1 f bout rabbit foot. De old folks used to say dat iffen de rabbit h^ve time to stop and lick he foot de dog can't track him no more and I allus wears de rabbit foot for good luck. I don*t know if it brung me dat luck, though* "I been here 36 year and I work mos' de time as house mover, what I work at 26 year. I111 be honnes1 with you, I donft know how old I is, but it nrus' be plenty, fcause I 'members lots fbout de war. I didn't see no fightin1 but I knowed what was goin1 on den. 11 1 belong to de U. B# F. Lodge, what I pays into in case I gits sick. But I never can git sick and I ain't have no ailment 'cept my feets #usf swoll upf and I canft git nothin1 for that* ************ p^f 4 ^wXX 4 0139 EX-SLAVE STOBIES (Texas) Page One HABBY JOHNSON, 86, whose real name was Jim, was "born In Missouri, where he was stolen "bv Harry Fugot, when about twelve years old, and taken to Arkansas. He was given the n^me of Harry and remained with Fugot until nesr the close of the Civil War, Fugot then sold him to (Jraham far lf200 acres and he was "brought to Coryell Co. f Texas, and later to Caldwell Co. He worked in Texas two years "before finding out the slaves were free. He later went to McMullen Co. to work cattle, "but eventually spent most of his time rearing ten white children. He now lives in Pearsall, where he married at the age of 59. n I come from Missouri to Arkansas and then to Texas, and I was owned "by M&ssa Louis Barker and my name was Jim Johnson. But a white man name Harry Fugot stoled me and run me out to Arkansas and changed my name to Harry. He stoled me from Mississippi County in de southern part of Missouri, down close to de Arkansas line, and I was '"bout 12 year old then* "My mama's name was Judie and her husb^rf name Miller. When I wasnH "big nough to pack a chip, old Massa Louis Barker wouldn't take $400 for me, liy f causa he say he wants to make a overseer out of me. daddy went off durin1 de war. He carried off by sojers and he never did come back* "Day fbout 30 f 40 acres in Massa Barker's plantation in Missouri. He used to hire me out from place to place and de men #iat hires me puts me to doia1 what he waited. I was stole from my mammy when I's 'bout 10 or 12 and she never did know what become of me. -1- 212 Sx-slave Stories (Texas) M Page Two 0, my starsl from Missouri. I seed hun'erds and honferds of sojers ffore I stole Dey what us call Yankees. I seed 'em strung out a half- mile long, go in1 hat tie two and three deep. homes. Dey took up a little stuff. Dey never did destroy any I had five sacks of meal one day and was goinf to de mill and de sojers come along and taken z&> meal pnd *11. De maddes' woman I ever saw was dat day* cows. De sojers come and druv off her She told 'em not to, dat her busban' fightin1 and she have to make de livin1 off dem cows, hut dey druv de cows to camp and kilt 'bout three of lem. Dey done dat, I knows, 'cause Ifs with 'em, "But down in Arkansas I seed de southern sojers end I's plowin' for a old lady call Williams, and sorae sojers come and goes in de house. I heered say dey was Green's men, and dey taken everything dat old woman have what 4ey wants, and dey robs lots of houses* "It don't look ress'able to say it, but it's a fao' durin' slavery iff en you lived one place and 7-rour mammy lived 'cross de street you couldn't go to see her without a pass. De paddlerollers would whip you if you did. Dere was one woman owns some slaves and one of 'em asks her for a pass and she give him de piece of paper sposed to be de pass, but she writes on it: His shirt am rough and his back am tough, Dof Pr 7 Mr. Paddlerollert give 'im 'nought1 "De paddlerollers beat him nearly to death, 'cause that's what's wrote on de psqper he give fem "I *ae ber a whippia1 one slave got. It were 100 lashes. Dey's a big overseer right here on de San Marcos river, Clem Polk, him and he massa kilt 16 niggers in one day. Dat massa couldn't keep a overseer, 'csp.se de niggers wouldn't let 'em whip 'em, and dis Clem, he say, 'I'll stay dere,1 -3- 213 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) psge Three and he finds he couldnft whip dem niggers either, so he jus1 kilt 'em. One nigger nearly got him and would have kilt him. Dat nigger raise de zx to come down on Folk's head and de massa stopped him jus1 in time, and den Polk shoots dat nigger in de breast.with a shotgun. ,! Dey had court days and when court met, dey passed a "bill what say, 'Keep de niggers at home.1 of fem couldn't. Some of 'em could go to diurch and some Dey*d let de cullud people be "baptized, "but dey didn't many want it, dey didnft understan* it 'nough. "After de war ends, Massa Pugot sells me to Ma^sa Graham for 1,200 acres of land, and I lives in Caldwell County. He was purty good to he slaves and we live in a lifl old frame house, facin1 west. in de same house as massa and missus, to guard fem. came and wake neup and tells me to put my clothes on. I sleeps One nigjat some men Missus was in de bed and she fgin cryin1 and tell fem not to take me, bat dey taken me anyway. We called fem Guerrillas and dey thieves Dey white men and one of em I had knowed a long time. I's with dem thives and hears fem talk bout killin' Yankees. time. Dey kep1 me in de south part of Missouri a long I didn't do anything but sit fround de house with dea. w When Ifs sold to Massa Graham I didn't have to come to Texas, cause Ifs free, but I didn't know dat, and I's out here two years ffore I knowed Ifs free. Down ill Caldwell County is where dd bondage was lifted offen me and I found out Ifs free. I jus1 stays on and works and my massa give me he promise Iss git a hoss and saddle and $100 in money when Ifs 21 year old, but he didn't do it. He give me a lifl pony and a saddle what -3~ H J ^ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Pour I sold for $3.00 and 'bout eight or nine dollars in money. He had me blindfolded and I thought I gwine git a good hoss *nd saddle ?nd more money. 11 1 looks hack sometimes and thinks times was better for eatin1 in slavery dan what dey is now. My mammy was a regflar cook and she ma.de me peach cobblers and apple dumplin's. In dem days, we'd take cornmeal and mix it with water and call feia corn dodgers *nd dey awful nice with plenty butter. We had lors of hawg meat and when dey kilt a beef B man told all de neighbors to come git some of de meat. "Eight after de war, times is pretty hard ajid I's taken beans and parched 'em and got 'em right brown, and meal bran to make coffee out of. Times was purty hard, but I allus could find somethin' to work at in dem days. "I lived all my life mong white folks and jus1 worked in first one place and then fnother. I raised ten white chillen, nine of de Lowe chillen, and dey'd mind me quicker dan dey own p^y and mammy. Dat in McMullin County. 11 De day Ifs married I's 59 year old and my wife is fbout 60 year old now. no reg'lar woric* De last 20 years I!s jus1 piddled 'round and done I married right here in de church house. I nussed my wife when she a baby a#d used to court her mammy when she's a girl. We's been real happy together. ********* O-fl ^ /wJLO 420028 E3USLAVE S'i'OBlES (Texas) Page One 218 JJUffiS D. JOHNSON, "born Oct. 1st, I860, at Lexington, Mississippi, was a slave of Judge Drennon. He now lives with his daughter at 4527 Baltimore St., Dallas, Texas, His memory is poor and his conversation is vague and wandering* His daughter says, "He ain*t at himself these days.11 James attended Tuckaloo University, near Jackson, Mississippi, and uses very little dialect. w My first clear recollection is about a day when I was five years old* I was playing in the sand by the side of the house in Lexington with some other children and some Yankee sSldiers came by. They came on horse- hack and they drew rein by the side of the house and I ran under the Jxouse and hid. My mother called to me to come out and told me they were Federal soldiers and I could tell it by their blue uniforms. One of the soldiers reached into his haversack and pulled out a uniform and gave it to me. f Have your mammy make a suit out of it,1 he said. Another soldier gave me a uniform and my mother was a seamstress in the home of the Drennons and she made me two suits out of those uniforms. "Judge Drennon had married the daughter of Colonel Terry and he had given HQT parents to his daughter when she married the judge. and mother both came from Virginia. My father Colonel Terzy had bougnt them at sep- arate times from a slave trader who brought them from Virginia to Mississippi. They had a likeness for each other when they learned both came from Virginia. Both of them had white fathers, were light complected and had been brought up in the big house# w When they told the Colonel they wished to marry he only said, 'jtxiia, ao you take William,1 and William, do you take ,7 lia?1 Then they Ex-slave Stories (Texas) were man and wife. Page Two Q4>V /OX/ He gave them the name of Johnson, which was the family name of my father's mother and the name of his father. "When my parents lived with Judge Drennon they had a house in the yard quarters. The Drennon home was the most beautiful house I ever have seen. It was a big, brick mansfi'on with tall, white pillars reaching up to the second stoiy. The yards and grounds were so beautiful the white folks used to come from long ways off to see them. "After the surrendering we lived witii the Drennons four or five years. They paid my parents for their work and I had an easy time of it. I was youngest of eight children and there was ten years or more between me and the next older child. My mother wanted to make something special out of me. M I went to three different schools down in the woods before I was nine. White people would come and put up schools for the colored children but the white people in Mississippi said they were not good people and wold criticize them. Sometimes the schools would get busted up. ler and an arithmetic and a dictionary. We studied out of the Blue Back spel- I could spell and give the meaning of most nigh every word in that dictionary* H When I was thirteen they held an examination at Lexington for colored children to see whofd get a scholarship at Tuckaloo University, eight miles from Jackson. I was greatly surprised when I won from my county and I went but didnft finish there. Then I went a little while to a small university near Lexington, called Allcora University. I loved to go to school and was considered bookish. But my people died and I had to earn a living for myself and I couldn!t find any way to use so much what I learned out of books, as far as making money was concerned* So I came to Texas, doing any kind of labor woik I could find. I married and went to farming 35 or 40 years and raised five children* Finally Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Ttoee "iPm tne only one left now of my brotners ana sisters and it won!t "be Ion., until Ifm gone, too, but I donft mind tnat. time. Some of it was iiard and some of it was good. We lived a long I tried all tne tiiae to live according to my lignts and tnat is as far as I know now to do. I don*t feel resentful of mytning, an^nnore. "When tnere is sun, I just sit in tat? sun." ******* Q4 Q JO EX-SLA7B STOEIES (Texas) Page One MARY JOHNSON does not know her age tout is evidently very old. Paralytic strokes hgve affected mind end body. Her speech, though impaired, is a swift flow of words, often profane* A bitter attitude toward everything is apparent, Mary is homeless and owes the necessities of life to the kindness of a middle aged Negress who takes care of several old women in her hone in Pear Orchard, in Beaumont, Texas. "Now, wait, white folks, I got to scratch my head sofs I kin member. Ifs been paralyze so I can't git my tongue to speak good, It git all twist up* "I don't know how old I is. My daddy he have my age in the big Bible but he done move fround so much it git lost long ego. to 'long to them Guinea men. fast. He used Them was real small men and they sho1 walk He wasn't so tall as my mommer rn& he name John Allen and he a pore man, all bone. He sold out from the old country, that Mississippi. My mama name Sarah and she come from Choctaw country, 'round in Georgia. I have grandma Bebecca, a reg'lar old Indian woman and she h^ve two long blsck braid longer'n her waist and she allus wore a bi; bonnet with splits in it. You know de Indian people totes they chillens on they back and my mommer have me wrep up in a blanket and strop on her back. "Ifs tee firstborn chile a-d my mommer have two gal chillen, me and Hannah, and she have seven boy. and old Virginny ran down that away. Where I's born was old wild country Everything was plenty good to eat and I seed strawberries what would push you to git em in your mouth. " Clost to where I's born they's a place where they brung the Africy people to tame *em and they have big pens where they puts fem after they -1- 219 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page takes feia outta they gua ships. rn wo OOn ****** They sho' was wild and they have hair all over jus1 like a dog and big hammer rings in they &oses. They didnft wore no clothes and sometime they git 'way and run to them swamps in Floridy and git all wild and hairy 'gain. They brung preachers to help tame 'em, hut didn't'lo^ no preacher in them pens b^ hisself, 'cause tiey say them preacher won't come hack, 'cause some them wild Africy people done kill fem and eat em. They done worship them snake hit as a r?ks handle, 'cause they ain't knowed no "better. ';7hen they gits f em all ta*ne they sells * em for field hands, but they allus wild and iffen anybody come they duck and hide down. "My old miss:/ she name Florence Walker and she reg'lar tough. I helps miss her chile, Mary, and Mary make her mommer he good to me. wore lifl brass toe shoes and I call mime gold toe shoes. 'nough to knock a mule out. Us Them shoes hard After young missy and me git growed us run off to dances and old missy heat us "behind good. She say us jes1 chillen yet and keep us in short, short dress and we pull out the stitchia' in them herns so us dresses drags ana she sho1 wore us out for that. "Did us love to dance? Jesus help rnej Bh m country niggers swing me to hard us land in the corner with a whan . "My hrudder Robert he a pow'ful hig hoy and he wasn't 'lowed to have no pants till he 21 year oldf hut that didn't 'scoumge him from court in1 ihe gals. I try tease him 'bout go see the gals with dat split shirt. not all, that hoy auss he rammer breast till he 21 year old. That He have to have that nussia1 reaL reg'lar. But one tim- he pesterim' mommer and she tryin1 milk the cow and the cow git nervous and kick over the bucket and mommer fall off the stool and she so mad she wea* him right there a#d them. -3~ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three QO^ *w3JL "Old massa he never clean his self up or dress up* a vagrant thing and he and missy mean, too. He look like My pore daddy he hack allus done cut up from the whip and hit "by the dogs. Sometime when a woman big they make a hollow out place for her stomach and make her Ipy down 'cross that hole and whip her behind. They sho* tear thatthing up. u Us chillen git to play nytd. us sing nl 01d possum in the holler log Sing high de loo, Patter than a old green frog, Sing high de loo, Whsr possum? "That church they h.^ve a 'markable thing. They a deep tranch what cut all 'round the bottom Find clay steps what lesd all the way to the top the mountain and when the niggers git to shoutia' th-1 church jes' a-rollin{ and rockin1. One the songs I 'member was ,M Shoo the devil out the corner, Shoo, members, shoo, Shoo the devil out the corner, Shoo, members, shoo.1 "Us li'l gals KLlus wore cottanade dresses ev'ry dry. Them what us call nine-stitch dresses. Mammy make fasten-back dresses 2nd fpsten-back drawers and knit sweaters and socks for the mens# She git sheep wool vhrt near ruint by cockle "burrs and make us chillen set by the hour end pick out them burrs. _ "Us houses like chicken coops but us sho' happy in that li'l cabin house. Nothin' to worry 'bout. Mammy cook them grits, that yaller hominy. She make *ash cat1, cornbread wrop in cabbage leaf and put ashes 'round t. "The old plantation 'bout on the line 'tween Virginny and Mis'sippi -3- E*-si*ve Stories p^e Four (Texas) &*$<> and us live near the Madstone. That p. big stone, r-11 smooth and when a dog bite you you go run 'round the Ifcdsto e and w sh yourself in the hot springs P.nd the bites don't hurt you. "I seed lots of sojers pnd ray daddy fit *vith the Yankees and they ha^e a big fight close there and have a while lots of dead bodies l?yin! 'round like so nmy logs and they jus* struck !em up and sot fire to femr You seed *m burnin1 night and day. They lay down and shoot end then jump up and stick fem sad sometimes they drunk the blood out ten whe~e they stick fenif f cause they csuaU git mo water. "After freedom us go in ox tesB to New Orleans and daddy he raise cotton and sell it and mommer sell eggs. My daddy a workin* mm and he help build the big custom house in Itfew Orleans and help pull the rope to pull the boats up the canal from the river. Thst Canal Street now. on top thpt custom house end it there to this day. it. He put he name You can go there and see He help build the hosp'tal, too. M 0ne time us live close to the bsy and that gran1 sad us take a stove aad cotch catfish aad perch and cook 'em on the br?nk end us go meet oyster boats aa& daddy git 'aaby the tub. ,! I git marry in Baton Rouge when I sixteen and my husban1 he n-me Arras Shaw and he lots olderfn me said I couldn't keep him. He in Port Arthur now. My basban1 and I sawmill 20 year in Grsyburg, here in Texns, and then us sep'rate. I been in Beaumont 16 year rmd I's rice farm cook in the camp on the Faanett Eo-d. They tells me I got uncles in Africy. fied church and that all I can do now. ****** I goes to Sancti- 420050 1HUSLA7E STORIES (Texas) Page One MARY ELLEN JOHNSON, owner of a little restaurant at 1301 Marilia St., Dallas, Texas, is 77 years old. She was horn in slavery to the Murth family, about ten miles from San Marcos, Texas. She neither reads nor writes hut talks with little dialect. W I don't know so fur fcack as befo1 I was horn, fcept what my mammy told me, and she allus said little "black chillen wasnH sposed to ask so many questions* Her name was Missouri Ellison, f cause she "belonged to Miss Micelder Ellison and then when she married with Mr. Murth, her daddy said my mammy was her 'heritance. "My first memfries are us playin1 in the backyard with Miss Fannie and Miss Martha and Mr. Samraie. Thejr was the little Murth chillen. We used to make playhouses out there and sweep the ground clean down to the level with brush brooms **nd decfrate it all up with little broken glassas and crockery. M In them days we lived in a little, old log cabin in the back- yard and there was just one room, but it was snug and we had a plenty of livin*. My mammy had a nice cotton bed and she werenH no field niggerf but my pappy were. "Miss Micelder had a fine farm and raised most everything we ate and the food nowadays ainft like what it was then. Miss Micelder had a wood frame house with a big kitchen and they were cookin1 goin1 on all the time. They cooked on a wood stove with iron pots and skillets, and the roastin1 ears and chicken fried right out of >our own yard is tastier than what you git now. Orated Hater puddin1 was my dish. ~1~ 223 Ex-slave Stories \ Texas / Page Two 2J24- "When I cm seven years old I hear talk 'bout a wa^ and the separation but I don't pay much Hention. my kinky head *bout it. It seem far away and I don't bother But then they tells erae the war is over and Vm goin1 to be raised free and that I don't 'long to anybody but Gawd and my pappy and mammy, but it donft make me feel nothin', 'cause I ain't n^ver know I ain't free. "After the war we removed to a house on a hill where they is five houses, little log houses all in a row. We had good times, but we had to work in the cotton and corn and wheat in the daylight time, but; when the dusk come we used to sing and dance and play into the moonlight. "But one man called Milton, he's past his yearling boy days and he didn't like to see us spend our time in sin, so he'd preach to us from the Gospel, but I had the hardest time to get 'ligion of anybody I knowed. Fin'ly I got sick when I were fifteen and was in my bed and somethin' happened. it was the most 'lievable thing ever happened to me. Lawd, I was layin1 there when sin formed a heavy, white veil just like a blanket over my bed and it just eased down over me till it was mashing the breath out of me. I crys out to the Lawd to save me and, sho' 'nough, He hear the cry of a pore mis'able sinner. I ran to my mammy and pappy ar-shoutin'. "The next year I marries and went on 'nother farm right near by and starts havin1 chillen. I has ten and think I done rightly my part, 'cause I lived right by the word and taught my chillen the same. promise to live in Glory after my days here is done. ******** I'm lookin' to the 420115 ' X&.SLAVE 8F0HHS (Texas) Page One & PAULINA JOHHSQI and FJBLId BOUIKEAUX, Bisters, were once slaves on the plantation of Bsraat Martina, near Opelousas, Louisiana. As their owners were French, they are aore inclined to use a Creole patois than Saglish, "Us was tooth slaves on de old plantation close to Opelousas;" Pauline began. As the elder of the two sisters she carried most of the conversation, although often referring to Felice before making positive statements* "I was 12 year old when freedom come and Felice was 'bout six. Us belonged to Massa Dernat Martine and the aissy' s name Miai. us both ia the house and they love us so they spoil us. get that. age. The? raise I never will for- Tie little white chillen was younger than me, 'bout Felice's They sho* had pretty li'l curly black hair. "Us didn't have hard time. Sever even knowed hard time. That old massa, he what you call a good man. "Us daddy was Benee and he work in the field. The old aasaa give him a mud and log house and a plot of ground for he own. never get in that log house, it so tight. The rain sho* The furniture was hoaeaake, but ay daddy sake it good and stout* "Us daddy he woxk de ground he own on Sunday and sold the things to buy us shoes to put on us feet and clothes. The white folks didn't give us clothes byt they let hia have all the aoney he made in his own plot to get thea -1- 00*\ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) fag Two *V* aaaa name Marguerite and she a field hand, too, so us chillen growed up in the white folks house mostly* *Iore ?elice get big enough to leave I stay in the big house and take care of her, "One day us papa fall sick in the bed, just 9fore freedom, and he kep< callin9 for the priest* Old aassa call the priest and just *fore us papa die the priest aarry hi and ny mama.* f fore dat they just married by the aassa's word* "Felice and me, us have two brothers what was born and die in slavery, and one sister still livin9 in Bolivar now. Us three uncles9 Bruno and Pophrey and Zaphrey* they goes to the war. Them three dies too young* The Yankees stole than and make than boys fight for thea* * I never done auch work but wash the dishes people and they uses good dishes* They wasnH poor The aissy real particular 'bout us shin in* thea dishes nice, and the silver spoons and knives, too* "Shea white people was good Christian people and they christen us both in the old brick Catholic cfa&rch in Opelousas. They done torn it down now* Missy give ae pretty dress to get christen in* My godmother* she Hileen Hesase * but I call her 'Miran*. Ugr godfather called 'Parsn,1 "On Sunday aornin1 us fix our dress and hair and go up to the alssy's looking-glass to see if us pretty enough go to church* Us goes to Mass every Sunday aornin9 m& church holiday* and wfen the cullud folks sick aassa send for the priest same's for the white folks* We wears them things on the strings round the neck for the good of the heart* They1* nitaeg, "The plantation was a big* grand place and th^y have lots of orange -2- &jfc.sla?$ Stories (fexat) Paso Three 227 ^^ trees. The slaves pick them orange* and pack then down on the barrel with la mosse( Spanish moss) to keep thesu They was plenty pecans and figs, too. M In slavery time most everybody round Opeleusas talk Creole. That make the words hard to come sometime* Us both talk that hatter way than English. ^D^rla* the war, it were a sight Every mornin1 Cspt* Jen- erette Bank and he men go a hoss-baok drill in? In the pasture and then have drill on foot, every mornin1. A whit* lady tatoa all us Chilian to the ddLl ground Us take the lunch food in the basket and stay till they done drill out* *I can sing for you the song they used to sing: *0, de Yankee come to put de nigger free, Says I, says I, pas bonne; In eight6en-sixty-three, De Tanks* get out they gun and say, Hurrah! Let's put on the ball* "Whan war over none the slaves wants leave the plant at ion. My mama and us chillen stays on till old massa and missy dies, and then goes live on the old Bepridlm place for a time, "Both us get marry in that Catholic church in Opelousas. for me9 it most too long ago to talk about* he dead 12 years* As His name Alfred Johnson and Our youngest boy. John, go to the World War* fwo my nephews die in that war and one nephew can't walk now from that war* *P 1 ice marry Joseph Bou&reaux and when he die she coma here to at gr with me# There1 s more hard time now than in theold day for uaf but I hope things get better. -gu .20103 EX-SLAVE STOPIES (Texas) PageOne 228 SPENCSJ JOHNSON was horn free, a member of the Choctaw Nation, in the Indian Territory,, in the 1850fs He does not know his exact agef He and his mother were stolen and sold at auction in Shreveport to Biloy Surratt, who lived near Shrevepert, en tne Texas -Louisiana line* He has lived in Wac since 1874, * ^ N^ w De nigger stealers done stole me and my mammy ut*n de Choctaw Nation, up in de Indian Territory, when I was fbout t&ree years old. Brudder Knox, Sis Hannaht and my man my and aer two step-cnillun was aown on ae river wasiiin1* De nigger stealers driv up in a big carriage and mammy jus* thougnt nothin1, fcause tn lord was near dere ana people goin4 on de road stopped to water do norses and res' awhile in de shade. Byfn by, a man coaxes de two bigges1 chillun to de carriage and give dem some kind-a candy. Other chillun sees dis and goes, too. Two otner men was waikin* 'round smokin* and get tin1 closer to mammy all de time. Wnen iie kin, de man in de carriage got de two big step-chillun in witn him and me and sis1 dumb in too, to see now come. ole one and letfs git from here*1 Den de man holler, f Gdt de With dat de two big men grab mammy and sne feugnt ana sereecned and bit and cry, but dey nit her on de head with something and drug her in, and throwed ner on de floor. De big chilluns begin to fight for mammy, but one ox ae men nit *6m ^axa and if aey drivf with de horses under whip* "Dis was near a place called Boggy Depot. Red Sibber, f Day went down de cross do ribber and n down in Louisian t Shrevepert. -1- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two Down in Louisan us was put on what dey call de highes* bidder. f OO'i A*tfw 7 block1 and sol1 to de My mammy and her three chillun bnmg $3,000 flat. De step chillun was sol1 to somebody else, but us was bought by Marse Riley Surratt. He was de daddy of Jedge Marshall Surratt, him 1610 got to be jedge here in Waco. "Marse Riley Surratt had a big plantation; denft know how many acres, bat dere was a factory and gins and big nouses and lots of nigger quarters, f em. De neuse was rigftt on de Tex-Leuisan line. Mammy cooked for When Marse Riley bought her, she couldn1 speak nothin' but de Cnoctaw words. I was a baty when us lef1 de Cfcoctaw country. My sister looked like a full blood Choctaw Indian and sne could pass for a real full blood Indian. Mammy's folks was all Choctaw Indians. Her sisters was Polly Hogan, and Sookey Hogan and she nad a brudder, Solan Tubby. Dey was all known in de Territory in de oie days. "Near as Marse Riley1 s books can come to it, I nrus' of been bo'n 'round 1859, up in de Territory. f, TJs run de hay press to bale cotton on de plantation and took cotton by ox wagons to Shreveport. Seven or eight wagons in a train, with three or four yoke of steers to each wagon. and shoes and lots of things. Us made 'lasses and cloth Old Marse Riley had a nigger wko could make shoes and if he had to go to court in Carthage, he'd leave nigger make shoes for him# "De quarters was a quarter mile long, all strung out on de creek bank. Our cabin was nexf de big house. had supper gein* all ni^ht. and suppers, toe. De white folks give big balls and Us had lots to eat and dey let us have dances We never go anywhere. -2~ Mammy always cry and *fraid of Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page !Ehree 230 bein1 stole again. M Dere was a white man live close to us, hut over in Louisan. He had raised him a great big black man wnat brung fancy price on de block. De blac^ man sho1 love dat white man. Dis white jian would sell ole John - dat's de black man1 s nsuae - on de block to someman from Georgia or other place fur off. Den, after 'while de wnite man would steal ole J0hn back and bring him home and feed him good, den sell him again. After he had sol1 ole John some lot of times, he coaxed ole John orf in de swamp one day and ole Jonn foun1 dead sev'ral days later. De wnite folks said dat de owner kilt him, * cause a dead nigger ^on t tell no oaies.' "Durin1 tfe Freedom War, I seed soldiers all ever de road. was breakin* hosses wnat dey stole. see us if we could hefp it. Dey Us skeered and didn1 let soldiers Hsmy and I stayed on with Marse Riley after Freedom and till I was 'bout sixteen. Den Marse Riley died and I come to Waco in a wagon with Jedge Surratt*s brotner, Marse Taylor Surratt. I come to Waco de same year dat Dr. Lovelace did, and he says that was 18?4. I married and us had six cnillun. W I canft read or write, 'cause I only went to school one day. De white folks tried to iarn me, but I*s too thickheaded. 4****3^* 420244 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One 231 HABHIBT JONES, S3, was born a slave of Martin 5\illbright ,who owned a large plantation in North Carolina. When he died his daughter, Sllen, became Harriet's owner, and was so kind to Harriet th*t she looks back on slave years as the happiest tins in her life. M My daddy and mamiay was Henry and Zilphy Guest and Mr-rse Martin Pallbright brung dem from North Carolina to Bed River County, in Texas, long for freedom, and settled near Clarksville. I was one of dere eight chillen and borned in 1844 and am 93 years old. My folks stayed with Marse Martin and he daughter, Miss Ellen, till day went to de reward where dey dies no more. ,f Be plantation raise corn and oats nd wheat and cotton and hawgs and cattle and hosses, and de neores1 pl?ce to ship to market aa at Jefferson, Texas, ninety miles from Clarksville, den up river to Shreveport and den to Memphis or New Orleans. Dey send cotton by wagon train to Jefferson but mostly by boat up de bayou. "When Marse Martin die he *vlde us slaves to he folks and I fells to he daughter, Miss Sllen. she was it. If fen ever dere was a angel on dis earth I hopes wherever ittis, her spirit am in glory. \ "When Miss Ellen marry Marse Johnnie Watson, she hnve me fix her up. She have de white satin dress and pink sa^h and tight waist and hoop skirt, so she have to go through de door sideways. De long curls I made hang dowa her shoulders and a bunch of pink roses in da hand. angel. She look like a Jx-slave Stories (Texas) 11 pag* Two 2*?^ <**>w HI de fine folks in Clarksville at dat weddin* and dey dances in de big room after de weddin* supper. 'cause Miss &llen done growed up. It was de grand time but it make me cry, When she was a li*l ga.1 she wore de sweetes* li'l dresses and panties with de lace ruffles what hung down below her skirt, and de jacket button in de back and shoes f~om soft leather de shoeman tan jus1 for her. When she lifl bigger she wear de tucked petticoats, two, three at a tine to take place of hoops, but she still wear de white panties with lace ruffles what hang below de skirt *bout a foot. Where dey gone now? I ainft seed any for sich a long time] f, Whea de white ladies go to church in dem hoop skirts, dey h?s to pull dem up in de b^ck to set down. After freedom dey wears de dresses long with de train and has to hold up de train when dey goes in de church, lessen d$y has de lifl nigger to go f long and hold it up for dem. tt lll us house women lam*d to knit de socks and head mufflers, and many is de time I has ^ent to town and traded socks for groceries. helped *fore old Marse died. I cooked, too, and ?or everyday cookin1 we has corn pone and potlicker and bacon meat and mustard and turnip greens, and good, old sor^xua flasses. Sunday we has chiekcn or turkey or roast pig and pies and cakes and hot, saltrisia1 bread. *lhen folks visit dem days dey do it right and stays several days, maybe a week or two. When de quality folks caaes for dinner, Missie show me how to wait on table. I has to com* in when she ring de bell, and hold de waiter for food Jus1 right, wake, for de breakfas1 we has coffee and hot waffles what my mammy -S~ On JBMlare Stories (Texas) page Three 0<>0 *5iMJ n Dere was a old song we used to sing bout de hoecake, when we cookin' dem: " ^:f you wants to bake ? hoecake, To b^ke it good *mu done,, Slap it on a nigger's heel, And ho23 it to de sun. wf My mammy baked a hoecaice, As big as Alabama, She throwed it 'gainst a nigger's head, It ring jus' like a hfrraraer. w f De way you bake a hoecake, De old Virginny way, Wrap it round a nigger's stom ch, And Ut^ol^ dere -all day.' H Dat de life we lives with old and young marse and missie, for dey de quality folks of old Texas. " 'Bout ti e for de field hands to go to work, it giitin' mighty hot down here, so dey go by daylight when it cooler. 'long 'bout four o'clock it Sgin to blow, PDA 0"!d Marse have a horn and you turn over and trv take 'nother nap, den it goes arguia't blow, how loud dat old horn do blowf bat de sweet smell de air and de early breeze blowin' through de trees, and de sun peepin' over de meadowt make you glad to git up in de early morals'. 11 'It's a cool and frosty momin1 Ajid de niggers goes to work, With hoes upon dey shoulders, Without a bit of shirt.' 11 'When dey hears de horn blow for dinner it am de race, and dey sings: "'I goes up on de meatskins, I comes down on de pone I hits de com pone fifty licks, And makes dat butter moaja. * -3- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Pour M De timber am near de river and de bayou and when dey not workin1 de hosses or no other work, we rides down and goes hunt in' with de boys, for wild turkeys and prairie chickens, but dey like bes* to hunt for coons and possums. MI Possum up de gum stuirrp, Faccoon in de hollow Git him down and twist hira out, And Ifll give you a dollar.1 * r, [ K fl Come Christmas, Miss Ellen sayf 'Harriet, have de Christrms* carry in and de holly and evergreens.1 Den she puts de candles on de tree and hangs de stockin's up for de white chillen and de black chillen. Nex1 mornin1, everybody up ffore day and somethin' for us all, and for de men a keg of cider or wine on de back porch, so dey all have a lifl Christmas spirit. M De nex1 thing am de dinner, serve in de big dinin1 room, and dat dinner! De onlies1 time what I ever has sich a good dinner am when I gits married and when Miss Ellen marries Mr. Johnnie. After de white folks eats, dey watches de servants have dey dinner. M Den dey has guitars and banjoes and fiddles and plays old Christmas tunes, den dat night marse and aissie brung de chillen to de quarters, to see de niggers have dey dance, Fore de dance dey has Christmas supper, on de long table out in de yard in front de cabins, andhave wild turkey or chicken and plenty good things to eat. When dey all through eatin', dey has a li l fire front de main cabins where de. dancin' gwine be. cabin 'cept a few chairs. Dey moves everything out de Next come de fiddler and banjo-er and when dey starts, 4e caller call, tHeads lead off,f and de first couple gits in middle de floor, and all de couples follow till de cabin full. -4~ Next he calls,fSashay to de right, P*?/ Sx-slRve Stories (Texas) Page Five and do - si- do.' 0*2?" <**u*0 Round to de right dey go, den he calls, 'Swing you partners, and dey swing deia round twice, and so it go till daylight dome, den he sing dis song: n, Its gittin1 mighty late when de Guinea hen squall , And you better dance now if you gwine dance a~tall If you don't watch out, you111 sing fnother tune, For de sun rise and cotch you, if you don't go soon, For de stars gittin1 paler and de old gray com . Is sittin1 in de grapevine a-watchinf de moon,' "Den de dance breax up with de Virginny Reel, and it de end a happy Christmas day. De old iaarse lets dera frolic all night rand have nex' day to git 07er it, 'cause its Christmas. 111 Fore freedom de soldiers pass by our house and stop ask mammy to cook dem something to eat, r.nd when de Yankees stop us chillen hides. stays two, three weeks lookin* round, pretends dey gwine buy land. Once two men But when de white folks sits spicious, dey leaves right sudden, and it turn out dey!s Yankee spies. "I marries Bill Jones ^e year after freedom. It a bright, moonlight night and all de white folks and niggers come and de preacher stand under de big elm tree, and I come in with two lifl pickininnies for flower gals and holdin* my train. I has on one Miss Allen's dresses and red stock n's and a pair brand new shoes and a wide brim hat. De preacher say, 'Bill, does you take dis winan to be you lawful wife?' and Bill say he will. Len he say, 'Harriet, will you take dis nigger to be you lawful boss and do jes' what he say?1 Den we signs de book and de preacher say, l quotes from de scripture: "'Dark and stormy may come de weather, I jines dis man and woman together. Let none but Him what make de thunder, Put dis man and woman asunder. -^ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Six. "Den we goes out in de backyard, where de table sot for supper, a long table made with two planks and de peg legs. cloth and sone red berries, Miss Ellen puts on de white table- ! cause it am November and dey is ripe. Den she puts on some rpd candles, and we has barbecue pig and roast sweet "taters and dumplin!s and pies and cake. Dey all eats dis grand supcer till dey full and mammy give me de luck charm for de bride. 111 It am a rabbit toe, and she say: He re, take dis li l gift, And place it near you heart; It keep aw^y dat lifl riff What causes folks to part. MI It onV ,iesf a rabbit toe, Bat plentv luck it brings, Its worth a million dimes or more, More'n all de weddin1 rings*1 HDen we goes to Marse Watson's saddleshop to dance and dances all night, and de bride and groont datfs us, leads de grand march. 11 De Yankees never burned de house or nothin1 , so Young Marse and Missie jes1 kep1 right on livin* in de old home after freedom, like old Marse done 'fore freedom. He pay de families by de dey for work annd sisters. How many brudders and sisters? Lawd A-mightyJ you 'cause you asks and dis nigger gives de facts as His, I can't flect de number. 1*11 tell Let's see, My pappy have 12 chillen by my mammy end 12 by anudder nigger name Mary, You k*ep de count. Den dere am Liza, him have 10 by her, and dere am Mandy, him have 8 by her, and dere am Betty, him have six by her. Now, let me lect some more. I canfT bring de names to mind, but dere em two or three other what have jus1 one or two chillen by my pappy. mammy dotie told me. Dat am right. Close to 50 chillen, f cause my It's dis away, my pappy am de breedia1 nigger. "You sees, when I meets a nigger on dat plantation, Ifs most sho1 it am a brudder or sister, so I donft try keep track ef %em9 "Massa Tate didnU give rations to each family like lots of massas, but him have de cookhouse and de cooks, and all de rations cooked by dem and all us niggers sot down to de long tables. plenty, plenty. Dere am I sho1 wishes I could have some good rations like dat -1- 23,7 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) now. Page Two #238 Man, seme of dat ham would go fine. Dat was *Haja, what am*1 Wefuas raise all de food right dare on de place, Hawgs? Wefuns have three, four hundred and massa raise de corn and feed dam and cure de meat, Wefuns have de cermoeal and de wheat flour and all de milk and "butter we wants, * cause massa have '"bout 30 cows. And dere am de good old flassesf too. "Massa feed powerful ,;ood andhe && not areas* hie. He donft whup much and am sho* reas'ble *bout da passt and he flow de parties and have de church on de place. Old Tom am de pre&chermaa and de musician and him play de fiddle and "banjo. Sometime day have Jig contest, dat when dey puts de glass of water on de head a#d see who can jig da hardes1 without spillia1 de water. Dea dera can jeyraent in de singing in de circle and sing old songs, Preacher Tern sot all us niggers I jus1 can't stag for you, 'cause Ifs lost W teeth and my voice sn raspin1, hut 1*11 word some, sich as ,f, Im de new Jerusalem, Im da year of Jubilee.1 "I done forgit de words. 111 Den did you ever hear dis one: Oh, do, what Sam done, do dat again, He want to de hamhone, hit off de end.1 *Whea Old Tom am praachermaa, him talks from he heartfelt. Den sometime a white preacherm&n coma and he m de Baptist aad baptize wefuns, "Massa have de fine coach and de seat for de driver am up high in front aad V s da coachman aad ha dresses me nice and de hosses am fine, white team. Bare I*s sat up high, all dress good, heldin1 a tight line causa da team am *&L1 tf spirit aad fast. fe*uns gas* lickity split and it am a purty sight. Maa, Hwarnt anyone bigger dan dis nigger. :'?'fW'!iY-;:*'':;- '. ~2* Ex-slave Steries page Three <* * > 239 "ijhas de "bad luck jus1 one time with dat team and it am disaway: i " massa have jus1 change de power for de gin from hoss to steam and doty am ginnia1 cotton and I!s with dat team fside de house and de hosses am a-*prancinf and wait in1 for miss^ ,te come out. Mass a am in de coach. Den, de fool niggers blows de whistle of dat steam engine and de hosses never heered sich befe1 ajad dey starts to run. Dey have de bit in de teeths and I*s lucky dat road am purty straight. I thinks of raassa he in1 inside de coach and wants to save him* I says to myself, !Dem hosses skeert and I donft rant to skeer em no more,1 I jus1 hold de lines steady and keep sayin1, Steady, hoys, whoa hoys.1 Finfly dey begins to slow down and den stops and massa gits out and de hosses am puffin1 hard and ail feaa. mo and say, 'Boy, youfs made a wonnerf\A drive, like a vet ran.1 dat make me feel fine! 11 He turns to Now, does It she1 do. When surrender come I*s been drivin1 f bout a yeisr and it's 'bout 11 o1 clock in de mernin1, cause massa have me ring de bell and all de niggers runs quick to de house and massa say dey am free niggers* layin1 de crops by and he say if dey do dat he pay *m. goes off . but mammy and p^ppy and me stays* and I stays fbout 8 years, It am time for S*me stays and some Dey never left dat plantation, I guess it dat coachman job what helt me. When I qjxits I goes to work for Ed Mattson in h& Orange and I works in dat eotton gin 18 years. Finfly I comes here to Fort Worth* Dat am 1896. I works fear Amours 20 yea,rs b\it dey let me off six years ago, fcause I1* too *!&. Since den I works at any little old job. for to make my livia1. Ex~slave Stories (Texas) ~ Pa e 240 7mxr "Sho', I*s "been married and it to Jane Owen in La Orange, and we uns have three chillen and dey all dead. She di d in 1931. "It an hard for dis nigger t git "by and sometime I don't know for sho' dat I s gwine git aaudder meal, but it allus come some vtqr. suh, dey alias come some way. comes. Some of do time dey is far apart, but dey De Lawd see to dat, I guess. ********* %> $pS$ Hrk~- Yes, 420148 EX-SLAYS STORIES (Texas) pP^e One OJJ ^^X LIZA JONES, 31, was born a slave of Charley Bryant, near Liberty, Texas. She lives in Beaumont, and her little homestead is reached "D7 a devious path through a cemetery and across a ravine on a plank foot-bridge. Liza sat in a backless chair, smoking a pipe, and her elderly son lay on a blanket nearby. Both were resting after a hot day's work in the field. Within the open door could be seen Henrv Jones, Liza1s husband for sixty years, a tall, gaunt Negro who is helpless. Blind, deaf and almost speechless, he could tell nothing of slavery days, although he was grown when the "war ended. v ^j? %' A ^T "When de Yankees cone to see if fen dey had done turn us a-loose, I am a nine year old nigger gal. That make :ae about SI now. Dey promenade up to de gate and de drum say P-dr-urn-m-m-in-m, and de raan in de blue uniOld massa he see r.ea comin1 and he runned form he git down to open de gate. in de house and grab up de gun. my daddy come runnin1. When he come hustlin1 down off de gallery, He seed old massa too mad to know what he a-doin1, so quicker dan a chicken could fly he grab dat gun and wrastle it outten old massa1 s hands. Den he push old massa in de smokehouse and lock de door. He ain't do dat to be mean, but he want to keep old massa, outten trouble. Old massa know dat, but he beat on de door and yell, but it ain't git open till deza Yankees done gone. t? I wisht old massa been a-livinf now, I'd git a piece of bread and meat when I want it. de missus. Old man Charley Bryant, he de massa, and Felide Bryant Dey both have a good age when freedom come. M ^T daddy he George Price and he boss nigger on de place. Dey all come from Louisiana, somewhere round New Orleans and all dera li'l extra places. -1- ' Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two Q/lo A^dt/w "Lis'beth she my mama and dey's jus1 two us chillen, me and my brudder, John. He lives in Beaumont. ,H Bout all de work I did was 'tend to de rooms and sweep. low us to see nobody 'bused. Nobody ever I never seed or he are d of nobody gittin' cut to pieces with a whip like some. Course, chillen wasn't 'loved to go every- where and see eveiy thing like dey does now. Dey jump in every corner now. "Miss Flora and Miss li0l":y am de only ones of my white folks what am alive now and dey done say dey take me to San Antonio with dem. couldnft go now and leave Henry, noway. suit. Course, I De old Bryant place am in de law- Dey say de brudder, Mister Benny, he done sharped it f way from de others befo* he die, but I 'lieve the gals will win dat lawsuit. M My daddy am de gold iplot on de old place. was right and proper. Dat mean anything he done Way after freedom, when my daddy die in Beaumont, Cade Bryant and Mister Benny both want to see him befo' he buried. in and say, 'Better not you bury him befo1 us see him. Dey ride Dat's us young George.* Dey allus call daddy dat, but he old den. !, My mama was de spring back cook and turkey bc?ker. she so neat and cook so nice. Ifs de expert cook, too. Dey call her dat, She larnt me. lf Us chillen used to sing rt 'Donft steal Don't steal my sugar. Donft steal, Don't steal my candy. I's ccmin' round de mountain.1 * Dey sho1 have better church in dem days dan now. shout. Dey too many blind taggers now. aia t got nothin1. Us git happy and Now dey say dey got de key and dey Us used to sing like dis; Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three 11 Adam's fallen ^o,ce, Good Lawd, hang down my head and cry. Help me to trust him, Help me to trust him, Help me to trust him, Gift of Gawd, fl 'Help me to Help me to Help me to Eternal 11 O/IO ** trust him, trust him, trust him, Life. 'Had not been for idamfs race, I wouldn't been sinnin1 todayf Help me to trust hixa, Gift of Gawd..1 "Dey 'nother hymn like dis: " 'Heavenly land, Heavenly land, Ifs gwineter "beg Gawd, For dat Heavenly land. "'Some coma Some come Some come In Jesus' cripplin', lame, walkin', name.' "You knotf I saw you-all last night in my sleep? you befo' today, hut I seed you last night. I ain't never seed Dey's two of you, a man and a woman, and you come crost dat bridge and up here, askin1 me if fen I trust in de La.wd. And here you is today. "Dey had nice parties in slavery time and right afterwards. candy pullin' and corn shuckin's and de like. Dey have Old Massa Day and Massa Bryant, dey used to put dey niggers together and have de prize dances. lose, 'cause us allus heat he niggers at dancin1. Massa Day allus Lawd, when I clean myself up, I sho' could teach dem how to "buy a cake-walk in dem days. I could cut de pigeon wing, jes1 pull my heels up and clack dem together. Den us do de hack step and de banquet, too -3- Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Pour Ex- laT Stories page Two (Texa.) 247 "Mammy lived 'cross the field at the quarters and there was so aany nigger shacks it look like a town. The slaves slep1 on hunks of homemade boards nailed to de wall with poles for legs and they cooked on the fireplace. I didn1 know what a stove was till after de War. Sometime they'd bake co'nbread in the ashes and every bit of the grub they ate come from the white folks and the clothes, too. looms many a night, weavin* cloth. and greens and garden stuff to eat. I run thea In summer we had lots of turnips Mass a allus put up sevfral barrels of kraut and a smokehouse full of pofk for winter. We didn1 have flour or lard, but huntin1 was good ffore de war and on Sat'day de men could go bant in1 and fishin1 and. catch possum and rabbits and squirrels and coons. "Tneoverseer was named Wade and ne woke the hanfs up at four A in the aornin1 and kep1 thea in the field froa then till the sun set. Mos* of de women worked in de fields like de men. at night and dry thea by the fire. They'd wash clothes The overseer kep1 a long coach whip with hia and if they didn1 work good, he*d thrash them good. Sometime hefs pretty hard on thea and strip *em off and whip fea till they tnlnk he was gonna kill lesu No nigger ever run off as I f aeaber. H We never have no parties till after ^mancipation, and we couldn1 go off de place. n Sundays we slep1 or visited each other. white folks was good to us. But the Uassa Hargrove didn* have no doctor but there wasn1 much sickness and seldom anybody die. 11 1 don1 membermuch bout de War. Massa went to it, but he come A home shortly and say he sick with the * sumption, but he got well real Enslave Stories (Texas) Page Three quick frfter surrender. w Ihe white folks didn' let the niggers know they was free till fbout a year after the war, Mass a Hargrove took sick sevfral months after and ffore he did he tell the folks not to let the niggers loose till they have to. finilly they foun1 out and fgun to leave. rt My pappy died ffore I was bofn and mammy married Caesar Peterson and f, bout a year after de war dey moved to a farm close to Lee, "but I kep1 on workin1 for de Hfcrgroves for four years, help in1 missus cook and keep house , ************* 248 4:201388 EX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One 249 TOBY JONES was born i South Carolina, in 1850, a slave of Jelix Jones, who owned a large tobacco plantation. Toby has farmed in iiadisonville, Texas, since 1869, and still supports himself, though his age makes it hard for him to work. "My father1 s name was Eli Jones and mmray's name was Jessie. They was captured in Africa and brought to this country whilst they was still young folks, and my father was purty hard to realize he was a slave, fcause he done what he wanted back in Africa. M 0ur owner was Massa Felix Jones and he had lots of tobacco planted. He was real hard on us slaves and whipped us, tut Missie Janie, she was a real good woman to her black folks. Janie was horned. I 'members when their li'l curlyheaded She jus1 loved this old, black nigger and I carried her on my back whole days at a time. She was the sweetesf baby ever borned. "ttassa, he lived in a big, rock house with four rooms and lots of shade trees, and had *bout fifty slaves. Our livin1 quarters wasn't bad. They was rockt too, and beds built in the corners, with straw moss to sleep on. H We had plenty to eat, fcause the woods was full of possum and rabbits and all the mud holes full of fish. I sho1 likes a good, old, fat possum cooked with sweet 'taters round him. We cooked meat in a old-time pot over the fireplace or on a forked stick. We grated corn by hand for corabread and made waterpone in the ashes. M I was borned 'bout 1850, so I was plenty old to 'member lots fbout slave times. I 'members the loyal clothes, a long shirt what come down below -1- Sx-slave Stories (Texas) Page Two our knees, opened all the way down the front. f)0 ** On Sunday we had white loyal shirts, but no shoes and when it was real cold we'd wrap our feet in wool rags so they wouldn't freeze. I married after freedom and had white loyal breeches. I wouldn1t marry 'fore that, 'cause massa wouldn't let me have the woman I wanted. "The overseer was a mean white man and one day he starts to whip a nigger what am hoe in' tobacco, and he whipped him so hard that nigger grabs him and made him holler. Missie come out and made them turn loose and massa whipped that nigger and put him in chains for a whole year. Every night he had to be in jail and couldn't see his folks for that whole year. "I seed slaves sold, and they'd make them clean up good and grease their hands and face, so they'd look real fat, and sell them off. Of course, most the niggers didn't know their parents or what chillen was theirs. The white folks didn't wait them to git 'tached to each other. "Missie read some Bible to us every Sunday momin' and taught us to do right and tell the truth. But some them niggers would go off without a pass and the patterrollers would beat them up scand'lous. "The fun was on Saturday night when massa 'lowed us to dance. There was lot 8 of banjo pickin1 and tin pan beat in' and dancin', and everybody would talk 'bout when they lived in Africa and done what they wanted. "I worked for massa 'bout four years after freedom, 'cause he forced me to, said he couldn't 'ford to let me go. His place was near ruint, the fences burnt and the house would have been but it was rock. There was a battle fought near his place and I taken missie to a hideout in the moun tains to *here her father was, f cause there was bullets fly in1 everywhere. ~2~ Ex-slave Stferies (Texas) Page Three Or J <&OJi When the war was over, massa corae home and saysf 'You son of a gunf youfs sposed to be free, but vou ain't, 'cause I ain't gwine give you freedom,f So, I goes on workin' for him till I gits the chance to steal a hoss from him. The woman I wanted to marry, Govie, she fcides to come to Texas with me. Me and Govie, we rides that hoss most a hundred milest then we turned him a-loose and give him a scare back to his house, and come on foot the rest the way to Texas. "All we had to eat was what we could beg and sometimes we went three days without a bite to eat* Sometimes we'd pick a few berries. When we got cold we'd crawl in a breshpile and hug up close together to keep warm. Once in awhile we'd come to a farmhouse and the man let us sleep on cottonseed in his tarn, but they was far and few between, fcau^e they wasnft many houses in the country them days like now. "When we gits to Texas we gits married, but all they was to our weddin1 am we jus1 grees to live together as man and wife. I settled on some land and we cut some trees and split them open and stood them on end with the tops together for our house. farm. Then we deadened some trees and the land was ready to There was some wild cattle and hawgs and that*s the way we got our start, caught some of them and tamed them. "I don't know as I 'spected nothin1 from freedoia, but they turned us out like a bunch of stray dogs, no homes, no clothin1, no nothing not 'nough food to last us onemeal. After we settles on that place, I never seed man or woman, cept Govie, for six years, 'cause it was a long ways to anywhere. to farm with was sharp sticks. All we had We'd stick holes and plant corn and when it come up we'd punch up the dirt round it. We,didn't plant cotton, 'cause we couldn't -3- Ex-slave Stories Page Four (Texas) eat th&t. I made bows and arrows to kill wild game with and we never went to a store for nothin1. We made our clothes out of animal skins, "We used rabbit foots for good luck, tied round our necks. medicine out of wood herbs We'd make There is a rabbit foot weed that we mixed with sassafras and made good cough syrup. Then there is cami weed for chills and fever. "All I ever did was to faim and I made a livin*. I still makes onef though I'm purty old now and its hard for me to keep the work up. chickens and hawgs and a yearling or two to sell every year. ***** I has some A25^ 3& SLAV1 8T0BI2S FagexOn* (Texas) ABST PUmi KELLY, whoee age is a natter of conjecture, hut who says the watf' "growed tip when sot fret/ was horn on a plantation in Bratoria Co*, owned by $?*en~ Tills McHeel, and still lives on what was a part of the MeSeel plantation, in a little cabin which she says is such like the old slave quarters. w De only place I knows *bout is right here, what was Marse Greenville MeSeel's plantation, cause I*s horn here and Marse Greenville and Missy A ella, what was his wife, is de only ones I ever belonged to. After de war, Marse Buntington coae down from up north and teck over de place when Marse Greenville die, but de big house burned irp and all de papers, too, and I couldn't tell to save y life how old I is, but I's growed up and worked in de fields befo1 I*s sot free* "My aaBEEy's tissue was Harriet Jackson and she was born on de saae plantation. Good Cheer, My pappy's naae was Baa, but folks called his He druv oxen and one day they show me hi* and say he ay pappy, and so 1 guess he was, but I can't tell nuch about hia, 'cause ehlllen then didnft know their pappy liire chillen do now, "Most I faisatber8 fbout then ttaes is work, cause we's put out in de fields befo* day and cone back after night. Then we has to shell a bushel of corn befo1 we goes to bed and we was so tir^d we didn't have time for nothing w 01d nan Jerry Driver watches us in de fields and if fen we didn't work hard he whip us and whip us hard* -1. Or;<> ^^o Then he die and 'nether Bx lave Stories (Texas) Page Two man call Archer cone. He say, 'You niggers now0 you don't work good, I beat you*1 and we sho1 worked hard then, "Marse 0ree&vill treated us pretty godd hut ha never give us no thin1 SoisetiBe we'd run away and hide In de woods for a spell, hut when they cotch us Marse Greenville tie us down and whip us so we don't do it no sore. w We didn't have no clothes like we do nowf jes1 co*t*y ^' ' Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) New Orleans. Page Nineteen They would get on at Brownsville. The steamboats couldn't go very fur up the river only In high water, but they could come up to Brownsville all the time. M I was in the Ranger service or about a year with Captain McNeely, or until he died* I was his guide. I was living thirty-five miles above Brownsville. I was wording for a man right there on the place by the name of John Cunningham. It was called Bare Stone. was a ranch there. You see, hit MoNelly was stationed there after the government troops moved off. They had 'em (the troops) there for a while, but they never did do no good, never did make a raid on nothln.' I was twenty or twenty-one. How come me to get in with MoNelly, they had a big meadow there, a big permuda1 (Bermuda) grass meadow. Me and another fellow used to go in there, and John Cunningham furnished Cap'n MoNelly hay for his horses. That18 how come me to get in with 'im. Fln'ly, he found out I knew all about that country and sometimes he would come ?over there and get me to map off a road, though they wasn't but one main 19* ?& ' Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) road right there. Page Twenty So, one day I was over in the camp with 'im and I say, 'Cap'n, how would jfcou like to give me a Job to work with you? He said, 'I'd like to have you all right, but you couldn't come here on state pay, and under no responsibility. I told Um that was all right. I knew how I was going to get my money, 'cause I gambled. Sometimes I would have a hundred or a hundred, twenty-five dollars, durin' the month I would win from the soljers dealin' monte or playin1 seven-up. days. They wasn't no craps in them We played luck too; we never had no shenani- gans, a-stealinf a man's money. If you had a good streak o' luck, you made good; if you didn't, you was out o! luck. Sometimes, I had up as high as twenty-five or thirty dollars. "One thing about the cap'n, he'd tell his men well, we had a sutler's shop right across from our camp, all kinds of good drinks and he would tell his men he didn't care how much they drank but he didn't want any of 'em fighting'. He kep' 'em under good control. "You see, they was all dependin' on me for -20- 79 Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) guidin1. Page Twenty one There was no way for them cow rustlers or bandits to get to the cow ranches after they crossed the river (Rio Grande) excep1 to cross that ikfipL, for there was no other way. for 'em to get out there. You see, there was where it would he easy for me, pickin1 up a trail. I would just follow that road on if I had a certain distance to go, and if I didnft find no trail I would come back and report, and if I would find a trail he would ask me how many they was and where they was goln1, ana I would tell fim which way, f cause I didnft know exactly where they was goin1 to round-up. He would always give fem about two or three days to make the round-up from the time that trail crossed. And we always went to meet the river. f em, or catch fem at We got into two or three real bed combats. tt The worst one was on Palo Alto Prairie, one of Santa Annafs battle grounds. About twelve or fifteen miles east of old Brownsville. They was sixteen of the bandits and they was -21- J2&0 Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) fifteen of white man. Page Twenty two f em killed all Meskins excep1 one One Meekin escaped. The capfn Just put * em all up together in a pile and sent a message to Brownsville to the authorities and told fem where they was at and what shape they was in. They must have had two hundred or two hundred and twenty-five head (of cattle) with * em. It was open country and they would get anybody's cattle. They just got fem off the range. H They mostly would cross that road at night, and by me gettin* out early next mornln1 and findin1 that trail, I could tell pretty much how old it was. I reckon that place.wasnft over thirteen miles from Brownsville and our camp was thirty-five miles. I guess it must have been twenty-five miles from our camp to where we had that battle. to get fem. We sure went there I trailed them horses and I knowed from the direction they was takin1 that they was goinf to those big lakes called Santa Lalla. They was between Point Isabel and Brownsville -22- 281 282 Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) Page Twenty three and that made us about a forty-five mile ride to get to that crossin1, to a place called Bagdad, right on the waters of the Rio GrandS" "We got our lunch at Brownsville and started out to go to this crossin'. I knowed right about where this crossin1 was and I says to the cap'n, 'Don't you reckon I better go and see if they was any sign?1 We stayed there about three hours and didn't hear a thing* And then the cap'n said, better eat our lunch1. f Boys, we While we was eatin1, we heard somebody holler, and he said, there they are.1' 'Boys, And he said to me, 'Ben, you want to stay with the horses or be in the fun?1 And I said, f I don't care.' So he said, 'You better stay with the horses; you ain't paid to ftill MeskinsJ were. I went out to where the horses The rangers were afoot in the brush. It was about an hour from the time we heard the fellow holler before the cattle got there. When the rangers placed themselyes on the side of the road, the Meekins didn't know what they was goin1 to get intoi -23- Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) Page Twenty four "The Meskins was all singin1 at the top of their voices and they was comin1 on in. The capfn waited till they went to crossin1 the herd, he waited till these rustlers all got- into the river "behind the cattle, and then the capfn opened fire on the bandits. no possible show. They didnft have They was in the water, and he Just floated 'em down the river. one man got away. rae about it. They was I saw 'im later, and he told The way he got away, he says he was a good swimmer and he Just fell off his horse in the water and the swift water took 'im down and he Just kep' his nose out of the water and got away that way. They was fo'teen in that bunch, I know. "The echo of the shootln' turned the cattle back to the American side. The lead cattle was Just gettin1 ready to hit the other side of the river when the ehootin1 taken place and the echo of the shootln' turned fem and they come back across. Now, in swlmmin' a bunch of cattle, if you pop your whip, you are just as liable -24- 283 Ex-Slave Stories (Texas) Page Twenty Five to turn 'em back, or if you holler the echo might turn 'em back. It'll do that nearly every time. "After the fight, the cap'n says to the boys, 'Well, boys, the fun is all over now, I guess we'd better start back to camp. And they all mounted their horses and begun singln': w 0, bury me not on the lone prairie-e-e Where the wild coyotes will howl o'er rae-e-e, Right where all the Meskins ought to be-e-e l" **25 * **&* 4:20048 SX-SLAVE STORIES (Texas) Page One MART KINDRED was a slave on the Luke Hadnot plantation in Jasper, Texas* She does not know her age hut thinks she is about 80* She now lives in Beaumont. Texas. w My mind donft dwell back. I thinks fbout the old times. The older I gits the lessen I ainft gittin1 old. Ils dorm got old. I not been one of them bad, outlawed fellers, so de good Lawd done flow me live a long time. my grandma. Some things I knows I heered from w mother end They so fresh to them in that time, though, I mostly sure they*s truth. "My mother name was Hannah Hadnot and my daddy was Baffin Hadnot and he used to carry the mail fro^ Weiss Bluff to Jasper. They waylay him flong the road in 1881 and kill him and rob the mail. "Luke Hadnot was our old m&ssa. give her license for a doctor woman, of herf f He good to my grandma and Old m&ssa must of thought lots cause he give her forty acres of land and a home for herself. That house still standin1 up there in Jasper, yet. "Orandma used to sing a lifl song to us, like this: n f 0ne mornin* in May, I spies a beautiful dandy, A-rakin1 way of de hay. I asks her to marry, She say, scornful, fNo.* But befo1 six months roll by Her apron strings wouldn't tie. She wrote me a letter, She marxy me then, I say, no, no, my gal, not I.1 If0randma git de bark of fen de thorn tree and bile it with tospontlne for de toothache. good. She used herbs for de medicine and theyfs ~1- 23o Ex*-siave Stories (Texas) Page Two "Old missy was tall and slim, a rawbone sort of woman. was Matilda Hadncfc. Her name Mass a have as big a still as ever I seed and dey used to nake everything there. the woods. 280 They has it civered with boards they rive oat There wasn't no revenuers in dem days. "Us gits de groceries by steamboat and the wagons go down the old Bevilport Road to the steamboat laadin1. That the Ang*leen Biver. One the biggest boats was own by Capt. Bryce Eadnot, the Old Grim** w i fmember back durin1 the war the people couldnH git no coffee. They used to take bran and peaaits and okra seed and sich and parch fem for coffee. It make right drinkable coffee. store or the sugar cane. They gits sugar from the When they buy it, it's in a big, white lump what they calls sugar leaf*1 When they has no sugar they uses the syrup to sweeten the coffee and they call syrup flong sweetenin* and sugar, short sweetenin*. M Us has lets of dances with fiddle and cerjum player. Us sing, Swing you partner, Promenade.1 Another li'l song start out: 11 'Dinah got a meat skin lay away, Grease dat wooden leg, Dinah. Grease dstt wooden leg, Dinah* Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah, Shake dat wooden leg, Dinah.1 I members this song: 1,1 Down in Shiloh town, Down in Shiloh town, De eld grey mare come Teaxim9 out de wilderness. Down in Shiloh town, 0, boys,0, 0t boyst0, Down in Shiloh torn,9 ~3~ Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Three 2&7 MI1 s seed lets of blue gum niggers andtiey say iffenihey tote you dey pizea you. !Bhey hands diff rent from ether niggers. Now, my hand*s right smart white in the inside, hut blue gum nigger hand is mere browner on the inside* 11 1 used to have a old aunt name Harriett and iffen she tell you anythin1 you kin jesf put it down it gwineter come out like she say. She have the big mole on the inside her meuth and when she shake her finger at you it gwine happen to you jesf like she say* That whay they call putt in1 bad mouth en them and she she1 could do it* "I's had 12 chillen. last Alfred Kindred. My first husban was Anthony Adams and the I only got three chillen livin1 now, though. One of the sons am the outer door guard of the ledge here in Beaumont* ***** 4203.31 EX-SLAVS STORIBS (Texas) Page One NAMCT KING, 93, was horn in Upshur County, Texas, a slave of Will Ian Jackson. She and her husband moved to Marshall, Texas, in 1866. Nancy now lives with her daughter, Lucy Staples. "I was horned and raised on William Jackson1 s place, jus8 twelve miles east of Gilmer. I was growed end had one child at surrender, and ay mother told me I was a woman of my own when Old Missie sot us freef jus1 after surrender, so you can figurate my age from that. w My first child *as horned the January befo1 surrender in June, and I f members hoeing in the field befo1 the war come on. Uassa Williaa raised lots of cotton and corn and tobacco and most everything we et. I never worked in the field, fcept to chase the calves in, till I was most growed. good to us. Uassa was Course, I never went to school, but Old Uissie sent my brother, Alex, two years after the war, with her own chillen. W I was married durin1 the war and it was at church, with a white preacher. Old Uissie give me the cloth and dye for my weddin1 dress and my mother spun and dyed the cloth, and I made it. cheap bout it for them days. It was homespun but nothin1 After the weddin1 masaa give us a big dinner and we had a time, "Uassa done all the bossin* his own self. He never whipped me, but Old Missie had to switch me a little for piddlin1 round, sbe said. f stead of doin1 what Bvery Sat1 day night we had a candy pullln1 and played games, and allus had plenty of clothes and shoes. "I seed the soldiers comin1 and gwine to the war, and 'members when Massa William left to go fight for the South. His boy, Billie, was sixteen, -1- Bx-slav* Stories (Texas) Page Two and tended the place while massa's away. go without fi^xtin*. v.>-v^ ^LJ^ Massa done say he'd let the niggers ^e didnft think war was right, but he had to go. He 'serts and comes home bafo* the war gits goin1 good and the soldiers come after him. He run off to the bottoms, but they was on hosses and overtook him. I was there in the room when they brung him back. One of them saysf f Jacks on, we ain't gwine take you with us nowt bat we'll fix you so you can't run off till we git back.1 They put red pepper in his eyes and left. Missie cried. They cone back for hia in a day or two and made my father saddle up Hawk-eye, massa'a best boss. Then they rode away and we never seed massa 'gain. One day my brother, Alex, hollers out, 'Oh, Missie, yonder is the boss, at the gate, and ain't nobody ridin1 him.1 husban1 am dead! ' Missie throwed up her hands and says, '0, Lawdy, my She knowed somehow when he left he wasn't comin' back. "Old Missie freed ua but said we had a home as long as she did. Me and my husban' stays 'bout a year, but my folks stays till she marries 'gain. *My brother-in-law, Sam Pitman, tells us how he put one by the Kn Kluxers. Him and some niggers was out one night and the Sluxers chases them on hosses. They run down a narrow road and tied four strands of grapevine cross the road, 'boat breast high to a hoss. The Kluxers come gallopin1 down that road and when the hosses hit that grapevine, it throwed them every which way and broke some their arms. Sam used to laugh and tell how them Kluxers cussed them niggers. "Me and my basban' come to MarriAl the year after surrender and I is lived here every since. Uy man works on faras till he got on the railroad. I's been married four times and raised six chillen. The young people is diff rent t*m *hat we was, but diff r*at times calls for diff'rent ways, I fspect. My chillen allus done the best they could by me. 2- *4>i%/'-i* (*-* 33USLAVE ST0RI2S (Texas) Page One 290 SILVIA KING, French Negress of Merlin, Texas, does not know h<*r age, but says that she was born in Morocco. She was stolen from her husband and three children, brought to the United States and sold into slavery, Silvia has the appearance of extreme age, and may be close to a hundred years old, as she thinks.she is, because of her memories of the children she never saw again and of the 8lave ship. W I know I was borned in Morocco, in Africa, and was married and had three chillen befo1 I was stoled from ray husband. I donft know who it was stole me, but dey took me to Francef to a place called Bordeaux, and drugs me with some coffee, and when I knows anything *bout itf Ifs in de bottom of a boat with a whole lot of other niggers. It seem like we was in dat boat forever, but we comes to land, and Ifs put on de block and sold. I finds out afterwards from my white folks it was in New Orleans where dat block was, but I didnft know it den* *We was all chained and dey strips all our clothes off and de folks what gwine buy us comes round and feels us all over. Iff en any de nig- gers don't want to take dere clothes off, de man gits a long, black whip and cut a dera up hard. Ifs sold to a planter what had a big plantation in Fayette Countyf right here in Texas, donft know no name f cept Marse Jones* "Harse Jones, he am awful good, but de overseer was de meanest man I ever knowed, a white man name Smith, what boasts lie done kilt. f bout how many niggers When liarse Jones seed me on de block, he say, ~1~ ! Dat*s a Page Two Enslave Stories (Texas) whale of a woman.1 English, I*s scairt and can't say nothin', QCJ f cause I canft speak He buys some more slaves and dey chains us together and marches us up near La Orange, in Texas. marches us. Marse Jones done gone on ahead and de overseer Dat was a awful time, one does us all has to do. f cause us am all chaijp^d up and whatever If one drinks out of de stream we all drinks, and when one gits tired or sick, de rest has to drag and carry him. When us git to Texas, aarse Jones raise de debbil with dat white man what had us on de i&arch. He git de doctor man and tell de cook to feed us and lets as rest up. f "After 'while, iiarse Jones say to me, Silvia, am you married?' I tells him I got a man and three chillen back in de old country, but he don't understand my talk and I has a man give to me. name much, he jes' Bob to me. I don't bother with dat nigger's But I fit him good and plenty till de overseer shakes a blacksnake whip over me. "Marse Jones and Old Miss finds out 'bout my cookin1 and takes me to de big house to cook for dem. De dishes and things was awful queer to me, to what 1 been brung up to use in Prance. I mostly cooks after dat, but Ifs de powerful big wcman when Ifs young and when dey gits in a tight I holps out. 1,1 Fore long Marse Jones 'cides to move. He allus say he gwine git where he can't hear he neighbor's cowhorn, and he do, Dere ain't nothin' but woods and grass land, no houses, no roads, no bridges, no neighbors, nothin' but woods and wild animals. But he builds a mighty fine house with a stone chimney six foot square at de bottom. T sill was a foot square and de house am made of logs, but dey splits out twoeinch plank and puts it outside de logs, from de ground clean up to de eaves. Dere wasnft no nails, but dey whittles out pegs, -3 Ex-slave Stories (Page Three) Texas Page Three Dere was a ell out de back and a well on de bpck porch by de kitchen door. It h-d a wheel and a rope. Dere was fnother well by de barns and one or two round de quartersf but dey am fixed with a long.pole sweep. In de kitchen was de big fireplace and de big back logs am haul to de house. De oxen pull dera dat far and some men takes poles and rolls dera in de fireplace. Marse Jones never flow dat fire go out from October till May, and in de fall Marse or one he sons lights de fire with a flint rock and some powder. M De stores was a long way off and de white folk3 loans seed and things to each other* If we has de toothache, de blacksmith pulls it. husband manages de ox teams. orchard. I COOKS My and works in Old Miss's garden and de It am big and fine and in fruit time all de women works from light to dark dryin1 and 'servin' and de like. "Old Marse gwine feed you and see you quarters am dry and warm or know de reason why. Most ev'ry night he goes round de quarters to see if dere any sickness or trouble. Everybody work hard but have plenty to eat. Sometimes de preacher tell us how to git to hebben and see de ring lights dere. H De smokehouse am full of bacon sides and cure hams and barrels lard end flasses. When a nigger want to eat, he jes' ask and git he passel. Old Miss allus *pend on me to spice de Lam when it cure. I larnt dat back in de old country, in JFrance. "Dere was spinnin* and weavin* cabins, long with a chimney in each end. Us women spins all do thread and weaves cloth for everybody, de white folks, too. good. I*s de cook, hut times I hit de spinnin' loom and wheel fairly Us bleach de cloth and dyes it with barks. -3- QQ2 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) w Page Four Dere allus de big woodpile in de yard, and de "big, caboose kettle for renderin1 hawg fat and beef tallow candles nnd makin' soap. Marse allus have de niggers take some apples and make cider, and he make beer, too. Most all us had cider and beer when we want it, but nobody git drunk. Marse shof cut up if we do, "Old Miss have de floors sanded, dat where you sprinkles fine, white sand over de floor ana sweeps it round in all kinds purty figgers. Us make a corn sbuck broom. "Marse shof a fool fbout he hounds and have a mighty fine pack. De "boys hunts wolves and painters(panthers) and wild game like dat. Dere was lots of wild turkey and droves of wild prairie chickens. and squirrels and Indian puddin1, make of cornra al. Dere was rabbits It am real tasty. I cooks goose and pork and mutton and bear meat and beef and deer meat, den maices de fritters and pies and dumplin's. Sho* wish us had dat food now. H 0n de cold winter night I's sot many a time spinnin1 with two threads, one in each hand and one my f*5ets on de wheel and de baby sleep in* on my lap. De boys and old men was allus whittlin1 and it wasnft jes1 foolishment. Dey whittles traps and wooden spoons and needles to make seine nets and checkers and sleds. We all sits workin1 and singin1 and smokin* pipes. I likes my pipe right now, and has two clay pipes and keeps dem under de pillow. aim fcr dem pipes to git out my sight I donft I been smokin* clost to a hunerd years now and it takes two cans tobaccy de week to k^ep me goin1. M Dere wasnft many doctors dem days, but allus de closet full of simples (home remedies) and most all de old women could git medfcine exit de woods* -4~ 293 Ex-slave Stories (Texas) Page Five Ev'ry spring, Old Miss line up all de chillen and give dem a dose of garlic and rum. n De chillen all played together, "black and white. handy trappin1 quail and partridges and seen. De young ones purty Dey didnft, shoot if dey could cotch it some other way, 'cause powder and lead am scarce. Dey cotch de deer by makin1 de salt lick, and uses a spring pole to cotch pigeons and birds. H De black folks gits o^f down in de bottom and shouts and sings and prays. Dey gits in de ring dance. It ara jes1 a kind of shuffle, den it git faster and faster and dey gits warmed up and moans and shouts and claps and dances. Some gits xhausted and drops out and de ring gits closer. Sometimes dey sings and shouts all night, but come break of day, de nigger got to git to he cabin. Old Marse got to tell dem de tasks of de day. ts 01d black Tom have a lifl bottle and have spell roots and water in it and sulphur. He sho1 could find out if a nigger gwine git whipped. He have a string tie round it and say, 'By sum Peter, by sum Paul, by de &awd dat make us all, Jack don!t you tell rae no lie, if marse gwine whipMary, tell me.1 Sho's you born, if dat jack turn tc de laft, de nigger git de whipping but if marse ainft makeup he mind to whip, dat jack stand and quiver. ' You white folks jes1 go through de woods and donH know nothin'. I*fen yoii digs out splinters from de north side a old pine tree what been *ruck by lightAin1, and gits dem hot in a iron skillet and burns dem to ashes, den you puts dem in a brown paper sack. If fen de officers gits you *&& you gwine have it fore de jedge, ^ou gits de sack and goes outdoors -5- # ** Sx-slave Stories (Texas) Page Six at midnight and hold de hag of ashes in you hand and look up at de moon tut don't you open you mouth. Nexf mornin' git up early and go to de courthouse and sprinkle dem ashes in de doorwny and dat law trouble, it gwine git tore up jes1 like de lightnin* done tore up dat tree. M De shoestring root am powerful strong. Iffen you chews on it and spits a ring round rte person what you wants somethin1 from, you gwine git it. You can git more money or a job or most anythin' dat way. I had a black cat bone, too, but it got away from me. H l I s got a big frame and used to weigh a hunerd pounds, but dey tells me I only weighs a hunerd now. Dis Louis Southern I lives with, he's de youngest son of my grandson, who was de son of my youngest daughter. My marse, he knowed Gen. Houston and I seed him many a time. I lost what teeth I had g long time ago and in 1920 two more new teeth come through. did worry me and I1 s glad when dey went, too* ***** Dem teeth she' 2{)3